Hold your head up (Argent) (LP 3211 - 3216)

Argent  All Together Now (Vinyl, Epic Records, 1972) ***  

Donovan  Neutronica (Vinyl, Interfusion Records, 1981) **  

Henry McCullough  Mind Your Own Business (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records, 1975) **  

Jean-Luc Ponty  Individual Choice (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1983) *****  

Andy Pratt  Shiver In The Night (Vinyl, Nemperor Records, 1977) ***  

Andy Pratt  Motives (Vinyl, Epic Records, 1979) ***  

Genre: Prog rock, folk-rock, rock, jazz-fusion, pop 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records (on a recent trip to Auckland).

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Individual Choice (Jean-Luc Ponty)

Gear costume: In Spite Of All (Jean-Luc Ponty); Hold Your Head Up (Argent)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: A recent trip to Real Groovy meant that I could spend an hour going through the sale bins and this is what I came up with (all of these plus three Al Stewart albums for just over 50 dollars). Score!

I'd been after the Pratt and McCullough albums for a loooong time (you may remember I collect Nemperor and Dark Horse labels). A real bonus to get them $3 each in great condition.

So this lot have surnames A to M or are on labels I love - hence me bundling them here (we'll get to Al in the S section eventually).

First up Argent. I have looked longingly at the cover of this, their third album, since 1972 and have long known that Hold Your Head Up was the standout track, and so it proves to be when I finally get a copy ($6 - how could I resist?). 

It's definitely of its time - Rod Argent's keyboards are a feature natch, but the whole band deliver solid prog rock in 1972 on: Be My Lover, Be My Friend;I Am The Dance Of Ages; and especially Keep On Rollin'. 

I continue to look for Donovan albums and Neutronica is the latest. It's a bit of a weird one - not released in the UK or America, it has a preoccupation with topical issues like militarisation, nuclear proliferation and world hunger. All very worthy causes/issues, but they don't make for great folk-rock songs. Especially if you throw in eighties synths to the mix. They are all over the songs on side one.

Side two is the better of the two because it mostly takes a more acoustic approach and he uses some older anti-war songs like No Man's Land to make his point. Still - while it has its moments (all his albums do), this isn't an essential Donovan album.

Henry McCullough is reasonably well known from his time as a Wingman to Paul McCartney (that's his solo on My Love), and before that to Joe Cocker in The Grease Band (and before that Spooky Tooth). The Northern Irishman was in high demand before Wings and after leaving he played with a wide range of famous types before succumbing to the effects of a heart attack in 2016.

Mind Your Own Business was his first solo album and it appeared on George Harrison's Dark Horse label in 1975. He uses musician friends from before Wings to help him with it, such as most of The Grease Band and Mike Harrison from Spooky Tooth.

In keeping with most of the albums on Dark Horse, there are very little concessions paid to commercial interests. Basically, it appears Henry was left alone to do his rollicking goodtime pub rock chug thing. His vocals aren't particularly strong but meh. Who cares.

His comparatively rough and ready approach is so very different to McCartney's that it's no surprise he only lasted eighteen months in Wings.

Jean-Luc Ponty's Individual Choice has been a target for me ever since I saw the video of the title track on Radio With Pictures (the Karen Hay years) in the early eighties. Yes, it sometimes takes me a while but I eventually get my album!

The whole instrumental jazz-fusion album still sounds current and modern, even though it came out in the eighties and featured synths and violin. The whole thing works - spectacularly on some tracks (the violin virtuosity is breathtaking at times). Plus, Allan Holdsworth plays some terrific guitar on In Spite Of All.

The two Andy Pratt albums are okay - solid pop rock from the late seventies. Nice harmonies, okay songs, and professionally arranged. Bit bloodless though - I wouldn't normally bother with Andy. Still - my Nemperor Records collection just gained two new recruits. 

Where do they all belong? I love the sale bins at Real Groovy. I probably need another visit!

