https://exchange.prx.org/p/537814
This week we start of with a couple of driving tunes before slowing things down for a bit. From there the emphasis is on the instruments with a classic rendition of a blues standard by the Allman Brothers Band and a jazz-rock-funk track from the criminally underrated Earth Disciples.
Artist: Jo Jo Gunne
Title: Run Run Run
Source: LP: Jo Jo Gunne
Writer: Ferguson/Andes
Label: Asylum
Year: 1972
After Spirit called it quits following the disappointing sales of the Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus, lead vocalist Jay Ferguson and bassist Mark Andes hooked up with Andes's brother Matt and William "Curly" Smith to form Jo Jo Gunne. Their best known song was Run Run Run, which hit the British top 10 and the US top 30 in 1972, receiving considerable amount of airplay on progressive rock stations as well.
Artist: Golden Earring
Title: Radar Love
Source: 45 RPM single
Writer(s): Kooymans/Hay
Label: Track/MCA
Year: 1973
Formed in The Hague in 1961, the Golden Earrings (they dropped the plural in 1969) released 25 studio albums and took nearly 30 songs into the top 10 over a period of nearly 30 years...in their native Holland. They were completely unknown in the US, however, until 1973, when Radar Love became an international hit. They returned to the US charts in 1982 with Twilight Zone, and had a final international hit in 1984 with When The Lady Smiles, although that song did not do as well in the US. Radar Love itself is now considered one of the all-time greatest "road" songs.
Artist: Blind Faith
Title: Sea Of Joy
Source: CD: Blind Faith
Writer(s): Steve Winwood
Label: Polydor (original label: Atco)
Year: 1969
At the time Blind Faith was formed there is no question that the biggest names in the band were guitarist Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker, having just come off a successful three-year run with Cream. Yet the true architect of the Blind Faith sound was actually Steve Winwood, formerly of the Spencer Davis Group and, more recently, Traffic. Not only did Winwood handle most of the lead vocals for the group, he also wrote more songs on the band's only album than any other member. Among the Winwood tunes on that album is Sea Of Joy, which opens side two of the original LP.
Artist: Lovecraft
Title: The Dawn
Source: LP: Superecord Contemporary (originally released on LP: Valley Of The Moon)
Writer(s): Grebb/Wolfson
Label: Warner Brothers (original label: Reprise)
Year: 1970
The original H.P. Lovecraft disbanded in 1969, following the release of their second LP. Two of the band's members, singer/songwriter George Edwards and drummer Michael Tegza, then formed a new band called simply Lovecraft. This band also included members from other Chicago area bands, including Aorta (guitarist Jim Donlinger and bassist Michael Been) and the Buckinghams (keyboardist Marty Grebb). By the time their only LP, Valley Of The Moon, was released however, the band had split up following a stint touring with Boz Scaggs and Leon Russell. Grebb, who co-wrote The Dawn, went on to become a member of Bonnie Raitt's band for 25 years.
Artist: Gentle Giant
Title: Valedictory
Source: CD: The Power And The Glory
Writer(s): Shulman/Shulman/Minnear
Label: Alucard (original label: Capitol)
Year: 1974
The Power And The Glory is a 1974 concept album from the British progressive rock band Gentle Giant. The album is a cautionary tale about the use of political power, and how, despite the best of intentions, that power inevitably corrupts those who use it. Musically, The Power And The Glory owes its structure more to classical music than to rock, although it uses modern rock instruments such as electric guitars, synthesizers and drums to the exclusion of traditional classical instruments (except for an occasional string instrument). For that matter, the band's classical influences seem to be more inclined toward relatively modern composers like Igor Stravinsky than the traditional "three Bs" of classical music. No God's A Man illustrates the protagonist's growing tendency to justify his actions by citing a divine right to place himself above the moral concerns of the common man. The digital reissue of the album, incidentally, includes a Blu-ray disc containing animations of the entire album with a surround sound mix. Definitely worth checking out, especially if you are a fan of things like Pink Floyd's The Wall.
Artist: Wishbone Ash
Title: Errors Of My Way
Source: CD: Wishbone Ash
Writer(s): Turner/Turner/Powell/Upton
Label: MCA (original label: Decca)
Year: 1970
Wishbone Ash was one of the first bands to feature dual lead guitars. This came about almost by accident, as the group had been looking for a lead guitarist but couldn't choose between the two finalists, Andy Powell and Ted Turner. They decided to go with both, and, after Powell sat in with Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore during a soundcheck, the group was signed to MCA Records. Their debut LP (which was issued on MCA's Decca label in 1970) was an immediate success, and Wishbone Ash became one of the most popular hard rock bands of the early 1970s. Unlike many bands with two lead guitarists, Wishbone Ash emphasized harmony leads over individual solos, as can be heard on tracks like Errors Of My Way.
Artist: Allman Brother Band
Title: You Don't Love Me (live)
Source: LP: At Fillmore East
Writer(s): Willie Cobbs
Label: Mercury (original label: Capricorn)
Year: 1971
In March of 1971 the Allman Brothers Band, which had released two albums that had generated only moderate sales, were the opening act for a three-night engagement at Bill Graham's Fillmore East in New York. The initial advertisement for the shows read: "Bill Graham Presents in New York — Johnny Winter And, Elvin Bishop Group, Extra Added Attraction: Allman Brothers." By the third night, however, The Allman Brothers had been moved to the closing spot, a position they held when invited back three months later for the final Fillmore concert. One of the reasons for the Allman Brothers meteoric rise in March was their live rendition of Willie Cobbs's You Don't Love Me, which lasted over 19 minutes and featured extended solos from guitarists Duane Allman and Dickey Betts. The tapes were rolling that night in March and became available to the public as one of the greatest live albums ever released, The Allman Brothers At Fillmore East, later that year.
Artist: Earth Disciples
Title: Life Cycle
Source: LP: Getaway Train
Writer(s): Holloway/Harris
Label: Solid State
Year: 1970
There is no question that 1970 was a year of experimentation in music. The surface implication of such a statement might lead you to think of bands like Tangerine Dream, who were trying out all kinds of new electronic effects, or Renaissance, who were taking a classical approach to rock. But there were other types of experiments going on as well. New radio formats were developing. Artists were looking at new hybrid genres to explore, such as jazz-rock and soul-funk. One band that went that route was Earth Disciples from the Chicago area. Co-led by guitarist Jimmy Holloway (who also did some keyboard work), Earth Disciples were fond of jazz experimentation, yet included elements of rock and soul that sometimes actually overpowered the band's jazz elements on instrumental tracks like Life Cycle. As to what happened to the band, your guess is as good as mine.
Artist: Spirit
Title: Dark Eyed Woman
Source: CD: The Best Of Spirit (originally released on LP: Clear)
Writer(s): California/Ferguson
Label: Epic (original label: Ode)
Year: 1969
After a rather busy 1968 (two albums, a movie soundtrack and touring), the members of Spirit felt a bit rushed when working on their third LP, Clear. Nonetheless, the final product was one of their best, possibly because the lack of development time left them relying more on their considerable improvisational skills as musicians. Not all of the tracks were spontaneous creations, however. The opening track, Dark Eyed Woman, was a well-constructed piece that ended up being released as the first single from the album as well.
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