The follow up to GOLDEN EARRING‘s breakthrough album in North America (Moontan from 1973), was Switch, released in March of ’75. With the success of Moontan, and particularly the hit “Radar Love” in North America, the Dutch band toured more in the US and Canada, and a follow-up album would’ve been highly anticipated. Switch was the band’s 10th album, and would be given a big promotional push (see below) from MCA, likely with big expectations. As the title Switch – Golden Earring would make a few switches, including adding a keyboard player, a couple of guest players, and in direction with a more pop and experimental record. Keyboard player Robert Jan Stips was listed as a bandmember, having left Dutch prog band Supersister, and guests Eelco Geiling (slide guitar) and Bertus Borgers (sax) – both of whom guested on Moontan, as well as George Kooymans solo project ‘Jojo‘.
While Moontan featured the classic cover photo by Ronnie Hertz in a gatefold sleeve, Switch came in a single sleeve with cover featuring a drawing of wooden puppet on a string in distress (with a few strings broken), done by Corstiaan de Vries – who was best known for his portraits, and had worked on costumes and sets in the Rotterdam ballet. I think it’s a great cover, with a white backing, lyrics and band pics inserted. Songs for Switch would be mainly shorter and more varied, almost as if the band was really looking for a hit single. Things start out promising with the “Intro”, with synths soaring overtop, kinda reminiscent of more progressive bands like Pink Floyd or Eloy; this couples with the upbeat largely instrumental rock of “Plus Minus Absurdio”, with the words being repeated in the song. “Love Is A Rodeo” kicks off with a classic riff from George Kooymans, and this this track is a cool rocker; dig the backing vocals on the chorus, and the organ and keyboards throughout this one. Would’ve made a fine single. Perhaps the album’s best known cuts would be the singles – “The Switch”, and “Kill Me (Ce Soir)”, both very different to anything the band had done before. “Kill Me” told the tale of an activist rock star’s assassination – “Vick Timms…a vague tribute to Jim Morrison”. Interesting that the single is titled “Ce Soir”, while the album track is titled “Kill Me (Ce Soir)”, great vocals from Barry Hay. The title track dealt with various things that can be switched, and is one of my favorite here, with various changes, and use of piano, synths, and George Kooymans’ solos that highlight this recording (unfortunately, much of this was chopped off for the single edit). I gotta say I kind of prefer a few of the live recorded versions out there from the ensuing tour.
Side 2 features the reggae influenced “Tons Of Time”; a good tune and interesting, with a few changes, and a very cool synth & guitar break. This one was released as a single in some territories as well. “Daddy’s Gonna Save My Soul” a tale of a rich kid who’s tycoon father is going to save him. Also memorable for Bertus Borgers’ epic sax solo. Another favorite here is “Troubles & Hassles”, another rocker, with some lighter piano moments and a killer solo. Switch ends with “Lonesome DJ”, a story of a disc jockey reaching out to an ex girlfriend, hoping she’s still tuned in. The first part of the song (w/ George Kooymans’ lead vocal) is a ballad based on piano and lighter guitar, with a good vocal & harmony blend. The song’s 2nd movement rocks, featuring more piano and Hammond organ coming to the end; musically this part of the song reminds me of “Monster” by Steppenwolf (anyone else?). This is another that I think would’ve made a fine single, and perhaps one that would still get air-play. What I really like about this album is the overall sound and production; with the keyboards giving it a much more modern sound and the album sounding ahead of it’s time and still fresh. Although I enjoy the whole album, I think it lacked that epic follow up single to “Radar Love”. Most of this album would feature in the band’s live show at various times over the next year + , including the B-side “Lucky Number” (see the few live recordings on Youtube), but nothing from Switch would wind up on the band’s classic Live album!
In the band’s homeland, Switch topped the charts, but in North America it didn’t measure up to Moontan, just breaking the Top 100 in Canada (#79), and not even breaking the US Billboard’s top 100. The band would continue to change with their next few albums, and this most adventurous and enjoyable record seems to get mixed reviews by fans. A shame Switch wasn’t huge for Golden Earring over hear, despite it’s differences and lack of success, I think it makes for essential ’70s rock listening. As a ‘newer’ fan to Golden Earring, I’d like to hear what longtime fans thought of this album at the time and where it ranks amongst the band’s many studio recordings.
