BOB BAIN - "Latin Love"

Original released on LP Capitol T 1201

(US, 1960)

THE EAGLE OF PEACE

Original released on LP CBS 80171

(UK 1974, August 2)

The solo career of this great rock artist took a while to gather some steam; his 1976 album, "Cardiff Rose", showed that with at least some consistent production and a tight backing ensemble, he could put across a powerful musical vision without having to rely totally on re-creating the sound of the Byrds. For this 1974 album his focus is as wandering as a glaucoma patient who has just gone through a two-hour field test. Many different influences come into his musical world, like strange cooks passing through a kitchen and dropping odd things into the stew. There is heavy collaborating with songwriter Jacques Levy, who like McGuinn was part of Bob Dylan's chaotic music world during this period. While Levy has fans who feel he brought great riches to the kingdoms of artists such as McGuinn, the offerings from the McGuinn and Levy songwriting team on this album, such as "Together" and "The Lady," are packed with corny images and shallow sentiments - in other words, not exactly what one is used to hearing from McGuinn in his practically angelic role as a lead vocal spokesman for the Byrds. A bit of Turtles sauce goes in courtesy of vocal contributions from Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman - it doesn't add much, but at least doesn't detract, which is more than can be said for the song contributions of session pro Al Kooper or the wimpy Dan Fogelberg. The title of the former artist's tune is a gift to critics and the public alike: "(Please Not) One More Time." One Donnie Dacus offers another pair of nothing songs, while the album's title number, courtesy of country singer Charlie Rich and hyped to the hilt via the album's artwork, is also pretty much a disappointment, a one-idea song that badly muddles the all-important opening track parade. (Eugene Chadbourne in AllMusic)

"GETTING TOGETHER"

Original Released on LP United Artists UAS 5501 
(US, 1970)

Original released on LP Gallotone GALP 1570 

(SOUTH AFRICA, 1968)

OS SINGLES DO CONJUNTO AEC 68

AEC 68 foi um conjunto moçambicano de Lourenço Marques que actuava em locais sobejamente conhecidos daquela cidade. O grupo abrilhantava festas, tardes dançantes, shows e bailes (de finalistas e/ou de passagens de ano) em Associações, Clubes, Restaurantes (Dragão de Ouro e Zambi, entre outros), Clube de Pesca, Associação dos Antigos Estudantes de Coimbra e até no Liceu Salazar, de 1968 a 1974. A sigla AEC, foi retirada de "Antigos Estudantes de Coimbra" (AEC), associação onde nasceu o grupo em 1968. Tiveram também a sua internacionalização já que fizeram um baile de Gala no President Hotel em Johannesburg, na África do Sul, e outro no Monamatapa Hotel, em Salisbury, na Rodésia. Carlos Alberto Silva (baterista) que já vinha de outros conjuntos como os ABC, os Night Stars, os Corsários, Os Inflexos/Impacto, etc…integrou os AEC 68 quando este grupo foi tocar para o Polana Hotel e onde permaneceram nos últimos 3 anos antes do 25 de Abril, terminando em Dezembro 1974. 

Nessa altura, o grupo era formado pelo Carlos Alberto Silva (bateria), Franklim (vocalista), Aires de Carvalho no baixo, Maurílio (teclas) e Pedro (guitarra), mas infelizmente devido a um grave acidente com o BMW 2002 do Pedro, onde o Aires o acompanhava, junto ao restaurante Oceania, na marginal de Lourenço Marques, estes elementos foram substituídos pelo " Pip" e o Allan, respectivamente, baixista e guitarrista sul-africanos. Posteriormente o Pedro regressou ao grupo mas o Aires ficou impossibilitado de tocar. Por esse motivo, uma formação posterior seria constituída por, Franklim (vocalista), Pip (baixista sul africano), Pedro (guitarra), Maurilio (teclas) e Carlos Alberto Silva (bateria).

AEC 68 - Da esquerda para a direita: Pedro, Manel, Franklim, Filu, Zé Graça actuando na Associação dos Antigos Estudantes de Coimbra, em 1968

Actuaram no Restaurante Zambi, de onde saíram, cedendo o lugar aos Diabólicos / Banda Diplomática e foram para o Hotel Polana onde tocaram por alguns anos (logo a seguir ao "Conjunto Académico+2" que tinha feito uma temporada naquele prestigiado Hotel de Lourenço Marques). Nessa altura, na Boite do Polana (Lourenço Marques) actuava o Quinteto Académico+2 e o quarteto francês de Johnny Bonada, com os intervalos preenchidos com música dos AEC 68. Dos AEC 68, bem como dos grupos Storm (Fu, vocalista e  Zeca, guitarra) e Conjunto de Oliveira Muge (Zé Violante, guitarra baixo) saíram os músicos que formariam mais tarde e já na “metrópole”, a Sygma Band, excelente banda que durante muitos anos foi residente do Casino da Figueira da Foz, tendo passado anteriormente pelo Casino Estoril, Hotel Sheraton Madeira, Casino de Espinho, etc., e onde militavam aqueles antigos elementos dos grupos já referidos.

(Carlos Santos)

Os AEC 68 editaram apenas dois singles, um em 1971 e outro em 1972. São esses 4 temas que aqui se disponibilizam, para satisfação de vários pedidos. 

THE BEAT OF THE POPS - VOLUME 18

BRASS RING - "Sunday Night at the Movies"

Original released on LP Dunhill DS 50015

(US, January 1967)

The Brass Ring was a New York City-based, Herb Alpert-esque outfit from the '60s, led by reed player Phil Bodner. The group specialized in a short-lived musical style called "the Now Sound," which was largely instrumental and possessed a looser rhythm than Alpert's trademark style. The Brass Ring scored several minor hits in the '60s, their best-known being "The Love Theme from the Flight of the Phoenix," while another of their songs, "The Dis-Advantages of You," was used in a series of TV commercials for Benson and Hedges cigarettes. Bodner and the Brass Ring issued several largely overlooked albums during their brief career. (Greg Prato in AllMusic)

4 GUYS AND A GAL ON LIMBO

Original released on LP STAX SXATS 1001

(UK, September 1968)

This 1968 album found the Memphis instrumental group running through the usual batch of then-current soul hit covers ("La La Means I Love You," "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy"), pop tunes ("Eleanor Rigby," "Foxy Lady") and hits like "Hang 'Em High" and the title track in their own trademark style. Most interesting are the tracks where Booker T. switches over to piano and the band suddenly becomes a very jazzy outfit, like "Willow Weep for Me" and "Over Easy." One of the better albums in their discography. (Cub Koda in AllMusic)

HENDRIX FIRST HIT COLLECTION

Original released on LP Track 613004

(UK, April 1968)

"Smash Hits" is a compilation of singles by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and the very first compilation album for Jimi Hendrix, released in mono in the United Kingdom in 1968 on Track Records 612004, and a year later in stereo in the United States on Reprise Records, catalogue 2276. It peaked at number four on the British album chart and number six on the Billboard and has been certified double platinum by the RIAA. The 'rest of the world outside of US/Canada' (and in this unique case Barclay France who released their own choice of "Greatest Hits") version appeared only four months after the second studio album, "Axis: Bold as Love", while the band worked on their third. It contained their first four UK hit singles, "Hey Joe", "Purple Haze", "The Wind Cries Mary", and "Burning of the Midnight Lamp", along with respective B-sides, supplemented by four tracks taken from the debut LP "Are You Experienced": "Fire", "Can You See Me", "Manic Depression", and "Foxy Lady". It marked the first appearance on album of "Burning of the Midnight Lamp", five months ahead of its placement on"Electric Ladyland". All the tracks presented here were directly ripped from the 180 gr vinyl album.

BROS & SIS

Original released on LP Capricorn CP 0111

(US, September 1973)

Released a year after "Eat a Peach", "Brothers and Sisters" shows off a leaner brand of musicianship, which, coupled with a pair of serious crowd-pleasers, "Ramblin' Man" and "Jessica," helped drive it to the top of the charts for a month and a half and to platinum record sales. This was the first album to feature the group's new lineup, with Chuck Leavell on keyboards and Lamar Williams on bass, as well as Dickey Betts' emergence as a singer alongside Gregg Allman. The tracks appear on the album in the order in which they were recorded, and the first three, up through "Ramblin' Man," feature Berry Oakley - their sound is rock-hard and crisp. The subsequent songs with Williams have the bass buried in the mix, and an overall muddier sound. The interplay between Leavell and Betts is beautiful on some songs, and Betts' slide on "Pony Boy" is a dazzling showcase that surprised everybody. Despite its sales, "Brothers and Sisters" is not quite a classic album (although it was their best for the next 17 years), especially in the wake of the four that had appeared previously, but it served as a template for some killer stage performances, and it proved that the band could survive the deaths of two key members. (Bruce Eder in AllMusic)

Back From Summer Holidays

Well...it's over! Now back to work, after celebrating the EURO Cup

The blog will continue in a few days...