The Tymes (1974) Ms Grace

An insanely catchy tune about an enchanting woman it reminds me of The Tams, complete with  doo wop backing vocals and a lot of atmosphere.  The result is an underrated and unloved soul number about devotion and great lyrics like "The rivers turn in their beds".

Target (1976) Let Me Live

A hard rock band with a 'Nazareth' power ballad sound, this song is a great example, it is driven by heavy descending arpeggios and the incredible vocals of a young Jimi Jamison, later of Survivor and writing and performing the classic Baywatch theme. The delay on the guitars and their whining signals and strong reverb give this song a nice atmosphere and actually reminds me of 'I'm Always Here' Baywatch theme.

The Rolling Stones (1972) Let it Loose

 Another underrated gem from what many people consider to be the Stones' best album, the country blues double album Exile on Main Street. This one, like many Stones gems, starts with a iconic, memorable loop of music, such as the haunting the piano vamps of Monkey Man or pulsing trumpets of Stop Breaking Down, here we get a dreamy texture of Hammond organ effected guitars and Jagger's aped drawl. The way the song swells with gospel choirs and Jagger's coursed vocals laying bare his demons in this song. The depression, drugs and alcohol have never been so vividly realised in music as The Stones always could; "You're in the bar, and you're gettin drunk!". The despair displayed in the song is what made the Stone's earthy blues so well loved.

Climax Blues Band (1976) Couldn't Get It Right

A song with a great chorus featuring very high backing vocals and great guitar and sax lines.  A hit during its time though since forgotten it has a disco vibe with lyrics about something meaningful though not too sure.

Fleetwood Mac (1973) Believe Me

 Before Buckingham Nicks became the frontman and woman of 60s British group Fleetwood Mac they actually were transforming into a pop rock band with Bob Welch fronting the band and setting the groundwork for their late 70's comeback. But Christine McVie was also fronting many of the songs before being relegated to third vocalist after Buckingham Nicks. This is one of many great sweet pop songs she crafted that could easily stand with their later output. Believe Me has great dynamics as a slow piano fade in kicks into gear into the song's central rhythm it features great lines such as "Is it really such a sin to love you"; a rock n roll song with a female perspective is refreshing change from the male adolescence that usually dominates the genre.

Deep Purple (1974) What's Goin On

Another Mark 3 gem this is a short rocker built around a Richie Blackmore stuttered riff and some more tag team vocals by the underrated duo of Coverdale Hughes.  However it is the honky tonky piano work Jon Lord taking a rare break from his trusty organ.  It's his clanky keys add to the humour good time feeling of this song, a rare mood for Purple song.

Deep Purple (1975) The Gypsy

Starting off with a stately Deep Purple riff before Hughes and Coverdale harmonise the lead vocals to get advice from a gypsy fortune teller. The combination of a wah wah with an organ gives that great riff distinct majesty almost Prog and very different to the blues riffing of Jimmy Page and the Doom laden fuzz riffs of Tommy Iomi.

Hall and Oates (1974) Better Watch Your Back

Almost a pop song mixing dreamy prog chorus textures with a terse electric guitar rhythm for the verses almost mirroring the dynamic shifts of a marriage from paradise to a nightmare and back. The lyrics are all about a husband called Jack who acts like a child while the wife holds everything together, slightly one sided and a cliché it still adds to the vitriol that fuels the verses before the choral harmonies during the hook. Just another gem from 70s H and O that shows when their peak output was.

Bloodstone(1975) My Little Lady

Starting like a Rat Pack number, then the bass builds to a guitar break before launching into the Boz Scaggs sounding flutes and percussion of the song.  The lead singers catchy falsetto, the festive bells and the songs infectious beats make this a golden gem from an oft- under admired band.

Blue Magic (1976) See the Bedroom

An elegant mix of Moogs and Flute work mingling together with the standard philly soul setup of horns and saxophone under a nice Motown melody. Another gem from my favourite Philly group though the album it's from 1976's Mystic Dragons didn't have the same indelible original compositions that they output so effortlessly on their first three.

T Rex (1974) The Avengers (superbad)

A funkier direction by Bolan as he entered his mid 70's period which wasn't as popular as the super stardom of his early 70's T-Rextacy moment. It was also a time where he was still finding him self musically as the Glam trend started fade before punk , new wave and pub rock took over. Though Marc Bolan went down the funky disco route, in this song he says now "Funky born free". 

