DROWNING THE KITTENS

Hello again people, sorry (yet again) for the lengthy wait between posts, i've been suffering from some pc problems lately which have left me unable to bring you the obscure rawkin' sounds you love so much.
A hearty round of applause to my mate and uber-geek Billy-Bobby for taking the old girl to bits and (so far so good, touch wood), fixing her for me. It's very much appreciated.
I've got some great stuff for you this week which i hope will make up for the delay in getting new old music to you.
Up first, THE AMBOY DUKES were an American rock band of the late 1960s and early 1970s from Detroit, Michigan, best remembered for their 1968 hit single "Journey To The Center Of The Mind", and for launching the career of TED NUGENT. The band's name came from the title of a book by Irving Shulman about a real Jewish street gang in Brownsville who were the precursors of Murder Incorporated, the Jewish hit mob employed by the Mafia for its most violent executions. The band released 4 studio and one live album before slimming down to a three piece, steering their musical style in a much harder direction and changing their name to TED NUGENT & THE AMBOY DUKES. Signing with FRANK ZAPPA's Discreet Records, the band released two excellent barn burning Hard Rock Records, showing the musical direction which Ted would soon take on his solo career. The first, "Call Of The Wild", was released in 1973, and it's successor, "Tooth, Fang & Claw" from 1974, featured Nugent live staples "Hibernation" and "Great White Buffalo". A live album "Live 1974", recorded between the two studio records at Richard's Nightclub in Atlanta, Georgia, was retrospectively issued on a small label in 1999. Following the release of "Tooth, Fang & Claw", Nugent retained the services of bassist Rob Grange, and recruited new drummer Cliff Davies and singer/guitarist Derek St. Holmes. Dropping the "Amboy Dukes" name, this was to be the beginning of Ted's solo career proper, with his self titled debut album appearing soon after, carrying on the Heavy Rocking style of the Discreet albums, but adding more polish. 12 studio albums, 4 live albums and 35 years later, Ted has yet to look back. Yeah, i know he's an asshole, but back when this was recorded Ted let his Gibson Byrdland do most of his talking, something which serves him much better than his mouth ever did.

TED NUGENT & THE AMBOY DUKES - Live 1974 (1974) USA

http://rapidshare.com/files/228011381/TED_NUGENT___THE_AMBOY_DUKES_-_Live_1974__USA-1974_.rar

Another very special item for you next, this time courtesy of Rudi and Spellbound, my humble thanks guys! In August 1969 BLACK SABBATH's manager Jim Simpson suggested that the band record 'The Rebel', a song written by Norman Haines (of the NORMAN HAINES BAND & LOCOMOTIVE). The session for "The Rebel", took place at Trident Studios in London. Haines also took part in this session, playing organ and piano. Two months later, the band recorded yet another Haines composition called 'When I Came Down'. "When I Came Down" was recorded at Zella Studios in Birmingham in October. The song is short but boasts strong vocals. It begins with a bluesy, pentatonic riff and although the guitar gets rather lost in the mix, the overall feel approximates to a slower take on "Evil Woman". According to Iommi, "We didn't write those songs. They were written by a chap named Norman Haines. At the time we were managed by Jim Simpson, who was a local Birmingham guy. He insisted that we record these songs. We just wanted to play, so we recorded them. We wanted to write our own songs and make our own record, but this was just an initial effort. We had never been in a recording studio in our lives before that." The third song here is a lengthy jazz influenced instrumental called "Thomas James", which features Simpson on trumpet, trading licks with Iommi, which eventually slows into a trademark SABBATH doom-laden rifftastic finale. It is unknown exactly when and where this was recorded, but it's likely that it's an outtake from one of the two known 1969 sessions.
Final song, "Early One Morning Blues", sounds like it comes from a rehearsal tape rather than an official demo session, and as the title suggests it's a blues romp with lashings of fine fret mangling courtesy of Iommi. These songs represent the birth of BLACK SABBATH, the secret first steps, enjoy this peek into the murky past.

BLACK SABBATH - 1969 Demo Acetates (1969) UK

http://rapidshare.com/files/228003104/BLACK_SABBATH_-_1969_Demo_Acetates__UK-1969_.rar

Next, ACE were a French Heavy Rock quartet formed in 1985 in Cannes on the Cote D'Azur. They debuted the following year with their "Ballroom Blitz" EP, and followed this with the full length "Bad Boys" album. A further release, the "Holding On" 7" appeared at the years end, but this was to be the end of the road for Ace. In recent years their "Ballroom Blitz" EP has often been mistakenly identified as a NWOBHM release driving it's price up amongst collectors. All their releases now command a high price tag, a pity for Ace that their records weren't as sought after during their lifetime.

ACE - Bad Boys (1986) France

http://rapidshare.com/files/228334380/ACE_-_Bad_Boys__France-1986_.rar

"Kill 'Em and Eat 'Em" is the 1987 album by UK underground group PINK FAIRIES. This is a reformed Pink Fairies, prompted by an offer from Jake Riviera, head of Demon Records. These Brit psychedelic rock'n'roll madmen don't disappoint in the least. It's the most familiar Fairies lineup (Larry Wallis, Duncan Sanderson, and Russell Hunter), along with original Fairies vocalist/skinsman Twink and ex-WARSAW PAKT stringbender Andy Colqhoun, and they go kicking and screaming into the night blasting away with the same kind of garagey acid-laced greasy proto-metal that made them hippie-era cult icons. With occasional neo-beat lyrical barrages from writer/performer/ex-DEVIANT Mick Farren, this is simply heap big fun all the way. After the album's release the band toured before once again splitting up. An archive live album from this tour, "Chinese Cowboys: Live 1987", was issued in Japan in 2005 on Captain Trip Records.

PINK FAIRIES - Kill 'em And Eat 'em (1987) UK

http://rapidshare.com/files/228355447/PINK_FAIRIES_-_Kill__em___Eat__em__UK-1987_.rar

Don't worry NWOBHM fans, i haven't forgotten about you either! Stevenage NWoBHM band GROUND ATTACK, founded during late 1979, released a 7" single 'Red Lion' in 1981 featuring a line up of frontman Tom 'Katz' Atkinson, bassist Mel Collins and drummer Tab Hunter. The band had actually recorded previous to this, laying down the tracks 'Watch Me', 'Motorbike Song', 'Mighty Fine Year' and 'Flying Time' at The Crypt Studios in 1980, known as the "Lost Tapes" demo. The 'Red Lion' single, now valued at over $100 on the NWoBHM collectors market, was cut at Wopalong Studios in Luton. The band folded the following year but Atkinson forged HEAVY DUTY in 1989 with bassist Lee Birmingham and drummer Chas Stutley. GROUND ATTACK reformed in 2003, drafting a fresh rhythm section of Corrie Shiells on bass and Matt Alan on drums, The result is Ground Attack's first full-length album, "Sectioned", containing new versions of most of the old-time hits along with a few brand new tracks. After more than 20 years, Ground Attack's style remains basically the same, a no-frills, anthemic, overdriven heavy rock where Tom Katz's raw guitar plays the main role, backed up by a steady rhythm section providing the perfect hard beat. "Sectioned" keeps the freshness and energy of the 80s, and doesn't try to portray an "updated" version of the band. Ground Attack keep doing what they do best, playing all-out punchy metal music to bang your heads, guzzle your pints and rev your big twins to.Atkinson is also a member of 70s Glam-Pop act HELLO. The band also included a previously unreleased 1979 track, entitled 'Motorbike Song', to the 2004 'Total Metal Attack' NWoBHM era compilation album issued through Old School Records. Sorry about the tiny artwork for this one, i couldn't find anything bigger anywhere.

GROUND ATTACK - Sectioned (2004) UK

http://rapidshare.com/files/228347888/GROUND_ATTACK_-_Sectioned__UK-2004_.rar

So that's that for another post. Thanks to all of you who shared their opinions, thoughts and requests through the comments section, as always it's very much appreciated. Hopefully, i'll be able now to get back to regularly bringing you the great, the obscure and the bizarre from the dusty corners of Rawk's attic on the regular basis you've all become accustomed to.
Keep yer fingers crossed for me so's that the ole computer keeps on working, coz i was mighty close to flinging the god-damned thing out the window at several points over the last few weeks.
Also please keep making use of the comments section please, it can be hard going typing and posting and ripping this stuff, and believe me, unlike some other blogs, there's no financial remuneration for us here, so it's the high praise and damning criticism that keeps things happening at this end when all's said and done. Let's hear from you. Til next time, Shalom.