Major MCA Push For Earring HOLLYWOOD – Rick Frio, MCA vice president of marketing, has announced a promotion and sales campaign to coincide with the March release of Golden Earring’s track/MCA LP “Switch” and with the Dutch rock group’s concert tour of the U.S. set for spring. MCA has prepared radio spots for airing in key markets. In addition, print ads will appear in all major trade and consumer publications to tie in with Golden Earring’s American tour dates. T-shirts, iron-ons, stickers and posters are also being prepared. In-store and window displays will be shipped to key dealers and a billboard on Sunset Blvd. will announce the release of Golden Earring’s LP, “Switch.” Golden Earring is set to begin their 21/2 month -long tour April 3. The band will headline concerts in 21 cities. (CashBox News, )3-08-75)
New Earring Single HOLLYWOOD – Rick Frio, MCA vice president of marketing, has announced that a single, “Ce Soir,” by recording group Golden Earring, will be released in February, prior to the release of Golden Earring’s second Track/MCA LP, “Switch.” Golden Earring’s first Track/MCA album, “Moontan,” was certified gold by the R.I.A.A. in 1974. (CashBox, 02-22-75)
New Earring Single LOS ANGELES – MCA Records is rush – releasing the single, “Switch,” from Golden Earring’s album of the same name. Shipping date is set for May 7. Golden Earring is currently on tour in the United States to support their album. The Dutch group is selling out in many areas requiring the addition of second shows. (CashBox, 05-03-75)
GOLDEN EARRING – Switch. Track Super 2406 117. Production: Golden Earring – Currently touring in Britain, Golden Earring is a very accomplished band, and this album will go a long way towards proving to executive producer Freddy Haayen that they are in line for public recognition in Britain. A single from the album, Kill Me (Ce Soir) has been lifted as a single, and the company are hoping it will give them their second hit in the UK. following on from Radar Love. Production work is superb, and adds weight to an excitingly programmed collection. (Music Week, May 3, 1975)
GOLDEN EARRING, “SWITCH.” Dutch delights further their Track tradition on this second label release, as Barry Hay’s onstage eroticism grabs hold of vinyl too. The selections are heavy metal movers spiced with the quintet’s dramatic flavor, as the exciting “Love Is a Rodeo,” “Troubles & Hassles” and “Kill Me (Ce Soir)” tunefully testify. Track/MCA-2139 (Record World, 03-22-75).
SWITCH – Golden Earring – MCA MCA -2139 – Producers: Golden Earring Another smash disc from this heavy metal band from Holland. Tight vocal harmonies and excellent musicianship highlight this follow-up to their first top album. Heavy FM airplay is un – doubtable for this one. Of the eight selections on this record we especially like “Intro/Plus Minus Absurdio,” “The Switch,” and the current single “Kill Me (Ce Soir).” We predict to be hearing a lot of this group in the future. (CashBox, 03-22-75)
British band TRAPEZE were perhaps best known as the band that featured musicians who went on to big bands, notably Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Mel Galley (the band’s leader & mainstay – Whitesnake), Dave Holland (Judas Priest), and (later) Peter Goalby (Uriah Heep). Throughout the ’70s TRAPEZE released 6 studio albums, with various line-ups, but the band has seen a resurgence over the last decade or so with the release of archive live releases, CD box sets and compilations. But now we await the release of previously unreleased material from the ’70s on ‘Lost Tapes Vol 1’. 14 tracks from various line-ups of Trapeze later next month, on various formats. *For more info, check out the press release below….
When rock band Trapeze called it a day, they left behind them a series of now classic albums. Their influence on other groups has been immense; individual members themselves going on to join heavy weight rock acts such as Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Judas Priest & Uriah Heep. But their story’s not over, as TRAPEZE – LOST TAPES VOL. 1 will soon reveal!
These are tracks recorded on tour, and either side of album releases; great songs that were stockpiled just never released as the various line-ups hit the ground running, playing live relentlessly; honing their craft while rarely seeing home.
However, guitarist Mel Galley did take those tapes to his elder brother Tom’s house. There, they – as co-writers of many of the band’s best-known songs – would review them, making various decisions that felt right at the time. Mel also had the foresight, to leave them with Tom for safekeeping, so they didn’t get lost.
“One of Mel’s last wishes, before he passed away, was that I’d get together with Trapeze manager Tony Perry and put all these things together,” said Tom Galley, who went onto produce the celebrated Phenomena album series, “And that’s what we’ve done!”
LOST TAPES VOL. 1 is an opportunity to hear Trapeze with all the primal energy of young men stretching out; demonstrating there was even more untapped potential between the musicians involved than had hitherto been imagined.
Smashing the doors open across America by pioneering a heavy funk rock sound that would later be taken up by The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Extreme and others, back in the 70s Glenn Hughes (Vocals, bass), Mel Galley (Guitar, vocals) & Dave Holland (Drums) barely had time to catch their breath while stepping into studios to lay down several unique songs that you’ll find on this collection, as well as tracks later recorded at Garage Studios in the UK during their 90s reformation.
Strident hard rocker ‘Breakdown’ comes from that latter period. “This features Glenn singing – His voice is one of the wonders of the world!” Tom remarked, and it truly is, the song sounding immensely fresh and contemporary even today. From the same period, with ‘Don’t Let Them Push You’, it’s a case of “More cowbell!” and Mel’s guitar weaving tirelessly with him also taking lead vocals.
On the trio’s older tracks, with songs like ‘Bad Kid From School’ and ‘Enough Is Enough’, it’s their classic sound you’ll relish hearing afresh. “I was able to get that funky heavy rock sound out of those old tapes – And that’s what I call the Trapeze style!” With various co-writing tracks from that period recovered, Tom also noted how ‘Catching Up On You’ had ”started off as an instrumental but they decided to add vocals.”
These tracks embrace both powder-kegged bravado performances as well as the band’s more nuanced emotional side – With nothing off limits as the musicians involved can be heard exploring their potential both collectively and as individuals. Powerful with deft time changes, tinged with subtly or bleeding out ferociously; belting rockers find them surging forward as one only for a propulsive rhythmic heartbeat to take hold over which solos soar.
Initially a five-piece patronized by The Moody Blues, even as that line-up fractured, Galley, Holland and original keyboard player Terry Rowley went into 10cc’s recording studios and some of those songs will also see the light of day for the very first time on this record. “Destiny’ and ‘Lights Of Tokyo’ were songs that were overlooked and never ended up on an album,” recalled Tom. Important pathfinders on the band’s journey they pre-empt the heavier rock & progressive sounds that the band would find acclaim with, beginning with 1970’s Medusa album.
Following Hughes’ joining Deep Purple, Mel Galley took the helm; both singing and playing guitar, while bringing in bass player Pete Wright and second guitarist Rob Kendrick. This was their 1974 Billboard charting Hot Wire era, finding them particularly prolific laying down tracks in studios like Island in the years either side. ‘Going Home’ is a fiery arena-ready alternative rendition of that album’s classic pinpointing exactly why The Rolling Stones had Trapeze open for them back then.
From a little later we get ‘So In Love’. ”If you listen to ‘Chances’ on the second self-titled Trapeze album; it’s So In Love with different lyrics, sung by Glenn, and Mel sings this, ”we’re told of a more melodic number. Likewise, ‘Lover finds the guitarist in particularly good form on vocals. Blending funk rock with a little soul, this so should have been a single, back in those days when music crossed the airwaves without fear of genre-boundaries, and only good taste mattered.
When Kendrick joined Budgie, Pete Goalby came forward and stepped up to the mic; oozing impressive vocal charisma and allowing Galley a chance to ease his voice. From that late ’70s golden patch we get the mainstream appeal of ‘You’ve Got It’ and ‘Who Do You Run To’ while on ‘Cool Water’ it’s slick, funky with a blues rock edge that’s sat somewhere in between The James Gang and Little Feat in their prime. “Mel wrote and sang on an original version, but this is a version with him and Pete both singing. It also had Terry Rowley on keyboards,” recalled Tom, noting the ongoing bonds between former members, before astutely noting in conclusion:
“This collection of recordings show not only how good the various line-ups were, but capture the passion and excitement of the creation of the songs themselves.”
Never a band who stood still. These recordings are often paths less taken. Had time, circumstances and other opportunities not proved otherwise we can only imagine what heights Trapeze would have reached… As listeners will discover, LOST TAPES VOL. 1, features Trapeze songs as classy as any on their previous rock album releases, with some likely to become classics still!
TRACK LISTING: Cool Water Lover Breakdown Don’t Let Them Push You Destiny Lights Of Tokyo So In Love Bad Kid From School Catching Up On You Do You Understand Enough Is Enough You’ve Got It Who Do You Run To Going Home
Canadian writer Martin Popoff has a new book celebrating 50 years of KISS, out shortly. The hardcover book is 192 pages, including lots of rare photos, and comes from Motorbooks, the same guys who published Gary Graff’s awesome Alice Cooper at 75, earlier this year. *For more info see press info below or visit Martin’s website!
With this beautifully produced book, relive the extraordinary history of the of the hottest band in the land through 50 milestone events.
Formed in New York City in 1973, Kiss became one of the most popular and best-selling bands in rock history with their inventive stage presence and heavy, hook-filled catalog, both ideally suited for packing hockey arenas and football stadiums. This richly illustrated book from prolific rock journalist Martin Popoff pays tribute to the band on the occasion of their 50th anniversary by curating and examining the 50 most significant milestones. This exquisite volume features:
Sturdy hardcover format
Stunning concert and candid offstage photography, much of it never before published
Images of memorabilia, including gig posters, 7-inch picture sleeves, ticket stubs, and more
Gatefold Kiss timeline
Popoff covers everything down through the decades:
The band’s formation on the New York club scene
Their fortuitous signing to the Casablanca label
Infamous TV appearances, including Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park
The formation of the famous Kiss Army fan club
Mega tours undertaken in support of the LPs
Inter-band conflicts and personnel changes
The band’s 1980s “unmasking”
Innovative marketing such as comic books and the Kiss Convention
And, of course, each of the landmark studio LPs.
