Gregorian – Dark Side Of The Chant (2010)

Gregorian is a German band headed by Frank Peterson that performs Gregorian chant-inspired versions of modern pop and rock songs. The band features both vocal harmony and instrumental accompaniment. They competed in Unser Lied für Stockholm, the German national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2016, and placed 5th in the first round of public voting with the song “Masters of Chant”, failing to make the Top 3 with 9.06% of the public vote.

Originally, Gregorian was conceived as a more pop-oriented group in the vein of Enigma. Under this concept, Peterson together with Matthias Meissner and Thomas Schwarz, recorded the 1991 album Sadisfaction, with lead vocals provided by The Sisters of Oz: Susana Espelleta (Peterson’s wife at the time) and Birgit Freud. However, this was the only album by the trio in that style.

In 1998, Peterson and his team of Jan-Eric Kohrs, Michael Soltau and Carsten Heusmann re-invented the project to perform popular songs in the Gregorian style. The criteria for song selection were strict; in order to be considered, a song needed to be translatable into the 7-tone scale. For each album, songs were carefully chosen in addition to original songs written by Jan-Eric Kohrs, Amelia Brightman and Carsten Heussman. Twelve vocalists – previously acclaimed session and choir singers – were then hired to record the tracks.

Each Gregorian album was initially digitally tracked at Nemo Studios, Peterson’s Hamburg studio. The vocalists then record their parts in a church atmosphere with dimmed lights and candles, in order to escape what Peterson referred to in a 2001 interview as the “cold and technical” studio atmosphere.

The concept proved to be successful, and the group proceeded to record several more albums in the same style as Masters of Chant. Known as the ten “Chapters”, said album releases primarily featured covers of well-known or popular songs (ex. Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”, Alphaville’s “Forever Young”; Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On”, etc.) done in the group’s chant-inspired style,[1] though occasionally the group would release original compositions as well.[3] Their 2004 album, The Dark Side, was a slight departure from the others, featuring a darker repertoire; similarly, the group has released themed albums such as the Christmas-themed Christmas Chants, another dark-repertoire album with The Dark Side of the Chant (2010), and the themed Epic Chants (2012). In 2005, The Masterpieces, a compilation album accomanied by a live DVD, was released.

Gregorian has toured parts of Europe, China, Russia and Japan; according to one report, the band has performed over 3,000 concerts in 106 countries to 12 million fans.[3] Live concert DVDs have also been released.

Gregorian has released ten albums in their Masters of Chant series and a number of other albums, including a Christmas album and several compilations. They have also released two types of video album; live concerts and music video albums featuring the singers in various surroundings. (wikipedia)

Gregorian sounds what can i say about it, these type of music gives a new meaning to music. A hint of church acoustics with a modern twist in the songs that are being used. Classic songs that are brought in a new way to the world. It’s gives you rest to your body and soul. (by Anne Meinema)

Gregorian is a German rock band, who performs covers of popular songs and original material in the Gregorian chant style. That being said, if you are looking for traditional Gregorian chants, this may not be for you. If you enjoy great music that is performed by musicians who really know their craft, and are open to something different, you will enjoy Gregorian.. The music is soothing and relaxing. The cover of Unheilig’s “Geboren zu Leben” sung in English as “Born to Fell Alive” is simply amazing. The album”Dark Side of the Chant” is a more up tempo collection from other Gregorian works.This album includes a unique and enjoyable cover of ACDC’s ” Hell’s Bells” I believe this cover rivals the original. Overall, this album is a solid piece of work. (by Johann der Deutscher)

Well, I like Gregorian chants, so I can actually live with this modernisation quite well. And putting compositions by Carl Orff, Tim Rose and Ac/DC on an album is really clever.

However, I find the fuss about her outfit silly and ridiculous, to say the least.

Personnel:

Gregorian Tenors:
Andy Busher – Paul Badley – Johnny Clucas, – Stevie Jeffes, – Rob Johnston – Matt Long – Gary O’Beirne – Ashley Turnell
Gregorian Basses:
Richard Collier – Rob Fardell – Simon Grant – Chris Tickner – Lawrence White
Additional Vocals:
Amelia Brightman – Anna Lena Strasse – Anette Stangenberg – Holly Kedrowski – Alannah Myles – Fernando Lima Additional Vocals
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keyboards + programming:
Carsten Heusman – Jan-Eric Kohrs – Alex Pfeffer, – Toni Pintos
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Carl Albrecht (keyboards, programming, guitar)
Alex Grube (bass)
Reiner ‚Kallas‘ Hubert (drums)
Jan-Peter Köpfel (trumpet)
Gunther Laudahn (keyboards, programming, guitar, flute, piano harp)
Peter Weihe (guitar)
+
violin:
Stefan Pintev – Rodrigo Reichel
cello:
Charlotte Kracht – Boris Machin
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Mädchenchor Hamburg (Children’s Choir) unter der Leitung von Hesa Werhahn
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whispered voices
Lina, Robert & Max Heusmann

Musical director: Frank Peterson

Tracklist:
01. O Fortuna (Orff) 4.21
02. Stripped (Gore) 4.09
03. All I Need (d.Adel/Westerholt) 5.40
04. Hells Bells (A.Young/M.Young/Johnson) 5.42
05. Born To Feel Alive (Geboren um zu leben) (Der Graf/Verlage) 4.25
06. Morning Dew (Dobson/Rose) 5.17
07. My Heart Is Burning Gregorian (Peterson/Laudahn) 6.58
08. Bring Me To Life (Hodges/Lee/Moody) 5.31
09. Dark Side (Brightman/Kohrs/Heusmann) 5.04
10. Frozen (Madonna/Leonard) 6.07
11. Black Wings (Brightman/Heusmann) 4.18
12. Lucifer (Parsons/Woolfson) 4.30
13. Dark Angel (Laudhan) 4.06

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The official website:

Pic of the day: A rare pic of …

… Eric Clapton … during his time with Cream:

Nightwish – Highest Hopes- The Best Of Nightwish (2005)

Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee. The band was formed in 1996 by lead songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former lead singer Tarja Turunen. The band soon picked up drummer Jukka Nevalainen, and then bassist Sami Vänskä after the release of their debut album, Angels Fall First (1997). In 2001, Vänskä was replaced by Marko Hietala, who also took over the male vocalist role previously filled by Holopainen or guest singers. Although Nightwish have been prominent in their home country since Angels Fall First, they did not achieve wider success until the release of the albums Oceanborn (1998), Wishmaster (2000) and Century Child (2002).

Their 2004 album, Once, has sold more than one million copies and was the band’s breakthrough in the United States. Their biggest US hit single, “Wish I Had an Angel” (2004), received MTV airplay and was included on three US film soundtracks.

The band produced three more singles and two music videos for Once, as well as a re-recording of “Sleeping Sun” for the compilation album, Highest Hopes: The Best of Nightwish (2005), before Turunen’s dismissal in October 2005. In May 2007, Nightwish announced Anette Olzon as Turunen’s replacement. That September, the band released their sixth album, Dark Passion Play, which has sold almost 2 million copies. The album’s lead single, “Amaranth”, became one of Nightwish’s most successful in Europe. Their seventh studio album, Imaginaerum, was released globally on various days in late 2011/early 2012. On October 1, 2012, Nightwish announced that they had parted ways with Olzon and would be finishing the tour with at that time ReVamp vocalist Floor Jansen.

In October 2013, Nightwish made Jansen and longtime session uilleann pipes player Troy Donockley permanent members of the band, and they were featured in the acclaimed album Endless Forms Most Beautiful, released on March 27, 2015. In July 2019, Nevalainen who had been inactive since 2014 due to severe insomnia issues, announced that he would not be returning to the band, with Kai Hahto, who had acted as his replacement since 2014, being promoted as the official drummer. After twenty years of performing with the band, bassist Marko Hietala had parted ways with the band in January 2021, and Jukka Koskinen was later announced as Hietala’s replacement in August 2022.

Nightwish is the third-best-selling band and musical entity in Finland with certified sales of nearly 900,000 certified copies. The group is also the most successful Finnish band worldwide, selling more than 10 million records and receiving more than 60 gold and platinum awards, having released six Number 1 albums and thirteen Number 1 singles. On October 26, 2018, Nightwish was inducted into the Finnish Music Hall of Fame, becoming the honorary gallery’s 11th member. (wikipedia)

Highest Hopes: The Best of Nightwish is the fourth compilation album by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. Their first, Tales from the Elvenpath, was considered incomplete by many fans as it contains only tracks from Oceanborn, Over the Hills and Far Away, Wishmaster and Century Child, leaving out Angels Fall First. This compilation, though, contains songs from all previously released Nightwish albums, plus a live cover of Pink Floyd’s “High Hopes”.

Highest Hopes was released in three different formats: Standard, Special Edition and Extended 2 CD. In addition to the normal version, a special edition was released, omitting the song “Deep Silent Complete” and replacing it with the popular cover version of The Phantom of the Opera theme, it also contains a bonus DVD containing three full songs filmed live at the Mera Luna Festival in Hildesheim, Germany in 2003.

The Extended Version is a 2-CD compilation with CD1 the same as the Standard Version plus a 2nd CD of eight audio tracks from the Tarja Turunen period and includes a bonus DVD containing ten video tracks; Three full songs ( Tracks 1-3 ) filmed live at the M’era Luna Festival in Hildesheim, Germany in 2003 ( Identical to the Special Edition Bonus DVD but in an altered running order), three studio videos ( Tracks 4-6 ) and a further four full live songs (Tracks 7-10 ) filmed live at the Summer Breeze Festival in Germany in 2002 . All versions feature a new (2005) recording of the song “Sleeping Sun” and a live version of Pink Floyd’s “High Hopes” from which this compilation takes its name.

The album was certified platinum in Finland – for sales exceeding 40,000 copies – the same day it was released, and also was gold in Norway with more than 20,000 sold copies.[6] It was also Finland’s best-selling album of 2005, having sold more than 65,000 copies, certified with double platinum. Today, it has sold more than 103,000 copies. (wikipedia)

Released at a time when Nightwish’s future appeared uncertain because of the shocking departure of charismatic frontwoman and de facto band calling card Tarja Turunen, Highest Hopes is a comprehensive greatest-hits collection spanning the chart-topping Finnish pop-metal act’s entire first decade. Summarized in one convenient CD at last, the 16-song set proves that Nightwish were nothing if not consistent — both in terms of quality and overall style — throughout the five and a half studio albums recorded during that period. Yes, enduring early numbers like the Tolkien-esque “Elvenpath,” the somewhat preposterous, narration-embellished “The Kinslayer,” and the neoclassical metal-by-numbers of “Stargazers” eventually gave way to slightly more refined (and restrained) pop-metal singles like “Ever Dream,” “Wish I Had an Angel,” and “Nemo” (which, one presumes, was about the submarine captain, not the fish), but the relatively seamless transition between them all is made abundantly clear by the non-chronological order in which they are presented here.

