Bobby Womack (1975) Superstar - LOST70sGEMS

The cavalier soul man whose style was so authentic and effortless was one of the 70s great originals from his spoken confessions to his twangy quiet storm jams he was one of the best singers and guitarists around who was singled out for greatness by none other than his tutor and idol Sam Cooke; continuing on his legacy in some respects. He was a busy boy in 75 releasing three albums, this second of the year is famous for the hit Superstar, it's filled with fuzz guitar as opposed to his usual brand twangy eastern oriental guitar fluttery style that perfectly complemented his rough vocal cords.

Git It is built on a proper hard clavinet beta, fuzzed and compressed to the background while Womack's wah-wah guitar lines entangle all over the track like a restless dog, organs and eventually harmonies soar in too. If you want my love, put something down on it, starts with some floral flute piping up like a jungle jazz call, there is some of Womack's guttural talk while an restrained fuzz guitar is consigned to the far background while harps, strings take up the meat of the mix; but Womack's breathy cracked voice is still the main event.

 Medley Interlude #1 features some astounding mix of his clanky funk blues guitar, dazzling harp, and a sped up violin or harp or treated viola, who knows before a solid military drum beat and wailing volcanic fuzz wah guitar takes over the next section called I Don't Know and has a spectacular shredding and as it comes to the fade out comparable to Duane Allman on his cover of Hey Jude a few years back. The hyped up fuzz guitar and sassy backing singers continue on What's your World, Check It Out (this features some great vocal howls from Womack), Interlude #2 features some excellent female vocals so soulful its painful and so powerful as she counters Womack in the fills against a moody backdrop of killer guitar twangs and surging ARP ensemble keyboards; as she climaxes with Womack's singin of I Don't Know its jaw dropping and yet so tasteful. Jealous Love is buoyed by a fonky, buzzed out nasally clavinet sound and criss crossing layers of Womack singing and talking in an evangelical soundscape as organ trickles in and out along with some piano in there somewhere to till the grand vocal swell at the end where multiple Womacks testify! Womack's It's All Over Now is his earned right to record his own song, made famous in the mid 60s by the Stones, this is his raw, reigns off gospel rock version with a subtle Bill Withers guest spot chiming in after every line in a great cameo full of rockin and reelin fever. The album cover is iconic as Womack sits pensively and in supreme power in a very 70s look in wide wicker chair that resembles a throne and recalls the legendary Huey Newton Black Panther photo call.

Superstar still remains one of his finest hits and by far the gem of this jam heavy album, starting with a descending walking pedal steel lick before the simultaneous wash of pedal steel cries, his usual funky blues slide licks, patented harp glissando-es but best of all is the track's superstar; an electric violin. I thought it was a flugelhorn at first, it is played lower during the first verse and chorus, almost like a snake charmers flute, called a Pungi, but it is in fact the quiver of a violin which becomes more apparent as it is oscillated. It truly gives a magical night time serenity to the track and imbues the track with a bright eyed wanderlust, with the pedal steel it lends a distinctive feel to this track and is a shame both instruments barely feature after this track. The caressing violin in it's soothing circular rhythm and the low-key pedal steel washes add a Puff the Magic Dragon vibe as Womack storms home the message about how we are all stars.

The Emotions (1969) So I Can Love You - LOST70sGEMS

In 'loving' memory of Pamela Hutchinson, lead singer of The Emotions, I will break my rule and do a song that was released just on the cusp of the 70s but, crucially was not in it. It was their debut radio hit, So I Can Love You, deservedly the title cut of their first album; it is by far one of the best arranged soul jams I've ever heard. Featuring Isaac Hayes on organ and David Porter as producer it was bared a Memphis edge, while on Stax it could've easily been a Hi-Records record too with it's watery organ, though the Steve Cropper like guitar strikes place it as a Stax Volt production.

It starts with a gliding guitar chord and Isaac Haye's glistening organ striding in, striking a really sharp organ note at exactly 2 seconds in; the key is hit so hard that it almost clips, but at least will jolt you awake for the spiralling tune you're about to hear.. if that note didn't already deafen you.

The organ now screeches in a wishy-washy, slurpy manner like a wolf whistle and continues to interject through out; meanwhile the Hutchinson sisters' coo and pant over the luxurious backing track. The slow verses show off their lovely soft harmonies while the organ continues to creep in while the stroller drum beat, popular with many late 60s soul songs, keeps things ticking over. The highlight of the track is when the beat picks up for the chorus hook where the interplay by the younger and older, tougher sister contrast nicely, Pamela's delicate vice becomes emboldened on the line "Don't walk away from me baby". Her voice sounds small and filled with yearning, while her sisters chime in "Like That!" in a deeper brogue to bolster her demands like any big sister should. Then they bark the order "Don't turn your Back!" with some sass before the final plea from Pamela that the cheating male should "tell her today" that he is choosing her. Pamela's timid voice almost sounds like it's on the brink of tears in this paean to being 'the other woman' , the ease of these sweet melodies with the drums ramping up in anticipation with the crescendo being her final ultimatum; "that I mean what I say, when I say..stay right here, so I can love you"





The dynamic of Pamela's earnest falsetto and her throatier sisters symbolises the shy, inexperienced lead singer who struggles with standing up for herself and being heard with her bolshie sisters; you would see this relationship between backing and lead vocalists frequently in the early 60s groups like the Shangri-las. The breathy singing of 'ah ha yeah' is also very sensual and adds to the smoothness of the song and is a hint of their later success at the end of the decade where their cascading harmonies would be in great demand.

Van der Graaf Generator (1971) After the Flood - LOST70SGEMS

The Least We Can Do is Wave to Each Other is VdGG’s first real group effort and it doesn't disappoint. Often heralded as the little brothers of Prog Rocks' darkest band, King Crimson, they finally proved how terrifying they could be in the coda of White Hammer as Hugh Banton’s ominous organ chords provide the foundation for the angry, marauding gang of David Jackson's buzzard like saxophones. It is a moment that makes your skin crawl, it reminds me of the bawdy, sleaze house seediness of the Sin City theme. The ending is so unnerving, the saxophones sounding like the wheeze of a rooster; like a bizarre barnyard of deformed saxophones.

But even White Hammer' ungodly climax doesn't equip you for the mayhem and peril of After the Storm; kicking off is a dance around the maypole riff on a damp organ that sounds like it is playing from the darkest depths of a catacomb in the ruins of a felled monastery. When Peter Hammill sings over a jaunty acoustic line, a rumbling sound effect potentially originating from an electric keyboard enters in time with the lyrics about 'a far distant rumble'. A galloping organ rock segment takes the tension way due to the 'Deep Purple' nature of the groove. Triumphant sax lead us into a quietly surging section as dark thunderstorms gather; this is manifested by an oscillating effect on an amplified organ as it overdrives like how Jon Lord would sometimes 'conjure the beast' by riddling the keys with an expansive distorted 'whoosh'. Harmonies of Hammills sing; "ice turns to water" in clear voices before we slip seamlessly into an acoustic verse with a bass guitar that dongs like a church bell tolling for the masses. After some filler acoustic pull off licks we get a thundering wah-wah bass gallop with an eerie sax loitering in the back while Hammill sings throughout in his part thespian prince part ghoulish gargoyle vocalisations. His received pronunciation and classical theatre mannerisms add a level of grandeur to the band’s already 'epic' suites, but his subhuman growl is so ugly and unrefined it is almost that of a brutish demi-god or a mangy demon dog.
The way Banton's organ in the left channel combines neatly with Jaxtone' sax in the right is excellent reminding me of the band Kansas would harmonise. However the roundabout flute and sax riff around 3.30 sounds and awful lot like the tight jazz ensemble in the middle of 21st Century Schizoid Man. Around 4.10 the group sings out in scripture like a resuscitation "..and when the water falls again, all is dead and nobody lives" the soulful rock vibrato of Hammill, Banton's huge anthemic chords and Jackson's soaring brass display the full force of their mainstream hard rock abilities. Soon the music comes to a complete stop and sax, organ and their ballistic drummer trudge forth in a winding walking jazz melody, speeding up to a circus like rave up. This overlapping festival of brass and organ work spins like a carousel out of control and slowly descending down to the fifth rung of hell.


