The Black Arrows - Solid Sound In Guitars (1963)

In the early sixties – as all over the world – The Netherlands had many instrumental guitar groups. Almost every town had its own favorite band(s). But although many of this early guitar heroes were dreaming of big record sales, this was only reserved for a small number of groups, and even fewer reach some national fame. Usually the cause was a lack of technique and creativity, but often also a lack of technical capabilities of their amplifiers, echo units or electric guitars. The three brothers Anthonio plus drummer Laurens Müller however did not disconcert those handicaps. All born in Indonesia, and came to the Netherlands in 1949, they were accustomed to persevere in a country where the culture and the moral climate was much differently than in their homeland. Making music was, from their cultural background, therefore in the center of their attention.

Father Anthonio played violin, guitar, piano and drums and mother played piano. It soon became clear that this musical sensation, supplemented with good equipment, could form the basis of three outstanding musicians. In 1960 they decided to form a band with their good friend Lauren. From that moment it was practicing, and to spent every earned penny in new instruments. In the first month a significant repertoire was built and soon they had a good reputation. Besides the many performances at community centres, The Black Arrows had their own 'base' in Amsterdam, where a very active fan club organized dance parties every Saturday and Sunday night. There they also drawn the attention of some record companies, which resulted in their first record (January 1962). Eddy Denver – their vocalist at the time – and The Black Arrows with “Forty Days” b/w “Tough Enough”.

More records followed, instrumental and vocal, with different vocalists. More and more The Black Arrows developed themselves as one of the leading Dutch guitar groups. It was during this period that the LP “Solid Sound In Guitars” found its release. With this record they wanted to prove that they had managed to rise above the mediocrity of many local groups. And I think (like the writer of the original liner notes) they succeeded. “Solid Sound In Guitars” is one of a few LP's of Dutch guitar groups from the early sixties, and as an original it’s an absolute collector's item. Lees verder in het Nederlands +/-

In het begin van de jaren zestig waren er, zoals in heel Europa, veel instrumentale gitaargroepen in Nederland. Bijna elke stad had z'n eigen favoriete bandje(s). Maar hoewel veel van deze vroege gitaarhelden van een grote platenverkoop droomden, was dit slechts aan een klein aantal voorbehouden en daarvan bereikten er nog minder enige landelijke bekendheid. Meestal lag de oorzaak in een gebrek aan techniek en creativiteit, maar vaak ook aan een tekort aan technische mogelijkheden van hun versterkers, echo-units of elektrische gitaren. De drie broertjes Anthonio, aangevuld met drummer Laurens Müller lieten zich echter niet door die handicaps uit het veld slaan. Allemaal geboren in Indonesië en in 1949 naar Nederland gekomen, waren ze gewend om door te zetten in een land waar cultuur, moraal en klimaat zoveel anders waren dan in hun moederland. Het maken van muziek stond dan ook, vanuit hun eigen culturele achtergrond, in het middelpunt van de belangstelling.

Vader Anthonio speelde viool, gitaar, piano en drums en ook moeder speelde piano. Het was al snel duidelijk dat dit muzikale gevoel aangevuld met goede apparatuur, de basis konden vormen voor drie uitstekende muziekanten. In 1960 besloten ze samen met hun goede vriend Laurens een band te vormen. Vanaf dat moment werd er geoefend en elke zuur verdiende cent uitgegeven aan nieuwe instrumenten. In de eerste maanden kon een aanzienlijk repertoire worden opgebouwd waardoor er al snel een goede reputatie ontstond. Buiten de vele optredens in buurthuizen en andere lokaliteiten, hadden de Black Arrows ook een eigen 'honk' in Amsterdam waar een zeer actieve fanclub elke zaterdag- en zondagavond dans-party’s organiseerde. Hier werd ook de aandacht van platenmaatschappijen getrokken, wat in januari 1962 resulteerde in hun eerste grammofoonplaat. Eddy Denver, (hun zanger in die periode) en The Black Arrows in "Forty Days"/"Tough Enough".

Meer platen volgden, instrumentaal en vokaal, met verschillende vocalisten. Meer en meer ontwikkelden de Black Arrows zich tot één van de toonaangevende gitaargroepen. Het was in die periode dat de LP ‘Solid Sound In Guitars’ werd uitgebracht. Een langspeelplaat waarmee ze wilden bewijzen dat het hun gelukt was om boven de middelmaat van de vele plaatselijke groepjes uit te stijgen. En ik denk (net als de schrijver van de oorspronkelijke hoestekst) dat ze daarin op een heel bijzondere manier geslaagd zijn. ‘Solid Sound In Guitars’ behoort tot een van de weinige LP’s van Nederlandse gitaargroepen uit het begin van de jaren zestig en is, als origineel exemplaar, een absoluut collector's item. Meer informatie is te vinden op de uitstekende indo-rock site van Piet Muys.

1962 LP Solid Sound In Guitars (NL CNR LPT-35.011)

01. The Black Arrows - Rococo
02. The Black Arrows - Tulip Fields
03. The Black Arrows - Little Lonely Train
04. The Black Arrows - World Of Fire
05. The Black Arrows - Wonderland By Night
06. The Black Arrows - Johnny Guitar
07. The Black Arrows - Midnight Blues
08. The Black Arrows - Hernando's Hideaway
09. The Black Arrows - Jumbo
10. The Black Arrows - Slave Girl
11. The Black Arrows - September Song
12. The Black Arrows - Lady Of Spain

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The Sounds Of The Tornados

The Tornados burst onto the record scene in 1962 with their massive instrumental hit Telstar. But their story began a little earlier, before the world was aware of the Telstar telecommunications satellite, and before that distinctive keyboard sound had been conceived by their maverick producer Joe Meek. Joe had brought the band together the previous year to provide backing for the numerous artists recording at his independent studio in North London. The core of this group were drummer Clem Cattini, bass player Heinz Burt and guitarists Alan Caddy and George Bellamy who were joined by two sax players, Pete Newman and Pete Corton, for some of the sessions and live Work. It wasn't long before The Tornados were recruited for the prestigious role of Billy Fury's live band, where the saxophones were replaced by keyboards. Norman Hale was first to fill this slot but Roger LaVern soon established himself as the fifth Tornado after the release of their first single.

The live album "We Want Billy" introduced the group's name to the record-buying public as it was credited to Billy Fury and The Tornados, a link that was emphasised by the title of the group's own first release. Their single "Love And Fury" btw "Popeye Twist" was issued on Decca in the spring of 1962 but failed to find chart success despite having many of what were to become trademark Tornados sounds. With an insistent, galloping rhythm and biting guitar break, the whole piece was characterised by its surreal keyboard lead played on a clavioline. Their second single was to have been "The Breeze And I" but UK guitar group The Fentones beat them to it. Read on +/-

Fortunately, this turned out to be a cloud with silver lining. The first television pictures broadcast across the Atlantic on July 11th, 1963, had inspired Joe Meek to create, his greatest work as a tribute to the Telstaf satellite and The Tornados were on hand to record it. However, with their commitment to a summer show in Great Yarmouth, they did not have time to complete their recording of "Telstar" before dashing back for an evening appearance. Hence the clavioline lead was played by Meek's collaborator, classically trained pianist Geoft Goddard. With a little more studio tweaking, including the crucial addition of introductory sound effects, a genuine pop classic was in the can.

"Telstar" b/w "Jungle Fever" crashed into the UK charts at the end of August 1962 and stayed there for no less than 25 weeks, five of them at number one. It was also a major international success, most notably in America where The Tornadoes (as they were known there) became the first British group to top the Billboard charts - a whole year before the much heralded triumph of The Beatles. Their American record company quickly called for an album to capitalise on this success and one track started getting a lot of airplay. Thus it was that "Ridin' The Wind" (with additional thunderclap effects) became their second American hit single, reaching a respectable number 63.

In the UK, "Globetrotter" was the follow-up whilst "Ridin' The Wind" featured on the EP Sounds Of The Tornados. "Globetrotter" b/w "Locomotion With You" reached the charts in January of 1963, peaking at number five during its 12-week stay. Drawing comment at the time for its similarity to the Jimmy Clanton/Mark Wynter hit "Venus In Blue Jeans", it was a more straightforward melodic piece than its predecessor. Robot was closer in style to their first hit with its sound effects integrated into a punchy arrangement, although the lead featured a more conventional organ sound. Coupled with "Life On Venus" it enjoyed a full 12 weeks in the charts during the second quarter of 1963, peaking at number 17.

The final single from the Telstar lineup of The Tornados was "The Ice Cream Man" btw "Theme From The Scales Of Justice" which reached number 18 during its nine week chart run in the summer of '63. It was after this that blond bassist Heinz Burt left to concentrate on his vocal career as a series of replacements joined and departed in rapid succession. Brian Gregg joined fellow former Johnny Kidd's Pirates Clem Cattini and Alan Caddy for the "Dragonfly/Hymn For Teenagers" single which was The Tornados last chart entry, reaching number 41 in a two-week spell during October 1963. "Hot Pot" took its inspiration from "Jungle Fever", the popular flip of "Telstar", but failed to chart. Coupled with Joystick, it was released in February of 1964 on Decca.

"Monte Carlo", theme from the BBC television programme "Know Your Car", was backed with "Blue, Blue, Blue Beat" (April 1964) but suffe red the same fate whilst the line-up of the band underwent further changes. George Bellamy and Roger LaVern had left following Dragonfly, and then finally Alan Caddy departed to leave drummer Clem Cattini as the only original member to stick it out to the release of their final Decca single. "Exodus" was recorded "live" during their summer season at Blackpool's South Pier; supported by "Blackpool Rock" was released in August 1964. Subsequent releases on the Columbia record label were recorded by various different line-ups employed by Joe Meek to benefit from the remaining popularity of The Tornados' name. Although they were also successful in the EP charts and eventually had an LP released in the UK in the summer of 1963, The Tornados were essentially a singles band who enjoyed all their hits on the Decca label.

1963 LP The Sound Of The Tornados (UK Decca DFE-8510) [See tracklist US LP]

1963 Lp The Sound Of The Tornados (US London LL-3279)

01. The Tornados- Telstar
02. The Tornados- Red Roses And A Sky Of Blue
03. The Tornados- Chasing Moonbeams
04. The Tornados- Earthy
05. The Tornados- Swinging Beefeater
06. The Tornados- Love And Fury
06. The Tornados- Theme From A Summer Place
07. The Tornados- Dreamin' On A Cloud
08. The Tornados- Ridin' The Wind
09. The Tornados- The Breeze And I
10. The Tornados- Jungle Fever
11. The Tornados- Popeye Twist

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1963 LP Away From It All (UK Decca LK-4552)

01. The Tornados- Indian Brave
02. The Tornados- Flycatcher Listen
03. The Tornados- Dreams Do Come True
04. The Tornados- Lullaby For Gulia
05. The Tornados- Costa Monger
06. The Tornados- Lonely Paradise
07. The Tornados- Cattanoga Choo Choo
08. The Tornados- Rip It Up [vocal]
09. The Tornados- Alan's Tune
10. The Tornados- Cootenanny
11. The Tornados- Night Rider

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The Left Banke Too

This New York group pioneered "baroque & roll" in the '60s with its mix of pop/rock and grand, quasi-classical arrangements and melodies. Featuring teenage prodigy Michael Brown as keyboardist and chief songwriter, the group scored two quick hits with "Walk Away Renee" (number five) and "Pretty Ballerina" (number 15). Chamber-like string arrangements, Steve Martin's soaring, near-falsetto lead vocals, and tight harmonies that borrowed from British Invasion bands like the Beatles and the Zombies were also key elements of the Left Banke sound. Though their two hits are their only well-remembered efforts, their debut album (Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina) was a strong, near-classic work that matched the quality of their hit singles in songwriting and production.

