Robin Banks Band - Positive Side / Flyin' and Cookin'. 1978 USA-Denver

Certainly one of the top 5 of the SP's I picked up last year, Boulder's Robin Banks Band remains a complete mystery. As you can see, it was produced by Ed Cassidy, I presume of Spirit fame (confirmed it is him). The production is first class as well. The a) side is a bit quirky and funky, and oddly reminds me of Illinois' Peter Berkow. But it's the b) that just slays. Featuring a wonderful bass line, strumming acoustic guitar, and soaring flute, it's a progressive rock wonder. And when the searing electric guitar hits, you'll be wanting this to be part of The Unknown Progressive Rock 45s Vol. 1 compilation. How this remains unknown is beyond my comprehension.

We received the following comment on UMR: "Dear Purple Peak: what a find! This is David Gibran (David G Smith). I sang the A side and played the "soaring flute" on the B side and was RB's keyboard player and one of 3 writers. Nice review and thank you for it! FYI: all the members of the RB Band are still with us. I'm preparing to release my 11th album since the RB days. What a ride! Take care dgs"

Ownership: SP: 1978 private. Online acquisition (2020). Picture sleeve with no info other than the date. Has a regular spindle hole but it's still a 45. 

6/23/20 (first listen); 5/16/21 (review / new entry)

Zed Pawl - Back Seat Boogie / From This Side. 1981 USA-Columbus

Zed Pawl were a hard rock band from Marion, Ohio (north of Columbus) and were somewhat typical of the underground at that time. The title of a) doesn't inspire much confidence that this will be anything special, but it's actually the highlight. Excellent hard rock, with a rough guitar sound, and piercing vocals. There's also a couple of odd progressions that recall Rush's Permanent Waves. The flip side borrows from another major act of the era, that of The Who. It's good, but doesn't live up to the promise of 'Back Seat Boogie'.

Ownership: SP: 1981 Blue Ash. Online acquisition (2020). Both sides say Side A, though the catalog number clearly distinguishes which is which. 

7/6/20 (first listen); 5/16/21 (review / new entry)

Red Machine (Willie and the Red Machine) / Wayne Van Dam - I Wrote This Song For You / More Than You'll Ever Know. 1975 USA-Michigan

From Kalamazoo, Michigan. Red Machine (see Ownership notes below) is a super two sider. 'I Wrote This Song For You' is gorgeous - a sweet, soft, and sensual psychedelic ballad with fine lightly amplified guitar. I think they feature female vocals, but who is Willie? Could be a male soul singer. Beautiful in any case. The flip side is completely different. Starting with ripping fuzz, the track never lets up. Great example of hard psych. 

Just learned that Wayne Van Dam was in a band called The Scavengers that had one single on Fenton, that is highly sought after.

Ownership: SP: 1975 Red Machine. Online acquisition (2020). 

We added the following commentary in Discogs' Edit section: Wondering if the band isn't Red Machine? One side says Vocals Wayne Van Dam. The other side just says Willie and the Red Machine. There is nothing else on the label Red Machine, which also leads to it possibly being the band. Not going to change it yet, as not enough data to do so. 45Cat also lists it as a split release. They have a date of 1975, but not sure where they got that from. 

8/21/20 (first listen); 5/16/21 (review / new entry)

The Dags - Watching the Clouds Roll By / She Cried. 196? USA-Chicago

This 45 is another complete unknown. It is presumed that this is the same band that also went by The Daggs (same label), and is sought after due to being anthologized many years ago. This is a fine psychedelic 45. The a) side is a trippy folk psych number, as the title suggests. Not as dreamy as The Manchester Bridge Band, but very pleasant all the same. The b) side is a cover of the old chestnut most associated with Jay and The Americans and The Lettermen. There's some mid-60s Beatles in their sound as well. The a) side is a slow grower, and makes it a keeper. I'd guess 1966 or 67 as a date.

Discogs says they're from Illinois. RYM says Texas. The seller I bought it from says Chicago. OK, two out of three wins - Chicago it is!

Ownership: SP: 19?? Decade. Online acquisition (2020) 

8/21/20 (first listen); 5/16/21 (review / new entry)

Patti Parker - Bobby McGee / If I Were Your Woman. USA

The a) side is the same song that Janis Joplin covered (with an adjusted title), and is just as annoying. Country blues. Not for me. The flip is more geared toward Diana Ross. Soul pop during the psychedelic era. Probably my least favorite 45 spec buy from last year. Can't win 'em all. But I'll hold on to it for now, since the b) side is nice enough.

Ownership: SP: 19?? Marco. Online acquisition (2020)

8/30/20 (first listen); 5/16/21 (review / new entry)

The Mogul Band - Backdoor Romance / Whatcha Doin' To Me. 1977 USA-San Francisco Bay Area

So... they reversed the labels, and it's very apparent that 'Whatcha Doin' To Me' is the a) side. An excellent example of southern rock with a phased guitar riff, and some fine solos. The songwriting is pretty good as well. The other side is much more hickified, but with a good mid-song solo. It would seem The Outlaws were the primary influence for The Mogul Band. The area code on the 45 suggests this to be from San Francisco, an odd sound for the region. Guessing it's from the late 1970s. Worth keeping.

1977 has been confirmed, and a band member wrote in to say they were from Pleasanton, where I used to work!

Ownership: 1977 Arest. Online acquisition (2020).

8/30/20 (first listen); 5/16/21 (review / new entry)

Heavy Blow - All Across the Nation / What You Got You Got. 1976 USA

Yet another complete unknown, this one clearly is influenced by Funkadelic and Parliament. A) starts with some humorous bits, then launches into a killer wah wah guitar and Hammond organ rhythm, with active percussion. And then it closes with a (way too short) monster fuzz guitar solo. B) picks up the pace with some thumpin' bass and similar lyrical themes, and some great organ. When word gets out about this, look out baby.

Ownership: SP: 1976 Fast Buck. Found this at a local b&m (2020) for a whopping 80 cents.

Without a doubt my best new discovery coming from a real record store - in decades. The multiplier on this one is likely to be enormous. But I'm not selling... Not sure where this is from, though the outer sleeve has handwritten "S.F. 1976" (I see it on one of the labels too). I'll presume that to be initials verse San Francisco, but you never know. Since I bought it here, it may also be from Denver. It sounds like it's from the upper Midwest though.

9/25/20 (first listen); 5/16/21 (review / new entry)

Harmon, Pelot, Prichard & Bear / Joe Prichard - Loneliness / Advantage, Miss Evert. 1977 USA-Missouri

Sounding more like a law firm, Harmon, Pelot, Prichard & Bear get right down to proggy business straight from the get. This is the archetypal Midwest prog sound. Mixes hard rock, AOR, and complex progressions with ease. Apparently Joe Prichard is the keyboard player, as the b) side starts off more like an electronic track, but with saxophone layered on top. And a little boogie/honky tonk piano as well. An odd instrumental song honestly. The a) side is what you're after here. Desoto is a small town south of St. Louis. Before men played women sports, cutie Chris Evert dominated tennis in the mid to late 70s. Given that, I'd put 1976 or 1977 as the date of this interesting release (and that was confirmed later).

I've just been recently informed that this is the same Joe Prichard who was in the group Joe Prichard and Gibraltar, a very rare 1974 private album that I was unfamiliar with prior.

Ownership: SP: 1977 Cadde. Online acquisition (2020)

10/25/20 (first listen); 5/16/21 (review / new entry)

Royal Teens - Tears In My Eyes / Chicanery. 1967 USA-Los Angeles

Odd discovery here. Royal Teens were like many southern Californian bands from the late 60s. There was music to be made, and off they went for a go. It's psychedelic but not overtly so. The songwriting is a bit disorienting. The b) side blends in a trippy sequence from The Beach Boys, as an example. I'm not sure of the date to be honest. The last 2 digits of the catalog number on some of the Rev 45s seem to indicate the year, but it could be coincidence. 1967 is about right, though 1966 seems even more realistic. There's some residue from the garage still left in here. Overall, a good one worth seeking out.

Ownership: SP: 1967 Rev. Online acquisition (2020)

Well I was quite pleased with my new unknown purchase at the time. And it still seems that way. However, one ebay reseller recently unloaded 50 new ones onto the marketplace, as a lot sale. Well, so much for that rarity, unless the buyer is keeping it under wraps. But if you start seeing mint ones creep out, then you'll know the source. And that same seller is still listing new copies sporadically. There is supply, that's for sure. Fortunately I'm not selling. 

