Sunday, September 18, 2011

V.A. - Beat The Road, Jack

Along with Pebbles Vol. 19 and the two Copenhagen Beat compilations this is one of the better offerings of '60s Garage/R&B/Beat music from Denmark (Jacks Beat 5006 / 2001). Frost Records later came up with a complete label-anthology with over 250 songs that contains 10 percent good and 90 percent average or at worst rubbish tracks. Not so with this release which is a best of Jack's Beat Records, a label led by Jack Fridthjorf.

Tracklist:
1. Jack & The Outlaws - Step Into My Heart
taken from the single
Step Into My Heart/I Need A Girl (Jacks Beat BR 1002) 1965
Line-up incl.: Jack Fridthjorf (vcls)
Band origin: Nykøbing Mors (Nordjylland/Denmark)
2. Victors - Cara-Lin
taken from the single
Cara-Lin/Rhythm Of Love (Jacks Beat Records BR 1012) 1966
Line-up: Torkil Brandes (lead vcls), Erik Degn-Christensen (lead gtr), Ruddy Hansen (rhythm gtr), Jørn Clausen (bs), Jan Krarup (drms).
Band origin: Aarhus (Midtjylland/Denmark)
3. Les Candidates - I'll Go Now
taken from the single
I'll Go Now/Den røde Baron (Jacks Beat BR 1039) 1967
Line-up: Kurt Jakobsen (lead vcls, bs), Mogens Sigård (lead gtr, vcls), Erik Gravengård (rhythm gtr, vcls), Allan Pedersen (drms).
Band origin: Esbjerk (Syddanmark/Denmark)
4. Some Kind - En Skillingsvise
taken from the single
Can't Explain/En Skillingsvise (Jacks Beat BR 1035) 1967
Line-up: Niels Grejs Nielsen (lead vcls, lead gtr), Leif P. Hansen (bs), Finn Vestergaard Larsen (rhythm gtr, vcls), Ole Nygaard (drms).
Band origin: Odense (Syddanmark/Denmark)
5. Sioux - Long Tall Shorty
taken from the V.A.-Album Top Hits (Jacks Beat BRLP 5001) 1965
Line-up: Herbert Wakefield (lead vcls, rhythm gtr), Torben Søgård Jensen (lead gtr), Ole Madsen (bs), Jan Kildebogaard (drms).
Band origin: Børkop (Syddanmark/Denmark)
6. Jack & The Bulwers - The Way It Feels
taken from the single
The Way It Feels/Det Er Mig (Jacks Beat BR 1069) 1968
Line-up: Jack Fridthjorf (vcls), Lars Sørensen (lead gtr), Eigil Knudsen (rhythm gtr, vcls), Jan Baad (bs, vcls), Keld Sørensen (drms).
Band origin: Silkeborg (Midtjylland/Denmark)
7. All Rounds - I Love You
taken from the E.P.
Everybody/Feel Like Crying/What I See/I Love You
(Jacks Beat BR 1005) 1965

