Password: tdats
Welcome to the 2023-2024 round-up! Just in case you haven't seen the new Hungarian volume a couple of weeks ago, take a look (link). I have been enjoying the return to active duty and I hope listeners new and old have also been digging it. The end of 2024 marks the fifteen-year anniversary of TDATS, which started on the 18th December 2009 with volume 1 (link).
This is a selection of tracks from all volumes published in the last couple of years, since my last round-up at the end of 2022 (link). I've also added three extra tracks here, which brings the total to an hour of great music. These are Christopher Cross - Talkin' About Her (1976), which was the most popular upload on the TDATS youtube channel (link), Grupa SOS - Tražim (1974), which was the most popular post on the TDATS instagram (link), and Boomerang - Juke It (1971), which was my most popular post in the TDATS facebook group (link).
At the number one slot in this set is what I have chosen as the top song of this 2023-4 period, purely because I can't get enough of this version of Gary Wright's "Love Taker" (original) and must have played it a hundred times since discovering it for volume 154. Nanette Workman is a pop singer who occasionally dabbled in rock but what ever she does, her voice is perfection. A backing band including Peter Frampton, Status Quo keyboardist Andy Bown, Spooky Tooth drummer Mike Kellie, as well as Madeline Bell, doesn't do any harm either!
This is a selection of tracks from all volumes published in the last couple of years, since my last round-up at the end of 2022 (link). I've also added three extra tracks here, which brings the total to an hour of great music. These are Christopher Cross - Talkin' About Her (1976), which was the most popular upload on the TDATS youtube channel (link), Grupa SOS - Tražim (1974), which was the most popular post on the TDATS instagram (link), and Boomerang - Juke It (1971), which was my most popular post in the TDATS facebook group (link).
At the number one slot in this set is what I have chosen as the top song of this 2023-4 period, purely because I can't get enough of this version of Gary Wright's "Love Taker" (original) and must have played it a hundred times since discovering it for volume 154. Nanette Workman is a pop singer who occasionally dabbled in rock but what ever she does, her voice is perfection. A backing band including Peter Frampton, Status Quo keyboardist Andy Bown, Spooky Tooth drummer Mike Kellie, as well as Madeline Bell, doesn't do any harm either!
The past two years have seen an exclusive interview with Kevin Orsie of the Maryland band ID (link), a blues rock volume (147), five regional volumes, being post-war communist Germany (149), Bolivia (151), Hungary 1 (153), Italy (156) and Hungary 2 (157). There has been the first completely instrumental volume (148), another set of girl-fronted acts (154), and three volumes of rare / unheard 45s (150, 152 & 155).
Some useful (or useless?) stats: There is now a total of 2,204 songs in TDATS, from 1,778 artists. The combined playtime of all tracks is now exactly 6.5 days. The 3 top-ranked years for the TDATS-period has not changed at all, with 1971 at the top (365 tracks), followed by 1970 (304 tracks) and 1972 (292). The next runner-up is 1969 with 200 tracks.
In the new year I would like to complete some of the original themes that have been brewing at TDATS towers, some for many years. No doubt a few of those will come in 2025 as their concluding nuggets are discovered. There is still an over-whelming area of the planet to cover....the two recent Hungarian volumes (153 & 157) alone show how much more untapped potential there is for Eastern European coverage, not to mention huge areas such as Asia, of which I have barely scratched the surface. The totality of regional volumes is however, coming along nicely, and you can see it up-to-date on my regional round-up page (link).
I'd like to take this opportunity to say happy Holidays and/or Christmas and New Year to all the regular readers, and to anyone who has just discovered TDATS. Let's have a drink toward reaching the 200th volume...
Some useful (or useless?) stats: There is now a total of 2,204 songs in TDATS, from 1,778 artists. The combined playtime of all tracks is now exactly 6.5 days. The 3 top-ranked years for the TDATS-period has not changed at all, with 1971 at the top (365 tracks), followed by 1970 (304 tracks) and 1972 (292). The next runner-up is 1969 with 200 tracks.
In the new year I would like to complete some of the original themes that have been brewing at TDATS towers, some for many years. No doubt a few of those will come in 2025 as their concluding nuggets are discovered. There is still an over-whelming area of the planet to cover....the two recent Hungarian volumes (153 & 157) alone show how much more untapped potential there is for Eastern European coverage, not to mention huge areas such as Asia, of which I have barely scratched the surface. The totality of regional volumes is however, coming along nicely, and you can see it up-to-date on my regional round-up page (link).
I'd like to take this opportunity to say happy Holidays and/or Christmas and New Year to all the regular readers, and to anyone who has just discovered TDATS. Let's have a drink toward reaching the 200th volume...
TDATS social links
TRACKS
01. Nanette Workman - Love Taker (1977)
02. Christopher Cross (Texas) - Talkin' About Her (1976)
03. Grupa SOS - Tražim (1974)Instagram and volume 120 Serbia 1
04. Boomerang featuring Mark Stein - Juke It (1971)
05. Stack Waddy - Mama Keep Your Big Mouth Shut (1972)
06. Vita Nova - Lacrimosa (Death Of The World) (1971)
volume 148 Instrumental #2
07. Ekkehard Sander-Septett - Kein Märchen (1973)
07. Ekkehard Sander-Septett - Kein Märchen (1973)
08. Speed Limit - Space Party (1977)
09. Mandrill - Sol Y Quena (1975)
10. Good Mother Sunday (Ohio) - Strap Yourself In (1975)
11. Beatrice - Nagyvárosi Farkas (1979)
12. MFX (Ohio) - Rick's Boogie (1979)
13. Roberto Righini - Non Era Un Sogno (1971)
14. Taurus Ex-T 25-75-82 - A Kõfalak Leomlanak (1973)
volume 157 Hungary part 2
Nanette Workman - Love Taker (1977)
From volume 154 Women of rock part 6
Here's an amazing track from Nanette Workman's seventh album. She had been a Canada-based pop singer since the mid sixties and by the mid seventies, she had moved with the times to rock, funk & disco in collaborations with various musicians including her brother Billy Workman, who made albums of his own also. Her 1977 album "Grits And Cornbread" is described thus by DisKebec at Discogs "This is a superb country-tinged rocking Nanette Workman album recorded at the Olympic Studios in the UK and it features a top-notch band and supporting cast ...including Peter Frampton, Johnny Hallyday (producer [and one-time boyfriend]), Status Quo keyboardist Andy Bown, Spooky Tooth drummer Mike Kellie, as well as Bobby Keys, Doris Troy and Madeline Bell." (link).
Love Taker was written by Gary Wright and as it turns out, he recorded a version of it in 1972 (link) which was never heard until an archival collection called Gary Wright And Wonderwheel: Ring Of Changes was released in 2016. Wonderwheel consisted of him and other notable names like Archie Legget (see tdats 66) and guitarist Mick Jones (pre-Foreigner).
volume 157 Hungary part 2
From volume 154 Women of rock part 6
Here's an amazing track from Nanette Workman's seventh album. She had been a Canada-based pop singer since the mid sixties and by the mid seventies, she had moved with the times to rock, funk & disco in collaborations with various musicians including her brother Billy Workman, who made albums of his own also. Her 1977 album "Grits And Cornbread" is described thus by DisKebec at Discogs "This is a superb country-tinged rocking Nanette Workman album recorded at the Olympic Studios in the UK and it features a top-notch band and supporting cast ...including Peter Frampton, Johnny Hallyday (producer [and one-time boyfriend]), Status Quo keyboardist Andy Bown, Spooky Tooth drummer Mike Kellie, as well as Bobby Keys, Doris Troy and Madeline Bell." (link).
Love Taker was written by Gary Wright and as it turns out, he recorded a version of it in 1972 (link) which was never heard until an archival collection called Gary Wright And Wonderwheel: Ring Of Changes was released in 2016. Wonderwheel consisted of him and other notable names like Archie Legget (see tdats 66) and guitarist Mick Jones (pre-Foreigner).
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Recorded at Odyssey Sound Ltd. Austin. Written by Chris Geppert.
The flip side is on my channel (link). Talkin' 'Bout Her was written to sort of capitalize on the ZZ texas kind of verve in hopes of getting some label interest. It wasn't really a direction that the band was really about. "It's All With You" is probably more of a bridge between what CC was really all about and what made it on the debut. Things changed very rapidly after.
It's a fairly rare record. I don't think they pressed more than 500 or 1000 at most. It didn't get airplay or sell really. Most people don't realize it is Eric Johnson (who I also have played with for nearly 40 years) is on the slide solo. Rob Meurer used to have all the copies that were left. He had stacks of boxes of 25 each. He has passed on now."
No doubt well-known to many of you with hits like Ride Like The Wind and Sailing, but less known for starting-out in 70s hard rock bands! This is a great piece of hard riffing Texas rock and you can see some of the original lineup from this single playing this track in recent years on youtube. (link)
After posting this tune on youtube, drummer/singer/songwriter Tommy Taylor, long-time musical cohort of Chris Cross, left some comments you can read here. He told me: "Actually...Just for historical correctness...
The line up here is really not the same as the "original" line up. Chris wrote and sang this here. A version actually was done with Gaylen Latimer doing the vocal.
The guitar trader Kurt Linhoff is playing the bass. Jim Newhouse is on the drums if memory serves. The slide solo is Eric Johnson. Rob Meurer does the synth solo.
We used to do this live for an encore and really confuse our later audiences.
Here (video above) we did it at a reunion for Van Wilks birthday because he loves it so. Chris and I split the vocals.
The flip side is on my channel (link). Talkin' 'Bout Her was written to sort of capitalize on the ZZ texas kind of verve in hopes of getting some label interest. It wasn't really a direction that the band was really about. "It's All With You" is probably more of a bridge between what CC was really all about and what made it on the debut. Things changed very rapidly after.
It's a fairly rare record. I don't think they pressed more than 500 or 1000 at most. It didn't get airplay or sell really. Most people don't realize it is Eric Johnson (who I also have played with for nearly 40 years) is on the slide solo. Rob Meurer used to have all the copies that were left. He had stacks of boxes of 25 each. He has passed on now."
Another viewer made this further contribution to the history of this track:
"'Talkin' About Her' is also included on the Christopher Cross - The Complete Works Box Set, which was released in 2020. It's on the bonus CD included in the package.
"'Talkin' About Her' is also included on the Christopher Cross - The Complete Works Box Set, which was released in 2020. It's on the bonus CD included in the package.
Also, the 1974 7" vinyl single of 'Talkin' About Her'/'It's All With You' is included as an "exclusive extra" on the European limited edition version of Cross's 2011 album Doctor Faith.
The Doctor Faith liner notes for the above mentioned 7" vinyl single, in particular 'Talkin' About Her' is noted below:
Christopher Cross - vocals and guitar
Eric Johnson - guitar
Rob Meurer - Piano and Arp 2600
Kurt Linhof - Bass
Jimmy Newhouse - Drums
To note Kurf Linhoff's surname only has on 'f' at the end not two.
On a side note, TommyTaylorOfficial's comments are beneficial as well. I showed Tommy the upload of the song initially from you (The Day After The Sabbath) from your YouTube channel."
Instagram and volume 120 Serbia 1
When I first encountered Grupa SOS I was knocked out by the riffs and tone that are very reminiscent of Black Sabbath. Unfortunately they only made a few singles in their six year life-span, and acted as Srđan Marjanović's backing band. Their legacy continued when in 1978 they evolved into one of Serbia's best-loved hard rock bands, Riblja Čorba. They were founded in '72 by Miroslav Aleksić (bass, vocals), Dragan Štulović (guitar - later in Tunel) and Stevan Stevanović (drums). By '78 only Miroslav remained, with newer members Rajko Kojić (guitar) and drummer Vicko Milatović, all of whom then became Riblja Čorba with the inclusion of former Suncokret & Rani Mraz member Bora Đorđević (vocals, acoustic guitar and songwriter).
%20(3).jpg "Boomerang featuring Mark Stein - Juke It (1971)")
From the LP jacket: "In case you're wondering, the music on this album is rock and roll, pure and simple. Like a number of groups that have emerged in the past year, Boomerang consciously or unconsciously has returned to the roots of loud, jumping music. This return on the part of many musicians could be a reaction to the complexity and eclecticism of "progressive rock" or simply an optimistic nod to the future.
Each musician within Boomerang is thoroughly proficient. But most amazing is the guitarist Richard Ramirez who joined the group a year and a half ago at the age of 15!
You might recognize Mark Stein's name from the old Vanilla Fudge. But the complex arrangements and psychedelic effects that characterized the Fudge and that era are now just a part of our formative past, the days of our $50 apartments, our first water pipes and our introduction to FM radio. But that was then. Things are straight ahead now. Especially with Boomerang." Michael Cuscuna [American jazz record producer and writer. He was the co-founder of Mosaic Records and a discographer of Blue Note Records].
Each musician within Boomerang is thoroughly proficient. But most amazing is the guitarist Richard Ramirez who joined the group a year and a half ago at the age of 15!
You might recognize Mark Stein's name from the old Vanilla Fudge. But the complex arrangements and psychedelic effects that characterized the Fudge and that era are now just a part of our formative past, the days of our $50 apartments, our first water pipes and our introduction to FM radio. But that was then. Things are straight ahead now. Especially with Boomerang." Michael Cuscuna [American jazz record producer and writer. He was the co-founder of Mosaic Records and a discographer of Blue Note Records].
From volume 147 blues #4
Here is a band that i'm sure most of you will already know, and deserves a bit more acknowledgement here than when they first appeared on volume 46 (link). This was also covered by The Pretty Things (youtube) and was originally recorded by Bo Diddley, but singer John Knail's and the bands' filthy scuzzy delivery show what Stack Waddy were all about perfectly. They formed in Manchester in the mid-'60s and the DJ & producer John Peel signed them to his Dandelion label after seeing the band play at the Buxton Blues Festival in September 1969.
The original line-up of John Knail (vocals, harp), Mick Stott (guitar), Stuart Banham (bass) and Steve Revel (drums - replaced by John Groom on second album) released two albums and singles before breaking up in 1973. They reformed several times with their second LP line-up, the last time being for a Dandelion Records biographical DVD film shoot in July 2007. The non-album track I used here has appeared on various re-issues but its first release was on a 1972 Dandelion sampler called "There Is Some Fun Going Forward", which also featured TDATS mentions Tractor, aka The Way We Live. More can be read at the long-defunct stackwaddy.com (archived)
The original line-up of John Knail (vocals, harp), Mick Stott (guitar), Stuart Banham (bass) and Steve Revel (drums - replaced by John Groom on second album) released two albums and singles before breaking up in 1973. They reformed several times with their second LP line-up, the last time being for a Dandelion Records biographical DVD film shoot in July 2007. The non-album track I used here has appeared on various re-issues but its first release was on a 1972 Dandelion sampler called "There Is Some Fun Going Forward", which also featured TDATS mentions Tractor, aka The Way We Live. More can be read at the long-defunct stackwaddy.com (archived)
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| Vita Nova |
Here's an absolute head-trip from a German-based band that made one eponymous album, which is now one of the most sought-after Krautrock rarities. The album has a lot of short and reasonably accessible tracks among the more experimental material, with a wide range of styles, instrumentation and percussion. There's a few heavy prog tracks with the kind of jarring riffs and time changes that I like, but "Lacrimosa (Death Of The World)", an un-released bonus track from Garden of Delight's 1995 re-issue, is a brooding instrumental which starts off slowly and ends in a heavy organ wig-out. The keyboard player in question is Serbian Sylvester Levay, who lived in Hollywood later and composed music for Elton John, and the Airwolf theme, one of the best of the "man and machine" TV shows of the '80s, with the best music!
Ekkehard Sander-Septett - Kein Märchen (1973)
Here we have the irresistible sound of funky flute and hard prog guitar! I believe this track is a radio recording and is thus-far only available on the recent compilation from Bear Family Records called "Ost-Kraut! Progressives Aus Den DDR-Archiven (1970-1975)".
The Sander Formation was founded in 1969 by Ekkehard Sander in Dresden under the name Ekkehard Sander-Septett. The first line-up also included Udo Jakob, Volkmar Ryssel and Thomas Reuter. All musicians were graduates of the Carl Maria von Weber Music Academy in Dresden.
From 1973 the band changed its name to Sander Formation. In the middle of 1973, the group was able to place itself well ahead in various charts with their song "Kein Märchen" (included here). In 1974 Sander started working with Gerulf Pannach from Renft. He wrote lyrics for four songs for the group, which were radio-produced in April 1974 but unfortunately not released on disc, including the songs "Rück näher heran" and "Sommertraum".
