British Hammond Heroes?

[Man with the Golden Arm]

from the Ba$tahds ...

Hammond Heroes -- 60s R&B Organ Grooves . . . Bear Family (Germany),   

A great collection of 60s Hammond organ groovers -- and from sources you might not normally expect! Given the fame of jazz players on the instrument -- like Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff -- it's easy to forget how many rock and roll groups were also playing the Hammond in the 60s -- clearly inspired by the work of Smith, McGriff, and others -- but taking the instrument into a unique pre-fusion world that blended together rock, soul, jazz, and funk! And while much of the groups' work on organ was often overlooked alongside their more famous vocals, this set really corrects that fact by bringing together an all-instrumental lineup -- 23 tracks pulled from lost albums and singles from some of the best of the British scene at the time -- the cream of the crop of the beat group generation who were so influenced by American soul and jazz! Titles include "Stevie's Groove" by Spender Davis Group, "Jumping Jack Flash" by Wynder K Frog, "Zoom Widge & Wag" by Bobby Graham, "Working Out" by Dave Davani, "Adventures Of A Young Organ" by Ten Years After, "Jive Samba" by Remo Four, "Horses Cellar" by Peddlers, "Zoot's Sermon" by Zoot Money, "Critic's Choice" by Alan Price Set, and "Impressions Of Oliver" by Herd.

Bear Family usually puts out some pretty choice stuff, right? Any comments on this set?? Love Winwood's keybs but not familiar w/ most here.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

All good guys. Worth investigation - I think I have all the early Brian Auger stuff on single CDs, I have all three early Jon Lord things done with a group called Santa Barbara Machine Head on a "White Boy Blues" 2-LP set, and the first two Ten Years After albums have the most jazz stuff.

There's an organ appearance Winwood made with John Mayall issued on the LP "Raw Blues" where he was credited as "Steve Anglo" that is quite nice. Track is titled "Long Night".

More info on Jon Lord (early and otherwise) here: http://www.thehighwaystar.com/rosas/jouni/jl.html

Wynder K. Frog is really Mick Weaver - good jazz guys on some stuff

http://funky16corners.tripod.com/6_wynderK1.htm

And aha! Here's the complete listing:

http://www.bear-family.de/tabel1/neuheit/s.../bcd16756_e.htm

WYNDER K. FROG (Organ: Mick Weaver): Jumping Jack Flash

SPENCER DAVIS GROUP / Mk. I (Organ: Steve Winwood): Stevie's Groove

ARTWOODS (Organ: Jon Lord): A Taste Of Honey

BOBBY GRAHAM (Organ: Kenny Salmon): Zoom, Widge And Wag

JULIE DRISCOLL, BRIAN AUGER & THE TRINITY (Organ: Brian Auger): Ellis Island

DAVE DAVANI FOUR (Organ: Dave Davani): Working Out

MANFRED MANN (Organ: Manfred Mann): One Way

GRAHAM BOND ORGANISATION (Organ: Graham Bond): Wade In The Water

PEDDLERS (Organ: Roy Phillips): Horses Collar

GEORGIE FAME & HIS BLUE FLAMES (Organ: Georgie Fame): The In-Crowd

REMO FOUR (Organ: Tony Ashton): Jive Samba

TEN YEARS AFTER (Organ: Chick Churchill): Adventures Of A Young Organ

ZOOT MONEY'S BIG ROLL BAND (Organ: Zoot Money): Zoot's Sermon

ALAN PRICE SET (Organ: Alan Price): Critic's Choice

FREE (Organ: Steve Miller/UK): Guy Stevens Blues

SMALL FACES (Organ: Ian MacLagan): Grow Your Own

MOTHERHOOD (Organ: James Jackson): Back In The Grass

SPENCER DAVIS GROUP / Mk. II (Organ: Eddie Hardin): New Toy

HERD (Organ: Andy Bown): Impressions Of Oliver

SOUL SURVIVAL (Organ: Nicky Hopkins): Soul Soup

STEAMPACKET (Organ: Brian Auger): Holy Smoke

SANTA BARBERA MACHINE HEAD (Organ: Jon Lord): Rubber Monkey

NICE (Organ: Keith Emerson): Sombrero Sam

So it looks to be a tantalizing taste, but where's the full meal? Not especially thrilled - I'd love to get a comprehensive CD of Emerson's pre-Nice stuff. I only have bits here and there.

