Rotary Connection • Peace (Cadet Concept, 1968)

Far be it for me to be a Scrooge - more likely I am the ghost of Christmas yet to come... Yesterday I had mentioned this album, and in the spirit of giving I am here to share what has to be the worlds only Psychedelic Soul Christmas LP.

The Rotary Connection was the brain child of Marshal Chess - to be a sort of hip 5th Dimension. Like most studio bands the personal is interchangeable, the only two mainstays in their 6 album out put were Mini Ripperton and Cadet arranger Charles Stepeny. For what ever reason the band never really excelled nationally, remaining a mid west region secret.

If Spector is regarded as the Richard Wagner of rock, then Stepney was the poor relation from the Chicago south side. While never straying too far from R & B, the arraignments of Peace fit comfortably with Hendrix influenced guitar heroics and and classical music. Floating above what could have been a horrible stew of ideas is Mini Ripperton's stunning voice. I played this album for some friends last year and they had thought her wailing on Silent Night was that of a theremin.

After one's ears get over the amazing production and playing you hear the lyrics, and that's where the one two punch connects. These are socially concerned topics, not your standard banal Merry Christmas tomes. Peace from war, poverty, consumer greed, and getting high to add extra color to the holidays is what the lyrics ask for. As much as I love Peace, I will concede that the production was probably too slick for the kids and the words too shocking for the squares. Both camps missed out, showing how alike they were after all...

Friends, I will let the illustration above left by Osmond Pittmann from 1899 say it for me.

Please click on the review title for selected track: Silent Night (instrumental).

The Beatles • Christmas Time Is Here Again! (Lyntone, 1967)

Seasons greetings! I may have been silent for a while, but do not fear for I have not abandoned this little endeavor. While I am still regretfully without a new place to practice my terrestrial skills, in this down time I have broadened my ears, and will soon share the bounty.

There are many Christmas records out there that always seem to get a spin no matter how atrocious they are.Band Aid's Do They know Its Christmas Time, or ELP's Father Christmas are two fine examples. And as has been proven time and time again the ones that smack of true genius get left behind. I had originally planed to share one of my absolute favorites; Peace by the Rotary Connection, but since Christmas is soon upon us, and inspiration has detoured me I will post one of my other top ten's - The Beatles 1967 Fan Club record.

I must confess - I am not a big fan of The Beatles. Without going in to my general disdain (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah) for them, I do have a liking for the 1966 to 1968 recordings. Most of all the Christmas messages from that time period. As the psychedelic age flourished, these recording amount to the equivalent of avant guard out takes; non sequitor radio plays, electronic music, cut ups, and all other forms of stoned humor. As other pop bands from that era fell on their faces trying to emulate The Beatles, for The Beatles it came as second nature. What is Sargent Pepper but a normalizing of Stockhausen, and admitting this grudgingly who pulled it off the best?

1967's recording finds them in God like unity, foreshadowing Monty Python's Flying Circus British absurdest humor - Lennon and Harrison as two ladies on a game show, or Ringo giving what is probably another Paul is dead clue; "Hello, hello? Operator, I've been cut off! It's an emergency! Cue dramatic orchestra strike, followed by the lyrics "O.U.T. spells out..." This recording practically drips LSD. All of this is caped off with a Peter Blake like home made cover by John and Ringo, with back cover art by Julian Lennon.

The remaining two Christmas singles would more reflect Luc Ferrari type audio verity, and while interesting do show the irreparable split that had come; Paul playing a Christmas song, John and Yoko walking around their estate, Ringo plugging his latest film, or George giving his time on the single to Tiny Tim. In light of these tracks, what was the big deal with Revolution #9?

Please click on the review title for selected track: Christmas Time Is Here Again!