[ERA : 60s / Pop, Rock, Psych, Freakbeat ]
A 3CD, four-hour celebration of the post-Brumbeat late 60s/early 70s rock scene in the West Midlands. Tracing the evolution and development of that scene as local musicians embarked on an epic journey that embraced mod pop, psychedelia, blues, progressive rock, glam-rock and heavy metal, inspired by the emergence of chief catalysts The Move. Revolving around the area’s big hitters, with key selections from The Move, The Moody Blues, The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, The Idle Race, Slade, The Electric Light Orchestra, Roy Wood and Wizzard, Judas Priest and others. When the beat/R&B explosion died out around 1965, so did the influence of cities like Liverpool and Manchester. However, the live scene in Birmingham and surrounding towns went from strength to strength. By the end of the decade, the West Midlands had become the smelting house of the nascent hard rock/metal revolution. Including a bunch of classic cult 45s (The Craig, Locomotive, Medicine Head, The Ghost) and essential cuts from enduring local legends like Steve Gibbons and his band The Ugly’s, Denny Laine, The Montanas and Jimmy Powell. Also featuring several previously unreleased tracks, including music from post-World Of Oz outfit Kansas Hook, Big Bertha, Cathedral and the first-ever recording (made in 1967) to feature future Magnum vocalist Bob Catley. Housed in a stylish clamshell box that includes a heavily illustrated and annotated 48- page booklet, Once Upon A Time In The West Midlands is a fascinating microcosm of the post-beat/pre-punk development of British rock music that will be of huge appeal far beyond its narrow geographical focus. /
Must Be Mad - Craig * Security (extended version) - the 'N Betweens * Rescue Me - Doc Thomas Group * Life's Not Life - Moody Blues * Let Me Get By - Bobcats * Chicken George - Deep Feeling * On the Beach - Extreem * Baby Get Your Head Screwed on - Double Feature * I Can Hear the Grass Grow - Move * Say You Don't Mind - Denny Laine * On Time - Capitol Systems * Imposters of Life's Magazine - Idle Race * No Face, No Name, No Number - Traffic * Moonshine - Spencer Davis Group * Yellow Rainbow - Rockin' Berries * Don't Leave Me in the Dark - Young Blood * An Apple a Day - the U-No-Who * NSU - Ideal Milk * Trouble in the Air - Ace Kefford * When the Train Comes Back - Chicken Shack * I Know What Her Name Is (Demo Version) - Simon's Secrets * Cherry Wood Green - Just William * Baby I Need You - Giorgio & Marco's Men * Yellow Cave Woman - Velvett Fogg * Mr Armageddon (single version) - Locomotive * I've Seen the Light - Uglys * Daughter of the Sun - Ace * Kefford Stand Roundabout - Montanas * Like a Tear - World of Oz * Don't Torture Your Mind - Exception * Masochists of Strangulation - Jardine * Boredom - Tea & Symphony * The Journey - Gordon Jackson * Big Bear Ffolly - Bakerloo * Candy - Cinnamon Quill * Like Uncle Charlie - Climax Chicago Blues Band * Imaginations - Revolver * You've Got Your Troubles - Californians * His Guiding Hand (single version) - Medicine Head * Goodbye Mary - Paradox * A Modern Day Fairy Tale - Galliard * It's a Hard Way - Cathedra * Suicide - Trapeze * Dance in the Smoke - Kansas Hook * Ballad of Marmalade Emma and Teddy Grimes - Hard Meat * Donna - Bachdenkel * When You're Dead - Ghost * Time of the Season - Big Bertha * She Said Yes - Fable * Lamp Lighter Man - Sheridan & Price * One Way Hotel - Slade * We're Gonna Change All This - Fred's Box * Reminiscing - Luv Machine * People - Salamander * Brown Girl - Steve Gibbons * Ill Wind - Dave Morgan * Shadow Bright - Ptolomy Psycon * Omnibus - Mail * Disheartened and Disillusioned- Possessed * Talking Progressive Blues -Jimmy Powell * Eve - Jim Capaldi * Dear Elaine - Roy Wood * Ball Park Incident - Wizzard * Roll Over Beethoven (album version) - Electric Light Orchestra * Circus - Fairfield Ski * Just a Day - Ironbridge * The Beast (2021 Remix) - Bedlam * Rocka Rolla - Judas Priest * Bye Bye Birmingham - Blackfoot Sue