Landslide - Two Sided Fantasy

Landslide - Two Sided Fantasy

Nitzinger - S/T

Yeah i know, my cover is ripped up.... Vinyl still plays nice. Enjoy some killer guitar rock from John Nitzinger circa 1972. Nitzinger - S/T

Euphoria - Somebody Listen / Dedication Of Sally & Cher

Euphoria - Somebody Listen ===== Euphoria - Dedication Of Sally & Cher

Zukus - Running High

Zukus - Running High ---- Zukus - Running High

The Stench Band - Pray For The Dead

Weirdo experimental avant-garde from 1972 via The Stench Band. File under Drugs and Captain Beefheart...

The Stench Band - Pray For The Dead

Poobah - Rock City

Rock City from Ohio's Poobah, who gave us the 2 classic Hard Rocker LP's "Let Me In" from 1972 and "U.S. Rock" from 1976. The flip of this 45 is Bowleen which is on the '72 release let me in but i'm not sure this is actually from '72? Good timey hard rocker here and non LP cut. Featuring the guitar wizardry of Jim Gustafson. Enjoy

Poobah - Rock City

Woody Herman - Freedom Jazz Dance

I always thought that Woody Herman was sorta lame. I'm not really a big band jazz guy so i didn't think much of this 45 when i found it but this is some seriously Unexpected Funkiness.

Woody Herman - Freedom Jazz Dance

Moloch - Cocaine Katy - The Terrorizing Of Miss Nancy Jane

Been having some shit luck around here lately. Spent all day yesterday dealing with a flooded basement where we lost a lot of stuff; records, tapes, 8-tracks, reel to reels, magazines, fanzines, flyers, some electronics, etc..... spent the morning mopping up and throwing stuff out.... Ugh. Anyway, i needed to take a break so i decided to throw a track up on the blog and here it is. A guitar rocker from heavy blues based psych band Moloch called "Cocaine Katy" on the Booger Records label from 1972. I guess the Moloch album is fairly rare (I don't own it) but i have no idea how rare this thing is or if it even is rare. But it's a cool tune with plenty of jamming ax action. Enjoy, I'm going to go take a nap....

Here is the low-down on Moloch:

Moloch emerged from the fertile music scene in Memphis, Tennessee in 1969. Led by guitarist Lee Baker (who had played with the Memphis Blazers throughout the decade, toured with the Mar-Keys and is often called ‘the greatest guitarist you’ve never heard of’), they gigged alongside the MC5 and the Stooges and were offered the opportunity to make an album for local Stax subsidiary Enterprise in 1970. Recorded at the legendary Ardent studios with local producer Don Nix (a collaborator with Lonnie Mack, Furry Lewis, Freddy King, Albert King, Delaney & Bonnie, Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers and others, and often credited as a key architect of the ‘Memphis Sound’), they laid down a rich stew of 12-bar blues peppered with fiery guitar, fat organ and taut drumming. Though the bulk of the songs were penned by Nix (including the original version of Goin' Down, later to become a blues standard covered by Eric Clapton, Freddie King, Deep Purple, Pearl Jam and others), the sound is unmistakably theirs, and betrays the influence of the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Blue Cheer as well as blues musicians like Mississippi Fred McDowell, Sleepy John Estes and Bukka White (all of whom Baker had played with at the legendary Memphis Country Blues Festivals of the late 60s).

The album was a triumph, but failed to sell, prompting the band to split in 1971. The following year, Baker assembled another version of Moloch (featuring bassist Michael Jones, later to play with Talking Heads) and released a one-off 45 on a tiny local label called Booger. This featured even more vicious guitar than the LP, but was doomed to obscurity from the start. Baker went on to play with fellow local hero Alex Chilton (whose Big Star were to suffer a similar fate to Moloch on another Stax subsidiary, Ardent), contributing guitar to his legendary Third / Sister Lovers LP and the Like Flies On Sherbet album later in the decade. Baker also formed Mudboy & the Neutrons with friends Jim Dickinson, Sid Selvidge and Jimmy Crosthwait (dubbed ‘the great band that nobody can find’ by Bob Dylan), and collaborated extensively with pioneering blues guitarist Furry Lewis. He was still prominent on the Memphis music scene when he was senselessly murdered in September 1996, and it is to be hoped that this reissue will bring his astonishing guitar player to a wider audience.

PS. i've added the flip per anon request. here ya go!

Moloch - Cocaine Katy

Moloch - The Terrorizing Of Miss Nancy Jane

Smoke Rise - I Need A Woman To Love

Big Dumb Thud Rocks w/ a Neanderthal Pace... I Love this shit.... Hard Rock for the sake of Rocking Hard. This kind of stuff is the beginning of Heavy Metal. Knuckle Dragging heavy guitar rock singing about needing a "woman with some meat between her thighs". Not rocket science, but it gets the point across.. File somewhere between Spooky Tooth & Nazereth.

Here is the wiki info:

Smoke Rise was an American progressive rock band in 1969-1972. In 1970, they created the first American Rock Opera, The Survival of St. Joan, based on a play and a libretto by James Lineberger and produced by Oscar-winner Stephen Schwartz and Dave Blume. Smoke Rise was known as a very melodic group with smooth 3 and 4 part harmonies, guitar solos and fills, and a tight rhythm section that rocked with the best groups of the 60's and 70's.
Notable productions

The Buffalo Production of The Survival of St. Joan set box office records[citation needed] in the fall of 1970 at the Studio Arena Theater in Buffalo, NY. The New York Off-Broadway production was staged at the Anderson Theater in the East Village, with Gretchen Corbett (later of The Rockford Files fame) playing the title role. Another Oscar winner, F. Murray Abraham, was also a member of the cast.
The artwork by Doug Jamieson for the cover of the double album (Paramount PAS 9000) was displayed in the New York Museum of Modern Art[citation needed].
Members

Its members were brothers Hank Ruffin (keyboards), Gary Ruffin (guitar), and Stan Ruffin (drums), and Randy Bugg (bass guitar).
In 1972 they replaced Randy Bugg on bass guitar with Bill Turpin and added Bob Sellmansberger (former band member now returned from military service) on guitar and put out a rock single, co-written and produced by Joey Levine, "I Need a Woman" (ATCO Records 45-6851). Its B-side was a bluesy "Late Last Friday Night", written by Gary.


Smoke Rise - I Need A Woman To Love

Gloria Walker - Them Changes

The great classic "Them Changes" penned by Mr. Buddy Miles and recorded with Jimi Hendrix and The Band of Gypsies, later to be recorded by Mr. Miles for his own album.

This is a great soulful slightly funky version done by Miss Gloria Walker from 1972 of the Federal label.

Gloria Walker - Them Changes

(John) Kongos - Kongos LP - 1972

I haven't been buying many records lately. Money & time have been tight. I've seen this record around a bunch over the years and never bought it, so when i came upon it recently and seeing as things have been dry, and like a junkie needing a fix, i bought it. its not a bad time period piece from 1972. Some hippy God loving soft psych with a few guitar moves and even fewer fuzzy moments. Not bad. Kinda of reminds me of some of the stuff my Uncle Dan would play while he would baby sit me & my sister right around 1972 and have his funny smelling cigarette parties....

Interesting tidbit about this record is that "He's Gonna Step On You Again" is cited in the Guinness Book of Records as being the first song to ever use a sample.... Hmmmmmm i did not know that....

(John) Kongos - Kongos LP - 1972

Black Heat - The Jungle Pt. I

Maybe not anywhere near as rare or as funky as The Black Truth Band this 45 still packs a funky wallop! This is a promo copy with the flip being the mono version.

Black Heat was a 1970s funk band founded by King Raymond Green and discovered by Phillip Guilbeau. Their albums include Black Heat (with guest artist David "Fathead" Newman), No Time To Burn and Keep On Runnin'. The group had one hit single, "No Time to Burn", which reached #46 on the U.S. Billboard Black Singles chart.

Members:

Johnell Gray - Keyboards, Vocals
Bradley Owens - Guitar, Vocals
Chip Jones - Bass Guitar, Vocals
King Raymond Green - Congas, Timbales, Harmonica and Vocals
Esco Cromer - Drums, Vocals
Ray Thompson - Woodwinds
Rodney Edwards - Trumpet
Ken Carroll - Tenor Sax

Black Heat - The Jungle Pt. I

Endeavors - Goin' Down

These guys have to be white? but not unlike say, Rare Earth these guys funk it up pretty good. If they aint white than these dudes can rock it pretty good. Either way this is some good funk rock w/ some killer guitar work. I can't find anything about this thing either but i see people calling it northern soul??? i mean am i the only one who hears rock and roll in this thing??? any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks & Enjoy!!!

Endeavors - Goin' Down

Mother Night - S/T

Funky progressive latin soul jazz rock mix from NYC circa 1972. Some cool guitar work here and there.... Not my fave record of the day but it has some moments... Some of it gets a little long winded in the jazz/prog progessions and i wish they highligted the guitar a bit more. The horns reach a little into the Chicago (the band not the city) area too.... Meh. This coulda been a little bit more funky but as i said before it has some moments. Check it out!

Side A:
Mother Night - Scuffle

Mother Night - Today's Another Day

Mother Night - Julie Nixon

Mother Night - Utopia

Mother Night - Take A Trip



Side B:
Mother Night - Fools Are You

Mother Night - Warm Spot

Mother Night -Groupie

Mother Night - Guitar Man

The Chakachas - Jungle Fever

I'm still feeling a little funky over here so In the great tradition of Chaino i give you The Chakachas & Jungle Fever...

The Chakachas were a Belgian based group of Latin soul studio musicians. Also known as 'Les Chakachas' or 'Los Chakachas', they were formed by band leader Gaston Bogaert, ex-Los Juano Boengs and The Continentals, percussion (conga and tumba); Tito Puente's singer wife Kari Kenton, vocals and maracas; Vic Ingeveldt (a Dutchman from Liege), saxophone; Charlie Lots, trumpet; Christian Marc, piano; Henri Breyre, guitar and backing vocals; and Bill Raymond, bass guitar. All were native to Schaarbeek (a district of Brussels), or nearby Charleroi, Willebroek and Liege.

They started out in the late 1950s, and had a Belgian #1 in 1958 with "Eso es el amor", which was sung in Spanish. In 1959 they recorded "Rebecca" (a.k.a. "Rebekka") which featured in the film The Battle of Algiers. In 1962, they crept into the UK Singles Chart for the first time with "Twist Twist", which reached #48. Although they issued numerous recordings, they are best remembered as a one-hit wonder for their hit disco single "Jungle Fever" from 1972, which sold over one million copies in the United States, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in March 1972. It also reached #8 in the US Billboard Hot 100. In the UK it fared less well: despite some airplay soon after release it was later banned by the BBC, which took exception to the song's moaning and heavy breathing. It peaked at #29.

The Chakachas - Jungle Fever

The Jimmy Castor Bunch - Troglodyte (Cave Man)

Back in July I posted The Jimmy Castor Bunch - Tribute to Jimi: Purple Haze/Foxy Lady so I will spare you the long winded info, click the linky if you want it and just give you some of what the devil loves best, some fuzzy, buzzy, dirty & nasty funk from 1972! A bit misogynistic, but hey, i'm sure its all in good fun....

The Jimmy Castor Bunch - Troglodyte (Cave Man)

Ko-Kane - Shucky Darn - Pink Gin

Still having computer problems here at the devil's music but here is something i uploaded pre-computer crash:

Other than Shucky Darn being on a few comps: Funky Hot Pants and The Players:

I couldn't find anything about this 45.

It's a cool piece of Low-Fi Funk from 1972. It actually sounds like it might have been recorded on a boom box. It's pretty damned cool.

Ko-Kane - Shucky Darn

Ko-Kane - Pink Gin

The Continentals - Funky Fox

Were having some technical difficulties over here at the devil's music (computer crash) so posts will be a little less frequent around these parts until we can solve the issues but i have a few things "in the can" so to speak so keep checking back. In the Meantime check out this Funky Blue Wax from The Continentals from 1972. Although these guys got started in the 50's as a doo-wop R&B group i guess by '72 they were trying to stay in the game. Unless of course this is an entirely different Continentals, then i got noting....

Rhythm and blues vocal group the Continentals formed in Brooklyn, New York in 1955. Lead tenor Herman Montgomery, second tenor Neville "Buddy" Payne, baritone James Gripper, and bass James Vincent "Vinny" Cooper were already performing as the Condors when they lured first tenor Danny Hicks away from rival combo the Romancers — to distinguish the new lineup from the myriad bird-named units across Brooklyn, the Condors began searching for a new moniker, finally settling on the Continentals in honor of a then-popular television series about a notorious lady killer. After building a devoted local following, the group signed to Bobby Robinson's Whirlin' Disc label in 1956, but around that same time Payne impulsively joined the Marine Corps, forcing the remaining Continentals to quickly find a replacement — in new tenor John "Peanut" Jones, who previously appeared alongside Hicks in the Romancers; the revised lineup soon cut "Dear Lord." Featuring Montgomery on lead and cut with an extraordinary studio group including saxophonist King Curtis, guitarist Mickey Baker, and drummer Philly Joe Jones, the single finally appeared in October of 1956 and was above all a showcase for the Continentals' remarkable harmonies — still, despite their local popularity, "Dear Lord" failed to catch on, and after just one more session, 1957's "Picture of Love," their recording career ground to an abrupt halt. Later that year Gripper joined the U.S. Air Force, and another erstwhile Romancer, baritone Willie Keels, took his place; the group soldiered on until early 1959, when Cooper — the Continentals' musical director and a scholarship student at the Julliard School of Music — suffered a massive heart attack and died at the age of just 21. Only Hicks continued his musical career, later performing with the Keynoters, the Paragons and the Fantastics. Montgomery passed away in 1999, but on June 25, 2004 a lineup consisting of Hicks, Gripper, Jones, Payne, and Payne's younger brother Ronnie reunited to performed at Howard University, in honor of the "Doo-Wop in D.C." event , marking the Continentals' first live appearance in close to a half century.
Jason Ankeny


The Continentals - Funky Fox

Nilsson - You're Breakin' My Heart

"You're breaking my heart / You're tearing it apart / So fuck you"

Happy Monday people, here is a nice little kiss off song to help get your week started.