The Left Banke's internal dynamic wasn't nearly as harmonious as their sound, and their history goes some way toward explaining their short career. Initially, the group made some recordings that were produced by Brown's father, Harry Lookofsky. When these recordings failed to interest companies in signing the band, the Left Banke broke up, Brown moving to California with the group's original drummer. A backing track for "Walk Away Renee" had already been completed, and the other members overdubbed vocals in Brown's absence. The song was released on Smash and became a hit, and the musicians reunited to tour and continue recording. Read On +/-

Unfortunately, the group, which showed such tremendous promise, was quickly torn asunder by dissension. Due to the nature of their music (which often employed session musicians), the Left Banke's sound was difficult to reproduce on the road, and one could sympathize with Brown's wishes to become a Brian Wilson-like figure, concentrating on writing and recording while the rest of the musicians took to the road. A variety of guitarists, as both session musicians and ostensible group members, flitted in and out of the lineup; Rick Brand, credited as the guitarist on the first LP, actually plays on only one of the album's songs. Adding fuel to the fire, Brown's bandmates wanted to oust Brown's father as the act's manager. In early 1967, Brown went as far as to record a Left Banke single without them, using vocalist Bert Sommer.

That single ("And Suddenly") flopped, and for a brief time in September 1967 the original members were recording together again. After just one single ("Desiree"), though, Brown left for good. Most of the group's second and final album, The Left Banke Too, was recorded without him. While it still sported baroque arrangements and contained some fine moments, Brown's presence was sorely missed, and the record pales in comparison to their debut. Brown went on to form a Left Banke-styled group, Montage, which released a fine and underappreciated album in the late '60s. He later teamed up to form Stories with vocalist Ian Lloyd.

There were some confusing son-of-Left Banke recordings over the next few years, although the band really came to a halt in 1969, after the second album. Brown, Martin, and unknown musicians made a few recordings in late 1969; then, oddly, the original group re-formed for a fine early-1971 single on Buddah ("Love Songs in the Night" b/w "Two by Two"), although the record itself was credited to Steve Martin.

1967 Walk Away Renée (US Smash SRS-67088)

01. The Left Banke - Barterers And Their Wives
02. The Left Banke - Evening Gown
03. The Left Banke - I Haven't Got The Nerve
04. The Left Banke - I've Got Something On My Mind
05. The Left Banke - Lazy Day
06. The Left Banke - Let Go Of You Girl
07. The Left Banke - Pretty Ballerina
08. The Left Banke - Shadows Breaking Over My Head
09. The Left Banke - She May Call You Up Tonight
10. The Left Banke - Walk Away Renee
11. The Left Banke - What Do You Know

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1968 LP The Left Banke Too (US Smash SRS-67113)

01. The Left Banke - Bryant Hotel
02. The Left Banke - Dark Is The Bark
03. The Left Banke - Desiree
04. The Left Banke - Give The Man A Hand
05. The Left Banke - Goodbye Holly
06. The Left Banke - In The Morning Light
07. The Left Banke - My Friend Today
08. The Left Banke - Nice To See You
09. The Left Banke - Sing Little Bird Sing
10. The Left Banke - There's Gonna Be a Storm

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Here's Larry Williams

A rough, rowdy rock & roll singer, Larry Williams had several hits in the late '50s, several of which -- "Bony Maroney," "Dizzy, Miss Lizzy," "Short Fat Fannie," "Bad Boy," "She Said Yeah" -- became genuine rock & roll classics and were recorded by British Invasion groups; John Lennon, in particular, was a fan of Williams, recording several of his songs over the course of his career.

As a child in New Orleans, Williams learned how to play piano. When he was a teenager, he and his family moved to Oakland, CA, where he joined a local R&B group called the Lemon Drops. In 1954, when he was 19 years old, Williams went back to New Orleans for a visit. During his trip, he met Lloyd Price, who was recording for Specialty Records. Price hired the teenager as his valet and introduced him to Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, the label's house producer. Soon, the label's owner, Art Rupe, signed Williams to a solo recording contract. Read on +/-

Just after Specialty signed Larry Williams, Specialty lost Little Richard, who had been their biggest star and guaranteed hitmaker. Little Richard decided to abandon rock & roll for the ministry shortly after Williams cut his first single, a cover of Price's "Just Because," with Richard's backing band; "Just Because" peaked at number 11 on the R&B charts in the spring of 1957. After Richard left the label, the label put all of its energy into making Williams a star, giving him an image makeover and a set of material -- ranging from hard R&B and rock & roll to ballads -- that was quite similar to Richard's hits.

Williams' first post-Little Richard single was the raucous "Short Fat Fannie," which shot to number one on the R&B charts and number five on the pop charts in the summer of 1957. It was followed in the fall by "Bony Maronie," which hit number four on the R&B charts and number 14 on the pop charts. Williams wasn't able to maintain that momentum, however. "You Bug Me, Baby" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy," his next two singles, missed the R&B charts but became minor pop hits in late 1957 and early 1958. Despite the relative failure of these singles, Williams' records became popular import items in Britain; the Beatles would cover both sides of the "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" single (the B-side was "Slow Down") in the mid-'60s. However, Williams' commercial fortunes in America continued to decline, despite Specialty's release of a constant stream of singles and one full-length album.

In 1959, Williams was arrested for selling narcotics, which caused Specialty to drop him from the record label. During the '60s, he drifted through a number of labels in the early '60s, recording songs for Chess, Mercury, Island, and Decca. By the mid-'60s, he had hooked up Johnny "Guitar" Watson and the duo cut several sides for OKeh Records in the mid- and late '60s, including the Top 40 R&B hits "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" (spring 1967) and "Nobody," which was recorded with Kaleidoscope (early 1968). Williams also became a house producer for OKeh Records in 1966, although very few of his productions became hits.

1959 LP Here's Larry Williams (US Specialty SP-2109)

01. Larry Williams - Short Fat Fannie
02. Larry Williams - Make A Little Love
03. Larry Williams - Hootchy-Koo
04. Larry Williams - Lawdy Miss Clawdy
05. Larry Williams - Peaches And Cream
06. Larry Williams - Give Me Love
07. Larry Williams - Bony Maronie
08. Larry Williams - Little School Girl
09. Larry Williams - Dizzy, Miss Lizzy
10. Larry Williams - Teardrops
11. Larry Williams - You Bug Me, Baby
12. Larry Williams - Ting-A-Ling

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The Association

Here the complete review of The Association from Bruce Eder. Not because I can't tell you some, but because it's a really good and complete story. So sit back and read... The Association was one of the more underrated groups to come out of the mid- to late '60s. Creators of an enviable string of hits from 1966 through 1969, they got caught in a shift in popular culture and the unwritten criteria for significance in that field and never recovered. The group's smooth harmonies and pop-oriented sound (which occasionally moved into psychedelia and, much more rarely, into a harder, almost garage-punk vein) made them regular occupants of the highest reaches of the pop charts for two years -- their biggest hits, including "Along Comes Mary," "Cherish," "Windy," and "Never My Love," became instant staples of AM play lists, which was a respectable achievement for most musicians at the time. That same sound, along with their AM radio popularity, however, proved a liability as the music environment around them changed at the end of the decade. Additionally, their ensemble singing, essential to the group's sound and appeal, all but ensured that the individual members never emerged as personalities in their own right. The Association was as anonymous an outfit as their contemporaries the Grass Roots, in terms of any individual names or attributes, despite the fact that both groups generated immensely popular hits that millions of listeners embraced on a deeply personal level. Read on +/-

The group's roots go back to a meeting in 1964 between Terry Kirkman, a Kansas-born, California-raised music major, proficient on upwards of two dozen instruments, and Jules Alexander, a Tennessee-born high school drop-out with an interest in R&B who was a budding guitar virtuoso. Alexander was in the U.S. Navy at the time, serving out his hitch, and they agreed to link up professionally once he was out. That happened at the beginning of 1965, and they at once pursued a shared goal, to put together a large-scale ensemble that would be more ambitious than such existing big-band folk outfits as the New Christy Minstrels and the Serendipity Singers. The result was the Men, a 13-member band that played folk, rock, and jazz, who earned a spot as the house band at the L.A. Troubadour. The group's promising future was cut short, however, when the group's lineup split in two after just a few weeks with seven members exiting. The remaining six formed the Association, the name coming at the suggestion of Kirkman's wife Judy.

Ted Bluechel, Jr. was their drummer, Brian Cole played bass, Russ Giguere was on percussion, and Jim Yester, brother of Easy Riders/Modern Folk Quartet alumnus Jerry Yester, played rhythm guitar behind Alexander. Each member was also a singer -- indeed, their vocal abilities were far more important than their skills on any specific instruments -- and several were multi-instrumentalists, able to free others up to play more exotic instruments on stage. The group rehearsed for six months before they began performing, developing an extremely polished, sophisticated, and complex sound.

