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Alucard
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: September 10 2004
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 3888
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Topic: Terry Reid Posted: July 16 2006 at 12:35 |
The other day a collegue gave me a DVD : 'Devil's Rejects' a horror movie made by 'White Zombie' mastermind Rob Zombie. The film is not so brillant, but the soundtrack is teriffic, lots of southern and Californian Rock : Lynyrd Scynard, James Gang, Steely Dan and.... Terry Reid which I didn't knew at all.
Most of the tracks in the film by Terry Reid come from his 1975 record 'Seed Of Memory', and are fantastic, especially the title song 'Seed Of Memory', one of the best southern rock tracks I've ever heard, and BTW one of the best songs ever . So I looked up his Bio and I couldn't believe it :Terry Reid was born in Cambridge England (so, he must be the reincarnation of some Texas outlaw)and had already had an interesting recording history in the 60's and was even contacted by Jimmy Page to become the lead singer of..yes Led Zeppelin, he was not free, but said to Jimmy Page to try Robert Plant....the rest is history.
Terry Reid went then to LA, but couldn't record for three years, because he was still blocked thiough a contract with Mickey Most, before he released a series of records in the States. I have just ordered his record and hope that the rest of the record is as good as the tracks I've heard.
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Tadpoles keep screaming in my ear "Hey there! Rotter's Club! Explain the meaning of this song and share it"
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Dick Heath
Special Collaborator
Jazz-Rock Specialist
Joined: April 19 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 12795
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Posted: July 16 2006 at 14:16 |
Terry Reid was under Mickey Most management in the late 60's - like Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, Lulu, Donovan - and was going to be the great voice of British blues rock - but it never happened. Superlungs My Supergirl
was his most memorable tune from the period. I have a cheapo LP
issued on EMI's Music For Pleasure label, produced by Mickey Most (who
had his fingers in lots of pies) and I bought in 1969, called Most Of Terry Reid.
Personally I always felt this was an album of a couple strong
tunes but too many non-memorable ones. There is a brief biog on
the back of the LP sleeve, and paraphrasing:
Born in Sy Ives, Huntingdon in 1949, Terry began his singing career at the age of 5. he took up the guitar at 14. He wa sa member of a local band who supported Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers, who then took him on board - PJ & the Jaywalkers had been a one hit wonder with a rock'n'roll version of the Can-Can, although some interest as made with another single with Reid on board, The Hand Don't Fit The Glove. He left the Jaywalkers in 1967 and formed his own band with Eric Leese (organ) and Keith Webb (drums). Their first single was Better By Far released in May 1968! The solo album followed but was quickly deleted and then relegated to re-release on the MPF label.
I suspect the appearance of Paul Rodger with Free, with his peers saying he was the best voice in rock, put pay to Reid taking that title.
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Chicapah
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 14 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 8238
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Posted: July 17 2006 at 10:41 |
I saw Reid on two occasions in the late 60s. I think he opened for Hendrix or Jethro Tull and I'm sure he opened for Cream's farewell tour. Both times he was brilliant. The organist also provided pedal bass so it was just a three-piece outfit but they played with a lot of power and Terry's voice was raspy but strong, kinda like Rod Stewart's. I always liked his first two albums released in the US on Epic. His version of Dylan's "Highway 61" has a great groove to it and his song "May Fly" is a classic. I ended up buying a few of his releases after he moved to California in the 70s (including Seed of Memory) but none of the albums were as exciting to my ears.
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"Literature is well enough, as a time-passer, and for the improvement and general elevation and purification of mankind, but it has no practical value" - Mark Twain
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mystic fred
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Joined: March 13 2006
Location: Londinium
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Points: 4252
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Posted: July 17 2006 at 13:33 |
Terry Reid was asked to join Led Zeppelin....
details here!
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Prog Archives Tour Van
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Alucard
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: September 10 2004
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 3888
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Posted: August 01 2006 at 10:34 |
Post Scriptum:
I received today finally the CD 'Seeds Of Memory' (1976) which is IMO a masterpiece of Westcoast influenced songwriting with very interesting and original instrumentations. The record was produced by Reid's immigrant fellow Graham Nash who had already introduced Terry Reid back in the 60's to a major (GN was then member of the Hollies), and who sings harmony vocals giving the record some C,S,N& Y touch. the overall athosphere is laid back with a very peculiar slow, heavy funk, which serves the beautiful Reid songs perfectly. outstanding tracks : the title song with a beautiful flute arrangement, 'To Be treated Rite' with a light string arrangement and 'The Way You Walk' with a heavy rocking funk.
Edited by Alucard - August 01 2006 at 10:35
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Tadpoles keep screaming in my ear "Hey there! Rotter's Club! Explain the meaning of this song and share it"
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Dick Heath
Special Collaborator
Jazz-Rock Specialist
Joined: April 19 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 12795
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Posted: August 02 2006 at 08:15 |
Coincidently spotted another Donovan compilation (freshly released) yesterday , and reminded that Donovan wrote Super Lungs My Supergirl!!
Donovan has been a bit of butt for jokes (it started with being
labelled 'Britain Dylan'), but musicians in the 60's regularly used his
tunes - e.g. Season Of The Witch, Mountain Jam
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VanderGraafKommandöh
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 04 2005
Location: Malaria
Status: Offline
Points: 89372
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Posted: August 02 2006 at 08:36 |
It's funny, but I've never heard the original Mountain Jam, just the numerous The Allman Brothers Band versions, so I'm curious to hear it.
Donovan is an extraordinary artist and nobody should feel embarrassed by owning any of his albums. Infact, all his studio albums have been remastered, with extra tracks, last year I think, so try and get hold of them. His later jazz based work also sounds great. My parents actually saw him in Bristol earlier this year and said it was a very good concert.
As for Terry Reid... looks like someone else I will seek out.
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