*Warning* Keep the youngin's away from the speakers for this one...

Here is the long sorted but interesting tale of Mr. Nilsson:

Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994) was an American songwriter, singer, pianist, and guitarist who achieved the height of his fame during the 1960s and 1970s. For most of his recordings, he did not use his first name, and was credited only as Nilsson.

Despite some significant commercial successes, including two Grammy Awards and two Top 10 singles, Nilsson's tendency to make broad stylistic jumps from one record to the next - coupled with his iconoclastic decision making - kept him from capitalizing on his career. Among Nilsson's best-known recordings are "Without You", "Everybody's Talkin'" (theme from the movie Midnight Cowboy) and "Coconut".


Early years
Nilsson was born in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, New York in 1941. His paternal grandparents were Swedish circus performers, especially known for their "aerial ballet" (which is also the title of one of Nilsson's albums). His father, Harry Edward Nilsson, Jr., abandoned the family three years later. An autobiographical reference to this is found in the opening to Nilsson's song "1941":

Well, in 1941, the happy father had a son
And in 1944, the father walked right out the door
Nilsson's "Daddy's Song", recorded by The Monkees, also makes reference to this period in the artist's life.

Harry grew up with his mother, Bette Nilsson, and his younger half-sister. His younger half-brother Drake was left with family or friends during their moves between California and New York, sometimes living with a succession of relatives and stepfathers. One relative who had an important influence on him was his Uncle John, a mechanic in San Bernardino, California, who helped Nilsson improve his vocal and musical abilities.[1]

Drake and Diane were his half-brother and half-sister through their mother. He also had three half-sisters through his father: Carol, Barbara and Rainy, and another half brother, Gary, all of whom lived in Florida during Nilsson's childhood.

Due to the poor financial situation of his family, Nilsson worked from an early age, including a job at the Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles. When the Paramount closed, Nilsson applied for a job at a bank, falsely stating he was a high school graduate on his application (he only completed ninth grade).[2] He turned out to have an aptitude for computers, which were just starting to be employed by banks at the time. He did so well, in fact, that the bank kept him on even after discovering the lie about his education. He worked on bank computers at night, and used the daytime to pursue his song-writing and singing career.[3]


Musical beginnings
As early as 1958, Nilsson was intrigued by emerging forms of popular music, especially rhythm and blues artists like Ray Charles. He had taken early stabs at performing while he was working at the Paramount, forming a vocal duo with his friend Jerry Smith and singing close harmonies in the style of the Everly Brothers. The manager at a favorite hangout gave Nilsson a plastic ukulele, which he learned to play, and he later developed the ability to play the guitar and piano. When Nilsson could not remember lyrics or parts of the melodies to popular songs, he began to make up his own. This led to writing original songs.

Uncle John's singing lessons, along with Nilsson's natural talent, surely helped when he got a job singing demos for songwriter Scott Turner in 1960. Turner paid Nilsson five dollars for each track they recorded. (Years later, when Nilsson became famous, Turner decided to release these early recordings, and contacted Nilsson to work out a fair payment. Nilsson replied that he had already been paid—five dollars a track.) His job with the bank was on the night shift, so Nilsson spent his days infiltrating Los Angeles music business offices, making friends and developing connections.

In 1963, Nilsson began to have some early success as a songwriter, working with John Marascalco on a song for Little Richard. Upon hearing Nilsson sing, Little Richard reportedly remarked: "My! You sing good for a white boy!"[4] Marascalco also financed some independent singles by Nilsson. One, "Baa Baa Blacksheep", was released under the pseudonym "Bo Pete" to some small local airplay. Another recording, "Donna, I Understand", convinced Mercury Records to offer Nilsson a contract, and release recordings by him under the name "Johnny Niles."[5]

In 1964, Nilsson worked with Phil Spector, writing three songs with him. He also established a relationship with songwriter and publisher Perry Botkin, Jr., who began to find a market for Nilsson's songs. Botkin also gave Nilsson a key to his office; this gave him another place to write after hours.

Nilsson's recording contract was picked up by Tower Records, who in 1966 released the first singles actually credited to him by name, as well as the debut album Spotlight on Nilsson. None of Nilsson's Tower releases charted or gained much critical attention, although his songs were being recorded by Glen Campbell, Fred Astaire, the Shangri-Las, the Yardbirds, and many other artists. Despite his growing success, Nilsson was still working the night shift at the bank.


