THE JOHN DUMMER BLUES BAND
''THE LOST 1973 ALBUM
2008
48:41
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1 L.A. Lady 02:39
2 Sunny Wine Song 03:17
3 Short Haul Line 03:15
4 Reach For Me 04:29
5 Goin’ Home 03:51
6 Bad Dream 06:19
7 Good Rockin’ Man 04:01
8 Undying Love 05:15
9 Who's Foolin' Who 05:40
10 Stealin' 02:31
11 Keep It In My Mind 07:19
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John Dummer/Percussion, Vocals On 6
Dave Kelly/Guitars, Vocals, Except On 6
Colin Earl/Keyboards
Graham Bond/Saxophone
Iain ''Thump'' Thompson/Bass Guitar
Pick Withers/Drums
Pete Emery/Guitar
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REVIEW/AMG
Dave Thompson
The John Dummer Blues Band's reputation as one of those groups that hung forever on the cusp of a major step forward, but never quite made it over the top, is one of those odd little injustices with which the British blues scene forever prickles. There is simply no way of judging why one band made it while another failed to crackle, but Dummer and company were unluckier than most and, by 1973, their fortunes had reached rock bottom. Vertigo, their home for two albums, was about to let them go as part of the company-wide purge that so devastated what had once been one of Britain's most visionary record labels -- and when the bandmembers returned to the studio, it was in the knowledge that they had one last chance to convince the bigwigs to keep them on board. They should have succeeded, too. The result is a pièce de résistance, a sparkling album that not only packs some of the band's best ever recordings, but also boasts one of their strongest ever lineups: organist Colin Earl and guitarists Dave Kelly and Pete Emery, a rhythm section of Ian Thompson and Pick Withers, and, on saxophone, the legendary Graham Bond. But somehow it all slipped through the cracks. Within a year, Bond was dead; this may well have been his last ever recording session, a manic four-day span that saw no less than 11 tracks kicked out, and then abandoned. Before that, though, Vertigo did indeed pass on the album, and attempts to land a U.S. deal via the Foghat connection (Colin Earl, of course) were doomed to failure. The tapes were shelved, the band broke up, and it would be 35 years before anybody ever thought to give them another listen. Now, however, they are where they belong, on the streets and still sparkling as brilliantly as the best of the Dummer band ever did.
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BIOGRAPHY/AMG
This UK band came into being in 1965, evolving from the Muskrats and the Grebbells, and lasted until the early 70s, surviving numerous personnel changes. The line-up included prominent British blues artists such as pianist Bob Hall, guitarist Dave Kelly and his sister Jo Ann Kelly, Mike Cooper, and Tony McPhee. The band backed touring American artists John Lee Hooker and Howlin’ Wolf, and recorded albums for Mercury and Vertigo between 1969 and 1973. Drummer John Dummer went on to work with English pop vocal group Darts in the mid-70s. In recent years all Dummer’s albums have become much sought after items in the collectors’ market and currently carry very high prices.
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WIKIPEDIA
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TO THE TOP
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''THE LOST 1973 ALBUM
2008
48:41
********************
1 L.A. Lady 02:39
2 Sunny Wine Song 03:17
3 Short Haul Line 03:15
4 Reach For Me 04:29
5 Goin’ Home 03:51
6 Bad Dream 06:19
7 Good Rockin’ Man 04:01
8 Undying Love 05:15
9 Who's Foolin' Who 05:40
10 Stealin' 02:31
11 Keep It In My Mind 07:19
********************
John Dummer/Percussion, Vocals On 6
Dave Kelly/Guitars, Vocals, Except On 6
Colin Earl/Keyboards
Graham Bond/Saxophone
Iain ''Thump'' Thompson/Bass Guitar
Pick Withers/Drums
Pete Emery/Guitar
********************
REVIEW/AMG
Dave Thompson
The John Dummer Blues Band's reputation as one of those groups that hung forever on the cusp of a major step forward, but never quite made it over the top, is one of those odd little injustices with which the British blues scene forever prickles. There is simply no way of judging why one band made it while another failed to crackle, but Dummer and company were unluckier than most and, by 1973, their fortunes had reached rock bottom. Vertigo, their home for two albums, was about to let them go as part of the company-wide purge that so devastated what had once been one of Britain's most visionary record labels -- and when the bandmembers returned to the studio, it was in the knowledge that they had one last chance to convince the bigwigs to keep them on board. They should have succeeded, too. The result is a pièce de résistance, a sparkling album that not only packs some of the band's best ever recordings, but also boasts one of their strongest ever lineups: organist Colin Earl and guitarists Dave Kelly and Pete Emery, a rhythm section of Ian Thompson and Pick Withers, and, on saxophone, the legendary Graham Bond. But somehow it all slipped through the cracks. Within a year, Bond was dead; this may well have been his last ever recording session, a manic four-day span that saw no less than 11 tracks kicked out, and then abandoned. Before that, though, Vertigo did indeed pass on the album, and attempts to land a U.S. deal via the Foghat connection (Colin Earl, of course) were doomed to failure. The tapes were shelved, the band broke up, and it would be 35 years before anybody ever thought to give them another listen. Now, however, they are where they belong, on the streets and still sparkling as brilliantly as the best of the Dummer band ever did.
********************
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
This UK band came into being in 1965, evolving from the Muskrats and the Grebbells, and lasted until the early 70s, surviving numerous personnel changes. The line-up included prominent British blues artists such as pianist Bob Hall, guitarist Dave Kelly and his sister Jo Ann Kelly, Mike Cooper, and Tony McPhee. The band backed touring American artists John Lee Hooker and Howlin’ Wolf, and recorded albums for Mercury and Vertigo between 1969 and 1973. Drummer John Dummer went on to work with English pop vocal group Darts in the mid-70s. In recent years all Dummer’s albums have become much sought after items in the collectors’ market and currently carry very high prices.
********************
WIKIPEDIA
********************
TO THE TOP
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