The result is an epic tribute to one of the most influential and admired bands in rock history—in a milestone year
Former ARGENT member John Verity has penned his own story, titled This Rock ‘N’ Roll Won’t Last You Know! Well after 50 years in the music business, Verity played guitar, sang and wrote on Argent’s Circus and Counterpoints albums, and went on to form Phoenix, Verity, as well as release a number of solo albums, and just recently released – an album with. Del Bromham (Stray), titled Live at Last (which can ordered at http://www.johnverity.com)
From the late ’60s til 1970 British hard-rock/blues/prog band SPOOKY TOOTH released 4 albums before breaking up. In 1973 the band reformed, tho’ with changes in the line-up, notably with new guitarist Mick Jones. In about 18 months from the spring of ’73 until the fall of ’74, Spooky Tooth underwent more personnel changes while recording 3 albums. 1973’s You Broke My Heart, So I Busted Your Jawwas a strong album featuring favorites “Cotton Growing Man” & “Old As I was Born”. That album was followed later in the same year by Witness, which included standouts “Oceans Of Power”, “All Sewn Up”, and epic heavy closer “Pyramids”. By the time The Mirror was released in October of 1974, keyboardist/vocalist & songwriter Gary Wright was the only original member. Original singer Mike Harrison (RIP, 2018) had left after Witness, and was replaced by Mike Patto (ex Timebox, Patto). I gotta say I like all three of these albums, even if they are a very different band through personnel. The Mirror is the best of the 3. The line-up aside from Wright, Jones, and Patto, included Val Burke (bass) and Bryson Graham (drums). Wright & Jones would produce the album with the (by now) legendary Eddie Kramer.
Overall, The Mirror was a more mainstream progressive, hard-rock album, and it’s a wonder how they didn’t have any big radio hits off this one, or that The Mirror didn’t catch on more. Instead it marked the end of the band. But Spooky Tooth was a unique band, with 2 vocalists / keyboard players, and backing harmonies that gave the band a bit of a gospel/soul feel on occasion. The Mirror kids off with the prog-rocker “Fantasy Satisfied”, a great blend of guitar and Hammond organ, and probably my favorite Spooky Tooth song. I wonder if this ever got radio play!? And why it’s still not featured on FM classic rock radio. This record holds a lot of different songs, all worth checking out. Other favorites would be the title track, “I’m Alive”, “Hell Or High Water”, “Two Time Love”, and the ballad “Kyle”. Not a bad cut here. Gary Wright (RIP) would be credited on all but one track, as a writer, with Jones co-writing on 3, and Patto on 3, as well as contributing the funky-rock tune “The Hoofer” (used as a B-side at the time). There were a few different singles from this album (see below), from various countries, and there is also an excellent live recording from the band in Cleveland from this tour, which includes 3 tracks from The Mirror.
Unfortunately, The Mirror wasn’t a major hit LP for the band, the first of the reformed band’s 3 not to crack Billboard’s top 100, tho’ it did make it to #88 in Canada! The band split following a tour with Mick Jones soon joining Leslie West’s band, then forming Foreigner, Mike Patto (RIP 1979) formed Boxer – who released 3 albums, Gary Wright had huge hits with “The Dream Weaver” and “Love Is Alive” a few years later, Bryson Graham (RIP, 1993) went on to record with Alvin Lee and Jim Capaldi, among others; Val Burke went on to record with Stan Bronstein’(Living On the Avenue) and Willie & The Mighty Magnificents (Play That Funky Beat).
The Mirror came in a die-cut cover, with artwork & design by Ruby Mazur, who did numerous covers throughout the ’70s. If you don’t have this album, I highly recommend it as one of the ’70s greats and very overlooked.
“I felt at the time (Spooky Tooth)-as much as I liked the kind of music we were doing-that we were getting bogged down. We were getting a little over -involved and not quite direct enough or close enough to get the point across. And I suppose that I wanted to get the music across in a more direct way” (Mick Jones, Record World, 1980)
THE MIRROR – Spooky Tooth – Producers: Gary Wright, Mick Jones, Eddie Kramer – Island ILPS 9292 The raw power of Spooky Tooth emerges on the reformed group’s new LP as never before, with a scintillating flash and a bedrock underpinning that defy even Newton’s law of gravity. Impeccable harmonies, great hooks in the tracks, careful dynamics and precision arranging characterize this record, by far their best to date. The special synthesizer effects on “Hell Or High Water” are excellent, reminiscent of the Who at their best. We also dig “Fantasy Satisfier” and “Higher Circles.” (CashBox, 09-74)
SPOOKY TOOTH (lsland IS004) Hell Or High Water (3:32) (Ackee – WB, ASCAP – M. Patto – G. Wright) Spooky Tooth is in fine form on their latest release which exemplifies the Spooky Tooth style. Heavy tight instrumentation is complemented by very good vocal harmonies and a together record. The haunting disk is a sure shot and should be reckoned with come hell or high water. Flip: The Mirror (5:21) (Ackee – WB, ASCAP , (CashBox, 74-09-28)
SPOOKY TOOTH -The Mirror, Island, ILPS 9292. Another group with just one original member left, Gary Wright, Spooky Tooth, in their Island Record debut, bring home some solid rack vibrations. Album is packed with new material, and should receive a strong reception on the FM level. While instrumentals can get cluttered at times, the group’s overall energy and finesse carries through. Vocals by various members offer good diversity with quality. Best cuts: “Kyle” “Mirror.” “Hell Or High Water,” “Woman And Cold” and “Two Time Love” Dealers: One of the best packaging efforts this year, along with musical contents, rate strong display for this LP, (Billboard, 74-08-24)
Legendary guitarist Steve Hackett presents his brand new live audio/visual extravaganza, with the release of ‘Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live in Brighton’, out now!
