Winter 2011 Mixtape

It’s time for another compilation culled from the endless crate-digging.  This season’s harvest seems to have slant towards country-rock and psych-folk.  If you see me, ask me for a copy.

1. “Ohio River, She’s So Deep And Wide” by Winifred Smith.  From ‘Folk Songs Of The South’ by Winifred Smith.  RCA Victor #61100

2. “It Ain’t Easy” by Ron Davies.  From “Friends” A&M SP 8021

3. “Broken Hearted Blues” by T-Rex.  From “Tanx” Reprise 0598

4. “Dear Mary” by The Steve Miller Band. From ‘Sailor’ /Capitol ST 2984

5. ”Jamie” by Hedge & Donna.  From ‘The New Spirit Of Capitol’ Capitol #SNP-6

6. “Hope” by Mason Proffit.  From “Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream” Ampex A-10138

7. “Reflections” by The Chambers Brothers. From ‘New Generation’ Columbia C 30032

8. “Bad Night at the Whiskey” by The Byrds.  From ‘Dr Byrds and Mr Hyde’ Columbia CS 9755

9. “Innervenus Eyes” by The Bob Seger System.  From ‘The New Spirit Of Capitol’ Capitol #SNP-6

10. “In Your Life” by Tower.  From ‘Collecting Peppermint Clouds’ Technicolor Dream Records T.D.R. 002 (Originally a Decca b-side)

11. “Baal” by Exuma.  From “Exuma II (Air)” Mercury SR 61314

12. “The Joys Of Life” by Karen Beth.  From “The Joys of Life” Decca DL 75148

13. “Atlantis” by Donovan.  From ‘Barabajagal’ Epic BN 26481

14. “Take My Home Country Roads” by Olivia Newton-John.  From ‘Heavy Hits’, Adam VIII LTD # A-8010

15. “I’m Losing You” by Dwight Twilley.  From “Sincerely” Shelter SRL-52001

16. “My Love” by Paul McCartney.  From the 7” single Apple #1861

17. “August Day” by Hall & Oates.  B-side to “I don’t want to lose you” RCA PB-11424

18. “I Go Crazy” by Paul Davis. From the 7” single Bang # B-733

19. “Only With You” by The Beach Boys. From ‘Holland’ /  Captiol MS 2118

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I used a slight different transfer setup this time.  Same Benz Micro cartridge on the JVC direct-drive table, but this time I went into protools via an Apogee Mini-me A/D converter with mild limiting applied.

Here’s some thoughts on the tracks…

1. “Ohio River, She’s So Deep And Wide” by Winifred Smith.   This was an interesting find; record was sealed.  From approx. 1965.  From what I can gather from the liner notes, this seems to have been a vanity-pressing; a very expensive gift from a Nashville banking-executive to his wife.  There are so many odd and conflicting aesthetics at work here.  It opens with the feel of early Leonard Cohen, but the grown-mens choir dispenses with that.  Smith’s blackface-esque pronunciation of “I got da blues” really puts it into outer space.  Nothing diminishes from the overall beauty and sadness of the recording, though.  The sum effect is a David Lynch-esque oddness that I have never quite heard captured before.

2. “It Ain’t Easy” by Ron Davies.   Yup, the same song from “ziggy stardust.”  This is the original version by writer Ron Davies.  Bowie’s ain’t bad at all, but this original version is just so badass.

3. “Broken Hearted Blues” by T-Rex.   Somehow I missed ‘Tanx’ for many years, despite being an avid fan of all the earlier Bolan jams.    A great record; maybe Bolan’s last great record.  this is just one of many fantastic tracks on the disc.

4. “Dear Mary” by The Steve Miller Band.   Yes, you are right; the Steve Miller tracks that we grew up with on rock radio are bland at best, and often awful.  His early records are all pretty strong though.  Check out the gentle-rainfall soundeffect throughout this track.  The effectively-warbley vocal performance.  Reminds me of the best of The Clientele.

5. ”Jamie” by Hedge & Donna.  Starts a little hokey but what a great chorus.  Some melody. I really don’t know anything about this group.  Pulled from a label comp.

6. “Hope” by Mason Proffit.  From “Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream” Ampex A-10138.  I really dig Mason Proffit.  This is from their 2nd, and likely best record.  These guys had an interesting story.  They started their career as NUGGETS act ‘Sounds Unlimited’; like so many of that ilk, they transitioned to country-rock at the decade’s end (and then to Jesus-rock at the end of the 70s.).  Killer track.

7. “Reflections” by The Chambers Brothers. They did have other good tracks besides perennial licensing-juggernaut ‘Time Has Come Today’!   And this proves it.  From ‘Next Generation,’ which IMO is their best LP.

8. “Bad Night at the Whiskey” by The Byrds.   ‘Dr Byrds and Mr Hyde’ is a great Byrds LP. Dig the vocal pad in the verse.  Truly psych-country.

9. “Innervenus Eyes” by The Bob Seger System.  This originally appeared on NOAH, which I have yet to come across.  I largely included this track just for the Stooges-y piano figure in Ch1, which is one of the best arranging gimmicks of all time.

10. “In Your Life” by Tower.  Obscure Dutch band from the 60s.  I found this on a comp LP that I picked up in Paris maybe a decade ago.  The whole comp is excellent; i’d tell you to seek it out but my copy is hand-inked ‘372/500′ so there does not seem to be much hope of anybody finding this LP about.

11. “Baal” by Exuma.  E heard Exuma on Internet Radio one day and picked this up for me.  The rest of the album is a bit too world-music-y for my taste but goddamn this track is awesome.  what a voice.  Exuma is a fascinating character; check out his Allmusic.com entry.

12. “The Joys Of Life” by Karen Beth.  One of the best LPs I chanced upon all year.  The first track is godawful over-arranged schmaltz but the next 9 are all great weirdo-chick pysch-folk like this title track.  Reminds me of Nico, Edith Frost, and Bridget St John.  Highly recommended.

13. “Atlantis” by Donovan.  I am a Donovan fan.  I think I might have every LP released until the late 70s.  But I never, ever could make it though this track because… well…  the first 2 minutes are maybe the most embarrassing nonsense he ever recording.  BUT THEN.  good lord.  Just wait.  it is so so worth it.

14. “Take My Home Country Roads” by Olivia Newton-John.  I had not known that this disco-queen had a country-rock past but i am not surprised.  The opening 16 is so beautiful that I think I may have actually shed a tear when this came on one day in the shop.  Despite having heard many other versions of this song a million times before.  I pulled this from a comp; definitely gonna keep an eye out for the original LP.

15. “I’m Losing You” by Dwight Twilley.  This whole record is fantastic.  Buy it.

16. “My Love” by Paul McCartney.   Ahh the slick Paul. Dude can write ’em.

17. “August Day” by Hall & Oates.  Along the lines of the Bee Gee’s ‘Song Of Summer,’ a beat-less weirdo keyboard jam from some white soul dudes.  Very strange.

18. “I Go Crazy” by Paul Davis. For many years I felt that there was a companion track to Benny Mardones creep-out-anthem ‘Into The Night’ and now I know that it is called ”I Go Crazy” and it is by former (and future) country singer Paul Davis.

19. “Only With You” by The Beach Boys.  My father often extolled the virtues of this lesser-known Beach Boys album ‘Holland’ and I have to say that it took me a long time to get into it.  I think that the recent Legacy Dennis Wilson re-issues provided the pathway.  This is Dennis’ contribution to ‘Holland’ and it is the standout moment.