This latest batch of new designs were directly inspired by our small army of our knowledgeable customers' suggestions who jogged my memory about records, some a little obscure or certainly long forgotten. Records I had or have got, or that we used to play back in the day, as part of our rock lives that made us who we became. Records we loved so much.
Beggars Opera - Get Your Dog Off Me!
Remember them? This was their 1973 album, the last before they broke up in this format. Formed in Glasgow in 1969, they were down to a three-piece by the time this came out. They never had a charting album but were a perennial support band for those that did. Excellent group who somehow never made it despite a period of high profile.
Isotope - the Deep End
Their third and last album in 1975 for Gull. I loved their Gary Boyle-led jazz-rock but it wasn’t popular enough to chart. The cover was a Hipgnosis design. Should have been more popular just when jazz-rock was enjoying popularity spurred on by Jeff Beck and Weather Report. Maybe they didn’t get label support.
Druid - Fluid Druid
They got their start by winning the Melody Maker Rock and Folk talent contest in 1974. Harrogate prog band Wally came second. They made two albums. This is the second. They had a Yes/Genesis-style prog sound didn’t they? Their debut was produced by Bob Harris. The drummer Cedric Sharpley went on to play in Tubeway Army. For a while I used to see them in the rock press and I think we all assumed they’d be big.
Jerry Garcia - Run For The Roses
The fourth and final solo album released in 1982. It had that 7-minute cover of Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door on and I Saw Her Standing There. Unusual sleeve of people riding tigers by Alton Kelly. I’m sure it made sense to someone. You never seem to see this record compared to the other three.
More American Graffiti
The sequel to the 1973 film American Graffiti. While the first film followed a group of friends during the evening before they departed for college, the sequel depicts where they end up on consecutive New Years Eves from 1964 to 1967. The film also featured a 24-track soundtrack album featuring music from the film, along with the voice-over tracks by Wolfman Jack. The record featured Bob Dylan, the Byrds, Simon Garfunkel and Donovan amongst many others. A Kelly and Mouse design. It came out on the same day as Apocalypse Now and The Life Of Brian, and it was hurt by that.
Linn County
Linn County formed around 1966 in Linn County, Iowa, United States as the Prophets. In 1968, the band signed with Mercury Records, moved to San Francisco, and changed its name to Linn County. They released their first album Proud Flesh Soothseer, a very late 60s title, isn’t it? They toured extensively, performing with bands and musicians such as Albert King, Led Zeppelin, Sly & the Family Stone, Eric Burdon & the Animals and Ten Years After. They were becoming more well known when the group broke up shortly after Clark Pierson left to join Janis Joplin and Stephen Miller left to join Elvin Bishop. Fred Walk kept the band together with different personnel for a time then disbanded the group in 1973.
England - Garden Shed
Promising prog band. This album Garden Shed was released on Arista Records in 1977. Keyboardist Robert Webb playing a Mellotron sawn in half, as you do. Lasted three years but came out at the wrong time just as prog was being slagged off. Three years earlier they’d have had a hit. One of those good bands that was killed by the shallow fashionability of punk. Cover looks like a marmalade label.
Gentle Giant - Octopus
Astonishing album full of variations from rock to jazz and even medieval madrigals. Weird, as in unusual, they were the most progressive of bands. Very British sounding. The cover of course is by Roger Dean and was on a million haversack flaps at school. Made #170 in America where it had a different cover for some reason. Not well known but adored by those who do know them. Many prog fans favourite album.
West, Bruce and Laing - Whatever Turns You On
Their second album, released in June 1973. It made #87 in America. The cover illustration was done by Joe Petagno, the man who created ‘Snaggletooth’ for Motorhead. Produced by Andy Johns. One track is memorably called Scotch Crotch. This meant I’d have to ensure my mother didn’t see it! Same with anything on Virgin. I see some people are trying to sell this for £200 on Discogs! Good luck with that, while others have it priced at £20. A pet hate is people overpricing records, either chancing their arm or out of ignorance. If you buy this for more than £20, mine was £5 three years ago, you’ve more money than sense. Just because it’s a 50-year old record doesn’t mean it’s valuable.
I’m holding a big list of your suggestions that you’ve been good enough to send in and steadily working our way through them. Great to honour bands like Druid and England. Both records many of us loved a lifetime ago. If we sell four in the rest of this year, I’d be surprised, but the people who do buy them will love them and it will take them back to days long ago when we all still had our whole lives ahead of us and just lived for the music.
