Spaceark - Don't Stop (vocal & instrumental). 1976 USA-Los Angeles

From Los Angeles, Spaceark is a super example of funk and early disco with fine horns, sax, and organ. Strong jazz undertone. It's the same track on each side, with one featuring female vocals that makes the song that much better. This has some of the smoothest grooves you can hear. Excellent. This is the original black label. There's another pressing of these two tracks, on the same imprint, with a blue label under the name of Dolly Way & Space Ship Earth.

Own. Found at a local estate sale (2024).

8/4/24

Maxx - 200 Years / Castles. 1969 USA-Michigan

Speaking of Michigan bands that started private and then moved to a major label (see The Free entry). From Lansing, Maxx starts off in heavy rock territory, with some almost metalish guitar. It's a good tune too, better for my tastes than The Free. Best I can tell, the Mainstream release is a promo that features the first track only. The second song is fairly lengthy for a single at five minutes, and contains more of a jazzy trippy sound with meandering lightly tuned guitar. I like it too - so having the original Signal press is the way to go here.

12/17/23

The Steve Karmen Big Band featuring Jimmy Radcliffe - Breakaway Parts 1 & 2. 1968 USA

Don't be fooled by the group name, you won't be thinking 1940s bandstand here. This is primarily jazzy psychedelic with an absolutely killer beat, and what sounds like an electric sitar in the background. Radcliffe more or less "raps" on top when he's not crooning. The second side essentially removes Radcliffe so you can just hear the band jam. 

Ownership: SP: 1968 United Artists promo. This came from the RT collection (2021).

9/18/21