Let’s review the ground rules here. The Mystery Date song is not necessarily something I believe to be good. So feel free to rip it or praise it. Rather the song is something of interest due to the artist, influences, time period… Your job is to decipher as much as you can about the artist without research. Who do you think it is? Or, Who do you think it sounds like? When do you think it was recorded? Etc…
If you know who it is, don’t spoil it for the rest. Anyone who knows it can play the “mockcarr option.” (And I’ve got a hunch at least one of you know this one.) This option is for those of you who just can’t hold your tongue and must let everyone know just how in-the-know you are by calling it. So if you know who it is and want everyone else to know that you know, email Mr. Moderator at mrmoderator [at] rocktownhall [dot] com. If correct we will post how brilliant you are in the Comments section.
The real test of strength though is to guess as close as possible without knowing. Ready, steady, go!
[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Mystery-Date-041712.mp3|titles=Mystery Date 041712]
Interesting, and not bad. It sounds like Jon Anderson of Yes fronting the Ides of March. I’ll say the year is 1971.
I second the Jon Anderson, but I hear something struggling to become T. Rex and am also reminded of The Clique’s “Superman”, although I can’t put my finger on any particular reason why that song comes to mind. I’ll say 1970 and English.
If it had horns, I would guess a deep album cut from an early Chicago album.
It’s pretty repetitive but I like it quite a bit. It’s clearly influenced by Woodstick-era folk-rock and psych…I’m sure whoever did this were CSN fans…but I’m guessing this actually dates from WAY later than that. Some kind of UK neo-psych band?
uh, Wood-STOCK.
Woodstick was an overlooked gem of rock festivals:)
It sounds like a Yes Demo for a movement from the never finished Far From the Center.
Early 70s. Good call pudman, I also picked up on CSN-like harmonies. The fuzz guitar somehow makes me think of glam rock even though this sounds too much like a leather fringe jacket.
What they said. Sounds like a link between CSN and the Hollies. Going with British, maybe ’71. That’s a particularly bad sounding mp3 but trying to hear past that, it sounds like a recording from that era rather than a more recent attempt to replicate that sound. The top has a distinct Richie Havens thing going on, until it kicks in.
Purely a hunch, but I’m thinking late eighties/early-90s Madchester/Britpop, b side or hidden cd track possibly.
A quick listen to Jon Anderson’s surprisingly crappy pre-Yes work with The Warriors dispels any notion that he could be responsible for this track:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayGGZhTc7JI
I’m going to say 1967, London, containing two members who later went on to fame in a band that cracked the US Top 40 multiple times in the mid- late-70s. Like the keyboard and guitar players from Supertramp.
I’m guessing this is the band that spawned Hannah’s Field. Remember them? https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/index.php/if-you-can-t-say-anything-nice-about-puff-puff-give/
NYYYAAAUUUGH! (hurls self out of window, fingers jammed in ears)
Really unCOOL meanstom.
I’m hearing mid to late 70’s prog rock, Virgin Records version, say Hatfield and the North, Steve Hillage type stuff. This is mostly based on the guitar and phasing, which sounds distintly like Hillage.
This is what it’s all about. Incorrect, but displaying great rock insights.
So far Jon Anderson vocals, T Rex bongos. I’ll add “Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard” acoustic guitar strumming. Can’t tell what that adds up to, unfortunately.
Yeah, I was thinking either “Me & Julio…” or the middle of the Allman Brothers doing “Revival” at the very beginning.
I get where people are hearing the Anderson/Prog Rock thing in the vocals. To me, the song sounds like something that would be at home on SF Sorrow, but if it was a Pretty Things song, I figure somebody would know it already. The bongos and the bit that comes in before the piano at the end sounds more late ’70s to me, though, like someone trying to do an SF Sorrow kind of song.
Whatever it is, I do like it.
It’s the Primal Scream remix of CSN!
No, really, I agree with Happiness Stan that this is early 90’s. It sounds a lot like “Loaded” era Primal Scream but the production isn’t thick enough.
Thanks so much for posting that – I hadn’t heard that one before and now I can’t get the damned thing out of my head…
When will this one be revealed?
I’ll chat with tonyola, our Mystery Date sponsor, offline and see if it’s time. Maybe we can get another track by this band when we post the reveal!
Can we get a hint?
The reveal will be up sometime with the sun. Sorry, it’s been a really busy day. Most likely pudman13 is the only Townsperson who will have an “I could have had a V8!” moment.