lockdown : vinyl find #35.

Vienna, Austria, happened to be a surprisingly good digging spot. And because of that, I skipped a few work sessions. Not feeling guilty at all. The record stores are flooded with quality records. Of course, krautrock (and rock in general) reigns supreme, but those stores also have nuggets in other styles. 

So I allowed myself to be surprised. When I bought this record, I didn't know what to expect. I suspected a band comprised of black and white dudes. And I always remember reading an interview in Wax Poetics where the guest was saying something like "if you see a mixed band, it has to be dope". Think Booker T. and the MG's, for example. 

So I went with it, knowing nothing of the band. And rightfully so, as they only relased this one album. The original was released in 1969 in the US. Since then, there have been only two reissues. My copy is an Austrian reissue from an undisclosed date, by a label called Breeder Backtrack, which specialized in unofficial pyschedelic rock reissues. They did a pretty good job on this one, spotting it first, then pressing it. Their releases are affordable, kinda like those of Phoenix Records. 

There's not much information about the band, except the names of the guys written on the back cover. The musicians followed on as studio musicians ; the drummer, Andrew Smith, played for soul, funk, jazz, pop acts Sixto Rodriguez, The Undisputed Truth, Dennis Coffey, Bob James, The Temptations, Yoko Ono, Ashford & Simpson, just to name a few of his appearances. The guitar player, Ray Monette, became a member of Rare Earth, and joined Andrew Smith from time to time, like the bassist Bob Kreinar. The singer, Mike Campbell, had an acting career under the Michael Champion moniker. 

Together, these young guys from Detroit delivered a funky style of rock, with touches of garage, a bit of country, hints of psychedelism. All in all, a convincing entrance into the game, and a record that's still enjoyed, despite a very low diffusion, 50 years later. 

Scorpion - Scorpion.

  
Full album, here you go : YouTube.

"Peace be with you".