The Association shopped itself around Los Angeles but couldn't do any better initially than a single release on the Jubilee label -- their debut, "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You," wasn't a success, nor was their subsequent 1965 recording of Bob Dylan's "One Too Many Mornings" on Valiant Records, which was an early folk-rock effort that was probably a little too complex for national exposure -- though it got decent local radio play in Los Angeles. The group came completely into its own, however, with the recording of the singles "Along Comes Mary" and "Cherish."

The recording of those songs was to set a new standard in the treatment of rock music in America. As Ted Bluechel recalled in a 1984 Goldmine article by Marty Natchez, the voices were recorded at Columbia studios, while the instruments -- played by Terry Kirkman and Jules Alexander, plus a group of studio musicians -- were cut in an improvised four-track studio owned by Gary Paxton. Those two songs, and the entire album that followed, revealed a level of craftsmanship that was unknown in rock recordings up to that time. Producer Curt Boettcher showed incredible skill in putting together the stereo sound on that album, which was among the finest sounding rock records of the period. The fact that most of the members didn't play on their records was not advertised, but it was a common decision in recording in those days -- Los Angeles, in particular, was home to some of the best musicians in the country; they worked affordably and there was no reason to make less-than-perfect records. Even the Byrds, apart from Roger McGuinn, had stood on the sidelines when it was time to do the instrumental tracks on their earliest records, although this sense that the Association's music was a "production" rather than the work of an actual band probably helped contribute to their anonymity as a group.

Considering their lightweight image in the later 1960s, the Association made a controversial entry into the music market with "Along Comes Mary" -- apart from its virtues as a record, with great hooks and a catchy chorus, it was propelled to the number seven spot nationally with help from rumors that the song was about marijuana. No one is quite certain of what songwriter Tandyn Almer had in mind, and one wonders how seriously any of this was taken at the time, in view of the fact that the song became an unofficial sports anthem for Catholic schools named St. Mary's. "Cherish," a Kirkman original (which was intended for a proposed single by Mike Whelan of the New Christy Minstrels), was their next success, riding to number one on the charts. Among the most beautiful rock records ever made, the song has been a perennial favorite of romantic couples for decades since.

It was just at this point that the exhaustion that came with success and the avarice of their record label, along with a couple of artistic and commercial misjudgments, combined to interrupt the group's progress. Their next single, "Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies," was not an ideal choice as a follow-up to one of the prettiest and most accessible rock records of the decade, reaching only number 35, and "No Fair At All," the next single, also fared poorly. Equally important, the group was forced to rush out a second album, Renaissance (produced by Jim Yester's brother Jerry Yester), while they were honoring the burgeoning tour commitments attendant to a pair of huge national hits. It was also during this time that Valiant Records, including the Association's contract, was absorbed by Warner Bros. Records.

A major personnel problem also arose as Jules Alexander, one of the core players in the group, decided to leave. He headed off to India, where he spent most of the next year. He returned in 1967, intending to form his own group, which never got off the ground. In the meantime, the Association recruited multi-instrumentalist Larry Ramos of the New Christy Minstrels to replace Alexander. The group's lineup change coincided with their getting access to a song by Ruthann Friedman called "Windy." Another number one single, it was tougher to realize as a finished work, cut over a period of 14 hours with Friedman and Yester's wife, arranger Cliff Burroughs, and his wife, along with numerous others, all singing with them.

Insight Out, their third album, was a tough one to record as well. Initially to have been produced by Jerry Yester, it fell apart after it was half done when the group became unhappy with the sound and shape he was giving it. Instead, they turned to Bones Howe, an engineer and producer (most noted for his work with the Fifth Dimension, among many other popular acts), who finished the album with them. Insight Out was a better album than Renaissance, with pop, folk-rock, and hard rock elements that hold together reasonably well, although its audio textures lacked the delicacy of the group's debut long-player. The album's two hits, "Windy" and "Never My Love," were among their most popular and enduring records and helped drive sales of the 12" platter. The final track, "Requiem for the Masses," which featured a Gregorian chant opening, was a strange song mixing psychedelia and social commentary -- its lyrics were a searing social indictment, originally dealing with the death of boxer Davy Moore (Bob Dylan had written a song, very little known at the time, on the same subject four years earlier).

Immediately prior to the release of Insight Out, the group played the most visible live gig in their history, opening the Monterey International Pop Festival. The group didn't seem absurdly out of place, in the context of the times, on a bill with Simon & Garfunkel, the Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Eric Burdon and the Animals, and the Mamas & The Papas. It was an ideal showcase, and as the tapes of the festival reveal, the group was tight and hard that night, their vocals spot-on and their playing a match for any folk-rock band of the era -- Ted Bluechel's drumming, in particular, and Larry Ramos's and Jim Yester's guitars are perfect, and even Kirkland's flute came out well on stage.

Had any part of their Monterey set been released, it might've helped correct the image that the Association were rapidly acquiring of being a soft, pop/rock group. Instead, their performance took some 20 years to see the light of day and longer than that for a pair of songs to show up on CD. The group's next album, Birthday, was a departure from its three predecessors, their attempt at creating a heavier sound. It was around this same time that they cut the single "Six Man Band," a very nasty critique of the music business written by Kirkman. The measures that the group took to change its image came too late -- Birthday fell largely on deaf ears when it was issued in 1968, and the singles "Six Man Band" and "Enter the Young," the latter a re-recording of a song that highlighted their debut album, charted only moderately well.

Warner Brothers' release of a greatest hits album in 1969 boosted the group's album sales and consolidated the audience that they had, but did nothing to stop the rot that had set in. By 1969, the sensibilities of the rock audience had hardened, even as that audience splintered. Suddenly, groups that specialized in more popular, lighter fare, usually aimed at audiences outside the 17-25 age group, and especially those with a big AM radio following, such as Paul Revere & the Raiders and the Grass Roots, and the Association were considered terminally out of fashion and uncool by the new rock intelligentsia. If they got mentioned or reviewed in the pages of Rolling Stone, Crawdaddy, or Circus magazine, it was usually for a lark rather than in a fully serious context. They were usually lumped together with bubblegum acts such as the 1910 Fruitgum Company and the Ohio Express and represented the kind of music you left behind (especially if you were a guy) once you got out of ninth grade, if you had any intentions of being considered cool.

One positive development was the return of Jules Alexander to the lineup in 1969, which turned the group into a septet and gave them the services of three talented guitarists. The group's Goodbye Columbus soundtrack album, which included incidental music from the film of that name composed by Charles Fox, was the kiss of death for the group's credibility, regardless of the musical merits of their work. It was one thing for movies like Easy Rider to make use of music by the likes of the Byrds -- that was part of a new wave of filmmaking -- but as a film, Goodbye Columbus was a piece of Hollywood product. Coming out in the same year that Woodstock took place, it spoke volumes about where the Association was in relation to music and audiences.

1966 LP And Then...Along Comes The Association (US Valiant VLS-25002)

01. The Association - Enter The Young
02. The Association - Your Own Love
03. The Association - Don't Blame It On Me
04. The Association - Blistered
05. The Association - I'll Be Your Man
06. The Association - Along Comes Mary
07. The Association - Cherish
08. The Association - Standing Still
09. The Association - Message Of Your Love
10. The Association - Round Again
11. The Association - Remember
12. The Association - Changes

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1967 LP Renaissance (US Valiant VLS-25004)

01 The Association - I'm The One
02 The Association - Memories Of You
03 The Association - All Is Mine
04 The Association - Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies
05 The Association - Angeline
06 The Association - Songs In The Wind
07 The Association - You May Think
08 The Association - Looking Glass
09 The Association - Come To Me
10 The Association - No Fair At All
11 The Association - You Hear Me Call Your Name
12 The Association - Another Time, Another Place

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11968 LP Birthday (US Warner Bros. WS-1733)

01. The Association - Barefoot Gentleman
02. The Association - Birthday Morning
03. The Association - Come On In
04. The Association - Everything That Touches You
05. The Association - Hear In Here
06. The Association - Like Always
07. The Association - Rose Petals, Incense & Kitten
08. The Association - The Bus Song
09. The Association - It Is Today
10. The Association - Time For Livin'
11. The Association - Toymaker

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