Rock & Indie Vinyl 474 Items

The story of Japanese psychedelic band Apryl Fool and their eponymous debut album is simply extraordinary. It was the vehicle by which bassist Haroumi Hosono first came to prominence, years before he became known as the “Godfather of Japanese electronica” as the founding member and leader of Yellow Magic Orchestra, though this musical titan had work released prior to the group’s 1968 founding, such as the song “The Sea Of Summer Day,” recorded with Yuko Okuyama and released by King Records the year before. Drummer Takashi “Rei” Matsumoto was a Beatles maniac that had covered songs by Them and Sam & Dave in his earlier group, Burns, while pioneering prog-rock keyboardist Hiroyoshi Yanagida and guitarists Chu Kosaka and Eiji Kikuchi had all been part of a group called The Floral, formed in 1967 through the Japanese wing of the official fan club of The Monkees (whom they supported during a Japanese tour enacted in October 1968). In September 1969, Apryl Fool played behind musical theatre group Tokyo Kid Brothers, the recording issued in minute quantity as the Love & Banana EP, issued on Columbia Japan’s Musicolor subsidiary; Apryl Fool’s own LP, also issued on Musicolor that year, had extended spacey psychedelic freak jams in the form of “Tanger” and “Pledging My Time,” marathon blues-rock tracks such as “April Blues” and “Honky Tonk Jam,” with the employed English sounding fairly credible, though both parts of epic opus “The Last Mother Land” feature Japanese lyrics. Of course, the day that the LP was actually released is reportedly the day that Apryl Fool announced their termination, giving this scarce release another level of legend for connoisseurs.

The Wynder K. Frog story evolves around Mick Weaver. After he switched from piano to organ he joined a band named The Chapters that would soon be renamed Wynder K. Frog and perform material from James Brown's Flames, Booker T. and The MGs or even songs learned through Georgie Fame's recordings and Graham Bond's repertoire. Wynder K. Frog moved to London and became regulars in the city's R&B scene playing at Swingin' London's clubs like the Tiles or The Marquee. A contract with Island Records was secured and -under the wings of producers like Chris Blackwell, Guy Stevens, Jimmy Miller or Gus Dudgeon- Wynder K Frog, a name that would eventually be used as a pseudonym for Weaver more than a proper band name, did some some amazing Hammond organ-ized recordings and issued in three LPs and a bunch of cool 45s.

At the end of the 1960s, Weaver would quit the "band scene" to become one of the most in demand session musicians and throughout his career he'd be heard backing names such as Eric Burdon, Roger Chapman, Dave Gilmour, Keef Hartley, Alexis Korner, Ralph McTell, Taj Mahal or Otis Rush a.o, but his LPs as Wynder K Frog are classic Hammond sound from the 1960s UK and will appeal to those into Brian Auger, Graham Bond, The Artwoods, Zoot Money, Jimmy McGriff, Booker T. & The MGs and the likes.

SUNSHINE SUPER FROG
Recorded mostly in 1966 and issued in 1967, Wynder K Frog's first LP came out of sessions produced by Chris Blackwell, Jimmy Miller and Syd Dale. Weaver was assuming more and more the identity of Wynder K Frog and was backed by session musicians rather than by his live band. It consisted in organ led instrumental covers of songs from the Island catalogue, some built over rejected backing tracks for other artists of the label like Jimmy Cliff, Jackie Edwards and Owen Gray and some new recordings of hits like Spencer Davis Group's "Somebody Help Me", plus some covers of american R&B hits by the likes of Sam & Dave, Willie Mitchell or Wilson Pickett. The end result gave an idea of the Wynder K Frog sound, resulting in a top mix of dance club go-go sounds, perfect for any allnighter at the Tiles or any Swingin' London venue of the 1960s. First ever vinyl reissue. Limited edition to 500 copies only. Bonus tracks not on the original LP. Remastered sound. Insert with liner notes by Nick Rossi and photos. Beautifully housed in three back-flapped 1960s UK style picture sleeve

1970 reissue. With insert

UK psychedelia moved into prog rock with spices of hard rock in the late sixties, some even coined a new label to describe the strong textures resulting of the mixture of rockier blues sounds, jazz, revolutionized freakbeat and the hardest side of popsike - ‘heavy psych’. Amongst the best works of the era were the two splendid LPs recorded by Welsh band Eyes Of Blue.

The Eyes Of Blue where formed in 1966 and soon won the Melody Maker Beat Contest, a fact that secured them a recording deal with Deram records. The label issued their first 45s, they were good but -due to company pressure- more Blue Eyed Soul or even bubblegum oriented. By the time they released their first LP, on Mercury, their real sound had surfaced, showing influences by some of the coolest bands from the US West Coast like The Doors or Love, and also counted on the help of Graham Bond, who penned some of the most significant tunes on the album. Heavily Hammond organ driven athmospheres taking things one step further than The Nice, guitar pyrotechnics, an excellent vocal work, some eastern influenced guitar raga, a great taste in choosing cover versions and strong songwriting make Crossroads Of Time one of the best progressive LPs from 1968.

First ever legit vinyl reissue, in a limited run of only 500 copies, in remastered sound and featuring an insert with photos and liner notes.

180 gram vinyl!

reissue on 180g vinyl with three bonus tracks

One of the best album by UK psychedelic rock band The Deviants. The band’s debut album “Ptooff!” was originally released in 1967 on the label Underground Impresarios and only available through a few selected head shops before being re-printed by Decca Records in 1969. Founded by legendary counter-culture figure Mick Farren and Russell Hunter and inspired by The Fugs, the band was the first of the anarchic groups to emerge from the Ladbroke Grove area of London. Two years before Hawkwind burst on to the underground scene, the Deviants were preaching revolution and creating their own form of musical anarchy.

Cover with edge wear, seam split. Vinyl with a couple of light scuffs

180 Gram Vinyl

180 gram vinyl

180 gram vinyl

2019 reissue.

Record has some hairlines and a few superficial scratches,
but is close to VG.

Legendary and rare folk-psych private press record from 1967 that holds up well. Furthermore, the LP is legendary in a literal sense: until recently, few collectors really even knew it truly existed. And Roger Salloom? imagine Jack Kerouac, John Belushi, Lord Buckley, and Lenny Bruce, then throw in Leadbelly, Jimmy Reed, Lonnie Johnson, and Geoff Muldaur… all rolled into one person, and you have a glimpse of poet, singer-songwriter Roger Salloom. Salloom was in the center of the 1960s San Francisco psychedelic scene, playing the Fillmore with Santana, Van Morrison, BB King and Procul Harum. In the 1970s he moved to Nashville to pursue songwriting, then disappeared for two decades to raise a family as a single parent and draw a syndicated cartoon. There is a story here. A story so intriguing that it enticed an award-winning filmmaker to make a film about the subject. So Glad I Made It, the Saga of Roger Salloom, America’s Best Unknown Songwriter, won six awards, was on the 2006 Grammy ballot, and received rave reviews across the U.S.

Record has some hairlines and a few superficial scratches.
Ships in a label sleeve.

After briefly replacing Eric Clapton in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, guitarist/bassist Geoff Krivit formed Doctor K’s Blue Band with pianist Richard Kay and singer/harmonica player Mick Hasse, the lineup completed by bassist Harold Vickers, slide guitarist Roger Rolt and future Steve Hillage drummer Eric Peachey. Their self-titled debut had top-notch renditions of blues classics such as ‘I Can’t Lose,’ ‘Key To The Highway’ and ‘Pet Cream Man,’ as well as spirited originals such as ‘Strobe Lemming’s Lament’ and the piano stomp ‘Crippled Clarence,’ but the album failed to break through. Grab a copy of this rarity to be blown away!

Red Translucent Vinyl.
Inlcludes booklet.
Box set is missing.
Original black printed inner sleeves included.

Del Shannon did not fit the typical teen-idol mould other pop singers of the early Sixties were shoehorned into. Although he certainly had the required good looks, his songs had a brooding intensity to them, with recurring themes of loss and rejection that didn't sit well with the typical pop-star image of the time. In many respects he was similar to the UK's John Leyton and did a lot to pave the way for the British Invasion and the huge expansion to the boundaries of what could be considered pop music.

Donovan Philips Leitch is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist who in the 1960s developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music. He emerged from the British folk scene and reached fame in the UK in early 1965 before replicating this in the US the following year, baring the fruits of the blossoming, successful, and eventually long collaboration with record producer Mickie Most.