THE FELLAS, "Loving You Has Been So Wonderful" [imagined LP]

THE FELLAS

Loving You Has Been So Wonderful   (1972)

Make My Water Boil (Loving You Has Been So Wonderful)     [The Motown Solo Albums, vol. 2]
I Feel Like I'm Falling in Love Again     [Motown Unreleased 1967]
Once You Had a Heart     [One by One: The Best of Their Solo Years]
Lullaby of Love    [Anthology: The Best of The Temptations]

I'll Turn to Stone     [Motown Rarities 1965-1968]
Mountain of Memories      [The Unreleased Album]
Feel Like Giving Up      [One by One: The Best of Their Solo Years]
Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)     [I Am My Brother's Keeper]
I'd Rather Forget*
Heaven Help Us All       [The Unreleased Album]
Give it Up      [Gettin' Ready CD re-issue]
Since I Don't Have You      [Motown Unreleased 1967]
What's So Good About Goodbye     [Motown Rarities 1965-1968]

I Need You More Than Ever     [A Cellarful of Motown Vol 4.]
------

In 1968, David Ruffin was fired by The Temptations and replaced with ex-Contours frontman Dennis Edwards. Ruffin sought to be released from his contract with Motown but the company would not let him go. Instead, Motown would retain Ruffin's original contract he signed as a solo artist (along with his brother Jimmy Ruffin years before) and release his 1969 debut LP 'My Whole World Ended'. This arrangement would prove detrimental to Ruffin's career; his would-be smash 1971 LP  'David' was shelved for seemingly no reason. Ruffin also teamed up with Stevie Wonder for what could've been a big hit single. "Make My Water Boil (Loving You Has Been So Wonderful)" was written, produced and recorded by Wonder himself with Ruffin delivering the vocal only he could. Despite its completion in 1972, Motown once again sat on it and David Ruffin's solo career was cooled considerably.

As early as 1970, Ruffin had expressed his desire to put together a new group called The Fellas with his brother Jimmy, Dennis Edwards and the other two soon-to-be ex-Temptations, Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams. Though this move would have ended Kendricks's solo career before it started and probably The Temptations, as well. Paul Williams would retire from the Tempts due to health issues. He would team up with Kendricks again to record "Feel Like Giving Up" b/w "Once You Had a Heart". The 45 was shelved due to Williams's untimely death in 1973. Other recordings made by Williams exist ("I Need You More Than Ever" closes out this collection) and I found this along with other Motown outtakes like "I'd Rather Forget" and "Lullaby of Love" (sung by Kendricks and the Tempts left over from album sessions) and covers of  "What's So Good About Goodbye" and "I'll Turn to Stone" recorded by Dennis Edwards prior to joining the Tempts. I fill the rest out with songs from Ruffin's David LP ("Heaven Help Us All" and the demo "Mountain of Memories"), some cuts from the Motown Unreleased 1967 CD compilation ("Since I Don't Have You" by Ruffin with the Tempts; a Jimmy Ruffin 45 of "Feel Like I'm Falling in Love Again") and the Ruffin brothers covering the Delfonics (taken from their own LP, I Am My Brother's Keeper).

This LP would not have been allowed to be. It's fun to make believe, though. 

R.I.P. Paul Williams, David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, and Dennis Edwards.

GENE CLARK, 'Yesterday Am I Right' [LP imagined]

GENE CLARK 

Yesterday Am I Right  (1967)

Back Street Mirror*       

Don't Let It Fall Through*

Yesterday, Am I Right*

The French Girl      [Gene Clark with The Gosdin Brothers]

Only Colombe  (stereo)    [Echoes]

She Told Me*

-------

Echoes       [Echoes]

Doctor Doctor

Past Tense

One Way Road

Down on the Pier

7:30 Mode

*Taken from Back Street Mirror vinyl E.P. 

All other tracks taken from Gene Clark Sings For You  (2018).

CROSBY, STILLS & NASH, 'As I Come of Age' [LP imagined]

CROSBY, STILLS & NASH

As I Come of Age   (1986)

1. As I Come of Age     [CSN Box Set]
2. Drive My Car+     [alternate mix available on Voyage ,Crosby box set]
3. Raise a Voice    [Reflections, Nash box set]
4. Feel Your Love (a.k.a. You Might Be Loved)        [Daylight Again - deluxe edition]
5. Distances*    [Might As Well Have a Good Time, Crosby bootleg]
6. Try to Find Me+    [Reflections, Nash box set]
7. Tomorrow is Another Day     [Daylight Again - deluxe edition]
8. Clear Blue Skies   [Reflections, Nash box set]
9. Melody*     [Might As Well Have a Good Time, Crosby bootleg]
10. Dear Mr. Fantasy     [Carry On, Stills box set]
11. Lonely Man (live, 1985)*     [CSN Rarities - bootleg / studio version on Reflection s box set]

The original artwork (that I changed the title only on) comes from The Albums That Should Exist blogspot. Awesome projects he does (as Yoda'd say). Thanks, 

for the artwork cos I couldn't do it better mah self!

"Believe it or not, there was to be a CSN album in early 1986 to be titled As I Come Of Age, and of course it included that song. The album was a grab bag of mostly leftovers going back to 1978 and a few new tunes. It was going to have "Distances" (Crosby), "Drive My Car" (Crosby), "Feed The People"(Stills), "Lonely Man" (Nash - played live in 1985), "You Might Be Loved" (Stills), "Dear Mr. Fantasy" (arr. Stills), "Melody" (Crosby), and "Clear Blue Skies" (Nash, played live in 1985)." 

(This blurb of info I found on the Hoffman forum discussion boards RE: CSN album thread)

Keep that link handy (to Albums That Should Exist--right below the tracklist) and you can probably build this yourself (wink).

NEIL YOUNG, "A Country Store Plays Old Changes" [imagined live 2xLP]

Neil Young 

A COUNTRY STORE PLAYS OLD CHANGES   (1971)

I Am A Child    [Live at The Cellar Door]

Expecting To Fly   [Live at The Cellar Door]

Flying On The Ground Is Wrong   [Live at The Cellar Door]

Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing  (aborted)   [Live at Carnegie Hall 1970 - bootleg*]

Cowgirl In The Sand   [Live at Massey Hall 1971]

Ohio   [Live at Massey Hall 1971]

Old Man   [Live at Massey Hall 1971]

Dance Dance Dance   [Live at Massey Hall 1971]

Sugar Mountain   [Live at Carnegie Hall 1970 --bootleg*]

See The Sky About To Rain    [Live at the Cellar Door]

The Needle and The Damage Done    [Live at Massey Hall 1971]

Bad Fog Of Loneliness    [Live at Massey Hall 1971]

Down By The River   [Live at The Fillmore East 1970] Wonderin'     [Live at The Fillmore East 1970] Everybody Knows This is Nowhere  [Live at The Fillmore East 1970]

A double live album based on a 12/4/70 solo performance from Carnegie Hall in New York, three shows at the Cellar Door in Washington D.C. on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 and 2 1970, and four shows with Crazy Horse at the Fillmore East on March 6 and 7, 1970. This album was announced on January 27th, 1971 and was scheduled for a March 1971 release; supposedly, all left to be completed for the album was some of the mixing. Nothing was ever heard of the album again. Jef Piehler writes: I've read more than once that the album was put together by Reprise to capitalize on the success of After The Gold Rush AND the fact that with Neil's slipped disk problems, the company did not expect much from him in the next 12 months. As it turned out, Neil recorded many songs during 1971, and would deliver the Harvest album to Reprise in late 1971, cancelling the release of the live album.

RYAN ADAMS AND THE CARDINALS, 'Class Mythology' [LP re-imagined]

Includes the best of the tracks (IMHO) from the album;plus some b-sides and alternate versions thrown in. 

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals

CLASS MYTHOLOGY  (2011)

Born into a Light
Go Easy
Fix It 

Cobwebs*    [2008 AOL Sessions]
Memory Lane*   [import bonus track]
Future Sparrow

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

Your Name is on Fire

Like Yesterday

Invisible Red

Crossed Out Name*    [2008 AOL Sessions]

Go Ahead and Rain (45 version)+

In the Meadow+   [Romeo & Juliet]

 

Titles in bold are the album versions except*. Titles in plain are E.P. tracks.  ** = unreleased

   This is my 'fix' for the Ryan Adams & The Cardinals 2008 album, Cardinology. Aside from a handful of tracks, the album drifts into country rock MOR territory--IMO. Ryan's singing on the album is also mostly unpolished and strained. Despite this, he insists on singing in a high whiny range on too many songs. The backing harmony vocals creates a nice blend that I feel gets muddled in the album's production. The album has some cringe moments in its songwriting, too (see "Magick" and "Sink Ships"). I also am not a fan of the rehab ballad "Stop" (just my own taste). 

The album is not irredeemable, however. The 2011 double vinyl E.P. release Class Mythology offered four great tracks leftover from the Cardinology sessions that would've saved that album--for my ears, anyway. The vocal harmony blend is on display here, especially on "Future Sparrow" with its acapella breaks. The album's bonus tracks also trump the material that ended up on the album. "Memory Lane" and the exclusive 45 single "Heavy Orange" / "Asteroid" (included with more expensive copies along with a comic book?), and some demo recordings Ryan Adams had released through his blog at the time--Foggy. "Jessica" was one of these--written for his ex-girlfriend Jessica Joffe--but never released in any official form. The band's live performances of "Cobwebs" and "Crossed Out Name" on AOL Sessions are also different from their album counterparts. Too many songs on the original album were a bit sleepy i.e. "Evergreen" or "Let Us Down Easy" (with its rather crusty vocal by Ryan)--and the rather slick, clean production didn't help. I felt the album cover and title of the 2011 vinyl double-E.P. release fit better than 'Cardinology'...the title itself was misleading. There's still a double album (possibly) of material RA hinted at that was recorded between Easy Tiger and Cardinology more in the vein of the songs they left on the cutting room floor. The aforementioned 2xLP was to be supposedly split evenly between RA and Neal Casal sharing lead vocals with shared songwriting by the band--all credited to The Cardinals. Needless to say, some folks were disappointed with what we got instead. After recording an album worth of demos for a planned follow-up titled 'Dear Impossible'--Ryan Adams subsequently announced he was taking a break from music in 2009 and the end of The Cardinals following the tour. 

As of March 2023, Ryan Adams and The Cardinals have released a new single, "Dreams of the Working Class", and announced a tour with a new line-up including guitarist-singer-songwriter Chris Stills (son of Stephen Stills and collaborator of Ryan's from the Gold-era); keyboardist Daniel Clarke (Ryan's former backing group, The Shining); producer / bassist Don Was (Was/Not Was). Ryan and drummer Brad Pembertion return from the original line-up.

THE ROSE GARDEN, 'A Trip Through the Rose Garden' [LP re-imagined]

The Rose Garden

A TRIP THROUGH THE ROSE GARDEN   (1968)   

Here's Today*

I'm Only Second*

Look What You've Done

Coins of Fun

If My World Falls Through*

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

Til Today*

The World is a Great Big Playground+

Rider

Long Time

Down to the Wire+

Next Plane to London (live)+   

(* = mono 45 mix / acetate  ; + = previously unreleased)

This is my revision of the band's eponymous 1968 LP for Atco. "Next Plane to London" was a minor hit--although a suitable guitar solo wasn't ready at the time of its recording. The live version included on the recent compilation, A Trip Through The Garden: The Rose Garden Collection resolves that. I included it at the end of the album (as a fitting send-off). The acetate versions of "Til Today" and "I'm Only Second" I included in place of LP mixes for consistency's sake. The non-LP follow-up 45, "Here's Today" and its flipside "If My World Falls Through" I included in place of a couple inferior tracks (IMHO). A couple more outtakes round out the collection, including "Down to the Wire" by Neil Young (!)--that actually features the original Buffalo Springfield backing track. Young himself was said to be present for the overdub session where RG vocalists Diana De Rose and Jim Groshong added their parts to the then-still unreleased epic that Young would finally release with his own vocals in 1977 (as part of his 3xLP retrospective--Decade). Overall, this is a more solid listen than the group's original album. For more info and pics (like the ones I borrowed) you can go here or there. 

 

PENNY ARKADE, "The Penny Arkade" [imagined LP]

Penny Arkade

THE PENNY ARKADE   (1969)   

Isha*     [Ah Feel Like Ahcid! - 30 American Psychedelic Artefacts From The EMI Vaults]
No Rhyme or Reason
Sick and Tired
(She Brought Me) Something Beautiful**   [Swim Through the Darkness: Unreleased Songs]
I Need You*     [Book A Trip: The Psych Pop Sounds of Capitol Records]
Split Decisions
Our Love Has Come**   [Swim Through the Darkness: Unreleased Songs]
----------------------------
Woodstock Fireplace
Sparkle & Shine
I Can't Go On*   [Book A Trip 2:More Psych Pop Sounds of Capitol Records]
Face in the Crowd
Year of the Monkey
Give Our Love (To All the People)

 Special thanks for the unreleased music to Feral House

All other tracks taken from the Sundazed re-issue of Not the Freeze

Chris Ducey met Craig Smith while auditioning and landing starring roles along with Suzannah Jordan in a series pilot

called The Happeners about a Greenwich Village folk trio. They performed their own original songs, and there was an appearance by the Dave Clark Five. ABC never picked up the series, and the pilot itself seems to have aired only once and is currently lost. Craig Smith had been in the Good Time Singers for their two albums on Capitol in 1964. Together Chris and Craig made the pop-psych gem “Isha”, released by Capitol in July of 1966, with “I Need You” on the flip.

They spent nearly a year rehearsing their originals with musicians including Don Glut on bass and Mort Marker on lead guitar. They cut a demo, now seemingly lost, “Rhyme or Reason” (written by Chris) and “(She Brought Me) Something Beautiful” (written by Craig) with John London of the Louis and Clark Expedition.

In 1967, they formed the Penny Arkade with Don “Marvel” Glut on bass and Bobby Donaho on drums. Michael Nesmith backed them with equipment and rehearsal space and they started playing live shows. Nesmith brought them into TTJ studios in Hollywood and Wally Heider’s studio. Late in 1967 they went into RCA studios to record songs for what they anticipated would be their first album, including the twelve-minute “Not the Freeze”.

Also at the end of 1967 the Monkees used a Craig Smith composition, “Salesman” as the opening song for their album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.. Smith placed other songs, such as “Country Girl” with Glen Campbell, and “Holly” with Andy Williams. He co-produced with Bob Thiele a single for Heather MacRae, his girlfriend at the time, writing both songs “Hands of the Clock” / “Lazy Summer Day”, and with the Penny Arkade providing the music.

Enriched by his songwriting royalties, Craig Smith decided to leave the Penny Arkade to travel in South America and Asia. He returned around 1970 a changed man. Monkees producer Chip Douglas ran into Craig in 1971. “He was spaced out and had come back from Peru and had an album he was selling hand to hand. He had a spider tattooed in the middle of his forehead. He was just a nice kid, a nice American boy. To see him years later it was pretty bizarre. He said ‘Remember me. I used to be Craig Smith'”.

Without Craig, the Penny Arkade recorded four more songs, “Woodstock Fireplace,” “Sparkle and Shine,” “Face in the Crowd” and “Year of the Monkey”, and then added a new lead guitarist, Dave Turner. Turner left and they added David Price on rhythm, John Andrews on lead guitar and Bob Arthur, and rechristened the band Armadillo for another year or so of live shows. Craig utilized half a dozen Penny Arkade songs on his early ’70s solo albums, Apache and Inca under his new name, Maitreya Kali. The rest of the Penny Arkade tracks were not released until Sundazed collected what could be found on Not the Freeze, though many other recordings including their masters seem to have been lost. Craig Smith passed away in 2012.