Saturday 28 March 2015

DICK JENSEN "PEACE OF MIND / NEW YORK CITY'S A LONELY TOWN" (1973)

I know where to go to get sunshine
South of the border, go swimming in the water
I know where to get the best of wine
Oh Paris, that's the place for me

Where do you go when your heart is breaking?
How do I get rid of all this aggravation?
Where can I find peace of mind?
How can I find peace of mind?
Where can I find, find, find peace of mind?
It's in your arms, girl

I know where I can have a real good time
Up in New York City, all the girls so pretty
I know I can go anywhere
Do anything I want to, but it's not like having you

But where do I go when I'm feeling sad and lonely?
Yes you love, I won't hand this, your love only
I've gotta find peace of mind
How can I find peace of mind?
Where can I find, find, find peace of mind?
It's in your arms, girl

Yeah, that's where I belong
Yeah, that's where I belong

Peace of mind is in your arms, girl
Ooh, right there in your arms
Right there in your arms

Peace of mind is in your arms, girl
Yeah, it's right there in your arms
Ooh, it's right there in your arms

Peace of mind is in your arms, girl
Yeah, that's where I belong
Yeah, that's where I belong


[from the lyrics of "Peace of Mind"]


"Peace of Mind / New York City's a Lonely Town", the Swedish edition comes in a picture sleeve...

Dick Jensen was one of the first artists to sign with the now-legendary Philadelphia International Records label in 1971. Nowadays it seems that he had little in common with the other artists which made the label famous later on, but at the time - once you heard the power and soul in his vocal delivery - it all made perfect sense. And with the label main men Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff behind the scenes, it seemed as if Dick Jensen had finally found the perfect home for his energetic style of Soul.


...but the back cover is plain white!

Like many of the label's acts, Jensen received musical assistance from PIR's house band, the illustrious MFSB. The band on the recording sessions for his self-titled album featured Ronnie Baker (bass), Larry Washington (congas, bongos), Earl Young (drums), Lenny Pakula (organ), Leon Huff (piano), Vincent Montana (vibraphone) and guitarists Bobby Eli, Norman Harris, Roland Chambers and TJ Tindall. Backing vocals were provided by Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson and Evette Benton.


"Peace of Mind / New York City's a Lonely Town", front cover reconstruction

Along with arrangements by Bobby Martin, Vince Montana and Norman Harris, and production by Bunny Sigler, Thom Bell and Gamble & Huff themselves (who also handled a majority of the songwriting) "Dick Jensen", released in February 1973, was as smooth and slick as anything else the label had released but was far more Pop-oriented.


"Peace of Mind (Mono) / Peace of Mind (Stereo)", front cover reconstruction (promo version)

Unfortunately, upon release, critics and Soul fans didn't know what to make of it. Jensen's talent was undeniable, but the album was not what they expected from the house that Gamble & Huff had built and the project itself was lost in the confusion... More information about the album are available here and here.


Dick Jensen at the Oceania Empire Room, circa 1972-73


Here's the track list for this 7" single:

01. Peace of Mind (2:47)
02. New York City's a Lonely Town (3:09)

bonus track:

03. Peace of Mind (Mono) (2:46)

All tracks were remastered in March 2015 and are available in FLAC lossless format or high-quality 320 Kbps MP3 files; both formats include scans of the complete original artwork.

Please have a look at the comments for the download links.

   
"Peace of Mind / New York City's a Lonely Town" Side A and Side B

Following the release of the "Dick Jensen" album, "Peace of Mind / New York City's Lonely Town" was Jensen's third single for Philadelphia International Records; it was published in a company sleeve with catalogue number ZS7 3542, probably sometimes in late 1973.

The single was also released for the Swedish market, and that particular edition featured the picture cover you can see at the top of this post.

By the way, according to the liner notes that accompaign the CD reissue of "Dick Jensen", the single was not released in late 1973 - as indicated on the labels - but in March 1974... I'm doubtful about this, but I may be wrong of course.

The single didn't chart, but it stands as one of the great lost singles of its era, especially with "New York City's a Lonely Town" as its B-side.

   
"Peace of Mind / New York City's a Lonely Town" Side A and Side B (Swedish edition)

Written by Gamble & Huff and arranged by Bobby Martin, "Peace of Mind" is a fine slice of joyful Pop containing all the elements that make a PIR recording so vibrant. Jensen adds soul to his performance; it's a lively recording that really demonstrate the singer and his golden pipes.

"New York City's a Lonely Town" was also written by Gamble & Huff, with a smooth arrangement by Norman Harris. This number is a real gem, a wonderfully soulful ballad that Jensen really sinks his teeth into. One of the many strengths of his voice is the passionate conviction in his delivery. He starts the song  as if it were a lost mid '70s Elvis recording and ends it with a Levi Stubbs-like bellow. With a musical bed that would have made The Stylistics cry with glee, Jensen wraps his booming voice around the heart-breaking melody, turning the sweat of his performance into tears of loneliness... Here's the lyrics of the song:

New York City is a lonely town
when the one you love is not around

I left my girl in Atlanta, Georgia
she cried when she begged me to stay
I came up here to this great big city
hoping to find my way
Try to get over, try to get in
please let me in

New York City is a lonely town
when the one you love is not around
New York City is a lonely town
when the one you love is not around

I walk the streets, I see a million people
they won't tell me which way to go
The sign says welcome, but ain't it a pity
there's no one to open the door
I'm trying to get over, trying to get in
please let me in

New York City is a lonely town
when the one you love is not around
New York City is a lonely town
when the one you love is not around

New York City is a lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely town
when she's not around
New York City is a lonely town
when the one you love is not around...


   
"Peace of Mind (Mono) / Peace of Mind (Stereo)" Side A and Side B (promo only)

"Peace of Mind (Mono)", included here as a bonus, was released on Side A of the promo version of the single, which omitted "New York City's a Lonely Town" in favour of the regular stereo version of "Peace of Mind".


Most of the text on this page was sourced from the "Dick Jensen" reissue liner notes written by Stephen SPAZ Schnee. The CD was released by Big Break Records in 2013 and is currently the only available Jensen album, I strongly encourage you to buy a copy of this great long forgotten masterpiece!

More information about Dick Jensen is available here:

http://archives.starbulletin.com/2006/06/22/news/story02.html

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Jun/22/il/FP606220304.html

http://www.oahuislandnews.com/May05/Home.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Jensen

I'm currently compiling a Dick Jensen biography, the first part of this work-in-progress covers the period 1942-1972 and is available here.

I'm also trying to compile a Dick Jensen exhaustive discography, my work-in-progress is available here.

Last but not least, I'm also trying to build a collection of Dick Jensen pictures and memorabilia, my work-in-progress is available here.

All my posts dedicated to Dick Jensen on this blog are available here.


I will post more Dick Jensen stuff in the next months, if you have any other useful information about him and his releases or if you spot any dead links, just get in touch with me at stereocandies [at] hotmail [dot] com or leave a comment in the box below, thank you!

Friday 20 March 2015

LOLITAS "LE KIT SINGLE" (1990)



Lolitas were a French-German rock band influenced by Punk, Rockabilly, U.S. Garage, French 60s Ye-Ye Music and Pop. For more information about them please have a look at one of the posts I previously dedicated to them here on Stereo Candies.

"Le Kit Single" was released sometimes in early 1990 as part of issue #20 of the French fanzine Rock Hardi, which also featured many pages dedicated to the band. The cover for the single was included as a cardboard centre spread that you had to cut and assemble by yourself... Hence the title of this release, I presume.

OK, this time I will keep my usual ranting very short and let the scans do the talking, so to speak. Happy reading! (...that's if you get by in French, I mean...)





The cover of issue #20 of French fanzine Rock Hardi, the original source of all the goodness presented in this post, 1990

In this letter from Berlin, Françoise Cactus talks about the fall of the Berlin Wall and various bands she had - more or less - recently enjoyed... Towards the end she announces the departure of guitarist Tutti Frutti - who quitted the band to devote himself to a more traditional form of Rockabilly music - and introduces new guitarist Tex Morton...



In the following three-pages interview conducted by Rick Bertrand and Alain Conil, Françoise Cactus discusses various topics: the early days of Lolitas, the recording of their third album "Fusée d'amour" in Memphis with Alex Chilton, her musical influences and childhood, life in Berlin, la France and... Jim Jarmusch and Fellini! Just click on the images to see them at full resolution.

       


"Le Kit Single" contains the following tracks:

01. I'm Allright (Live) (2:23)
02. Sexy Sex (Live) (3:57)

Both songs were remastered from the original vinyl in March 2015 and are available in FLAC lossless format or high-quality 320 Kbps MP3 files; both formats include scans of the complete original artwork and more.

Please have a look at the comments for the download links.





On Side A we find a lively live cover of The Rolling Stones' "I'm Allright", which was collectively written by the band under their "Nanker, Phelge" pseudonym; the song originally appeared of the U.S. release of the album "Out of Our Heads" in 1966.

Side B offers a live rendition of "Sexy Sex", a slower number originally included on "Séries Américaines", Lolitas' second album released in 1987 by What's So Funny About.. in Germany and in 1988 by New Rose in France; a post dedicated to this album is available here.


These are the credits as translated from the back sleeve of "Le Kit Single":

------------------------------

"I'm Allright" (Nanker, Phelge)

Françoise Cactus: vocals, drums
Coco: guitar, vocals
Tutti Frutti: guitar, vocals
Olga: bass, vocals
Ted Gaier: maracas

Produced by Andy Loog Jung
Recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall, London, May 1989

------------------------------

"Sexy Sex" (Lolitas)

Françoise Cactus: vocals, drums
Coco: guitar
Tex Morton: guitar
Olga: bass

Produced by Andy Loog Jung and Lolitas
Recorded live at the Odéon, Münster, December 1989

------------------------------

Front cover drawing by Coco

------------------------------


Lolitas, circa 1989


Lolitas, circa 1989


Lolitas, circa 1989


Olga, Coco and Françoise, circa 1989


Tex Morton and Françoise Cactus, circa 1990

   
Lolitas live, Françoise Cactus and Coco, circa 1989-90

   
Lolitas live, Olga and Tex Morton, circa 1989-90


The following clips offer a preview of the remastered single, enjoy these live versions of"I'm Allright", and "Sexy Sex"!





...and, as a bonus, here's The Rolling Stones performing their own version of "I'm Allright" at the first T.A.M.I. Show in 1964... Watch till the very end and you'll be rewarded!




A few more information about Lolitas is available here:

http://www.lastcallrecords.com/frenchbiogs/lolitaf.html

http://pirate.family.free.fr/pages/Lolitas.html

http://www.myspace.com/leslolitas/

http://www.45toursderockfrancais.net/rockfrancais/lolitas45t.htm

http://www.rockmadeinfrance.com/encyclo/lolitas/

http://euthanasie.records.free.fr/discographie/Zgroupe-L/Lolitas.htm

http://namaste-baba.blogspot.com/2011/04/des-lolitas-stereo-total-mettez-une.html

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Lolitas


If you have any other useful information about Lolitas - especially corrections and improvements to this post - or if you spot any dead links, please get in touch with me at stereocandies [at] hotmail [dot] com or leave a comment in the box below, thank you!

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