Shira - Liar / Frank's Ant Farm. 1973 USA-Philadelphia

Shira are a somewhat unknown group out of Philadelphia who released two promo 45s and then disappeared. 'Liar' is a kick ass hard rock number with a little bit of a funk edge. 'Frank's Ant Farm' is a dual guitar proggy hard rock instrumental that oddly reminds me of Automatic Fine Tuning. Excellent two sider. 

It would appear their other 45 isn't worth bothering with.

Ownership: SP: 1973 Jamie promo. Recent online acquisition. 

4/19/21 (first listen); 6/6/21 (review / new entry)

PBX - Milktoast Repose / Gangplank. 1978 USA-San Francisco Bay Area

This is an old CDRWL discovery, and I recently picked up a copy for myself. My original scratch off notes stated simply: Fantastic progressive rock from the Bay Area (Los Gatos). Very complex similar to a Yes/Gentle Giant/King Crimson hybrid. The first group that leaped to my mind was Yezda Urfa!

Pretty hard to argue with that really. And at 10 minutes and change, you get your money's worth for a 45. I can say at this point, this is the best progressive rock 45 in my collection. It was The AC who discovered it (as was often the case), and his full notes are far more comprehensive. He wrote: "Bay Area (Los Gatos) prog band who's only release was sadly this obscure EP. Usually, I wouldn't submit an EP quite this short (around 11 minutes total) for inclusion here, as it would be tough to reissue without additional archival material, but in this case we already know that such material does indeed exist. And what wonderful news that is, as I can say without risking hyperbole that this release is amongst the strongest ever recorded by a progressive rock band in the United States. The usual ultra-complex Yes/Gentle Giant-isms of the US underground prog scene are here in full force, but the real difference is that this is more guitar-driven (no keyboards here at all, surprisingly) and ferocious than the usual suspects, with heavy elements of mid 70s Crimson and even some classic Mahavishnu stylings on display. The guitar absolutely rips through the solos (especially on side 2) and the drumming is flat-out world class, in the Billy Cobham/Furio Chirico mold. Vocals are surprisingly smooth and melodic for an underground US act, giving it an almost British touch at times. Just jaw-dropping stuff, really. It's nothing short of a tragedy that they never recorded a full studio album, but as I mentioned above, there is some good news to report. Guitarist/band leader Peter McKibben (who is still musically active) has been contacted and had this to say:

"PBX was a crazy band, trying to make a mark in the Bay Area (SF) music scene when punk and New Wave were starting to become popular. Probably wasn't the right time for a progressive jazz/rock outfit to try to get noticed, but we were having fun, so we didn't care. We actually played on some punk/wave shows, opening up for Pearl Harbor and the Explosions and the Dead Kennedy's (they hated us). I just found an old cassette from 1978 of PBX playing outdoors in Sproul Plaza at UC Berkeley. On the other side of this cassette, is a live recording of PBX playing at a weird dive called the "I Café"...I believe Pearl Harbor played after us on that occasion. Anyway, a longtime friend of the band knows an engineer who's been converting cassette recordings to cd. I don't know what kind of condition the tape is in, but he's going to try and make the transfer."

Well - that was 6 years ago, and obviously nothing's come of it yet. But who knows? Maybe this will serve as a reminder. For someone. Anyone....

Ownership: SP: 1978 Collage. With picture sleeve. Recent online acquisition (2021).

5/17/15 (first listen / review); 6/6/21 (update / new entry)

Roadwork - Come Into My Life / When it Comes to Lovin You. USA

OK, time to start digging into my new discoveries for 2021. And this one is a total unknown. The a) side is the winner here, with some flute, organ, and killer guitar solos. Kind of a mix of hard rock, funk, and prog. I'm not fond of the b) side. The style is escaping me, but it's completely different than the flip. It's crowd pleasing club music, with a saxophone lead horn section and a snappy styled pop jazz I guess. Like a proto Huey Lewis maybe? No bueno. But the a) side more than makes up for it. Thinking this is from the late 70s.

Ownership: SP: 19?? Patch. Online acquisition 

6/6/21 (first listen / review / new entry)

White Magik - I Can't Come Back / After It's Over. 1971 USA

The a) side is a mellow drifting psychedelic number with fine Hammond organ, and a lightly amplified electric guitar. Melancholic and very good. The flip gives us some wah wah and more tempo. The vocals maintain their trippy breezy nature. Excellent organ solo that leads to a progressive rock break, followed by a guitar solo. Very good two sider throughout.

Yet another mystery band. Discogs suggests a Dec 1971 or Jan 1972 date. 

Ownership: SP: 1971 Shantih. Online acquisition (2021). 

4/19/21 (first listen); 6/6/21 (review / new entry)

Bitter Root - Distant Song / Movin'. USA-Los Angeles

'Distant Song' starts of with a mean funky beat, which leads to some nice rhythm guitar, cool-dude vocals, tight horn charts, and screaming fuzz solos. This is my kind of horn rock! 'Movin' gets us going with a rockin' Steppenwolf rhythm guitar, followed by more horns and passionate vocals. And more screaming fuzz solos. Dig it. Great two sider.

Ownership: SP: 19?? Dor-Don. Online acquisition (2021) 

4/19/21 (first listen); 6/6/21 (review / new entry)

Sly Dog - Your Soul / Cryin' For Love. 1982 USA-Detroit

Sly Dog were a little known group from the Detroit area who released only this one 45. The a) side sits at the conjunction of hard rock, AOR, and progressive rock. There's some fine flute that gives credence to the latter style. Good guitars as well (both acoustic and electric). The b) side is pure AOR, not too far from Gerry Rafferty with the presence of saxophone. Certainly could have been a regular on FM radio, though 1982 is too late for this kind of commercial rock. This is the rock sound of 1976/1977. The a) side makes this one a keeper.

Ownership: SP: 1982 private. Online acquisition (2020). Comes in a fold over paper pic sleeve with recording details on the back. 

7/4/20 (first listen); 5/16/21 (review / new entry)

Bluewater - Dial "O" For Love / Wounded Knee. USA-Georgia

An interesting 45, Bluewater taps into that unique American pop sound of the late 60s and early 70s. If pressed, I'd say 1969 or 1970. The a) side has a cool funky rhythm, but is clearly slanted towards AM radio, borderline bubblegum. 'Wounded Knee' features a tribal funky wah wah backdrop, a somewhat exploitive sound of perceived Native American music. One pictures a bunch of white teenagers with headbands and war paint singing around the campfire. And drinking Coca-Cola. Which might not be far from the truth. There's no marking on this 45 anywhere, except for a one Harley Hatcher. Hatcher was a mover and shaker in the music industry, having run a couple of labels (i.e. Curb Records), and also being the primary composer for some screenplays and soundtracks. Most famously for The Wild Sounds Of Satan's Sadists, lionized later by Quentin Tarantino. This is where the Georgia reference comes from, though it's likely he was entrenched in Los Angeles by this point. Who Bluewater was is anyone's guess though. A true unknown.

Just noticed that there is a Bluewater band who performs on his 1971 soundtrack The Hard Ride. Discogs links it back to a band from 1977, but I think it's a different group. So my time frame looks pretty good here.

Ownership: SP: 19?? Double H (Harley Hatcher). Online acquisition (2020).

The labels shown here (from Discogs) look to be white, though mine is an light olive brown. Could just be the lighting, which is why I didn't add a separate entry. 

7/4/20 (first listen); 5/16/21 (review / new entry)

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