The Scruffs (1977) Bedroom Stories - LOST 70s GEMS

From the underground classic, Wanna Meet The Scruffs , it's a mix of 60s pop, 70s new wave influenced power pop and the usual hard rock virtuosity of the late 70s arena sound; in short, a collection of catchy yet disposal and occasionally irritating melodies. Listen to 'I'm A Failure' for great lyrics or 'Revenge' for the bright and funky pop chords, janglyness to the max combined with powerful falsetto vocals and a sitar sounding, slide guitar playing lilting blues in an eastern texture. While Frozen Girls and Tommy Gun are strong tunes, the former a 50s tribute a perfect vehicle for the band's melodic sense drifting form melancholic soul to hard rocking prog, while the latter is another raucous rock n roller full of backing vocals and funky, jangly guitars marked by rave ups like a lot of the whole album and it's turbo fuelled retro pop rock. But Bedroom Stories is the best, the delicate folk starts with heartfelt delivery, the album's jangly guitars sound best here with a slight banjo picking, the vocals are smooth again and the exuberant melodies, the album in general seems like a showcase for the warbling belting of lead singer and rhytmm guitar of Stephen Burns. It's also important to note the arpeggios and pop jangle on this track feels like a sign of what the 90s would bring along with the offbeat harmonies.

Craig Fuller Eric Kaz (1978) Cry Like A Rainstorm - LOST 70s GEMS

Probably the best track from the Fuller and Kaz album, two survivors of the underrated mid 70s country rock outfit American Flyer, they prove themselves to be the soulful energy behind that entity here with some great style but lacking in the tunes department. But the refrain of this song works even if overall the group before and this solo album never left an indelible mark like Poco or Firefall their pristine sound worked just fine when the songs were there like on the first American Flyer album.

Badfinger (1970) Believe Me - LOST 70s GEMS

No Dice was the precursor to Straight Up, Badfinger's and the genre of Power Pop's magnus opus, while this is a harder rockin album itdoesn't have the eclectic material, heavy pop arrangements this had some solid melodies too though not as punchy or colourful as the follow up. There's is the rip roaring opener I Can't Take It, which showed they like most 70s bands tried to revive that 50s RnR style alongside their more contemporary stuff. I Don't Mind is a gentle laidback track full of harmonies far too reminiscent of the Fab Four whose label Apple they were on but the song is good while the closer We're For The Dark features a crystal clear acoustic guitar on it's own with a typical Pete Ham composition centered around romance and despair, just ignore the orchestra stabs which are unnecessary though incredibly mixed. The album contains the staples Without You (famously covered by Nillson and Mariah Carey) and the upbeat hook laden pop of No Matter What too.

    

But Believe Me is by far the best song with Tom Evans with it's soaring lead vocals and close harmony singin a gem that was of course overshadowed by the famous WIthout You but is worth another listen as a statement of intent of this band on the precipice of their artistic peak.

Souther Hillman Furay (1975) Follow Me Through - LOST 70s GEMS

A catchy yacht rocker with enough country to prove the three solo artists of this forgotten super group had some fresh ideas. From their second album the funk crossover Trouble in Paradise which was interesting and solid on songwriting if lacking the original spark that was in the sound of their prior ventures like Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds or even Longbranch Pennywhistle. They tried to mix funk into their easygoing carefree harmony country rock, their first album's lead single Border Town featured a chugging rhythm along the liens of Listen to the Music but these three couldn't gel and create a new organic outfit so they finished after what was a solid album, far more than their debut, but lacking in interesting arrangements pretty much just adding light jazzy guitar licks to the country rock they had already established in other ventures. Shame..circle can't be broken til the last line is spoken..

Linda Ronstadt (1974) You Can Close your Eyes - LOST 70s GEMS

While her proteges The Eagles had gone off and singlehandedly commercialised country in one fell swoop after a good half decade of failed near misses by other entertainers Ronstadt showed her own crossover potential. Wisely beefing up this Neil Young tune sparse folkiness and pale hints of down home singing never overdoing it she followed the Eagles success with her own brand of country soul. The ragged harmonies add to the sound of pretty 70s ballads with their organic and honest sound a million miles from the vacuous, stilted and cheesy lyrics of today's pop

Rick Springfield (1973) Weep No More - LOST 70s GEMS

With its Elton John style, this histrionic power pop tune was one of Springfields' most underrated songs; this was when he was known more as a teen idol than a serious songsmith. The 'na na nas' (also used in the I'm Your Superman track represents the loose comic book theme of the album) and the crisp rock guitar crunch mixing with the hissy vocals time stamps this as part of the early 70s singer songwriter AM Pop/ FM Soft Rock sound of Elton, David Cassidy, Neil Diamond and Andy Kim; artists who drew from Bubblegum music as much as soul in their pop rock arrangements.

 

America (1975) Daisy Jane - LOST 70s GEMS

This Gerry Beckley tune slots in perfectly next to his big AM radio hit, the serene Sister Golden Hair. The sweet romantic tone is fantastic and the lyrics hint at uncertainty also prevalent in Golden Hair. The George Martin feel is present here with the short musical snippet where the piano is upfront in the mix with the strings right in the back, sonically resembling the punchy guitar line of the Beatles' In My Life. But Beckley's sweet rendering of the song's warm chorus line of "Does she really love me?". Off their 1975 album, Hearts, this presented their soft rock identity and lush romanticism, far from the rootsy virtuoso folk rock trio of expatriates they appeared at first in their 1971 debut.