 This gem has a very heavy rock chant of 'Get This!' that I love. Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow isn't that great in terms of songs with the exception of Galaxy and Whatever Happened to the Teenage Dream. Of course being Marc Bolan the lyrics are every quirky indeed, the title seems to reference two pop culture movies of the present day which should attract some young folk to this song from the past, it's actually about a Superbad tiger and the Avengers of title possibly referring to some sort of avenging angel all linking into a caveman imagery of the song, it's all very inimitable as it's all delivered over his usual heavy guitar bop with some funk flourishes as T Rex heads into a new era of diminished fortunes.  

Bobby Blue Bland (1974) I Wouldn't Treat a Dog

Today's gem is a Soul classic by Bobby Bland that I've only just discovered, even though I've known of his more popular hit Ain't No Love for over five years, reviewed back in August and can be read here http://lost70sgems.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/whitesnake-1978-aint-no-love-in-heart.html; this is just as good. 

 His follow up hit begins with a subtle layer of fatalistic horns. Though it's Bland, who we sadly lost in 2013 to little fanfare, whose vocals with a prominent crack in his voice that give an earthy quality to this song. Never a powerhouse vocalist full of screams and histrionics his gravely texture is the perfect amount of Blues, Gospel and Soul and he remains underrated to this day, along with this gem.

Paice Ashton Lord (1976) Remember the Good Times

After Deep Purples funky demise in 1976 the remaining members went onto different projects. Glenn Hughes made a solo record called Play It Out while David Coverdale inadvertently created one of the most iconic bands of the next decade with his titular 1978 debut album Whitesnake. Tommy Bolin unfortunately would only release one more album before his premature death. Meanwhile organist and drummer Jon Lord and Ian Paice formed a super group with singer Tony Ashton. The result is promising but a little too muddled without the kind of direct sound that launched DP Mark 2. Though this gem from their sole LP, Malice in Wonderland, is a soul number with a disco/techno feel and was easily an extension of where Mark 4 Purple would have gone if Jon Lord had taken more control.

Doctor Father (1970) Umbopo

Mid 70s art rockers 10 cc, known for the transatlantic soft rock hit "I'm Not in Love", had a long chequered career of differing combinations and collaborations before debuting as a whole in 1973. At one point in 1970, three of the band's classic foursome were in a configuration known as Doctor Father, this was one of many aliases they sued to release experimental singles form their base in Stockport, Manchester's Strawberry Studios. They used names such as Hotlegs and New Wave Band for single releases and used Doctor Father for the release of this track that is a slower, reworked version of an earlier track released under the band name Crazy Elephant in 1969. Got that right?

Well the song itself is fantastic and even got the attention of Neil Sedaka who would produced an album with the future 10 cc members in Stockport based on this very song. The song is a glistening strum of a track all about being in the jungle embarking on a treacherous journey to find the Umbopo,which reminds me of Bob Dylan's The Mighty Quinn. It may be a type of elephant, though it may not exist as is stated in the closing refrain; "There ain't no Umbopo!". The song features great falsetto vocals from Kevin Godley, though it didn't catch on with the public like later releases it is a crafted song with a nice melody but more less commercial lyrics; a sign of their later work.

Grand Funk (1972) Someone

Based around a circular bass rhythm Mark Farner' sighing vocals repeat a simple and very true statement of most love when he questions "Why oh why should I care for someone, who doesn't care for me". The earth shattering revelation is so old and yet has never been expressed so succinctly.

The Rubettes (1977) Baby I Know

A band famed for their outfits and strong 50's influenced doo wop sound, but get past the caps and synchronised dance moves and they had some great vocals. This is a gem from their late 70's period with a country rock sound that had been all the rage earlier in the decade. With its lethargic pace and aggressive backing vocal, Baby I Know is quite a departure from their usual sound, with their second lead vocalist, Tony Thorpe taking lead duties, it's an underrated AC pop tune from an glam act that were known for less understated material.

Grand Funk (1972) Rain Keeps Fallin

Grand Funk didn't actually play funk music more a 60s type of rock n roll with a subtle funk rhythm.  Along with To Get Back, Rain Keeps Falling In is of the funkiest offering from a band I only recently discovered. With its heavy wah wah sound it is the funkiest they ever got.. contrary to my last post.