"The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions" by CHICKEN SHACK (2006 Columbia/Blue Horizon 3CD Reissue - Duncan Cowell Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…Freshly Packed And Ready To Serve…" 

Features the 1970 album "Accept"

Across its 56 tracks and 3CDs - this fantastic February 2006 UK and EUROPE release "The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions" by CHICKEN SHACK on Columbia/Blue Horizon 82876734942 (Barcode 828767349428) offers potential buyers a huge amount of British Blues Rock for not a lot of dosh. You get 4 full albums worth from 1968 to 1970 - a slew of non-LP 7" singles and their rare B-sides - and even 2 Previously Unreleased songs.

The first generation original master tapes were digitally transferred and remastered by DUNCAN COWELL at Sound Mastering in London and overseen by label Supremo MIKE VERNON. And as usual with all the Blue Horizon reissues - the sonic results are just stunning. Every track is clear, warm and fresh sounding. And with each of Chicken Shack's original British vinyl issues pushing £80 to £100 a throw (if you can actually find them in playable condition) - this is a welcome release. Here are the one hundred ton chickens and the roosters in the farmyard:

Disc 1 (74:16 minutes):

1. It's Okay With Me Baby (Christine Perfect song)

2. When My Left Eye Jumps (Willie Dixon song, Buddy Guy cover)

Tracks 1 & 2 are the A&B-side of the band's 1st UK 7" single on Blue Horizon 57-3157 released January 1968 - both songs were non-album with Christine Perfect Lead Vocals on the A and Stan Webb on the B-side (the flipside is a song closely associated with Buddy Guy).

3. The Letter (B.B. King cover)

4. Lonesome Whistle Blues (Freddie King cover)

5. When The Train Comes Back (Christine Perfect song)

6. San-Ho-Zay (Freddie King cover)

7. King Of The World (John Lee Hooker cover)

8. See See Baby (Freddie King cover) [Side 2]

9. First Time I Met The Blues (Eurreal "Little Brother" Montgomery cover)

10. Webbed Feet (Stan Webb song)

11. You Ain't No Good (Christine Perfect)

12. What You Did Last Night (Stan Webb song)

Tracks 3 to 12 are their debut UK album "Forty Blue Fingers Freshly Packed & Ready To Serve" released July 1968 on Blue Horizon S 7-63203 in Stereo

13. Hey Baby (see 20 below)

14. Baby's Got Me Crying (Stan Webb song)

15. The Right Way Is My Way (Stan Webb song)

16. Get Like You Used To Be (Stan Webb song)

17. Pony And Trap (Stan Webb song)

18. Tell Me (Howlin' Wolf cover)

19. A Woman Is The Blues (Stan Webb/Christine Perfect song)

Tracks 14 to 19 are Side 1 of their 2nd studio album "O.K. Ken?" released February 1969 on Blue Horizon S 7-63209 in Stereo (Side 2 is on Disc 2)

20. When The Train Comes Back

NOTE: "When The Train Comes Back" and "Hey Baby" (Track 13) are the A&B-sides of their 3rd UK 7" single released 1968 on Blue Horizon 57-3146 and both songs are non-album. There is a version of "When The Train Comes Back" on the "Forty Fresh Fingers..." LP but it's different to the single release - the 7" version pushes the brass section more into the mix.

Disc 2 (71:52 minutes):

1. Worried About My Woman

2. Six Nights In Seven

Tracks 1 and 2 are the A&B-sides of their 2nd UK 7" single released September 1968 on Blue Horizon 57-3143 - both non-album.

NOTE: Track 1 is the 7" single version that features what you would call a 'guitar' version of the track with Webb's guitar work to the fore. However, Track 19 is the 'album' version of "Worried About My Woman" - wittily tagged with the word "Still" in front of it because although it's the same song - the version is very different. It features Paul Raymond's Organ work far more to the fore of the mix - almost Georgie Fame and The Blues Flames in its feel - and a far louder Webb guitar - he rocks like a mother on this one - fantastic!