Mike

[chris olivarez]

A nice sampler but it could cause more fiscal irresponsibility down the road.

[1ngram]

Nice to see Ian MacLagan and the Small Faces featuring. His organ work just made that band. Over the past few years a lot of the instrumentals they did have come out on CD and his work features prominently. Well worth seeking out.

[sidewinder]

A nice sampler but it could cause more fiscal irresponsibility down the road.

So the B*******s are now purveying Trojan Horses?

Edited April 29, 2005 by sidewinder

[mikeweil]

Brian Auger's albums with or without Julie Driscoll have all been reissued on CD by Sanctuary - they are all interesting enough.

Georgie Fame's early albums have enough jazz content for me, they have a nice groove, and he has a very pleasant jazzy voice.

Once saw a guy Alan Haven on TV, I think he was leaning more towards MOR entertainment but did some interesting things with a glockenspiel.

Eddie Hardin, anyone? I regret Hardin & York never did a simple duo live album - they were killin' as a duo!

[mikeweil]

[Man with the Golden Arm]

thanks for an affirmative.

any one here ever heard of Seamus Beaghan? i've only heard him on some Barry Adamson records ...mixed bags... but he was a standout to mine ears.

[sidewinder]

Once saw a guy Alan Haven on TV, I think he was leaning more towards MOR entertainment but did some interesting things with a glockenspiel.

Here's a cipped image of one from my vinyl vaults - Alan Haven 'Live at Annie's Room' (Fontana). Recorded in the 60s at Annie Ross's London Club. Some greasy tunes/titles such as 'Cod and Chips Twice' ( ). Big John Patton it aint, though..

Edited April 29, 2005 by sidewinder

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Maynard Ferguson did a record with Alan Haven in the late 1960s. Haven't ever heard it, but it's not a priority for me.

Mike

[sidewinder]

Just given the 'Annie's Room' an airing. Fairly MOR, typical London night-club fare of the time. Nothing to get too excited about..

[Joe G]

Georgie Fame's early albums have enough jazz content for me, they have a nice groove, and he has a very pleasant jazzy voice.

I've read that John Mclaughlin was in this band for a while. Any recorded evidence of that?

[sidewinder]

Not sure if there's any recorded evidence of McLaughlin with Fame but on the repeat of 'Jazz Britannia' on Wednesday, Fame mentioned this group. Apparently when they did a gig in the 'Flamingo' he wasn't allowed to use the piano because 'the group weren't jazzers'. This with a lineup including McLaughlin. As a result of this bullshit Fame brought in the Hammond.

Edited April 29, 2005 by sidewinder

[chris olivarez]

A nice sampler but it could cause more fiscal irresponsibility down the road.

So the B*******s are now purveying Trojan Horses?

Yes!!! There is no end to their treachery!!!

[Guest akanalog]

is the james jackson mentioned above the jimmy jackson who tears it up on some embryo releases and also on the mal waldron album "the call"? he was on some other krautrock albums too like "wolf city" by amon duul II. maybe not the same guy but the jimmy jackson i am thinking of is really good and i really like the way he and mal waldron layered their organ and e-piano (and mellotron) sounds together.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

This is the same guy. Motherhood was Klaus Doldinger's band. Jackson was also on Doldinger's Passport album on Atlantic.

Mike

[Guest akanalog]

i always assumed james jackson was a black dude from the US who expatriated early. i even thought i heard he played in ray charles band ( i don' t know a thing about ray charles) and stayed in europe after a european tour. is james jackson british???

[mikeweil]

i always assumed james jackson was a black dude from the US who expatriated early. ... is james jackson british???

Don't know wether he was British, but black he was judging from the press photos at the time of the Embryo gig with Mal Waldron.

[Soul Stream]

Ian MacLaugin(?) lives here in town (Austin) and plays every Thursday happy hour downtown. Sadly, I play at the same time every week so I've not been able to see him. Seeing as my weekly is ending in 3 weeks, I'll finally get the chance. And looking forward to it.