Likewise, with the exception of their still tentative (and therefore, on this collection, mostly ignored) first album, Nightwish showed equal mastery at composing potent power metal (“Sacrament of Wilderness,” “Wishmaster,” “Dead to the World”) and tear-jerking ballads (“Walking in the Air,” “Dead Boy’s Poem,” “Sleeping Sun”) in all phases of their career. They even took Gary Moore’s generally forgotten ’80s nugget “Over the Hills and Far Away” for their own, recording a debatably definitive version that is wisely included in this disc, alongside a brand new recording of Pink Floyd’s “High Hopes.” Also keep in mind the band’s immaculate instrumental execution through the years, and what this collection proves above all else is that, though they’ve inspired quite literally dozens of imitators, Nightwish’s groundbreaking fusion of melodic power metal, symphonic orchestration, theatrical lyrics, and (of course) Turunen’s classically trained, operatic soprano, has arguably yet to be equaled. Whatever becomes of the group’s trajectory following its popular singer’s exit, you can at least take this statement to the bank. (by Eduardo Rivadavia)

Personnel:
Marko Hietala (bass, vocals)
Tuomas Holopainen (keyboards, spoken parts and background vocals on 05. + 10.)
Jukka Nevalainen (drums)
Tarja Turunen (vocals)
Emppu Vuorinen (guitar, bass on 05.)
+
Sam Hardwick (spoken parts on 06. + 15.)
Marko Hietala (bass, vocals on 01., 04., 06. – 09 + 16.)
Tony Kakko (background vocals on 10.)
+
London Philharmonic Orchestra – Choir (on 01. + 07.)

Tracklist:
01. Wish I Had An Angel (Holopainen) 4.04
02. Stargazers (Holopainen) 4.26
03. The Kinslayer (Holopainen) 4.01
04. Ever Dream (Holopainen) 4.44
05. Elvenpath (Holopainen) 4.38
06. Bless The Child (Holopainen) 6.12
07. Nemo (Holopainen) 4.35
08. Sleeping Sun (2005 version) (Holopainen) 4.24
09. Dead To The World (Holopainen) 4.19
10. Over The Hills And Far Away (Moore) 5.00
11. Deep Silent Complete (Holopainen) 3.57
12. Sacrament Of Wilderness (Holopainen/Vuorinen) 4.10
13. Walking In The Air (Blake) 5.27
14. Wishmaster (Holopainen) 4.23
15. Dead Boy’s Poem (Holopainen) 6.48
16. High Hopes (live) (Samson/Gilmour) 7.20

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More from Nightwish in this blog:
The official website:

Tyla Gang – Yachtless (1978)

Sean Tyla (born John Michael Kenneth Tyler, 3 August 1946 – 17 May 2020) was an English rock guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist and songwriter, sometimes known as the “Godfather of Boogie”. Best known for his work with Ducks Deluxe and Tyla Gang, he also played with Help Yourself, Joan Jett, and Deke Leonard, and appeared solo.

Following the break-up of Ducks Deluxe, Sean Tyla formed Tyla Gang in late autumn of 1975 with his brother Gary, Phil Nedin (drums) and Peter O’Sullivan (bass) from Welsh band Jack Straw. In the spring of 1976, Richard Treece from Help Yourself joined the band. Within a few months Gary Tyler and Treece left the band and Welshman Tweke Lewis, formerly of Man, became the new guitarist.

They went into Pebble Beach studio in Worthing, and under the guidance of producer Tony Platt recorded 6 tracks including “Suicide jockey” and “Cannons of the Boogie Night” as well as “Styrofoam” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre Boogie”. These latter two tracks were released as the “double B-side” 4th single on the legendary Stiff Records label. Tyla also produced Stiff’s eighth single Plummet Airlines’ “Silver Shirt” / “This Is The World”.

In April 1977, two further tracks from that session were released (“Cannons of the Boogie Night” and “Suicide Jockey”) on Skydog Records. In 1977 the second Tyla Gang band were formed consisting of guitarist Bruce Irvine, bassist Brian “Kid” Turrington and drummer Mike Desmarais; Turrington and Desmarais having played together in The Winkies.

Although unsigned, the Gang attracted critical attention and played two Peel Sessions in 1977 (30 May and 4 October).[7] They eventually signed a contract with the California-based Beserkley label in 1977 and released their first album, Yachtless in 1978. Reviewing the LP in Christgau’s Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau wrote: “Punk has not been good for former Duck Deluxe Sean T. because it’s meant urbanization. I have nothing against the slick, hooky power chords his pub-rock has evolved into, not in theory. But when his charming if overly mythic tales of fireballs and West Texas running boards evolve into ‘The Young Lords’ (give me a break, Bruce Springsteen) and ‘On the Street’ (give me a break, Bob Geldof), I begin to crave recognizable human detail.”

Part way through recording their next album Moonproof, Turrington left and Whaley joined to finish the album; this line-up recorded a Peel Session on 9 August 1978. Richard Treece also rejoined but Beserkley’s UK operation went bankrupt in 1979, and Tyla disbanded the Gang shortly after.

In 2010, the Tyla Gang reformed in their original line-up, touring Sweden during the fall. In 2013, they added John McCoy of Gillan and Mammoth fame to replace original member, Brian Turrington who had taken a leave of absence for personal reasons. The Gang have released two albums since their reformation, 2010’s “Rewired”, a compilation of lost studio and live recordings and as of 18 March 2013, a new studio album, Stereo Tactics. In 2015 The Tyla Gang released a live set, Live In Stockholm recorded at the Akkurat Bar in Stockholm, Sweden in 2013 on Angel Air Records and will be releasing a 3-CD anthology, Pool Hall Punks through Cherry Red Records in May 2016 to coincide with Sean’s 70th Birthday Tour.

Tyla died on 17 May 2020. According to an appreciation by British music journalist Will Birch, Tyla had chronic liver disease. (wikipedia)

And here´s the first album by Tylan Gang:

It’s an album of straight ahead, driving blues rock – not unlike classic Quo circa ‘Piledriver’. ‘Hurricane’ sets the scene nicely complete with slide guitar and ‘Lost Angels’ will get your foot tapping! There is even a touch of country rock on the mellow ‘New York Sun’. This release also adds no less than six bonus tracks, including the smokin’ ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre Boogie’. Some great guitar playing on here from Tyla and fellow guitarist Bruce Irvine.

