My Generation of Sun. 12 July: The Cryan’ Shames, The Decca Blues Scene [Ed’s Show 2016-24]

The Cryan’ Shames, The Decca Blues Scene, Blossom Toes, John Kay  [2016-24 = 2015-48]* * Radio 68: Happy To Be Different 
MY GENERATION  & BLUESIDE

Showtime on Sundays:
12:00 My Generation ** 14:00  Blueside ** 16:00 My Generation ** 18:00 Blueside ** 20:00 My Generation ** 22:00 Blueside **  24:00 My Generation ** 02:00 Blueside ** 04:00 End of Show (Monday morning)
RADIO 68 TIME = Central European Time (CET, Paris, Brussels, Rome) is 1 hour ahead of GMT / UTC Time (London). For example: 14:00 hrs CET = 1 p.m. in London

MY GENERATION : THE PLAYLISTS
1 NEW SHOW: The Cryan’ Shames

THE CRYAN’ SHAMES SPECIAL:  THE CRYAN’ SHAMES:  singles and selected tracks from their albums Sugar and Spice (1966) , A Scratch in the Sky (1967) and Synthesis (1968), THE SEARCHERS, THE BYRDS *

LIGHTNIN’ HOPKINS: Black Ghost Blues (L P Free Form Patterns, with the 13th Floor Elevators rhythm section)  ** CHESS Rhythm and Roll:  Bill and Will, Little Milton, Fontella Bass & Bobby Mcclure  ** THE ANIMALS ** WIMPLE WINCH **
Voices:  Mods,  Beatniks, Rockers (1965 documentary)

2 LAST WEEK’s: Blossom TOes
BLOSSOM TOES SPECIAL with FAMILY,  TRAFFIC, BLOSSOM TOES, LES INGOES, JULIAN COVAY & THE MACHINES,  CHUCK BERRY, THE HELIONS  / DEEP FEELING feat. Poli Palmer,  Dave Mason / Luther Grosvenor, Jim Capaldi ,  THE CHEYNES  + Jim Cregan Interview *

BLUESIDE: THE PLAYLISTS
1 NEW SHOW: The Decca Blues Scene

Eddie Boyd, Zoot Money, Otis Spann, Alexis Korner, Champion Jack Dupree, Savoy Brown, Curtis Jones, Mae Mercer, Steve Angelo (& John Mayall),  Keef Hartley, Mickey ‘Guitar ‘ Baker,  Davy Graham, Graham Bond, Rod Stewart.

2 LAST WEEK’s: John Kay 

MIKE ZITO & THE WHEEL: cd Keep Coming Back, 2015, tanks to V2 Records Belgium and Ruf Records ** SOUL EMBRACE: Die A Happy Man (from “Good Mornng to Myself”, 2015, thanks to Starman Records) ** JOHN KAY SPECIAL with JOHN KAY, STEPPENWOLF, HANK SNOW, CREAM, DON COVAY, WILLIE DIXON, JUNIOR WELLS, HOYT AXTON **

Soul Embrace: thanks to Starman Records ** Mike Zito & The Wheel: thanks to V2 Records Belgium and Ruf Records

MY GENERATION New Format

Show
A new 60 minute episode of My Generation followed by the previous show, totalling two hours of all the sounds and the voices that shaped the 60s. Each show includes a special highlighting one artist, release, topic or trend.

Show Time
First airing  Sundays at 12 noon * Repeated: Sundays at  16:00 hrs, 20:00 hrs and 24:00 hrs (twelve midnight)  * RADIO 68 TIME = Central European Time (CET), for example: 14:00 hrs CET = 1 p.m. in the UK.

SPECIAL NEW SHOW:  THE CRYAN’ SHAMES

The Cryan’ Shames are a band from the USA that will mainly be remembered for their version of Sugar and Spice, in Europe originally a hit for The Searchers.

Between 1966 and 1968, the band released a number of singles and three albums. They are heavily influenced by the Beatles sound of that period. These recordings prove that The Cryan’ Shames were not a beat band at all, but rather a sunshine pop band not unlike The Beach Boys:  well-crafted songs, harmonies and complex structures are their trademark.  Some songs are given a slight psych treatment. Yet, every song sounds very simple and nice.

RADIO 68 plays singles A- and B-sides, selected tracks from their three LPs, The Byrds (they recorded Gene Clark’s She Don’t Care About Time)  and, of course, The Searchers.

“Their first album, also titled “Sugar and Spice,” showcased the prior two singles as well as new material (…) .” The following December they released their second album, “A Scratch In The Sky,” which contained even more Fairs and Kerley originals such as “A Carol for Lorelei,” “Sailing Ship,” “In the Cafe (French Verse),” and “The Town I’d Like To Go Back To.” The group’s musical ability was exemplified on this album, highlighting their complex vocals, harmonies, and guitar arrangements. It also brought about their use of bag pipes, mandolin, horns, and acordion. Next came their singles “Up On The Roof,” and “Young Birds Fly.” They made their nationwide TV debut on NBC-TV’s “Showcase ’68.”

The Fall of 1968 brought a single “Greenberg, Glickstein, Charles, David Smith, and Jones.” Followed by “First Train To California,” and in early 1969, their third album “Synthesis”.”

Source = official website : http://www.cryanshames.com/history.html

SPECIAL REPEATED SHOW : BLOSSOM TOES We Are Ever So Clean

Inspired by the Chuck Berry blues instrumental “Ingo”, UK band The Gravediggers changed their name  to The Ingoes, were managed by Giorgio Gomelsky of Rolling Stones and Yardbirds fame and sent to Paris in 1965 as “Les Ingoes from the world-famous Marquee Club”  – where they duly recorded an EP of dance music with a French title “Viens danser le Monkiss”. Chances are the musicians formerly known as Les Ingoes would rather not be reminded of this, but in fact it’s not a bad record at all.  At any rate, it was a far cry from what co-founder Brian Godding (voc, gtr, keys) and new drummer Kevin Westlake had in mind as songwriters. Renamed Blossom Toes in 1966, Godding, Westlake, Brian Belshaw and Jim Cregan (replacement for Eddie Lynch) issued their first long-player called “We Are Ever So Clean” (1967) . The sound wasn’t exactly to the band’s liking, so you will find uncouth versions on the cd release. Godding provides the light psychedelic, dreamy, softer tunes; Westlake is a bit louder and more edgy.

Blossom Toes provided background music for Eric Rohmer’s movie “La collectionneuse”  (1967) and release a second album, “If Only For A Moment”. By that time, Westlake had been replaced by Poli Palmer, who would soon thereafter join Family.

Some Family Tree information for you:
The Gravediggers / The Ingoes have Eddie Lynch on guitar, formerly of The Cheynes feat.  one Mick Fleetwood. He is replaced by Jim Cregan, who used to play with The Dissatisfied Blues Band and Julian Covay & The Machine.
Multi-instrumentalist Poli Palmer (flute, piano, vibes, drums) was in a band called Deep Feeling with Dave Mason, Jim Capaldi (future founders of Traffic), and Luther Grosvenor of Spoky Tooth fame). Palmer also played in a band called  The Helions.

RADIO 68 plays: Traffic, Family, The Helions, Deep Feeling, Julian Covay & The Machine,  The Cheynes, The Ingoes (EP-tracks) and selected tracks from  “We Are Ever So Clean” (cd rerelease)

BLUESIDE
Show
A new 60 minute episode of My Generation Blueside followed by the previous show, totalling two hours of the blues that influenced and inspired the sounds of the sixties – from the originators till the present day. Each show includes a special highlighting one artist, release, topic or trend.

Show Time
First airing  Sundays at  14:00 hrs * Repeated: Sundays at  18:00 hrs, 22:00 hrs and 2 in the morning  + Mondays 14:00 hrs ** RADIO 68 TIME = Central European Time (CET), for example: 14:00 hrs CET = 1 p.m.

SPECIAL NEW SHOW: THE DECCA BLUES SCENE

Decca records was an old-fashioned and conservative house releasing both ‘serious’ classical music and tunes for the millions, like Montovani. It became aware of the upcoming pop scene with quite some delay, then signed The Rolling Stones and anyone else in sight before setting up the Deram label for fashionable  progressive an alternative sounds. And discovering R&B, Mod and Blues.

“This 25-track anthology covers the label’s copious contributions to the 1960s renaissance of rhythm & blues-influenced rock.(…). Fittingly, the revolving-door personnel of John Mayall‘s assorted Bluesbreakers are particularly worthy of note (…). Another interesting facet is the wide spectrum of American legends whose association with Decca brought their music to new generations and audiences. Selections from Eddie Boyd , Otis Spann as well as Champion Jack Dupree are among the highlights (…) The label also heralded artists such as Alexis Korner and Savoy Brown (…) As such, The Blues Scene (1999) is a worthwhile assessment of Decca’s vaults, and a valuable primer for the novice” (source: Linsday Planer’s review on allmusic.com).

RADIO 68 PLAYS the entire cd with the exception of John Mayall (whose music we have played quite frequently these weeks, sorry there John!).

SPECIAL REPEATED SHOW:  JOHN KAY

For sure, John Kay was the leader and inspirator of one of the first heavier bands – Steppenwolf – but at the same time he was influenced by the blues and C&W masters. Just check out the Steppenwolf releases and you will find covers by then popular blues and C&W artists such as Don Covay (“Sookie Sookie”), Hoyt Axton (“The Pusher”) or Hank Snow (“I’m Movin’ On”), but also  heavier interpretations of standards like “Hoochie Coochie Man” and  “Hey Lawdy Mama” (a  song that actually can be traced back to the thirties ).  And those songs weren’t fillers, but hits or key tunes of their shows.
It comes as no surprise then that John Kay later went back to these roots for his solo albums, e.g. “The Lost Heritage Tapes” (1997)  and “Heretics and Privateers” (2001).

Radio 68 plays the blues by John Kay (from the albums mentioned) and Steppenwolf, plus the originals and originators that inspired him: Hoyt Axton, Willie Dixon, Don Covay, Junior Wells, Hank Snow.