Lake – Wings Of Freedom (2014)

Lake, or commonly referred to as The Lake in some countries, is a German-British rock music group that formed in 1973 in Hamburg, Germany. In 1975, they were joined by lead singer James Hopkins-Harrison, who gave them their signature sound for the remainder of their recording career.

The band was originally active as The Tornados between 1967 and 1973, before reincarnated as Lake in 1973. They achieved modest success in Europe from the mid-1970s through the early 1980s, particularly in Germany where they were named artist of the year by the German Phono Academy in 1977. That same year, their self-titled debut album reached #92 in the US, and the single Time Bomb reached #83, which would prove to be their greatest success in the US.

The album reached #97 while Time Bomb reached #91 in Canada. Lake toured the US in the late 1970s as the opening act for various headline acts, including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Oak Arkansas, and Neil Young. On June 23, 1978, they were the opening act of a rock festival at the Feyenoord football stadium in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and were followed by Eric Clapton, Champion Jack Dupree and headliner Bob Dylan. After their contract with CBS was discontinued the label released previously unavailable live material from stage appearances between May 1979 and October 1980, introducing the Lake 1 (incl. Detlef Petersen) and the Lake 2 (incl. Achim Oppermann) formations on the double live album Live – On the Run. The band was able to sign another contract with the German Polydor label and in 1984 they released album #6, No Time for Heroes.

In 1985 Lake released Voices and in 1986 recorded its final Polydor album, So What. Longtime drummer Dieter Ahrendt left and was replaced by Udo Dahmen. Bassist Jo (Josef) Kappl also left, replaced by Benjamin Hüllenkrämer. So What included “Inside To Outside”, written by Achim Oppermann which had already been performed by former Kajagoogoo lead singer Limahl. Lake ceased to exist by 1986/87. James Hopkins-Harrison died from an overdose of heroin in 1991.

At the beginning of the new millennium, Lake was revived by Alex Conti, including Mike Starrs, Adrian Askew, Mickie Stickdorn, and Michael “Bexi” Becker. In March 2005, the first Lake studio recording in 20 years was released: The Blast of Silence.

After having had to withdraw their 2012 album, Freedom, due to quarrels with their then singer, Lloyd Anderson; their original singer, Ian Cussick, rejoined the band.[1] In February 2014, Lake released their new album Wings of Freedom, which contains most of the material of Freedom (except for three songs which have been replaced by two new songs), with new vocals by Cussick.

And here´s their last studio album:

“Commercial songs – presented in a sophisticated manner,” this was already on Alex Conti´s mind during the time when the well reputed Blues Rock guitarist joined the Hamburg outfit LAKE in October 1975 – “on the second day”, in the ancient biblical sense. A stylistic mix giving The Beach Boys, The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan a run for their money impressed the Rock scene as well as the media: Backing the sound-defining lead singer James Hopkins-Harrison, this quintet was able to present delicate four-part harmonies as well as Jazz Rock grooves – and their soloing was world class also. In 1973, this German-British Rock group had gone out as a horn-assisted Big Band in Chicago and BS&T style, defined by members of the Hamburg Top 40 gang The Tornados: featuring lead singer Ian Cussick, bass player Martin Tiefensee and drummer Dieter Ahrendt. They were joined by musicians from Gary Glitter’s Boston Showband – organ player Geoffrey Peacey and trumpet player Bernard Whelan.Fort the band´s future West Coast Sound, this line-up seemed hardly typical. In order to arrive at their desired & definite style, they needed the sharp and sensitive voice of the Hanseatic Scotsman James Hopkins-Harrison.

When Alex Conti joined Lake, leaving Germany´s leading rock group Atlantis, the band had found their sonic calling at last. LAKE proceeded to drive the hard slog through the club circuit of the Republic – and soon the songs and arrangements provided by producer Detlef Petersen and singer Hopkins Harrison really worked a treat.The debut album LAKE, excellently sung and played and commercially oriented as it was, had been engineered “out in the country” by Abbey Road soundman Jerry Boys: the famous knob twiddler had served the Beatles, Pink Floyd and Yehudi Menuhin (!) from the other side of his glass partition – any need for a truly “bad” reputation? Jerry Boys and the Lake boys presented a sound which continues to impress even now, in 2010. Their LAKE collection hit the charts in 1976 the same way as the Gospel power single “Jesus Came Down” – pole position for a band which was able to move faster than even their media hype suggested – proved by a nationwide German tour with The Sutherland Brothers and Wishbone Ash. The harmony sound of those “Sailing” brothers Iain and Gavin Sutherland was topped as easily as the twin lead-guitars of Ash´s axemen Powell&Wisefield.Results were the national disc award “Deutscher Schallplattenpreis“ in April 1977, concert appearances with Genesis and gigantic open airs in Nuremburg and Karlsruhe with their role models Santana and Chicago. As far as their rough road anecdotes are concerned, one of them is a real horror nightmare even for our tough Lake warriors: During a US tour in 1977, it turned out that the band not only had a sixth sense in writing vocal harmonies, but also excelled in choosing airplanes. Lake musicians narrowly escaped the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash, because they had been booked for a radio session in Atlanta, Georgia prior to joining a Lynyrd-led festival.This LAKE band has been touring steadily since May 2002, re-constructing their combination of high harmony overkill and high adrenalin riffing and lovingly re-creating unforgotten classics like „Jesus Came Down“ or „Red Lake“ on a never-ending club tour. In February 2004, George Kochbeck decided to leave the LAKE re-incarnation – fully booked with film and TV music projects as he was. He got replaced by the experienced and reliable first rate Atlantis veteran Adrian Askew.Soon, cries for a LAKE comeback album became louder.

The well-oiled new line-up reacted in 2005 with BLAST OF SILENCE – and according to Mickie Stickdorn, “it was recorded in only twelve wonderful session days, with the complete package done and dusted!” LAKE guitarist Alex seemed to have found his ideal line-up, but confirms that the doors remain open for the legendary “Mark II“ section of Tiefensee- Ahrendt-Peacey-Petersen.Certainly, the songs on the new album sound as inspired as those of the “classic” LAKE era – featuring tremendous songs, fleshy riffs and rousing Hammond organ outbursts. Vocal power works in solo renditions courtesy of Mike Starrs and also in the high harmonies of Conti-Becker- Stickdorn-Askew, aided by a precise rhythmic engine room with tons of spare energy – and of course the inimitable guitar courtesy of Alex Conti. „Steely Dan with balls?“ Those veterans can live with that moniker.The line-up continued to play live until 2008. For one year, Adrian Askew was replaced by Ingo Bischof, a German keyboard legend in bands such as Kraan and Karthago, and – what goes around – Alex was happy to have his old Rosebud mate Holger Trull back on board, playing bass.

In 2009, Mike Starrs parted amically from LAKE, and Ingo Bischof went back to his own attractive projects. The new front man and lead singer is Chris Thornton jr – he has been on tour with T.M. Stevens and was a member of Alex´ former retro rousers Rudolf Rock & Die Schocker. On keyboards there is Jens Skwirblies now, who played with Ian Cussick´s band for years and also backed Toto singer Bobby Kimball.The current line-up has already achieved a first major tour with remarkable reviews. At the end of February, the band picked up the unique, one-in-a-million opportunity of supporting the legendary cult band Lynyrd Skynyrd on their German tour. Thus, Alex Conti was able to share the stage with the Southern Rock heroes for an exciting third time in his career. The remainder of 2010 will be spent playing further spectacular gigs – for instance with Foreigner – and of course, the long awaited new CD has now passed the planning stages and is being prepared in earnest! (metal-jukebox.net)

Personnel:
Alex Conti (guitar, background vocals)
Ian Cussick (vocals)
Jens Skwirblies (keyboards, background vocals)
Mickie Stickdorn (drums, background vocals)
Holger Trull (bass, background vocals)
+
Lloyd Anderson (vocals on 02.)
Eddie Filipp (drums, percussion on 03., 04., 08. + 09,)
Jim Hopkins-Harrison (vocals on 05.)

Tracklist:
01. Passionate Eyes (Conti/Randolf) 04:15
02. Silvia (Cussick/Skwirblies) 05:50
03. Die Just A Little (Mendonca) 03:18
04. Stone Crazy (Cussick/Skwirblies) 04:02
05. Nightbirds (Altenbroxter/Becker) 04:18
06. Ted Nugent And The Gunner’s Blues (Conti/Randolf) 05:00
07. Gin And Tonic (Mendonca) 04:14
08. Nineteen Sixties Man (Conti/Cussick) 03:52
09. Freewheeling (Conti/Randolf) 04:39
10. Wings Of Freedom (Conti/Cussick) 05:05

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More from Lake:
The official website:

The John Dummer Blues Band – The Lost 1973 Album (2008)

The John Dummer Band also known as John Dummer’s Blues Band, John Dummer’s Famous Music Band, John Dummer’s Oobleedooblee Band and The John Dummer Band Featuring Nick Pickett was a British blues band, of the 1960s and 1970s, noted for its extensive roster of members, including Graham Bond, Dave Kelly, Jo Ann Kelly, Tony McPhee, Bob Hall, John O’Leary and Pick Withers, and for supporting US bluesmen such as Howlin’ Wolf and John Lee Hooker on UK tours.

The band was formed by drummer John Dummer (born Anthony John Dummer 19 November 1944, Surbiton, Surrey). He formed Lester Square and the G.T’s in 1963 with Chris Trengove (alto saxophone and vocals) and Elton Dean (tenor saxophone, later of Soft Machine) and toured the UK and Germany for two years.

Dummer formed the John Dummer Blues Band in 1965.[2] The original line-up was John Dummer (vocals, harmonica), Roger Pearce (guitar) and Pete Moody (bass) – both recruited from London R&B band The Grebbels – plus Bob Hall (piano) and Dave Bidwell (drums). Moody later left to be replaced by Tony Walker (bass) and his sister Regine Walker joined Dummer as a second vocalist. The featured guitarist was Tony ‘Top’ Topham, the original Yardbirds guitarist. The band changed its line-up and began a regular Sunday afternoon residency at the Studio 51 Club in London’s West End. Dummer had moved onto drums, and Dave Kelly and Tony McPhee joined as guitarist/vocalists, with Iain “Thump” Thomson (bass) and John O’Leary (harmonica). Dave’s sister, Jo-Ann Kelly, was also a regularly featured vocalist at these sessions. The band picked up a following at the club with visiting artists such as John Mayall, Keef Hartley, Champion Jack Dupree, Long John Baldry, Duster Bennett and Alexis Korner. The band was signed to Mercury Records and their first album, Cabal, was released in 1969. Dave and Jo-Anne Kelly and Tony McPhee were featured artists, and the band was the same as had regularly played the Studio 51 Club. Tony McPhee left the band shortly after to re-form The Groundhogs.

The second album, The John Dummer Blues Band, featured Dummer, Hall, Thomson, Dave and Jo Ann Kelly (vocals), with a new lead guitarist Adrian “Putty” Pietryga, from The Deep Blues Band from Bristol. This band toured extensively in Britain and Europe for two years.

By the third album, John Dummer’s Famous Music Band (1970), Dave Kelly and Bob Hall had left to be replaced by Nick Pickett (guitar, violin and vocals) Pietryga and Thomson remained, being augmented by Chris Trengove (alto sax).

After the third album the band “drifted apart”, only to reform to record again when their instrumental “Nine By Nine”, featuring violinist Nick Pickett, was number 1 in France. The 1972 album Blue, released as the John Dummer Band, featured a cover by Roger Dean, whilst the band had shrunk to a four-piece blues-rock band, comprising Dummer, Pickett, Pietryga and Thomson.[9] The band’s fifth album, Oobleedoobleejubilee (1973), released as John Dummer’s Oobleedooblee Band, had a country music style, whilst the line-up again included the Kellys, along with Michael Evans (violin) and Roger Brown (vocals). The band’s final album, recorded in 1973, included Graham Bond (saxophone), Pick Withers (drums), Pete Emery (guitar) and Colin Earl (Foghat) (keyboards), but the album was shelved, and the band broke up in 1974. This final album was eventually released in 2008, as the Lost 1973 Album.

Dummer became a promotion manager; spending three years at MCA Records and a year at Elektra Records, before joining A&M Records. In 1977 he became the drummer with Darts, with former Dummer Band members “Thump” Thomson and guitarist George Currie, who had earlier re-formed with Dave Kelly to play the London pub scene as The John Dummer Band. Dummer wrote songs including Darts’ “Late Last Night”, “How Many Nights”, and “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love” which reached number 43 on the UK Singles Chart, before leaving in 1980.

Dummer then played drums, toured and recorded with Lowell Fulson and Eddie C. Campbell. (Lowell Fulson – Think Twice Before You Speak; Eddie C. Campbell – The Baddest Cat on the Block. Both JSP Records 1082 & 1087 respectively). His next group, True Life Confessions, featured his wife Helen April, second drummer Manic Esso from The Lurkers, bassist Harry Kakouli from Squeeze, guitarists Robin Bibi and Mark Nevin (later to form Fairground Attraction and write the hit “Perfect”) and two Afro-French girl singers, Any Toco-Salvetti and her sister Myriam. They issued several records on A&M, but none charted. Dummer and his wife also performed as a duo, and peaked at number 54 in the UK Singles Chart with their cover version of “Blues Skies”, and were also known for “Own Up If You’re Over 25”.

He then managed The Screaming Blue Messiahs for three years, before restoring properties in France and Portugal. He formed Screwy Truants with French musicians, sang and played harmonica with French guitarist Jean-Claude Manuel, and drummed with harmonica player and blues singer Nico Toussaint. Dummer is currently still drumming with various groups in Bordeaux and working as an antiques trader, furniture restorer and author. His bitter/sweet story of an ex-pat’s dream Serge Bastarde Ate My Baguette: On the Road in the Real Rural France was published by Summersdale in 2009, and was followed by a sequel Son of Serge Bastarde: Mayhem In The Antiques Markets of Rural France. (wikipedia)

John Dummer and his wife and fellow singer and musician Helen April:

This UK band came into being in 1965, evolving from the Muskrats and the Grebbells, and lasted until the early 70s, surviving numerous personnel changes. The line-up included prominent British blues artists such as pianist Bob Hall, guitarist Dave Kelly and his sister Jo Ann Kelly, Mike Cooper, and Tony McPhee. The band backed touring American artists John Lee Hooker and Howlin’ Wolf, and recorded albums for Mercury and Vertigo between 1969 and 1973. Drummer John Dummer went on to work with English pop vocal group Darts in the mid-70s. In recent years all Dummer’s albums have become much sought after items in the collectors’ market and currently carry very high prices.(allmusic)

The John Dummer Blues Band’s reputation as one of those groups that hung forever on the cusp of a major step forward, but never quite made it over the top, is one of those odd little injustices with which the British blues scene forever prickles. There is simply no way of judging why one band made it while another failed to crackle, but Dummer and company were unluckier than most and, by 1973, their fortunes had reached rock bottom. Vertigo, their home for two albums, was about to let them go as part of the company-wide purge that so devastated what had once been one of Britain’s most visionary record labels — and when the bandmembers returned to the studio, it was in the knowledge that they had one last chance to convince the bigwigs to keep them on board. They should have succeeded, too.

The result is a pièce de résistance, a sparkling album that not only packs some of the band’s best ever recordings, but also boasts one of their strongest ever lineups: organist Colin Earl and guitarists Dave Kelly and Pete Emery, a rhythm section of Ian Thompson and Pick Withers, and, on saxophone, the legendary Graham Bond. But somehow it all slipped through the cracks. Within a year, Bond was dead; this may well have been his last ever recording session, a manic four-day span that saw no less than 11 tracks kicked out, and then abandoned. Before that, though, Vertigo did indeed pass on the album, and attempts to land a U.S. deal via the Foghat connection (Colin Earl, of course) were doomed to failure. The tapes were shelved, the band broke up, and it would be 35 years before anybody ever thought to give them another listen. Now, however, they are where they belong, on the streets and still sparkling as brilliantly as the best of the Dummer band ever did. (by Dave Thompson)

Personnel:
Graham Bond (saxophone)
John Dummer (percussion, vocals on 06.)
Colin Earl (keyboards)
Pete Emery (guitar)
Dave Kelly (guitar, vocals)
Iain ”Thump” Thompson (bass)
Pick Withers (drums)

Tracklist:
01. L.A. Lady 2.39
02. Sunny Wine Song 3.17
03. Short Haul Line 3.15
04. Reach For Me 4.29
05. Goin’ Home 3.51
06. Bad Dream 6.19
07. Good Rockin’ Man 4.01
08. Undying Love 5.15
09 Who’s Foolin’ Who 5.40
10. Stealin’ 2.31
11. Keep It In My Mind 7.19

I have no idea who wrote the songs

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Bad Company – Live Albuquerque, NM, USA-1976 (2006)

Bad Company are an English rock supergroup formed in 1973 by singer Paul Rodgers (formerly of Free), guitarist Mick Ralphs (formerly of Mott the Hoople), drummer Simon Kirke (formerly of Free) and bassist Boz Burrell (formerly of King Crimson among various others).[2] Peter Grant, who managed Led Zeppelin, also managed the band until 1982. Bad Company experienced widespread commercial success and popularity during the 1970s. Their first three studio albums, Bad Company (1974), Straight Shooter (1975), and Run with the Pack (1976), reached the top five in the album charts in both the UK and the US.

Many of their songs, such as “Bad Company”, “Can’t Get Enough” (1974), “Feel Like Makin’ Love”, “Shooting Star”, “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad” (1975), “Burnin’ Sky” (1977) and the disco influenced track “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy” (1979), remain staples of classic rock radio. Bad Company has sold over 20 million records in the U.S. and over 40 million worldwide. (wikipedia)

Live in Albuquerque 1976 is a live album by the English hard rock band Bad Company featuring all four original members. The recordings were made by Mick Ralphs, who regularly taped the group’s shows in the 1970s, so the band could use them to finely tune their set and performances.The album was released on Angel Air Records in 2006, 30 years after it was recorded. The band did not release an official live album in the 1970s. Mick Ralphs also supplied photos from the 1970s and 1980s for the booklet, taken from his personal archive. It would be the last Bad Company release to feature original bassist Boz Burrell, who died from a heart attack on 21 September 2006 in Spain.

Due to legal objections, Live in Albuquerque 1976 was withdrawn shortly after its release. (wikipedia)

How is it possible that an arena rock band like Bad Company never left a legit live album in their wake? It certainly wasn’t due to lack of touring; beginning with their live debut in Frankfurt, Germany, the group regularly played across Europe, their native U.K., and the States, graduating swiftly from support act to headliner. In 1976, riding high on the success of their Run with the Pack album, Bad Company embarked on their third U.S. tour, a 52-date trawl through the nation’s stadiums that spring. The Albuquerque gig fell early in their itinerary, so the band was still fresh and raring to go.

The recording itself was made by Mick Ralphs, who regularly taped the group’s shows, utilizing them as a tool to more finely tune their set and performances. Which means, of course, that not only is the sound quality excellent, but you get Live in Albuquerque 1976 in its entirety spread over two CDs. Bad Company power through 16 songs, drawn from all three of their albums, although not all their hits, “Movin’ On” being a notable omission. But fans were treated to fabulous versions of “Can’t Get Enough,” “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad,” “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” “Young Blood,” and, of course, the group’s eponymous theme song.

On record, Bad Company were an unadulterated, hard stompin’ band, whose sound was built on unquenchable beats, thick bass, hefty rhythm guitar, and Ralphs’ mortar fire leads. On-stage, the band added another level of excitement, which fed to and from the crowd. Two decades after the fact, the Bad boys of rock finally add a live album to their canon, a potent reminder of classic rock’s enduring legacy and the Company’s own. (by Jo-Ann Greene)

Personnel:
Boz Burrell (bass)
Simon Kirke (drums)
Mick Ralphs (guitar, background vocals)
Paul Rodgers (vocals, piano, guitar, harmonica)

Tracklist:
01. Live for the Music (Ralphs) 4.47
02. Good Lovin’ Gone Bad (Ralphs) 4.04
03. Deal With The Preacher (Ralphs/Rodgers) 4.59
04. Ready For Love (Ralphs) 6.55
05. Wild Fire Woman (Ralphs/Rodgers) 6.15
06. Young Blood (Pomus/Leiber/Stoller) 2.47
07. Sweet Lil’ Sister (Ralphs) 4.11
08. Simple Man (Ralphs) 4.37
09. Shooting Star (Rodgers) 6.22
10. Seagull (Ralphs, Rodgers) 4.07
11. Run With The Pack (Rodgers) 6.22
12. Feel Like Makin’ Love (Ralphs, Rodgers) 5.46
13. Rock Steady (Rodgers) 4.43
14. Honey Child (Boz Burrell, Simon Kirke, Ralphs, Rodgers) 4.44
15. Can’t Get Enough (Ralphs) 7.47
16. Bad Company (Kirke, Rodgers) 8.33

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More from Bad Company:

Raymond “Boz” Burrell (1 August 1946 – 21 September 2006) was an English musician. Originally a vocalist and guitarist, Burrell is best known for his singing with King Crimson (1971–1972) and bass playing in Bad Company (1973–1982, 1998–1999). He died of a heart attack in Spain on 21 September 2006, aged 60. (wikipedia)

Eric Clapton – Third Appearance (Nagoya 1977) (2018)

Eric Patrick Clapton CBE (born 30 March 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music.

Clapton ranked second in Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and fourth in Gibson’s “Top 50 Guitarists of All Time”.

He was also named number five in Time magazine’s list of “The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players” in 2009.

After playing in a number of different local bands, Clapton joined the Yardbirds in 1963, replacing founding guitarist Top Topham. Dissatisfied with the change of the Yardbirds sound from blues rock to a more radio-friendly pop rock sound, Clapton left in 1965 to play with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. On leaving Mayall in 1966, after one album, he formed the power trio Cream with drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Jack Bruce, in which Clapton played sustained blues improvisations and “arty, blues-based psychedelic pop”.[6] After Cream broke up in November 1968, he formed the blues rock band Blind Faith with Baker, Steve Winwood, and Ric Grech, recording one album and performing on one tour before they broke up. Clapton embarked on a solo career in 1970.

Alongside his solo career, he also performed with Delaney & Bonnie and Derek and the Dominos, with whom he recorded “Layla”, one of his signature songs. He continued to record a number of successful solo albums and songs over the next several decades, including a 1974 cover of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff” (which helped reggae reach a mass market),[7] the country-infused Slowhand album (1977) and the pop rock of 1986’s August. Following the death of his son Conor in 1991, Clapton’s grief was expressed in the song “Tears in Heaven”, which appeared on his Unplugged album, and in 1996 he had another top-40 hit with the R&B crossover “Change the World”. In 1998, he released the Grammy award-winning “My Father’s Eyes”. Since 1999, he has recorded a number of traditional blues and blues rock albums and hosted the periodic Crossroads Guitar Festival. His most recent studio album is Happy Xmas (2018).

Eric Clapton & Jeff Beck:

Clapton has received 18 Grammy Awards as well as the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.[8][9] In 2004, he was awarded a CBE for services to music. He has received four Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. He is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist and separately as a member of the Yardbirds and of Cream. In his solo career, Clapton has sold more than 280 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. In 1998, Clapton, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, founded the Crossroads Centre on Antigua, a medical facility for those recovering from substance abuse. (wikipedia)

In May of this schedule, Clapton performed the recording of the famous record “SLOWHAND” at the Olympic studio in London, and this number was the number after the release from the new release “SLOWHAND” that was still part of this Japan tour. It was the first time to show off at the live show. This was unusual on Clapton’s career. The set list of this Nagoya performance was different from that of Kyoto performance, but the same songs as The Kyoto performance The Core and We’re All The Way were shown.  I can easily imagine that the best day in this Japan tour was this Nagoya. It is wonderful of Clapton’s back band “Tulsa Tops” that you should not forget. Carl Radle and Jamie Oldker who support the backbone with a tight rhythm. Dick Sims supporting a perfectly tune with organ play which runs all round to ever more than ever. Their skills are amazing.  In order to make this board more perfect, between the songs where the songs were cut, between Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out and We’re All The Way, between Key To The Highway and Layla, we corrected the pitch of the existing sound board master correctly and then compensated. This is the perfect Nagoya performance that our shop releases confidently! Please enjoy yourself. (giginjapan.com)

Recorded live at Nagoyashi Kokaido, Nagoya, Japan 30th September 1977
excellent soundboard recording

Personnel:
Eric Clapton (guitar, vocals)
Maecy Levy (vocals)
Jamie Oldaker (drums)
Carl Radle (bass)
Dick Sims (keyboards)
George Terry (guitar)

Tracklist:

CD 1:
01. The Core (Clapton/Levy) 7.51
02. I Shot The Sheriff (Marley) 9.26
03. Blues With A Feeling (Jacobs) / Stormy Monday (Walker) 23.57
04. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door (Dylan) 5.00

CD 2:
01. One Night (With You) (King/Bartholomew/Domino) 3.43
02. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out (Cox) 3.52
03. We’re All The Way (Williams) 3.13
04. Sign Language (Dylan) .4.11
05. Alberta (Traditional) 5.02
06. Badge (Clapton/Harrison) 13.07
07. Key To The Highway (Segar) 9.11
08. Layla (Clapton/Gordon) 4.55

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More from Eric Clapton:

The official website:

Los Relámpagos – Páginas Musicales de la Historia de España (1969)

Between the late 1950s and early 1960s, a type of music emerged on the modern international music scene that dispensed with the singing voice and devoted itself solely to making the most of the sonic possibilities of electronic instruments such as organs and guitars. This is how instrumental rock, surf, raw, crude and other sub-styles of music, all of them instrumental, emerged.

In Spain, instrumental rock music was initially played with enthusiasm by Los Estudiantes and Los Sonor. At that time, Los Relámpagos also emerged, who were to become leaders in this type of music.

Los Relámpagos initially defined themselves as admirers of the American instrumental rock group Johnny and the Hurricanes and, in fact, the first themes of the Spanish group are very similar in aesthetics and sound to the American group, but Los Relámpagos would take advantage of a type of musical narrative widely used in instrumental music: melodic narration of stories and old popular songs. Thus, from 1965 onwards, the group’s own style emerged, which would define Los Relámpagos very personally: to interpret old Spanish melodies and classical compositions by Albéniz, Turina, Granados, etc., with modern instruments and rhythms…. Music that was danced to by the young and listened to by the old, who recognised in it their favourite classical melodies. An example is “La danza del fuego”, with a pre-psychedelic introduction, performed with a Theremin. “Limosna de amores” and “En Aranjuez con tu amor” are examples of this popular Spanish style in which Los Relámpagos create musical landscapes redefined with electric instruments.

On the level of sixties rock and rhythms of the moment, Los Relámpagos create very interesting songs like “Babieca”, reminiscent of the Cid’s horse, just as The Shadows do with the horse “Mustang”‘. Other songs, “Noche de Relámpagos” (“Nit de Llampecs”) was a great success, with a rhythm that is basically a sardana. Vacaciones en España” (“Holidays in Spain”) is in the same rhythm. Taking advantage of the space age, Los Relámpagos created the song “Constelación”, similar to “Telstar” by The Tornados. Although less well known, this Lightning track was recorded shortly before Telstar. In response to the American track “If I Had a Hammer”, The Flashes create a sympathetic and successful song of their own creation entitled “Take the Hammer”.

In 1968, two of its members, Pablo Herrero and José Luis Armenteros left the group, but the group continued to play and record until 1974, when it disbanded. Ignacio Sánchez Campins takes up the organ, also playing masterfully, and the group releases two new LPs and a single between 1969 and 1971. “Páginas musicales de la Historia de España” and “Piel de Toro” are the two most outstanding works in this period. On the latter LP, as well as on two more singles, they had the collaboration of a young Valencian who would later be known in the music world as Juan Camacho, who even provided the vocals on one of their singles: “Sobre el andén / Ella”, from 1971.

In 1981, two of its members were hired to make the soundtrack for the cartoon series Futbol en acción. Los Relámpagos were not seen together again until 1987, when they performed in the TVE programme “Qué noche la de aquel año”. In 1990 the Sánchez-Campíns brothers, members of the group, re-founded the group with other musicians of the time, replacing Ricardo López Fuster (drums), Fernando Mariscal Jimeno, founder of Los Polaris (a group that accompanied the French singer Robert Jeantal) together with Juanjo Sánchez-Campins, in the early sixties, in a previous stage of the latter, later joining the mythical group. Juanjo Sánchez-Campins Jr. also appeared on second guitar, together with younger musicians, and they released a new album, although with a different, more modern sound, but without leaving their characteristic style. From this album, entitled Nuevas canciones, nuevas versiones, perhaps the most outstanding song is “Lancelot”. In the 1990s they appeared on the TVE programme “Qué pasó con” and between 1994 and 1996 they played live every year at the festivities in Navalcarnero (Madrid).

In 2001 they recorded a new album, “Ayer, hoy y siempre”, made up of previously unreleased songs, four of which are the Sánchez-Campins brothers’ own compositions, and the rest are versions of classical Spanish music, copla and zarzuela, in which the classic “relampaguero” sound has been fully recovered. The previous demos of the album were recorded by Diego Cerdán. The album was released by El Cocodrilo Récords, the label of José Luis Álvarez.

Los Relámpagos are a reference in the instrumental music of the 60s, not only in Spain but in general, as their style is very personal and unique. Likewise, anyone who likes the sound of the electronic organ of the 60s will enjoy listening to the Relámpagos, as they make remarkable use of the instrument’s timbral varieties, from the trombones-vibrato in “Nit de Llampecs” and “Babieca” to the biting flutes in “El paso de los Urales” and the full and brilliant organ in “Nocturno”, “Alborada gallega” and many others. (wikipedia)

And here´s their 4th album:

If this LP were signed by Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Ekseption, Focus or any other symphonic rock great, we would be talking about one of the masterpieces of the early days of the style, but it was signed by Los Relámpagos, a group that the public assimilated to a certain style of music of the past and that made it go practically unnoticed at the time of its release, although, with time, it is a work that has been revalued in the appreciation of the few who have had the chance to know it in detail.

Los Relámpagos make descriptive music that plunges us into the historical depths of the Spanish Ancient and Middle Ages. The instruments and technical materials they use are the most advanced of their time in our country and the result is a great work, without fissures or commercialism.

Whoever has listened to the keyboards of Keith Emerson or Rick Wakeman of those years or even of later times, will surely be surprised to discover the virtuosity of Ignacio Sánchez Campins in “Los bárbaros” or “Abderramán”. Those who think that the incorporation of sound effects and external recordings to a musical theme is something new, should take a look at the steps of the legions on the Roman roads in “SPQR”. The effects-laden guitars in “Covadonga” or the quality of the plucking in “Jaime I” are not something within the reach of any ordinary guitarist either.

A project and an instrumental quality that fell on deaf ears and had no continuity afterwards. In short, an album that was misunderstood at the time and almost forgotten afterwards, that would have deserved better luck and that places the veteran band Relámpagos at the dawn of what would later be called symphonic rock. It’s a pity that the rest of the production of those years is far removed from these “Páginas Musicales”. (lafonoteca.net)

The comparison with Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Ekseption, Focus is exaggerated, but nevertheless, the abum has a very special magic.

Enjoy it !

Personnel:
José Luis Armenteros (guitar)
Ignacio Sánchez Campins (guitar)
Juan José Sánchez Campins (bass, guitar)
Ricardo López Fuster (drums)
Pablo Herrero (keyboards)

Tracklist:
01. Anibal 4.41
02. S.P.Q.R 3.49
03. Cristo 5.06
04. Los Barbaros 4.43
05. Covadonga 5.27
06. Abderraman 4.57
07. Jaime 1 3.02

Music:
José Luis Armenteros & Pablo Herrero

*
**

Neil Young & Promise Of The Real – Farm Aid (2018)

Neil Percival Young OC (November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American[3] singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining the folk-rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the beginning of his solo career, often with backing by the band Crazy Horse, he has released critically acclaimed albums such as Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969), After the Gold Rush (1970), Harvest (1972), On the Beach (1974), and Rust Never Sleeps (1979). He was also a part-time member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, with whom he recorded the chart-topping 1970 album Déjà Vu.

His guitar work, deeply personal lyrics and signature high tenor singing voice define his long career. Young also plays piano and harmonica on many albums, which frequently combine folk, rock, country and other musical genres. His often distorted electric guitar playing, especially with Crazy Horse, earned him the nickname “Godfather of Grunge” and led to his 1995 album Mirror Ball with Pearl Jam. More recently he has been backed by Promise of the Real.

Young directed (or co-directed) films using the pseudonym “Bernard Shakey”, including Journey Through the Past (1973), Rust Never Sleeps (1979), Human Highway (1982), Greendale (2003), CSNY/Déjà Vu (2008), and Harvest Time (2022). He also contributed to the soundtracks of the films Philadelphia (1993) and Dead Man (1995).

Young has received several Grammy and Juno Awards. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted him twice: in 1995 as a solo artist and in 1997 as a member of Buffalo Springfield. In 2000, Rolling Stone named Young No. 34 on their list of the 100 greatest musical artists. According to Acclaimed Music, he is the seventh most celebrated artist in popular music history. 21 of his albums and singles have been certified Gold and Platinum in U.S. by RIAA certification. Young was awarded the Order of Manitoba in 2006[2] and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2009.

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, sometimes referred to as POTR, is an American country rock group based in California. The band consists of Lukas Nelson (lead vocals, guitar), Anthony LoGerfo (drums, percussion), Corey McCormick (bass guitar, vocals), Logan Metz (keyboards, lap steel, guitar, harmonica, vocals), and Tato Melgar (percussion). Lukas is the son of Willie Nelson. Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real has released 6 studio albums and 4 EP’s.

From 2015 to 2019, Promise of the Real were Canadian musician Neil Young’s regular backing band. With Young, the band has recorded two studio albums, The Monsanto Years (2015) and The Visitor (2017), a soundtrack album, Paradox (2018), and two live albums, Earth (2016) and Noise & Flowers (2022). When backing Young, the band is typically expanded to include Nelson’s younger brother, Micah Nelson. (wikipedia)

One never knows what Neil Young is going to perform at Farm Aid each year. It could be an acoustic set or electric guitar driven. Guessing what Neil will do keeps Farm Aid fresh and interesting. Young continues to have all the passion for Farm Aid that is needed to spread the message. He reminded the fans to stop at a farmers market when you see one and buy something. (concertlivewire.com)

Neil Young and Promise Of The Real got their portion of the night going with “Tell Me Why” from After the Gold Rush. From there Young would mine material from throughout his career ranging from “Field Of Opportunity” from Comes A Time to “Show Me” from 2016’s Peace Trail to “Children Of Destiny” from his most recent studio album The Visitor. The midportion featured the ensemble tackling a trio of classics with “Powderfinger,” “Heart Of Gold” and “Ohio.” (jambase.com)

And Young played his song “Children Of Destiny” for the first time live !

Thanks to indykid for sharing the HDTV webcast at Dime.

Recorded live at the XFINITY Theatre, Hartford, CT; September 22, 2018.
Very good audio (ripped from HDTV webcast).

Personnel:
Anthony Logerfo (drums)
Corey McCormick (bass, vocals)
Tato Melgar (percussion)
Lukas Nelson (guitar, vocals)
Micah Nelson (guitar, vocals)
Neil Young (vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica)

Alternate frontcover:

Tracklist:
01. Introduction by John Mellencamp 1.24
02. Tell Me Why 4.33
03. Field Of Opportunity 4:17
04. Show Me 4:56
05. Powderfinger 9:34
06. Heart Of Gold 4:55
07. Ohio 4:27
08. Children Of Destiny (live debut) 4:28
09. Love and Only Love 11:47

All songs written by Neil Young

*
**

More from Neil Young:

Symphonic Slam – Same (1976)

Symphonic Slam was mainly about Timo Laine (born in Finland, and moved to America as a child), and his polyphonic guitar synthesizer. The rest of the band was filled out by drummer John Lowery, and keyboardist David Stone.

Timo had been playing the club circuit for a while, but it wasn’t until he relocated to Canada that things began to happen. It was there that Symphonic Slam was discovered by A&M Records. What set them apart was the $10,000 360 systems guitar synthesizer prototype. This led to the release of their 1976 self-titled album.

They toured, and played gigs with some of the big names of the time (Rush, The Rolling Stones, and the Village People). Soon they were asked to go to L.A. to work on a new album. Not being interested in this tack, Stone took the opportunity to defect to Rainbow.

After the album was completed, A&M wasn’t pleased (they wanted disco). Timo took it to Canada, and created his own label on which to release it. It had some modest success, but Laine wasn’t interested in going back to L.A. to fight disco once again.

Musea’s 2001 re-release of the first album inspired Timo to get back on the horse. Apparently he had been working on another album for many years. “Her Fire” is supposed to be released some time in the future. He is also working on an instrumental solo project.

You can hear some influences of Styx, Kansas, Wakeman, Emerson, a bit of E.L.O., and even some funk. However, this is not like most of what we consider to be the classic ’70s progressive sound. Some of those qualities are woven in, and there are some lovely moments. But make no mistake, this is mid 70’s rock and roll at the core.

The main point of interest here is really the fact that Laine basically pioneered the synth guitar. It was a very new thing at the time. (H.T. Riekels)

And here´s their first and last album:

A great album that deserves more attention! There is a intensity and glow to this album that make it stand out. SYMPHONIC SLAM is not breaking ground, although the use of the guitar-synth gives this album a unique sound, but they play there songs with conviction and guts.

I couldn’t say which other progressive band to compare SYMPHONIC SLAM with… One reviewer mentioned Uriah Heep and I agree a bit with that but what dominates the sound of this album is the guitar-synth and the only thing that comes up in my mind is the Recycled album of NEKTAR where Larry Fast was on the keyboards.

There are lots of fat synthesizer sounds on this album but it doesn’t sound like TANGERINE DREAM or EL&P at all. Musically it has some jazzy and funky influences but overall it’s very rocky. On Days I hear a FRANK ZAPPA influence with the speeded la-la-la-voices and a jolly melody-line.

There are no long epic songs for proglovers here but there are a lot of changes within every tune and most of the songs doesn’t follow the verse-chorus-bridge pattern, which IMO is enough to make it interesting although the songs are short.

This completely unknown Timo Laine shows to be a rather talented guitarist and his fellow musicians on drums and keyboards make a good job too, especially the drummer vibrates with energy and I find his drumming innovative and tasteful. Singing is not Timo Laines greatest talent but he knows it and doesn’t try to sing things he couldn’t manage. His yell on the last chorus of How Do You Stand is still very effective and the guitar solo that ends this album isn’t pioneering buut ardent and soulful. (by Boluf)

Personnel:
Timo Laine (guitar synthesizer, synthesizer, vocals)
John Lowery (drums, background vocals)
David Stone (keyboards, background vocals)

Tracklist:
01. Universe 6.30
02. Everytime / Fold Back 7.10
03. I Won’t Cry 2.53
04. Let It Grow 3.54
05. Modane Train 4.17
06. Times Run Short 2.46
07. Days 5.01
08. Summer Rain 3.50
09. How Do You Stand 4.54

All songs written by Timo Laine

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**

Tina Turner – Foreign Affair (1989)

Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was an American-born and naturalized Swiss singer, dancer, actress, and author. Widely referred to as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before launching a successful career as a solo performer.

Turner began her career with Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm in 1957. Under the name Little Ann, she appeared on her first record, “Boxtop”, in 1958. In 1960, she debuted as Tina Turner with the hit duet single “A Fool in Love”. The duo Ike & Tina Turner became “one of the most formidable live acts in history”. They released hits such as “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine”, “River Deep – Mountain High”, “Proud Mary”, and “Nutbush City Limits”, before disbanding in 1976.

In the 1980s, Turner launched “one of the greatest comebacks in music history”. Her 1984 multi-platinum album Private Dancer contained the hit song “What’s Love Got to Do with It”, which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and became her first and only number one song on the Billboard Hot 100. Aged 44, she was the oldest female solo artist to top the Hot 100.[7] Her chart success continued with “Better Be Good to Me”, “Private Dancer”, “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)”, “Typical Male”, “The Best”, “I Don’t Wanna Fight”, and “GoldenEye”. During her Break Every Rule World Tour in 1988, she set a then-Guinness World Record for the largest paying audience (180,000) for a solo performer.

Turner also acted in the films Tommy (1975) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). In 1993, What’s Love Got to Do with It, a biographical film adapted from her autobiography I, Tina: My Life Story, was released. In 2009, Turner retired after completing her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour, which is the 15th highest-grossing tour of the 2000s. In 2018, she became the subject of the jukebox musical Tina.

Having sold over 100 million records worldwide, Turner is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. She received 12 Grammy Awards, which include eight competitive awards, three Grammy Hall of Fame awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She was the first black artist and first woman to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone ranked her among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.[9] Turner had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the St. Louis Walk of Fame. She was twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Ike Turner in 1991 and as a solo artist in 2021. She was also a 2005 recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors and Women of the Year award. Turner died following a long illness on May 24, 2023, at the age of 83.

Turner revealed in her 2018 memoir My Love Story that she had suffered multiple life-threatening illnesses. In 2013, three weeks after her wedding to Erwin Bach, she suffered a stroke and had to learn to walk again. In 2016, she was diagnosed with intestinal cancer. Turner opted for homeopathic remedies to treat her high blood pressure. Her hypertension resulted in damage to her kidneys and eventual kidney failure. Her chances of receiving a kidney were low, and she was urged to start dialysis. She considered assisted suicide and signed up to be a member of Exit,[268] but Bach offered to donate a kidney for her transplant. Turner had kidney transplant surgery on April 7, 2017.

On May 24, 2023, Turner died at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, aged 83, following a long illness. (wikipedia)

Foreign Affair is the seventh solo studio album by Tina Turner, released on September 13, 1989, through Capitol Records. It was Turner’s third album release after her massively successful comeback five years earlier with Private Dancer and her third and last album with the label. Although the album was not a major success in Turner’s native United States, it was a huge international hit, especially in Europe. The album reached number one on the UK Albums Chart, her first number one album there. Dan Hartman produced most of the tracks on the album, including the hit single “The Best”, which has gone on to become one of Turner’s signature songs.

While Foreign Affair didn’t perform as well as Turner’s previous albums Private Dancer and Break Every Rule in the US, where it failed to crack the Top 30 in the Billboard 200, it was a worldwide hit, selling over six million copies. In the UK alone the album sold over 1.5 million copies entering the UK Albums Chart at number one (Turner’s first album to do so there) and staying in Top 100 for a year and a half. The album also reached number one in numerous other countries including Germany and Sweden and topped the overall European Chart for four weeks.

In 2021, Foreign Affair was released as a box set, which includes a previously unreleased demo of “The Best”.

Six tracks from the album were released as singles, most of which became hits in various parts of Europe and, to a lesser extent in the US. “The Best” (US No. 15; UK No. 5) was released as the first single propelling the sales of the album. This was followed by “I Don’t Wanna Lose You” (UK No. 8), which was released in Europe only. The album’s third single (second in the US) was the opening track, “Steamy Windows” (US. No. 39; UK No. 13), which earned Turner a Grammy nomination.

Three additional singles released in various territories were the title track “Foreign Affair” (Continental Europe only), the ballad “Look Me in the Heart” (No. 8 on the US Adult Contemporary chart; UK No. 31) and the rock ballad “Be Tender with Me Baby” (UK No. 28). (wikipedia)

Turner’s last studio album for Capitol was produced by the late Dan Hartman of “Instant Replay” disco fame; however, this was not a retro ’70s-style album. This set was comprised of 12 mature, middle-range, adult rock and pop songs. Turner tackled rock on “Steamy Windows” and “The Best,” the latter a universal hit. She created fine club tracks such as “Falling Like Rain,” “I Don’t Wanna Lose You,” and “Look Me in the Heart.” Still, she cooled down long enough for a couple of gutbucket ballads in “Be Tender With Me Baby” and “Ask Me How I Feel.” The most interesting cut was the scorching return to Turner’s Delta roots on the flawless “Undercover Agent for the Blues,” one of the finest pop-blues performances since B.B. King’s “The Thrill Is Gone.” Despite the slight musical style variations, the whole project was wrapped in an enticing pop style that gave it buoyancy and synthesis. (by Bil Carpenter)

Personnel:
Phil Ashley (keyboards on 02. 06., 07., synthesizer on 06., strings on 06., 07., 08.,  piano on 08., flute on 08.)
Gary Barnacle (saxophone on 01., 10. + 12.)
Gene Black (guitar on 02., 06., 07., 08., 10.)
Jeff Bova (horns on 01., 04., 05. synthesizer on 03., organ on 04., strings on 05.)
Timmy Cappello (saxophone on 05., 08.)
Danny Cummings (percussion on 03., 04., 05., 07.)
Dan Hartman (keyboards on 01., 02., 03., 04.,  guitar on 02., 04.,  background vocals on 02., 05., drum programmig on 05.)
Rupert Hine (keyboards, bass, drum programming, background vocals on 09.)
Mark Knopfler (guitar on 12.)
Elliot Lewis (keyboards on 08., flute on 11.)
J.T. Lewis (drums on 01., 03., 04., 05.)
Eddie Martinez (guitar on 01., 03., 05.)
Greg Mathieson (bass on 10.)
Neil Taylor (slide guitar on 01.)
Phil Palmer (guitar on 09.)
James Ralston (guitar on 02., 06., 07., 08., 10.)
Carmine Rojas (bass on 04., 05.)
Philippe Saisse (keyboards on 02., 03., 06., 07., 08. flute on 05.)
Nick Glennie-Smith (keyboards on 10. + 12.,, strings on 10.,bass, drums on 12.)
T.M. Stevens (bass on 02., 03., 06., 07., 08., 11.)
Pat Thrall (guitar on 02., 06., 11., slide guitar on 08.)
Tina Turner (vocals)
Tony Joe White (guitar, synthesizer, harmonica on 01., 03., 12.)
Edgar Winter (saxophone on 02.)
Art Wood (drums on 02., 06., 07., 08.)
Casey Young (keyboards on 10.)
+
background vocals on 02., 03., 05., 07., 08.:
Lance Ellington – Tessa Niles
+
background vocals on 06.:
Tessa Niles
+
background vocals on 10..
Holly Knight – G. Lyle – Albert HammondTracklist:
01. Steamy Windows (White) 4.06
02. The Best (Knight/Chapman) 5.30
03. You Know Who (Is Doing You Know What) (White) 3.48
04. Undercover Agent For The Blues (White)
05. Look Me In The Heart (Steinberg/Kelly) 3.43
06. Be Tender With Me Baby (Hammond/Knight) 4.22
07. You Can’t Stop Me Loving You (Hammond/Knight) 4.01
08. Ask Me How I Feel (Hammond/Knight) 4.47
09. Falling Like Rain (Munday/Stewart) 4.05
10. Don’t Wanna Lose You (Lyle) 4.21
11. Not Enough Romance (Hartman) 4.06
12. Foreign Affair (White) 4.30

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More from Tina Turner:
The official website:

The Doors – L.A. Woman (1971)

The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts of the 1960s, partly due to Morrison’s lyrics and voice, along with his erratic stage persona. The group is widely regarded as an important figure of the era’s counterculture.

The band took its name from the title of Aldous Huxley’s book The Doors of Perception, itself a reference to a quote by William Blake. After signing with Elektra Records in 1966, the Doors with Morrison recorded and released six studio albums in five years, some of which are generally considered among the greatest of all time, including their self-titled debut (1967), Strange Days (1967), and L.A. Woman (1971). Dubbed the “Kings of Acid Rock”, they were one of the most successful bands during that time and by 1972 the Doors had sold over 4 million albums domestically and nearly 8 million singles.

Morrison died in uncertain circumstances in 1971. The band continued as a trio until disbanding in 1973. They released three more albums in the 1970s, one of which featured earlier recordings by Morrison, and over the decades reunited on stage in various configurations. In 2002, Manzarek, Krieger, and Ian Astbury of the Cult on vocals started performing as “The Doors of the 21st Century”. Densmore and the Morrison estate successfully sued them over the use of the band’s name. After a short time as Riders on the Storm, they settled on the name Manzarek–Krieger and toured until Manzarek’s death in 2013.

The Doors were the first American band to accumulate eight consecutive gold LPs. According to the RIAA, they have sold 34 million albums in the United States and over 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time. The Doors have been listed as one of the greatest artists of all time by magazines including Rolling Stone, which ranked them 41st on its list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”. In 1993, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (wikipedia)

L.A. Woman is the sixth studio album by the American rock band the Doors, released on April 19, 1971, by Elektra Records. It is the last to feature lead singer Jim Morrison during his lifetime due to his death three months after the album’s release, though he would posthumously appear on the 1978 album An American Prayer. Even more so than its predecessors, the album is heavily influenced by blues. It was recorded without record producer Paul A. Rothchild after he fell out with the group over the perceived lack of quality of their studio performances. Subsequently, the band co-produced the album with longtime sound engineer Bruce Botnick.

“Love Her Madly” was released as a single in March 1971, preceding the album’s release, and reached the Top 20 in the Billboard Hot 100. Upon release, the album peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200 and reached number 28 on the UK Albums Charts.[3] The track “Riders on the Storm” also achieved chart success.

Critics including Richie Unterberger and David Quantick have called L.A. Woman one of the Doors’ best albums, citing Morrison’s vocal performance and the band’s stripped-down return to their blues-rock roots.

The final album with Jim Morrison in the lineup is by far their most blues-oriented, and the singer’s poetic ardor is undiminished, though his voice sounds increasingly worn and craggy on some numbers. Actually, some of the straight blues items sound kind of turgid, but that’s more than made up for by several cuts that rate among their finest and most disturbing work. The seven-minute title track was a car-cruising classic that celebrated both the glamour and seediness of Los Angeles; the other long cut, the brooding, jazzy “Riders on the Storm,” was the group at its most melodic and ominous. It and the far bouncier “Love Her Madly” were hit singles, and “The Changeling” and “L’America” count as some of their better little-heeded album tracks. An uneven but worthy finale from the original quartet. (by Richie Unterberger)

Personnel:
John Densmore (drums)
Robby Krieger (guitar)
Ray Manzarek (keyboards, guitar on 03.)
Jim Morrison (vocals)
+
Marc Benno guitar on 03. – 05. + 08.)
Jerry Scheff (bass)

Tracklist:
01. Changeling 4.18
02. Love Her Madly 3.18
03. Been Down So Long 4.41
04. Cars Hiss By My Window 4.12
05. L.A. Woman 7.46
06. L’America 4.34
07. Hyacinth House 3.11
08. Crawling King Snake 4.59
09. The WASP (Texas Radio & The Big Beat) 4.17
10. Riders On The Storm 6.54
+
11. (You Need Meat) Don’t Look No Further

All songs written by:
John Densmore – Robby Krieger – Ray Manzarek – Jim Morrison
except Nr. 08, written by John Lee Hooker
and 11. written by Willie Dixon

*
**

More from The Doors:

The official website:

Mark Farner – Wake Up … (1989)

Mark Fredrick Farner (born September 29, 1948) is an American musician, best known as the original lead singer and lead guitarist for the hard rock band Grand Funk Railroad, which he co-founded in 1969, and later as a contemporary Christian musician.

Farner began his career in music by playing in Terry Knight and The Pack (1965–1966), The Bossmen (1966–1967), The Pack (aka The Fabulous Pack) (1967–1968), before forming Grand Funk Railroad with Don Brewer (drums) and Mel Schacher (bass guitar) in 1969. Craig Frost (keyboards) joined the band in 1972. Farner has Cherokee ancestry from his maternal side.

Farner was the guitarist and lead singer for Grand Funk Railroad as well as the songwriter for most of their material. His best-known composition is the 1970 epic “I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home)”. He also wrote the 1975 hit “Bad Time”, the last of the band’s four singles to make the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

After Grand Funk initially disbanded in 1976, Farner released his self-titled debut solo album in 1977, and his second, No Frills, in 1978 (both Atlantic Records). In 1981, Farner and Don Brewer launched a new Grand Funk line-up with bassist Dennis Bellinger and recorded two albums, Grand Funk Lives and What’s Funk? Farner went solo again with 1988’s Just Another Injustice on Frontline Records. His third Frontline release was 1991’s Some Kind of Wonderful, which featured a revamped Jesus version of the Grand Funk classic of the same name. Farner became a born again Christian in the late 1980s and enjoyed success with the John Beland composition “Isn’t it Amazing”, which earned him a Dove Award nomination and reached No. 2 on the Contemporary Christian music charts.

In the 1990s, Farner formed Lismark Communications with former Freedom Reader editor Steve Lisuk. Soon after, Farner began reissuing his solo albums on his own record label, LisMark Records.[9]

From 1994 to 1995, Farner toured with Ringo Starr’s Allstars, which also featured Randy Bachman, John Entwistle, Felix Cavaliere, Billy Preston, and Starr’s son, Zak Starkey.[10]

In the late 1990s, Farner reunited with Grand Funk, but left after three years to resume his solo career. He currently tours with his band, Mark Farner’s American Band, which plays a mixture of Grand Funk songs and Farner’s solo offerings.

Farner had a pacemaker installed October 22, 2012, having struggled with heart troubles for the previous eight years.

Mark Farner was voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2015. He had previously been inducted as a member of both Grand Funk Railroad and Terry Knight & The Pack.

Farner was honored with the Lakota Sioux Elders Honor Mark in 1999. During the concert in Hankinson, North Dakota, a special presentation was held honoring Mark’s Native ancestry and his contributions. Members of the Lakota Nation presented him with a hand-made ceremonial quilt. He has also been honored with the Cherokee Medal of Honor by the Cherokee Honor Society. (wikipedia)

Here´s his 4th solo album:

Mark Farner used to be front man in Grand Funk Railroad. They were to American parents what the Rolling Stones were to British parents in the 70s. I remember seeing pictures of Mark in Melody Maker performing bare-chested with a thick bracelet encircling his right bicep and long, long hair. Unfortunately, some of his hair, with the passage of time, has come adrift but he does now wear a shirt – and the fear of some parents may be further allayed by hearing these songs.

Although there’s no way the lyrics on ‘Wake Up’ could be called deep or philosophical they would, however, fit very nicely into any southern American pulpit. Mark’s faith shines through with excitement and enthusiasm. The music is economically played, sounding like a three-piece; although there are keyboards they are mixed very low. It reminded me of ‘Free’, in fact, Mark sings like Paul Rogers but in a slightly higher register and with more vocal gymnastics (impressive for a white man). He also plays guitar like the late Paul Kossoff used to – not very fast but with plenty of feel. It’s a good album. (by Paul Poulton)

Even if I can’t understand his turn to Christianity, Mark Farner could still compose and play good rock songs back then.

Personnel:
Lawrence Buckner (bass, background vocals)
Mark Farner (guitar, vocals, keyboards)
Mike Maple (drums, percussion, background vocals)

Tracklist:
01. Wake Up … 4.19
02. Into The Light 4.02
03. New Age 3.20
04. Come To Me 3.56
05. In Your Sight 5.25
06. Upright Man 3.28
07. Rocco 3.43
08. If It Wasn’t For Grace 3.56
09. Love Power 4.01
10. Role Model 5.35
11. Like I Was Before 3.54

Al songs written by Mark Farner

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