A worthy album and if your bag is the blues rock of George Thorogood, get hold of a copy of this CD. (Jason Ritchie)

Excellent album , I own it since the early 80’s and I still listen to it … I love “speed ball morning” among the others songs . I warmly recommand this album. (by Mycolin)

Damn impressive album that I bought on pretty much a whim. Great hard boogie with some fine songs, and a real pre-punk kind of bash about it. Produced by Deke Leonard of Man fame. (by Bnoring)

Indeed: a really strong album that you can still listen to today.

Personnel:
Michael Desmarais (drums, percussion., vocals)
Bruce Irvine (guitar)
Brian Turrington (bass, percussion)
Sean Tyla (guitar, vocals, keyboards)

Tracklist:
01. Hurricane (Tyla/Irvine) 3.17
02. Dust On The Needle (Tyla) 4.37
03. On The Street (Tyla) 2.58
04. New York Sun (Tyla) 3.16
05. Speedball Morning (Tyla) 3.04
06. Don’t Shift A Gear (Tyla) 3.03
07. Lost Angels (Tyla) 3.44
08. The Young Lords (version 2) (Tyla) 3.20
09. Whizz Kids (Tyla/Irvine) 3.30
10. Don’t Turn Your Radio On (Tyla) 3.45
+
11. Amsterdam Dog (Tyla) 3.30
12. Cannons Of The Boogie Night (Desmarais/Irvine/Turrington/Tyla) 3.28
13. Suicide Jockey (Desmarais/Irvine/Turrington/Tyla)  4.53
14. Styrofoam (Tyla/de Vore)
15. It’s Only Rock And Roll (But It Gets Up Your Nose) (Tyla) 4.29
16. Texas Chainsaw Massacre Boogie (Tyla) 3.31

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More from Tyla Gang in this blog:
2 websites that have since been deleted:

Lenny MacDowell – Retrospective (2011)

I don’t quite understand why he hasn’t achieved a higher profile in Germany. I’m talking about Friedemann Leinert.

Lenny Mac Dowell’s (* 1950) music career began in 1978 with his album “Flute Power”, when he recorded an instrumental rock version of Jethro Tull’s „Locomotive Breath“. With this track, he reached a successful week-long direct entry in the charts. 1979 Mac Dowell released „Flexible“, two years later, a live record (1981). His breakthrough came with the album „Magic Flute“, produced in 1983 as the first rock-instantaneous disk ever. The music magazines „Audio“ and „Stereo Play“ titled Lenny Mac Dowell as „rock flutist number one in Germany.“ After countless tours with musicians from the Band „Birth Control“ – Manni von Bohr, Horst Stachelhaus or Zeus B. Held and repeated major productions with musicians such as Pete York (Spencer Davis Group) and Wolfgang Schmid (Passport), Mac Dowell decided to start his own label „Blue Flame Records“.

An era of musical experimentation continued – under his own production. After „Flying Torso“ came „Balance of Power“, which went more into the esoteric realms – finest meditation music with new age elements. The album „The Farthest Shore“ also reflected the more meditative and esoteric sounds. In 1987 Lenny Mac Dowell released „Autumn Breath“ in a collaborative project with Christoph Spendel and during the 90’s he re-released past productions again under his own flag.

With the project „Blue Planet“, Lenny Mac Dowell creates a musical ethnic experiment. Flute combined with arabic and percussion elements. Together with the musicians Hakim Ludin and Dhafer Youssef, „Peace for Kabul“ was released – an Oriental trip; with „Masala“, Mac Dowell tripped around India. As a producer, Lenny Mac Dowell made himself a name with the Uzbek superstar Yulduz Usmanova, Nasiba and Mokhira; also with countless compilations.

During Lenny Mac Dowell’s music studies in Freiburg, Germany and before the first production in 1978 was released, he often played with gypsy musicians such as Daniel Patay and Zipflo Rheinhardt and many other formations at home in funk, soul and jazz. With the album “Launch Control” Lenny Mac Dowell goes back to those roots when he began to experiment with flute and jazz. Mac Dowell felt primarily inspired by artists such as Jeremy Steig or Roland Kirk. Even Herbie Man’s „Memphis Underground“ got a new “sound coat” on „Launch Control“ and also belongs to artists that influence him a lot. Covers, such as „Summertime“ and „Ain’t it Sunshine“, performed with the formation Jazzamor, belong to his extended repertoire. The jazzy interplay with pianist Christoph Spendel is always so in chime, that Mac Dowell works with him over and over. Flute and piano is a focal point in the music of Lenny Mac Dowell.

With the production „Get Ready“ Lenny Mac Dowell once again explores other ways of how to embed flute as a classical instrument into the Pop environment. Soul, funk, jazz and jazz-rock elements are found in such titles as the cover of Donny Hathaway’s song „The Ghetto”. How to connect flute with African-American styles, such as funk and soul, if one does not have any African-American roots, but a sophisticated understanding of music? How does your own culture best blend into such a musical environment and still sound harmonious? To discover this musically, Lenny Mac Dowell never tires of new opportunities.

