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!
Say what you will about this song. And if you know who or what it is, mum’s the word, m’kay?
What is America with Richard Davies on vocals?
Whatever it is, I want it.
It reminds me of The Move’s “Beautiful Daughter.”
It does have a bit of a Roy Wood thing, doesn’t it? I was going to say “Wake Up,” or something in that vein.
The production does not sound current or within the last 10 years. I’m guessing 70’s.
Yet there’s also that “I’m Looking Through You” quality…a hint?
Early 70’s is a hint. “I’m looking through you” not so much. I might call your attention to some of the bass stylings here, though not sure it will really be that helpful.
Yes, they do stand out as different from the rest of the instruments.
I’m going to say these guys have something to do with Yes, or some band like them. English, went on to prog rock fame, but recorded this before they brought that guy into the lineup who made them wear capes and play eight-minute songs.
Oh man, I am so looking forward to telling you what this really is! But sadly, pretty much none of that is accurate – even if that may be the zone they were going for. Actually, maybe the part about capes is on point.
I’m also getting a little bit of a CSN-Hollies vibe, as if this is from some lost album that Graham Nash made with Stephen Stills, before Crosby and Young got involved.
This is not English, nor Californian, nor Canadian.
I don’t hate it, and with the beginning kinda sounding like a Bob Dylan outtake I was really ready to hate it. I like the bass a lot. I wonder if the guys in REM had this record. They had to be influenced by somebody, it may as well be this.
Oh, I think I know who this is. I know that voice! Can’t recall if I have heard it before or not. I will refrain from now providing a series of heavy-handed hints.
Remember the whole Klaatu is the resurrected Beatles? Is this the resurrected Badfinger with more shag carpeting?
Shhhhhh!
This is early days of a band, rather than the remnants of one.
Misterioso’s offline guess is fascinating, although if he’s right I’m going to be disappointed that he could identify the singer’s voice.
Hint #1. Two members of this band became famous, using stage names, with the band they formed after this. You probably inferred from above comments that those two would be the singer and the bass player.
OK, then, I’m guessing Hotlegs.
misterioso must have nailed it! I’m stunned whenever any of the clowns in this famous band manage to do something I even remotely like. It goes to show that any of us can eventually turn our solid influences into crap.
Funny, yesterday I was wondering if there was a 10cc connection, as I tried to think of early ’70s bands that might have been influenced by the Hollies and the Move.
Funny to me, the era was nailed but the geography-related guesses have yet to hit the mark.
Was this band from the Boston area? Did the subsequent band sounded more like late 70s “new wave’?
Speaking of folk-rock, here’s a little something I found after going through last night’s baseball scores:
http://deadspin.com/phillies-fans-reactions-to-dan-ugglas-grand-slam-are-am-1563288296
This band was not from Boston, but you’re getting closer. Subsequent band was not new wave or pub rock. More hard rock…
I could not agree more, Mod. That’s a pretty big clue, Che, I never would have guessed the singer from this.
Is the bass player now deceased?
I had the displeasure of watching that crowd reaction in real time, on my TV! It’s even better in slo-mo.
If this is who I think it is, it would be terrible for anyone to answer, “Unfortunately not,” so I’ll take the hit for us.
“If”? “If”? Mod, how can you doubt me, bro? Surely you hear it now, too, no?
So, it’s not Milkwood, the pre-Cars band w/Ocasek & Orr, then?
I guess it was a real “Uggla” moment for you 😉
Nope!
I think I know, and I still don’t “hear” it. But I still think I know who it is. I think the singer is famous for his between song blabber.
Did everyone just collectively forget how to record bass guitar? The song didn’t do anything for me, but I’d kill to be able to get that bass sound on my recordings. You just don’t hear that sound anymore.
Yes. Is that it, then?
Yeah, so good you could just lick it up, eh?
The singer – first he drinks, and then he smokes.
Here is Gene singing one with their pre-Kiss band, Wicked Lester (our mystery date – thanks for playing!).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6Iw-NSROzQ
Geez, was I the only one to hear the Eric Matthews/Richard Davies/Cardinal similarities? Who knew if EM and RD had been aware of Richard Lester (if so, then pigs have flown)?
Even THAT is decent. More power to them for deciding to abandon all aspirations of taste and tenderness. They would have been lost to the cutout bins had they continued down this softer. groovier path.
Yeah! I was finally right on one of these! ‘Scuse me while I do myself a victory lap….
OK, half a lap. I’m old and fat, a whole lap for guessing Wicked Lester isn’t worth it. I can’t believe I actually enjoyed a Kiss offshoot project so much, this far from my early teens. Way to dig through the vaults, Cher!
That whispery vocal thing. Why does Eric Matthews sing like that? I like a few of his songs, despite the fact that I find his pretense to be almost Merchant-esque.
Can the debate now begin on when Wicked Lester will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Wicked Lester almost figured into a SNSI episode. The theme of the episode was going to detail songs from an early incarnation of a band, brought into a new band and given a second life. In this case I was going to play Wicked Lester’s version “She” which was re-recorded for the first KISS album.
Another example would be Richard Hell’s “Love Comes In Spurts” which has an earlier version by The Neon Boys.
Unfortunately I couldn’t come up with too many others to fill out an entire show.
The 101’ers did a song that was 75% “Jail Guitar Doors,” which shocked the hell out of me, since I always figured it was a Mick song. Of course, Mick had yet to enter the picture, so Joe is singing the tune with different lyrics.
FOLKS! Ripped from today’s headlines! Pre-KISS recordings by Ace Frehley’s band have been discovered:
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2014/04/ace_frehleys_long_lost_demo.php?page=2
Yeah, I know. But if you don’t know Richard Davies, his compatriot in Cardinal, he’s worth a listen. Even Mod likes on his albums. Here’s a taste:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FVU6S7nQsA