Alan Esdaile… Good band. Love the track wings on my heart.
Bob Laurie… Not forgotten by me – last saw them at the Country Club, Haverstock Hill, London – probably early 1969 – still got first 3 albums. “Society’s Child” a classic!
Steve Reents… Spooky Tooth was one of the better underrated bands of their time.
Mick Knights… Like a number of “underground” bands at the time they just lost their way a bit, a lot didn’t understand Ceremony and core members leaving mainly to get back to their rock roots, but none the less a great band of their time which I was lucky enough to see once
Chris Wilson… One of my favorite bands, we (Hastings College of FE) booked them on at least 2 seperate occasions to play at the Witch Doctor
Mick O’Dowd… I think they probably got pulled on a trip to the dentist!
Tony Ham… Before my day, it was up Queen’s Road when I went there, didn’t it move further up the road at one point?
Alan Esdaile… 187 Queens Road, then moved to 190 Queens Road. Looking at this photo I think theirs an album in the window you like, The Stranglers?
Tony Ham… Black and White, definitely 1978, then.
Jim Breeds… Brilliant Photo Alan Love the badges in the window 🙂
Leigh Wieland-Boys… Whilst going for a stroll on the pier one Easter Steve Demetri (my then boyfriend) bought me a Yes album from you, it’s still got the price sticker on it (seem to recall it was £1.25) – happy days
Alan Esdaile… Also see a Sad Cafe Misplaced Ideals LP, Kris Kristofferson and Elton John covers.
Julie Findlay-Jones… I loved working there, Alan was such a grear boss.
Andy Qunta… Excellent! Great to see this photo! Good times!
Paul Marshall… Oh my. That was my first ever job working with Alan, making badges by the zillion and discovering toons.
Jim Breeds… Have you thought to give a copy of this photo to the pier didital memories archive Alan?
Alan Esdaile… I’m pretty sure they had this Jim but didn’t use it.
classic line up 1970. Skip Taylor Productions (management)/Liberty Records. The engagement this photo was used to promote took place about 2 weeks before the death of Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson.
Steve Maxted…. I was on tour with Canned Heat etc. at the time of that big hit. Compering the shows
Will Cornell…. Brilliant band and it may be heresy to say this in Texas, but they were WAY better than ZZTop, who copped most of the same sound. Hite and Wilson were introduced to each other by the great John Fahey, and they found between them, they had probably the biggest collection of blues 78s on earth. Check out the “Hooker N Heat” album they did with John Lee Hooker too. It’s Wilson’s last album before he died.
Terry Har… I saw Canned Heat with Maggie Bells Stone the Crows at the Albert Hall
Andy Qunta… Love this!
Michael Wilson… Canned Heat Vocals always reminded me of Skip James.
Will Cornell… Alan Wilson’s, yes….Bob The Bear Hite’s were, well, he sounded like he looked. Compare “On the Road Again” and “Going Up The Country” (Wilson) with “Let’s Work Together” & “Same All Over” (Hite). A good variety all in one band.
Jan Warren… I saw Canned Heat in Hyde Park, London (about 1970) there was also Lovin’ Spoonful and a few other bands!!
Alan Esdaile… I’m pretty sure that was the gig when it wouldn’t stop raining Jan? I remember seeing John Sebastian attempt to play and got a feeling that Eric Burdon was their. Got drenched and missed Canned Heat.
Jan Warren… Yes I think Eric Burden was there but I don’t remember it raining?!
Chris Sherwood… I was at that concert , Canned Heat were brilliant , but the stand out performance was Eric Burden’s ..Spill the wine …..Don’t remember any rain but ended up in the Leicester Square Empire watching Woodstock… Dancing in the aisles….Last night in London …… Legendary Days !!
TRUTH – THE COLUMBIA RECORDINGS 1969-1970 The Flock
I’m guessing that most readers first heard The Flock on the famous CBS ‘sampler’ album ‘Fill Your Head With Rock’ in 1970 (an album that’s been discussed on SMART elsewhere), its where I first picked up on them with their electrifying cover version of The Kinks ‘Tired Of Waiting For You’. Indeed the front cover of FYHWR shows Jerry Goodman of The Flock hair streaming playing like the devil on his electric violin. The Flock hailed from Chicago and had been around since 1966 (as The Exclusives) releasing several singles before recording their eponymous album in 1969 and the following years ‘Dinosaur Swamps’. Both these albums are contained on this new release plus rare and unreleased tracks new to CD. Signed to CBS this hugely musically talented band were part of the jazz/rock scene along with labelmates Chicago (or Chicago Transit Authority as they were then) and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Now both those bands went on to have illustrious careers as we all know. The mystery is why TF didn’t and by 1971 had all but broken up. They don’t know and neither do I. John Mayall saw them play in America in 1969 and told the press ‘The Flock are the best band ive heard in America’ coming from one of the founding fathers of the British music scene this was high praise indeed. Their debut album is so musically innovative its unique fusions of jazz/rock/blues and quality of musicianship is awesome just listen to ‘Introduction’ ‘Clown’ ‘I Am The Tall Tree’ and the aforementioned ‘Tired of Waiting’ and its clear these are guys at the top of their game. I suppose because they weren’t ‘commercial’ or necessarily airplay friendly in the way of their contemporaries therein lies a large part of why they lost out on the big time. I think they are a musicians band lauded by their peers if not the record buying public. If that first album wasn’t great enough the follow up ‘Dinosaur Swamps’ was if anything even more accomplished ‘Big Bird’ should have been released and promoted as a single it certainly knocks spots off Chicago in my book, ‘Lighthouse’ and ‘Crabfoot’ are just two more highlights of creativity. Jerry Goodman’s violin and Fred Glicksteins vocals and lead guitar work together so perfectly. After the break up Goodman went off to the Mahavishnu Orchestra and the others went their separate ways. About 10 years ago their was a limited release of some Flock material and I managed to get in touch with Fred Glickstein and had a very interesting chat about the whole Chicago scene, I brought up another favourite of mine The Ides Of March, only for him to say they were good friends of his and they had shared the same bill often! He sent me some photo’s which hang on my wall. Great guy, great musician. This 2CD release has been remastered from the original masters and sonically sounds amazing and is certainly a definitive package with new liner notes by Fred. Anyone who has any interest in jazz/rock and hasn’t got into The Flock you are missing a rare treat. Well done Esoteric Records for a fine and much welcome package. Enjoy.
Peter Howard… My mate John at djtees does a fill your head with rock album cover tee. Pretty cool and it attracts only interesting strangers, who instantly recognize it .
Pete Fisher… remember listening to Fill Your Head With Rock back in 1970 with Bernard Jeffrey at his place.
Steve Reents… I had this album. Interesting fusion of jazz and rock.
Leigh Wieland-Boys… Me! But for some reason, and I never knew why, my cat tiddled on them more than once….don’t think she liked my taste in music, most odd!
Julie Findlay-jones… Me.
Pauline Hillier… Me x
Jeff Belton… I had 6 of them.
Stuart Huggett… Anyone else had one with numbered slots? Not sure they kept the singles in the best nick though!
Dave Nattress… Yes, definitely. Moved them around from place to place occasionally, guaranteed to spill the lot. Slipped discs I suppose. Also then plastic cassette storage racks and some hideous interlocking CD racks, possibly bought from Woolies, great dust-gatherers. They’re in the loft now – (only the racks), serious dust up there. And, as I digress, forgive me, also in the loft, loads of home recorded cassettes – mainly copies of vinyls, that I used to have in the car in cassette player days. Later cassette copies of CD’s before CD players were fitted into modest cars. First car with a built-in CD player was the mark 2 Ford Amontillado. “R889OHC” I think or something like, came from Hollingsworths, Bexhill. Next car – newer model Mondidillo had a Sony, (I think), 6 CD changer. Once it went wrong with several CD’s in it, including a couple of treasures and had to be taken out at the Ford dealership and sent off for repair and to release the CD’s which I did get back. The dealer said they could not take the thing apart and get them out. Apologies, this started as did I have a single record rack!
Robert Searle…. Ideal venue for Candy Choir,great harmonies. Saw them when they were doing a weeks stint at the Cobweb.Ron ,the keyboard player joined White Plains .Candy Choir were on Top of the Pops with Baŕry Ryan .Paul Ryan played keyboards while Ron played guitar.Eddie Wheeler played lead ,Dave played bass and Danny Beckett on drums.
Nigel Ford… Candy Choir made several visits to Battle Dances around late 60′s-early 70′s and I remember hearing them one lunch time on Radio 1 Club on my smuggled-in Ferguson tranny at school one dinner-time about ’69? ( When dinner-time was still midday…. not in the evening!!!) Ha Ha!
Andy Qunta… Great memories! I see the name Candy Choir, & what I seem to remember is great vocal harmonies!
John Wilde… The Tamla Motown sunday club. It was very good.
Very interesting comment from Brian Hatt….
We recorded Silence is Golden in 1966 in West Berlin at Teldec Studios on the worlds first 8track recorder.We took it back to our agent Starlight Artist in the uk and asked him to release it under our recording contract that we had . He said he would. In the same office were the Tremeloes who he all so managed. We herd nothing .The next time i herd the song it was by the Tremeloes in 1967 he had given it to them. When asked Why? he replied I have spent much money on them and they need a hit .I was so gutted i left the Candy Choir to form Orange Music to run the Studios and build Orange Amplifiers . Brian Hatt. Candy Choir.
Dave Easton… Suspect appeared with Candy Choir many times They were A SUPERB HARMONY BA
Robert Searle… They were Dave so were Suspect
Andy Qunta… I’m sure I saw Suspect with Candy Choir, & I thought they were both brilliant!
