Manual Scan - All Night Stand Best Of 1980-1992 (2000) FLAC

Manual Scan were the champions of retro '60s-flavored rock & roll in the West Coast mod revival of the late 1970s. In many ways, they unified the movement between bands playing new material and those lovingly recreating '60s British pop styles. Manual Scan had it both ways, coming up with clever tunes that had overt '60s influences while still remaining new and fresh. This 21-track compilation brings together their very best from 1980 to 1992, bringing together impossibly rare tracks (some only previously available as flexi-discs) along with some previously unreleased material. Manual Scan

played catchy, edgy power-pop very much in the spirit of the Jam minus the political slant; the guitar work between leaders Bart Mendoza and Kevin Ring is as solid a two-guitar team in a small-combo format as you're likely to hear in this genre. Highlights include "Nothing You Can Do," "Bird," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "And We Still Feel the Same" and nice covers of "Shapes of Things to Come," "I Can Only Give You Everything," and the Zombies' "It's Alright With Me," the latter group being a seminal influence. Some powerful power-pop music from a band that deserves a much wider hearing. (Cub Koda allmusic.com)

All said. A record full of energy and powerful pop hooks.
In FLAC

Cheers
           Frank

Here

Ted Mulry Gang - ''Here We Are'' & Bonus (1974)

  Born 2 September 1951, Oldham, Lancashire, England, died

1 September 2001, Sydney, Australia. Mulry emigrated to Australia in 1969 where he took a bulldozer driving job in the NSW Main Roads Department. His interest in songwriting prompted him to record a demo tape, leading to a recording contract with Parlophone Records. His debut single, the romantic ballad ‘Julia’, became a minor hit, following which he signed to the nascent Albert Records label and recorded Vanda And Young’s ‘Falling In Love Again’. Mulry also made a name for himself as a songwriter for other artists, and briefly returned to the UK to perform under the name of Steve Ryder. Back in Australia in 1972, Mulry began playing the bass and joined with Herman Kovacs (drums) and Les Hall (guitar) to form the Ted Mulry Gang. Shortly before the release of the band’s debut album, Here We Are, rhythm guitarist Gary Dixon was added to the line-up.

The Ted Mulry Gang marked a decisive change in musical direction for the singer, dumping his old balladeer image in favour of good-time rock ‘n’ roll. He revived old standards, such as ‘Darktown Strutters’ Ball’, wrote a hit, ‘Jump In My Car’, toured widely and appealed to young teenage fans. The band shortened their name to TMG after switching to the Mushroom Records label in 1977, but by the end of the decade the hits had begun to dry up. The band continued to perform as a popular act on the live circuit, without releasing any more records until the mid-80s, when Mulry retired to run a garage. The band re-formed for a 70s revival show in 1990 and continued playing despite Mulry’s other projects, including a slot on the televised Roy & HG Show. In 2000 Mulry was diagnosed with brain cancer, and succumbed to the disease the following September. (allmusic.com).

Wenn man sich das Cover anschaut und weiß die Band kommt aus Australien, dazu befinden wir uns in der Mitte der Siebziger, dann weiß man eigentlich schon was einen musikalisch ungefähr erwarten könnte. So gings mir jedenfalls und ich lag richtig damit...damals...aber das ist lange her. Vielleicht hat's mit Nostalgie zu tun, oder weil ich kürzlich gelesen habe, dass die Band in Originalbesetzung wieder auftritt (Natürlich nicht mit Ted, sondern mit seinem jüngeren Bruder, der den Gesang übernimmt), dass ich sie mal wieder rausgekramt habe.  Wie auch immer, für mich sind die besten Stücke der Platte die, welche eindeutige Bezüge zu den Beatles hören lassen. Einige Stücke (z.B. ''Only Love Can Make it) waren wohl ein Zugeständnis an die Plattenfirma (die Ted lieber weiterhin als Soloact mit Schmusecharakter gesehen hätte), die hier so gar nicht in das Gesamtkonzept der Platte passen wollen. Ansonsten gibt's Party Sunshine Rock'n'Roll der Siebziger wie ''Jump in my car''. ''Give it to me'' klingt ziemlich nach Bad Company. Alles in allem ein gutes Album, daß eindeutig in den Siebzigern zuhause ist, aber auch heute noch Spaß macht. Aber macht euch selbst ein Bild.
Mit 'nem lieben Gruss bis demnächst
Frank

@320

Salt Water Taffy (1968) Sunshine Bubblegum @320

This New York-based bubblegum group -- led by songwriter/producer Rod McBrien -- recorded their lone album for Buddah Records in 1968. Titled after their local New York hit "Finders Keepers" (which bubbled under Billboard's Hot 100 nationally at number 105 in May 1968), the album featured a vocal harmony sound that was supposed to be similar to what a white version of the 5th Dimension would sound like, according to McBrien. Several of the tracks were penned by McBrien and his songwriting partner, former Valrays saxophonist Johnny Giametta, while others included covers from the Anders & Poncia catalog ("Whence I Make Thee Mine") and one tune by the Mann/Weil team ("You Baby"). Lead vocals on the title track were actually handled by Tommy West (whose real name is Tommy Piccardo), who sang the one-off minor hit as a favor (West later penned hits for the Partridge Family, produced Jim Croce, and partnered with Terry Cashmen as the Buchanan Brothers). The song featured a chirpy chorus of taunting children and a vocal arrangement in the Jay & the Techniques vein. Additional songs featured Janie Brannan (whose husband penned the goofy liner notes) and Kathy Weisberg, recent transplants to New York who fell into the gig as Salt Water Taffy girls. A follow-up single with similar playground children chanting, "Sticks and Stones," failed to catch on, as did two additional singles pulled from the album. In 1970, the group transferred over to United for one single -- another Anders & Poncia cover, "Summertime Girl" -- which failed to chart, and shortly thereafter the Salt Water Taffy broke up.

 This record is a real gem in sixties pop music. And if you are a lover of sixties pop you can't resist these songs. Related to the 5th Dimension it is far more of a bubblegum pop feel here in the songs. The edition is full of 22 songs and i haven't found anything about a 22 track edition
(but i haven't search a lot because i was a little bit lazy). Track 13 and 14 are bonus tracks on the Rev-Ola CD from 2009. They are here, too. All in all a wonderful pop album and it had deserved
more attention than a no. 105 on Billboard charts. So, genug geschwätzt ! Enough said! I hope you like it like i do.

Three cheers
                    Frank

mp3@320