ELEPHANT STOMP - A COLLECTION OF 70's INSTRUMENTAL ROCKERS

During the past few years, the NAUGHTY RHYTHM label have issued a series of EURO DISCO / FUNK compilations in the form of the COSMIC DISCOTHEQUE series. These VINYL ONLY releases are is a must for lovers of ARCANE 70's OBSCURITIES and the most recent addition '' ELEPHANT STOMP '' focuses on GLAM ROCK related INSTRUMENTALS   

SIDE ONE fittingly kicks off with '' ELEPHANT STOMP '' by GALAHAD. The track was the B-SIDE of their 1972 release '' ROCKET SUMMER ''. The band were a UK studio project created by singer / songwriter GERRY MORRIS and producer TONY ASHDON. Stylistically it follows on from the densely textured PSYCH / GLAM crossover of the A-SIDE, but here the rhythm track is allowed a little space to breathe, presenting a nice contrast. Second up is '' THETA '', the B-SIDE of the 1974 JUNKSHOP classic '' MORNING BIRD '' by THE DAMNED. The track was originally issued with a vocal in the previous year as '' DOCTOR ROCK '' by KID ROCK.. Both versions were issued on the YOUNGBLOOD label. It's a FAST TEMPO, SYNTH LED ROCKER driven by PRESTON EPPS style BONGO WORK 

THE DAMNED - THETA

'' ROCKET MAN '' by ELECTRIC TEAM is a FRENCH SYNTH ROCK number that was issued on the EURODISC label in 1974. The tune was penned by PHILIPPE RENAUX, who added a vocal to the track and issued it with his band ROCKETS the same year. The feel and melody bear some relation to '' ON THE ROAD AGAIN '' by CANNED HEAT, a song that was tellingly covered by ROCKETS a few years on, but it's one of the strongest tracks on the comp and a testament to how well the French were able to utilize SYNTHERSIZERS in the production of catchy POP INSTRUMENTALS { '' PEPPER BOX '' by THE PEPPERS being another example from the same year } 

ELECTRIC TEAM - ROCKET MAN

'' ROCK AND ROLL DRUMMER '' by DUCTCH outfit THE ROCKETS is another obscurity highly cherished by lovers of JUNKSHOP GLAM. Here we have the B-SIDE: '' PART TWO '' . The 45' was issued on the PHILLIPS label in 1974 and it's a ROCKING DRUM FEATURE as the title indicates. The record appeared in the wake of UK Drummer COZY POWELL's  '' DANCE WITH THE DEVIL '' hit.  POWELL had taken inspiration from SANDY NELSON's  '' LET THERE BE DRUMS '' and '' TEEN BEAT '' , which were recorded during the INSTRUMENTAL ROCK trend of the early 60's.  THE ROCKETS used the same basic ingredients and threw in a little spice from the MORTON STEVENS / VENTURES '' THEME FROM HAWAII FIVE-0 ''. A very tasty concoction!

THE ROCKETS - ROCK AND ROLL DRUMMER { PART TWO }

'' B SIDE STOMP '' by BLITZ was the FLIP SIDE of '' MELODY LADY '', a FRENCH release from 1973 on the EURODISC POP label. It's a A WIGGED OUT PSYCH ROCKER that wouldn't sound out of place if it appeared on the SOUNDTRACK to a JESS FRANCO EXPLOITATION MOVIE. '' BIG TROUBLE { PART TWO } '' by T.N.T closes the first side. The band were a studio outfit created by JEREMY PAUL and PAUL LYNTON. The duo oversaw a number of projects in the early 70's and worked with the band HECTOR on their classic GLAM ROCK 45's. '' PART TWO '' elongates the break from the A-SIDE into a barely tethered BONGO BEATING, TRIBAL RAVE-UP. Surprisingly the number peters out at around the minute mark, but the track fades in, so it was possibly the climax of a much longer jam . A 1972 release on the UK  JAM LABEL { which was a short lived venture connected to D.J.M } 

T.N.T - BIG TROUBLE { PART TWO }

SIDE TWO starts with '' SLOW ROCK '' by K. W. Winston. The track isn't slow { breezing along at 140BPM }, but it certainly is rocking and the steady ROLLING SNARE BEAT, RAW GUITAR CHORDS and SAXOPHONE BLASTS revamped the 1950's INSTRUMENTAL ROCK sound of DUENE EDDY and LINK WRAY for the 1970's. The track appeared on the ARIOLA label in 1974 as the FLIP SIDE to '' DON'T ASK ME '' . As with the T.N.T track on SIDE ONE, it was produced by JEREMY PAUL and PAUL LYNTON.  '' FLIGHT 2 '' by ANGELO & EIGHTEEN is altogether more curious. A one off project by two FRENCH CANADIANS that was produced by MICKEY MOST and released on his RAK label in '72. It incorporates elements of the TRIBAL FUSION of MIKE STEIPENSON's '' BURUNDI BLACK '' and the LATIN ROCK of TITANIC's '' SULTANA '' { both of which were EURO HITS in 1971 }. The track saw release as the B-SIDE of the POP ORIANTATED VOCAL ''  MIDNIGHT FLIGHT '' and was based on the PERCUSSIVE BREAK that appeared at the end of that song

ANGELO & EIGHTEEN - FLIGHT 2

'' JUNGLE JUICE '' first appeared on the '' GO MOOG! - SMASH HIT'S SYNTHERISER STYLE '' LP by ELEKTRIK COKERNUT. The LP was conceived as a collection of instrumental covers and the track was the only original composition included.  It's an awesome DANCEFLOOR MOVER that utilizes a '' ROCK AND ROLL PART TWO '' type GLITTER BEAT. The record was released on the budget MUSIC FOR PLEASURE LABEL in 1973

ELEKTIK COCKERNUT - JUNGLE JUICE

'' SAFARI ROCK '' by THE ROCKETTERS has a '' CAN THE CAN '' meets '' GUITAR BOOGIE SHUFFLE '' feel. BONGO BEATS and a few ANIMAL NOISES were mixed in to create a charming slice of GLAM EXOTICA. A FRENCH release on the DISQUES CARRERE label from 1975. '' SLOOP '' by THE SLOOPERS was another SYNTH ROCK / GLAM NOVELTY from writer / producer PHILIPPE RENAUX. A 1974 release on the FRENCH SINUS MUSIC label

THE SLOOPERS - SLOOP

 

THE COMP ends with '' DISCO DRUM { PART 5 } by THE CATS ' N ' JAMMER KIDS. A one off UK DISCO project from 1977 on the EBONY label { which was also home to the early RAH BAND recordings }. This cut was SIDE-B. It's a more stripped down take on the ' PART ONE ' top and has a unique and quirky BALEARIC / GLAM feel. A sparse HAMILTON BOHANNON style BEAT sets down a nice base for some BROODING SYNTH CHORDS and FUNKY SAX WORK as the number builds and drops around a couple of fleeting CONGA BREAKS, before reaching it's zenith by way of an assertive GLITTER BAND styled GUITAR RIFF. A perfectly MEASURED but INTENSE 3 mins and a great way to end this ECLECTIC and ENTERTAINING selection of INSTRUMENTAL ARTIFACTS

THE CATS ' N ' JAMMER KIDS -  DISCO DRUM { PART 5 }