Paice Ashton Lord (1977) Ghost Story - LOST 70s GEMS

From their Malice in Wonderland album, this post Deep Purple project was an odd mix of talents with Tony Ashton teaming up with Deep Purple's longstanding talent in a funky supergroup. Standout tune Ghost Story features the reverse echoed and panning techniques of a cutting edge production, shame aside form the unrepentant major riff played by a organ and bass in unison of a a straightforward guitar is the only thing that sticks out. The disco chords of the chorus again shows its dated nature, while the hard rock turnarounds and Paice's speed drumming don't mix with the sensual funky horns and guitars, but oh well its mildy enjoyable to see the Deep Purple embers venturing out of their usual classic and Metal genres.

Blue (1974) Lonesome - LOST 70s GEMS

A more acoustic guitar driven album then the blues rock balladry of their debut, Blue's 1974 release Life in the Navy may lose of it's grand sound but retains a knack for mildly engaging pop rock tunes straddling a line between Lindisfarne folk rock and Post Beatles heavy pop ballads. Best are the words, delivered in wearied, folk and pop melodies are based on emptiness, defeat and all manner of negative state of mind which was fresher than the standard blues of most acts of the day. For example Let's Talk it Over with it's countrified piano sound is built around a Gerry Rafferty styled vocal singin 'I remember days of happiness and the way it used to be'. Usually you would find only one or two of these type of songs on a rock bands' record rather than being full of them like this band often did. They were called Blue of course, there's a clue in the name, though having said that they never did find a hit either.

Sad Sunday an effortless laidback hard rocker with a funky laidback groove. All about drinking away painful memories and the inevitable 'Sad Sunday' hangover feeling of guilt; again top notch lyrics and superb dual guitar solo. So much of modern rock is present here with it's blues core, funky instrumentation and grunge styled use of restrained ballad singing.

As for the other tracks; Love bears a McCartney-esque tunefulness, Atlantic Ocean has an awesome euphoric country rock guitar solo, the band always flirting with attempts at the genre in this album in the occasional twangy guitar lick flavouring their hum drum acoustic strummed pop of this album. Why the album is called Life in the Navy, I still can't figure out. The gem however is the second on the track list; Lonesome a grooving, hand clapping hoedown in the spirit of Lindisfarne who they often shared a similar brand of folky soft rock. The heavenly yet rugged group harmonies are at the centre with great lyrics about mental health as they often did back then such as 'This depression surely messin my whole way of livin, need you near me, need you to steer me..' Excellent words!

Wild Horses (1979) Criminal Tendencies - LOST 70s GEMS

A band that visually sound ready for the 80s but had their first single release in 79 with this backed by horribly titled The Rapist as it's B Side, but listen to this track to here that incredible intro where there is a droning lead guitar, some sporadic bursts of a dysfunctional sounding guitar/synth reminding me of the orchestra stabs of Owner of a Lonely Heart, so no surprise when I learned later it was co produced by Trevor Rabin, the Yes guitarist responsible for that classic hit.

The rest is a pure pop song driven by some tasteful soling and a electric piano piping in the background over calls of 'criminal tendencies' all to create New Wave power pop feel.

The lyrics are surprisingly good too lifting this track as well particularly my favourite line which goes as follows; "He walks like a dead man, though he's just 22, there's nothing you or I can do" Boy is that true!..This band started with Wings guitarist Jimmy McCullock and Small Faces' Kenney Jones but shifted to focus around ex Rainbow and Ex Thin Lizzy members instead for a harder sound.

Mott the Hoople (1973) I'm a Cadillac/El Camino Dolo Roso - LOST 70s GEMS

 A sturdy blues pop rocker with singer Ian Hunter declaring very blankly in the lumbering verses that 'I'm a Cadillac, I'm just holding back'. The pop chorus has great lines such as 'Lovin' you is hard enough, Lovin' you is strange, love is strange' it has an rousing, Glam Rock/ T Rex gospel backing vocal driven vibe that is very melodic. The urban blues rock riff that opens the track is very dystopian and indicative of Mott's dark blues menace and that characterised their fiery, jam based late 60s era before their Glam Rock famedom. That stately riff is a heavy rock guitar figure winding back and forth in a deep Tony Iommi-esque wail; Could Mott be Heavy Metal? Mick Ralph's guitar does squeal a lot in the verses building up in pitch and vibrato, so..

The second half is just a straightforward flamenco guitar piece that is very pastoral, peaceful and placid until Ralphs' guitar again goes very Iommi-esque with some Jazzy blues wails fluttering against the acoustic backing reminiscent of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.

Bee Gees (1976) Lovers - LOST 70s GEMS

The definitive track of the Children of the World album and the Bee Gees discography in the 70s with it's lush soft rock ballad structure call and responding with a stop and go funk beat. The overlapping chorus vocals that first featured in the chorus of Heavy Breathing from 1974's Mr Natural album with the echo of 'Heavy Breathing in the dark' and would also feature to an extreme fashion in Stop, Find from 1979's Spirits Have Flown album. It's sweet and caressing here with the lovely triple echos of 'we'll be lovers, lovers, lovers' with a beautiful sentiment delivered with special emphasis as opposed to the incandescent shrieking of "Search..Fiiind!". Here we Barry's growling white boy blues voices for some faux funk verses and Robin's falsetto loveliness trade back and forth through out verse and chorus but the reverbed, overlapped chorus is something of true vocal and studio splendour; so romantic sounding.

 Some serene keyboard lines open the song with some equally smooth wah wah funky guitar; this mix of funk and ballad, disco and pop and white and black styles were the key to the Bee Gees' appeal bringin their orchestrated romantic Soft balladry to Funky mid-70s disco of the order of KC and the Sunshine band and Kool and the Gang.

Wild Cherry (1977) It All Up to You - LOST 70s GEMS

Starting with a menacingly groovy guitar wah wahs out in this smooth propulsive disco pop song, a catchy call and response chorus of 'It's all up to you, all up to you! You gotta have a good reason! A very good reason'

From blue eyed funk outfit, Wild Cherry's 1977 Electrified Funk album with this being a great example with it's sweet wah wah tone is so funky and smooth with it's unhinged cat scratch wail.

Blue (1973) Red Light Song - LOST 70s GEMS

Blue had some great ballads particularly this scorching elegy to a still burning flame, it communicates so much desire in it's harmony chorale of a hook "I can feel the heat. And I can see the fire. I feel the heat, getting higher and higher!" The singing is incandescent melancholy something 70s did so well!