My copy was part of this fantastic release: Heroes and Villains: The Sound of Los Angeles 1965-1968. We learn from this compilation that the 45 was released in May of 1967, so the label was informative on that front.

11/16/20 (first listen); 5/16/21 (review / new entry); 9/24/22 (update)

Blue Mudd - Natural High / Lay it On the Line. USA

At 10 minutes, you really get your money's worth here. That's EP length. The a) side just flat out kicks ass. Killer dual guitars with some serious fuzz action. Ostensibly this falls into the southern rock genre, but at its most psychedelic. Like the best of The Allman Brothers. The b) side is more traditional southern rock and checks many of the boxes. I was already sold, so I'm enjoying this track as well. Great discovery. No idea where these guys are from, but it's safe to assume the southeast. As for a date, and the psychedelic nature of the guitars on the first side, I'd go with 1972 to 1974.

According to Discogs they recorded another single under the name Blue Mud (in California). though no further data has emerged. At this point, I'm not sure it's the same band.

Ownership: SP: 19?? private. Online acquisition (2020)

9/25/20 (first listen); 5/16/21 (review / new entry)

Southern Savanna - Hear Me / Devil In My Life. 197? USA-Dallas

I had a lot of personal great discoveries last year. Storm, Manchester Bridge Band, Red Machine, Buffoon, Luxus, Heavy Blow, Highway, Dream'r, the list goes on. But Southern Savanna takes the #2 spot. What a guitar tone this guy gets! Starting off with a killer riff and then right into the rhythm, this has the right groove. Then the vocalist comes in, and he actually knows how to sing. A real dude too. Then there's break after break, progressive in nature. Love the pounding drums. This is just awesome hard rock. All killer, no filler. And the b) side is no less awesome. More ass kicking with crankin' solos. Picking up some Blue Cheer on this one. Essential. 

The band name indicates these guys might be from the southeast, Georgia in particular. YouTube says Texas (but where?), and there's no evidence to support that claim. Though it could very well be accurate. As for a date, 1971 seems about right. Found some hard evidence that the label is from Dallas, so we'll go with that.

Ownership: SP: 19?? Sevens International. Online acquisition (2020). 

11/1/20 (first listen) 5/16/21 (review / new entry)

Gandharvas - Dandelion Wine / K'Vei. USA

Here it is - my #1 personal SP discovery from 2020. And what a monster it is. I've been sitting on this for months, just haven't had the opportunity to catch up.

The a) side is a strong example of hard psychedelia with amplified/megaphone vocals sung into the lost void. Background piano, distorted jangly guitars, and a messy rhythm section creating a racket in the background. Some saxophone solos as well. By itself, the track doesn't surpass either of those from Southern Savanna as a comparison. Then we come to the seven and a half minute (!) instrumental 'K'Vei'. Oh... my... goodness. Yes, it's an Eastern jam cycle with soaring flute, a buzzing organ, tortured jazz sax, running bass lines, pounding percussion recalling Pink Floyd at its most trippy with a dash of 'The World's on Fire' from Strawberry Alarm Clock's debut. Overall what it most reminds me of is '?!' from Group 1850's Paradise Now. No guitar oddly enough, but it's not missed.

No clue where this is from. I bought it from a guy in Minnesota, so it's possible it's from there. As for a date, I'd guess 1968 or 1969.

Ownership: SP: 19?? private. Online acquisition (2020).

7/3/20 (first listen); 5/16/21 (review / new entry)

The Beautiful Daze - City Jungle Prt. 1 / City Jungle Prt. 2. 1967 USA-Los Angeles

From Los Angeles, The Beautiful Daze gives us exactly the sound every collector wants from a psych single. A good tune wrapped in massive amounts of fuzz. It's one song stretched to two sides. I have a bunch of heavy psych comps, and these tracks missed them all.

4/19/21

The New Life - Backwoods Annie / Ha Lese (Le Di Khanna). 1969 USA-California

The New Life were from Fresno, California. The A side sounds like you would imagine, that of country rock. It's OK. The B side is somewhat legendary and was used in a biker flick. Mostly screaming fuzz psych with hyperactive drumming, though not overly memorable.

4/19/21

Keystones - I See the Face of a Lady / Here's My Heart. 1972 USA-Chicago

This obscure 45 from the Chicago area is mostly spacey pop psych with dreamy vocals. The a) side features harpsichord and organ over a drifty love song. The b) side opens with a fuzz chord that is repeated elsewhere, and has more of an organ presence. Similar song styles on each. Pity the guitarist never ripped off a solo, as the sound is delicious. Overall it sounds more like something from 1968 than '72, which might explain its total disappearance from the landscape.

Ownership: SP: 1972 Herbie. Online acquisition (2020).

5/18/20 (first listen); 3/7/21 (review / new entry)

The Union - Love?? / Good Things. 1967 USA-Houston

One more completely obscure 45, this time from Houston, that proves the 60s were loaded with great talent, and not enough outlets for them all. 'Love??' is really great and has that tranced out psychedelic sound with doomy fuzz organ. Think of a post-Animals song mixed with the Group 1850 singles. Awesome. 'Good Things' is more groovy, also featuring organ (not fuzzed though) and jangly guitars with a great hummable tune. Definitely these guys should have made it past the minor leagues.

Ownership: SP: 1967 Radel. Online acquisition (2020).

6/7/20 (first listen); 3/7/21 (review / new entry)

Crawdaddy - Traveling Down The Road / Lovers At Night, Strangers By Day. 1978 USA-North Carolina

I think with a name like Crawdaddy, and coming from North Carolina, you can guess what this might sound like. And you would be right. The a) side is the winner here. Starting off with electric piano, it has a late era Doors meets Allman Brothers vibe. Some fine slide guitar as well. The b) side is a bit too honky-tonk for me. Not that it's country music - it's still rock - but it's that element of the genre I don't enjoy.

Ownership: SP: 1978 New Hope. Online acquisition (2020). 

6/16/20 (first listen); 3/7/21 (review / new entry)

Wells and Fargo - Mother Goose Sonata / Winter Wind. 1968 USA-Detroit

There was an obsession among the psychedelic crowd with nursery rhymes during the late 60s. Fortunately the a) side is not one of them - but references the literature. It's a great track with psychedelic guitars way out front, and nice harmonic breezy vocals. There's a weird piano part at the end. Overall sounds more British, though I'm sure this is American (after some research, looks like Detroit). 'Winter Wind' has a similar vibe, but is more towards folk rock and gone are the acid guitars. Still an excellent piece. There's also a piano bit about 2/3's through. Maybe it was their little brother? ("let Timmy play a few notes too.."). The a) side is something you'd expect to find on a comp somewhere.

Ownership: SP: 1968 GVS. Online acquisition (2020) 

6/22/20 (first listen); 3/7/21 (review / new entry)

Storm - Break it Down / Back Off. 1977 USA-Chicago

Now this is my kind of hard rock! One of the best of my SP purchases last year. Heavy guitars and crunchy Hammond on side a), with Moog synthesizer and screaming guitar solos on the flip. Vocalist is screaming on top throughout. Not even 6 minutes of material here, and I'm still completely satisfied. I want to hear much more from these guys - maybe they have more in a can somewhere. Interesting they are on the same obscure label as the also excellent Damrod I spoke about last year on this blog. I presume, because of this, they are from Chicago as well.

Ownership: SP: 1977 Ruby promo. Online acquisition (2020). 

7/4/20 (first listen); 3/7/21 (review / new entry)

Monarch - All I Wanted Was You / Love of Yesterday. 1982 USA-Washington DC

When I first stumbled onto this at a thrift shop, I thought it was an unknown soul 45. Just look at the song titles. Never would have thought heavy metal! Now this isn't super heavy by any means, it's on the melodic side, more typical of the early 80s American metal scene. Think Quiet Riot. But the lead guitar is excellent throughout, and the songs are well written - enough so, I'm keeping it!  After some lengthy research I discovered the band were from the DC area.

Ownership: SP: 1982 National. Thrift shop find (2020). There is a picture sleeve for this, but unfortunately the copy we found didn't have it. These photos are my copy - and added to Discogs many months ago.

3/28/20 (first listen); 2/28/21 (review / new entry)