„Retrospective“ is the latest double album reflecting the times Mac Dowell spends discovering the musical diversity of his classical instrument, the flute in popular music. Orchestral recordings with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and live recordings from the 80′, plus the legendary „direct cut“ recordings, where bands played live in the Studio directly onto the matrix of the vinyl – back then a novelty – all this are essential components of this double album. This recording technology promised an extraordinary dynamism and was also regarded as so-called “speaker killer” in the audiophile scene, because of the high dynamic. The studio recordings of the 70’s to the present time represents the spectrum of Lenny Mac Dowell’s music from past to present. A “Retrospective” is the result.
A connection of electronic possibilities ranging from the classical flute, alto, bass or Bamboo all the way to his owndeveloped Synth Flute equipment, Lenny Mac Dowell has a further infinite creative field for his music. In live and studio recordings, he shows how to conjure extraordinary sounds with the „Magic Flute“. (Press release)

After twenty records you can already look back on your own career with a “retrospective”. Flute player Lenny MacDowell spreads his musical career out to us on two CDs in over one hundred and fifty minutes, which does some justice to his extensive output. After all, the musician started in 1978 with his “Flute Power” and the album of the same name, on which he shone with songs like “Bouree” and “Locomotive Breath”.

MacDowell quickly established himself as the number one rock flutist in Germany, a reputation that he solidified with records such as “Magic Flute”, for which he won the Birth Controllers Zeus B. Held, Manni von Bohr and Horst Stachelhaus. This “Retrospective”, including his contributions to the Jazzamor project (the cover versions “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Summertime”), is dedicated above all to this rocky phase. And of course the coupling also contains mentioned Tull classics, but above all own material, which connects rock with esoteric kitsch with “Old Turkish Bath”, “Deep Sea Bed” and “Golden Flute Mantra”. (eclips.de)

Conclusion: An exemplary retrospective! (The accompanying booklet contains an extensive interview with him and the music journalist Siegfried Schmidt-Joos and lots of useful detailed information). However, I can’t understand why not a single song from the three albums with Pete York and Wolfgang Schmidt is included.

Personnel:

Tracklist:

CD 1:
01. The Creation of Earth (Leinert/Kolovonitis) 4.02
02.  Summertime (feat. Jazzamor) (Gershwin) 4.47
03. Get Ready (Leinert) 5.34
04. Is It Funky (Leinert) 6.45
05. Ain’t No Sunshine (feat. Jazzamor) (Withers) 3.42
06. Ocean Drive South Beach (Leinert) 6.37
07. Solar Energy Solution (Leinert) 5.26
08. To Remember (Leinert) 7.33
09. Flight Gear Launch Control (Leinert) 6.37
10. Radioactive Live (Leinert) 10.23
11. Memphis Underground (Mann) 5.51
12. Golden Flute Tantra (Leinert) 7.32

CD 2:
01. Bouree (Bach) 3.45
02. Flute Power Part 2 (Leinert) 5.26
03. Please Fasten Your Seat Belts (Leinert) 4.47
04. Thai Stick Restaurant (live version) (Leinert) 7.01
05. Waves XXL (Leinert) 6.30
06. Straight On Your Way (Leinert) 7.01
07. Old Turkish Bath (Leinert) 5.58
08. Crosswind Forever (Leinert) 6.24
09. Sing-Sing in Papua (Leinert) 6.34
10. Flying Torso (live) (Leinert) 9.50
11. Locomotive Breath (Anderson) 4.22
12. Deep Sea Bed (Leinert) 10.16

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Lenny MacDowell with Wolfgang Schmid & Pete York:

The official website:

The Troggs – From Nowhere (1966)

The Troggs (originally called the Troglodytes) are an English beat music band formed in Andover, Hampshire in May 1964. Their most famous songs include the US chart-topper “Wild Thing”, “With a Girl Like You” and “Love Is All Around”, all of which sold over 1 million copies and were awarded gold discs. “Wild Thing” is ranked No. 257 on the Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was an influence on garage rock and punk rock.

Reg Presley (lead vocals) and Ronnie Bond (drums) were childhood friends and in the early 1960s formed an R&B band in their home town of Andover. In 1964 they were joined by Pete Staples (bass) and Chris Britton (guitar) and became the Troggs. They were signed by Larry Page, manager of the Kinks, in February 1966. They recorded on Page’s Page One Records, and Page also leased them to CBS for the debut single “Lost Girl”. Their most famous hit was the single “Wild Thing” which, with the help of television exposure on Thank Your Lucky Stars, reached number 2 in the UK (Reg Presley’s song “From Home” was the B-side) and number 1 in the United States in July 1966. Its combination of a simple heavy guitar riff and flirtatious lyrics helped it to quickly become a garage rock standard (the recording also contains an ocarina solo). The band’s success in the U.S. was also limited by the band not touring there until 1968.

The Troggs posing at Cheddar Caves, Somerset in 1966:

They also had a number of other hits, including “With a Girl Like You” (a UK number 1 in July 1966, US number 29), “I Can’t Control Myself” (a UK number 2 in September 1966; their first UK single release on the Page One label, POF 001; this was also their second and final dual-label release in the US, with Fontana retaining the rights to all subsequent releases),[10] “Any Way That You Want Me” (UK number 8 in December 1966), all at Olympic Studios, “Give It to Me” (UK No.12 1967), “Night of the Long Grass” (UK number 17 in May 1967), “Love Is All Around” (UK number 5 in November 1967 and US number 7 in May 1968) plus “Hi Hi Hazel” (UK No.42, 1967).

The band’s popularity completely waned the following year. Former Plastic Penny bassist Tony Murray replaced Pete Staples in 1969. Richard Moore filled in for Britton on their 1972–1973 tour. In 1974, after a spell on Pye Records, in an attempt to re-create their 1960s successes, the Troggs re-united with Larry Page, now running Penny Farthing Records. The resulting cover version of the Beach Boys hit “Good Vibrations” failed to chart.] A reggae version of “Wild Thing” also failed. Richard Moore and Colin Fletcher substituted for Britton, who temporarily quit music to manage a night club in Spain, for the recording of The Troggs Tapes album released in 1976. The band found a sympathetic ear at French label New Rose in the 1980s, releasing the Black Bottom LP (1982) and AU (1990).

In 1991, they recorded Athens Andover, an 11-song collaboration between themselves and three members of R.E.M. It was recorded in the American band’s hometown of Athens, Georgia, and was released in March 1992. The band attempted to capitalise on this new exposure with two collaborations on new versions of “Wild Thing”. A 1992 recording with actor Oliver Reed and snooker player Alex Higgins failed to chart, but another version the following year featuring Wolf from the TV show Gladiators reached number 69 in the UK Singles Chart. In 1994, Wet Wet Wet’s cover of “Love Is All Around” was No. 1 in the UK for 15 weeks, resulting in substantial royalties for Presley.

Ronnie Bond, died on 13 November 1992. In January 2012, Reg Presley retired after being diagnosed with lung cancer. The band carried on with new lead singer Chris Allen. Presley died on 4 February 2013.

Bass guitarist and backing vocalist Pete Lucas died on 16 December 2023, his 73rd birthday.

The band is still active as of 2024, featuring only Chris Britton of the original lineup. As of 2017, Britton only plays selected gigs.

The Troggs are widely seen as a highly influential band whose sound was an inspiration for garage rock and punk rock. Influential American critic Lester Bangs “called the band the progenitors of punk”, according to NPR. For example, the Troggs influenced artists such as Iggy Pop, and the early version of British pop-punk pioneers Buzzcocks featured “I Can’t Control Myself” in their live repertoire. The Ramones are also among the punk bands who cited the Troggs as an influence. “I Can’t Control Myself” is perhaps the most enduring favourite of critics; it continues to be championed for its originality and lasting influence by radio hosts such as “Little” Steven Van Zandt.

The Troggs in 1971:

A specially tailored version of “Give It to Me” featured in the “Sadie’s Daydream” sequence of Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1966 film Blowup. “I Can’t Control Myself” appears at the climax of “The Little Chaos”, the 1967 short film by German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder and in the “1967” episode of the 1996 British television serial Our Friends in the North.

“With a Girl Like You” is featured uncut in a school dance scene from the 1991 Nicole Kidman/Noah Taylor movie Flirting. It also is featured in Shine, The Good Night and The Boat That Rocked. “Wild Thing” is prominent in Jonathan Demme’s 1986 film Something Wild. A modified version of “Love Is All Around” was featured in the film Love Actually (2003), performed by actor Bill Nighy. The Troggs was the name of the high school gang in the movie Bang Bang, You’re Dead that persuade the main character to join them in attacking their high school. The point-and-click adventure game Hopkins FBI features “I Can’t Control Myself” and “Lost Girl”. Trogg is the name of one of Bane’s three henchmen in Dennis O’Neil’s Batman: Knightfall comic arc. The other henchmen are Bird and Zombie, named after two other popular 1960s rock bands: the Byrds and the Zombies.

The Troggs in 2014:

The Jimi Hendrix Experience famously covered “Wild Thing” during their appearance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, introducing it as the British/American joint “national anthem”, and climaxing with Hendrix burning his guitar. MC5 covered “I Want You” at their live shows and recorded the song for the album Kick Out the Jams, although they renamed it “I Want You Right Now”. In 1990, the first hit for (and first single by) the band Spiritualized was a cover of “Anyway That You Want Me”. This cover later was used in the movie Me and You and Everyone We Know. In 1991, “Love Is All Around” was covered by R.E.M. during live performances and was released later that year as a B-side on their “Radio Song” single. They also performed an acoustic version of the song on MTV Unplugged. In 1994, Scottish band Wet Wet Wet’s version of “Love Is All Around” spent 15 weeks at number one in the UK after its inclusion in Four Weddings and a Funeral. The authorship royalties enabled Reg Presley’s 1990s research and publication on extraterrestrials and other paranormal phenomena. In 2012, Norwegian band Ulver covered the song “66-5-4-3-2-1” for their covers album Childhood’s End. “Wild Thing” was covered by an ensemble featuring Queen guitarist Brian May to open the Wildlife Rocks’ event at Guildford Cathedral in May 2014.

An in-studio tape of Reg Presley’s running commentary on a recording session, filled with in-fighting and swearing (known as The Troggs Tapes), was widely circulated in the music underground, and was included in the Archaeology box set, as well as the compilation album, The Rhino Brothers Present the World’s Worst Records. The group infighting is believed to be the inspiration for a scene in the comedy film This Is Spinal Tap, where the band members are arguing. Some of this dialogue was sampled by the California punk band the Dwarves on their recording of a cover version of the Troggs song “Strange Movies”. (wikipedia)

From Nowhere is the debut album by the English band the Troggs, released in 1966. It was released with an alternative track listing as Wild Thing in the United States.

The original From Nowhere album sleeve photo was taken at Cheddar Caves, Somerset, UK, on 22 May 1966.

The album was re-released in 2003 with an altered track list and five bonus tracks by Repertoire Records.

In Colin Larkin’s The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, he scores this release four out of five stars. (wikipedia)

The Troggs’ debut British LP was substantially different, and distinctly inferior to, their first American long-player (Wild Thing), although eight of the songs appear on both records. The tracks unique to the British edition are all covers: “Ride Your Pony” and the obscure “The Kitty Cat Song” (both taken from Lee Dorsey), “Louie Louie,” and Chuck Berry’s “Jaguar and Thunderbird.”

German Single of “Wild Thing”:

And none of them are so hot. “Wild Thing” is the highlight of the disc, and the rest of the set is a mixed bag, peaks being the primordial power of “From Home” and “I Just Sing,” as well “Jingle Jangle,” the first of Reg Presley’s tuneful ballads. The vaudevillian “Hi Hi Hazel,” on the other hand, is a lowlight. There’s no “Lost Girl,” “With a Girl Like You,” or “I Want You,” all of which made the U.S. Wild Thing a better counterpart to this release, although this didn’t prevent From Nowhere from rising to number six in the British charts. (by Richie Unterberger)

Alternate German edition:

It’s not for nothing that you see the band on the cover in a cave … They somehow played a rather primitive cave rock … but fantastic.

And yes, their “With A Girtl Like You” was one of my teenage longing songs.

Personnel:
Ronnie Bond (drums)
Chris Britton (guitar, background vocals)
Reg Presley (vocals, ocarina)
Pete Staples (bass, background vocals)

Tracklist:
01. Wild Thing (Taylor) 2.35
02. The Kitty Cat Song (Roach/Spendel) 2.14
03. Ride Your Pony (Neville) 2.28
04. Hi Hi Hazel (Martin/Coulter) 2.46
05. I Just Sing (Presley) 2.10
06. Evil (Singleton Jr.) 3.16
07. The Yella In Me (Presley) 2.41
08. With A Girl LikeYou (Presley) 2.09
09. Our Love Will Still Be There (Presley) 3.13
“Louie Louie” (Richard Berry) – 3:01
“Jingle Jangle” (Reg Presley) – 2:26
“When I’m with You” (Reg Presley) – 2:23
“From Home” (Reg Presley) – 2:20
“Jaguar and Thunderbird” (Chuck Berry) – 2:01

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I want to spend my life with a girl like you
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
And do all the things that you want me to
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
‘Til that time has come that we might live as one
Can I dance with you?
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
I tell by the way you dress that you’re so refined
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
And by the way you talk that you’re just my kind
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
Girl, why should it be that you don’t notice me?
Can I dance with you?
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
Baby, baby, is there no chance
I can take you for the last dance?
All night long, yeah, I’ve been waiting
Now there’ll be no hesitating
So, before this dance has reached the end
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
To you across the floor, my love I’ll send
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
I just hope and pray that I’ll find a way to say
Can I dance with you?

The ocarina:

A French EP:

A German re-issue:

More from The Troggs in this blog:
The official website:

Epitaph – Return To Reality (1979)

Epitaph is a German rock band, formed in Dortmund in 1969. Playing initially what Allmusic described as “post-psych progressive rock, spiced with occasional jazz accents and widespread twin-guitar harmonies,” in 1973 they started shifting towards more straightforward hard rock (later heavy metal) stylings and, having released six studio albums, disbanded in 1982. In 2000 Epitaph reunited and several new releases followed, including two studio albums (Remember the Daze, 2005, and Dancing With Ghosts, 2009).

The band was formed (originally as Fagin’s Epitaph) in the late 1969 in Dortmund, by Yorkshire singer and guitarist Cliff Jackson, Scottish drummer James McGillivray, and German bassist Bernd Kolbe. After several appearances as a support band for such acts as Black Sabbath, Rory Gallagher, Yes and Argent, they signed a record deal with Polydor, shortened their name and moved to Hannover. Having enlisted the second guitarist Klaus Walz, the band travelled to Wessex Studios in London to start recording the eponymous debut album which was finished in Windrose Studios, Hamburg, and released in the autumn of 1971.

After numerous gigs throughout Germany including a 1972 live appearance in the TV show Beat Club, the band recorded (in Audio Tonstudio, Berlin) the sophomore, Stop, Look and Listen, again for Polydor. Both releases were described by Allmusic as “post-psych progressive rock, spiced with occasional jazz accents and widespread twin-guitar harmonies.”

In 1972, McGillivray left and was replaced by Achim Wielert whose style of playing accounted for the band taking a stronger rock direction, showcased by the two 1973 singles, “Autumn ’71” and “We Love You Alice”. Still, the sales were disappointing and Polydor dropped the band. Almost instantly Epitaph travelled to the USA and signed there to the newly formed independent Billingsgate record label whose boss Gary Pollack went on to produce the third (and their strongest, according to Allmusic) album, Outside the Law. The band (now with Norbert Lehmann, ex-Karthago, on drums) was ready to embark upon a US tour when Billingsgate went broke. Having lost all their money, Epitaph disbanded in January 1975, so as to avoid sharing their record company’s debts.

In 1976 they re-surfaced in Germany (with the line-up of Cliff Jackson, Bernd Kolbe, Klaus Walz and Jim McGillivray) and recorded a gig in Cologne for the musical TV show Rockpalast. Shortly before the recording, in January 1977, McGillivray left the band (he joined Eloy in 1980) and was replaced by Fritz Randow (ex-Eloy). Later that year Walz and Kolbe departed, while guitarist Heinz Glass, bass guitarist Harvey Janssen and Michael Karch on keyboards, came in. This new line-up then joined the Hungarian progressive rock band Omega on the latter’s 36-date European tour, which culminated in three major concerts in Budapest, before the audiences of over 30,000.

Epitaph’s fourth album Return to Reality was released by Brain Records in April 1979. A boogie rock record, marked by heavy metal influences, it was described as “mediocre” and was poorly received. See You in Alaska followed, again for the Brain label and stylistically in the same vein. Later that year Epitaph toured Germany with Uli Roth and Accept. After Karch’s departure the band continued without keyboards. In 1981 Live came out, recorded in Wertheim, Dallau and Triburg, in the course of the See You in Alaska tour. Later that year Waltz and Kolbe returned, and Norbert Lehmann replaced Fritz Randow. This new line-up recorded Danger Man for the small Rockport record label. “Better than the Brain albums,” it was still “unable to recapture the spirit of the past times,” according to the reviewer Alex Gitlin.

