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(Powder in 1968 - file under: Could've been, Might've Been, Should've Been)

A power trio from San Jose in 1968 whose sound bore a strong resemblance to The Who from their "Happy Jack" period.

Not a bad idea, but maybe the timing just wasn't right and the enthusiasm was going off in other directions. In 1968 power trios were on the wane (Blue Cheer being one who, despite a great debut, never quite caught on outside the West Coast - the notion that "being louder than god had it's drawbacks").

And as was the case with so much music at the time, the powers that were just didn't know what to make of them. So there was a lot of polite head scratching and perplexity going on.

A few years ago my friend Alec Palao put together a compilation of various demos and not-quite-issued singles from the band, known variously as Powder and The Art Collection, recorded between 1967 and 1969, from which this track "Turn Another Page" comes from. And what it did was cast light on what was truly a talented outfit, capable of achieving much notoriety. But sadly, history had other plans.

I can't think of a better way to start the week.

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(Lobbies - like Baseball and Character Assassination, an American institution)

Lobbies have been part of our political landscape forever it seems. The cartoon above is from 1892, to give you an idea.

In 1949 it became the topic of much discussion and hand wringing. But as history proved in a Shakespearean way, it was Sound and Fury, signifying nothing.

The radio series American Forum of The Air ran a panel discussion on the problem. And on November 27, 1949 invited Herbert Q. Nelson from the National Real Estate Board, Joseph D.Keenan from the AF of L (pre-CIO) and Col. Robert S. Allen, a beltway columnist to discuss the situation and what could, if anything, be done about it.

Clearly, if they had any great ideas, nobody listened - or if they did they've been long forgotten.

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(Robert McNamara - Every time he opened his mouth, doom flew out)

To anyone of a certain generation, the name Robert S. McNamara will probably evoke the same (or very similar) reactions as this generations Donald Rumsfeld does.

Anger, bitterness, rage, betrayal - simmering arrogance, wrongheadedness and simple belligerence. All over a war that, like Iraq, should not have existed in the first place. And yet it was McNamara's insistence we wage it, even to the point of deceit.

I remember his "Mea Culpa tour" of the 1990's, begging forgiveness for his wrongdoings and his errors - saying in fact, The Gulf of Tonkin incident may not have happened. And some 60,000 casualties and untold wounded later . . . .

But as Joseph N.Welch once told Joseph McCarthy: "Your forgiveness sir, will have to come from a power other than myself".

And so here is a Press Conference, typical of the McNamara era during the Vietnam War, from February 7, 1965 - as the escalation and casualties mount. As we sighed and waited for our draft notices to appear.

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(The Colourfield - one of Terry Hall's many incarnations)

A trip to the 80's this time. From their Castles In The Air ep released by The Colourfield in 1985 (Terry Hall - Specials, Fun Boy 3 etc. etc) a track I can't seem to find reissued anywhere. "Your Love Was Smashing" wasn't on the first album, or the second, or issued on compilations. Maybe it's shown up somewhere but I haven't found it. Which is too bad because it's a good track from a band that didn't get the recognition it deserved in the 80's. I've always liked Terry Hall's work. It's always had a good bite to it, lyrically and musically. Case in point - this was the first track I was thinking of putting up when I decided to do Nights At The Roundtable, and I hadn't played this song in at least 10 years.

Tells you about the lasting impression some things make.

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(Denise Soriano (upper left) Jules Boucherit (upper right) Devy Ehrlih (lower left) Serge Blanc (lower right) - taken in 1942)

A lot has been written about this particular recording, mostly that it hasn't been available in practically any form since it was first issued as a 78 set by Pathe in 1934.

Magda Tagliaferro has recorded a lot during her career. She also had the chance to know and tour with the likes of Gabriel Faure, the composer of this sonata. But not a whole lot is known about the violinist, Denise Soriano, other than the fact that the relatively few commercial recordings she made were brilliant. Sadly, Soriano died in 2006 at the age of 90 after a career centered mostly in Europe and South America. She was married to the violinist Jules Boucherit and frequently collaborated with Tagliaferro in the 1930's and 1940's.

Suffice to say, this is a special recording made by two extraordinary musicians who have not become household names. Too bad for us.

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(Oscar Levant - worlds Greatest Neurotic who chummed around with Gershwin)

As long as we're still in Fourth of July weekend mode, I thought I would toss in a little Gershwin as interpreted by his friend Oscar Levant for good measure.

This is a Hollywood Bowl concert from July 25, 1950 featuring Levant, along with the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Artur Rodzinski, playing the Gershwin Concerto in F, a bunch of encores which included some DeFalla and ended up with a solo version of "Rhapsody In Blue".

Never available commercially, and from the original raw transcription disc masters.

And as we like to say here at Newstalgia "You heard it here first!"

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(Gloria Jones - the voice that stopped you dead in your tracks)

A couple of lifetimes ago, I was working with a band whose management shared an office suite with Ed Cobb. Cobb was one of the really great writer/producers on the L.A. music scene. I would often sit in an adjacent office and listen to whatever he was working on through the walls. It was always pretty amazing. And that's where I discovered Gloria Jones. He wrote a lot of the material for and produced her first big hit "Heartbeat" (part 1 and 2) which featured a stellar backup band fronted by none other than Billy Preston. But it was Cobb's composition and Jones version of "Tainted Love" that proved to be a massive hit in the 1980's when it was covered by Soft Cell.

A couple of years later in 1968, I stumbled across one of the follow-up discs. This time not produced or written by Cobb, but rather written by Jackie DeShannon and arranged by Artie Butler.

"When He Touches Me" just aches. It is a soulful lament to self-destructive love (where have we heard that one before?), and in Jones' hands, it just tore me up.

Sadly, this didn't hit and Gloria Jones life took another turn. But she's still singing and recording and I suspect just as powerful as ever.

But right now, here's the single she cut for Minit Records in 1968. I have the feeling it's never been reissued - and that's a shame.

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(Pres. Kennedy - The Independence Hall address - July 4, 1962)

The first time a President spoke at Philadelphia's Independence Hall since Woodrow Wilson. July 4, 1962

Have a listen while you're setting up the barbecue and breaking out the Buds.

Stay sane everyone!

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(The Jeff Beck Group - The Rough and Ready period)

Once again, the good old BBC Transcription service comes through. This time a concert with The Jeff Beck Group, live from the Paris Theatre in London. The lineup features Bob Tench, vocals, Max Middleton, keyboards, Clive Chaman, Bass and Cozy Powell on drums.

It was a great lineup that didn't last long, but it did produce two albums, Rough and Ready and The Jeff Beck Group.

This concert was recorded on June 29, 1972. This incarnation of the Jeff Beck group would break up shortly after, in October.

But in any event, it's a great concert and a nice touch for a holiday weekend.

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(Gann and Jarvis - the boys you can thank your IOU for today)

With California circling the economic drain, it's interesting to consider where this chaos all started. A little populist movement called "Prop 13" that captured the anger of California in 1978 and plunged us into the stone age as the result. It all centered around property taxes, placing a cap of 1% of the property's value as taxable. The anger centered around tax revenues being redistributed to other communities, rather than the community where the tax was being levied, not to mention tax rates increasing for everyone, not just new home buyers. The fear card was played that older home owners would be forced to sell their homes because tax rates would increase to the point of bankruptcy for most, and certainly this became the rallying cry.

The effect was almost instant, with a $5 billion dollar surplus evaporating in a short time with services and education funds slashed to practically nonexistent. Since it has been written into it's constitution, California has slid into depression almost continuously since then.

And Prop 13 has become the infamous "third rail" by which no one dares question - challenges to the laws validity have been struck down by the State Supreme Court and politicians caught even breathing Prop 13 revision have been hounded out of office, or threatened with it. The lobby surrounding the Prop 13 movement has a vice grip on the state legislature. So any thought of revision or modification is ignored.

But on June 9, 1978 the news was pretty much like it is now. Only now we have 31 years of failure to look at.

And we're left scratching our heads.