3. I Wanna See My Baby (Stan Webb song)

4. Remington Ride (Stan Webb song)

5. Fishing In Your River (Aaron Walker cover)

6. Mean Old World (Herb Remington, Hank Penny cover)

7. Sweet Sixteen (Big Joe Turner cover)

Tracks 3 to 7 are Side 2 of their 2nd UK album "O.K. Ken?" (as per Disc 1)

8. I'd Rather Go Blind

9. Night Life

Tracks 8 and 9 are the A&B-sides of their 4th UK 7" single released May 1969 on Blue Horizon 57-3153. Both tracks were non-album at the time - the A-side is an Etta James cover - the B a Willie Nelson cover

10. The Road Of Love (Clarence Carter cover)

11. La Ma, I'm Cryin' (Freddie King cover)

12. Evelyn (Stan Webb song - Instrumental)

13. Reconsider Baby (Lowell Fulson cover)

14. Weekend Love (Clarence Carter cover)

15. Midnight Hour (Clarence Brown cover) [Side 2]

16. Tears In The Wind (Stan Webb song)

17. Horse & Cart (Stan Webb song)

18. The Way It Is (Stan Webb song)

19. Still Worried About My Woman (Stan Webb song) [see Note on 1 & 2]

20. Anji (Davey Graham cover)

Tracks 10 to 20 are their 3rd UK studio album "100 Ton Chicken" released March 1969 on Blue Horizon S 7-63218 in Stereo

Note: "Tears In The Wind" was also their 5th UK 7” single released September 1969 on Blue Horizon 57-3160. Its non-album B-side is "The Things You Put Me Through" – Track 3 on Disc 3

Disc 3 (51:08 minutes):

1. Smartest Girl In Town (Stan Webb song)

2. Hideaway (Freddie King cover)

Tracks 1 and 2 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED - recorded May 1969 with the line-up of Stan Webb (Guitar), Paul Raymond (Organ), Andy Silvester (Bass) and David Bidwell (Drums) featured on both studio outtakes.

3. The Things You Put Me Through

Tracks 3 is the non-album B-side to the UK 7” single of "Tears In The Wind" (Track 16 on Disc 2)

4. Diary Of Your Life (Stan Webb song)

5. Pocket (Stan Webb song)

6. Never Ever (Stan Webb/Paul Raymond song)

7. Sad Clown (Stan Webb /Paul Raymond song)

8. Maudie (Stan Webb /Paul Raymond song)

9. Telling Your Fortune (Stan Webb song)

10. Tired Eyes (Stan Webb song) [Side 2]

11. Some Other Time (Stan Webb /Paul Raymond song)

12. Going Round (Stan Webb /Paul Raymond song)

13. Andalucian Blues (Stan Webb /Paul Raymond song)

14. You Knew You Did You Did (Stan Webb song)

15. She Didn't Use Her Loaf (Stan Webb /Paul Raymond song)

Tracks 4 to 15 are "Accept" - their 4th and last album for Blue Horizon released June 1970 on S 7-63861 in Stereo

Track 16 "Maudie" is the non-album A-side to their 6th UK 7" single released January 1970 on Blue Horizon 57-3168

NOTES:

Track 13 "Andalucian Blues" is the B-side to "Maudie" their 6th UK 7" single

Track 7 "Sad Clown" and Track 10 "Tired Eyes" make up the A & B side of their 7th and last Blue Horizon 7" single (57-3176) from 1970

This 3CD set allows you to sequence all 14 tracks on their seven UK Blue Horizon singles

Featuring Stan Webb (Guitar & Lead Vocals), Christine Perfect (Keyboards and Lead Vocals), Paul Raymond (Piano), Andy Silvester (Bass) and Dave Bidwell (Drums) - England's CHICKEN SHACK was always about the blues and the bar-brawling boogie that came out of that tradition (they took their name from a 50's R&B tune by Amos Milburn). Mixing raucous cover versions with equally impressive originals, the first 3 albums featured shared vocals/song-writing credits between blues-nutter Stan Webb and a young Female Singer of the Year, Christine Perfect. (Christine married John McVie in 1969 and later joined Fleetwood Mac - retaining the McVie surname to this day).

As you can see from the track lists provided above - the first album is a fest of the Kings - B.B. and Freddie with some John Lee Hooker thrown in. These are allied with an impressive quad showing of Stan Webb and Christine Perfect originals (two each). "See See Baby" is just fantastic - the great mixture of rocking Blues done by Blues enthusiasts feeling it in every corpuscle. By album two Webb has firmly taken over the songwriting reins with strong Bluesy R'n'B like "Baby's Got Me Crying" sounding not unlike John Mayall does Buddy Guy via B.B. King.

