An obscure and rare record from this folk act led by James Harpham, (who plays the recorder, an ancient flute-like instrument) A Handful Of Pleasant Delites was originally released by Middle Earth in 1969 – the same label as Arcanum and Writing On The Wall – and featured an interesting blend of acoustic folk, baroque medleys, jazz improvisations and experimental music constantly shifting from pastoral atmospheres to urban neurosis. Line-up / Musicians Hugo Dalton/mandolin James Harpham/recorder David Snell/harp Christopher Taylor/recorder Arthur Watts/bass Discography A Handful of Pleasant Delites 1969
UNDERTAKERS CIRCUS is a jazz-rock band from Lillestrøm, Norway, with their most active period between 1967 and 1976. With a full horn section accompanying traditional rock instruments their sound resembles bands like CHICAGO and BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS, but with melodies and harmonies more of the BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST and THE MOODY BLUES mode.They were one of the first rock bands in Norway to sing in their native language, and they often wrote lyrics with political and social content. Undertakers Circus differed from many other Norwegian rock bands because of their characteristic horn section and the fact that they are influenced by jazz. The first single released 1968 is named “Little Boy Blue/Gotta Get Away”, but their first LP, which was a revolutionary release, was released as long as five years later by Polydor Records and got the name “Ragnarock”. At the time the band counted 11 members: Thor S. GRENI (vocals), Per Kristian LINDSTAD (guitar), Frank MYRSETH (guitar), Stein GUDMUNDSEN (vocals, congas), Erik THOEN (bass), Frode KILDAL (drums), Øystein BJØRK (trumpet), Johnny TORP (trombone), Kjell KRISTOFFERSEN (trumpet), Ivar HOVDEN (tenor sax) and Wiggo NILSEN (trombone). Line-up / Musicians Thor S. Greni/vocals Erik Thoen/bass Per Kristian Lindstad/guitar Øystein Bjørk/trumpet Frank Myrseth/guitar Stein Gudmundsen/vocals,congas Johnny Torp/trombone Kjell Kristoffersen/trumpet Ivar Hovden/tenor sax Frode Kildal/drums Wiggo Nilsen/trombone Discography(Album) Ragnarock 1973
1.Ragnarock 2.Løfte 3.Nettenes prinsesse 4.På Stiklested 5.Nå sitter vi og venter 6.Menuett silikose 7.2007 8.Arbeidsløs jul igjen 9.Mor Norge
After they had
released their second effort, "1001° Centigrades", the french Zeuhl band
MAGMA released another album with almost the same line-up, but under a
different band name: UNIVERIA ZEKT. The album, entitled "The
Unnamables", was intended to be a relatively 'easy' introduction into
the world of Zeuhl music, for the band was trying to broaden its
audience. Unfortunately, the album is very hard to find nowadays. Line-up / Musicians Christian Vander/drums,percussion Klaus Blasquiz/vocals,percussion Francois Cahen/pianos Francis Moze/bass,organ Teddy Lasry/saxes,flute,organ Jeff Seffer/saxes Tito Puentes/trumpet Claude Engel/guitar Zabu/vocals Lionel Ledissez/vocals Discography The Unnamables 1972
1.You Speak And Speak Colegram 2.Altcheringa 3.Clementine 4.Something's Cast A Spell 5.Ourania 6.Africa Anteria 7.Undia
Ultima Spiaggia
was not really a band proper, but rather a project of some well known
Italian musical figures which encompassed both the launching of a record
label and the creation of an ambitious recording to celebrate it. Both
were called Ultima Spiaggia. The label was formed in 1974 by the
legendary Ricky Gianco along with Nanni Ricordi and Gianfranco Manfredi.
It released albums for the rest of the 1970s and was distributed by
RCA. The label released the works of the people involved, along with
GRAMIGNA, I.P.SON GROUP, and many others. Although the label's releases
only occasionally crossed paths with "prog rock" he did have an interest
in promoting unique and exceptional sounds. The musical project Ultima
Spiaggia was a large collective of impressive musicians who concocted a
long lost gem entitled "Disco dell'angoscia" in 1975. Composed by
Gianco, Manfredi, Ninni Carucci, and Claudio Bonechi, the work was an
ambitious and strange concept album about a man involved in a car
accident and his subsequent journey through a dark unconscious state.
The material resides on that wonderfully odd, avant branch of the RPI,
where traditional RPI and Italian song tradition get genetically
modified with 1970s experimentation. One blog nails the description as
swerving between musique concrète, pop, avant-garde, beat, rock n roll,
old-fashioned melodies, progressive rock...like continuously switching
the stations of a radio tuned to the distorted brainwaves of a man
fallen. Indeed! (-laltritalia.wordpress)This project band did not last,
although Gianco and Manfredi remained friends for life and collaborated
on other musical ventures. Most of the members can be found in multiple
others musical projects too numerous to list, but a few of note: Hugo
Heredia would work with Antonius Rex and released his own album.
Cappellotto worked with Branduardi. De Piscopo played with Lucia Dalla
and New Trolls. The stunning gatefold cover artwork was done by Paolo
Baratella. Without question this is an album badly in need of a quality
CD reissue which displays the artwork in mini-lp form. The photo on this
page is Gianco and Manfredi later in life. Gianco is on the right. Line-up / Musicians Ricky Gianco/guitar,vocals Gianfranco Manfredi/vocals Ninni Carucci/vocals Nanni Ricordi/vocals Ivan Cattaneo/vocals Sergio Farina/guitar Claudio Bonechi/keyboards Hugo Heredia/sax Gigi Cappellotto/bass Tullio De Piscopo/drums Ellade Bandini/drums Discography Disco dell'angoscia 1975
1.L'incidente 2.Voglio vivere 3.Motivo angoscia 1 4.Canto delle streghe e del demonio 5.Motivo angoscia 2 6.Samba della tortura e della guerra 7.Che cosa è... 8.Motivo angoscia 3 9.Rock della ricostruzione 10.Davanti al nastro che corre 11.Motivo angoscia 4 12.Zucchero mio 13.Piacere e potere 14.Motivo angoscia 5 15.L'incidente
