zondag 16 juli 2017

Houseband - Hot Enuff (1979)

Band uit Amsterdam met veel bezettingswisselingen. O.a. Peter Smid en Harry Hardholt.
Zangeressen o.a. Floor van Zutphen, Monica Tjen A Kwoei en Lisa Schulte Nordholt.
Het eerste optreden in 1973 van multi-instrumentalist Peter Smid en de gitaristen Harry Harthold en Frank Sutherland wordt opgenomen voor de VPRO-Maandagavondshow, het radioprogramma van Wim Noordhoek. Noordhoek nodigt de heren uit vaker op te treden. Het drietal wordt, met anderen, door de VPRO binnengehaald als huisorkest. 
De band begeleidt tijdens opnamesessies niet alleen speciale gasten, maar maakt ook eigen groepsopnamen. 
In 1974 worden de kernleden van de groep, Smid, Harthold, Sutherland en pianist Piet Gerritsen, zijn in eerste instantie geïnteresseerd in klassieke ragtime, countryblues, r&b, r&r en country. In de loop der maanden worden zij echter de drijvende kracht achter de metamorfose van huisorkest tot Houseband. 
De groep ontwikkelt haar eigen sound: Hollandse funk op Amerikaanse (New Orleans) leest geschoeid. 
Het derde en laatste album, Hot Enuff, verschijnt in 1979. Spence vetrekt naar Nina Hagen, Haworth naar de Meteors, Visser naar Livin' Blues. Floor van Zutphen maakt enkele soloplaten. De groep wordt gereduceerd tot het kwartet Hardholt, Smid, Tjen-A-Kwoei en Gerritsen. Later komt er toch nog een nieuwe drummer bij: David Weiss. 

Tracklist

1. Get Up Offa That Thing (5:53)
    Soloist, Soprano Saxophone – Tom Barlage
     Written-By – D. Brown, D. Brown, Y. Brown 
  
2. Funk It Up (6:30)
    Soloist, Tenor Saxophone – Ken Spence
     Written-By – P. Smid 
 
3. Love's Gonna Getcha (5:25)
    Written-By – H. Hardholt, P. Smid 
  
4. Sucker For Your Funk (4:40)
    Written-By – P. Smid 
  
5. Hot Enuff (6:40)
    Written-By – H. Hardholt, P. Smid 
  
6. 2-2-Get-Her (3:20)
    Written-By – K. Spence, P. Smid 
 
7. Hey, What Planet Is This? (3:57)
    Written-By – K. Spence, P. Smid 

Companies, etc.
Credits
Notes
Recorded at DMC Studio, except "Hey, What Planet Is This?" recorded at Relight Studio
Mixed at "The Mill", Berkshire, England
Mastered at Utopia Studios, London 
Genre: Funk / Disco
Tijdsduur:  36:18

Label - RCA Victor

vrijdag 7 juli 2017

The Full Moon Band - Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained (1978)

Very little seems to be known about this private pressing, jazz, prog rock LP from 1978.
No idea how many were pressed but private pressings from this era were almost always in the low hundreds. What is particularly nice about this one is its condition.  
The sleeve has the odd trace of ringwear on what is quite a delicate, unlaminated and otherwise undamaged surface.
The vinyl is in as near to ‘as new’ as one is likely to find.  Near Mint would best describe it though I suspect the buyer would find Mint a closer grade.
As for the music, it seems unbelievable that this band didn’t get the distribution or recognition of others that went on to really make it big.  I guess its late arrival, after the Punk movement condemned it to a life of obscurity but it has it all;  lyrical, whimsical vocals, sitars, folky violin ;(not to mention jazzy rhythm section and a Soft Machine like synth in places) coupled with a musical confidence that belies its miniscule sales at the time.
This is prog rock at its best. I love it and I’m having a hard time parting with it actually but times are what they are and I have business to run!

Tracklist 

Side A
A1. Factory  (4:13)
A2. Modder  (7:04)
A3. Planet Move  (3:11)
A4. Sjefke  (1:48)
A5. Latin Joy  (2:45)

Side B
B1. Dreams  (4:40)
B2. I Am Scared  (3:25)
B3. Morning Is Born  (3:50)
B4. Sunday Afternoon  (3:13)
B5. New Way  (2:44)
B6. Ahram Misha  (3:18)

Credits
Bass – Gerard Ammerlaan
Drums, Percussion – Bert Kleyn
Guitar, Synthesizer – Max Brunet
Producer – Lucas Amor
Violin, Vocals, Piano, Sitar – Lucas Amor

Notes
Released:  1978
Genre: Jazz, Rock
Style: Jazz-Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Prog Rock
Tijdsduur:  41:02

Label - Amor Sounds