In the years that followed, the band changed their "strategy" and increasingly played foreign titles at dance events, mediated by the Dresden Concert and Guest Performance Directorate. In addition, Sander Formation also worked as a studio band for other artists and thus managed to produce around 350 titles that were recorded by DDR radio.%20blog.png)
Speed Limit - Space Party (1977)
Mandrill - Sol Y Quena (1975)
"Mandrill's impressive first record was presented in a special concert at the Cine Teatro Princesa in La Paz, along with excellent covers of important bands such as Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Black Sabbath, Focus & Yes. In an interview, Carlos Salgado says that in live performances he carried a live viper placed round his neck, as part of the intense performance that Mandrill offered the audience."
Mandrill called it a day after their third EP, 1977's "Vol. 2". After that the members continued in tropical music groups such as Orquesta Anaconda, La Banda Del Loco and Marejada. In recent years Carlos Salgado has been active in events to honour bands that he was involved in like Blue Star, Mandrill and Anaconda, playing in a re-formed Blue Star, covering Mandrill songs and inviting members of other bands appearing in the Bolivian comp, Climax, Los Signos & Los Grillos for example, to play at shows with Blue Star. You can see some of this activity on Carlos's facebook (link) and a promotional facebook page of his (link).
Good Mother Sunday - Strap Yourself In (1975)
Beatrice - Nagyvárosi Farkas (1979)
MFX - Rick's Boogie (1979)
From volume 155 Space Machines part 1
Here's an absolute bonehead metal monster from Marion, Ohio. This one comes across as a country / southern rock band who decided to try and out-metal Molly Hatchet by playing like Judas Priest. I have never heard anything quite like it before. They beat Blackhorse (link) on heaviness in 1979 and i'd love to have heard an album! "Maschine oF X-tremes" (MFX) is Rick "Big Rig" Spradlin (guitars), George Bjorling (guitars), Scott Jackson (drums), Larry Spradlin (bass) and Tom "Blackjack" Favors (vocals). The band just lets rip for the full 5 minutes, the simple lyrics are only there to get you as amped as the music, and this is an unashamed rug-cutter all the way, "Rick's Boogie" and then some! The flipside is also great, a mid-paced grinder to perfectly counterpoint the boogie. What a perfect single. It was recorded at Suma Studios, Painesville Ohio, by engineer Ken Hamann.
Joe Walsh, James Gang and others have recorded there, up to modern scene bands such as Fistula. According to Rick Spradlin, Molly Hatchet was just setting up there while MFX were recording.
Roberto Righini - Non Era Un Sogno (1971)
Taurus Ex-T 25-75-82 - A Kõfalak Leomlanak (1973)
From volume 157 Hungary part 2
A Kõfalak Leomlanak (Stone Walls Falling Down) opens in ethereal, stately fashion, and soon ramps things up with superb performances from the whole band over this tumultuous six minute trip, lead by Balázs Ferenc's stunning organ work. Taurus, one of the first bands in Hungary formed with the express intention of making hard rock, was started in 1972 by a bunch of guys from established bands. The full name was inspired by the Taurus constellation, combined with the phone number of drummer Brunner Győző, as he was the only member with a phone! They released only two singles in their short existence, which is a shame as both are excellent!
The band was founded by guitarist Lajos Som and singer Ferenc Balázs, who went on to success in Piramis and Korál respectively, both of which feature in the second Hungarian TDATS. It is suggested in Wikipedia that one reason for the band's demise was Brunner Győző's open criticism of the communist regime, which made him a subject of surveillance by the authorities. Brunner did however also become a member of Korál later. More Taurus info at: Wikipedia (link) and Wayback Machine (link).
Further listening:
The Sander Formation was founded in 1969 by Ekkehard Sander in Dresden under the name Ekkehard Sander-Septett. The first line-up also included Udo Jakob, Volkmar Ryssel and Thomas Reuter. All musicians were graduates of the Carl Maria von Weber Music Academy in Dresden.