The Shacks albums also featured guest Sax work from Johnny Almond and Paul Raymond and his Organ/Piano work came on board from "100 Ton Chicken" onwards. The music is infectious blues based rock with the occasional funky moment (the instrumental "Evelyn" is a good example). What is surprising is how little interest was shown in their rocking "Accept" album from mid 1970 - only released later that year in the States on the back of a tour with savoy Brown. Mainly featuring Webb originals co-written with Paul Raymond - I often think it's a bit of a lost 1970 classic like "Kiln House" or the Humble Pie debut on A&M. Check out the blistering rocking on "Perfect" that then slows down (wicked). Stan Webb kept Chicken Shack going after Blue Horizon to do two more rawk albums for the Deram label - "Imagination Lady" in 1972 and "Unlucky Boy" in 1973 - both of which I love.

If I was to say there was a downside - it's the lack of unreleased material. And it's a damn shame that these four Chicken Shack albums didn't receive the Fleetwood Mac Blue Horizon Box Set treatment - I would love to have seen all of them in Repro Card Sleeves (gatefolds in some cases) - each topped up with bonus tracks. But alas...

As it stands "The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions" by CHICKEN SHACK is another jewel in the Blue Horizon crown. Never less than brilliant on any of the discs - and at a few squid above a ten-spot - this superb release is a steal, a deal, sale of the century etc...

"The Best Of" by ASHTON, GARDNER & DYKE (featuring Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Stan Webb of Chicken Shack). A Review Of The 1999 Repertoire CD Compilation - Reissued In 2010...

(2010 CD Reissue Sleeve Above)

(1999 CD Sleeve Above)

"…Advocating Love….But You Don’t Know Why…"

In 1964 THE REMO FOUR managed two UK 7" singles on the Pye offshoot label Piccadilly and a further attempt at stardom in 1967 on Fontana - each are sought after 45's now. The band included Keyboard Player and Lead Vocalist TONY ASHTON and Drummer ROY DYKE. Not getting anywhere for 4 years (they never got an album out) - in 1968 the duo then teamed up with Bass Player KIM GARDNER of THE CREATION and formed - ASHTON, GARDNER & DYKE. And that's where this rather cool little CD compilation comes in…

Originally released in 1999 on Repertoire 4835-WG (Barcode 4009910483527) - this is a March 2010 CD Reissue of “The Best Of Ashton, Gardner & Dyke” on Repertoire REP 5141 (Barcode 4009910514122). It comes with different ‘band and a gramophone’ artwork (the original had a red side-profile photo - see above) and breaks down as follows (75:52 minutes):

1. The Resurrection Shuffle

2. Ballad Of The Remo Four

3. Let It Roll

4. Billy And His Piano With...

5. I'm Your Spiritual Breadman

6. Hymn To Everyone

7. Maiden Voyage

8. Why Did You Go

9. New York Mining Disaster

10. The Falling Song

11. Oh Mathilda

12. Momma's Getting Married

13. What A Bloody Long Day It's Been

14. Rolling Home

15. Can You Get It

16. I'm Dying For You

17. Paper Head, Paper Mind

18. You, Me And A Friend Of Mine

19. It's Gonna Be High Tonight

20. Picture Sliding Down The Wall

Track 1 is "The Resurrection Shuffle" - their 2nd UK single and their most famous hit. It's a non-album track and was released on Capitol CL 15665 in January 1971. Its B-side is Track 6 - "Hymn To Everyone" from "The Worst Of" album.

Tracks 2, 13 and 19 are from their 3rd album "What A Bloody Long Day It's Been" - released February 1972 in the UK on Capitol Records EA-ST 22862. 

Tracks 3, 5, 6, 12 and 17 are from their 2nd album "The Worst Of" - released February 1971 in the UK on Capitol Records E-ST 563. Produced in part by JON LORD of Deep Purple. Track 5 “I’m Your Spiritual Breadman” features both ERIC CLAPTON and GEORGE HARRISON under pseudonyms. 

Tracks 4, 8, 9, 10, 14 and 20 are from their debut album "Ashton, Gardner & Dyke" - released 1969 in the UK on Polydor Records 583 081.

Track 7 is "Maiden Voyage (Single Version)", their debut 7" single released 1969 in the UK on Polydor 56306 (it's B-side "The Sun In My Eyes" is not included on here). It's a genuine rarity on vinyl and currently listed at £80+ in value.

Tracks 11, 16 and 18 are from their 4th and last album "The Last Rebel", a soundtrack released on Capitol Records 1C 062-80964 in Holland in 1973. Tracks 18 and 16 were also the A&B sides of a Dutch 7" single on Capitol Records 1C 006-81012.

Track 15 is "Can You Get It" - a non-album track issued as the A-side of a UK 7" single on Capitol CL 15684 in May 1971 (failed to chart). Its B-side was "Delirium" (not included here either).

The problem with A, G & D was "The Resurrection Shuffle" (lyrics above) - an absolutely storming upbeat pop single that peaked at Number 3 in the UK charts in early 1971 after huge radio-play. To say it was popular at the time is an understatement. Like Thunderclap Newman's "Something In The Air" in 1969 - it was beloved - an instant classic that's remembered with huge affection even to this day (Clarence Clemons - Springsteen's sadly passed saxophonist - did a fab cover of it on his "Rescue" album in 1983). But it had the effect of obliterating everything else in its path because all after that seemed like a disappointment - especially the lame follow-up "Can You Get It" which was essentially a poor man's rethread of RS. Worse - in common practice with the times Shuffle was a non-album track - so even if you went out and bought the "The Worst Of" LP that surrounded the single - it wasn't on there. Throw in the fact that nothing on the LP matched it or even sounded similar - then it's easy to see why the group failed to capitalize on that initial firestorm. The end result for A, G & D is that are now remembered as a one-hit wonder - yet they managed 4 albums - most of which are very hard to find - and more than deserve a bit of a reappraisal. A big (uncredited) draw for fans of the album track “I’m Your Spiritual Breadman” from “The Worst Of” LP (used as the B-side to the American 45 of “Resurrection Shuffle on Capitol 3060) was the twin guitars by Sir Cedric Clayton and George O’Hara Smith – ERIC CLAPTON and GEORGE HARRISON under pseudonyms. 

The first album sounds very Procol Harum circa "A Salty Dog" and their superb cover version of The Bee Gees' "New York Mining Disaster 1941" has echoes of "Everyday" by Yes - it's a very cool track in a trippy Sixties kind of way. The instrumental "Billy And His Piano With" rollicks along very nicely while the funky rock of "Let It Roll" is a very Juicy Lucy album track kind of listen. I also like the live "Momma's Getting Married" which bombs along with great vocals from the gruff-sounding Ashton. “Let It Roll” features STAN WEBB from Chicken Shack on Guest Guitar with Rolling Stones favourite Jim Price on Trumpets. “Paper Head, Paper Mind” features MICK LIBER (spelt Lieber on the cover) from Medicine Head and Third Army on Guitar with the hugely experienced CHRIS BARBER on Trumpets. JON LORD of Deep Purple fame produced the lovely string arrangements of “The Falling Song”. Lord (accompanied by The Royal Liverpool Symphony Orchestra) appears again as songwriting partner with Tony Ashton on “Oh Mathilda & The Pool Game (The Brothel)” and the instrumental “You, Me And A Friend Of Mine” from the rare “Last Rebel” soundtrack album (I’ve never seen the film starring Joe Namath in the title role). 

It doesn't say who remastered what, but the songs are licensed from Tony Ashton so we can presume he has his own masters - the sound quality is uniformly great and the playing time generous. The dull artwork does it no favours and the 3-way foldout 6-page inlay is basic to say the least, but it's the sound I'm after - and its real good. It's not all brilliant by any means, but there are goodies on here worth rediscovering. 

Tony Ashton spent time with Medicine Head and Family and then joined up with Jon Lord of Deep Purple and Ian Paice in the mid Seventies to some success on Polydor. Kim Gardner went into Badger while Ron Dyke recorded with several bands in Germany...

This is not a CD you see every day of the week, but I’d urge you to seek it out...

ASHTON, GARDNER & DYKE and bands like them are part of my e-Book:

"SOUNDS GOOD: Exceptional CD Remasters 1960s annd 1970s Volume 1" 

Download Book available to buy on Amazon to either your PC or Mac (it will download the Kindle software to read the book for free to your toolbar). Click on the link below to go my Author's Page for this and other related publications: