Rock 'n' Roll Vinyl 379 Items

Buffalo NY’s THE Hamiltones are back with a new high concept surf record, In Space It serves as the soundtrack to an epic space opera, borrowing familiar themes and textures from mid-century sci-fi and superimposing them onto thoroughly modern surf rock. While most bands of the style only use guitar, bass, and drums, The Hamiltones dare to utilize layers of vocal ooos and aaas, lush strings, horns, space-age synthesizers, and even theremin on their new opus. The result is a record that has just as much in common with John Williams, Ennio Morricone, and John Carpenter as it does with Dick Dale or The Ventures. In Space is unflinchingly audacious, daring to boldly go where no surf band has gone before. The experience is fully immersive, as the 12” record comes with a companion 7” EP of music by the mysterious Moon People, and a 6-page insert spelling out the plot of the fictitious film to which In Space serves as the soundtrack.

Superb 45 featuring two Hammond-led instrumentals. The A-side is taken from The Guy HamperTrio's second long player due out on Hangman Records. The B-side is exclusive to this release. 'Man in the Mouth of a Cave' - I have painted St. Cuthbert's Cave, Northumberland on many occasions and decided that it was imperative that I write a great jazz /beat theme all about it. (Important info: After Viking raids monks from Lindisfarne wandered the north-east carrying the body of St. Cuthbert. Legend has it that they took refuge in 'St. Cuthbert's Cave.') I wrote the song with my friend Jamie Taylor in mind to have his way with it, which he does to thunderous applause - I should imagine. '107 Sleepless' is a tune I wrote in the early 1980s when me and Mick Hampshire would stay up the entire weekend writing songs for our group The Milkshakes. (We lived at 107 Rochester Street, Chatham.) About 3am Sunday morning we would be flagging and sitting there senseless. I would play this jazz riff over and over for some unknown reason. Meanwhile it should make a nice theme tune to some yet to be written HBO series and make me a millionaire - I should imagine. GUY Hamper - April 2023

Born in early 1966 as a garage band playing heavy covers by the Rolling Stones, the Byrds, the Who, and the Animals, the Fringe conquered Toronto’s coolest hippie clubs in 1967 with their underground psych vibe. In 1968 they scored a national hit and blasted across Western Canada with their psychedelic light show and transcendent songs like “Token for My Mind,” “Plastic People,” and “Executive Dream,” culminating in a spotlight appearance on CBC TV’s Let’s Go! teen show and at a Love-In festival. Now for the first time on vinyl – all 11 of their 1967-68 trippy songs in glorious mono, including everything on their mega-rare promo EP. Sourced from the original analog tapes. 500 copies, in deluxe gatefold jacket. Includes 12-page booklet insert with interviews, lyrics, unseen photos, charts, clippings and more.

The tracks from the group’s two 1984 EPs together on a swanky 10-inch vinyl LP. Inner bag features liner notes by Kris Needs incorporating new interviews with all three Delmonas and a series of great photos by Eugene Doyen.

Sarah Crouch, Hilary Wilkins and Louise Baker started singing together as a unique spark of spontaneous magic inextricably linked to their boyfriends in the Milkshakes, then rocking a garage-punk antidote to shiny synth-pop and brash chart stars with a direct lifeline back to rock’n’roll’s original simplicity and wildness. After Billy Childish and Bruce Brand formed the Pop Rivets in 1978, the guys hooked up with Micky Hampshire and Russell Wilkins to found the Milkshakes. Sarah shared a student house with boyfriend Micky plus Billy. After she and Hilary, then dating Russell, sang backing vocals on the Milkshakes’ rollicking Beatles-translated take on the Shirelles’ ‘Boys’, Louise’s arrival turned them into a girl group pretty much by accident.

“I loved the music the Milkshakes were playing,” Louise recalls. “Loved the small, intimate venues and most of the bands that played with them, especially the Prisoners. I’d gone with the Milkshakes to Belgium and was somehow persuaded to get up on stage and sing something. Next thing I knew, there was some kind of plan to get the three of us in the studio.” At first the three girls were called the Milk-boilers, renaming themselves the Delmonas by the time Ace Records’ Roger Armstrong and Ted Carroll suggested recording the EPs that furnish this collection. “I think we were asked to each think of three songs and turn up,” says Louise. “I mostly listened to music from the 60s: lots of girl groups, Irma Thomas, Dusty Springfield, Bo Diddley, Velvet Underground, Kinks. Bruce had the best record collection; Mel Tormé was in there somewhere and one of my faves. Sarah came up with doing the Doors cover.”

‘Comin’ Home Baby’ was written as an instrumental before Bob Dorough added lyrics and Mel Tormé recorded it in 1962. The Delmonas’ finger-clicking, noir-dynamic version kicked off their first EP with authentic-sounding 60s production resonance, iced with mysterioso organ. The Cookies scored a hit with Goffin & King’s ‘Chains’ in 1962, the Beatles’ version providing the Hamburg Star-Club template for the Delmonas’ energised rendition. The first EP, “The Delmonas Volume 1”, rounded off with two songs from the Childish-Hampshire songwriting partnership: ‘Woa’ Now’ and ‘He Tells Me He Loves Me’, the latter recalling the New York Dolls covering the Shangri-Las’ ‘Give Him A Great Big Kiss’, mainly because it has similar chords.

“The Delmonas Volume 2” opened with Sarah’s idea of covering the Doors’ hit. “We thought, ‘How would the Kinks have played it?’” she affirms. ‘Hello, I Love You’ had got the Doors into hot water with the Kinks’ publishers for its resemblance to ‘All Day And All Of The Night’. The Delmonas home in and highlight that similarity, adding bonkers psychedelic drop and evocative new coda. Their surf-tinged version of the Milkshakes’ ‘I’m The One For You’ is followed by the swampy screaming of ‘Peter Gunn Locomotion’, a cover of a 1963 single by Freddie Starr in his pre-stand-up comedian days as singer with the Midnighters. The set closed with the sultry organ-led vamp of the Milkshakes’ ‘I Want You’, the nearest the Delmonas get to the slowies Sarah helpfully points out they referred to as “shag songs”.

All these tracks would re-appear on their “Dangerous Charms” album, along with out-takes and recordings from a BBC session, before the original trio splintered, leaving Sarah and Hilary to return for further adventures as Ludella Black and Ida Red. The eight tracks here capture a moment when three fun-loving friends got to live out some musical fantasies and had a blast doing it. 37 years later, it sounds just as contagious.

“‘Please Stay’, by The Cryin’ Shames, was the last song by producer Joe Meek to enter the UK Top 40, peaking at No. 26. Released on 18 February 1966, the song should have reached the top, but its progress was held back by the fact that the Decca record label had not pressed enough copies to meet demand. The collaboration should have been long and successful for both of them, but the Cryin’ Shames story is cursed with bad luck and, sadly, within a year of the success of ‘Please Stay’ the band broke up and Joe Meek died. This compilation brings together a first part of the material collected by Cherry Red on the double CD ‘The Tea Chest Tapes’ . The group began as The Bumblies, formed in Liverpool in 1963 by bassist George Robinson and singer Joey Kneen who had previously been in a band called The Calderstones, that included Tom Evans, who later went on to form the group Badfinger. The Bumblies’ name was taken from a television series of the same name featuring Michael Bentine. The rest of the line-up included Charlie Crane (vocals, harmonica), John Bennett (guitar), Phil Roberts (keyboards) and Charlie Gallagher (drums). Charlie Crane would be known in addition as ‘Carl’ or ‘Paul’ to avoid confusion with the other Charlie in the group. Joe Meek didn’t like the band’s choice of name so they changed it to The Cryin’ Shames. Ritchie Routledge replaced Bennett (guitar) after the recording of their debut single ‘Please Stay’. Derek Cleary (bass/guitar) replaced Robinson in time to play on their second single ‘Nobody Waved Goodbye’. After the original Cryin’ Shames fell apart, Routledge and Crane formed a group known as Paul And Ritchie And The Crying Shames with new members Brian Norris (bass), Mike Espie (guitar), Pete Byrne (organ) and Paul Commerford (drums). They released one single, ‘September In The Rain’. The group (as The Bumblies) auditioned for Joe Meek in late October or early November 1965 - the exact date cannot be ascertained because Meek’s tapes contain very little information, and only one or two of the more than seven hundred tapes actually bear a recording date...” (liner notes extracted from the Cherry Red’s booklet made by Mr. Craig Newton)

Tracks A1 to A5 are studio outtakes, June 1977. Unknown studio. Track A6 recorded live at Cbgb. Tracks B1 and B2 Ardent Studios outtakes, Memphis, Tennessee, October 1977. Tracks B3 to B6 are Hot House Studio outtakes, New York City, February 1979.

This September, coffins will shake and graves shall release their dead

Darkness is falling. A cold wind blows from the snow-covered Carpathians, making the windows rattle and the corners of the house creak. Something is coming, eyes flashing red in the night and its footprints filled with grave dirt. What nocturnal terror is this? Why, it’s the arrival of the long-awaited third album by The Coffinshakers, folks.

While most bands quickly lose the spark, The Coffinshakers have stayed relevant – eternal like the undead. Though humor is their hallmark, there is also poignancy and something genuinely spine-tingling in their rugged, melancholy ballads. And this new offering shows them at the height of their baleful, campy power. They truly are a band that ages like fine wine – although vampires, of course, never drink… wine.

Much will be familiar to dedicated fans. Rob’s trademark malevolent chuckles still reverberate with sardonic glee, the deep rumble of his voice continuing to send all yellow-bellies hiding behind the barn. At the same time, his vocals have gained in both power and subtleness. The same goes for the guitar, bass, and drum work, now incorporating a broader array of classic Americana influences. These unholy badmen have drunk the blood straight from the neck of the authentic country, bluegrass, folk and other rootsy music of inbred US backwaters – and it has made their fangs sharper than ever.

And though The Coffinshakers still ride forth with tongue firmly planted in cheek, there is a new apocalyptic urgency to their third offering. From the marching drums of the desolate “Graves, Release Your Dead” to the echoing vocals of “River of Souls” and the cathartic cataclysm of “Down in Flames”, it all forebodes the imminent end of the whole dirty enchilada of existence. The band’s flippancy comes with a genuinely unsettling kernel of darkness – and black humor is always the most satisfying. Vampires may not cry, but we all know they laugh wickedly as they rise from the bone orchard.

- Per Faxneld, Södertörn University department of religion and vampirism, author of Satanic Feminism, Offerträdet, The Devils Party and others

The Coffinshakers' past nocturnal glories include the debut album "We Are The Undead" (1998) and the eponymous sophomore record (2007), after which the cadaverous quartet retreated to the silence of the tomb, having vacated their respective coffins only sporadically when invoked to perform undead rituals in front of a live audience. Now, many moons since they last haunted the earthly domain, the hour has come for another foray into the realm of the living. Yet again the dead shall live, the living die, and Musick shall untune the sky.

Svart Records will release Graves, Release Your Dead by The Coffinshakers on September 15th on long playing vinyl, compact disc and digital formats, including an exclusive variant with a 3D cover.

This September, coffins will shake and graves shall release their dead

Darkness is falling. A cold wind blows from the snow-covered Carpathians, making the windows rattle and the corners of the house creak. Something is coming, eyes flashing red in the night and its footprints filled with grave dirt. What nocturnal terror is this? Why, it’s the arrival of the long-awaited third album by The Coffinshakers, folks.

While most bands quickly lose the spark, The Coffinshakers have stayed relevant – eternal like the undead. Though humor is their hallmark, there is also poignancy and something genuinely spine-tingling in their rugged, melancholy ballads. And this new offering shows them at the height of their baleful, campy power. They truly are a band that ages like fine wine – although vampires, of course, never drink… wine.

Much will be familiar to dedicated fans. Rob’s trademark malevolent chuckles still reverberate with sardonic glee, the deep rumble of his voice continuing to send all yellow-bellies hiding behind the barn. At the same time, his vocals have gained in both power and subtleness. The same goes for the guitar, bass, and drum work, now incorporating a broader array of classic Americana influences. These unholy badmen have drunk the blood straight from the neck of the authentic country, bluegrass, folk and other rootsy music of inbred US backwaters – and it has made their fangs sharper than ever.

And though The Coffinshakers still ride forth with tongue firmly planted in cheek, there is a new apocalyptic urgency to their third offering. From the marching drums of the desolate “Graves, Release Your Dead” to the echoing vocals of “River of Souls” and the cathartic cataclysm of “Down in Flames”, it all forebodes the imminent end of the whole dirty enchilada of existence. The band’s flippancy comes with a genuinely unsettling kernel of darkness – and black humor is always the most satisfying. Vampires may not cry, but we all know they laugh wickedly as they rise from the bone orchard.

