New Vinyl: Kinks, Van Morrison, Rory Gallagher, Spencer Davis

All available now from http://www.1960s.london

Village Green – Live! EP

The Kinks

Tracklisting

Side One

1. The Last Of The Steam Powered Trains
2. Picture Book

Side Two

1. Big Sky
2. Autumn Almanac

All songs written by Raymond Douglas Davies

Main photo by Peter Rand for Vogue, June 26^th 1968

Recording Details

Side One recorded for BBC TV Once More With Felix on January 7^th  1969 and broadcast on February 1st

Side Two recorded live at Colden Center Auditorium, Queens College, New York on March 27^th 1971 and broadcast on WLIR-FM

Sound Quality

All tracks are Very Good

Personnel

Ray Davies – Vocals, guitar

Dave Davies – Guitar, vocals

Mick Avory – Drums

Pete Quaife – Bass (Side One)

John Dalton – Bass (Side Two)

John Gosling – Keyboards (Side Two, Track 1)

Ben Rosenblatt – Keyboards (Side Two, Track 2)

Sleevenotes

The Kinks Village Green LP is now rightly regarded as a great LP and one of the best records from the 1960s. However when first released in November 1968 it sold poorly, a situation exacerbated by Ray Davies refusing to let Pye release a single in the UK or the US. Virtually the only promotional activity undertaken by the band was an appearance on folk singer Julie Felix’s Saturday night BBC TV show. These are some of Pete Quaife’s last appearances with the Kinks – he would leave to form his own band Maple Oak in April 1969. The Last Of The Steam Powered Trains makes no secret of its debt to Smokestack Lightnin’. Picture Book was the B side to Starstruck, a European-only single released in January 1969. Big Sky is a memento of the US tours that the Kinks were able to undertake when a lengthy union ban finally ended, this version demonstrating that the band was capable of effectively re-creating the complex Village Green songs in a live setting. From the same gig comes the rarely played Autumn Almanac, one of the 15 songs considered for inclusion on the Village Green LP. Ben Rosenblatt, a student in the audience, knew the song and offered to play the piano part. The Kinks were always keen on audience participation…

Sleevenotes: Johnny Thunder

Live At The Lion’s Share 1973 Early Show

Van Morrison

Tracklisting

Side One

1. Saint Dominic’s Preview (Morrison)
2. Hey, Good Lookin’ (Williams)
3. Since I Fell For You (Johnson)
4. Caravan (Morrison)

Side Two

1. I’ve Been Working (Morrison)
2. Beyond Words (Morrison)
3. I Just Want To Make Love To You (Dixon)
4. Hard Nose The Highway (Morrison)

Personnel

Van Morrison – vocals, saxophone, guitar

‘Brother’ Jack Schroer – saxophone

Jef Labes – piano

Doug Messenger – guitar

Marty David – bass

Rick Shlosser – drums

Recording Details

All tracks recorded live at the Early Show, The Lion’s Share, San Anselmo, California on February 15^th 1973 and broadcast on FM Radio KTIM. 

Recording Quality

Excellent throughout

Sleevenotes

Throughout his lengthy career Van Morrison has always enjoyed performing in small clubs. Our release It’s Too Great To Stop Now (R&B 88) showcased an exuberant set from Pacific High Recorders in October 1971. This new release is a worthy successor, featuring Van Morrison and his band kicking back in the tiny Lion’s Share club. Located at 60 Red Hill Avenue in San Anselmo near San Francisco, Van appeared here 13 times between February 1971 and June 1974.  The club was a drab 1940s single storey building with a legal capacity of around 150 which became known as a musician’s hangout. In 1969 it was the venue for Randy Newman’s first ever concert.  Janis Joplin’s funeral party was held at The Lion’s Share on October 26^th 1971 and featured a performance by The Grateful Dead. By 1973 Van Morrison was living in nearby Fairfax and asked Michael Hunt – one of the club’s owners –  if he could perform there. Hunt agreed so long as there was no advance publicity for the gig. Van played two sets that night, both recorded by Radio KTIM Programme Director Clint Weyrauch on a 12-channel mixer direct to a Revox two track reel-to-reel tape recorder.

