Jon English - It's All A Game (1974)

(Australian 1972 - 2016)

Remembering Jon English on the 10th Anniversary of his passing (10th March, 2016), many of you might think back to the first concert where you saw this dynamic singer, or one of his many mighty stage performances: as Judas Iscariot in 'Jesus Christ Superstar', as the swashbuckling Pirate King in the 'Pirates of Penzance', or as Jonathan Garrett in 'Against the Wind'. Over his career, he won four Mo awards, four ARIAs, and a Logie. With his striking physical appearance and hypnotic eyes, he was a hard person to ignore.

Johnathan James “Jon” English was, as you might have guessed, English. A post-war baby, born in 1949 in Hampstead to working-class parents, he and his family emigrated when he was 12, and eventually wound up in Cabramatta in Sydney’s west.

After abortive musical efforts at Cabramatta High School, his first musical success was in a Rolling Stones-esque blues band Sebastian Hardie, which eventually morphed into a significant early symphonic rock band. This band featured the two highly talented Plavsic brothers - Peter and Alex, and the musical virtuoso Mario Millo.

English left Sebastian Hardie in 1972 to play Judas Iscariot in the first Australian performance of Rice and Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar. It was a demanding, high-octane, countertenor role, which he played to acclaim for four years.

His Judas acted as a springboard for other opportunities. He once joked that he’d performed on every Australian cop show in the 70s – always as the drug-crazed, axe-wielding hippy. He both appeared in and helped score the acclaimed miniseries Against the Wind (1978), set in Australia’s colonial era.

In the 80s, he started appearing in, of all things, Gilbert and Sullivan, performing in lauded productions of The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, and HMS Pinafore, as well as stage musicals such as Rasputin and Big River.

Jon the Pirate

These shows didn’t stop him releasing rock albums. English never had a number one, but his albums and singles usually charted, sometimes very well. Probably the best-known of his early songs was "Turn The Page" (1974), from his second album 'It’s All a Game', reaching #20 on the Australian charts and launched his pop career.

The violent guitar strum of the opening, the rhythmic chorus, and the raspy voice telling a tale of a singer on the road is all classic English. Other hits followed, including Hollywood Seven (1976) and Words are Not Enough (1978). In all, Jon released over a dozen solo albums and appeared on multiple soundtrack and colaboration albums over his long musical career.

Few other artists straddled the worlds of rock music and theatre with such authority and honesty. But he has a legacy beyond mere performing and recording. He was a risk taker.

Jon was always game to have a go at something, to put himself out there, risking very public failure, but usually succeeding beyond anyone’s expectations.

At one stage in his career, he’d be a countertenor Judas, screechingly chastising Jesus for his contact with Mary Magdelene. At another, he’d be releasing records and songs in a mainstream Australian rock style. At other times, he might perform Gilbert and Sullivan, or pen musicals, or act on television.

Performers with such a wide range of talent or success are rare beasts indeed; but along with this comes a great deal of hard work and dedication. Jon gave his all to the Australian entertainment industry, for which he will never be forgotten. [extract from theconversation.com]

Album Review
By Jane Matheson (Rolling Stone, May 8 1975 p44-45)

Jon English is one of the few rock-based musicians in Australia who has contrived to broaden his audience appeal to those with more middle of the road tastes. This second English album is sure to strengthen that appeal. It reveals a mature and confident songwriting talent coupled with a distinctively theatrical singing style, an unsurprising feature considering the degree of experience English has had over the last few years in theatre - most notably in the role of Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar.

The rich melodic backing on a number of tracks supplied by his old band Sebastian Hardy - is capable of dramatic emphasis and fills a smoothly complementary role which allows the singer and his songs to take the spotlight. lt is only on the final track, "Hail all hail to the revolution", which exhibits a wailing guitar and a rougher edge to the sound, that the music assumes a more dominant position.

A variety of situations and characterisations are presented in the lyrics, from the romantic "By Firelight" - "I would give anything to just once again/Make love by firelight with you," to the bleak "Snake Eyes" where we are invited to "stare at the soul of a gambler man/whose nerve's just gone under the knife," to the tale of a misled would-be superstar who has just realised that he has been ripped off by his manager, "You promised you'd make me a superstar./I bought a gold lame suit and a Gibson guitar,/And practised all day while you sat in the bar".