Signing with RCA Victor
Nilsson signed with RCA Victor in 1966 and released an album the following year, Pandemonium Shadow Show, which was a critical (if not commercial) success. Music industry insiders were impressed both with the songwriting and with Nilsson's pure-toned, multi-octave vocals. One such insider was Beatles press officer Derek Taylor, who bought an entire box of copies of the album to share this new sound with others. With a major-label release, and continued songwriting success (most notably with The Monkees, who had a hit with Nilsson's "Cuddly Toy,"[6] after meeting him through their producer Chip Douglas), Nilsson finally felt secure enough in the music business to quit his job with the bank. Monkees member Micky Dolenz maintained a close friendship until Nilsson's death in 1994.


Cover of 1966 album Pandemonium Shadow ShowSome of the albums from Derek Taylor's box eventually ended up with the Beatles themselves,[7] who quickly became Nilsson fans. This may have been helped by the track "You Can't Do That", in which Nilsson covered one Beatles song but added 22 others in the multi-tracked background vocals. When John Lennon and Paul McCartney held a press conference in 1968 to announce the formation of Apple Corps, John was asked to name his favorite American artist. He replied, "Nilsson". Paul was then asked to name his favorite American group. He replied, "Nilsson".

Aided by the Beatles' praise, "You Can't Do That" became a minor hit in the US, and a top 10 hit in Canada.

When RCA had asked if there was anything special he wanted as a signing premium, Nilsson asked for his own office at RCA, being used to working out of one. In the weeks after the Apple press conference, Nilsson's office phone began ringing constantly, with offers and requests for interviews and inquiries about his performing schedule. Nilsson usually answered the calls himself, surprising those on the other end of the line, and answered questions candidly. (He recalled years later the flow of a typical conversation: "When did you play last?" "I didn't." "Where have you played before?" "I haven't." "When will you be playing next?" "I don't.") Nilsson acquired a manager, who steered him into a handful of TV guest appearances, and a brief run of stage performances in Europe set up by RCA. He disliked the experiences he had, though, and decided to stick to the recording studio. He later admitted this was a huge mistake on his part.

One Monday morning Nilsson answered his phone, and the caller turned out to be John Lennon, who praised Pandemonium Shadow Show, which he had listened to in a 36-hour marathon.[8] Paul McCartney called the following Monday, also expressing his admiration. Nilsson was disappointed that his next Monday did not come with a call from Ringo Starr or George Harrison,[9] but shortly after a message came, inviting him to London to meet the Beatles, watch them at work, and possibly sign with Apple Corps.

Pandemonium Shadow Show was followed in 1968 by Aerial Ballet, an album that included Nilsson's rendition of Fred Neil's song "Everybody's Talkin'". A minor US hit at the time of release (and a top 40 hit in Canada), the song would become extremely popular a year later when it was featured in the film Midnight Cowboy, and it would earn Nilsson his first Grammy Award.[10] The song would also become Nilsson's first US top 10 hit, reaching #6, and his first Canadian #1.

Aerial Ballet also contained Nilsson's version of his own composition, "One", which was later taken to the top 5 of the US charts by Three Dog Night. Nilsson was also commissioned at this time to write and perform the theme song for the ABC television series The Courtship of Eddie's Father. The result, "Best Friend", was very popular, but Nilsson never released the song on record. An alternate version, "Girlfriend", did appear on the Personal Best anthology in 1995.

With the success of Nilsson's RCA recordings, Tower re-issued or re-packaged many of their early Nilsson recordings in various formats. All of these re-issues failed to chart, including a 1969 single "Good Times".


Chart success
Nilsson's next album, Harry (1969), was his first to hit the charts, and also provided a Top 40 single with "I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City" (written as a contender for the theme to Midnight Cowboy), but used instead in the Sophia Loren movie La Mortadella (1971) (USA title: Lady Liberty). While the album still presented Nilsson as primarily a songwriter, his astute choice of cover material included, this time, a song by a little-known composer named Randy Newman, "Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear." Nilsson was so impressed with Newman's talent that he devoted his entire next album to Newman compositions, with Newman himself playing piano behind Nilsson's multi-tracked vocals.[11] The result, Nilsson Sings Newman (1970), was commercially disappointing but was named Record of the Year by Stereo Review magazine and provided momentum to Newman's career.[12]


Cover of 1971 album Nilsson SchmilssonNilsson's next project was an animated film, The Point!, created with animation director Fred Wolf, and broadcast on ABC television on February 2, 1971, as an "ABC Movie of the Week." Nilsson's album of songs from The Point! was well received, and it spawned a hit single, "Me and My Arrow."

