Mind Garage Early Years

Mind Garage-Early Years A Total Electric Happening
Studio album by Mind Garage
Released	April 26, 2006
Recorded	July, 1968 at Glenn Cambell Studio Pittsburgh, Pa August, 1968 at Bell Sound Studio Long Island, NY
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	36.03 minutes
Label	Morning Glori Music
Producer	Mind Garage
Singles from Mind Garage-Early Years A Total Electric Happening
"Asphalt Mother" Released: August 1968

Mind Garage-Early Years (A Total Electric Happening) was recorded by the Mind Garage, the first hard rock band recognized nationally as a Christian Rock band when America tuned in to a Christian rock worship service in 1969 on ABC TV.^[1] The song, "Water" was used in the service. The term "Christian rock" had not yet been coined in 1968 and these compositions can be considered the missing link between secular and Christian rock music.

History

The group's purpose was to make a demonstration record to interest a recording company in signing the group. Seven of the songs were recorded at Glen Campbell Studio in Pittsburgh, Pa. Asphalt Mother and Reach Out were recorded the same year, 1968, at Bell Sound Studio, Long Island, New York and released on the Morning Glori Music label as a 45 RPM single. The remaining tracks were not released until 2006, 38 years later.

The band received several 33 1/3 rpm acetates of the Glenn Cambell Session to be used as demos but the studio kept the Master Tape. One of the demos accomplished the purpose of getting the band signed to RCA and commercially packaged records of the session were never ordered. The Master Tape was used again and recorded over as was the custom in many small studios in the 60s. Except for a brief appearance in 1983, when five cassette tapes were made from the only known remaining acetate, the acetate and the cassettes remained out of sight, and out of mind.

The acetate itself was lost sometime during the next 21 years but in 2004 one of the cassettes surfaced and a CD was made from it. It was remastered twice to improve the sound, but the quality was inferior. Late in 2005 a cassette of vastly better sound quality appeared in the possession of Evan Jones, who had received one of the five original cassettes, and the CD was remastered again by Rick Ravenscroft of Rave Cave Records. Audiophiles will not hear perfect digital quality but collectors and fans will enjoy the raw, rock and roll sounds mastered from best possible sources.

Songs

• "B-52" is a prelude to the band's use of dynamics, of playing the silences, building to a climax, then bringing the listener back to reality.
• "Sale of a Deathman".
• "What Shall We Do Till Norris Comes". A single sustained note on the keyboard through the Leslie hovers in the air, when the dissonant sound of a Chromatic Tuner swoops down on it like an eagle. This may be the only song of any kind to use a Chromatic Tuner as a regular instrument. The lyrics are surreal and the guitar gives the impression of a lone figure, constantly looking over his shoulder for things that creep and go bump in the night. The bass conjures up impression of an ominous shadow moving between the bushes in a moonlit garden. The vibraphone gives the dream state effect.
• "Water".
• "Star Goddess".
• "Circus Farm". A circus can be a wild array and noisy disorder. Such is the history of the seemingly peaceful valley where the band spent the summer of 1968. Settled in 1725 by British colonial hunters and traders, it saw the French and Indian War, the American Revolution and the American Civil War.
• This Town". A girl in New York said "take me with you when you leave". But it was impossible. The vision of a smiling angel in the ghetto with bright flowers in her hair is the subject of the song.
• "Reach Out" is a cover song originally recorded by the Four Tops.
• "Asphalt Mother" is achingly sexy, a mating call, of an exuberant, youthful quest for sex, riches and fame, with no apologies.

Track listing

(All pre RCA songs except "Reach Out" and "B-52" are credited to the Larry McClurg or John Vaughan. Once signed with RCA, "What Shall We Do Till Norris Comes", "Circus Farm" and all future songs were credited to the Mind Garage collectively.

1. "B-52" (Norris Lytton, Jack Bond, Ted Smith, John Vauhghan) - .53
2. "Sale of a Deathman" (John Vaughan) - 3:52
3. "What Shall We Do Till Norris Comes" (Larry McClurg) - 6:27
4. "Water" (Larry McClurg) - 4:53
5. "Star Goddess" (John Vaughan) - 3:10
6. "Circus Farm" (Larry McClurg) - 2:45
7. "This Town" (Larry McClurg) - 4:06
8. "Reach Out" (Holland-Dozier-Holland - 4:58
9. "Asphalt Mother" (Larry McClurg) - 5:06

Personnel

Performers

• Larry McClurg - lead vocals, background vocals
• John Vaughan - lead guitar
• Ted Smith - drums, background vocals
• Jack Bond - keyboard, background vocals
• Norris Lytton -bass guitar, background vocals

Additional personnel

• Mind Garage band - Producers
• Tom Cossie - Assistant Producer
• Glen Cambell - Mastering, Recording engineer at Glenn Cambell Studio
• Bell Sound Studio - unknown recording engineers
• Rave Records - Re-Mastering by Rick Ravenscroft
• Cover Art - Maurice Griffin
• Bob Campione - Photography
• Cover Layout - Rick Ravenscroft, Rod Lanham

References

1. ^ First Nationally Televised Rock and Roll Worship Service

External links

• The official Mind Garage website