Steve comments of the new live release: “Foxtrot was a milestone for Genesis, a breakthrough artistically. I’m as proud of it today as I was at it’s its inception. I’m thrilled now to bring that album back in its entirety on tour, and the live release has super quality performance, visuals and production. It’s a real feast… Enjoy!”
Filmed & recorded live on his 2022 UK tour, in the coastal city of Brighton, UK, this release documents Steve and his band celebrating the 50th anniversary of the much-loved Genesis album ‘Foxtrot’. Played in full, this album features fan favourites including ‘Watcher Of The Skies’ and ‘Supper’s Ready’. The show also features a set of Hackett solo material, including ‘The Devil’s Cathedral’ from his latest studio album ‘Surrender of Silence’, and the powerful ‘Ace of Wands’.
Mixed by Chris Lord-Alge & mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, the album is now available to order on Ltd 2CD+Blu-ray & Ltd 2CD+2DVD, both including bonus behind the scenes interviews, as well as 5.1 surround sound. A Ltd Deluxe 180g 4LP edition will also be available. Order here: https://stevehackett.lnk.to/FoxtrotAtFiftyHackettHighlights-LiveInBrighton
Track-listing:
1. Intro / Ace of Wands
2. The Devil’s Cathedral
3. Spectral Mornings
4. Every Day
5. A Tower Struck Down
6. Basic Instincts
7. Camino Royale
8. Shadow of the Hierophant
9. Watcher of the Skies
10. Time Table
11. Get ‘Em Out by Friday
12. Can Utility and the Coastliners
13. Horizons
14. Supper’s Ready
15. Firth of Fifth
16. Los Endos
Steve Hackett & band continue their busy touring schedule with further “Foxtrot At Fifty & Hackett Highlights” dates in North America beginning in October. For the full list of dates, head to: http://hackettsongs.com/tour.html
Steve Hackett is joined live by Roger King, Rob Townsend, Nad Sylvan, Craig Blundell & Jonas Reingold, as well as on occasion special guest Amanda Lehmann.
LUCID SINS will release their third album next month. The song is very reminiscent of that more haunting, laid-back Blue Oyster Cult sound of the 70s. Dig more into this band and the BOC influence comes up more, as does that organ style psych rock of The Doors. Great songs, playing, vocals and harmonies. Check out the new single. Awesome album art by David V. D’Andrea as well! Read the press info below, as well as check out the band’s links at the bottom!
Scotland’s 70s occult rock goldsmiths LUCID SINS return with their third full-length “Dancing In the Dark” this October 27th on Totem Cat Records with a first single premiering exclusively on It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine. The band also just announced a string of UK fall dates including shows with Nebula and Hey Colossus.
From the moment Glasgow’s own 70s rock masters LUCID SINS catch your ear, you know you are in for a long-haul adventure: driven by their own wizardry and prodigious mastery of all instruments, the duo of Ruaraidh Sanachan and Andreas Johnsson bewitches you from the get-go. While their 2021 sophomore album “Cursed” presented an intoxicating and unwaveringly prog-oriented brew of proto-rock that sat firmly between Blue Öyster Cult and The Doors, their third album flips a brand new page of their sonic grimoire.
A collaborative effort of interconnected souls, “Dancing In The Dark” summons the talents of various guest musicians to form a fluid and melody-driven story where occult rock meets folk and proto-doom in a hypnotic swirl of riffs and keys carried by Jonsson’s compelling poetry. Firmly rooted in the 60s and 70s sound, LUCID SINS manages to uplift spirits while dragging you once again in the occult, meeting the boundary-free creativity of their contemporaries Witchcraft, Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats to the more seamless lightheartedness of Fairport Convention.
The story goes as follows… You stumble through the forest. Alone and far from home. All paths have returned you to this place. Lost in a world of green. Hidden in the dark. As the light fades you glimpse flickering flame and catch the scent of smoke. In a tiny clearing, shadows cast by a dying fire take human-esque forms. Leaning in for warmth, they share ten tales of hope and betrayal, magic and madness, love and death. Whispered words mingle with distant memories, and as the fire grows higher, your sense of self is scorched and burned. One by one now, the figures begin to dance and spin as occult psychedelic sounds drift through the trees. Caught in the maelstrom, suspended high in a swirling mesh of leaves and perception, you release your grip on space and time… On the forest floor, stirred by dawn, you try to make sense of the mist within your mind. To recall where you have been. To know who you once were. Around a glowing fire, deep in the woods, LUCID SINS are Dancing In The Dark… Will you dance with them?
LUCID SINS on tour: October 14th – Aberdeen, The Rusty Nail October 15th – Glasgow, Ivory Blacks (w/ Nebula) October 18th – Leeds, Fox and Newt October 19th – London, Helgi’s October 20th – Sheffield, Lughole (w/ Heavy Sentence, Parish) October 21st – Newcastle, Lubber Fiend (w/ Hey Colossus)
LUCID SINS : Andreas Jonsson – Vocals, guitars, bass, organ, synthesizer Ruaraidh Sanachan – Drums, bass, percussion, organ, mellotron, recorder, backing vocals + Album guests: Espen Andersen, Stuart Coleman, Hanna Tuulikki, Alex Ward
Alex Machin of Canada’s A FOOT IN COLDWATER has a brand new single out titled “Till They Bury Me”. This catchy rocker was penned by Machin, autobiographical, with the lyric video featuring photos from his personal life and professional life (on stage & off). Machin’s vocals sound as good as they did 50 years ago when ‘Foot was taking off. Fellow Foot In Coldwater bandmate Danny Taylor plays drums, The singer also plays bass, and on guitar is Toronto player Gus Papas – “He had a couple of solo albums, one titled ‘Convicted’ that was released in America on Epic Records. He toured extensively and came close to breaking out in the States. Danny played drums on that record. “ Papas also co-wrote a track on Alex Machin’s 1984 project Champion (released as Champion featuring Alex Machin). An album that didn’t get off to a good start with the label going bankrupt the week of it’s release (“That’s a very long and painful story.”, AM), but it is highly sought after by A Foot In Coldwater fans.
A Foot In Coldwater released 4 albums in the ’70s, and had a huge hit with the ballad “Make Me Do (Anything You Want)”, in 1972., The band has played several reunion gigs since their initial split in 1977 – “We are still planning on having A Foot in Coldwater resurface at some point in the near future. For now I am busy having fun writing songs in my studio, putting them out and hoping that people enjoy them. ”
*Check out the new song, as well as the links below!
The classic Remember The Future was originally released in 1973, consisted of just the title track – Parts one and two. Nektar was/is a legendary British progressive rock album, with Remember The Future being, arguably, the band’s best album. This 5 disc box set includes a number of bonus tracks – live and single edits, as well as a live show from early ’74, a blue-ray disc including a new 5.1 surround sound & stereo mix from the original tapes & TV footage, as well as a new essay and booklet. Coming November 24. *Check out the link below to order… and to read the official press release: https://glassonyonpr.com/2023/09/01/nektar-remember-the-future-4cd-blu-ray-box-set/
Legendary rock drummer Neal Smith (Alice Cooper) released his latest album in the spring. Killsmith Goes West is the fourth album under the Killsmith name, and is different to past Killsmith releases with a somewhat country & western influence throughout many of the songs, and is perhaps, Smith’s finest and most album to date with songs like “Shaughnessy Highway”, ” Evil Wind”, and “Pull It Out Smokin”. *Check out the interview, as well as the links below!
What inspired this whole idea of putting together a country & western styled album?
I’ve been writing songs since the original Alice Cooper group was together, and even before that – in other bands, so when you write songs sometimes the songs come out of nowhere, and they don’t really fit anything, any project that you’re working on, and you just set them aside, and over time I had them and they weren’t really in the style, the real heavy rock – that I would do, and then Killsmith came along, and that was real heavy metal, you know the first couple of Killsmith albums, and even the third one – The Green Fire Empire. And I just had the scope of songs, and I just wanted to try something a little bit different. There’s still some songs – “Pull It Out Smokin”, “Evil Wind” – that still have a real rough edge to them. I had written about 15 songs for this album, and then there were 5 that I pulled off because they were just over-the-top normal heavy rock, so I pulled those off and I wrote a few more and then I had a total of 10 new songs on the album. Some of the songs are brand new, and some of the songs are brand new in the last year or so. It took 3 years to record the album through the pandemic, but there’s one song on there “Coffee, Beer, and Borrowed Time” – that song was actually written in 1980. And that’s one of those songs that just sort of happened, and then there was no place for it. It has sort of a country vibe to it, and that along with the Killsmith normal vide of being edgy and heavier, I call it ‘outlaw rock’. And it does have more of a western feel to it than country. And all of a sudden the songs started taking on a mood of their own , and I followed that – we’re from Arizona, and Arizona is the 48th state, so it was really the last of the wild country. So, even the Alice Cooper we had a song like “Desperado”, and “Raped And Freezin” – a couple of songs that were influenced by the area of the United States that we were from. So this is sort of expanding on that idea, there’s references to Mexico, references to Townsend, Arizona, and New Mexico. It’s all about places I’ve lived, and even when I was growing up in the mid-west, in the Akron area of Ohio, central Ohio, part of my upbringing, my mother liked live music, and there was a place called Fixler’s Ballroom near Sharon Center, Ohio, where we used to go, and they had a live band. So, I was influenced not only by the rock of the late ’50s and early ’60s, but I was influenced by the big bands, like swing – because my mother loved the Glen Miller Band, and also the live country music. So I was exposed to that with live bands, so that’s all been part of what’s influenced me over the years – as a drummer, and a musician, and a songwriter. So these songs just came to me, I wanted to go that extra mile. What’s does that mean? That means A- I wanted to get a fantastic country guitar player – Arlen Roth, who has done many country albums over the years, and was gracious enough to play on 4 or 5 of the songs. Gary Oleyar who is a fiddle player also played great country and western fiddle on several songs – which gave it that extra push over the top for what I was looking for, and that mixed with what I already had, and storytelling – country and western always has a story with it to begin with , but I like the classic novelty 16 Tines, Big Bad John, Raw Hide, back in the 50s and 60s there was some songwriters like Johnny Cash, Frank Lane, Johnny Horton, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Hank Williams, – they were great storytellers as well as great songwriters. And I wanted to try and get that element into the music too, so it all came together, 10 songs that fans enjoy. And very different for me to try something like that. So far it’s been very successful.
Can you recall any other specific bands or albums, bands you might’ve seen or albums your mom might’ve had around the house!?
Well, even on Hee-Haw, some of the best guitarists that were ever in country (I can’t think of all the names right now), but man – Chet Atkins was on there occasionally, and they were just phenomenal guitar players. And I’m a big fan of Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, but I mean it’s all rock, blues, jazz, and country roots – that’s what all this music is. And Roy Clark was another amazing guitar player from that era, and (of course) Waylon Jennings, who was also from Phoenix. So a lot of these great players were from the south-west, where we were from and I was aware of them, and I saw them mostly, I didn’t really buy the music, but I’d hear them on the radio occasionally, those novelty western songs that stood out, but actually seeing them on TV – live on TV, some of the greatest guitar players – I mean Roy Clark, Glen Campbell, when these guys got up on stage and played (and it’s all over youtube, and thank goodness for youtube), that was all part of. And Rick Tedesco, a guitar player that I write and work with on the latest Killsmith albums, he’s sort of a soak-sponge, and he soaks this all in, and he as some really fine country & western licks that he plays on the album too. So that was something, a direction I was trying to go, but a little harder, so it’s got more of a country-outlaw kind of feel to it. So there was plenty to took at and watch and be inspired by back in the day, that’s for sure.
That’s interesting because some of the guys you mention like Johnny Cash and Glen Campbell were country stars, but they almost kind of cross over to a lot of rock fans as well.
Oh they did cross over, they had a lot of cross-over hits, but I went the other way – I went from rock over to more of that outlaw-country kind of feel to it, but with a harder edge and harder story lines on it, with a lot of the subject matter in the songs. that’s a good perspective.
Can you tell me what inspired some of the songs, some of the stories, because there’s lots of great song titles alone, which when you look at it, it makes it interesting to get started!?
There’s some songs that I thought of in the middle of the night, like “Shaughnessy Highway”, “Shaughnessy Highway” is about a guitar player, and it could’ve been about any of the guitar players we just talked about, but it’s a fantasy band and he’s a big superstar, his band’s superstars, and unfortunately this has happened a lot over time, people like Glenn Miller are lost to airplane crashes and other disasters, and the principal person in the story is killed in an airplane crash and he’s a guitar player in one of the biggest bands in the world, and his wife gives directions to her house, and if you park out front of her house she plays his music all the time keeping his music alive, because she’s kept alive and happy, though he’s gone, listening to his music. So it’s kind of a taboo subject to talk about, but Killsmith and Alice Cooper we always touched on subjects that normal people would think were a little taboo – like “Dead Babies” . Things that you really had to dig in and find out what that meant, it wasn’t anything other than child abuse and not protecting your baby against poison. So, that particular song I thought of in the middle of the night, “Sunsets Of Gold” is another I thought of in the middle of the night, it just kind of comes to you and pretty much the song writes itself . A song like “Evil Wind” was inspired not by the early spaghetti westerns with Clint Eastwood, but like Pale Rider , where it’s a mystery as to who this character really is. Is he alive? Is he a ghost? And “Evil Wind” that’s kinda inspired by those thoughts of the wild west. And “Tequila, Tamales & A Woman”, that’s another – like Hang ‘Em High, that’s another Clint Eastwood movie. That’s the inspiration, but the story is different, there’s a card game in Nogales, Arizona, and somebody cheats at cards, and the subject person shoots the person and kills him when the person draws a gun on him for calling him a cheat, but the hanging judge doesn’t look at it that way so he sentences the guy to be hung in the morning and he gives him a last wish, and his last wish is for tequila, tamales, and a woman. So he’ll die a happy man in the morning, but that’s his last wish. And again it’s from the late 1800s, and the wild west. So if you listen to any of the songs, I have one “Tattooed Cowgirl”, that’s kinda like a Thelma and Louise or somebody from Kevin Costner’s tv show Yellowstone, you know – a bad ass chick that you don’t want to mess with, but you’re drawn to. So, just things that are a little bit different for me to work with. And always an inspiration to go in a new direction, but always keep the attitude very strong and keep the subject matter very strong; always like paint a picture and tell a story.
In preparing for this did you revisit some of that old music ?
No, not really, because songs just come to you. And I’ve listened to enough music in my 75 years here on this planet that I know what influenced me, and once I write the song – it’s basically done, so how do I put the sweetening on the song to give it more of a country, more of a western flare. I always listen to what the song wants, and the players that I have come in and add to, like the country and western guitar, or the harmonica where that’s needed, or fiddle – they pretty much are on their own’ I may give some slight direction, but it’s all about what is just very organic as the song grows, and natural for the song. And I think that’s the best way for me to do it, I found. So it’s not anything that I think about, it’s just listening to the song and saying ‘you know, this here this needs a little fiddle part, this needs a little country guitar part, just a little like d-tune.’ and that’s how it comes about. It sort of happens after the bed-tracks are laid down, the arrangement is there, just ‘what does the song need to finish it off’. It’s like the icing on the cake.
