Is this what you want? (Jackie Lomax) (LP 514 - 515)

Jackie Lomax Is This What You Want? (Vinyl, Apple Records, 1969) ****

Jackie Lomax Did You Ever Have That Feeling? (Vinyl, Capitol Records, 1977) ***

Genre: Apple Records/Dark Horse etc 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records (Auckland); Real Groovy (Auckland)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Fall Inside Your Eyes

Gear costume: Speak To Me, Sour Milk Sea

Active compensatory factors: The Apple Records one is a noteworthy album for Beatle completists as it was produced by George, and both Paul and Ringo also appear.

It's also a damn fine rock album. Jackie's vocals are drenched in soul and R'n'B and the songs are memorable and catchy, plus the musicians are all rock gods! How could it go wrong?

Well, it was probably too much of a good thing at the time, because it had little commercial appeal outside of Beatle obsessives. Weird.

Where do they all belong? After leaving Apple his records were good but not great so I only have this one from the late seventies to add to the collection.

You don't get the breaks like some of us do (George Harrison) #342

Roger Skinner and The Motivation Sour Milk Sea/ Sweet Lorraine (Pye, 7N 14011, 1969)

No doubt the music world contains more terminally unhip band names than this but I can't think of anything right now. Prince and The Revolution this ain't!

The very literal Roger Skinner's Motivation (to get out of bed of a morning) grew from a number of second division NZ sixties bands and released a few singles before calling it a day in 1974. Unfortunately Roger Skinner didn't get the breaks like many did in NZ music - maybe it was that band name! 

RS on far right

The A side is a version of the George Harrison song that Jackie Lomax covered on his solo Apple Records album (for other Lomax/Harrison single connections see http://googoogarjoob.blogspot.co.nz/2014/07/i-can-feel-your-sigh-with-my-back-to.html).

Sour Milk Sea is a weird song and an even weirder choice to cover I would have thought. 

Even though Roger doesn't have the pipes of Jackie Lomax and the Lomax arrangement is kept intact, this still becomes a damn fine piece of kiwi music in his hands. 

Hidden gem: Yes indeed - Sweet Lorraine is a heavy, bass laden, piece of 1969 rock. The barking mad sound affects of gunfire at the end just add to the appeal. If anything I prefer it to the A side as a slice of Kiwi Nuggets style lost rock classics.

Extra notes: This single is worth around $20 to $25 dollars according to the sites I stumbled upon; sadly there is no video available on this one.

I can feel your sigh with my back to you (Jackie Lomax) #239 - 240

Jackie Lomax  How The Web Was Woven/ Thumbing A Ride (Apple Records, APPLE 9043, 1969)

Jackie Lomax  New Day/ Fall Inside Your Eyes (Apple Records, APPLE 11, 1969)

Jackie Lomax, who died late last year, had a terrific voice and a laconic scouse personality. He needed the latter when reflecting on what might have been for a few decades before his death.

The Beatles knew talent when they saw it. What with George's patronage, his and Ringo's participation, the Apple Records label, and the other stellar musicians who played with him, really - the guy should have been a major star. But the fates decreed otherwise.

These two A sides are exceptional. The music and Jackie's wonderful soulful singing should have meant hit songs. What a crime.

In a parallel universe Jackie Lomax is getting his rewards.




Hidden gems: George Harrison is the fab most associated with Jackie but Paul was also involved in producing Thumbing A Ride. That song is good but Fall Inside Your Eyes aces it with a great vibe and a heartfelt vocal performance that you can't fake. Well you can try but you'll fall flat on your arse.