Classic Rock's "Lost Pioneer's of Heavy Metal" feature unearth's Iron Claw, and brings the band back to life after 30 years.
Initially active between the years of 1969-1974, Iron Claw brought about a havoc like no other to Dumfries, Scotland, save for the likes of Black Sabbath. Formed by Alex Wilson in 1969, who then recruited Jimmy Ronnie (guitar) and Ian McDugall (drums), they were joined by singer Mike Waller in early 1970. Wilson, the groups founder and bassist, decided to go about forming a band after witnessing a Led Zeppelin gig in 1969. The band lifted their name from the opening lyric to King Crimson's classic "21st Century Schizoid Man." (Cat's foot/iron Claw/Neuro-surgeon's scream for more). Wilson and McDugals attendance at Black Sabbath's performance at Dumfries (which Wilson recorded, representing Sabbath's earliest live recording) convincing them to not only cover their entire first album and single live, But to conciously constuct their sound around them.
In 1971, Willson had to replace Mike Waller (when he left to take up the guitar), and so two new members (Wullie Davidson/vocals/harmonica/flute, and Donald MacLachlan/guitar) were recruited by Wilson and this changed the sound of the band to a more structured twin harmony guitar direction. However in 1971, when new recording sessions were looming, Donald MacLachlan was asked to leave the band as Jimmy Ronnie was unhappy with his presence. After the recording sessions, drummer Ian McDougal left in May 1972 and was replaced by Neil Cockayne. The group broke up in 1974.
In 1993, Iron Claw played a one-off show for charity. And in the late 90's, a German bootleg CD of some of the early recordings resurfaced. And in 2009, 16 recorded songs from the 70's were remastered and released on CD on Rockadrome Records from Texas. In response to the critical success the band reformed in 2010 and began working on an album of new and unreleased material. New vocalist Gordon Brown was recruited by the three remaining members of the band to finish the album. Alex Wilson (bass), Jimmie Ronnie (guitar), and Ian McDougal (drums).
The resulting highly acclaimed CD "A Different Game" was released internationally by Ripple Music in 2011. In November Gordon parted company with the band and following his departure Gary Hair was chosen from Brown to take over as vocalist. March 2013 saw the final disbanding of Iron Claw.
Thank the maker for youtube. I believe all of us have sang that praise many times over, with it came the capability of finding hundreds of bands we wouldn't have ever had the slightest chance of being exposed to. Bands so obscure and localized that their name wouldn't have normally carried further than a hundred miles of their hometown now have the capability of reaching the furthest corners of the globe, thus the potential for greater audiences. Or so you'd think.
Along with the unlimited distribution capabilities also came an infinite supply of every flavor of music, along with any and all sub-divisions of sub-genres and any and all combinations there of, you would need to be a very special kind of boring not to have more than a hundred times your own lifetime's worth of new material to sift through.
If one could do that. Humans need time to eat, sleep, shit, you get the picture.
What follows is just another one of those examples.
Don't know how I got there, wouldn't even be able to speculate, but I recently stumbled upon a stoner-rock/70's kinda wah-pedal guitar jam type outfit (I think that's a valid summation) going by the name of Lee Van Kleef. Normaly by the time shit finds it's way to my desk, it's been around for a bit (at least a year or so), but this time, I happened upon it before it's release! (vinyl is due Nov. 25th, 2016. Download is already available from Bandcamp: https://leevancleefjams.bandcamp.com/album/holy-smoke
The vinyl will be released by White Dwarf records in an extremely limited edition of 165 copies on purpel vinyl, another 350 on black.
From the White Dwarf website: "The project Lee Van Kleef was born as a joke at the end of 2015 and is the result of long jam sessions between Marco Adamo, guitarist (La Povere de Bodele), Guido Minervini, drums (Efesto, Lamark) and Petro La Tegola, bass (Whiskeycold Winter). Influenced by bands like Earthless, Black Bombaim, Harsh Toke (to name a few) the first work: "Holy Smoke" was recorded, mixed, and mastered in Godfather Studio of Naples. The artwork was done by Robert Gnista."
"When I read the press release with its mention of Earthless, Black Bombain etc I'll admit to bit a bit skeptical - those are big names to throw around. However, on listening it soon became evident that these guys know how to rock! The musicianship is superb and the sound they create is huge. They have taken the general structure of heavy psych and jammed around the theme to create a monster of a record. I think that Lee Van Cleef can be added to the roster of the best acid bands around." Dayz Of Purple And Orange
Hot on the heels of "Rock and Roll High School", "Get Crazy" was the followup film from Alan Arkush. Arkush: "when we made 'Crazy', 'Rock and Roll High School' was still an obscure midnight movie." "Get Crazy" is an homage to the legendary Fillmore East, Bill Grahm's rock venue on 2nd Avenue near East 6th St., now referred to as the "East Village" section of Manhattan, N.Y.C. It was open from March 8th, 1968, until June 27, 1971, and featured some of the biggest acts in rock music at the time.
The movie takes place a decade later, at the final show of the "Saturn Theater" on New Years Eve of 1982, and is peppered with all kinds of fictitious musical acts, some based off real artists. (Lou Reed's "Dylan-esque" character Auden, who is summoned to play the show as a 'deathbed request' of theater manager Max Wolfe (Alan Garfield as Alan Goorwitz).
The movie also stars Daniel Stern (Neil Allen), Malcolm McDowell (Reggie Wanker), Gail Edwards (Willy Loman), Ed Begley Jr. (Colin Beverly).
The premise: Mega promoter Colin Beverly plans to sabotage the New Years 1983 concert of small time concert promoter Max Wolfe. And the crew of the venue basically saves the sex, drugs, and Rock and Roll from Beverly's schemes.
What makes the movie great, is the spoof bands, and, the cameos.
Nada, one of the main acts, features a character named "Piggy", a dangerous, psychotic, rock n' roll animal housed in the trunk of the bands car. The role of Piggy is played by Lee Ving of LA punk band FEAR.
Another member of FEAR, Philo Cramer, makes a cameo as well. When Bill Henderson's character "King Blues" (based off Muddy Waters) asks for a Blues band, there is a communication problem and he receives a "Jews Band."
Auden, Lou Reed's character is the metaphysical 70's songwriter, and antisocial recluse, who hasn't been heard from in six years. Auden answers the phone in a shot that mimic's perfectly the cover of Bob Dylan's Bringin' it All Back Home. Except that everything, even the woman lounging in the background, is full of cobwebs.
Reggie Wanker (Malcolm McDowell) "20 years of Rock n' Roll and still on top" is a Mick Jagger spoof with his own private jet, a countess for a girlfriend, and mountains of cocaine. Wanker has his own rock and roll animal in his entourage, a maniac called "Toad", and he's played by John Densmore of The Doors.
There's also a throw-back to the 60's with the arrival of "Captain Cloud" (played by Howard Kaylan a.k.a. "Eddie" of Flo & Eddie & Turtles fame) and his busload of hippies. Who show up with a pass from Dec. 31, 1968.
The soundtrack contains some excellent moments as well (along with the typical spoof-band goofyness) The Ramones contribute a tune called "Chop Suey", FEAR contribute a song to the Nada set, with their version of "Hoochie Cootchie Man", a song that King Blues recognizes as his own, and comments: "who said a white boy can't sing the blues!", and Lou Reed closes the movie with a touching rendition of "Little Sister."
Best viewed on VHS, 'cause that's how we rolled back in the day.
Awesome flick for an 80's nostalgia night or for a double feature with Rock and Roll High School. I'll leave you in charge of your own "party favors."
