The Manson Family - The Manson Family Sings the Charles Manson Songbook (1971)

"Charles Milles Manson (b. November 12, 1934) is a convict who led the "Manson Family," a quasi-commune that arose in the U.S. state of California in the later 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate-LaBianca murders, which members of the group carried out at his instruction. Through the joint-responsibility rule of conspiracy, he was convicted of the murders themselves.
Manson is forever associated with "Helter Skelter", the term he took from the Beatles song of that name and construed as a race-based conflict that the crimes were intended to precipitate. This unusual connection with rock music linked him, from the beginning of his notoriety, with pop culture, in which he became a symbol of transgression, rebellion, evil, ghoulishness, bloody violence, homicidal psychosis, and the macabre. Ultimately, the term was used as the title of the book that prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi wrote about the Manson murders.
At the time the Family began to form, Manson was an unemployed ex-convict, who had spent half his life in correctional institutions for a variety of offenses. In the period before the murders, he was a distant fringe member of the Los Angeles music industry, chiefly via a chance association with Beach Boy Dennis Wilson. After Manson was charged with the crimes, recordings of songs written and performed by him were released commercially; a number of artists have covered his songs in the decades since".
Source: Wikipedia

Tracklist: 1. Ra-Hide Away, 2. The Fires Are Burning, 3. Die to Be One, 4. No Wrong Come Along, 5. Get On Home, 6. Is There No One In Your World But You?, 7. First They Made Me Sleep In the Closet, 8. Give Your Love (To Be Free), 9. I'll Never Say Never to Always, 10. Look At Your Love, 11. If I Had a Million Dollars, 12. Goin' to the Church House.
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Heavy Metal Kids - Heavy Metal Kids (1974)

"One of the most spectacular, if sadly neglected, British bands of the mid-'70s, the Heavy Metal Kids straddled the eras of glam and punk with such effortless ease that neither genre has ever seemed entirely comfortable with them. Not for the Kids the succession of compilations and tributes with which the CD age has gifted so many of their peers; not for the Kids the awed accolades of a generation of future stars, raised on their high energy rock and dazzling visual flash. But for anybody who is in on the secret, the three albums which the Heavy Metal Kids unleashed between 1974-1977 represent the missing link in the story of Brit-pop, the bridge which links the Small Faces to Oasis, the Action to the Jam, and any other two points you care to mention.
As an accomplished child actor, vocalist Gary Holton first came to attention as a protégé of the Sadlers Well Opera Company during the early '60s and also played the Artful Dodger in an acclaimed production of Charles Dickens' Oliver. From there, he moved on to regular performances with the Old Vic Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company, before joining the touring company of Hair in 1972, aged 17. It was during this period that he began making the contacts which would lead him to form the Heavy Metal Kids two years later, with Mickey Waller (guitar, and no relation to the Jeff Beck/Rod Stewart drummer of the same name), Argentinean-born Danny Peyronel (keyboards), Ronnie Thomas (bass, vocals), and Keith Boyce (drums). The group's name, incidentally, was taken from William Burroughs - naively or otherwise, the band members never dreamed people might draw other, musical, conclusions from it.
Fronted by Holton's raucous Cockney accent and visually steeped in the paraphernalia of his theatrical upbringing, the Heavy Metal Kids made an immediate impact. Singer/songwriter TV Smith, whose punk-era band the Adverts would play several gigs with the Kids, recalled, "they cared about their look, wearing makeup on stage, dressing up special for gigs, which was the kind of stuff we were looking for before punk. Silly lyrics, funny, energetic on-stage." Guitarist Brian James (the Damned/Lords of the New Church) agreed. "The Heavy Metal Kids were great fun. Gary used to take the piss out of himself so much and they kinda filled a little bit of a gap, amongst all that pomp of the early '70s. You had the hippy side, you had the glam thing that was taking itself so very seriously, and then there was Gary and his boys, just being silly." He, too, was adamant, "they were ahead of their time."
Discovered by former Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich frontman Dave Dee, the Kids were signed by Atlantic Records and went immediately into the studio to record their debut album, Heavy Metal Kids. It was well received, but did little, a fate which many observers put down to the conflicting signals sent out by the band's name. Heading out for their first American tour in early 1975, the group dropped the Heavy Metal from their name, and gigged as the Kids alone. Recorded with new guitarist Cosmo replacing Waller, Anvil Chorus, their sophomore album, also appeared under this abbreviated name. It fared no better than its predecessor and, following a U.K. tour with Alice Cooper, the Kids parted company with Atlantic towards the end of the year. Further personnel changes included the departures of Peyronel and Cosmo, to be replaced by John Sinclair (keyboards) and Barry Paul, guitarist on the group's original demos two years earlier.
In December, 1975, the Kids signed with producer Mickie Most's RAK label, but before work could begin on their next album, Holton was loudly sacked from the lineup amid a storm of drink- and drug-related headlines. Plans for the remaining members to continue on without him, however, came to naught and, in late 1977, Holton rejoined the band for a handful of live shows and the long-delayed third album, Kitsch. But by mid-1978, he had departed once again and, this time, the band broke up.
Returning to acting, Holton landed roles in the disco movie Music Machine, the Who's Quadrophenia, and alongside Hazel O'Connor in the hit Breaking Glass. He also starred in the British TV movie Bloody Kids. His musical endeavors were now confined to strict one-offs: in December, 1978, Holton stood in for Damned vocalist Dave Vanian on a short Scottish tour, he also recorded a solo single, a stunning punk-country version of Kenny Rogers' "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" with the Boys' guitarist Casino Steel. But even the opportunity to replace the late Bon Scott in AC/DC could not lure him back to full-time rock & roll.
In 1983, Holton landed a starring role in British television's Auf Weidersehn, Pet, a light drama conceived by Quadrophenia director Francis Roddam and one of the surprise hits of the 1983-1984 season. He followed up with a memorable role in a Pilsner lager commercial and, in September, 1984, Holton returned to theater, appearing in the London cast of the 1950s Americana musical Pump Boys and Dinettes.
The following summer, he traveled to Spain to work on the long-awaited second series of Auf Weidersehn, Pet. It was there that he died, on October 25, 1985, the victim of a heroin habit which even the gossip-ridden London underground scarcely remembered".
"The Heavy Metal Kids never became stars, never won any readers polls, never had a hit record. But, if you could roll back time to that moment in 1974 when the very first needle hit the very first pressing of their eponymous debut album, it would be impossible to predict that sordid fate. Quite frankly, Heavy Metal Kids rises so far above the rest of the period pack that - Sparks and Cockney Rebel notwithstanding - there was no more exciting proposition to be found on the new-release shelves. Part unrepentant boogie band, part pub rock leviathan, and part good-time distillation of the best of Slade and the Faces, fronted by the utterly irresistible cackle of singer Gary Holton, the Kids' flash, slash, and sashay assault had a cosmic energy that could transform even the ballads ("It's the Same," "Nature of My Game") into fists-in-the-air anthems. A decade later, the band could have so rewritten the notion of the power ballad that suffering through the 1980s might never have been necessary; a decade earlier, the British Invasion could have been the new prog. Imagine Jim Steinman producing Them, and you're close to the majesty of Heavy Metal Kids. As it is, the only people who seem to have truly noted what the Kids were doing were the Rolling Stones -- the laconic reggae of "Run Around Eyes" is a dry run for the Stones' later romp through "Cherry Oh Baby." Heavy Metal Kids hits so many peaks -- "Ain't It Hard," "Always Plenty of Women," "Hangin' On" - that the end of the album comes so quickly that even they seemed to be taken by surprise. The closing "Rock n' Roll Man," heralded by one of the most triumphant roars in rock history, is followed not by the sound of needle scraping label, but by a violent reprise for what remains the Kids' finest hour: the stomping, storming "We Gotta Go." And that is not only a juxtaposition that will have you talking Cockney for the rest of the day, it also tells you everything you need to know about the Heavy Metal Kids. Nothing can be taken for granted - and nothing was. Including the fame and glory that this album still demands".
Source: All Music Guide

Tracklist: 1. Hangin' On, 2. Ain't It Hard, 3. It's the Same, 4. Run Around Eyes, 5. We Gotta Go, 6. Always Plenty of Women, 7. Nature of My Game, 8. Kind Woman, 9. Rock N' Roll Man, 10. We Gotta Go (Reprise).
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Heavy Metal Kids / Heavy Metal Kids @ MySpace

Ace Frehley - Hard Rock Cafe, NYC 31.10.2007

Space Ace is back! This is his first solo show in almost 6 years - live at Eddie Trunk's Halloween Bash at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York on October 31st 2007. Very good audience recording!
"Paul Daniel Frehley (born April 27, 1951), better known as Ace Frehley, is an American guitarist best known as a founding member and lead guitarist for the rock band Kiss. He took on the persona of 'Space Ace' when the band adopted costumes and theatrics. Frehley played with the group from its inception in 1973 until his departure in 1982.
After leaving Kiss, Frehley embarked on a moderately successful solo career, which was put on hold when he rejoined Kiss in 1996 for a highly successful reunion tour. His second tenure with Kiss lasted until 2002, when he left at the conclusion of the band's Farewell Tour. He has since resumed his solo career, although to date he has not released any new music".
Source: Wikipedia

Tracklist: 1. Intro/Rip It Out, 2. Hard Times, 3. Parasite, 4. Snowblind/I Want You/Rock Soldiers, 5. Breakout, 6. Into the Void, 7. Strange Ways, 8. Shock Me, 9. Ace's Solo, 10. New York Groove (Feat. Anton Fig on drums), 11. Shot Full of Rock, 12. Rocket Ride, 13. Medley: My Generation (The Who)/How Many More Times (Led Zeppelin)/Bring It On Home (Led Zeppelin)/Highway to Hell (AC/DC), 14. Love Gun, 15. Deuce, 16. Cold Gin
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Ace Frehley @ Wikipedia / Ace Frehley @ IMDb / Space Ace Online

Wicked Lester - Wicked Lester (1971)

"Wicked Lester was a New York-based rock and roll group. The group was formed (as Rainbow) in 1970, and its most notable early members were bassist Gene Klein (later Gene Simmons) and rhythm guitarist Stanley Eisen (later Paul Stanley). In 1971 the band changed their name to Wicked Lester, and in the fall of that year they recorded an album for Epic Records, which was never released.
Wicked Lester's music featured elements of rock and roll, folk rock, and pop. Simmons and Stanley, feeling that the group lacked a unifying musical vision, began forming a second version of Wicked Lester in late 1972. This second Wicked Lester, with an emphasis on more straightforward rock and roll, as well as on theatrics, became Kiss in early 1973.
During their brief existence, Wicked Lester performed in public twice. The first show took place at the Rivoli Theatre in South Fallsburg, New York in April 1971. The second, during the summer of 1971, was at an Atlantic City, New Jersey hotel hosting a B'nai B'rith Youth Organization event. Not long after that show, the band suffered a major setback when they had all of their musical gear stolen.
After a chance meeting with Electric Lady Studios engineer Ron Johnsen, Wicked Lester was given the opportunity to record some demos in the fall of 1971. Johnsen, who produced the demo tape, shopped it to a few labels, with no success. Eventually the tape was screened by Epic Records, who purchased the masters and agreed to fund the recording of a full album.
The entire recording process, which adhered to a haphazard schedule, took nearly a year to complete. When the completed album was presented to Don Ellis, Epic's A&R director, he stated that he hated the album and was not going to release it. The next day, Wicked Lester manager Lew Linet requested and received the group's release from Epic Records.
It was at this time that Klein and Eisen (now using the stage names Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley) decided that one of the reasons for Wicked Lester's lack of success was their lack of a singular image and musical vision. They made the decision to start a new version of the group, and began auditioning for a drummer in the fall of 1972.
Whereas Wicked Lester's original sound was rooted in varied musical styles (folk and pop, for instance), when Simmons and Stanley decided to recruit new members, they also made the decision to focus on a more aggressive and simple style of rock and roll. The first new member added to Wicked Lester was drummer Peter Criss, who had placed an ad in Rolling Stone. The new Wicked Lester, without a recording contract, began a strict and regular regimen of rehearsals.
In November 1972, the group arranged a showcase with Don Ellis, the Epic Records executive who earlier had rejected Wicked Lester's album. While one Epic executive, Tom Werman, was impressed by the power and theatrics of this new incarnation of Wicked Lester, Ellis once again turned them down. As Ellis was leaving, Peter Criss's brother (who was drunk) vomited on his foot.
In early December, Paul Stanley placed an ad in The Village Voice stating, "LEAD GUITARIST WANTED with Flash and Ability. Album Out Shortly. No time wasters please," rather than the historically incorrect "with Flash and Balls." The ad ran for two issues (December 7, 1972 and December 14, 1972) and the band had to run several sessions of auditions. One early audition was by the strange Paul "Ace" Frehley who showed up wearing different colored shoes. Frehley was asked back for a second audition and was a member of the band by Christmas 1972. Within a few weeks, the group had changed its name to Kiss and played their first concert on January 30, 1973.
The proper recording sessions for Wicked Lester's album, which began in November 1971 at Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village, took place during multiple sessions and were finished in July 1972. The album was a mixture of original material and covers, showcasing the group's eclectic style. Three of the songs recorded for the Wicked Lester album would later resurface as Kiss songs, with varying degrees of similarity:
- "We Wanna Shout It Out Loud": A cover version of a song that was originally recorded by The Hollies in 1970. The chorus would serve as the inspiration for "Shout It Out Loud" from 1976's Destroyer, although the two songs are completely different in every other respect.
- "Love Her All I Can": Written by Paul Stanley, this would resurface on 1975's Dressed to Kill. Both versions feature similar arrangements.
- "She": Written by Gene Simmons and Steve Coronel prior to the formation of Wicked Lester, this was also re-recorded for the Dressed to Kill album. The melody and arrangement in the two versions are nearly identical, although the original had congas and a flute that the Kiss version did not.
The only part of Wicked Lester's album to actually be released, initially, was the cover art, which was used for The Laughing Dogs' debut album in 1979. CBS Records, who owned the rights to the album, remixed it and planned to release it in late 1976 to capitalize on Kiss's commercial popularity. Kiss and Neil Bogart, the president of Casablanca Records (Kiss's label), purchased the album from CBS for $137,500 and never released it. Eventually, Kiss bought Bogart's share outright. Three songs from the album ("Keep Me Waiting," "She," and "Love Her All I Can"), however, were released in 2001 as part of Kiss's five-disc box set.
Source: Wikipedia

Interesting facts:
- (We Want To) Shout It Out Loud was originally recorded by The Hollies and is not the same song as Shout It Out Loud from 1976's Destroyer album.
- Wicked Lester lead guitarist, Steven Coronel, was a mutual friend of Gene and Paul's and introduced the two of them.
- Neither Paul, nor Gene, EVER want these recordings released because they think they are horrible (Paul calls the Wicked Lester recordings "eclectic crap").
- Wicked Lester only played together twice before recording the album.
- Other songs recorded include Eskimo Sun (which later appeared in a vastly different form as Only You on Music From The Elder), Suitor, About Her, Long Road, and Stanley The Parrot (which became Strutter on KISS' first album).
- The Wicked Lester album was produced by Ron Johnsen who also produced Peter Criss' pre-KISS album, Chelsea in 1971.
- The proposed cover for the Wicked Lester album features an evil-looking young boy sitting on some steps with a dog. This cover would resurface in 1979 (CBS Records had placed it in storage) on an album for the group, The Laughing Dogs.
- Gene and Paul sang a commercial jingle for AMC trucks that got them the exposure needed to gain studio time with Eddie Kramer to record the demos for an album deal.
Source: Kiss Discography 1971-75

Tracklist: 1. Sweet Ophelia, 2. Keep Me Waiting, 3. Love Her All I Can, 4. Simple Types, 5. She, 6. Too Many Mondays, 7. What Happens In the Darkness, 8. When the Bell Rings, 9. Molly (Some Other Guy), 10. Shout It Out Loud, 11. Long, Long Road.
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MERRY X-MAS!

Vio-Lence - Oppressing the Masses (1990)

For all you metal heads and Machine Head fans out there, here's a hard to find album by Vio-Lence featuring both Robb Flynn and Phil Demmel on guitars.
"Vio-Lence was a thrash metal band formed in 1985, that released a few demo tapes, one EP and 3 LPs between 1985 and 1993.
After establishing a secure line-up with Phil Demmel and Robb Flynn on guitars, Dean Dell on bass, Perry Strickland on drums and Sean Killian on vocals, they released a demo tape on Mechanic Records in 1986 .
Soon after releasing their demo tape they entered the studio to record their debut album, called Eternal Nightmare, a seven track album released in 1988. Eternal Nightmare suffered in lack of promotion despite being well accepted by the (thrash) audience and critics.
Together with the band Forbidden, they were labelled the new promises of bay area thrash and in 1989 they struck a deal with Megaforce Records to release their second album, titled Oppressing the Masses. Around that time, Perry Strickland substituted Tom Hunting of Exodus, yet only for a few shows, denying the possibility of staying permanently.
Finally in 1990, Oppressing the Masses was launched on Megaforce Records with better distribution and marketing than their debut, Eternal Nightmare. A video for the song "World in a World" has also been filmed.
In 1991 they released an EP bearing the name Torture Tactics, which included three studio songs (old songs from the demo era which were recorded during the Oppressing The Masses sessions) and one live track from the Oppressing The Masses tour.
Internal conflicts in 1992 resulted in Robb Flynn's departure from the band. He, along with Adam Duce, Logan Mader and Tony Constanza formed the seminal groove metal band Machine Head. Vio-Lence started to record their third and last studio album aptly titled Nothing to Gain, which was released in 1993 and was followed by Perry Strickland's departure, the result of the drummer's decision being the dissolution of the band.
Phil Demmel, Dean Dell, Ray Vega and Mark Hernandez formed a half-thrash band called Torque which disbanded after releasing a studio album and playing several live shows. Demmel then went to form Technocracy. Robb Flynn remains active in the metal community as the guitarist and singer of Machine Head. Phil Demmel is now in Machine Head and has been since before the release of Through the Ashes of Empires".
Source: Wikipedia

Tracklist: 1. I Profit, 2. Officer Nice, 3. Subterfuge, 4. Engulfed By Flames, 5. World In a World, 6. Mentally Afflicted, 7. Liquid Courage, 8. Oppressing the Masses.
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Vio-Lence Official Site / Vio-Lence @ Wikipedia

The Runaways - School Days (1978)

The Runaways performing their hit song "School Days" live at a German TV show in 1978.

The Runaways - Forever Lost?: Live In NYC '76 & Oslo, Norway '78

Here's a little treat for all fans of the greatest all girl and ever - The Runaways. The vinyl only live bootleg "Lost Forever?" has 6 tracks recorded in New York City in 1976 on side A, and 7 tracks from Oslo, Norway on the B side.
The tracks from Norway with Joan Jett on vocals are nothing but amazing. The band really took a gigantic step forward when Jett became the singer. Too bad they only lasted a year after that - where's the reunion?

Tracklist: 1. California Paradise, 2. Cherry Bomb, 3. Take It Or Leave It, 4. Don't Use Me, 5. Johnny Guitar, 6. Dead End Justice (1-6 Live In NYC 1976), 7. Wasted, 8. School Days, 9. You're Too Possessive, 10. You Drive Me Wild, 11. Waiting For the Night, 12. Little Sister, 13. C'mon (7-13 Live In Oslo, Norway 1978).
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The Runaways.com / The Runaways.com @ MySpace / The Runaways @ MySpace / The Runaways @ Wikipedia

Banjo & Sullivan - The Ultimate Collection 1972-1978 (2005)

"It's a tragic story - struggling musicians who finally experience success only in death, that which they could never achieve in life. Banjo & Sullivan disappeared amid a series of heinous homicides and were basically forgotten-–until now, that is.
Kentucky-born guitar ace Roy Sullivan was a Nashville session player in the '60s before teaming with Adam "Fingers" Banjo, a banjo picker from Mississippi. Their 1972 debut album, Two Silver Tongue Devils (Who Ain't Got a Clue), was followed by 1974's Wasted Banjos and Drunken Guitars. Sullivan then married Gloria Harrison, a respected studio singer, who joined the group on piano and backing vocals. In summer 1975, "I'm at Home Getting Hammered" hit #34 on the country chart and "She Didn't Like Me, but She Loved My Money" reached #23. In 1977, Banjo married backup singer Wendy Clark and she joined on backing vocals and tambourine.
The next year, while touring in support of the latest album Where the End Meets the Road and the single "Lord, Don't Let Me Die in a Cheap Motel," B&S checked into the Kahiki Palms Motel after a rousing run of gigs. While the exact details of the grisly crime are unknown, what is certain is that Gloria, Wendy, and roadie Jimmy Cracker were murdered there by a group later dubbed the Devil's Rejects. Roy and Adam were never found and were presumed dead".
Source: Amazon.com

"Banjo and Sullivan is a group of fictional characters created by Rob Zombie, appearing in his second feature film, The Devil's Rejects. They were a group of unlucky musicians who ran into Otis B. Driftwood and Baby Firefly at an old motel".
Source: Wikipedia

Tracklist: 1. Dick Soup, 2. I Don't Give a Truck, 3. Honeymoon Song, 4. I'm at Home Getting Hammered (While She's Out Getting Nailed), 5. Killer On the Lamb, 6. I'm Trying to Quit, But I Just Quit Trying, 7. She Didn't Like Me (But She Loved My Money), 8. Roy's Ramble, 9. Lord, Don't Let Me Die in a Cheap Motel, 10. Free Bird.
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Banjo & Sullivan @ MySpace

Dismantling Henry Rollins, Episode 2

Episode two of Heidi May's hilarious documentary series "Dismantling Henry Rollins" was just made available over at HenryRollins.com - check it out HERE!

Henry Rollins.com / The Henry Rollins Show / Harmony In My Head / Rollins Archive / Henry Rollins @ IMDb / Henry Rollins @ Wikipedia

Quiet Riot - Metal Health (1983)

Quiet Riot vocalist Kevin DuBrow passed away past Sunday at the age of 51.
"Kevin DuBrow (October 29, 1955 – November 25, 2007) was an American rock vocalist, best known as the lead singer of the heavy metal band Quiet Riot. During Quiet Riot's commercial heyday in the 1980s, Dubrow was known for his on-stage charisma, gravelly bluesy voice, and suspenders".
"Metal Health was the breakthrough album for the American heavy metal band Quiet Riot and their first record without deceased legendary guitarist Randy Rhoads. It was released on March 11, 1983, bolstered by a #5 hit single, "Cum On Feel the Noize," a Slade cover. Metal Health was the first heavy metal debut album to hit #1 on the Billboard Music Charts pop albums list. It knocked The Police's Synchronicity out of #1 in the U.S. The album went on to sell more than 6 million copies and is considered a classic among heavy metal fans to this day. However, some, such as the All Music Guide, perceive it as a one-hit wonder, owing to Quiet Riot's relative lack of critical and commercial success with following albums (and subsequent disintegration) towards the end of the 1980s.
Source: Wikipedia

Tracklist: 1. Metal Health, 2. Cum On Feel the Noize, 3. Don't Wanna Let You Go, 4. Slick Black Cadillac, 5. Love's a Bitch, 6. Breathless, 7. Run For Cover, 8. Battle Axe, 9. Let's Get Crazy, 10. Thunderbird.
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Kevin DuBrow @ Wikipedia / Quiet Riot @ Wikipedia / Metal Health @ Wikipedia