The Fugs

The Fugs

BELLE OF AVENUE A, THE REPRISE US RS 6359

ELECTROMAGNETIC STEAMBOAT (3CD boxed set) RHINO HANDMADE RHM2 7759

FRENZY / I WANT TO KNOW (7”) ESP US 4507

FUGS 4, ROUNDERS SCORE ESP US ESP 2018

FUGS FIRST ALBUM, THE FUGS UK CDWIKD 119

FUGS FIRST ALBUM, THE ESP US ESP 1018

FUGS FIRST ALBUM, THE (British pressing) FONTANA UK STL 5513

FUGS, THE (2nd Album) FUGS UK CDWIKD 121

FUGS, THE (2nd Album) ESP US ESP 1028

GOLDEN FILTH REPRISE US RS 6396

IT CRAWLED INTO MY HAND, HONEST REPRISE US RS 6305

LIVE FROM THE 60's FUGS UK CDWIKD 125

TENDERNESS JUNCTION REPRISE US RS 6280

VILLAGE FUGS SING...CONTEMPORARY PROTEST BROADSIDE 304

VIRGIN FUGS ESP DISK US ESP 1038

I first heard The Fugs when my oldest sister gave me a copy of “The Fugs’ Second Album”. Wow, swearing on a phonograph record! Didn’t take long for me to hear them again on Warner Brothers sampler LP’s, and to find the Reprise LP’s at my local hippie record store. I met Ed Sanders in the late 80’s, he signed my Fugs 45!

Here’s the scoop – this unlikeliest of bands now has almost everything they ever did ‘available’ on CD. Listen and believe! Get ‘em and listen in the order of original release:

1. The Fugs First Album (aka Village Fugs Sing…)

2. The Fugs (aka 2^nd Album)

3. Virgin Fugs

4. Live From The 60’s (only ever a CD release)

5. Tenderness Junction (available as part of the 3CD “Electromagnetic Steamboat” set)

6. It Crawled Into My Hand, Honest (available as part of the 3CD “Electromagnetic Steamboat” set)

7. The Belle of Avenue A (available as part of the 3CD “Electromagnetic Steamboat” set)

8. Golden Filth (available as part of the 3CD “Electromagnetic Steamboat” set)

Also of paramount importance, but somewhat more difficult to find on CD (if not impossible) are the two proper Ed Sanders solo albums, “Sanders’ Truckstop” and “Beer Cans On The Moon” (both on Reprise), as well as the original Tuli Kupferberg solo album, “No Deposit, No Return” (on ESP).

Yes, there are 80’s and 90’s and 00’s Fugs CD’s, but…get all of the aforementioned titles before proceeding to the ‘modern day’ stuff. Need more info? http://www.thefugs.com/

Ed Sanders’ books are pretty amusing, too.

Out There #2

Out There (again)

Americans can be pretty snobby (snooty?) about their language – I remember once trying to play a game with another record collector, “Name your Most Obscure Records!” – and he merely came up with some stuff that wasn’t really obscure – it just wasn’t sung in English! In fact, I think he even cited even a fairly popular French artist of the day…and I was thinking of stuff like – are there records that I own where I can’t even read the name of the artist or label – or title of the record? Yes, to all three – I have several Japanese language spoken word records – the only one I even have a vague idea about is one where it (supposedly) tells the listener “how to act during an earthquake”. I have some Vietnamese or (possibly) Thai records that I can’t read ANYTHING on the entire package – song titles, even the name of the label! I have some old records from India – the only thing not written in Indian anywhere on the record are the words “Made In India” – something the South Africans seem to know something about – in New Zealand, I found some South African pressings of some fairly well-known records – but nowhere on the record did it say where it was from – but if you see the words “Gallo” (a mighty S.A. publisher) or “Interpak” (the folks who printed the LP covers) – it’s a safe bet that the pressing you have is from South Africa.

I have Greek LP’s that I can’t read – but I can recognize the (multi-national) record label – I remember going out and buying a GREEK – ENGLISH dictionary, but…I do not recall successfully finding any of the Greek words in the dictionary that I wanted to. I didn’t know what order the alphabet was in etc. – which is something I always enjoy about used CD stores in Japan – what the heck order are they in? Sure, they are separated essentially by genre – but most of them file the artists under their first names – so all of the ‘Johns’ are together: John Lennon, John Denver etc.

I’ve got home-made / vanity records that have little or no text on the cover or label – kind of like test pressings, but…’finished’. No idea who the artists are. I’ve had a few ‘psychedelic era’ records that I could never quite nail down – “The Eddie Sears Conspiracy” – is this thing Dutch? It certainly looks like a Dutch pressing – but Eddie isn’t in the lexicon of Dutch Pop & Rock. From someplace else – Scandanavia, perhaps? I bet there are some un-identify-able records from France – I certainly have some funky hand-made records from La Belle France. I never even got close to understanding how the sub-genres separated once you get to African music – I know that I like most everything I’ve heard by Manu Dibango (his book “Three Kilos of Coffee” is absolutely wonderful!) – but – apart from him being from Cameroon…I think of all of those catalogues from Sterns – are they French guys in New York? Who can possibly know what all of that stuff is? (I know, I know – people in Africa!).

It’s also amusing for me to arrive at how little I know about ‘classical music’ – I am just lost, if we’re not talking 20^th century music. In Kunitachi, Japan – I wandered into a store called “Apollo Records” – and (not being able to read Japanese and not recognizing anything) it was all classical music (on compact disc). When I go through the used classical LP’s at Canterbury in Pasadena – I go as much for the labels and pressings (HMV UK, anyone?) as I do the artists. Heitor Villa-Lobos, anyone?

Out There #1

Out There (or the musical equivalent of “Exclusive Language”)

Record collectors are sometime social animals – it’s fun to discuss your music collection with someone who knows (basically) what you are talking about. Sometimes, I bring up subjects that get blank stares…by mentioning unreleased records, or by trying to remember (and accurately describe) something I heard on the radio years ago…35 years ago!?

Frits in Holland once sent me a cassette that was a dub of a record that instructed the listener how to clean a ‘rest stop’ on a California highway. In New Zealand, I found an LP called “Mastititus Melodies” – an album of songs about cow udder diseases. In Tokyo, Moichi Kuwahara gave me “The White Cube” by ‘Beach Walker’ – a perfect square box containing 4 x CD3’s – of mostly very soft ambient music – or someone talking…in Japanese. I once won an auction for a 45 on Island Records from England that the seller could not determine how much he wanted to charge me to send it to me – the record (a 45?) was some sort of promotional-only, perhaps “in house” record that dated from around 1968 or so – listed it as “The Ultimate Island Records rarity” – there is a possibility it was the “Change of Address” record that ended up as a bonus track on one of the editions of the Blind Faith CD, but…I’ll never know – the guy never sent it to me!

99 times out of 100, I will have some idea what you are talking about – if it is a phonograph record we are talking about. The odds are actually probably better than that – but I’ll use it – as a familiar benchmark. I have a very well-traveled record collector friend of over 30 years who once described a British LP to me that…he couldn’t remember the name, and – by his description – I had never even heard of…even after 30+ years have passed under the bridge. I’ve asked him about it a number of times – and – by now – I do not think he ever recalls the time he initially mentioned such a record to me. What was it?

I once taped something off of KPFK-FM (90.7) in Los Angeles, about 1972 – it was an extended sequence that was used as an introduction to an ‘after midnight’ show – if you want me to send you a CD-R, drop me a line. I can’t identify the piece of music that immediately follows the short piece by Alice Cooper. For a while I thought it was Cat Mother & The All Night Newsboys, but…maybe not…

I can’t get any clear information about a 45 I once bought at a Sears for 7 cents called “The Magic Fly” – It was on the (obviously very indie) “Infinity Records” and the song began with the phrase, “There is a Magic Fly, his name is up to you…” – being stupid kids, the “Magic Fly” 45 got broken (because it was stupid, as I recall) and thrown away – who was it? Once when I wrote about another hopelessly obscure record “Joe’s Gass House” by The Pharmaceuticals (on Newhall Records) – I actually had someone recognize it, and email me a few times – but – they could not tell me who they were, if they ever made any other records etc. Nothing more to contextualize it.

What are your favorite “outre” records?

Ultravox (re-visited)

Ultravox (with John Foxx); I got to see Ultravox with John Foxx about six times – I just followed them wherever they played in Southern California, end of ‘78. I was 20 years old, fully employed, busy chasing girls etc. It was the perfect soundtrack for my young adulthood. I am somewhat ashamed to admit, but I got interested in them because I finally tried them when the “Slow Motion” 12” single arrived from England on ‘clear vinyl’. True, I was working in a record store when the debut album came out, but it didn’t catch my ear. In fact, I didn’t even try “Ha Ha Ha” when it came out. So, I came in at the last possible moment, before John Foxx left the band to a seemingly lucrative solo career.

I did see the post-Foxx Ultravox at The Whisky – with two bass players on stage. The show is a good memory, but I really never went for any of the Chrysalis-era releases. I got about as far as “All Stood Still”…for the Midge Ure version of the band.

Strangely, I now listen to Midge Ure’s pre-Ultravox group, Slik. It’s that UK 70’s glam rock thing, y’know.

I believe there was a long break after about ’85 or so in Foxx’s solo career. When he began issuing music again – I had moved on.

2007 brings me back to the first three albums by Ultravox. They were re-mastered in England in 2006, and the Japanese duly made kami sleeves ( = little paper album covers) of them. Perfect in every detail, the Japanese even (kindly) left the (English-language) liner notes intact!

To brass tacks: “Ultravox!” (1977) is the proper UK 9 track (Matte sleeve) album with 4 x live tracks added: “Slip Away”, “Modern Love” (not found on album #1), “The Wild, The Beautiful & The Damned” and “My Sex” – yes, the New Zealand band Mi-Sex were named after this track! “Ha! Ha! Ha!” (also 1977) is the proper UK 8 track (Matte sleeve) album with 6 x bonus tracks added: “Young Savage”, “The Man Who Dies Every Day (Remix)”, “Hiroshima Mon Amour (Alt. Version)”, “Quirks” and two live tracks, “The Man Who Dies Ever Day” and “Young Savage”. The Japanese also re-produce the insert sheet found in the original LP. Finally, “Systems of Romance” (1978) is the proper UK 10 track (Glossy sleeve) album with 2 x bonus tracks added: “Cross Fade” and “Quiet Men (Full Version)” – as well as re-producing the inner sleeve. These three kami sleeve reproductions look beautiful, sound great.

So, now I can re-live the days of not knowing what to think of this young & snotty band – “produced by Eno” – a good thing? A passé thing? Is this punk rock…or not? How does it relate to David Bowie? Kraftwerk? David Sylvian? Ultravox were one more ingredient in the British new wave melting pot – it becomes harder with each passing year to separate and identify each and every part of the puzzle. I stand by the first three albums by Ultravox, just as I stand by the first three albums by XTC, The Simple Minds, Magazine, Wire etc.

More stuff

Went running around last Saturday and had a big credit slip @ Amoeba Hollywood - so I started picking off some 'want list' items...

ALZO – ALZO, BMG JPN CD kami

’71 New York singer/songwriter – an ‘only in Japan’ re-issue

BAY CITY ROLLERS – DEFINITIVE COLLECTION, ARISTA US CD

20 tracks of Rollermania!

ELASTICA – WAKING UP, DECEPTIVE UK CD Single

Still working on all of their CD singles

FLYING LIZARDS – SECRET DUB LIFE OF THE FLYING LIZARDS, MISTER E US CD

’03 re-issue of a ’95 remix project by David Cunningham

FUGS – VIRGIN FUGS, ESP DISK US CD

Their classic 3^rd album, properly re-issued by the original ESP label

HAWKWIND – DOREMI FASOL LATIDO, EMI UK CD re

Now with non-LP bonus tracks added, incl “Urban Guerilla” and “Brainbox Pollution”!

HEAVEN 17 – PENTHOUSE AND PAVEMENT, VIRGIN UK CD re

With 5 songs added, incl the non-LP “I’m Your Money”

HILLAGE, STEVE – OPEN (feat. STUDIO HERALD), VIRGIN UK CD

With 5 bonus tracks – ’79 original release – and the studio side of “Live Herald” + a B-side

RAIN TREE CROW – RAIN TREE CROW, VRIGIN UK CD re

David Sylvian, Mick Karn, Richard Barbieri and Steve Jansen (i.e. Japan) reformed in ’91

JETHRO TULL – MINSTREL IN THE GALLERY, CHRYSALIS US CD re

Never heard most of the mid-70’s Jethro Tull albums, and the re-mastered CD’s are the way to go

JOHN, ELTON – CAPTAIN FANTASTIC & THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY, ROCKET US CD re – now with 3 x bonus tracks, incl. “Philadelphia Freedom” and “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” – looks like I still need “Elton John” (the one with “Your Song” and maybe the re-mastered “Empty Sky” (I have a not re-mastered one on CD).

MAGAZINE – MAGIC, MURDER AND THE WEATHER, VIRGIN UK CD re

’07 issue of their swansong – with the 2 x B-sides of “About The Weather” now added

MAYALL, JOHN – BACK TO THE ROOTS, POLYDOR US 2CD re

’71 album with 8 bonus tracks, incl. some that were remixes/re-recorded in ’88

MONTY PYTHON – MONTY PYTHON'S PREVIOUS RECORD, CHARISMA UK CD re

Their 3^rd proper album, re-issued with 12 bonus tracks – always the one I liked best

REVILLOS – LIVE AND ON FIRE IN JAPAN, VINYL JAPAN UK CD

’94 Live album, sounds just fine to me!

STARR, RINGO – PHOTOGRAPH – VERY BEST OF RINGO STARR, CAPITOL US CD + DVD – 20 track collection and a sweet, short DVD of Ringo’s proper video clips!

ULTRAVOX – ULTRAVOX (1^st), UNIVERSAL JPN CD kami

Their ’77 debut album with 4 live bonus tracks added

VIBERT, LUKE – CHICAGO DETROIT REDRUTH, PLANET MU UK CD

’07 issue; electronica – and we were just discussing whatever happened to electronica…?

Mid-week jollies

Runnin' around this past week, mo' stuff:

FREE – FIRE AND WATER, ISLAND UK CD re

Nice re-mastered version, better sound, more songs, incl. some BBC live tracks

GABRIEL, PETER – PETER GABRIEL (2nd album), GEFFEN US CD re

Produced by Robert Fripp; seemed to follow on the heels of the first solo album

JOHN, ELTON – TUMBLEWEED CONNECTION, ROCKET US CD re

1 x bonus track; almost done buying all of my re-mastered E.J. CD’s, only 2 more to go!

LOVE SCULPTURE – BLUES HELPING, EMI UK CD

Dave Edmunds & Co. in ’68. Always did like “Wang Dang Doodle”!

NYMAN, MICHAEL – SANGAM (NYMAN MEETS INDIAN MASTERS), WARNER DE CD why do the minimalists always gravitate towards Indian musicians? (Philip Glass did too!)

TEARS FOR FEARS – SEEDS OF LOVE, FONTANA UK CD

Found a funky old Euro copy, with a “Philips Compact Disc!” sticker on the box (and this was ’89!)

THOMPSON, RICHARD & LINDA – POUR DOWN LIKE SILVER, ISLAND UK CD re

I have found that I always seem to like the albums he made with his ex-wife fairly well

V.A. – FRENCH GIRLS, WAGRAM FR CD ’02 collection of unknowns…female and French

V.A. – PUNK – THE JUBILEE, VIRGIN UK 2CD 44 tracks, mostly UK, but some NYC punk rock

LCD Soundsystem

Here's a "written live" blog for you.

Last night, I saw LCD Soundsystem at The Hollywood Bowl. They were the opening act for Canadian band "The Arcade Fire". Pictured above is the split single they were selling.

I was surprised that LCD Soundsystem was actually a band, and not a "laptop affair". Their (rather electronic) two albums sound "laptoppy" to me. Anyway, they were quite good, very hypnotic at times. They played mostly stuff from their 2nd album - notably, they did not play their 'breakthrough single' "Disco Infiltraitor" (from their debut album).

And they've been keeping me busy lately - their recent (released) record was a single for "All My Friends" - the 7" version has a version of the song sung by no less than John Cale! But it's only on the 7" version. The CD Single has somebody else singing the song - Franz Ferdinand? So, different singers for all formats. Gee, I wish the John Cale version was on a CD, too.

The Arcade Fire, on the other hand, seems to be in the process of becoming very popular. I didn't mind their album "Funeral", but have yet to warm to their newest CD, "Neon Bible". It seemed like there were about 10 people on stage. I noticed a wide variety of instruments, too - as though they were high school kids in a rock band who didn't leave their 'band instruments' in the lockers at school over the weekend.

The Hollywood Bowl lets you bring in whatever you want to eat and drink. We took the shuttle bus from the L.A. Zoo, $3 round trip. But you have to wait for the end of the show, before you can catch the bus that takes you back to your car. Seems convenient, but I feel a bit tired today - good thing the show was on a Thursday, so only really the Friday at work is 'wrecked'.

It's acting like fall in Los Angeles - getting a bit cooler at night. Might have to get out that blanket in the other bedroom real soon.

Jimi Hendrix Experience

The Jimi Hendrix Experience

ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? TRACK UK 612 001 LP

ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? (Backtrack 10) TRACK UK 2407 010 LP

ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? re POLYDOR DE 521036.2 CD

A U.K. original mono LP and a U.K. re-issue (early 70’s) LP – and the first re-mastered CD of it, too.

ATTENTION! FONTANA DE 9294 900 LP

The first of those “What is this really?” LP’s – a Curtis Knight LP?

AXIS: BOLD AS LOVE REPRISE US 6281.2 CD

AXIS: BOLD AS LOVE TRACK UK 613 003 LP

AXIS: BOLD AS LOVE (Backtrack 11) TRACK UK 2407 011 LP

A beautiful U.K. original LP with poster, and a U.K. re-issue (early 70’s) LP; and the first U.S. CD of it.

BAND OF GYPSIES TRACK UK 2406 002 LP

BAND OF GYPSIES POLYDOR DE 2480 005 LP

German LP has the U.S. cover, the other copy is a U.K. original “puppet” cover.

BBC SESSIONS MCA JPN MVCE-30003/4 CDx2

I used to have the Rykodisc CD, but this has more material, and I found a Japanese copy for $10.

BIRTH OF SUCCESS EMI/MFP UK MFP 50053 LP

Yet another of those “What is this really?” LP’s – a Curtis Knight LP?

ELECTRIC LADYLAND REPRISE US 6307.2 CD

ELECTRIC LADYLAND TRACK UK 613 008 LPx2

Totally solid album, my favorite JHE LP. I have a nude cover U.K. original, and the first U.S. CD of it.

EXPERIENCE KALEIDOSC FR KAL 19026 LP

Yet another of those “What is this really?” LP’s – a Curtis Knight LP?

IN THE BEGINNING EMBER UK NR 5068 LP

Yet another of those “What is this really?” LP’s – a Curtis Knight LP?

ISLE OF WIGHT POLYDOR UK 2302 016 LP

Not sure that this is strictly a “JHE” LP, it’s a bit late in his career…

LEGACY POLYDOR JPN MPZ 8113/4 LPx2

Nice Japanese double collection LP, with a great live cover photo.

LIVE AT WINTERLAND RYKODISC US RCD 20038 CD

Yes, it’s the original Rykodisc version – have they re-issued this? Pretty good sound…

LOOSE ENDS POLYDOR UK 2310 301 LP

A latter day collection LP, picking up the missing pieces.

MIDNIGHT LIGHTNING REPRISE US MS 2229 LP

A latter day collection LP, picking up the missing pieces.

MONTEREY INTERNATIONAL POP FESTIVAL REPRISE US MS 2029 LP

Live June, 1967 – one side JHE, the other Otis Redding. Dynamite stuff.

RAINBOW BRIDGE REPRISE JPN P-8167R LP

Pretty good soundtrack LP to an rather iffy movie. The Japanese pressing is red hot. Great sound.

SINGLES ALBUM, THE POLYDOR UK PODV 6 LPx2

SINGLES COLLECTION, THE (10CD boxed set) MCA UK 981450.3 CD10

These two packages cover roughly the same material, great stuff.

SMASH HITS (UK) TRACK UK 613 004 LP

SMASH HITS (US) REPRISE US 2276.2 CD

Yes, the U.S. and U.K. versions are different; no, I do not have one of the posters of them on horses.

STARPORTRAIT POLYDOR DE 2672 002 LPx2

German double boxed set, decent collection. Nice booklet.

WAR HEROES POLYDOR UK 2302 020 LP

A latter day collection LP, picking up the missing pieces, perhaps the best one of this nature.

WHAT'D I SAY MERCURY JPN BT-5021 LP

Yet another of those “What is this really?” LP’s – a Curtis Knight / Lonnie Youngblood LP? A Japanese one this time!

The late, great Jimi Hendrix. I love having nice UK original LP’s of almost everything. Top of the heap is the psychedelic B-side, “The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam’s Dice” (er, not quite “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”, eh, readers?). I also like having some of his original singles. Ever heard the Hendrix / Knight “How Does It Feel?” 45? It’s pretty good, for being among the ‘iffy’ material.

More stuff

CD's:

DEUTSCH NEPAL – COMPRENDIDO!, RELAPSE US CD

FAMILY – FEARLESS, CASTLE UK CD not re-mastered

HACKETT, STEVE – HIGHLY STRUNG, CHARISMA UK CD not re-mastered

HAWKWIND – LEVITATION, CASTLE UK CD

HAWKWIND – LIVE 79, GRIFFIN US CD

JAPAN – GENTLEMEN TAKE POLAROIDS, VIRGIN UK CD re-mastered

KOOPER, AL – SOUL OF A MAN – LIVE, MUSIC MASTERS 2CD

MONKEES – GREATEST HITS, RHINO US CD

SKIN ALLEY – TO PAGHAM AND BEYOND..., ECLECTIC UK CD

V.A. – STARRY EYES (UK POP II '78-'79), RHINO US CD

ZAPPA, FRANK – BURNT WEENY SANDWICH, RYKODISC US CD re-mastered

Vinyl:

ARGENT – RING OF HANDS, EPIC US LP

CHAPMAN, ROGER / SHORTLIST – LIVE IN HAMBURG, ACROBAT UK LP

CLIFF, JIMMY – ANOTHER CYCLE, ISLAND UK LP

COLOUR FIELD – VIRGINS AND PHILISTINES, CHRYSALIS UK LP

DALEK I LOVE YOU – HEARTBEAT, BACK DOOR UK 12” W/PS

DIXIE DREGS – PUNK SANDWICH, CAPRICORN US 12” red vinyl

ELECTRIC FLAG – BEST OF, COLUMBIA US LP

FLYING PICKETS – LOST BOYS, TEN UK LP

FREBERG, STAN – CHILD'S GARDEN OF FREBERG, CAPITOL UK LP

KLARK KENT – MUSICAL MADNESS FROM THE KINETIC KID, I.R.S. US 10” W/PS

PENA & HIS GROUP, PACO – FLAMENCO PURO "LIVE", DECCA UK LP

RARE BIRD – (Collection), POLYDOR UK LP

SAYAO, BIDU – BACHIANAS BRASILEIRAS NO. 5, ODYSSEY US LP mono

STEELEYE SPAN – BELOW THE SALT, CHRYSALIS UK LP

STEELEYE SPAN – HARK! THE VILLAGE WAIT, MOONCREST UK LP re-issue

STEELEYE SPAN – PLEASE TO SEE THE KING, MOONCREST UK LP re-issue

TIGER – TIGER, WARNER US LP

V.A. – BEST OF SCOTTISH FOLK (Vintage Years Vol. 3), TRANSATLANTIC UK LP

V.A. – GREATEST HITS FROM ENGLAND Vol. 2, PARROT US LP

V.A. – OCTOBER '71 RELEASES, ELEKTRA US LP promo

V.A. – SOUND OF GENIUS (Spring '66), COLUMBIA M US LP promo

V.A. – TOGETHER, CBS UK LP blue vinyl

V.A. – WITH AN INDEPENDENT AIR, EMI UK LP

V.A. – YOU MUST REMEMBER THESE Vol. 2, BELL US LP

VILLA-LOBOS, HEITOR – BACHIANAS BRASILEIRAS, ANGEL US LP mono

WHO, THE – WHO'S NEXT, TRACK UK LP

WONDER STUFF – SIZE OF A COW, POLYDOR UK 12” W/PS

Billy Nicholls

Billy Nicholls

I recently found the Japanese-pressed CD in a little paper album cover for Billy Nicholls’ “Would You Believe” (Victor VICP-63561, 2000; K2 HD Coding) album on the Immediate label – an incredibly rare original UK 1968 LP. I had never heard it before. I can see on the cover that he has some help from The Small Faces. It’s a pretty good album of British psychedelic pop, circa ’68. Was this it? Did he ever make any other albums?

I’ve seen his name on the Pete Townshend “Meher Baba” albums – and more recently in the credits of a fairly recent release by The Who.

I’ve never seen an original UK LP of this. Was it even released at the time? I am certainly glad I only paid $10 – $15 for a nice Japanese CD of this, instead of having to plunk down big bucks for an original LP. I understand it has been counterfeited, even!

I do not remember if Andrew Loog Oldham mentioned this album in either of the two books of his that I’ve read (“Stoned” and “2 Stoned”), but that it was originally on Immediate meant Oldham had something to do with it. According to the cover, arrangements are by both Arthur Greenslade and John Paul Jones. Well, the cut “Girl from New York” certainly sounds like the work of Mr. Jones over that of Mr. Greenslade! Can that be The Small Faces playing that, er, heavily?

The CD has two bonus tracks – the singles versions of both “Would You Believe” and the song “Daytime Girl”. I think my favorite track here is cut 7, “London Social Degree”.

I can’t read the Japanese liner notes in the CD booklet, but – I can make out a few things – apparently, Mr. Nicholls was on the Immediate label sampler, “Happy To Be Part of the Industry of Human Happiness” (a fine sampler LP, this saying is also what is on the 45 sleeves of some of the Immediate label UK 45’s I’ve found) – it looks like “Would You Believe” was first re-issued on an album called “Snapshot” on the Southwest label in England. The Japanese liner notes also mention the album by The Nice called “The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack” and The Small Faces “Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake” – both on the Immediate label. Is it possible that Mr. Nicholls had another album called “Love Songs” on the GM label in England? That looks to also be re-issued by Southwest Records in England (as a CD).

And, yes – looks like Mr. Nicholls has a website: www.nicholls.co.uk

Cream

Cream

BEST OF ATCO US SD 33-291 LP

The famous vegetable cover.

DISRAELI GEARS ATCO US SD 33-232 LP

DISRAELI GEARS (Deluxe edition) POLYDOR US B0003331-02 CDx2

U.S. original LP and Deluxe 2CD set, which has both mono & stereo versions of the LP.

FRESH CREAM ATCO US 33-206 LP

FRESH CREAM ATCO US SD 33-206 LP

FRESH CREAM RSO US RS-1-3009 LP

Mono & stereo U.S. originals, and a U.S. re-issue, which is, I believe, the U.K. version (it has “Spoonful”).

GOODBYE ATCO US SD 7001 LP

GOODBYE POLYDOR UK 583 053 LP

My favorite Cream LP – my U.S. original has a poster.

KLOOK'S KLEET '66 CAPRICORN EU CR-2042 CD

Live in Englsn, 196 – pirate CD, should be “Klook’s Kleek”!

LIVE CREAM RSO US RS-1-3014 LP

A re-issue, but never one I cared about very much at the time.

THOSE WERE THE DAYS (4CD boxed set) POLYDOR US 539000.2 CDx4

This was purportedly their entire recorded output – but there’s tons more than on the 4CD boxed set – but it does have some nice stuff on it – their “Falstaff Beer” commercial, for instance.

WHEELS OF FIRE POLYDOR UK 2612 001 LPx2

WHEELS OF FIRE RSO JPN MW 9063/4 LPx2

WHEELS OF FIRE - IN THE STUDIO POLYDOR UK 583 033 LP

My Japanese copy has a foil cover, my UK original is a matte finish original 2LP set, and the single disc “Part 1” is a U.K. original, issued at the time.

Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker. I wish I had a massive Cream collection (like Ed Winfield), but I only have this humble start – and this list doesn’t even include singles – and I have some great ones! You absolutely must hear “Swlabr” on a 45!

My favorite Cream track by a mile is “Doing That Scrapyard Thing” – I like this song so much, I went and tracked down the author of the lyrics – Mr. Pete Brown, in London, England. He told me about how they had the song in the studio, but that the lyrics weren’t quite ‘there yet’. So he had to come up with lyrics on the spot, over the phone. They are among my favorite lyrics in the entire rock music lexicon!

Lately, I have been listening to a lot more John Mayall material – and finally hearing the Eric Clapton (Mayall) material that everyone was so excited over. I have been a Graham Bond Organization fan for years, and I eagerly collect anything at all with Mr. Bond’s name on it – most of which also features Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. I have the Paul Jones (of Manfred Mann) 45 “Sonny Boy Williamson”, which is supposedly a duet between Paul Jones and Jack Bruce. I never really knew that Jack Bruce had so much to do with Manfred Mann (Mk. II)!

Yes, I bought Ginger Baker’s Air Force LP’s; yes, I own Jack Bruce solo LP’s (everything from “Songs For A Tailor” to “Automatic” – and selected titles after that). I have a few Clapton solo LP’s, but not so many, really. “Layla” is pretty good – but I find the overall double LP a bit too much, and a tad, er…sloppy.

So, all hail the mighty Cream. I didn’t go to England to see their come-back shows, but Ed Winfield and Joe Castle did.

Cat Stevens

Cat Stevens

7" ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT / HOME IN THE SKY A&M US AM-1602

1974 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP BACK TO EARTH A&M US SP-4735

1978 10 TRKS embossed cover

7" BAD NIGHT, A / THE LAUGHING APPLE DERAM UK DM 140

1967 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" BANAPPLE GAS / GHOST TOWN A&M US AM-1785

1975 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP BUDDHA AND THE CHOCOLATE BOX A&M US SP-3623

1974 9 TRKS

LP CATCH BULL AT FOUR A&M US SP-4365

1972 10 TRKS

LP FOREIGNER A&M US SP-4391

1973 5 TRKS thick insert

CD FOREIGNER re A&M US 546887.2

1973 5 TRKS ('00 issue)

LP GREATEST HITS A&M US SP-4519

1975 12 TRK Collection, poster (calendar)

CD GREATEST HITS re A&M US 546889.2

1975 12 TRK Collection ('00 issue)

LP IZITSO A&M US SP-4702

1977 10 TRKS

CD IZITSO re A&M US 546891.2

1977 10 TRKS ('01 re-master)

7" LADY D'ARBANVILLE ISLAND UK WIP 6086

1970 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" MATTHEW AND SON / GRANNY DERAM UK DM 110

1966 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

LP MONA BONE JAKON ISLAND UK ILPS 9118

1970 11 TRKS UK original issue; Peter Gabriel

CD MONA BONE JAKON re ISLAND UK 546883.2

1970 11 TRKS ('00 issue)

7" MOON SHADOW / I THINK I SEE THE LIGHT A&M US AM-1265

1973? 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" MORNING HAS BROKEN / I WANT TO LIVE IN A WIGWAM A&M US AM-1335

1974? 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" OH VERY YOUNG / 100 I DREAM A&M US AM-1503

1973 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" SITTING / CRAB DANCE A&M US AM-1396

1972 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN ISLAND DE 85678 IT

1970 11 TRKS German issue

LP TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN ISLAND UK ILPS 9135

1970 11 TRKS UK original issue

LP TEASER AND THE FIRECAT A&M US SP-4313

1971 10 TRKS

LP TEASER AND THE FIRECAT ISLAND DE 85389 IT

1971 10 TRKS

7" TWO FINE PEOPLE / A BAD PENNY ISLAND UK WIP 6238

1975 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

I was never a huge fan of Cat Stevens, at the time he was active – but I like his 70’s stuff just fine now. I remember being aware of his non-LP B-Sides and picture sleeves, in the 70’s. I do not have all of his albums on CD – in fact, I seem to only pick up the ones that I find inexpensively. So, fans – what am I missing? I used to have his “Saturnight Live in Japan” LP – but I foolishly sold it.