THAT’S FLASHY!
Well, it’s a fait accompli: the blistering FLASH are back! The band’s name is not an empty sound for those who got their kicks from Peter Banks’ playing in YES and followed the guitarist’s career later on. With more details to follow, there’s a huge interview in the works with the band’s bass player Ray Bennett to appear Interviews soon.
And attention!!! There are some more interviews to be here – all the DME’s counterparts in conversation are the ’60-’70s British blues scene key players. So keep an eye on the "In The Pipeline" section.
GLAD IN RAGS
Many tend to not know his name but Mike d’Abo is the rock singer, a vocalist par excellence, who worked in the Manfred Mann’s early combo having replaced mighty Paul Jones, a man who wrote zillion-times covered song “Handbags And Gladrags”, and sang the King Herod’s part in the original recording of “Jesus Christ Superstar”. In June 2000 Mike did five shows at the Ronnie Scott’s club in Birmingham, and here’s the result – a live album “Live At Ronnie Scotts” which covers all the highlights of the singer’s 40-years rock road:
1. How Sweet It Is 2. Invitation 3. Just Like A Woman 4. Semi-detached Suburban Mr. Jones 5. Build Me Up Buttercup 6. King Herod’s Song 7. Miss Me In The Morning 8. Handbags And Gladrags 9. Mambo |
10. Ha! Ha! Said The Clown 11. Velvet Glove 12. Gotta Have More 13. Fox On The Run 14. My Name Is Jack 15. Ragamuffin Man 16. Great Balls Of Fire 17. The Mighty Quinn 18. Do Wah Diddy Diddy |
GO EAST!
That’s already a part of history – and not only music history but also political, as it was URIAH HEEP who broke down the Iron Curtain back in 1987. Not the first rock artists to play in the Soviet Union – Elton John was there in 1978 – they went down a storm, and that was the big break of the band’s new line-up as well, by now the longest serving line-up in HEEP’s career. There hardly were Western Heepsters in the 120.000 crowds filling the Olympiyski stadium, so here comes a time to get the picture in full, not only the sound captured on the “Live In Moscow” album. The DVD by Classic Rock Productions is titled “Moscow And Beyond” and features also previously unseen footage from the 20th Anniversary show.
1. Pacific Highway 2. Too Scared to Run 3. Stealin’ 4. Mr Majestic 5. The Wizard 6. July Morning 7. Gypsy 8. Easy Livin’ 9. Corina 10. Look At Yourself from the 20th Anniversary show: 11. Bird Of Prey 12. Bad Bad Man 13. Rich Kid 14. Lady In Black extra features: Interviews Acoustically Driven featurette |
CURSE YOU ALL, YOU’LL NEVER LEARN
Looks like a flood, indeed, yet DEEP PURPLE fans are unlikely to be complaining about another forthcoming title in the official bootleg series. This time though, the show to be issued on the CD in January isn’t as unique as all the previous albums released by Purple Records / Sonic Zoom, because a concert recorded on April 9th, 1974 at the San Diego Sports Arena wasn’t too different from the set performed at the California Jam festival three days earlier – if only the words “not different” can be applied to a gig with Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, especially given that it was the last show of the USA tour and the PURPLE gang rocked at full tilt.
The release is called “Perks & Tit”, and there’s no tracklisting announced yet, only the tentative artwork, but original vinyl bootleg under the same title had the following tracks:
1. Burn 2. Might Just Take Your Life 3. Lay Down Stay Down 4. Mistreated 5. Blues 6. You Fool No One 7. Drum Solo 8. The Mule 9. Space Truckin’ |
Still, there’s a difference from the LP, although Sonic Zoom found the tapes thought to be used for the vinyl disc: presuming that the second half of the concert was lost, the label restored the stage banter, “Smoke On The Water” usually played before “You Fool No One,” and a four-minute keyboard solo.
THE LADY ENCHANTED
Anyone who ever heard a voice of Annie Haslam knows it’s the voice, and has only been wondering how some songs might sound like given Ms Haslam treatment. Previously, there was “It Snows in Heaven Too” in 2000, Annie’s Christmas album with many the seasonal standard sung, and now here’s a new CD, “One Enchanted Evening,” recorded live at the Upper Tinicum Church in PA in June 2001 at a benefit show for the church. There’s no RENAISSANCE tune in – but the perennial classics that Annie loves dearly and performed there and then accompanied only by her friend Rave Tesar.
1. Some Enchanted Evening (Rogers / Hammerstein) 2. Bali Hai (Rogers / Hammerstein) 3. Nature Boy (Ahbez) 4. If I Loved You (Rogers / Hammerstein) 5. Desafinado (Hendricks / Cavanaugh / Jobim / Mendoza) 6. Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado) (Jobim) 7. The Sun Whose Rays (Sullivan) 8. Tit Willow (Sullivan) 9. Gymnopedie 2+ (Satie / traditional) 10. One Day (Faure / Newsinger) 11. I Don’t Know Where I Stand (Joni Mitchell) 12. Lascia Chio Pianga (Handel) 13. Dank Sie Dei Herr (Handel) 14. One Hand One Heart (Bernstein) 15. She’s Leaving Home (Lennon / McCartney) |
As for the cover of the album, it’s an oil painting by Annie Haslam, called “WhalesTale,” and very soon the songstress’ web site will be re-designed incorporating her art works.