- Per Faxneld, Södertörn University department of religion and vampirism, author of Satanic Feminism, Offerträdet, The Devils Party and others

The Coffinshakers' past nocturnal glories include the debut album "We Are The Undead" (1998) and the eponymous sophomore record (2007), after which the cadaverous quartet retreated to the silence of the tomb, having vacated their respective coffins only sporadically when invoked to perform undead rituals in front of a live audience. Now, many moons since they last haunted the earthly domain, the hour has come for another foray into the realm of the living. Yet again the dead shall live, the living die, and Musick shall untune the sky.

Svart Records will release Graves, Release Your Dead by The Coffinshakers on September 15th on long playing vinyl, compact disc and digital formats, including an exclusive variant with a 3D cover.

Svart Records proudly present Earthly Remains, a three 7" singles box set with new Coffinshakers tracks!

The ”Earthly Remains” box-set includes three songs from the latest ”Graves, Release Your Dead” album and three brand new tracks from the same sessions. These tracks shouldn’t be seen as left-overs though, they certainly deserve their place in any serious Coffinshakers collection and in a sense makes the album complete.

”March of The Coffinshakers” marks the procession of the dead featuring a lead guitar taken straight from the spaghetti-horror dimension with massive string arrangements to boot. ”Raising Hell” sees the band in garage mode, complete with a vicious fuzz! Finally the doomsday story of ”No Return” almost takes us to crooner territory, imagine that! The three 7”s are housed in brand new watercolor artwork by Jenny Bengtsson. Will you dare to take one step further into the strange realm of The Coffinshakers?

Svart Records proudly present Earthly Remains, a three 7" singles box set with new Coffinshakers tracks!

The ”Earthly Remains” box-set includes three songs from the latest ”Graves, Release Your Dead” album and three brand new tracks from the same sessions. These tracks shouldn’t be seen as left-overs though, they certainly deserve their place in any serious Coffinshakers collection and in a sense makes the album complete.

”March of The Coffinshakers” marks the procession of the dead featuring a lead guitar taken straight from the spaghetti-horror dimension with massive string arrangements to boot. ”Raising Hell” sees the band in garage mode, complete with a vicious fuzz! Finally the doomsday story of ”No Return” almost takes us to crooner territory, imagine that! The three 7”s are housed in brand new watercolor artwork by Jenny Bengtsson. Will you dare to take one step further into the strange realm of The Coffinshakers?

Billed as "Canada's All Indian Band," the Tsimshian Nation garage band The Chieftones stormed the U.S. in the mid-'60s with their own brand of native rock n' roll. More Buddy Holly than Link Wray, The New Smooth and Different Sound compiles their debut single for Wisconsin's lauded Cuca label and adds a dozen previously unissued demos from their brief time in the Driftless region.

Billed as "Canada's All Indian Band," the Tsimshian Nation garage band The Chieftones stormed the U.S. in the mid-'60s with their own brand of native rock n' roll. More Buddy Holly than Link Wray, The New Smooth and Different Sound compiles their debut single for Wisconsin's lauded Cuca label and adds a dozen previously unissued demos from their brief time in the Driftless region.

The Black Chillies are the spiciest cocktail of rock'n'roll, latin surf and R&B. From Salamanca (Spain) they return with the wildest saxophonic fantasies to make you lose control with this sip of hi-energy instrumental. ''Suavesito!'' Enter soft and hit hard. The Black Chillies present their first single in advance of their forthcoming album.

A rock'n'roll band consisting of ROY (Vo,B), Taxman (G,Vo), JIM (G), and Marcy (Dr), who have been classmates since their college days. Their songs are sublimated from their beloved Rhythm & Blues/Rock 'n' Roll roots. The band's style of all-English lyrics has earned them a strong following not only in Japan but also overseas. Special 7" from the album "Section #11", in celebration of the Record DAY 2020.

A rock'n'roll band consisting of ROY (Vo,B), Taxman (G,Vo), JIM (G), and Marcy (Dr), who have been classmates since their college days. Their songs are sublimated from their beloved Rhythm & Blues/Rock 'n' Roll roots. The band's style of all-English lyrics has earned them a strong following not only in Japan but also overseas. This is the 8th major album, the first major album in about two years since the previous "Section #11".

Essential comp including all the non-LP single and EP tracks for Decca, Parlophone and Fontana (in original mono mixes) by London’s favourite beat / R&B / Mod band, featuring a pre-Deep Purple Jon Lord on organ. From mod classics like “Big City”, “I Take What I Want”, “What Shall I Do” or “I’m Looking For A Saxophonist…” to the proto-psychedelia of “In The Deep End”, “Brother Can You Spare A Dime” and more. *Remastered sound in mono *Gatefold sleeve with liner notes by Mike Stax (Ugly Things) *Insert with photos / memorabilia “The Artwoods recorded and released several singles, a four song EP and an LP during their tenure. Largely overlooked in their day, the band’s recordings stand up well against those of The Pretty Things, The Action and The Yardbirds, among others…” – Kevin Rathert (It’s Psychedelic Baby)

After the very successfull "jimmy Widener" first issue on the label dedicated to Hillbilly musice: "red Barn Record", We had dig a little more into our personnal shellac collection to offer you the complete Bullet sessions, 1950-52 of this obscure but very talentful "proto" rockabilly band. Two year before Elvis recordings at SUN, you already feel the wind of musical change' a coming!

She's back, the gloves are off and she is coming out swinging. Tami Neilson won't be staying New Zealand's secret for much longer. For the past decade, the Canadian-born, New Zealand-based singer/songwriter has been the queen of her adopted homeland's country and roots music scenes. She has picked up a handful of Best Country Album awards at the New Zealand Music Awards and won the prestigious APRA Silver Scroll for excellence in songwriting. With her new album, Sassafrass!, Neilson takes a giant step forward. On this 11-track knock-out, she places a heavier emphasis on soul music without abandoning her country and rockabilly roots. Neilson conjures up a wonderfully retro style that sounds like it could be a lost gem from the late '50s or early '60s; however, beneath the classic veneer are frank, highly relevant lyrics. Sassafrass, a slang word for a sassy person who isn't afraid to speak her mind, serves as a perfect title for this album. The songs, Neilson divulges, reflect her developing a low tolerance for bullsh*t after years of encountering sexism in her life. They were also influenced by her being a mother of two young boys as well as by the death of her father, who led the family's band, the Neilsons, which was popular in Canada during the '90s. Neilson characterizes her new album as a mouthy lovechild of the current social climate and my own experiences as a woman, mother and daughter.

"It's the most personal album I've ever written, and it is very daunting to put such a raw, exposed, vulnerable part of yourself out there," remarks Tami Neilson of her new album Don't Be Afraid. Don't Be Afraid was nearly left unfinished. With two songs completed and six weeks left to write Tami Neilson unexpectedly lost her father, the patriarch of The Neilson Family band who Tami had toured across Canada with as a young girl opening for the likes of Johnny Cash. It was with her mother and brother's encouragement that she finished the record as a way of honouring her dad. "I actually inadvertently wrote the title track (without realizing it would be for the album) the week Dad died. 'Don't Be Afraid' was the last song Dad wrote, while in the hospital. He had written the melody, lyrics and everything, but he was on oxygen and could barely breathe to speak. He told me that it was driving him crazy that he had this new song stuck in his head, but had no way of offloading it. It's an awful feeling, I know, so I said I would bring him in his guitar so he could play it and I'd record it on my phone. He did a verse, so I got the melody, but then his levels dropped dramatically (that's the hidden track on the album, Dad's Demo'), but we didn't get the chorus, or the melody for the chorus." Don't Be Afraid finds the soul taking precedence over the country as Tami found herself listening to a lot of gospel around the time of her father's death and finding a kinship with the legendary singer Mavis Staples: "I've always been a massive Staples fan. I had ordered the new Pops album, it was released days before Dad died, and I ordered it in Canada so I could take it into the hospital for him to listen to. It arrived the day after he died, and of course I sobbed about that, but I will always be so grateful for that album helping me get through that grieving process." Recorded in Ben Edwards' New Zealand Sitting Room studio, the songs were again recorded live, the musicians all in the room playing together. The album features Delaney Davidson and all the boys that were on Dynamite! including harmonies from Marlon Williams on the soon-to-be classic 'Lonely'. The album features a Tina Turner throwback, 'Holy Moses', the swinging country of 'Only Tears', a bluesy swagger in `So Far Away' and the southern soul of 'Burn My Body'. The album is bookended by the title track, including the haunting hidden demo track sung by Tami's father. "There are a lot of reasons I chose Don't Be Afraid as the title, and one of them is that, musically, as an artist it's a departure for me. There are definite moments where I have had to go, 'Don't be afraid of this, this is who you are,- Neilson says. "This album is the guts of me. I guess 'departure' is the wrong word because it's all the same palette and same family, but whereas Dynamite! was a lot of light, bright colours, Don't Be Afraid is deeper, richer colours - still in that same family but a different level." Tami moved to New Zealand from Canada 8 years ago and has become one of the country's biggest acts. Tami is the most highly awarded artist of any genre in New Zealand, having just picked up NZ's highest songwriting honour, the APRA Silver Scroll, for 'Walk (Back To Your Arms)' off 2014's Dynamite!, which also won her (yet another) Best Country Album Tui in May this year. Don't Be Afraid marks Tami as a new soul staple. It's a raw, deep and hopeful album that finds Tami singing out her grief. "Last year was an insane year, I had the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows all in one year," she recalls. "And I guess that is what the album is, it reflects that constant cycle of life."

In the early 1960s, the high school students who made up the legendary surf rock outfit The Surfaris scored an incredible hit with their debut instrumental, ‘Wipeout,’ and its sung B-side ‘Surfer Joe’ would be belatedly hailed as a classic, but the circumstances of the hit’s reissue by Dot led to a faux debut album that only featured the band on those two songs. Play was the bonafide 1963 debut LP that solidified their reputation, with ‘Surfing Drums’ reportedly inspiring Keith Moon; a one-off take of the Batman theme is enjoyable, but the originals really delight. Calling all surf rock fans: this genre-defining LP is an absolute must have!

The Subsonics - Atlanta's notorious gutter glam legends who pummel V.U urbanity with Cramps causticity and offer you a heaping teaspoon of primitive rock'n'roll on this fabulous compilation: 19 infectious, irresistible instant classics, all non-LP 45 tracks! Warning! 2 minutes or Less drives through the underground canals of dubious charms, bleak isolation, and crumpled covers!

Making their debut on Wick Records, New York's own Steady Sun deliver two sublime sides of ethereal psych. We're not talking about your run-of-the-mill fuzz fodder here, folks - Steady Sun delivers some of the most refreshingly satisfying psychedelia in decades! Truth is the Needle floats out of the speakers like lysergic vapor, engulfing the listener in layers of delicate guitar, spaced-out vocals, and pulsating bass that swirl around the heavy, grounded groove - generating an intoxicating juxtaposition. On the flip is Lash Around, whose insistent beat and hook-heavy melody will send you through a sonic wormhole that marries the experimentation of Barrett era Floyd with the hypnotic bounce of 1990s Manchester.

Shaghayegh was an Iranian rock band that emerged in the mid-1960s. They only released one EP, which was released under two different labels (Royal and Monogram), both versions rare as hell and go try find one. and their original vinyl records are some real highly rarity. Only four tracks are known to exist from the band, and they were printed on two different labels at the time.

Now it’s reissued thanks to the mighty Juzz label out of Tehran, bringing their garage-beat particular sound to a new life, in a well-cared production, limited to 500 copies in grey vinyl and beautiful cover.

UK rockin psychobilly from the late 80's /early 90's, holding together nearly all they put on record, that is the cold cold sunday single, the caught in a dream EP and the rest of the sessions that conformed the CD version Mental Disorder records put out in the 90's, only recording to stay out due to time limitations has been the Psycho vision 12" EP. This brilliant band could be compared at some points with The long tall texans adding on the rockin psycho sound influences of ska and garage punk. Raucous Records put out in the day their original vinyl recordings and they have become very collectable despite their poor package, The artwork has been newly done and also includes an inlay with a good fistful of never seen before pics , all from the bands private collection, aswell an extensive and very interesting interview done this year with the members, audio has been fully remastered to get the best possible sound out of it.

Another great R’n’B dancer from the Dolemite!

Despite a scant recorded legacy, the Royal Chessmen were one of the more popular 60s bands of the Mid-Ohio area.

Originally named for their hometown, 25 miles south of Canton, the Dover Chessmen, or simply the Chessmen, were assembled in 1965 by 15 year-old guitarist David Bird along with Dover High classmates Ken Weigand on bass, Keith Whiddon on guitar and Jeff Gintz on drums.

By 1967 Rich Bellanco of rival band the Pendletones had replaced Gintz, and Dave’s older brother Rodney Bird, a junior at Ohio State, was recruited on organ.

As they began to pick up local gigs they added equipment manager Edward Hardesty. They also MOD-ified their moniker to the more regal Royal Chessmen.

Two previously unreleased tracks have been rescued from the vaults by B-W label owner Matt Baker and are presented in this handsome gatefold sleeve.