13 May 2010, Comments (2)

Sol-Maranatha (GCP 1975)

Author: alex larotta
Photobucket

Greetings all, this week I’m hauling in some Chicano jazz-funk from the seemingly endless musical depths of San Antonio, TX. Released in ‘75, bandleader/keyboardist/trombonist Joe Gallardo and Sol released their full-length self-titled album, from which this single comes, on Manny Guerra’s GCP record label. I’ve mentioned Manny Guerra on here before, his wide breadth and key development of San Antonio’s recording industry, from producer to arranger to session player and label owner, seems to stretch endlessly on credits from a diverse spread of recording artists in the region from the late 50s to present day. Manny is also well known to many for his arrangement credits with Sunny and The Sunglows and their cover of Little Willie John’s “Talk To Me” on Huey Meaux’s Teardrop Records, which was one of the biggest hits of their career.

Joe Gallardo’s Sol LP is lauded by many as a Texas psych funk masterpiece, with diverse sound ranges of acid jazz, whirly space synths, guitar freakouts, and funky latin percussion mixed together in a way that only 70s fusion can pull off. “Maranatha”, a shorter stereo mix version of the LP version, embodies the jazz fusion spirit of Herbie Hancock’s “Headhunters” LP, with full body kick drums, wah-wah guitar effects, and luscious horn crescendoes. Joe continues arranging and writing music to this day, and is a centrifugal developer of the Texas Jazz Festival in Corpus Christi that initially started in 1959 when he was a member of the Jazz Club at Del Mar College. He also tenders Grammy credits for his composition work on Mongo Santamaria’s “Amanecer” LP, and continues to perform and record in Hamburg, Germany with a multitude of noted jazz artists and producers from around the world.

You’ll notice that though I don’t usually feature 70s fusion music, I always make exceptions for the exceptional. Sol’s “Maranatha” is a fine example of the rich, versatile soundscapes of Chicano soul in Texas, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Also, just want to mention that we are packing our figurative bags and moving our site to a new server in the next few days. We’re also changing the domain name, but no worries, we will direct you to our new space so we can continue serving you music freaks with the depths of our music collections. Thanks for being with us thus far, we look forward to sharing our new digs with you and spreading the love of vinyl to all of our readers. All that aside, chew on some San Antonio funky fusion and we’ll be back next week on the new site!

LISTEN: Sol-Maranatha
6 May 2010, Comments (0)

Neal Ford and The Fanatics – Shame On You (Hickory) 1967

Author: michael selman
kenny and the kasuals

Neal Ford and the Fanatics were a 60s pop rock group from Houston, with a polished sound, which no one in the circuit could touch. They played every venue possible and practiced quite often at the Catacombs creating a real tight sound. Neal Ford and the Fanatics are well known for their hits on Hickory Records out of Nashville, however Neal Ford recorded a solo record as well. Neal Ford’s first band was called the Prisoner’s while he was enrolled in Howard Payne College. The short-lived group was made up of Ray Hildebrand and Kim Espy (who later became the male vocal portion of “Hey Hey Paula” of Paul & Paula). They later changed their name to the Ramada’s after the hotels, which at the time were just starting to open up around Houston. After the Ramada’s Neal formed the Fanatics, which later turned into Neal Ford and the Fanatics.

impact scan
Neal Ford was born in San Antonio Texas, later moving to Houston as a boy and graduated from Jones High School. He attended Howard Payne College, where his music really took form. Fords favorite sport was pole vaulting in his youth, but really had passion for any competitive sport. His band consisted of: Johnny Stringfellow better known as “String” being their lead guitar player. String was born in Houston and went to Reagan High School. String only played with the group for a short time for he was drafted into the army. Next is Jon Pereles who was born in Miami Beach, Florida. The group called him “Big Jon,” he originally joined to play rhythm guitar, but seeing that String was drafted Big Jon became the lead player. From what I have read Jon’s writing portion of tunes was the reason the group went for more of a pop accessible route, after playing harder material in the early days. Next is John Cravey who was born in Memphis, Tennessee. John later moved to Houston to graduate from Spring Branch High School, continuing his education South Texas College. He was the drummer and writer of one of the groups toughest songs recorded “Pain.” Lanier Greig was the Keyboard player hailing from Houston and graduated from Memorial High School. Lanier is also known for writing some material from the group, most notably co writing, “Wait For Me” with Big Jon. Next W. T. Johnson was born in Galveston and also graduated from Spring Branch High School in Houston. “Dub” as the group called him was the bass player. The Groups Manager/Producer was Dick Ames hailing from Denver, Colorado. He moved to Texas to attend Texas Christian University.

impact scan
I have picked four of this group’s singles to feature for this weeks Texas grooves. I normally only choose one or two, however this week have taken on a group with such a large recording history that picking just one selection would have been a daunting task.

impact scan
Neal’s solo disc was put out on Pablo Records with “The Very First Time.” This track was written by Ford (like most of the fanatics tracks) and Kim Espy, First Time was recorded in 1964. Any listener will quickly realize this track is like so many slow early sixties cuts with an interesting keyboard section just over the horizon of the entire piece. I have chosen this one because it is an early representation of Ford.

impact scan
Second I have chosen the Fanatics cover of the Zombies single “Woman.” I am a big fan of this cover for its raw rendition, which really gives Rod Argent a run for his money. This cut was never pressed until a small label released it in the 90s, Caped Crusader. It was recorded in 1966 plainly as the Fanatics, with its screaming organ intro to its driving fuzz and screaming harmonies, really gives a rise to the idea of an early punk scene that blasted out in the mid sixties.

impact scan
The third choice is the most unusual track the group recorded. With almost a pre Ozzy Osborne/Alice Cooper talky and growling lead vocal, which summons a dark, frightening sound that is solidified by haunting laughter on the bottom end of the cut. This track was at first considered the plug side, however became over shadowed by flip “Gonna Be My Girl.” Here is the story in Fords words:

“Here’s the real story on “Shame On You”. I wrote the song around 1965 (I think). We recorded it at Jones Sound Recording in the Heights. The owner Doyle Jones and Mickey Gilley were the engineers. I took the tape to Nashville and got an offer from Hickory Records owned by Acuff/Rose Publishing. At the time they were very successful with acts like The Newbeats-”Bread and Butter”, Sue Thompson and other pop acts. The main song that they were interested in was “Shame On You”. If you look on the single you will see that it was released as the “A” side and was being promoted as the single until Joe Ford at KNUZ flipped it one day and played “Gonna Be My Girl” which was written by Jon Pereles. The phones lit up and KILT jumped on the flip side also and it leaped to # 1 staying on top of the charts for weeks. This changed the whole direction of our album and future recording efforts. Prior to that we were doing harder rock oriented music like “Woman”, “I Will Not Be Lonely”, “Pain” etc. “Gonna Be My Girl” took us to doing more of Jon’s compositions which was a much lighter pop/rock sound. I called it Hard Bubblegum. In retrospect, I wish we had stayed more in the original style. “I Will Not Be Lonely” was my original direction for us and the real me at the time. I never intended to sing “Shame On You” as you hear it on the record. It just developed to that in the studio. I’m totally shocked to see it on so many internet sites and on so many compilation CD’s. It and “I Will Not Be Lonely” are getting more play and recognition now than back when we did them.”

I would have chosen “I Will Not Be Lonely” for this post yet this record, like so many others is a bit out of my pocket book’s range, however if I dig up a copy I will post it here. Until then check out this site authored by Bill Thompson, it is a wonderful resource for this group.

impact scan
Fourth I have chosen “Pain,” which is another early punk/rocker for the Fanatics, this time recording as Neal Ford and The Fanatics. Recorded in 1967 in Jones Studio in Houston for Hickory. This track features less of a raw sound with more melodic harmonies and much more of a pop sensibility than the prior two selections. The Theme of this cut portrays the image of a boy’s heart being cut in two by his lover and the PAIN he is enduring.

Now dig the sounds of Houston one more time!!!

LISTEN: Neal Ford – The Very First Time

LISTEN: The Fanatics – Woman

LISTEN: Neal Ford and The Fanatics – Shame On You

LISTEN: Neal Ford and The Fanatics – Pain

6 May 2010, Comments (0)

Calvin Owens’ Show-The Cat (Klondike 196/7? )

Author: alex larotta
Photobucket

Giving some more love and attention to the diverse soundscapes of Houston’s funk and soul movement, I brought some hearty big-band orchestral funkness today from the Bayou City’s own legendary trumpeter, Mr. Calvin Owens. Originally recorded and released on Skipper Lee Frazier’s Ovide Records, this debut single then went on to be picked up by Owens’ own Sawdust Records and later saw a 3rd release on Klondike Records out of Memphis, TN. Interestingly enough, Klondike was a subsidiary label of Holiday Inn Records (yes, THE Holiday Inn) which saw a small career in record production and distribution in the 1960s. After a relatively unsuccessful run in the music industry, Holiday Inn Records was then acquired by Sun Records’ Sam Phillips until the end of its activity, estimated to be in the late 60s to early 70s.

Calvin Owens led a successful career as an arranger and session bandplayer primarily in Houston and Memphis, along with a decade-plus stint in Belgium, all of which included a top-notch musical resume with the likes of B.B. King, T-Bone Walker, David “Fathead” Newman, and Willie Nelson to name a few. Owens’ musical foundation was steeped in traditional jazz and blues, but flirted with contemporary stylings such as R&B and soul music as pop music went mainstream. Owens’ unique approach of blending jazz and blues elements created his signature sound, which is well represented here as well as his most well-known arrangement credits for B.B. King’s Grammy award-winning Blues n’ Jazz LP.

“The Cat” is a certifiable big band funk number, well known within the beat sample community for the featured drum break that plows in some 40 seconds after the opening. Outside of the big break, it’s simply a well orchestrated mid-tempo slab of brassy instrumental funk. The featured arrangement components include the continual dribbling of the snare and Owens’ colorful trumpet stabs, ushering a unique melding of swing-style jazz horns and funky rhythm syncopation. And it may come to no surprise that Owens was a good friend and collaborator with fellow jazz conductor and Houston icon, Conrad “The Prof” Johnson, known for his involvement with the Kashmere Stage Band in the 60s and 70s, as well his own lengthy career in music production. Owens passed away in 2008, leaving behind an illustrious discography of recordings and arrangements as well as his footing as a legend in Houston’s musical history. So, in his memory, take in “The Cat” and ready yourself for some big ol Houston trumpet funk!

Photobucket

LISTEN: Calvin Owens’ Show-The Cat
28 Apr 2010, Comments (5)

The Insight/Gilbert and his Blue Notes-Out Of Sight (Cascade/Rosina 196?)

Author: alex larotta
Photobucket

Welcome to another edition of relatively unknown 7″ singles from Texas. I thought I’d bring it on back home this week and bring some funky soul fury from the southeasterly quarters of Houston, TX. To be precise, The Insight cut their single “Out Of Sight” out of Pasadena, TX at Pasadena Sound Studios, but I tend to lump artists and labels from this area within the Houston circuit because of its proximity to the city limits. That being so, this is the only known documented single from this Texas group, and the only record I know of from this label. It’s as ‘one-off’ as you can get, all told. Though facts of this record are few and far between, I do know that this is one of the first known recordings from Texas’ legendary albino bluesman, Johnny Winter. Johnny Winter was active throughout the Houston and Beaumont area (now known to music historians to be within ‘The Golden Triangle’ in Texas) throughout the 1960s, and subsequently released various singles under an arrangement of groups and recording names. If I was to estimate, I’d put this record somewhere around ‘65 or ‘66 due to its near-matched arrangement qualities shared with James Brown’s “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag”, originally released in 1965. Just as The Beatles inspired a generation of garage rock kids to create rock and roll movements across the world, James Brown’s widely credited introduction of funk and soul rhythm in pop music inspired soulers across the world to ‘do the James Brown’ their own way.

Photobucket

Now, to add to the obscurity of this recording, we have a cover of this single from San Antonio’s Gilbert and his Blue Notes, recorded and distributed out of San Marcos, TX. I personally find it fascinating because of the scale of obscurity and relative unknown original version to then be covered by a chicano soul group out of San Antonio, TX. Gilbert’s rendition of the original has a decidedly rougher recording element to the original version, with a loose horn section and gritty lo-fi guitar and bass arrangement. Overall, the recording lacks the luster of The Insight’s original, but it’s a noteworthy cover, especially for Texas latin soul. Nevertheless, hope these tracks get you through the day, these are some of my favorite recent additions to my collection and I am more than happy to share!

LISTEN: The Insight-Out Of Sight

LISTEN: Gilbert and his Blue Notes-Out of Sight
Page 3 of 161234510...Last »