X-ray style (Joe Strummer) (LP 2063 - 2065)

Joe Strummer Assembly (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records, 2020) ****  

Joe Strummer Live At Music Millennium (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records, 2022) ***  

Various Dark Horse Records The Best Of 1974 - 1977 (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records, 2022) ***  

Genre: Dark Horse Records 

Places I remember: Wax and Beans (Bury) for the live Strummer album and the various compilation of seventies Dark Horse acts, JB Hi-Fi for Assembly

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Coma Girl (Assembly)

Gear costume: Forbidden City (Assembly)

Active compensatory factors: I don't usually highlight compilations on this countdown but these two are on Dark Horse Records and I get to make and break my own rules on this blog!

The label was George Harrison's boutique label after he left Apple Records, and his son Dhani has relaunched it in the 2020s with these albums. Seems there are going to be more from now on. Cat Stevens' latest is on Dark Horse.

So, let's start in the seventies via Christmas 2022 when I visited Wax and Beans in Bury. 

The Best of 1974-77 is a taster of some of the albums released while the original Dark Horse Records was functioning. Ravi Shankar, Attitudes, Splinter, Henry McCullough, and Stairsteps all get two tracks each, while Keni Burke and Jiva get one each.

Throwing them all together on one album reveals the clear strengths and weaknesses. Ravi and Splinter hold their own (Costafine Town is a superb song) but the rest are pleasant but underwhelming efforts from class musicians (that doesn't mean they write memorable songs or can sing).

And so to the Strummer albums. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the Assembly compilation, and how many of the songs I knew already. I like the Clash, don't love them, so I normally wouldn't have bought Joe's solo albums without the Dark Horse incentive. In this case, I'm glad Dhani decided to compile/release them and keep Strummer's name out there and available to collectors.

The live album is brief (side 1 repeats on side 2) and it's okay but nothing special.

Where do they all belong? It's an on-going concern so there are other albums to collect in this imprint.

Costafine Town (Splinter) (LP 986 - 988)

Splinter  The Place I Love (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records, 1974) ****

Splinter  Harder To Live (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records, 1975) ***  

Splinter  Two Man Band (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records, 1977) ** 

Genre: pop/ rock; Dark Horse Records 

Places I remember: George Courts' music bar (K Road); Marbeck's Records; Taste Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Costafine Town (The Place I Love)

Gear costume: Somebody's City (The Place I Love); Half Way There (Harder To Live)

Active compensatory factors: Splinter is a duo (Bill Elliott and Bob Purvis) with solid gold Beatle connections. Bill Elliott had already appeared on an Apple Records' single as Bill Elliott and The Plastic Oz Band doing a couple of Lennon songs.

After Apple Records folded George maintained his interest in Splinter - signing them to Dark Horse Records and he was all over the debut album - producing and playing loads of instruments. Somebody's City sounds like an outtake from All Things Must Pass (it's that good).

George drafted in a stellar crew of mates to play on the album - Alvin Lee, Billy Preston, Jim Keltner, Klaus Voormann and Willie Weeks. So - it sounds great. Bill and Bob contribute some memorable songs and sing well.  Costafine Town was a huge hit and deservedly so.

Second album, Harder To Live, follows the same blue print - snappy arrangements, nice harmony vocals, same George Harrison/Beatles lite sound, but limited participation from George this time (he only appears on one track). 

Although Half Way There is an excellent song, with a country/folk leanings, there was no big hit on this one.

Two Man Band, the third and final Dark Horse album for Splinter, was a good effort without being especially memorable. The presence of strings on a few tracks doesn't help but it's a melodic set of songs without any hit song being apparent. Still, if you want a pleasant soft rock album for those chill moments of an evening you could do a lot worse.

Where do they all belong? I haven't bothered with the albums after Two Man Band as they weren't on Dark Horse Records, nor did they get widespread distribution.

I am missing you (Ravi Shankar) (LP 907 - 908)

Shankar Family Friends   Shankar Family Friends (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records, 1974) ****  

Ravi Shankar  Ravi Shankar's Music Festival From India (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records, 1976) ***  

Genre: Dark Horse Records, world music

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: I Am Missing You (featuring Lakshmi Shankar on vocals)

Gear costume: Tarana/Chaturang 

Active compensatory factors: As a collector of Dark Horse Records I sometimes find myself going into musical areas that I otherwise would never find.

These Ravi Shankar albums join those on Apple Records in my collection as a consequence. They are fascinating glimpses into Indian culture and music in general. George was no mug.

My western ears like these albums as they use both traditional Indian instruments but in a song format, rather than a long form raga, alongside western musicians.

Shankar Family & Friends even had a song (I Am Missing You) released as a single and includes a number of western friends: Ringo Starr; Billy Preston; Tom Scott; and Jim Keltner were some to appear alongside the Shankar family. It all works in spectacular fashion. I especially like the music for a ballet which takes up all of side 2.

Music Festival From India is also produced by George, but this time it's just Indian musicians who appear. Ravi is joined by Lakshmi Shankar on vocals again and fellow legend - Alarakha (a.k.a. Alla Rakha) on tabla, for another collection of magical sounds.

Where do they all belong? And that's it for Ravi. Next up when I return to Dark Horse Records are three albums by Splinter.

Learning how to love you (George Harrison) (LP 900 - 905)

George Harrison  Thirty Three & 1/3 (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records, 1976) ****  

George Harrison  George Harrison (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records, 1979) *****  

George Harrison  Somewhere In England (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records, 1981) ***

George Harrison  Gone Troppo (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records, 1982) ***  

George Harrison  Cloud Nine (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records, 1987) ****  

George Harrison  Live In Japan (Vinyl and Cassette, Dark Horse Records, 1992 - 2017 pressing) ****  

Genre: Beatle related pop, Dark Horse Records  

Places I remember: Mostly Marbecks Records, Live In Japan vinyl is from HMV in Oxford St.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: All Those Years Ago

Gear costume: Crackerbox Palace, Blow Away, When We Was Fab, This Song

Active compensatory factors: George's rebirth on Dark Horse Records after the dire Extra Texture (his last on Apple Records) was remarkable. 

Thirty-Three & 1/3 is a terrific bunch of playful, tuneful, fun songs. This Song is a very typical Harrison song in the spirit of Only A Northern Song, Taxman, Old Brown Shoe and so on. He has a gift for a kind of self-deprecating response to challenging situations. Crackerbox Palace is a joyous homage to Friar Park (great video too).

Mostly though, Thirty-Three & 1/3 is a love letter to Olivia. I think we can point to her as the inspiration for the lightness of touch throughout the album.

Other songs on the album speak to his core beliefs, but there is no heavy handedness about See Yourself, or It's What You Value.

George Harrison is even better! A belter of a soft rock album. For me it's a five star effort - every song shines forth brilliantly and George seems very happy and content throughout, thanks to Olivia and Dhani's arrival. 

The next two - Somewhere In England and Gone Troppo have their moments as George settles in, but, post John Lennon's murder, they are understandably missing the joy of Thirty Three & 1/3 and George Harrison. Having said that, they have both grown on me over the years. I was initially luke warm about them as albums, but listening to them now is quite rewarding.

Cloud Nine is a return to some of the joy of playing he had in the old days (the usual crew are supplemented by Jeff Lynne's creative presence) and, of course, there are the big hits! Got My Mind Set On You and When We Was Fab are glorious examples of what makes George Harrison fab, gear and those other pimply hyperboles. 

He even smiles on the cover shock horror!

The Live In Japan double album is a curiosity. Eric Clapton had persuaded his old mate back to the stage in 1991 - a mere twenty years after The Concert For Bangladesh. The Traveling Wilbury's had just done their final album and it appears that that experience had emboldened George to hit the boards again.

He still sounds tentative in his stage announcements, describing the concert as a 'nice experience', but Eric, George and the band treat Japanese fans to some of George's Beatle classics along the way, as well as a greatest hits show of his solo records. As a final document, it certainly fits the bill (if you'll pardon the pun).

Where do they all belong? On to the GOAT next time around as I travel through the Beatles as solo artists.

Bitter taste (Billy Idol) (EP 843)

Billy Idol  The Roadside EP (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records, 2021) *** 

Genre: Dark Horse Records, pop/rock 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Bitter Taste

Gear costume: Rita Hayworth

Active compensatory factors: Strictly speaking this doesn't belong in this countdown of my album collection but it came out recently and it lives in my Dark Horse Records section. Plus - I make the rules!

I'm not a particular fan of Mr Idol, but it's well done and pleasant and it's on Dark Horse, so it had to happen.

All four tracks are catchy pop songs. Bitter Taste is a standout. He winds up the vocals nicely on that one. The other three are okay and Rita Hayworth would have been a contender for the 2021 slot on the Names playlist on Spotify that the three amigos made recently.

Steve Stevens appears on all four tracks, so the sound is recognisably Billy Idol.

Weirdly, all four tracks are on one side of the vinyl (and repeated on the second side). 

Where do they all belong? Unless Dhani Harrison decides to act as patron for Billy again - that's it for him in the collection.

Let's talk turkey (Attitudes) (LP 213 - 214)

Attitudes Attitudes (Vinyl - Dark Horse, 1976) *
Attitudes Good News (Vinyl - Dark Horse, 1977) **

Genre:  Apple/Dark Horse/ Ring O Records

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records (Auckland) 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Being Here With You (if you listen to this, I don't blame you if you don't, keep in mind that the first 30 seconds are one of those fake - we're about to open the door to the studio - moments so the sound is muted and distant, then the door opens and - we're into the funky studio party of the second Attitudes album).




Gear costume:  Turning In Space

Active compensatory factors: Here we have a great example of session guys who know their chops but struggle for original song writing ideas and have zero charisma.

What emerges is well played pleasant (some would say 'bland') songs without any real staying power.  

George Harrison used these guys for his Extra Texture album (one of his worst albums, if not the worst) and then added them to his Dark Horse label. He did them a solid.

Apparently, Ringo plays on the title track of the second album, but who would know? All a bit silly really considering Jim Keltner is in the band. 

Of the two, the second album is funkier/punchier, the horns help, with more varied and with much stronger harmony vocals. All things are relative though - that debut album is dire! 

Where do they all belong? Sadly, Attitudes were typical of the Dark Horse adventure. Luckily, they didn't put out anything else for me to want to collect. Being a label completist can be a trial at times. 

Hurry me back there (Splinter) #351 - 352

Splinter Costafine Town/ Elly-May (Dark Horse, K 5756, 1974)

Splinter Half Way There/ What Is It (If You Never Ever Tried It Yourself) (Dark Horse, K 6413, 1974)

Splinter was a duo - Bill Elliott and Bobby Purvis (both on vocals) who were together from 1973 to 1984.

You'll possibly remember Bill Elliott from The Elastic Oz Band record that John Lennon used to record his God Save Us single http://googoogarjoob.blogspot.co.nz/search?updated-min=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2014-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=50

George Harrison's intentions of signing Splinter to Apple Records fell through but they became the first release on his Dark Horse Records label.

The A sides are Beatle-ish pop songs without the innovative edge that characterised the Fabs. Costafine Town in particular is a fine song though - warm, catchy, atmospheric and expertly played. 

Which is not a surprise given the array of talent who fronted up at Friar Park to take part in the sessions: George as himself, Billy Preston, Gary Wright, Alvin Lee, Jim Keltner, Klaus Voormann are only the most well known.

Half Way There is a folk style ditty - nice and light with nice harmonies, but without the x factor that would make it a hit. Good album track though.

Hidden gems: The pleasant, tasteful soft pop stuff continues on the B sides without really distinguishing themselves or demanding attention - think Klaatu! All songs are from the parent Dark Horse albums.

Oh Krishna, where are you? (Ravi Shankar) #341

Shankar Family and Friends I Am Missing You/ Lust (Dark Horse, K 5729, 1974)

Doh - I, um, missed this one - it got into the Patti Smith singles by mistake somehow!

This track is off the Dark Horse Records album Shankar Family and Friends which includes Ravi's usual side men and women with western musos that includes your friend and mine - Ringo Starr! The vocal is by Ravi's sister-in-law Lakshmi Shankar. 

It's also unusual in that Ravi wrote it in a western style (it's a love song to Krishna). 

It's quite catchy but a single? Yeah why not! If nothing else it alerted people to the parent album which I quite like - but again, being a Beatle completist, I bought this for the Harrison/Starr connection, rather than out of any sense of devotion to Ravi Shankar.

Hidden gem: Lust is part of a longer suite, also on the parent album. It's pretty good too - in a Ravi meets Frank Zappa jazz fusion sort of way.

Woke up in a daze (George Harrison) #143 - 147

George Harrison Love Comes To Everyone/ Soft Touch (Dark Horse, DRC 8844, 1979)

George Harrison All Those Years Ago/ Writings On The Wall (Dark Horse, DRC 49725, 1981)

George Harrison Teardrops/ Save The World (Dark Horse, DRC 49785, 1981)

George Harrison Got My Mind Set On You (extended version)/ Got My Mind Set On You (single version); Lay His Head (Dark Horse, 0-20802, 1987) 

George Harrison When We Was Fab (extended version); Zig Zag/ That's The Way It Goes; When We Was Fab (reverse ending) (Dark Horse, 0-20860, 1987) 

The final installment of George singles (until I finish vinyl and begin looking at CD singles that is) takes us from the George Harrison to Cloud Nine albums. By then the 12" single was having its day in the sun. Fab and Mind both come in for the extended 12 inch treatment. 

By then George's chums Ray Cooper and Jeff Lynne were on board for production duties. I like the retro sound they got out of the band and George sounds like a man refreshed on the Cloud Nine singles - especially after the dreary lacklustre Somewhere In England and barking mad even more lacklustre Gone Troppo albums. 

The All Those Years Ago and When We Was Fab singles are my favourites, of course. 

Years Ago was his response to John's murder and is a wonderfully warm tribute to the man who was a leader and big brother figure for George. The track is also special as it features Ringo Starr on drums, as well as Paul and Linda McCartney and Denny Laine on backing vocals. An early Threetles entry really.

Both Years and Fab are unusual as George was not much for looking back. Maybe the Jeff Lynne influence and the Travelling Wilburys had something to do with that. Whatever the reason the nicely judged whimsy of When We Was Fab was a real tonic in 1987 and it holds up today.

My favourite part of the gear Fab video is when Ringo's on drums, the walrus/Paul's on bass and a guy walks past carrying the back of Lennon's Imagine cover. 

Hidden gems: Nothing of rarity value on the first three singles but Lay His Head IS RARE! It has never been released on an album or as a CD bonus track. It was removed from the Somewhere In England album at the time due to record company pressure. Amazingly they thought they knew better than George! These days, of course, you can find it on youtube but as a piece of vinyl it only appeared as a B side. Zig Zag is also rare (although it has turned up as a bonus track on the Cloud Nine CD).

This song has nothin' tricky about it (George Harrison) #138 - 142

George Harrison Ding Dong; Ding Dong/ Hari's On Tour (Express) (Apple, 48947, 1974)

George Harrison This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying)/ Maya Love (Apple, A 11017, 1975)


George Harrison This Song/ Learning How To Love You (Dark Horse, DRC 8294, 1976)

George Harrison Crackerbox Palace/ Learning How To Love You (Dark Horse, DRC 8313, 1976) 

George Harrison Blow Away/ Soft Hearted Hana (Dark Horse, DRC 8763, 1979) 

These next five singles move from the nadir of This Guitar...(and the parent album Extra Texture) to the resurgence four years later with the gorgeous Blow Away (from the reborn Harrison album simply called George Harrison). The ark replicated the transition from Pattie Boyd (who began her disastrous relationship with Eric Clapton at the same time) to Olivia Trinidad Arias.

Along the way George had regained his touch and his sense of humour. This Song is a neat commentary on the plagiarism lawsuit for My Sweet Lord and even has sundry Pythons looning about. It's a fun song - the polar opposite of Extra Texture.

)

By 1979 the circulation had well and truly returned. His cheeks were rosy again! Blow Away just exudes love and warmth. Love those acoustic guitars and George's slide is sublime. 

  )

Hidden gems: The B sides echo the transition from gloom to brightness that's seen on the A sides. Soft Hearted Hana has the same carefree sparkle as Blow Away. Nothing rare about any of them though - all are from the parent albums. BTW - George was clearly sending a message to the world about Olivia (whom he'd met in 1974 and married in '78) - Learning How To Love You appearing twice!

Let's fight for people's rights (Bill Elliott etc) #112

Bill Elliott and The Elastic Oz Band God Save Us/ Do The Oz (Apple, APPLE 36, 1971)

A Lennon side project this one. Bill Elliott would later spend time as a Dark Horse recording artist as part of soft rock duo Splinter but here he's the vocal replacement for John. Former Beatle roadie, Mal Evans, had suggested Bill and John's guide vocal was replaced with Bill's.

John and Yoko are co-credited with Mal Evans AND Phil Spector with production!!!! What the hey? This must be one of the most unique production credits ever. In case you're wondering what Mal brought to the party - he recorded/produced Bill's vocal.

The Oz of the song refers to a radical underground newspaper published in London that was targeted by the man at the time. There was an obscenity trial and John wanted to show his support. Hence the single.

I quite like it (I'm a Lennon completist so I would say that) - it's got spunk and spirit and heart and it's nicely played (Ringo on drums, Klaus Voormann on bass, John guitar) and sung. It was never going to be a hit but nevermind. Everyone's hearts were in the right place.

Hidden gem: The B side and A side were swapped around at the last minute and so the more general God Save Us became the A side with the specific Do The Oz support becoming the B side. It's Ono influenced in it's directness and reminds me of Scumbag on the Zappa collaboration.

Laying in the park, jamming in the dark (Attitudes) #1 and 2 of 300 singles

My old buddy Gregarious sent me a link to a blogger who is writing about the 3000 albums he owns in 3000 different posts. A great idea huh (a link is under Expert Texpert down the left hand column if you want to check it out).

I like the freedom to write about whatever strikes my musical imagination at the time, rather than being tied down to a format like that, although from time to time in the blog I've used an arc, such as posts on record covers or lists of various sorts.

The basic concept of writing about your collection is interesting though.

I thought I'd write about the largely forgotten format of 45s for a while. I have nowhere near 3,000 of them so I'll concentrate on 300 instead. To keep it interesting I'll be judicious in my selection of Beatle and solo Beatle singles.

I loved singles - they were cheap when I started out listening to music and they were usually the cream of the crop. Funny how itunes has reinvented the single but with a 45 you got two songs and the B side was often a quirky and interesting avenue for bands.

As singles fell out of favour over 20 years ago this will mainly be a trip into the sixties and seventies.

Being me I have them in alphabetical order on my shelves. Some I've posted on already, like America's Sandman, so I'll leave them out when they crop up.

First up then is a pair of singles by Attitudes - Ain't Love Enough/ The Whole World's Crazy from 1975 and Sweet Summer Music/ Being Here With You from 1977.

You what?

Attitudes?

They were a band made up of session musician friends of George Harrison (Jim Keltner, Danny Kortchmar, Paul Stallworth and David Foster) who played on his dire solo album Extra Texture, and so he plonked out some of their singles and albums on his Dark Horse Records label. Hey he was rich!

As you know I love George and I love Apple Records.
I thought he might have the same magic touch he had at Apple (Jackie Lomax, Doris Troy, Billy Preston, Radha Krsna Temple, Badfinger etc) with Dark Horse. Sadly lightning didn't strike twice. Jiva are exhibit one m'lord.

Like Jiva, Attitudes were terrible. Slick soulless sessioners sounding sensationally sad. Boring boring boring in other words.

Sweet Summer Music was the more successful of the two singles, charting at number 94, but it's still a weirdly unappealing song. See if you can stick it out for the duration.



Didn't think so.

Hidden gem? Ha ha - you're having a giraffe aincha?