Later that year, Nilsson went to England with producer Richard Perry to record what became the most successful album of his career. Nilsson Schmilsson yielded three very stylistically different hit singles. The first was a cover of Badfinger's song "Without You" (by Pete Ham and Tom Evans), featuring a highly emotional arrangement and soaring vocals to match, a performance that was rewarded with Nilsson's second Grammy Award.[13]

The second single was "Coconut", a novelty calypso number featuring three characters (the narrator, the sister, and the doctor) all sung in different voices by Nilsson. The song is best remembered for its chorus lyric, "Put de lime in de coconut, and drink 'em both up." Also notable is that the entire song is played using one chord, C 7th. Coconut was featured in Episode 81 (October 25, 1973) of the Flip Wilson Show. The song has since been featured in many other films, commercials. It was also used in a comedy skit on The Muppet Show, which featured Kermit the Frog in a hospital bed. In the 1995 movie "Houseguest", Sinbad's character (Kevin Franklin) says the famous line from the chorus ("Put de lime in the coconut, and drink 'em both up.") at one point in the movie. Most recently it has been heard in a television commercial for Coca-Cola with Lime. The song was also used during the end credits of Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs.

The third single, "Jump into the Fire", was raucous, screaming rock and roll, including a drum solo by Derek and the Dominos' Jim Gordon and a bass detuning by Klaus Voorman. The song was famously used during the May 11, 1980, scenes in the film Goodfellas.

Nilsson followed quickly with Son of Schmilsson (1972), released while its predecessor was still in the charts. Besides the problem of competing with himself, Nilsson's decision to give free rein to his bawdiness and bluntness on this release alienated some of his earlier, more conservative fan base. With lyrics like "I sang my balls off for you, baby", "Roll the world over / And give her a kiss and a feel", and the notorious "You're breaking my heart / You're tearing it apart / So fuck you", Nilsson had traveled far afield from his earlier work. Still, the album did well, and the single "Spaceman" was a Top 40 hit. However, the follow-up single "Remember (Christmas)" stalled at #53. A third single, the tongue-in-cheek C&W send up "Joy", was issued on RCA's country imprint Green and credited to Buck Earle, but it failed to chart.


The Maverick
This disregard for commercialism in favor of artistic satisfaction showed itself in Nilsson's next release, A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night (1973). Performing a selection of pop standards by the likes of Irving Berlin, Kalmar and Ruby, Nilsson sang in front of an orchestra arranged and conducted by veteran Gordon Jenkins in sessions produced by Derek Taylor. While in hindsight, the sessions showcased a talented singer in one of his best performances, this was not the sort of musical endeavor that was likely to burn up the charts in the 1970s. The session was filmed, and was broadcast as a television special by the BBC in the UK. (Nilsson fans still await this film's release on home video.)

1973 found Nilsson back in California, and when John Lennon moved there during his separation from Yoko Ono, the two musicians rekindled their earlier friendship. Lennon was intent upon producing Nilsson's next album, much to Nilsson's delight. However, their time together in California became known much more for heavy drinking and drug use than it did for musical collaboration. In a widely publicized incident, they were ejected from the Troubadour nightclub in West Hollywood for drunken heckling of the Smothers Brothers.[14] Both men also caused property damage during binges, with Lennon trashing a bedroom in Lou Adler's house, and Nilsson throwing a bottle through a thirty-foot hotel window.


Cover of 1977 album KnnillssonnTo make matters worse, Nilsson ruptured a vocal cord during the sessions for this album, but he hid the injury due to fear that Lennon would call a halt to the production. The resulting album, Pussy Cats, which may charitably be described as "uneven", was a shock for listeners who knew Nilsson as one of the best singers of his generation. In an effort to clean up, Lennon, Nilsson and Ringo Starr first rented a house together, then Lennon and Nilsson left for New York.

After the relative failure of his latest two albums, RCA Records considered dropping Nilsson's contract. In a show of friendship, Lennon accompanied Nilsson to negotiations, and both intimated to RCA that Lennon and Starr might want to sign with them, once their Apple Records contracts with EMI expired in 1975, but wouldn't be interested if Nilsson were no longer with the label.[15] RCA took the hint and re-signed Nilsson (adding a bonus clause, to apply to each new album completed), but neither Lennon nor Starr switched to RCA.

Nilsson's voice had mostly recovered by his next release, Duit on Mon Dei (1975), but neither it nor its follow-ups, Sandman and …That's the Way It Is (both 1976) met with chart success. Finally, Nilsson recorded what he later considered to be his favorite album, 1977's Knnillssonn. With his voice strong again, and his songs exploring musical territory reminiscent of Harry or The Point!, Nilsson had every right to expect Knnillssonn to be a comeback album. RCA Victor seemed to agree, and promised Nilsson a substantial marketing campaign for the album. However, the death of Elvis Presley caused RCA Victor to ignore everything except meeting demand for Presley's back catalog, and the promised marketing push never happened. This, combined with RCA Victor releasing a Nilsson Greatest Hits collection without consulting him, prompted Nilsson to leave the label.


Harry Nilsson's London flat
Nilsson's 1970s London flat, located in the building at 12 Curzon Street on the pricey edge of Mayfair, was a two-bedroom apartment decorated by the design company that ex-Beatle Ringo Starr and Robin Cruikshank owned at that time. Although Nilsson cumulatively spent several years at the flat, which was located near Apple Records, the Playboy Club, Tramps disco and the homes of friends and business associates. Nilsson's work and interests took him to the U.S. for extended periods, and while he was away he lent his place to numerous musician friends. During one of his absences, ex-Mamas and Papas singer Cass Elliot and a few members of her tour group stayed at the flat while she performed solo at the London Palladium, headlining with her Torch Songs and "Don't Call Me Mama Anymore." Following a strenuous performance with encores, Elliot returned to the flat to relax and sleep and was discovered in one of the bedrooms, dead of heart failure, on July 29, 1974.[16]

Four years later, on September 7, 1978, The Who's drummer Keith Moon returned to the same room in the flat after a night out, and died from an overdose of chlormethiazole, a prescribed anti-alcohol drug.[17] Nilsson, distraught over another friend's death taking place in his flat, and with little remaining need for the property, quickly sold it to Moon's bandmate Pete Townshend and consolidated his life in Los Angeles.


Winding down
Nilsson's musical work after leaving RCA Victor was sporadic. He wrote a musical, Zapata, with Perry Botkin, Jr., libretto by Allan Katz, which was produced and directed by longtime friend Bert Convy. The show was mounted at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut, but never had another production. He wrote all the songs for Robert Altman's movie-musical Popeye (1980),[18] the score of which met with unfavorable reviews. Nilsson's Popeye compositions included several songs that were representative of Nilsson's accalimed "Point" era, such as "Everthing is Food" and "Sweethaven". He recorded one more album, Flash Harry, which was released in the UK but not in the USA. However, Nilsson increasingly began referring to himself as a "retired musician".

Nilsson was profoundly affected by the murder of his close friend John Lennon on December 8, 1980. He joined the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and overcame his preference for privacy in order to make public appearances solely to raise money for the gun control cause.

After a long hiatus from the studio, Nilsson started recording sporadically once again in the mid to late 1980s. Most of these recordings were commissioned songs for movies or television shows. One notable exception was his work on a Yoko Ono Lennon tribute album, "Every Man Has A Woman" (1984) (Polydor); another was a cover of "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" recorded for Hal Willner's 1988 tribute album Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films. Nilsson donated his performance royalties from the song to the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.

In 1991, the Disney CD For Our Children, a compilation of children's music performed by celebrities to benefit the Pediatric AIDS Foundation, included Nilsson's original composition Blanket for a Sail, recorded at the Shandaliza Recording Studio in Los Angeles.

In 1985 Nilsson set up a production company, Hawkeye, to oversee the various film, TV and multimedia projects he was involved in. He appointed his friend, satirist and screenwriter Terry Southern as one of the principals, and they collaborated on a number of screenplays including Obits (a Citizen Kane style story about a journalist investigating an obituary notice) and The Telephone, a one-hander about an unhinged out-of-work actor.

The Telephone was virtually the only Hawkeye project that made it to the screen. It had been written with Robin Williams in mind but he turned it down; comedian-actress Whoopi Goldberg then signed on, with Southern's old friend Rip Torn directing, but the project was troubled. Torn battled with Goldberg, who interfered in the production and constantly digressed from the script during shooting, and Torn was forced to plead with her to perform takes that stuck to the screenplay. Torn, Southern and Nilsson put together their own version of the film, which screened at the Sundance Film Festival in early 1988, but it was overtaken by the "official" version put together by the studio, and this version premiered to poor reviews in late January 1988. The project reportedly had some later success when adapted as a theatre piece in Germany.[19]

In 1990 Hawkeye collapsed and Nilsson found himself in a dire financial situation after it was discovered that his financial adviser Cindy Sims had embezzled money from other business management clients to support his years of living beyond his means.

After the murder of John Lennon, he began to appear at Beatlefest conventions to raise money to end handgun violence and he would get on stage with the Beatlefest house band "Liverpool" to either sing some of his own songs or "Give Peace a Chance." Nilsson made his last concert appearance September 1, 1992 when he joined Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band on stage at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada to sing "Without You" with Todd Rundgren handling the high notes. Afterwards, a very emotional Ringo Starr embraced Nilsson on stage.


Death
Nilsson's health had meanwhile deteriorated, and he suffered a massive heart attack in 1993. After surviving that, he began pressing his old label, RCA, to release a boxed-set retrospective of his career, and also started recording again, attempting to complete one final album. He finished the vocal tracks for the album on 15 January 1994, and then died that night of heart failure. The following year, the 2-CD anthology he worked on with RCA, Personal Best, was released.
Wikipedia



Nilsson - You're Breakin' My Heart

Jimmy Castor Bunch - Tribute to Jimi: Purple Haze/Foxy Lady

Goingto stick w/ the Covers theme here and bring in another from the Hedrix files: DK you know this one?

A Fuzzy, Buzzy, Crude & Funky interpitation of Jimi's Purple/Lady:

Here is the lowdown on Mr. Castor & the Bunch:

Jimmy Castor (born 2 June 1943, New York) is an American pop and funk musician.

In the late 1950s, he worked with the doo-wop group Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. As leader of The Jimmy Castor Bunch in the 1970s, and also as a solo artist, he has released several successful albums and singles, some of which have been heavily sampled in films and in hip-hop. In particular, the saxophone hook and groove from "It's Just Begun" and the spoken word intro and groove from "Troglodyte" have been sampled extensively.

Jimmy Castor…songwriter, singer, saxophonist, percussionist. Producer, arranger, humorist …alias The E-Man, has earned his well deserved reputation as “THE EVERYTHING MAN.”

Before even finishing junior high school, Jimmy Castor had written his first million seller for Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers called, “I Promise To Remember.” While furthering his education at New York City’s prestigious High School of Music & Art and later attending City College, Jimmy pursued his musical career by assembling a band of his own playing an assortment of major New York nightspots. He then wrote his second million seller, “Hey Leroy Your Mama’s Calling You,” on Mercury Records, through which a new flashy and spirited performer was introduced to the public – JIMMY CASTOR. Still early into his career, Castor befriended such music greats as Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, Tito Puente and King Curtis to name only a handful.

Moving on to RCA Records, “The Jimmy Castor Bunch” continued to show off Castor’s witty, pop/r&b writing ability through his amusing characterizations of “Troglodyte” and “Luther the Anthropoid,” hit singles from their first and second RCA albums, “It’s Just Begun” and “Phase Two” – the title cut from the “It’s Just Begun” album was featured in the movie “Flashdance.” On the third RCA LP, Jimmy further established his versatility as an artist/producer by expanding the group’s more serious instrumental abilities as first recognized through Castor’s haunting rendition of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “A Whiter Shade of Pale”.

By the time Jimmy Castor released his debut album for Atlantic Records, it was no wonder that his aptly descriptive nickname could no longer be kept a secret. “The Everything Man” LP was released, and through Jimmy’s obvious talent as a master of all trades, The E-Man and The Bunch justly enjoyed a victory in obtaining Record World’s “Top Instrumental Group” award for the year. And, yet another new pair of innovative singles, “Maggie” and “The Everything Man,” hit the charts.

The internationally famous, smash LP, “Butt of Course,” was Castor’s second Atlantic release. It featured two more pop/r&b hit singles, “The Bertha Butt Boogie” and “Potential”. From the same album, there was also the legendary worldwide disco hit “E-Man Boogie,” which rated number 10 in Billboards’ annual disco poll.

“Supersound,” the next Atlantic LP yielded two more prosperous singles for The Bunch – one being the widely publicized, international favorite “King Kong” which entered the Top 100 Pop Charts in the first week of its release and reached number 1 in Japan. “E-Man Groovin’,” Castor’s fourth Atlantic LP, brought forth still another successful tale – this time about the universal and immortal Transylvanian figure “Dracula.” Castors “Maximum Stimulation” and “The Jimmy Castor Bunch” LPs further displayed Jimmy’s brilliance as a writer and performer through his enchanting saxophone melodies and smooth vocal harmonies.

In addition to his success as a recording artist, producer, writer and arranger as “The Everything Man,” Jimmy’s natural ability to relate to people along with his skill, confidence and ease as a performer and speaker has captivated and motivated audiences throughout the world at various speaking engagements.

Castor has appeared on such television shows as Dinah!, American Bandstand, Soul Train, Positively Black and Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert. Jimmy and The Bunch have also enjoyed sold out performances at such venues as The Roxy in Los Angeles, The Felt Forum and Madison Square Garden in New York, RFK Stadium in the nation’s capitol and the Omni in Atlanta.

And to add to his credit, much of Jimmy Castor’s music (“It’s Just Begun,” “The Bertha Butt Boogie” and “King Kong,” to name a few) has been sampled innumerable times in movies and by a myriad of today’s most popular artists. His statement of “What we’re gonna do right here is go back,” is LEGENDARY

Linky to official Jimmy Castor web site.

Jimmy Castor Bunch - Tribute to Jimi: Purple Haze/Foxy Lady