In 1982 Epitaph appeared at the Pfingst Festival in Würzburg and Munich, on the bill that featured ZZ Top, Saxon, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Extrabreit, Saga and Spliff. In 1983 they disbanded, but briefly returned in 1986 to support Grobschnitt at their 15th anniversary concert at the Stadthalle Hagen. This resulted in the birth of the band Kingdom (led by Kolbe and Jackson) which then changed its name to Domain, and released three studio albums. Randow joined Victory, then Sinner and later Saxon.

In 1999 guitarist Heinz Glass invited members of Epitaph to take part in a concert in Kaiserslautern venue Kammgarn, celebrating the 25th anniversary of his professional career. This led (apparently at the instigation of Rudolf Schenker)[4] to Epitaph’s reunion concert in January 2000 at the Lindenbrauerei in Unna. Featuring Cliff Jackson, Heinz Glass, Bernd Kolbe and Achim Wielert in the line-up, it was documented on DVD as Live at the Brewery and later released on CD as Resurrection, by Hurricane Records. In 2007 the band (Jackson, Kolbe, Heinz Glass and Achim Poret) released their seventh studio album Remember the Daze to be followed by Dancing with Ghost (2009), both on in-akustik label. (wikipedia)

Epitaph faces the same problems of many progressive bands from the early 70s – they change. Their 1971 debut is a superb slice of Krautrock followed by a couple of fine hard prog albums. They disappear for about 5 years, and reemerge with a fetching cover and some lengthy tracks. A new prog album obviously? Ehh… No.

When I first started deep diving into the bins in the mid 80s, this album showed up. I couldn’t get rid of it fast enough. Some 35+ years later, and here we are again with the LP in hand. I already know it’s not a prog album. Let’s hear it with a different perspective, which is what I should have done back then too. Youth.

OK, yes, I like this album. Very strong hard rock entry, and the extended tracks allow Epitaph some room to maneuver with more ideas. They’re a 5 piece with excellent keyboard work and dual guitars. It’s not a strikingly great album, but very professional. And much better than some of the pandering hard rock bands in the US and UK during the time. This isn’t a commercial album at all, even if it has some friendly hooks. The best way to approach albums like this is to strip away their legacy and the Brain label, and pretend you just found a private pressing from Nebraska by a band called Epitaph. Believe me, it makes a difference. One’s mind drifts to a different landscape, and the music fits that narrative. SFF this is not. Quality hard rock is the game here. Keeper. (by Ashratom)

Indeed: rarely have I heard such a crisp and refreshing album from this period from a German band!

Personnel:
Cliff Jackson (guitar, vocals)
Harvey Janssen (bass)
Heinz Glass (guitar, vocals)
Michael Karch (keyboards, vocals)
Fritz Randow (drums)

Tracklist:
01. Set Your Spirit Free 3.36
02. Strangers 5.12
03. We Can Get Together 7.48
04. Summer Sky 3.48
05. On The Road 5.01
06. Return To Reality 7.38
07. Spread Your Wings 5.08
+
08. Return To Reality (live) 8.10

Music and lyrics: Cliff Jackson

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The official website:

Pic of the day: BB ‘Blues Boy’ King …

… performing at the WDIA radio station in Memphis, Tennessee, 1948.
(Colin Escott)

Stan Reynolds And His Orchestra – Tribute To James Last (1973)

Stanley Brian Reynolds (16 January 1926 – 14 April 2018) was an English jazz trumpeter.

Reynolds began his musical career when he toured with the Tommy Sampson Orchestra at age 14.

In 1948, he played with Ted Heath and His Music, and from the 1950s, he also worked with Vic Lewis, Dave Shepherd, Kenny Baker, Johnny Keating, Louie Bellson and Buddy Rich.

As a session musician, he was involved as a soloist on the Beatles’ White Album with a trumpet solo in “Martha My Dear”.

In 1975, under his own name the, he created his own big band album, The Greatest Swing Band in the World…is British (PYE). In the 1980s, he worked with Barbara Thompson and Chris Smith. In the field of jazz he was involved in 84 recording sessions between 1948 and 1989. He died on 14 April 2018 at age 92.(wikipedia)

And here´s his tribute album to James Last … the German master Of Easy Listening.

I’m always amazed that James Last was so popular in the UK that this album, for example, was dedicated to him.

However, if you like easy listening music from time to time … you should listen to this album … it is a very interesting album.

Personnel:
Stan Reynolds And His Orchestra

Tracklist:
01. American Patrol (Traditional) 2.56
02. Johnny Comes Marching Home (Traditional) 2.44
03. April In Portugal (Ferrac) 3.14
04. Aquarius (Rado/Ragni/MacDermot) 3.24
05. Downtown (Hatch) 2.55
06. Sugar Bush (Marais) 3.07
07. La Paloma (Traditional) 3.06
08. The Look Of Love (Bacharach/David) 3.26
09. Telstar (Meek) 2.43
10. Spinning Wheel  (Clayton-Thomas) 2.53
11. La Bamba (Traditional) 2.49
12. Something (Harrison) 3.01
13. Cherry Pink (Louiguy/Larue) 2.36
14. Windy (Friedman) 3.28
15. I Talk To The Trees (Loewe/Lerner) 3.50
16. Nature Boy (Ahbez) 3.07
17. Mexican Hat Dance (Traditional) 2.41
18. That’s Life (Kay/Gordon) 3.39
19. Marie (Berlin) 2.55
20. Begin The Beguine (Porter) 2.46

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taken from London Jazz News, 2018:

Pic of the day: Ladies & Gentlemen …

… The Packet Of Three: Steve Marriott (guitar, vocals), Jim Leverton (bass, vocals) & Alan “Sticky” Wicket (drums), ca. 1990: