Leiter Reports: A Philosophy Blog

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll covers: Paul Gilbert, "Great White Buffalo," 2016

Paul Gilbert is probably best-known as the guitarist for the 1990s hard rock band Mr. Big, but this cover comes from a more recent solo album.  His version of the old Ted Nugent/Amboy Dukes song is really quite good, I think (unlike Nugent, one can understand the lyrics in Gilbert's rendering--although I usually prefer not to understand rock lyrics, given the low intellectual level of the genre, to put it politely):

Feel free to add links in the comments to either your favorite Ted Nugent covers, or to your favorite Gilbert or Mr. Big songs/performances.

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll covers: Popa Chubby, "What Is and What Should Never Be," 2010

"Popa Chubby" is the stage name of Ted Horowitz, a nice Jewish boy from the Bronx, who has been active since the late 1980s as a rock blues guitarist.  This is his very fine cover of the Led Zeppelin number:

Feel free to add other Popa Chubby favorites in the comments.

Great moments in (somewhat) obscure rock 'n' roll covers: Hollywood Vampires, "Heroes," 2019

A cover band comprised of Alice Cooper, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, and actor Johnny Depp, plus a rotating cast of other well-known rock musicians, this is their version of my personal favorite David Bowie song, with Depp on vocals:

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll covers: Marcy Playground, "The Needle and the Damage Done," 2012

Marcy Playground had one very successful album in the late 1990s, but this cover of the Neil Young song from a 2012 album is uncanny in how much it sounds exactly like the original!

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll covers: The Stealers, "Parachute Woman," 2021

The Stealers are a British band from Brighton, with not even 50 regular "listeners" on Spotify! But they have a great cover of this Rolling Stones number from 1967 off the classic Beggars Banquet:

 

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Sweetwater, "Why Oh Why," 1968

This Los Angeles-based band (active in the late 1960s and early 1970s) was supposed to be the opening act at Woodstock, but got stuck in traffic, so they performed after Richie Havens (whose performance made the movie).  This was the closing number of their debut album, and a nice one:

Comments are open for those who want to share links to other Sweetwater favorites.

Great moment in (somewhat) obscure rock 'n' roll: "Comin' Home," 1971

The duo Delaney & Bonnie had a lot of prominent friends with whom they played, and they enjoyed some modest success in the late 1960s and early 1970s, mostly for work with Eric Clapton.  This is a song co-written with Clapton, which they recorded live with Clapton, but also in this studio version, which I prefer:

Feel free to add your favorite Delaney & Bonnie links in the comments.  I always enjoy seeing what readers come up with.  (Submit your comment only once, it may take awhile to appear.)

Great moments in (not so obscure) rock 'n' roll: Robbie Robertson memorial edition

Best-known as the guitarist and primary composer for The Band, he died this week at 80.   The first two albums by The Band really are "classics" in the rock 'n' roll genre.  Here's two of my favorite songs, each written by Robertson, from those albums.  First, "Chest Fever" from 1968:

Great moments in (somewhat) obscure rock 'n' roll: The Kinks, "You Can't Stop the Music," 1975

The Kinks are certainly not an obscure band, but the 1975 album Soap Opera didn't do very well in the U.S. or the U.K., and is hardly one of their better-known efforts.  The album also includes one of my all-time favorite songs by The Kinks (which also didn't do very well as a single, surprisingly I think):

Feel free to add links to other lesser-known and under-appreciated numbers by The Kinks.

 

Great moments in (somewhat) obscure rock 'n' roll: Ry Cooder, "Billy the Kid," 1972

Renowned rock and blues guitarist, Cooder is probably best-known for his work with others (including The Rolling Stones, Doobie Brothers, Rita Coolidge, Arlo Guthrie, Van Morrison, and many others).  But he also produced many solo albums.  This song comes from his second solo effort:

Feel free to post links to other Ry Cooder favorites in the comments.

Great moments in (somewhat) obscure rock 'n' roll: Dr. John, "Stack-A-Lee," 1972

A leading figure of "New Orleans blues," famed for his live performances, this comes from his fifth album, right before his 1973 hit "Right Place Wrong Time":

Feel free to post other Dr. John links in the comments, or other New Orleans blues/soul favorites.

 

Great moments in (not quite as) obscure rock 'n' roll: Velvet Underground, "What Goes On," 1969

This probably isn't the Velvet Underground's best-known song, but it is certainly my favorite:

I also love this cover by Elizabeth Mitchell, from 2006:

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Poobah, "Mr. Destroyer," 1972

ORIGINALLY POSTED DECEMBER 15, 2018

Youngstown, Ohio hard rock/heavy metal outfit (think Black Sabbath) led by guitarist Jim Gustafson.  They had a big Ohio following, but thanks to bad luck and lack of smart management, never made it nationally or internationally.   Hard to understand why this song, from their debut album, isn't a standard of "classic rock" radio, for example:

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: The Third Power, "Gettin' Together," 1970

Another number from this Michigan band's only album, this is the lead track:

 

Great moments in (extremely) obscure rock 'n' roll: Head Over Heels, "In My Woman," 1971

Another fun find from reader Dave Wasser is this Michigan hard rock trio; this comes from their only album:

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Tin House, "Be Good and Be Kind" (1971)

ORIGINALLY POSTED JANUARY 14, 2017

This hard rock/blues rock trio came out of Florida, their debut album, from which this tune comes, produced by Rick Derringer.  The guitarist Floyd Radford was, alas, hired away by Edgar Winter not long after the first album (he subsequently played with Johnny Winter as well).  But this is one of several strong numbers from the one and only album by the original lineup featuring Radford.

 

 

Great moments in (somewhat) obscure rock 'n' roll: Savoy Brown, "Made Up My Mind," 1969

We've mentioned the Savoy Brown Blues & Boogie Band before (several members went on to fame and fortune in Foghat in the 1970s), but this is one of my favorite numbers that one never hears on the radio:

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Spooky Tooth, "Hangman Hang My Shell on a Tree," 1969

The concluding number of this terrific, but under-recognized British hard/progressive rock band (with one American, Gary Wright, of later "Dream Weaver" fame in the 1970s), this is the concluding number of their best album, Spooky Two:

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Budgie, "Homicidal Suicidal," 1971

We haven't featured a new tune from the great Welsh heavy metal trio in quite some time (we reposted an earlier item last fall); here's the closing track from their debut album:

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: The Nazz, "Open My Eyes," 1968

ORIGINALLY POSTED JANUARY 6, 2018

It's hard to believe this groovy tune, very much of its moment, couldn't even crack the Billboard top 100 back in 1968.   That's a young Todd Rundgren on lead guitar; ironically, the flip side, "Hello It's Me" became a big hit for Rundgren in the early 1970s. 

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Atomic Rooster, "Devil's Answer," 1971

British hard/progressive rock band of the early 1970s, this tune was a hit in the U.K., but never made it in the U.S.:

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Savoy Brown, "Leavin' Again," 1970

ORIGINALLY POSTED DECEMBER 17, 2016

Part of the British blues explosion of the late 1960s, Savoy Brown enjoyed some modest success in both the UK and the US circa 1969-1972, before three members of the band (Dave Peverett, Roger Earl, and Tony Stevens) left and went on to greater fame and fortune in the mid-1970s with Foghat.  This tune was re-recorded by Foghat, but this is the Savoy Brown version.

 

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: In memory of David Lindley (1944-2023)

The multi-instrumentalist (best-known for mastery of dozens of string instruments) died on March 3.  He was well-known within the rock world for the work he did with Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, and Rod Stewart, among others, in the 1970s (it's his slide guitar on, for example, Browne's hit "Running on Empty").  But his most interesting work, in my book, was in the 1960s with Kaleidescope, which I've featured periodically over the years.  So here's a retrospective:

Kaleidescope, "Egyptian Garden," the lead number from their debut album in 1967:

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Small Faces, "Red Balloon," 1969

ORIGINALLY POSTED DECEMBER 16, 2017

Before Humble Pie, Steve Marriott rode to fame, especially in Britain (less so in the U.S.), with the Small Faces, though by 1969 their star was fading even in the U.K.  This great cover of the Tim Hardin tune comes from their last album (released after the band's official dissolution):

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: The Move, "When Alice Comes Back to the Farm," live on Beat Club, 1971

ORIGINALLY POSTED AUGUST 19, 2017

The English band "The Move" enjoyed some success in Britain and Europe in the late 1960s and early 1970s; its front men, Roy Wood and (from 1970) Jeff Lynne subsequently went on to great fame and fortune with the Electric Light Orchestra later in the 1970s.  Although The Move began as more of a pop band, with occasional psychedelic flourishes (vide "Flowers in the Rain"), by their third album in 1970, from which this tune comes, the British blues explosion began to dominate their style and sound:

 

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Blue Cheer, "Believer," 1971

ORIGINALLY POSTED NOVEMBER 25, 2017.

Blue Cheer, the psychedelic blues band out of San Francisco, is remembered, if at all, for their very good 1968 version of the "Summertime Blues," but by 1971 the personnel and the sound had changed; this was from their last album before calling it quits until the 1980s, when the group reformed:

 

Great moments in (extremely) obscure rock 'n' roll: Creepy John Thomas, "Ride a Rainbow," 1969

Another good tune, probably the best on the album, from the long-forgotten Australian's debut album:

ADDENDUM:  One trivia point:  Paul Rodgers, later of Free and Bad Company, is one of the backing vocalists on this track (the album was recorded in London).

 

Great moments in (extremely) obscure rock 'n' roll: Creepy John Thomas, "Gut Runs Great Stone," 1969

Following up last week's discovery, I've been listening to his first album, which has many good tunes. This is the lead number:

 

Great moments in (extremely) obscure rock 'n' roll: Creepy John Thomas, "Down in the Bottom," 1970

Reader Dave Wasser kindly flagged the long-forgotten Mr. Thomas for me; born in Australia, he recorded this number in London for his second album and it's not bad!  He later played with the Edgar Broughton Band and with his own band in Berlin.

 

Great moments in (not so obscure) rock 'n' roll: David Crosby memorial edition

David Crosby, who enjoyed great success with The Byrds in the mid-1960s and then with Crosby, Stills & Nash (and sometimes Young) from the late 1960s onwards--and occasional success on his own and with Graham Nash--was a fine singer, capable especially of brilliant harmonies, but never as good a song composer as those he worked with.  Here's a few notable songs he either authored or co-authored during his long career that are among my favorites:

He co-wrote one of The Byrds's biggest hits and most memorable songs, "Eight Miles High," from 1966:

My favorite Crosby composition is "Long Time Gone," from the CSN debut in 1969:

Great moments in (not so obscure) rock 'n' roll: Jeff Beck memorial edition

Beck was one of the three great British blues-inspired guitarists who passed through the Yardbirds in the 1960s--the others being Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.  He died this week, age 78.  What follows are some selections of some better- and lesser-known highlights from his long career.

The Yardbird, "Over Under Sideways Down," 1966 (Beck on lead guitar):

Jeff Beck (with Rod Stewart on vocals), "Let Me Love You," 1968, from his very best album Truth:

 

Great moments in (somewhat) obscure rock 'n' roll: Foghat, "She's Gone," 1973

As I noted at the end of last year, it's gotten harder to find genuinely obscure fare worth sharing, so I'm going to loosen up the criteria a bit, and share some songs (in some cases, like this week, by well-known bands) that are still lesser known but are among my personal favorites.  This number comes from Foghat's second album (generally called "Rock and Roll" because of the cover), and is still my favorite number by the band, which later hit super-stardom in 1975 with the album Fool for the City, both the title song of that album and "Slow Ride."

 

 

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: the five best finds of 2022

As readers who follow this series know, it's gotten harder to find "obscure" fare worth sharing, so more recently, I've taken to re-upping older features from several years ago.  But there were some good finds (at least by my light!) earlier this year.  Here's my five favorites for 2022; feel free to add yours in the comments:

Blonde on Blonde, "All Day All Night," 1968

Duffy, "Running Away," 1973

The Gods, "Farthing Man," 1968

Silverhead, "Rolling with My Baby," 1972

Steamhammer, "When All Your Friends are Gone," 1969

And one runner-up:  Sensational Alex Harvey Band, "Midnight Moses," 1972

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: the playlist!

Someone has compiled the full playlist of the songs featured on this blog over the years on YouTube!

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: The Frost, "Stand in the Shadows," 1969

ORIGINALLY POSTED MAY 5, 2018

Part of the late 1960s Michigan rock 'n' roll scene (that also gave us Grand Funk, Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes, the Stooges, the MC5, and the Bob Seger System), The Frost never found as much national success as the others with their mix of "garage rock" and psychedelic themes, as on this great early number:

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Sam "Lightin'" Hopkins, "Baby Please Don't Go," some time in the early 1960s

ORIGINALLY POSTED OCTOBER 14, 2017

Following up on last week's Elmore James post, here's another one of the handful of African-American blues musicians responsible for the best of classic rock 'n' roll (he taught an awful lot of them how to play by example); the precise year is uncertain (if anyone knows, e-mail me), but I'm guessing early 1960s:

 

UPDATE:  This link says this video is from 1964.  (Thanks to Alan White for the pointer.)

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Uriah Heep, "What Should Be Done," 1971

Not quite as obscure as some other featured bands (although it is probably unknown to many younger readers), the British hard rock/progressive rock band Uriah Heep enjoyed considerable success in the UK, Northern Europe, Australia, Japan, and to some extent in the U.S. from roughly 1972-1976.   This relatively "mellow" number that I've always liked comes from an album that did not fare as well, Look at Yourself (we featured several years ago a live version of a much more raucous number from that same album):

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Universe, "Rolling," 1971

ORIGINALLY POSTED MAY 21, 2016

It doesn't get much more obscure than the one-and-only album by Universe, recorded on the spur of the moment in Norway after their van broke down.  The whole album, with echoes of Cream, Traffic, and Ten Years after, is classic British rock-blues, with a countrified edge.  Here's one standout tune:

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: The Marmalade, "I See the Rain," 1967

ORIGINALLY POSTED JUNE 4, 2016

Reportedly Jimi Hendrix's favorite single of 1967, it flopped in the UK, though this Scottish band went on to have a number of hits (mostly in the UK) that were decidedly more sugary pop than this terrific psychedelic number:

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Masters Apprentices, "It's Because I Love You," 1971

ORIGINALLY POSTED APRIL 1, 2017

Another one from the great Australian band that is, sadly, little known elsewhere:

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Budgie, "Breaking All the House Rules," 1975

ORIGINALLY POSTED AUGUST 6, 2016

This Welsh heavy metal trio never made it big in the U.S. (though Metallica's 1998 cover of their 1973 "Breadfan" song gave them more visibility), though continued to have a steady following in Europe into the 21st-century (with vocalist/bassist Burke Shelley being the only continuing member [he died earlier this year, 2022]).   1975's Bandolier was their best album, but 1997's Best of Budgie (not to be confused with two earlier "best of" collections!) gives you all the most memorable tunes from that album plus a few others (also from early-to-mid 70s albums).  Like the early Judas Priest, they often have a strong sense of melody--especially during the interludes that often follow the main riff--and I find them quite listenable in a way that I can not abide the "heavy metal" of the 1980s and after.

 

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Dizzy Man's Band, "Truck Driver," 1970

Dutch rock band of the 1970s, this decent number comes from their debut album:

(Thanks to Dean Rowan for the pointer.)

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Stepson, 'Lil' Bit,' 1974

MOVING TO FRONT FROM OCTOBER 6, 2018--DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING NEW WORTH POSTING, SO THOUGHT I'D START REVISITING SOME GREAT NUMBERS FROM THE EARLY YEARS OF THIS FEATURE.

This Portland-based hard rock/blues band recorded but one album, from which this great rocking number comes (the whole album is worth a listen):

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Buffalo, "United Nations," 1974

We haven't featured this Australian hard rock band (who never really made it outside the homeland) in quite some time.  Here they are doing the live version of what became the concluding number of their third album:

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Incredible Hog, "Going Down," 1973

Another number from the British hard rock trio, this is their distinctive cover of the Freddie King classic:

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Gong, "I Never Glid Before," 1973

Eclectic progressive rock band, that continues to this day, this came from their period of relative (albeit modest) success:

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Sensational Alex Harvey Band, "Midnight Moses," 1972

Scottish hard rock band that emerged out of the ashes of "Tear Gas" (a band we have featured before), they were fairly successful by the mid-1970s in the UK, but never got much notice in the U.S.  This strong number comes from their very first album:

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Curved Air, "It Happened Today," 1970

British progressive band, that enjoyed some modest success in the U.K. in the early 1970s, this single came from their debut album:

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: Duffy, "Changing My Ways," 1973

Another tune from the debut album of this British band, not as good as the opening number, but would have been great at about 3 1/2 minutes!

 

Great moments in obscure rock 'n' roll: The Gods, "Farthing Man," 1968

We've featured this British band (that included Ken Hensley and Lee Kerslake in their pre-Uriah Heep days) before, but this tune, from their first album, may be my favorite: