IN THE ARMY NOW
He’s not that military-obsessed, Paul Gurvitz but, having served in GUN, BAKER GURVITZ ARMY and THREE MAN ARMY, now the veteran enrolled himself with THE NEW ARMY. It’s an Arizona-based six-piece country rock combo where Paul’s bass goes hoedown with drums, violin, keyboards and acoustic and electric guitars. Their sound can be heard here and hopefully the sextet will come up with an album any day soon.
Meanwhile, a 10-minute bootleg recording of what supposed to be GUN doing “Race With The Devil” surfaced recently. Having been sent the file by DME, Paul Gurvitz commented on it: “That is not GUN. Someone has overdubbed guitar to what sounds like a GUN track, but Adrian [Gurvitz] never used a whammy bar. It sounds like Adrian singing, but the rest is not GUN”. Beware, then.
TEMPUS FUGIT
Dave Cousins has finished the mastering of STRAWBS‘ album “Of A Time”. Not a new one: recorded way back in 1967, it was turned down by Gil Friesen, the CEO of A&M Records who signed them – the label’s first British band – on the strength of the group’s first single. In the leader’s words, it’s “the missing link between “All Our Own Work” by Sandy Denny and THE STRAWBS and STRAWBS. It shows a band in search of its identity with bonus tracks that explain where it might have ended up. Who knows, it might have been the one and only album THE STRAWBS ever made”. Which means it’s the band’s real first album produced by Gus Dudgeon with Tony Visconti as musical director. Says Cousins: “A&M rejected the orchestral tracks as they thought we were a rock/folk band, not THE BEE GEES! In the meantime, SIMON and GARFUNKEL had released “Bookends” with speech bands, which was exactly what we were planning for our album”. Abandoned then, soon it’s to be made available in all its glory with many an additional track.
| Unreleased album: 1. Where Is This Dream Of Your Youth 2. Poor Jimmy Wilson 3. Just The Same In Every Way 4. Tell Me What You See In Me 5. Stay Awhile With Me 6. The Man Who Called Himself Jesus 7. And You Need Me 8. All The Little Ladies 9. Ah Me, Ah My 10. And You Need Me (reprise) Josephine, For Better Or For Worse 11. Whichever Way The Wind Blows 12. Sweetling Unreleased second single: 13. All I Need Is You |
14. How Everyone But Sam Was A Hypocrite Remix: first single (2006): 15. Oh, How She Changed 16. Or Am I Dreaming Remix: Another look at Jesus (1971): 17. The Man Who Called Himself Jesus Remixes: Dave Cousins alternative vocals (1973): 18. Whichever Way The Wind Blows 19. And You Need Me 20. Just The Same In Every Way Outtakes: 21. Poor Old Man – read by Tom Browne 22. The Man Who Called Himself Jesus – Richard Wilson interview 23. Ed Sullivan – Tony Visconti impersonation 24. Young Again – alternative version |
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SPECTRAL MORNING
One may think Jack Bruce has had his fill of supergroups but the legendary bassist doesn’t mind whilst the company’s good. And it is good being a band called SPECTRUM ROAD and comprising, along with Jack, his long-term guitar-wielding co-conspirator Vernon Reid of LIVING COLOR fame as well as John Medeski, a piano wiz with MEDESKI MARTIN AND WOOD, and drummer Cindy Blackman Santana who, of course, is a certain guitarist’s wife. Their eponymous album is out now.
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1. Vuelta Abajo 2. There Comes A Time 3. Coming Back Home 4. Where 5. An T-Eilan Muileach 6. Vashkar 7. One Word 8. Blues For Tillmon 9. Allah Be Praised 10. Wild Life |