Line-up: Kaj Kjærgård (lead vcls), Hans Christian Fredborg (lead gtr), Bent Ove Sørensen (rhythm gtr), Flemming Jensen (bs), Hugo Christensen (drms).
Band origin: Hjørring (Nordjylland/Denmark)
8. Poisons - Call My Name
taken from the single
Call My Name/Reach Out I'll Be There (Jacks Beat BR 1051) 1967
Line-up: Henning Stærk Jacobsen (lead vcls), Johnny Thingsager Madsen (lead gtr), Poul Svane (rhythm gtr, organ), Erik Boas Pedersen (bs, vcls), Jørgen Peter Jørgensen (drms).
Band origin: Holstebro (Midtjylland/Denmark)
9. Group Seven - Funny Mae
taken from the Mini-album Group Seven (Jacks Beat Records BR 1029) 1966
Line-up: Benny "Dean" Ranch Andersen (lead vcls), Jørgen Quist (lead gtr), Chris Weile (rhythm gtr), Bent Olufsen (bs), Kurt Vittrup (drms).
Band origin: Randers (Midtjylland/Denmark)
10. Mat's - It's Not True
taken from the single
Rescue Me/It's Not True (Jacks Beat Records BR 1017) 1966
Line-up: Mads Hove Jeppesen (lead gtr), Svend Erik Sørensen (rhythm gtr, vcls), Poul "Noller" Hwass Hansen (bs), Bent Pedersen (drms).
Band origin: Thisted (Nordjylland/Denmark)
11. All Rounds - Everybody
See Track 7
12. Jack & The Outlaws - I Need A Girl
See Track 1
13. Gipsies - Ain't That A Shame
taken from the single
Ain't That A Shame/Loosers (Jacks Beat Records BR 1018) 1966
Line-up: Ernst Lillienskjorld Larsen (lead gtr, vcls), Carsten Schøn (rhythm gtr), Jan Englund Norré (gtr, vcls), Ole Borregaard (bs), Carl Gunnar Skadelund (drms). Band origin: Aalborg (Nordjylland/Denmark)
14. Black Four - Black Devil
taken from the V.A.-Album Top Hits (Jacks Beat BRLP 5001) 1965
Line-up: unknown. Band origin: Horsens (Midtjylland/Denmark)
15. Mad Sound - To Masturbate
taken from the single
To Masturbate/Summertime (Jacks Beat Records BR 1080) 1968
Line-up: Finn Hansen (lead vcls), Poul Werner Laursen (lead gtr), Peter Lange Møller (rhythm gtr, vcls), Per Hugo Nielsen (bs), Benny Elmstrøm Lund (drms). Band origin: Grenå (Midtjylland/Denmark)
16. Jack - Protest
taken from the single
Trains/Someone/Protest (Jacks Beat BR 1009) 1966
Line-up/Band origin: See Track 1

Get it here (Artwork included / vinyl rip)

Listen to Les Candidates - I'll Go Now

Listen to Mad Sound - To Masturbate

Monday, September 12, 2011

Wilde Flowers (1965-69)

An influential band from Canterbury/Kent that underwent a fluctuate line-up and served as a stepping stone for most of the members to the better known Soft Machine and Caravan. The Wilde Flowers never made an official release up to 1994 as Voiceprint put out a collection of demos from 1965-69 (Voiceprint VP 123 CD). The majority of the tracks were recorded 65/66 and although the instrumentation is in the typical Beatsound, Robert Wyatt's and Kevin Ayers' vocal treatments had already that special Canterbury-style (it's up to you if you like it or not). I must admit that this release is more an artefact and rather of historical interest. There are a few notable songs, though: "Those Words They Say" and "Time After Time" get the full Beat treatment, "Impotence" has all the indications for the later Soft Machine adventures while the best and one of their earliest songs "He's Bad For You" is a haunting R&B ballad that would had fitted perfectly on a Captain Beefheart setlist.

Tracklist:
- Impotence (1969)
- Those Words They Say (1966)
- Memories (1966)
- Don't Try To Change Me (1965)
- Parchman Farm (1965)
- Almost Grown (1965)
- She's Gone (1965)
- Slow Walkin' Talk (1965)
- He's Bad For You (1965)
- It's What I Feel [A Certain Kind] (1965)
- Memories [Instrumental] (1965)
- Never Leave Me (1966)
- Time After Time (1966)
- Just Where I Want (1966)
- No Game When You Lose (1966)
- Impotence (1966)
- Why Do You Care (1968)
- The Pieman Cometh (1968)
- Summer Spirit (1968)
- She Love To Hurt (1969)
- The Big Show (1969)
- Memories (1969)

Personnel:
Graham Flight (vcls) [A]
Brian Hopper (gtr, sax) [ABCDE]
Hugh Hopper (bs) [ABCD]
Richard Sinclair (gtr) [AB]
Robert Wyatt (drms) [ABC]
Kevin Ayers (vcls) [B]
Richard Coughlan (drms) [CDE]
Pye Hastings (gtr, sax) [CDE]
Dave Lawrence (bs, vcls) [CDE]
Dave Sinclair (keyb'ds) [E]


Band origin:
Canterbury (Kent/UK)

Discographie:
Albums:
1. The Wilde Flowers (Voiceprint VP 123 CD) 1994

[1. recorded 1965-69]

Get it here (Artwork included)

Listen to He's Bad For You