Various Artists - Early Girls - Volume 3 (2000 Ace Records) Flac & mp3@320

The third installment in Ace's series of female-sung pop/rock from the pre-British Invasion era is an erratic combination of well-known classics with more obscure items that are sometimes decent, and more often forgettable. Mostly it's from 1960-1964, with a few odd inclusions of solo female performances from 1953-1959, several of them pop with little or no rock influence. The best cuts are usually the most famous ones: Etta James' "At Last," Little Peggy March's "I Will Follow Him," Carla Thomas' "Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)," Esther Phillips' "Release Me," Timi Yuro's "Hurt," and the Chantels' "Look in My Eyes."

The thing is, none of these have been very hard to find on reissues. The majority of the disc is in fact comprised of songs that have escaped oldies radio rotation, whether because they only made it to around the middle of the Top 100, or because (as in Patti Page's "Old Cape Cod" or Jodie Sands' "With All My Heart") there was no rock & roll in their soul. However, with the exception of the Girlfriends' dynamite 1963 mid-charter "My One and Only, Jimmy Boy" -- one of the best Phil Spector soundalike productions ever, and a should-have-been Top Ten hit -- none of the rarer items are great.

In fact most are inconsequential, and some are downright bad: there ought to be a law against licensing Ginny Arnell's 1963 single "Dumb Head," one of the most idiotic records ever to crack the Top 50. Some of the more interesting also-rans are Lillian Briggs' 1955 hit "I Want You to Be My Baby," which in fact is far more like jazzy Tin Alley pop than rock; Faye Adams' 1953 crossover R&B/pop hit "Shake a Hand"; and Suzie Clark's "Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya," a non-charting cover of a song on an obscure girl-group single by the Ribbons that was later covered by the Searchers.

The third volume of the ace series.
Have fun
               Frank                   mp3@320 p1 & mp3@320 p2  - Flac p1 - Flac p2

Two fine contributions by reader Coolruler! - Mark Johnson - 12 In A Room & Various Artists - Shake Some Action mp3@320

Hello Folks, here is a little information about two nice albums who send by reader 'Coolruler'.

First one is  ''Mark Johnson - 12 In A Room'' 1998 with four bonus tracks and the second one is the
CD that came with the famous book ''Shake Some Action'' by John Borack. A lot of great Power Pop artists are gathered on the album i. e. The Rooks, The Pranks, Tommy Keene, Wonderboy, Michael Guthrie band,  Shoes, Paul Collins and a lot more.

A big 'Thanks' to you 'Coolruler' and here are the links:

Mark Johnson  here

and

Various Artists - Shake Some Action  here

(both links by Coolruler)
Have fun
              Frank

Sunnyboys - Sunnyboys Play The Best (1991 Mushroom Milestones) Flac & mp3

This Australian band successfully combined the new wave energy of the early 80s with the guitar sounds of the 60s. They came on to the Sydney scene in 1980, with a softer sound, a refreshing change from the heavy rock sound that dominated Sydney at the time. They were popular in New South Wales, but were unable to match this elsewhere with only three singles making the lower reaches of the Australian charts, perhaps owing to their inconsistent live performances.

By their third album the band had lost its way, and went to the UK to re-assess their career. There they produced a strong album which did not do well, and so they disbanded in 1984. Jeremy Oxley re-formed the group in 1987, with Peter Hiencenberg (drums), Nick Freedman (guitar) and Phil Smith (bass), and completed one album.(allmusic.com)

Underrated Wave Power pop band from Australia.
Have fun
               Frank   Flac p1  & Flac p2  & Flac p3    - mp3@320

Paul Jones - The Paul Jones Collection Vol 3 - Come Into My Music Box (1998 rpm records) mp3@224

Jones' third and final album of the 1960s was no less of a patchy, underachieving affair than his previous two efforts. Still a first-rate vocalist, he was an all-too definitive example of a talented singer sorely in need of direction, not to mention better material and production. Jones continued to try and hit all the bases, covering everything from "The Weight" and "Procol Harum" to the Foundations' "Baby Now That I've Found You," Donovan's "Celeste," Marvin Gaye's "How Sweet It Is," "Aaron Neville's "Tell It Like It Is," and Bob Dylan's "Wheels on Fire." His stab at "Aquarius" from the Hair soundtrack was even a tiny hit.

Original cover art 1969

The cut-rate swinging-sixties production makes some of this sound more appropriate for West End theater than rock. Pink Floyd obsessives should note the presence of "The Committee," the theme (co-written by Jones) for a TV movie of the same name with an unreleased soundtrack by Pink Floyd. The end result of trying to please all factions, of course, was that he didn't please anybody, although a couple of odd psychedelic pop numbers, particularly the mysterious and tuneful "I'm Here to Nudge Your Mind," aren't bad. The album is now available in its entirety on RPM's The Paul Jones Collection Vol. 3: Come into My Music Box, which adds 11 non-LP bonus cuts from the same era.

Vol 3 of the collection series by rpm.
Enjoy
         Frank        mp3@224

@ Request: Harry Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson 1971 (1990 UDCD MFSL 541) Flac & mp3@320

Harry Nilsson had a hit, a Grammy, and critical success, yet he still didn't have a genuine blockbuster to his name when it came time to finally deliver a full-fledged follow-up to Nilsson Sings Newman, so he decided it was time to make that unabashed, mainstream pop/rock album. Hiring Barbra Streisand producer Richard Perry as a collaborator, Nilsson made a streamlined, slightly domesticated, unashamed set of mature pop/rock, with a slight twist.

This is an album, after all, that begins by pining for the reckless days of youth, then segues into a snapshot of suburban disconnectedness before winding through a salute to and covers of old R&B tunes ("Early in the Morning" and "Let the Good Times Roll," respectively), druggie humor ("Coconut"), and surging hard rock ("Jump Into the Fire"). There are certainly hints of the Nilsson of old, particularly in his fondness for Tin Pan Alley and McCartney melodicism -- as well as his impish wit -- yet he hadn't made a record as cohesive as this since his first time out, nor had he ever made something as shiny and appealing as this.

It may be more accessible than before, yet it's anchored by his mischievous humor and wonderful idiosyncrasies. Chances are that those lured in by the grandly melodramatic "Without You" will not be prepared for either the subtle charms of "The Moonbeam Song" or the off-kilter sensibility that makes even his breeziest pop slightly strange. In short, it's a near-perfect summary of everything Nilsson could do; he could be craftier and stranger, but never did he achieve the perfect balance as he did here.(allmusic.com)

At first i have to say that at the beginning of 'Jump into the fire' it sounds like a heavy glitch or something like that. But i know the disc is not defect. I googled around and other users have the same problem if they uploaded the disc. The song begins after a few seconds correctly. I have no clue and i think it should be no problem if you like this wonderful album. You can use another release of this song and use them instead of this original but i don't like it to mix different album titles together.
Like i said, no big thing. You decide...

Have fun
               Frank              Flac p1   &   Flac p2
                                                                           mp3@320

Paul Jones - Crucifix In A Horseshoe 1971 (1991 Repertoire Records) Flac & mp3

As lead singer of Manfred Mann during their early run of hits such as "Doo Wah Diddy Diddy," "Pretty Flamingo," and many, many others, Paul Jones was far more influential than people realize. Artists such as Arthur Lee have cited him as a primary influence, and for that fact alone, he should be recognized. After leaving Mann in 1966, Jones made one of the greatest cult films of all time, 1967's Privilege. This, though, his solo debut, is another step altogether. Always one of the more literate rockers of his era, Jones spends most of his time on this album making fun of stardom and all that goes with it. Hotel rooms, groupies, and the general grind of it all is the subject matter here, and it's all quite a bit of fun.

As far as the music goes, much of it is more laid-back than anything Jones did with Manfred Mann, with a lot of country leanings. Thomas Jefferson Kaye's production is a bit heavy-handed -- which is not much of a suprise. But in the end, it is an interesting record, sounding very much like a roots-oriented David Bowie record, slashing the tires of a car named "stardom."(allmusic.com)

Paul Jones is one of the greatest (today quite unknown) musicians in the pop business. He was the lead singer in the Manfred Mann Band in the sixties.Before that, in1962 a man called Brian Jones asked him to join in his band for the job as leadsinger. You guys know which band i am talking about, right...However, this is not his first solo album. But it's also a fine one. It's different to his sixties work in some things but it is, like all he have done from a high quality.
Give it a try and
enjoy! 

           Frank   Flac p2  & Flac p1
                                                            mp3@320

Ted Mulry and TMG - The Essential (2013)

Though born in England, Edward "Ted" Mulry found fame in Australia, first as a songwriter and balladeer and then as frontman for '70s rockers the Ted Mulry Gang, who were regulars on the country's pub rock circuit for a decade. Ted Mulry arrived in Australia in 1969, where he worked in Sydney driving a bulldozer until his friends convinced him to send demos of his songs to the famous Albert Productions label, home of the Easybeats. At that point Mulry had only considered writing songs for others and had to be talked into recording one of the songs, "Julia," himself. It made the charts after being released as a single through EMI subsidiary Parlophone in 1970. Harry Vanda and George Young of the Easybeats wrote his next hit single, "Falling in Love Again," which was released a year later.

Also in 1971 he briefly moved back to England, where he signed a contract with Blue Mountain Records. Unimpressed with his name and the bulldozer-driver image that had helped him in Australia, they convinced him to release his sole single with them, "Ain't It Nice," under the name Steve Ryder. Failing to dent the English charts, he returned to Sydney and his career as Ted Mulry soon after, releasing the albums Falling in Love Again and I Won't Look Back.
While on tour, Mulry became sick of choosing different bandmembers and adopted as his backing band a group called Velvet Underground, who claimed they hadn't heard of the other, somewhat more famous Velvet Underground when they chose the name (Malcolm Young, who would go on to fame playing rhythm guitar in AC/DC, had been a former member).

Following an argument on-stage, the bass player quit and Mulry had to play the instrument for the rest of the show. Realizing he had a talent for it, he played bass guitar from then on. With Les Hall on lead guitar (and co-songwriting duties), Herman Kovacs on drums, and Gary Dixon on rhythm guitar, he formed the Ted Mulry Gang and released the album Here We Are in 1974. The band was much more of a hard rock affair than his previous gentle pop ballads would suggest, and fans were resistant to the change at first. In 1976 the album's second single, "Jump in My Car," unexpectedly rose to the top of the charts and remained there for over a month. A video was filmed showing the band playing a live show on a barge in front of the Sydney Opera House. That year they released two more albums in quick succession, Struttin' and Steppin' Out, both of which sold well.

The Mushroom Records label, who had not long before achieved success with the Skyhooks, snapped up the Ted Mulry Gang in 1977 and they changed their name to TMG to mark the occasion. They released The TMG Album that year and followed it with Disturbing the Peace a year later. By 1980's Locked In their love affair with the charts had faded, though they remained popular in concert and continued touring for much of the '80s. Their eventual breakup was followed by the inevitable reunion album, Re-Union, in 1989. Late in the '90s Mulry returned for one last hurrah as a solo performer with his album This Time, featuring songs co-written by his brother Steve Mulry. Steve went on to replace his brother in TMG for their last performance at a concert to pay tribute to Ted after he was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Among the other performers were Sherbet, John Paul Young, and Tim Freedman of the Whitlams. Ted Mulry died a day before his birthday in 2001. In 2006 "Jump in My Car" became a hit again after being recorded by David Hasselhoff to promote his Australian tour, featuring a video in which he sang the song while driving the car from Knight Rider.(allmusic)

I always had a lot of sympathy for this nice guy.
Have fun
              Frank   Flac p1  &  Flac p2     - mp3@320

Various Artists - Early Girls - Volume 2 (1997 Ace Records) Flac & mp3@320

This is a delightful 28-track compilation encompassing solo artists, girl groups and male backing groups fronted by a female lead singer. This second volume plows turf similar to the first, with an emphasis on Hot 100 hits like "Tell Him" by the Exciters, "Our Day Will Come" by Ruby and the Romantics, "Every Beat of My Heart" by the Pips, "Bobby's Girl" by Marcie Blaine, "A Thousand Stars" by Kathy Young, "Let Me In" by the Sensations, "Tonight You Belong to Me" by Patience and Prudence, and "You Don't Own Me" by Lesley Gore.

But just as important to the big picture are left-field delights like Barbie Gaye's 1956 original of "My Boy Lollipop," Rosie and the Originals' Highland Records version of "Lonely Blue Nights," Terry and the Tunisians' "The Street," Babs Tino's "Forgive Me (For Giving You Such a Hard Time)" and Ann-Margret's "I Just Don't Understand," replete with early fuzztone guitar, backup from the Jordanaires and harmonica from Charlie McCoy.

Selections from Peggy Lee ("Fever"), the Raindrops ("The Kind of Boy You Can't Forget"), the McGuire Sisters ("Sugartime"), the Bonnie Sisters ("Cry Baby"), April Stevens ("Teach Me Tiger"), and the Shirelles ("I Met Him On a Sunday") round out this excellent -- though wildly scattershot -- package.(allmusic.com)

Volume 2 of the ace records series with a very nice collection of 28 tracks. Three volumes more will follow.
Enjoy it!
Cheers
           Frank               Flac p1  & Flac p2       - mp3@320

Sunny jangle Power pop from Perth: Jack and the Beanstalk - ...And Other Stories 1996 (Parasol) Flac & mp3@320

Jack and the Beanstalk first came together in 1994 in Perth, Australia, through the musical inspirations of the Beatles, Matthew Sweet, Teenage Fanclub and the Lemonheads. Vocalist/guitarist Joe Algeri gathered friends Shane Bender (bass) and Rick Pompino (drums) for the first lineup; by the time the group debuted for Spinning Top Records with an EP of demos, Gram Parsons, in 1994, the rhythm section consisted of Gerry McAvoy (bass/vocals) and Anthony Spinelli (drums).

The Parasol Records 7" "Angeline" followed two years later, and the group's debut full-length, ...And Other Stories, was also released in 1996 (on Spinning Top in Australia and Parasol in the U.S.). A slightly retooled version of the album was released in Europe by the Swedish label Torpedo under the title Serial; it excised one track and added three others, including "Gram Parsons." McAvoy left in 1997 and was replaced by bassist/organist Stuart Loasby; second guitarist Kevin Borruso (ex-Superscope) also joined up, after having played with Algeri in an acoustic duo called Starsky and Hutch.

Algeri released a solo album in 1999, titled Everything Under the Sun; the second proper Jack and the Beanstalk album, Cowboys in Sweden, was released in 2001, again by Parasol.(allmusic.com)

Very good power pop band with Lemonheads influences from Perth here.
Enjoy
          Frank              Flac p1 & Flac p2     -  mp3@320

SurfGaragePower Pop from Australia/NZ: Danny McDonald - Fibrotones (2005 Off The Hip) Flac & mp3@320

Danny McDonald is best  known in OZ but also in Europe, and the US, too. At least to pop/power pop lovers. This guy his musical career is running over around three decades and he had played with all the stars of australian rock and pop business. This album is from 2005 and is a very fine power pop effort with some little country influences. If you like catchy tunes you are right here.
Enjoy the twelve tunes and there is really no filler.

Have fun
               Frank      Flac p1  &  Flac p2      - mp3@320

Paul Jones - The Paul Jones Collection Vol. Two - Love Me Love My Friends 1967 (1996 RPM Records) mp3@224

An expanded version of Jones' 1967 album Love Me, Love My Friends, with ten bonus tracks. That 1967 LP was supposed to be a concept album of sorts, though not a very adventurous one, the idea being to base it around songs with names in the titles -- "Poor Jenny," "Charlie Brown," "Bony Moronie," etc. The results are as hackneyed as you'd expect, Jones compromising his strengths -- his excellent R&B and soul sensibilities, as demonstrated in Manfred Mann -- for weak material, anchored by Mike Leander's period-piece British orchestral-pop arrangements.

Original Front Cover 1967

Jones is at his best when he gets even a bit rootsy, as on "Nosher Burns" and "Little Sadie," though the juxtaposition of lame remakes of the Coasters and the Everly Brothers next to a folk-rock reading of Bob Dylan's "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" is somewhat ludicrous. The bonus cuts, aside from the "Sons & Lovers"/"Three Sisters" single, were all previously unissued. None are especially interesting, although it's a shock to hear him covering the Electric Prunes on "Sold to the Highest Bidder."(allmusic.com)

To me a classic effort in the british pop scene in the middle of the sixties. Full of creativity and fine melodies. This is never boring, often very surprising and the album can manage to hold the positive tension nearly over the whole running time. If you love colourful sixties pop music grab it.

Enjoy it,
             Frank         mp3@224   

p.s.: If there is somebody who got it in Lossless and would share it please email me :-) !!!

The Purple Hearts - Beat That 1980 (2003 Captain Mod) mp3@320

The story of London, England mod revivalists the Purple Hearts begins in 1977 when teenagers Jeff Shadbolt, Simon Stebbing, Bob Manton, and Nicky Lake dubbed themselves the Sockets to sneak their way onto a bill opening for the Buzzcocks, even though none of the four had the ability to play an instrument. Each member of the quartet chose an instrument -- Shadbolt chose the bass, Stebbing the guitar, Manton stuck with just vocals, and Lake picked up drumsticks -- and they feverishly threw together a set of original songs while trying to learn their instruments. A matter of weeks certainly isn't enough time to master a musical instrument, but the Sockets played their gig anyway, much to the amusement of the Buzzcocks and the audience, and the bandmembers found that they very much enjoyed performing. They enjoyed it so much that they continued to play a handful of gigs as the Sockets, but in May of 1978 both the name changed (to the Purple Hearts) and the lineup changed when drummer Gary Sparks replaced Lake.

By 1979, the Purple Hearts began to enjoy some success touring with contemporaries Secret Affair and Back to Zero, and directly afterward they signed with the Polydor Records subsidiary Fiction. Fiction released their debut single, titled "Millions Like Us," and it charted in the U.K., peaking at number 57 -- their highest charting single. It was followed by two more charting singles in 1979 and then the release of their first full-length album, Beat That!, in early 1980, but that proved to be a high point for the band as the mod revival fad burned out and Fiction dropped the Purple Hearts midway through the year. A few other 45s were released via different small labels, but the bandmembers decided to take some time off and didn't resurface until 1985 with the live album Head on Collision Time, followed a year later by Pop-ish Frenzy, after which they split up for good.(allmusic.com)

Very fine garage-mod style album.
Have fun
              Frank          mp3@320