Taken as a whole the songs present a catalogue of misfortunes, but they avoid self-pity because of English's robust sense of irony which allows him to laugh back at the vagaries of fate with a rueful realism. This attitude can be seen in the chorus lines of such songs as "Love goes on" - "So pick yourself up,/Dust yourself off,/ And get kicked in the head again".

English has produced a stylish album in which the music shows a strong affinity with the singer and his songs. He has a powerful voice and hits all the right notes. Yet in his singing, he voices notes and words rather than songs. Each piece is vehicle for his dramatic and vocal talents. There is a disappointing failure to communicate feeling, to make the songs live by breathing a little more than good diction and perfect pitch into them. This may be a legacy of English's time on the stage: he's a fairly self-conscious regulator of his voice. Given the technical capacities he displays, as well as his obvious talent as a wordsmith, the time is approaching when he should be capable of letting go a little. [review by Jane Matheson]

This post consists of FLACs ripped from Vinyl and includes full album artwork and a scan of the above album review. The album's lead single "Turn The Page" was my first introduction to Jon's solo career and is still a treasured 45 in my record collection. The remaining songs on this album are not quite as strong, as Jon was still trying to develop his rock status and severe his 'Stage' personna.  But in my eyes, Jon was always a Superstar. RIP Jon.

Track List:

A1 Intro

A2 Turn The Page

A3 Just The Way I Am

A4 He Could Have Been A Dancer

A5 Love Goes On

A6 By Firelight

A7 Space Shanty

B1 Snakeyes

B2 Chained To The Middle

B3 Superstar (You Promised Me)

B4 Hail All Hail To The Revolution (12 Bore)

B5 Credits

Musicians:

Jon English - Guitar, Harmonica, Lead Vocals

Peter Plavsic, Rod Coe - Bass

Alex Plavsic, Bruno Lawrence - Drums

Mario Millo, Mick Liber - Guitar

Michael Carlos, Ray Vanderby, Steve Dunne, Jamie McKinley - Keyboards

 It's All A Game Link (322Mb)

Duck - Laid (1972)

 (Australian 1972)

In 1972 Bobbi Marcini, John Robinson (ex-Dave Miller Set, Blackfeather) and Steve Webb became the core a new supergroup called Duck, with the lineup completed by renowned jazzer and session pianist Bobby Gebert (who worked with many well-known rock bands including Tully), bassist Teddy Toi (ex-Aztecs, Fanny Adams) and percussionist Larry Duryea (ex Tamam Shud). They recorded 16 tracks at Melbourne's TCS Studios, although only 12 were eventually released. Singer Jon English (ex-Sebastian Hardie) performed lead vocals on several songs, alternating with Bobbi. The resulting LP released on Warner Brothers, 'Laid', released in July 1972, was a mixed bag, but included some strong tracks including Neil Young's ''Southern Man'', Bill Withers' ''Ain't No Sunshine'', Frank Zappa's ''Dog Breath'' and Nick Gravenites' ''Buried Alive in the Blues''.

Two Duck singles were issued the first, ''Sweet Inspiration/Southern Man'' came out before the LP in May 1972, followed by their version of Paul McCartney's ''Maybe I'm Amazed'' and on the flip side Bob Dylan's ''The Man in Me'' in September. Encouraged by the results of the project, the core members of the band decided to become a permanent outfit and hit the boards. But by the time they premiered as a live act, Jon English was already ensconced as 'Judas' in Harry M. Miller's production of Jesus Christ Superstar so his place was taken by former Wild Cherries lead singer Danny Robinson for touring. Guitarist Russell Smith (ex-Company Caine, Mighty Kong) also toured with them.

According to contemporary reports, the group suffered from the all-too-familiar management woes, and both Bobbi and and John have confirmed that the group's relationship with producer G. Wayne Thomas was part of the problem. Clearly this was not an isolated incident, since it is known that the members of Tamam Shud, who featured prominently on the 'Morning Of The Earth' soundtrack, were never paid for their contributions to that album and have never seen a cent from it to this day. When Bobbi fell ill in late 1972, she went into hospital for an appendectomy and when she came out, Duck had folded. Percussionist Larry Taylor, also known as Larry Duryea, passed away on 9 December 2003 in Los Angeles, California, after a long struggle with cancer. Jon English died following post-operative complications late in the evening of 9 March 2016.
[Extract from history of aussie music - thanks to Kimbo]

Album Review (by Resevoir_dog - 2022)

An interesting range of cover versions are found on this rare Australian LP, including a Zappa tune and also Lucille Has Messed Up My Mind which Zappa covered on Joe's Garage about 7 years later when Jeff Simmons was in the Mothers. There are also some more predictable covers of Dylan, Lennon, Bill Withers and McCartney tunes. Another interesting cover choice was the Stones' "Memo From Turner" (wrongly called Memo To Turner) which originally appeared in the cult Mick Jagger-James Fox film Performance. It was only ever released as a split single and also appeared on their Metamorphosis compilation. The album flopped commercially - perhaps Duck was a rather lame name, but interestingly at least 23 other groups decided to call themselves Duck.

Newspaper Article: Have The days of the Supergroup gone?

For the past three months six Sydney musicians, under the name of DUCK, have been constantly rehearsing together in an attempt to give Australian audiences back some entertainment.

Strong words, but with Duck's impressive line-up they have proved to be such the band to present these aims properly. Their live performances are energetic, very exciting and musically astonishing.

Duck are Bobbi Marchini (ex-Hunger) vocals and percussion, Teddy Toi (ex-Wild Cherries and Fanny Adams) bass and vocals, John Robinson (ex Blackfeatrher and Hunger) guitar, Bob Gebbert (ex Tully) electric piano, Steve Webb (ex Blackfeather) drums and Larry Duryes (ex Tamam Shud) congas and percussion. Besides these musicians, Jon English will feature in the Sydney performances and Danny Robinson will perform with the band in Melbourne.

"The Australian music scene today is dull, with only a handful of groups who give the audience what they want, good music and entertainment, so Duck was formed to play good rock and roll and also to entertain the audience at the same time". With this statement John Robinson named the Aztecs and Blackfeather as examples of groups who fall into this handful.

Duck is the brainchild of Isis Productions (G. Wayne Thomas and others). Since it's inception, the band has been financially backed thus enabling them to rehearse as much as possible. John explained further. "With our backing, together with session work as a band and as individuals. Duck has been kept alive".

Besides Duck doing gigs and recording as a band, each member is able to pursue their own solo projects in recording or whatever. Asked about the material that they'll be doing, John replied "mostly cover versions, but once the band is fully established we will do more original material by members of the band. At present our repertoire consists of about ten percent original material.

Material on their album includes McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed". Jeff Symmon's "Lucille", The Hollies' "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress", Joplin's "Buried Alive In The Blues" and John Lennon's "Mother".

Duck recently recorded 16 tracks at TCS but picked 12 tracks for the album. The release date is planned for October.

Danny Robinson sings Dylan's "Man And Me" on the LP, this was also planned for a single but was retracted because G. Wayne Thomas thought it wasn't commercial enough. Duck haven't had any success with their single release because they don't seem to be able to actually get one released. Not because the record isn't good enough, it's just that they believe they can do better.

The days of the super-groups have gone, perhaps not with the formation of Duck. The band plan to do their first concert in Sydney at the end of this month. Duck are finally in flight, watch for them as their live performances are really something else. [Sydney Newspaper article, 1972 by D. Nugent]

This post consists of MP3's (320kps) ripped from vinyl (not my rip) and includes album artwork and label scans. As a cover band Duck were a highly professional and talented group, however it is a shame that they didn't go on to record their own material. 

Sadly, like most supergroups they didn't stay together for very long and one can only wonder what 'might have been'.  

Tracklist

A1 Maybe I'm Amazed (Jon English)  3:28

A2 Southern Man (Bobbi Marchini) 2:24

A3 Anyway You Want Me (Jon English & Bobbi Marchini) 3:45

A4 Dog Breath (Jon English & Bobbi Marchini) 2:41

A5 Burned Alive In The Blues (Bobbi Marchini) 2:38

A6 Memo To Turner (Jon English) 3:41

B1 The Man In Me (Jon English) 3:20

B2 How Long Before I'm Gone (Bobbi Marchini) 3:59

B3 Ain't No Sunshine (Bobbi Marchini) 3:22

B4 Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress (Jon English) 3:07

B5 Mother  4:25

B6 Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up (Jon English) 3:26

B7 Do Right Woman (Danny Robinson & The Virgil Brothers) 3:26

Band Members:

Jon English (vocals), 

Bobbi Marchini (vocals), 

Danny Robinson (vocals), 

John Robinson (guitar), 

Russell Smith (guitar), 

Bobby Gebert (keyboards), 

Teddy Toi (bass), 

Larry Duryea (percussion)

Steve Webb (drums)

Duck Link (102Mb) New Link 18/11/2024

Double Post: Various Artists - Immortal Rock (1977) & Immortal Rock Vol.2 (1979)

 (Compilation - 60's / 70's)

Various Artists - Immortal Rock (1977)

The late 60's and early 70's was an era when rock came of age. This album features a collection of all time rock classics emphasising the strong influence of British and European musicians.

From Hendrix to Status Quo...the Who's Who of Rock's golden era are featured on this highly sort after compilation.
I have always considered this compilation (and it's follow up Vol.2 release) to be the best rock sampler albums to be released on Vinyl, representing the pinnacles of 60 and 70's rock. The only 'legendary' band not represented here are the Beatles, but then how many compilations have you seen with a Beatles track - none? Featured singles are:

 

The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown - Fire

Written by: Arthur Brown/Vincent Crane

Release Date: June, 1968

Highest Chart Position: #1 UK

Album Track: The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown

B-Side Single:  Rest Cure

During live performances and in the black and white promotional television clip, Brown performed the song wearing a burning helmet. The helmet was improvised with a leather skull cap onto which was bolted a metal dish that held lighter fluid or petrol. As the cap was not insulated, the heat from the burning fuel quickly conducted through the fixing bolt to the top of Brown's head, causing him considerable pain. The song is an example of the psychedelic rock of the period, though its lack of guitars or bass guitar distinguished it from many of its contemporaries. The lead instrument in this case was Vincent Crane's Hammond organ, augmented by an orchestral section featuring prominent brass. 

Pinball Wizard - The Who

Written by: Pete Townshend

Release Date: March, 1969

Highest Chart Position: #4 UK

Album Track: Tommy

B-Side Single:  Dogs part Two

In the first week of March 1969, Track released the first sampler from Tommy, a riveting new Townshend song entitled 'Pinball Wizard'. The song had actually been written for Nik Cohn, a journalist who was both a pinball fanatic and a close friend of Pete, Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp. It was by far The Who's best single release since 'I Can See For Miles' eighteen months earlier. "Pinball Wizard" opened with what is perhaps the best guitar part that Pete Townsend has ever written; following a slow, tension-filled build up through a series of unusual, rather melancholy chords, the rhythmic balance is secured with some furious strumming on acoustic guitar down an eight note sequence, each change enhanced by the deep cannon of John's bass guitar.

If there was any doubt that Pete Townsend is the finest rhythm guitarist in the whole of rock, 'Pinball Wizard' sets the record straight. The B-Side incidentally, was Keith Moon's jokey 'Dogs Part II', a throw away track with composition credited to 'Moon, Towser and Jason'. Towser was Pete's pet spaniel and Jason was John's favourite deerhound.

Thunderclap Newman - Something In The Air

Written by: Speedy Keen

Release Date: May, 1969

Highest Chart Position: #1 UK

Album Track: Hollywood Dream

B-Side Single: Wilhelmina

In 1969, Pete Townshend, The Who's guitarist, was the catalyst behind the formation of the band. The concept was to create a band to perform songs written by drummer and singer Speedy Keen, who had written "Armenia City in the Sky", the first track on The Who Sell Out. Townshend recruited jazz pianist Andy "Thunderclap" Newman (a friend from art college), and 15-year-old Glaswegian guitarist Jimmy McCulloch, who subsequently played lead guitar in Paul McCartney and Wings. Keen played the drums and sang the lead.

Jimi Hendrix – Hey Joe

Written by: Billy Roberts

Release Date: Dec, 1966 in UK

Highest Chart Position: #6 UK

Album Track: Are You Experienced?

B-Side: Stone Free (U.K), 51st Anniversary (US)

The lyrics tell of a man who is on the run and planning to head to Mexico after shooting his unfaithful wife. 

Listed at No. 201 on Rolling Stone magazine's The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2010.

"Hey Joe" was the last song Hendrix performed at the Woodstock festival in 1969 and as such, it was also the final song of the whole festival. The song was performed after the crowd, comprising the 80,000 who had not yet left the festival, cheered for an encore

Derek And The Dominos - Layla

Written by: Eric Clapton/Jim Gordon

Release Date: March, 1971

Highest Chart Position: #7 UK

Album Track: Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs

B-Side Single: Bell Bottom Blues

Clapton originally wrote "Layla" as a ballad, with lyrics describing his unrequited love for Boyd, but the song became a "rocker" when, according to Clapton, Allman composed the song's signature riff. The song's length (7:04) proved prohibitive for radio airplay. As a result, a shortened version of the song, consisting of the first 2:43 of Part I, was released as a single in March 1971 by Atco Records in the United States. This version peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

Rod Stewart - Maggie May

Written by: Rod Stewart/Mark Quittenton

Release Date: July, 1971

Highest Chart Position: #1 UK/US

Album Track: Every Picture Tells A Story

B-Side Single: Reason To Believe

Maggie May expresses the ambivalence and contradictory emotions of a boy involved in a relationship with an older woman and was written from Stewart's own experience. The song was released as the B-side of the single "Reason to Believe", but soon radio stations began playing the B-side and "Maggie May" became the more popular side. The song was Stewart's first substantial hit as a solo performer and launched his solo career. 

Eric Burdon And The Animals - Sky Pilot

Written by: Burdon/Briggs/Welder/Jenkins/McCulloch

Release Date: Jan, 1968 

Highest Chart Position: #14 US

Album Track: The Twain Shall Meet

B-Side Single: Sky Pilot Pt. 2

The sprawling single “Sky Pilot,” released at the dawn of that war-torn year, proved to be a game changer, one of rock’s first cinematic songs. At more than seven minutes, the number annexed both sides of the 45 record, its many sonic effects captured in true stereo. Even at that length, Eric Burdon’s song was a hit single, reaching No. 14 in the U.S. and remaining an FM radio staple over the decades. While the song’s subtle anti-war message surely concerned the Vietnam War, its shadowing invoked the two world wars.

The song is a balladic slice of life story about a chaplain who blesses a body of troops just before they set out on an overnight raid or patrol, and then retires to await their return.

Cream - White Room

Written by: Jack Bruce/Pete Brown

Release Date: Sept, 1968

Highest Chart Position: #6 US

Album Track: Wheels Of Fire

B-Side Single: Those Were Thee Days

Cream recorded White Room for the studio half of their 1968 double album Wheels of Fire. In September, a shorter US single edit (without the third verse) was released for AM radio stations, although album-oriented FM radio stations played the full album version. The subsequent UK single release in January 1969 used the full-length album version of the track.

Jack Bruce sang and played bass on the song, Eric Clapton overdubbed guitar parts, Ginger Baker played drums and timpani, and Felix Pappalardi – the group's producer – contributed violas. Clapton played his guitar through a wah-wah pedal to achieve a "talking-effect".

Focus - Hocus Pocus

Written by: Thijs Van Leer/Jan Akkerman

Release Date: July, 1971

Highest Chart Position: #9 US/Dutch

Album Track: Moving Waves

B-Side Single: Janis

An edited version was released as a single (with "Janis" as the B-side) on the Imperial, Polydor and Blue Horizon labels in Europe in 1971, but failed to chart outside of the Netherlands. A faster re-recording of the song (titled "Hocus Pocus 2" or "Hocus Pocus II" in some markets) was released in Europe in 1972. When performing live, Focus would play "Hocus Pocus" even faster. Supposedly the song was a bit of a joke by its authors, but if so, it was a very successful million-selling joke. 

Status Quo - Rain

Written by: Rick Parfitt

Release Date: Feb, 1976

Highest Chart Position: #7 UK

Album Track: Blue For You

B-Side Single: You Lost The Love

"Rain" was intended for Blue for You predecessor On the Level – but, at the time of the recording sessions, Parfitt had not completed the song and so it was held over. It in fact followed guitarist Francis Rossi's new introduction to speed; "That's why songs like 'Rain' were so edgy and fast," he explained.

John Mayall - Moving On

Written by: John Mayall

Release Date: 1973

Highest Chart Position: #116 US

Album Track: Moving On

B-Side Single: Keep Our Country Green

The single was lifted from "Moving On", a live album recorded at the Whiskey AGoGo, Los Angeles on the 10th of July 1972 with the aid of Wally Heider's Mobile Recording Truck. For this album, he reshuffled personnel, choosing Mitchell, Solomon, Larry Taylor, Victor Gaskin, Hartley, Robinson, Watts, flautist Charles Owen and baritone and tenor saxophonist Fred Jackson. The album and single, Moving On, was released in January, 1973.

Golden Earring - Radar Love

Written by: G.Kooyman/H.Hay

Release Date: Aug, 1973

Highest Chart Position: #10 US

Album Track: Moontan

B-Side Single: The Song Is Over

Radar Love is written from the point of view of a truck driver who says he has some sort of psychic connection with his girlfriend — "radar love". He senses that she urgently wants him to be with her, and it makes him reckless. His recklessness causes him to have a fatal accident, but even in the afterlife the song's narrator and his lover still have radar love.

Nazereth - Love Hurts

Written by: Boudleaux Bryant

Release Date: Nov, 1974

Highest Chart Position: #8 US

Album Track: Hair Of The Dog

B-Side Single: Down

Performed as a power ballad, the Nazareth version is the most popular version of the song and the only rendition of "Love Hurts" to become a hit single in the United States, reaching No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1976. Jim Capaladi released a 'more up beat' version of Love Hurts in early 1975 and at one stage both versions were on the same charts at the same time - I personally preferred Nazareth's version.  The album version runs 3:52, with a guitar solo by Manny Charlton that is not on the 3:03 single. The lyrics of the song were changed for Nazareth's 1975 recording, where the original line "love is like a stove/it burns you when it's hot" was changed to "love is like a flame/it burns you when it's hot".

Oh, by the way, did you know that Nazareth got their name from the first line of the Band's "The Weight" - "I pulled into Nazareth..."

Eric Clapton - I Shot The Sheriff

Written by: Bob Marley

Release Date: 1974

Highest Chart Position: #1 US

Album Track: 46 Ocean Boulevard

B-Side Single: Give Me Strength

With respect to the song title, Marley has explained his intention as "I wanted to say 'I shot the police' but the government would have made a fuss, so I said 'I shot the sheriff' instead… but it's the same idea: justice. Clapton kept the underlying reggae beat from Marley's original, but made it more of a rock song, with prominent organ and guitar. In America, reggae was big around this time - in 1972, "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash became the first song of that genre to hit #1 in the States. For listeners craving just a touch of reggae with their rock, Clapton's "I Shot The Sheriff" hit the sweet spot.

💿💿💿💿💿💿💿💿💿💿💿💿💿

Various Artists - Immortal Rock Vol.2  (1979)

 In the tradition of the first Immortal Rock album (Polystar 2475 517) this collection features further examples of all time rock classics from the 60's and 70's. 

From Chuck Berry to Roger Daltrey....the Who's Who (no punn intended)  of Rock's Golden era are featured on this 2nd compilation.

Singles featured on this compilation are:

Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower 

Written by: Bob Dylan

Release Date: Sept, 1968 

Highest Chart Position: #20

Album Track: Electric Ladyland

B-Side Single: Long Hot Summer Night

Hendrix had been working on and off with the members of the band Traffic as he recorded Electric Ladyland. Traffic guitarist Dave Mason caught Hendrix at a party and the two discussed Bob Dylan's newest album, John Wesley Harding, containing "All Along The Watchtower." Hendrix, long fascinated with Dylan, decided to cover the song on the album. On the resulting track, Mason plays rhythm on a 12-string acoustic guitar.

Rare Bird - Sympathy

Written by: Rare Bird

Release Date: Feb 1970

Highest Chart Position: #27 UK

Album Track: Rare Bird

B-Side Single: Devil's High Concern

"Sympathy" is a song by the English progressive rock band Rare Bird. It became the band's only UK chart entry when it peaked at number 27 in the UK Singles Chart in 1970. The song reached No. 1 in Italy and in France, selling 500,000 copies in France and over one million globally.

Hollies - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

Written by: Bob Russell/Bobby Scott

Release Date: Sept, 1969

Highest Chart Position: #3 UK

Album Track: Non-album Single

B-Side Single: 'Cos You Like to Love Me

The Hollies' recorded the song in June 1969 at the Abbey Road Studios, with Allan Clarke on lead vocals. Elton John, who was still called 'Reg' at the time and was working as a session musician at the time, played piano on the song. He got paid 12 pounds for his trouble. 

In the Guardian newspaper of February 24, 2006, Hollies guitarist Tony Hicks said: "In the 1960s when we were short of songs I used to hang around publishers in Denmark Street. One afternoon, I'd been there ages and wanted to get going but this bloke said: 'Well there's one more song. It's probably not for you.' He played me the demo by the writers [Bobby Scott and Bob Russell]. It sounded like a 45rpm record played at 33rpm, the singer was slurring, like he was drunk. But it had something about it. There were frowns when I took it to the band but we speeded it up and added an orchestra. The only things left recognizable were the lyrics.

Rod Stewart - Mandolin Wind

Written by: Rod Stewart

Release Date: June, 1971

Highest Chart Position: #66 Aust 

Album Track: Every Picture Tell's A Story

B-Side Single: (I Know) I'm Losing You

"Mandolin Wind" was first released on Stewart's 1971 album Every Picture Tells a Story and later as the b-side of a single from that album, his version of "(I Know) I'm Losing You.

"Mandolin Wind" has been highly praised by music critics. In his review of Every Picture Tells a Story in Rolling Stone, John Mendelsohn refers to the song as being "nearly as good" as the #1 single off the album, "Maggie May."

The identity of the mandolin player on "Mandolin Wind" is unclear. The liner notes state that "the mandolin was played by the mandolin player in Lindisfarne" but that Rod Stewart had forgotten his name. In 2003, Ray Jackson claimed to be the mandolin player on the album, at least for the song "Maggie May." Jackson is the mandolin player from English folk-rock band Lindisfarne.

Allman Brothers - Ramblin' Man

Written by: Dickey Betts

Release Date: Aug, 1973 in US

Highest Chart Position: #2 US

Album Track: Brothers and Sisters

B-Side: Pony Boy

It was one of the first songs, alongside "Wasted Words", recorded for Brothers and Sisters (1973). They went to the studio to record a demo of the song to send to a friend, which is where the long guitar jam near the finale of the song was created. It is considerably more inspired by country music than other Allman Brothers Band compositions, which made the group reluctant to record it initially.

James Brown - It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World

Written by: James Brown/Betty Jean Newsome

Release Date: April, 1966

Highest Chart Position: #1 US

Album Track: It's A Man's Man's Man's World

B-Side Single: Is It Yes or Is It No?

The song's title is a word play on the 1963 comedy film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Brown's co-writer and onetime girlfriend, Betty Jean Newsome, wrote the lyrics based on her own observations of the relations between the sexes. Newsome claimed in later years that Brown did not write any part of the song, and she argued in court that he sometimes forgot to pay her royalties. Australian musician Renée Geyer recorded a version in 1974. The song was released in November 1974 as the second single from her second studio album, It's a Man's Man's World. The song peaked at number 44 on the Australian Kent Music Report, becoming her first Australian top 50 single.

Roger Daltrey - Walking The Dog

Written by: Rufus Thomas

Release Date: June, 1975

Highest Chart Position: #52 UK

Album Track: Ride A Rock Horse

B-Side Single: Proud

Walking The Dog was recorded during Daltrey's filming commitments for Ken Russell's film Lisztomania. Daltrey’s version of the regularly rendered song basically sticks to the original blueprint, with the exception of a rather hauntingly repetitious tone slipped into the stew. It is quite baffling that the album from which this single was taken from, Ride a Rock Horse drew mixed responses when initially released. No doubt expectations simply ran too high for the Who celeberity, as this is certainly a potent piece of work. Daltrey’s amazing vocals, combined with sympathetic and inspired instrumentation anchor each number. Had Daltrey been an unknown entity and Ride a Rock Horse marked his maiden vinyl voyage, critics would have probably penned rapturous reviews. Those who wrote this album off the first time around should seriously give it another listen, while those just being introduced to Ride a Rock Horse will be suitably impressed.

Bachman Turner Overdrive - You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet

Written by: Randy Bachman

Release Date: Sept, 1974

Highest Chart Position: #1 US

Album Track: Not Fragile

B-Side Single: Free Wheelin'

The chorus of the song includes the song's famous stutter, and speaks of a devil woman looking at a man with big brown eyes and saying, "You ain't seen nothin' yet. B-b-b-baby, you just ain't seen na-na-nothin' yet. Here's somethin' that you're never gonna forget. B-b-b-baby, you just ain't seen na-na-nothin' yet.

Randy Bachman insists that the song was performed as a joke for his brother, Gary, who had a stutter, with no intention of sounding like the Who's "My Generation" which featured a stuttered lyric.  They only intended to record it once with the stutter and send the only recording to Gary.

Cream - Sunshine Of Your Love

Written by: Jack Bruce/Pete Brown/Eric Clapton

Release Date: Dec, 1967

Highest Chart Position: 

Album Track: Disraeli Gears

B-Side Single: SWLABR

With elements of hard rock, psychedelia, and pop, this song is one of Cream's best known and most popular songs. Cream bassist and vocalist Jack Bruce based it on a distinctive bass riff he developed after attending a Jimi Hendrix concert. Guitarist Eric Clapton and lyricist Pete Brown later contributed to the song and drummer Ginger Baker plays a distinctive tom-tom drum rhythm.

Jon English - Turn The Page

Written by: Bob Seger

Release Date: 1974

Highest Chart Position: #20 Aust

Album Track: It's All A Game

B-Side Single: Just the Way I Am

Turn The page is about life on the road, and the rigors musicians face when they're touring. It presents the other side of fame which the public doesn't see - the loneliness and aggravation.

Lovin' Spoonful - Summer In The City

Written by: John & Mark Sebastian

Release Date: July, 1966

Highest Chart Position: #1 US

Album Track: Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful

B-Side Single: Butchie's Tune

The Lovin' Spoonful recorded "Summer in the City" in two sessions at Columbia Studios in New York in March 1966. The recording is an early instance in pop music of added sound effects, made up of car horns and a pneumatic drill to mimic city noises. The effects were among the first on a pop song to employ an overlapping crossfade, an effect that had typically only been used on comedy albums. 

Eric Burdon & The Animals - Monterey

Written by: Burdon/Briggs/Welder/Jenkins/McCulloch

Release Date: Dec, 1967

Highest Chart Position: #15 US

Album Track: The Twain Shall Meet

B-Side Single: Ain't That So

The song provides an oral account of the June 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, at which the Animals performed. Burdon namedrops several of the acts who performed at the festival such as The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, the Who, the Grateful Dead, and Jimi Hendrix. Chart wise, the song reached number 9 in Australia and number 20 in New Zealand. It did not appear as a hit in the UK, where the image of the Monterey festival was not as strong.

Chuck Berry - No Particular Place To Go

Written by: Chuck Berry

Release Date: May, 1964

Highest Chart Position: #3 UK

Album Track: St. Louis To Liverpool

B-Side Single: You Two

The song is a comical four verse story. In the first verse, the narrator is riding in his car as his girlfriend drives, and they kiss. In the second, they start to cuddle, and drive slow. In the third, they decide to park and take a walk, but are unable to release the seat belt. In the last verse, they drive home, defeated by said recalcitrant seat belt.

Slade - Get Down & Get With It

Written by: Bobby Marchan

Release Date: May, 1971

Highest Chart Position:  #16 UK

Album Track: Sladest

B-Side Single: Gospel According To Rasputin

Prior to recording the song in the studio, the band had established "Get Down and Get with It" as a popular number in their live-set, based on Little Richard's version. 

Impressed by the general audience reception of the song, Chandler suggested recording the song as a single. The band entered Olympic Studios in Barnes to record it and Chandler told the band: "Just play it like you do on-stage. Blast it out like it's live, and pretend that there's an audience in there with you." Successfully recorded in a single take, the band included foot-stomping and hand-clapping in the recording to give the song a live feel.

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This post consists of FLACs ripped from my Vinyl copies of these two compilation albums. Quality of these records is excellent although some base enhancements have been made to some tracks.

Full album artwork and label scans are included for vinyl - as far as I can tell, neither of these compilations have been released on CD.

Tracklist - Immortal Rock (1977)

A1   The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown  – Fire

A2   The Who  –  Pinball Wizard

A3   Thunderclap Newman  –  Something In The Air

A4   Jimi Hendrix  –  Hey Joe

A5   Derek And The Dominos  –  Layla

A6   Rod Stewart  –  Maggie May

A7   Eric Burdon And The Animals  –  Sky Pilot

B1   Cream –  White Room

B2   Focus –  Hocus Pocus

B3   Status Quo  –  Rain

B4   John Mayall  –  Moving On

B5   Golden Earring  –  Radar Love

B6   Nazareth – Love Hurts

B7   Eric Clapton  –  I Shot The Sheriff

Immortal Rock Link (327Mb) New Link 18/10/2023

Tracklist - Immortal Rock Vol.2 (1979)

A1 Jimi Hendrix – All Along the Watchtower

A2 Rare Bird –   Sympathy

A3 The Hollies – He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother

A4 Rod Stewart – Mandolin Wind

A5 The Allman Brothers Band –   Ramblin' Man

A6 James Brown – It's A Man's Man's Man's World

A7 Roger Daltrey – Walking The Dog

B1 Bachman-Turner Overdrive –   You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet

B2 Cream – Sunshine Of Your Love

B3 Jon English – Turn The Page

B4 The Lovin' Spoonful – Summer In The City

B5 Eric Burdon & The Animals –  Monterey

B6 Chuck Berry – No Particular Place To Go

B7 Slade – Get Down & Get With It

Immortal Rock Vol.2 Link (307Mb) New Link 18/10/2023