You mentioned Arlen Roth and Gary Oleyar. Can you tell me a bit about where you met those guys and if you’ve used them before?
No. Actually Rick Tedesco – the engineer and guitar player that I’ve worked with in his studios, Guitar Hangar Studio here in Connecticut; he found those 2 gentlemen and invited them to the studio. So he knew them. Rick is a great resource for me. He’s helped me – with Glen Buxton’s guitar from Love It To Death through School’s Out, the SG Custom that I found the body stripped down without a neck , he helped me rebuild it into an amazing guitar. It took about 2 years to rebuild it. So he has a lot of great resources. He has a great guitar store in the Danbury area of Connecticut called The GuitarHangar, and the studio called The Guitar Hangar. So he knows a lot of people, great guitar players, and he’s a great guitar player too. And Stu Daye, he’s an old friend of mine; he actually played on my Platinum God album. He played the slide guitar. He lives in London, and we sent the tracks to him and he polished them off and put the slide guitar on “Tattooed Cowgirl”. So, I had a lot of great guitar players that helped me out. And Stu is an old friend of mine, so that was through me, but Rick Tedesco found Arlen and Gary.
I remember Stu’s name from your Platinum God album, and you’d mentioned him previously. I actually picked up an album of his, he had done with Corky Lang from the early ’80s…
The band was The Mix, right!?
Yeah. And they did one of the Billion Dollar Babies’ (Battle Axe) songs.
Yeah, there was a song I was writing one time, and Stu was around, and he loved the song, and put it on one of his albums.
Do you plan on going out and playing any of this stuff live?
I have a couple of songs on YouTube right now, and I may do a video or 2, but right now I have no plans to tour. If I do anything it’ll be on youtube or on NealSmithRocks.com – that’s my website. This is also the 50th anniversary of the Billion Dollar Babies album, and they have a deluxe special edition that’ll be out next year. But this year you’ve probably already heard Killer deluxe edition or the School’s Out deluxe, which have come out. So there’s a lot of good stuff going on, and I’m excited about it. I have another, like I mentioned my next Killsmith project will be my fifth Killsmith album; there were songs I took off the Killsmith Goes West album – which I also thought was a great title because I do spend the winters in Arizona, You know the band got together there in the mid ’60s; I moved out there from the mid-west in the early ’60s. So I’ve been going out there every year for almost the last 50 years. So about 5 or 6 years ago I bought a winter home out there in Mesa, Arizona, so I love it out there. I go out and play golf. And of course, Alice and Michael Bruce are out there and I get together with them a lot, and a lot of the writing that I do, and a lot of the writing that has been on Alice’s last 3 albums we’ve written out there.
Do you think that doing something so different this time around with Killsmith that it kinda gives you the opportunity to do something further afield, or something you haven’t done before?
Yeah, I don’t know. Like I said, the songs that I had on there they kinda fit, they were a little more hard-rock. But because I have some ideas for the next title, and it’s not going to be Killsmith Goes West 2, that’s for sure , but I do find something very creative about that, and also it’s a testimonial to our roots, which are in Phoenix, Arizona, and the south-west, and that’s a good thing. Too many people don’t look at their..- especially in rock, they have roots; I mean with the Alice Cooper group, we were very different – our roots were in horror movies, horror films, and movies from the past. But you never know where your inspiration is going to come from. But no matter what I do I want to feel excited about it, I want to feel refreshed. But what I really want to do is to do all I can to get as many people as possible to listen to it, I’m very very happy about the album, and very happy about the feedback I’m getting. And a lot of solid rock fans were turned off by the idea but it’s not a country record by any sense of the imagination; it’s definitely a Killsmith album, but it has, as I said – like on the Killer album we had “Desperado”, and on the Billion Dollar Babies album we had “Raped And Freezin”, and these are those songs that talk a little bit about the south-west, where we’re from geographically, but Goes West is a little more – it was like our influences on steroids. I took it a little further. And that will always be around. I may have one of those songs that I took off the album to keep it at 10 songs that really fit well. But let’s see what happens. I’m pretty happy. Some of the songs I went back and listened to them, and I’m always doing tributes to… like Billion Dollar Babies 2023, that’s a big deal, and I wrote a song for the next album called “Party Never Ending” – That’s the Alice Cooper group! And it’s like people have said over the years about the band breaking up, well the band never really broke up, we took a year off, everybody stayed friends, and encouraged each other on solo projects, and that was a big deal. In no way, I mean we were best friends and we weren’t going to get in any bog lawsuits about Alice going out solo. Anybody coudd’ve gone out solo, but he was very fortunate, and he did a great job. And I’m proud of everybody in the band, you know – Michael Bruce and Dennis Dunaway, they have great solo projects – they’re great songwriters; Glen Buxton, unfortunately we lost him way too soon in 1997, But the ghost of GB is always around, he will always be a part of no matter what we do. So I’m excited to do new music, and keep writing as long as I can.
Outsider Rock 