Later in 1973 Van would record the famous live LP It’s Too Late To Stop Now with a ten-piece band he named the Caledonian Soul Orchestra. Comparing the version of Caravan performed at the Lion’s Share with that performed at London’s Rainbow Theatre on July 24^th reveals that the Lion’s Share crew were more flexible and capable of greater instrumental subtlety than their successors. Both Jack Shroer and Jef Labes would progress from The Lion’s Share to become members of the Caledonian Soul Orchestra.

At The Lion’s Share the intimate atmosphere encouraged Morrison to experiment with his choice of material. Opener Saint Dominic’s Preview was well-known as the title track of Van’s most recent LP but to follow it with a cover of Hank Williams’ Hey, Good Lookin’ demonstratesboth the breadth of Morrison’s musical influences and his ability to surprise his audience. The former is based around Labes’ piano and Messenger’s guitar whilst the latter receives an upbeat jazzy arrangement featuring Schroer’s saxophone. Since I Fell For You had not been released by Morrison at this point – it was originally written as a blues ballad by Buddy Stephens in 1952 and was a hit single for Lenny Welch in October 1963. The sparse arrangement gives Morrison the space to sing this lament with a light touch but no lack of conviction.

I’ve Been Working was originally recorded for both Astral Weeks and Moondance, before finally being released on His Band and the Street Choir (1970). Highly danceable, the groove references Van’s r’n’b roots with Them at The Maritime Hotel. The scat-sung Beyond Words shares some musical structure with Into The Mystic, but Morrison confirmed it was a separate song when he released a studio version on Beyond Words: Instrumental (2023). The measured pace of Muddy Waters’ I Just Want To Make Love To You adds a sly menace to Morrison’s vocal. Finally Hard Nose The Highway, the then-unreleased title track of Morrisons next LP and his paean to life “further on up the road”.

And The Late Show? Watch this space…

“Morrison remains a singer who can be compared to no performer in rock’n’roll, a singer who cannot be pinned down, dismissed, nor fitted into anyone’s expectations. Morrison is a man on a quest: it will be a long one, but there are listeners who will be with him for the duration” Greil Marcus, Rolling Stone 1981

Sleevenotes: Jock E Wilson

Rory Gallagher – In Concert At The BBC 1972

Side One (22:45)

1. Tore Down (Sonny Thomson)
2. Used To Be (Rory Gallagher)
3. Pistol Slapper Blues (Blind Boy Fuller)
4. Going To My Hometown (Rory Gallagher)

Side Two (20:15)

1. The Cuckoo (Trad arr. Gallagher)
2. In Your Town (Rory Gallagher)
3. Bullfrog Blues (William Harris)

Personnel

Rory Gallagher – Guitar, vocals, mandolin

Gerry McAvoy – Bass

Wilgar Campbell – Drums

Recording Details

All tracks recorded live at the Paris Theatre, Lower Regent Street on 13^th July 1972 and broadcast on BBC radio In Concert on 29^th July.

Recording Quality

Excellent throughout

Sleevenotes

“Rory Gallagher knows more about playing the electric blues than all the Allman Brothers – living or dead – put together. A punky little Irishman, and the only rocker with enough nerve to pay Belfast while the shit was still flying hard and heavy. It would be difficult to match a song with its album because the character of Rory’s writing and recording has changed only slightly over the years. That’s no problem…it’s consistently GREAT!” Ira Robbins, Trouser Press

Our previous Rory Gallagher release (R&B 99) showcased his early career as the creative force in power trio Taste. Going solo saw Gallagher stay with the trio format, recruiting a rhythm section of bass player Gerry McAvoy and drummer Wilgar Campbell. Both came from Belfast band Deep Joy, who had supported Taste on tour. This line-up recorded three LPs, Rory Gallagher (1971), Deuce (1971)and Live In Europe (1972). Rory’s unpretentious appearance – flannel shirt, sneakers, battered jeans and an equally battered Stratocaster – illustrated his complete lack of pretension. This In Concert performance was the third that Gallagher had recorded for BBC Radio, reflecting his enormous popularity amongst blues fans who might previously been digging Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton or Peter Green.  Rory was a scholar of the blues and frequently unearthed forgotten tunes to cover live or in the studio, always being careful to credit the original songwriters. When it comes to Rory’s song writing John Perry has pointed out that his originals were often “blues based songs with melodies instead of constant 12 bars.”

The dramatic opening chords of Used To Be make for an exciting set opener, Gallagher’s solo demonstrates the memorable searing tone he extracted from his faithful Strat and a second-hand AC30. The hard-boiled lyric “get used to bein’ my use to be” reflects Gallagher’s love of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. Pistol Slapper Blues made its debut on Live In Europe. Originally written by Blind Boy Fuller here it is a showcase for Gallagher’s dexterity on acoustic guitar. Going To My Hometown gets an enthusiastic welcome and has fans spontaneously clapping along to a semi-acoustic, mandolin-driven stomp. The call and response vocals between Gallagher and the audience seem spontaneous and unforced.

The Cuckoo is a traditional number, Gallagher bases his acoustic arrangement on the versions recorded by Tom Rush, Doc Watson and Clarence Ashley. Gallagher’s own version would not appear until the Wheels Within Wheels out-takes LP in 2003. The Stratocaster is back for In Your Town, where a driving riff is interspersed by some ferocious slide-guitar solos. The rhythm section never miss a beat whilst the lyric is a tale of wrongful arrest involving the local D.A. and Chief Of Police.  A roar of recognition greets perennial stage favourite Bullfrog Blues, first heard on Live In Europe. William Harris’ original is injected with a liberal dose of Chuck Berry resulting in the sort of rave-up that the Yardbirds used to unleash at the Crawdaddy. McAvoy and Wilgar both take commendably brief solos and Gallagher weaves in some lines from John Lee Hooker’s Boogie Chillun.

“Apart from the fact that he was a great player, the most noticeable thing about Rory was that he never compromised himself musically in any way.  He would never do something that was, for him, below a certain level of integrity. He wouldn’t do singles.  He didn’t want to do videos. He was such a purist.  He wouldn’t sell himself out.  If there weren’t people like Rory Gallagher around to set that kind of example then it would probably spell the end of quality music.” Gary Moore

Sleevenotes: Juke Box Annie

The Spencer Davis Group At The BBC 1966

Tracklist

Side One

1.      Keep On Running (Edwards)

2.      Ramblin’ Rose (Burch, Wilkin)

3.    Please Do Something (Covay)

4.      Somebody Help Me (Edwards)

5.      Let Me Down Easy (Ford, McDougal)

6.       Don’t Mess Up A Good Thing (Sain)

7.      Dust My Blues (James)

8.      Mean Woman Blues (Demetrius)

9.      I’m Getting Better (Bruce)

Side Two

1.      Together ‘Til The End Of Time (Wilson)

2.      When I Come Home (Edwards, Winwood)

3.      Mean Woman Blues (Demetrius)

4.      Take This Hurt Off Me (Covay)

5.      Dust My Blues (James)

6.      Gimme Some Lovin’ (Winwood)

7.      BBC Interviews with Spencer Davis

Recording Details

All tracks recorded for BBC Radio in 1966

Side One

Tracks 1-3 broadcast in January

Tracks 4-6 broadcast in April

Tracks 7-9 broadcast in July

Side Two

Tracks 1-3 broadcast in October

Tracks 4 – 6 broadcast in December

Personnel

Steve Winwood – Keyboards, guitar, vocals

Spencer Davis – Guitar, vocals

Muff Winwood – Bass, vocals

Pete York – Drums

Sound Quality

Excellent throughout

Sleeve Notes

Bursting out of the Birmingham beat scene in 1964 The Spencer Davis Group featured the Winwood brothers, Muff on bass and a teenage Stevie on guitar, organ, piano and the vocals of someone much older. Spencer played guitar and sang and Pete York was the drummer. Their first album, unsurprisingly named Their First LP, was released in July 1965. “The first album group? Certainly their first LP sold much more than their early singles success should suggest. Already the unique Davis approach is there, where several strands of black music are pulled together. It isn’t pure R&B; not quite, but a contemporary soul approach to all the songs.” Brian Hogg, Bam Balam magazine (1980).

Recording for the BBC provided The Spencer Davis Group with an opportunity to feature songs from their live set that were not otherwise recorded in the studio. Other bands that did this included The Beatles, The Stones, The Yardbirds, The Small Faces and The Move. The LP we released documenting The Spencer Davis Group at the BBC in 1965 (R&B108) was a great success  and  we are delighted to be issuing this sequel which brings together tracks recorded for the BBC the following year.

We start 1966 where we finished 1965, with the breakthrough hit Keep On Running, here in a slightly extended version with Muff Winwood’s bass driving the song. Ramblin’ Rose, sung by Steve Winwood, has quite a history. Originally written by Fred Burch and Marijohn Wilkin, it was first recorded by Jerry Leee Lewis and his Pumping Piano in 1961: it would be later sped up and rocked out as a showcase for Brother Wayne Kramer of the MC5. Please Do Something was written by Don Covay who was also responsible for Take This Hurt Off Me. Both are tightly arranged and totally danceable and feature more of Steve Winwood’s soulful vocals. Please Do Something was the opening track on the band’s second LP, imaginatively called The Second Album (February 1966).  

Somebody Help Me was the follow-up single to Keep On Running: it too was written by Jackie Edwards. Like its predecessor it reached number one in the UK singles chart and was another upbeat song. The distinctive guitar introduction lead straight into the chorus for maximum hummability. Betty LaVette’s Let Me Down Easy is a complete contrast, a slower number with a mournful vocal from Stevie and an economical guitar solo. Spencer and Stevie recreate the duet between Fontella Bass and Bobby McClure on Don’t Mess Up A Good Thing.The group show their versatility on a version of Elmore James’ Dust My Blues  where a Spencer vocal is ably supported by Winwood’s guitar, a precursor to the whole “Fleetwood Mac Chicken Shack John Mayall Can’t Fail Blues” (thank you, Adrian Henri). From the blues to Elvis: Mean Woman Blues gets a country treatment with Jordanaire backing vocals. Less well known is Jimmy Hughes, whose I’m Getting Better brings Side One to a close. Unsuccessful when Hughes released the song as single here it benefits from a minimal backing which allows the quiet passion in Steve Winwood’s vocal to really come through.

Together ‘Til The End Of Time was the lead track on the third Spencer Davis LP Autumn 66 (September 1966). The song was written by Frank Wilson for Brenda Holloway, who also sang Every Little Bit Hurts from Their First LP. The Spencer Davis Group keep the slow tempo of Holloway’s version which gives Stevie plenty of space to emote, his vocals underpinned by rolling organ. When I Come Home is a rare co-write between Jackie Edwards and Steve Winwood – it reached number 12 in the charts and featured in the film The Ghost Goes Gear, an otherwise unremarkable piece of mid-‘60s fluff featuring Nicholas Parsons. The footage of the band lipsynching on a pleasure cruiser going past Windsor Castle is avilable online and well worth watching. Repeat performances of Mean Woman Blues and Dust My Blues are similar to those recorded earlier in the year. Our final selection is the first Spencer Davis Group A-side to be entirely self-written. Stevie Winwood wrote Gimme Some Lovin’ and would go on to perform it throughout his lengthy career in Traffic and beyond. The Spencer Davis Group single version reached number 2 in the UK and (crucially) number 7 in the US when released there by United Artists. It was a heady mix of another bass-driven intro plus Stevie Winwood’s distinctive organ and some “heh”s on the chorus. The version here shows the band could replicate the fabulous sound of the single but in truth this was more Stevie Winwood than Spencer Davis Group and Winwood would leave to go solo the following year. To finish the LP we include a series of interviews conducted with Spencer at the BBC throughout 1966.

Sleevenotes: Perry Barr