Then a fade occurs into a lone strummed acoustic guitar, the same golden 12 string open chords of earlier, same hammer toned bass notes, then a gorgeous Phil Collins-esque drum roll tumbles in; all panned around in the mix for an explosive transition to the latter half of the song.
"And then he said.." Hammill dryly makes his presence known all of a sudden, cutting in like a studio outtake in a speaking tone of voice, as if talking to the engineer in the booth it's so jarring. But it comes with a surprise no one was expecting as he declares feverishly in the grips of his paranoid delusions that all that awaits us at the end of the flood is


TOTAL ANNIHILAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTIIIIIIION!!!!!


What on earth was that?!, but the most scariest turn you've ever heard in music full stop.


Its Prog at its most unpredictable and dark, it damn near frightens you long after as the mechanically processed vocal seems to go on and on making your flesh crawl from the broken electronic treatment of Hammill's voice as if his vocal cords suddenly stripped and burst into sparks. It is positively 'creepy' as if a robotic voice box within Peter Hammill just abruptly assumed control mid-sentence, suddenly possessed like a gypsy under a curse he gurgles the word out as if emerging from a cyborgian night terror. As he hoarsely yells out the word annihilation to doom laden effect you wonder whether its ever going to end; the ragged, diode sound of Hammill’s vocals is disturbing in itself but the unexpected shift form the soft verse is staggering, it 'takes your breath away' in a bad sense of the phrase. The word just seems to seethe and rage long into the night; a warning, a death knell to a village living on the banks somewhere, a cry of hysteria! Ragged and drawn out for maximum heft in an absurdly grotesque scream it's white hot terror perfectly expressed.
Though admittedly, it is close to tipping on the edge of absurdity, the robotic filter is identical to the ones used for the Daleks in Dr Who, it is still effective beyond the initial shock value and probably VdGG’s most memorable moment; comparable to famous movie scares like the head falling out of the boat wrecked hull in Jaws.

The song continues into another quiet folk verse and another anthemic section all driven by the understated organ and sax while PH's lead guitar appears at the end before the last disjointed piece is taped on as the rumbling clouds reappear, the electronic organ's white noise distortion signal oscillates away like a hacksaw slicing back and forth.

J Geils Band (1970) Homework - LOST70sGEMS

 The J Geils Band was in actual fact the J Geils Blues Band and it tells, this would be over decade away from their super hits of the early 80s once they were refashioned as a hip synthpop group. But here there is still some rawness and soul, it is the early 70s of course and the two pronged horn like guitar sustains of Ice Breaker is something amongst the derivative unoriginal repackaging of the blues that frequently dominates this early effort. Hard Drivin Man features some prominent guitar stomps, while the Steve Cropper sounding guitar jangle is a highlight of What's Your Hurry, then there is the sizzling gospel organ of On Borrowed Time and finally the long high-pitched harmonica note of album closer Sno-Cone which starts at about 1.11 into the song.

 Homework with it's wacky slide guitar, steadfast drums and simple glam rock like bop is instantly my favourite, probably because of the doubled vocals by Peter Wolf on the only track where he isnt' ripping off Dylan or Reed and for the astounding harmonising slide guitars wrestling at in an acrobatic tangle at 1.04. The endless row of oriental hammer-ons in unison is arresting and genuinely original; chiming in a girly twang.

Black Sabbath (1973) Who Are You‏ - LOST70sGEMS

Based around a Martian sounding Moog synthesizer lick, playing a simple three note pattern, you'd think this was an oddity in Sabbath's canon but actually they busted out the synths,acoustic guitars, Mellotrons and even flutes quite regularly during their semi- progressive phase in the mid 70s. Ozzy sings with himself backing him up, it soon gets weirder as it takes a detour wherein Tony Iommi plays a sombre piano progression with a Mellotron backing; while the Moogs play a nice lead line over it that builds up into a bolero before returning to the main riff again. Now with the two acid drenched Moogs playing in each channel, the stereo quality of the track with the echo threshold ringing out in each ear is mind altering to say the least. The warped effect of the synthesizer sucks you in and combined with Bill Ward's doom laden beat and Ozzy's stricken vocals means this works without the standard Iommi fuzz tone. It ends on a dissonant oscillating fade out; it's Black Sabbath going Sci-Fi!

Embracing new technology and diverse genre shifts to get across their own message that is more likely about the threat of governments or nuclear weapons rather than the you know..Satan. It sees them at their most adventurous with a Yes like mid section symphony, heavy on the keyboards but with that Sabbath patented despair and destruction all over it. Its similar to another paranoia based track, 1975's Am I Going Insane which shares a similar melody, the two part harmonies, the Moogs and the bolero rhythms.

The 21st Century (1972) Remember the Rain - LOST70SGEMS

 An example of the early 70s genre of cinematic soul, not too dissimilar from the widescreen expanse of the Sylvers, the Unifics and Isaac Hayes productions. It starts with the thick smog of 'cloud clearing' strings straining while whimsical woodwind lines dance, adding whimsy to the sombre beat while the usual wah wah guitar twangs away in pain.

 The lead singers' maturing voice is an exercise in how to deliver a complex mix of emotions; his hazy vocal captures the nostalgic longing and deep heartache so well. The second singer in the designated 'Jermaine Jackson' role, sings in a more spoken baritone; in the background of his verse the violins play screech away in a distinctive muted scraping style, swirling like a witch conjuring spell over a steaming cauldron.
Lyrically the song is full of buried passion and restraint; from the opening line where the singer remembers how playing out in the rain would get them scolded for being 'bad'; it establishes the 'us against the world' mindset but also hints at societal shame in the confusion apparent as he sings the line. The various trials and tribulations of love we are all familiar with are presented against the backdrop of a passionate storm of whirling desires. Check out how the revelation that "You left me for somebody else" in the middle eight is broken up into staggered spurts to match the nailed down drum breakdown giving a punctuation to each word; hammering home the definite statement like a boxer pounding an opponent.

But my favourite lyrics are in the second verse, where both singers capture a couple of everyday moments in high school relationships that are so universal but encapsulate them so succinctly;


You broke so many rules in school
I took the blame for you
I guess I was the fool
You used to sneak me notes in class
I winked my eye and laughed
Those days went by so fast

These lilting, bittersweet lines of poetry are so relatable and timeless yet sung by the adolescent singers with a tinge of lament, like their whole life lies before them in pieces. The deep, melancholic string arrangements are the highlight; they waltz and sway ever so gently in the background even as horns and funky drums and tepid electric guitars hover around in the mix, they don't overpower the wistful orchestra. Finally the ending cries of 'baby baby' during the coda as the groove kicks in really brings home the message, the singer now sounding more masculine now and bellowing breathlessly at the top of his lungs, wanting her back

Mandrill (1971) Peace and Love (Amani Na Mapenzi): Movement II (Now) - LOST70sGEMS

Brooklyn Jazz group Mandrill are one of the most popular of underground fusion bands from the 70s, and it started all on this 1971 LP. Warning Blues is a Muddy Waters Blues with little added to it, Rollin On is a Mexicana inspired number with fiery Latin percussion and trumpet work. The first real track that blows you over is the stunning Symphonic Revolution; an incredibly luminescent pop number as crashing waves of simmering cymbals collide with some flute and Vibraphone notes ringing out as the Wilson Brothers who made up the core of Mandrill laid down some soothing vocals urging you in dulcet tones to sing a song and let your voice ring out around the world. It boasts a great vibes and flute interplay in the solo section, while the backing strings are as rich as the brothers' vocals; a stunning revolution indeed.


The multi-part suite Peace and Love (Amani Na Mapenzi) dominates the majority fo the debut album with an intoxicating blend of styles; like the ornate cocktail piano noodling of Movement III (Time) and the sinister searing drones of a ring modulated organ and a sinister flute of Movement I (Birth). Movement V (Beginning) features a hot and hammering tabla led tribal chant of Love and Peace, while album closer Chutney is a sweet smooth liquefied flute showcase full of virtuoso trills dazzling off and radiating beauty and calmness. Note how the overdubbed flute lines at the end build up for a unique aural flurry, while the guitar glides and plays fluttering hammer ons that were all the range in early 70s soul e.g. Louis Shelton's guitar in I Want You Back.

However Peace and Love (Amani Na Mapenzi): Movement II (Now) is my favourite piece of the suite and the album proper, with it's full on rock vocals, an build up to an orgasmic roar from the band to kick things off, then there is a solid hard rock rhythm underlined by a Hendrix 'Purple Haze' styled thick and florid fuzz guitar moan.