In the early days, the band mainly played songs by other artists at dance events. The band earned their first money, for example, during the holiday season on the Baltic Sea coast. At the beginning of the '70s the group was already quite well known and from 1970-1971 wind instruments were included in the line-up in order to further develop the sound. During this time, the group also acted as an accompaniment and concert band for the Swedish pop singer Marianne Kock during her tour of the GDR. But time and again they created their own songs, a few of which were produced in the GDR radio studio. In 1972 Amiga released the first single with two of these radio productions, "Alle Wege". Another single record followed in 1973 - both come from the "DT64 Musikstudio" series. While the first record was a single with two tracks by the themselves, the second release was a split single, with Lift.
As a result, the band continued to play concerts. There was also another record release: In 1978, the group's third single, "Hier lebe ich mit Dir" (B-side "Girls from Düben"), was released. Although there was certainly enough material available, the only record company in the GDR, Amiga, did not allow Sander Formation to produce their own LP.
Ekkehard re-formed the group in the mid-1980s. Only he himself remained. From 1989, singer Petra Hennig was the first woman in Sander Formation. The group existed until the mid-90s, but no longer playing their own songs, they accompanied other artists in the studio and on tours, such as Jonny Hill, Andy Borg and Claudia Jung. Read more at deutsche-mugge.de (link).
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Released on Reading, Massachusetts' Rocky Coast Records label, Piano arranged By Russ Moschetto.
This is one big 'ol good-time bar room boogie monster, beer bottles spilling and rugs getting cut. I always loved Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" and this is the big brother to that song with all the piano and a heavier guitar!
This is one big 'ol good-time bar room boogie monster, beer bottles spilling and rugs getting cut. I always loved Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" and this is the big brother to that song with all the piano and a heavier guitar!
And on we go on to another of the heavy highlights of this set, fusing Bolivian sounds with the power of proto-metal / prog monsters like Deep Purple. To again quote Julio Cesar Moya - "The origin of this important group dates back to the second half of 1973, when the Salgado brothers, Belizario and René, of the popular group Four Star, and Carlos Salgado, lead guitarist and singer of Blue Star, joined together, with bassis Roberto Ojeda and drummer Rodolfo Aguilar. This gave life to a group whose creation myth revolved around avant-garde, European and North American rock, and the influence and inclination for progressive rock fused with Andean rhythms and melodies, leading to one of the first examples of Heavy Metal in Bolivia, whose main characteristic is the strident and distorted guitar, and a wailing voice."
%20Carlos%20Salgado%20(Mandrill)%20Beta%20Paredes%20(Los%20Grillos)%20from%20Carlos's%20facebook.jpg) |
| 2023: (l-r) Jose A. Eguino (Climax), Carlos Salgado (Mandrill) Humberto Paredes (Los Grillos) |
From volume 152 Lovely Jugglies 2
This one has had a great reception on my youtube channel (link), and for good reason, it's a real blues rock stomper, somewhat similar to Maternal Joy's "Fat" on TDATS v70 (link) or Cobra's "Midnight Walker" (link).
This one has had a great reception on my youtube channel (link), and for good reason, it's a real blues rock stomper, somewhat similar to Maternal Joy's "Fat" on TDATS v70 (link) or Cobra's "Midnight Walker" (link).
Written by D. Brickler & G. Wanger. Produced by Bud Reneau. Recorded at AMG (Cincinnati, OH).
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| Beatrice circa 1978, Feró Nagy center |
From volume 153 Hungary 1
Here's the most punk entry in this set, from a great and heavy 1979 demo album that's a combination of hard rock and glam-punk throughout.
Beatrice had a complicated, stop/start formative period dating back to 1969, at which time they were an all-girl band who are down on at least one record, a single in 1970 where they backed singer Komár László, who was a member of Sprint, the band that I also included in the first Hungarian TDATS.
In 1971 they took on a front man singer called Feró Nagy, and from there the band under his influence gradually morphed into a glam rock, then hard rock act, with an all-male lineup. After a second reunion in 1987, before which Feró had started a new band called Bikini, Beatrice became a success in an atmosphere of regime change (Hungary's transition to democracy in 1989), and they are still playing now, in the form of "Feró Nagy És A Beatrice", with Feró still rocking at the age of 78! More Beatrice info at Wikipedia (link), beatrice.hu (link) and Facebook (link).
Beatrice had a complicated, stop/start formative period dating back to 1969, at which time they were an all-girl band who are down on at least one record, a single in 1970 where they backed singer Komár László, who was a member of Sprint, the band that I also included in the first Hungarian TDATS.
In 1971 they took on a front man singer called Feró Nagy, and from there the band under his influence gradually morphed into a glam rock, then hard rock act, with an all-male lineup. After a second reunion in 1987, before which Feró had started a new band called Bikini, Beatrice became a success in an atmosphere of regime change (Hungary's transition to democracy in 1989), and they are still playing now, in the form of "Feró Nagy És A Beatrice", with Feró still rocking at the age of 78! More Beatrice info at Wikipedia (link), beatrice.hu (link) and Facebook (link).
From volume 155 Space Machines part 1
Here's an absolute bonehead metal monster from Marion, Ohio. This one comes across as a country / southern rock band who decided to try and out-metal Molly Hatchet by playing like Judas Priest. I have never heard anything quite like it before. They beat Blackhorse (link) on heaviness in 1979 and i'd love to have heard an album! "Maschine oF X-tremes" (MFX) is Rick "Big Rig" Spradlin (guitars), George Bjorling (guitars), Scott Jackson (drums), Larry Spradlin (bass) and Tom "Blackjack" Favors (vocals). The band just lets rip for the full 5 minutes, the simple lyrics are only there to get you as amped as the music, and this is an unashamed rug-cutter all the way, "Rick's Boogie" and then some! The flipside is also great, a mid-paced grinder to perfectly counterpoint the boogie. What a perfect single. It was recorded at Suma Studios, Painesville Ohio, by engineer Ken Hamann.
Joe Walsh, James Gang and others have recorded there, up to modern scene bands such as Fistula. According to Rick Spradlin, Molly Hatchet was just setting up there while MFX were recording.
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| Suma Recording Studio, Painesville Ohio |
From volume 156 Italy part 2
Here's a very obscure 45 that has two brilliant sides, including "Mondo Malato" (link). The single is perfectly produced and composed heavy psych, to the same standard as any of the best Italian bands. There are so many parts and layers to the songs. Most bands would happy to have this much variety in a whole album!
italianprog.com: "This artist, that had previously played with beat group I Girasoli, released a rare and beautiful psych-inspired single in 1971, but it went unnoticed. Righini reappeared with a more commercial mini-LP in 1980, Melinda, a 12-inch 'Q-disc' with four tracks."
Here's a very obscure 45 that has two brilliant sides, including "Mondo Malato" (link). The single is perfectly produced and composed heavy psych, to the same standard as any of the best Italian bands. There are so many parts and layers to the songs. Most bands would happy to have this much variety in a whole album!
italianprog.com: "This artist, that had previously played with beat group I Girasoli, released a rare and beautiful psych-inspired single in 1971, but it went unnoticed. Righini reappeared with a more commercial mini-LP in 1980, Melinda, a 12-inch 'Q-disc' with four tracks."
Discography:
45 - Mondo Malato/Non Era Un Sogno (Delta ZD 50077 - 1971)
EP - Melinda (RCA PG 33406 - 1980)
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| Taurus |
From volume 157 Hungary part 2
A Kõfalak Leomlanak (Stone Walls Falling Down) opens in ethereal, stately fashion, and soon ramps things up with superb performances from the whole band over this tumultuous six minute trip, lead by Balázs Ferenc's stunning organ work. Taurus, one of the first bands in Hungary formed with the express intention of making hard rock, was started in 1972 by a bunch of guys from established bands. The full name was inspired by the Taurus constellation, combined with the phone number of drummer Brunner Győző, as he was the only member with a phone! They released only two singles in their short existence, which is a shame as both are excellent!
The band was founded by guitarist Lajos Som and singer Ferenc Balázs, who went on to success in Piramis and Korál respectively, both of which feature in the second Hungarian TDATS. It is suggested in Wikipedia that one reason for the band's demise was Brunner Győző's open criticism of the communist regime, which made him a subject of surveillance by the authorities. Brunner did however also become a member of Korál later. More Taurus info at: Wikipedia (link) and Wayback Machine (link).
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Further listening:
