Steppenwolf - s/t (1968) [Original USA Dedicated Mono]

 Steppenwolf - Steppenwolf (1968)

Original Dedicated MONO White-Label Promo
Dunhill / ABC Records D-50029
~ThePoodleBites rip in 96 kHz / 24 bit FLAC + hi-res artwork scans~

Because standard US mono copies of the Steppenwolf debut are all a simple stereo fold-down, the dedicated mono mix of the LP was totally unknown to exist until Bob Irwin uncovered a mono tape in the UK, which was reissued on Sundazed in 2019. Following this surprising discovery, it was suggested that the original UK mono release must contain this dedicated mix as well, which surprisingly turns out to be true. I say that it's surprising because there are several late-'60s albums that were only available in stereo stateside, so in foreign countries these albums were folded down to create mono variants (stereo took over a bit later internationally). But in the US, where mono stock copies of Steppenwolf existed and sold prolifically, they were all fold-downs. So why is it that a dedicated mix would be made for foreign markets, but not sold domestically? Certainly ABC/Dunhill realized that their biggest Steppenwolf market was in the US, not the UK?

When I argued this obvious fact on Steve Huffers' Manufactured Forums, I was dismissed as Monsieur Idiotic Poodle by some ignorant English wanker. But I wasn't dissuaded; and for good reason, as it turns out that I was onto something: that dedicated mix actually was released in the good ole USA -- so take that, ya tea-sippin' British plonker! Yes, this mix was apparently released on some (but not all) white-label promo copies, one of which I was quite lucky to score... and another of which I have never seen even offered.

Many thanks to C.F. the Record Phantom for his usual invaluable contributions!

My attempt at photographing the rather worn foil cover from this dedicated mono Steppenwolf LP 

It's really quite curious why this mix was so quickly deleted and replaced by a stereo fold. Perhaps this had something to do with the bump in popularity from Easy Rider, the soundtrack of which used a stereo vinyl rip; or maybe someone felt there was some issue with this mix which wasn't on the stereo version. Also possible is that original mono tapes or stampers had unexpectedly become lost or suffered damage, or became ignored just purely due to logistical issues between different pressing plants... who knows? It surely is a shame, though, that this mix was essentially unheard until over 50 years after its initial release; it's clearly better than the folded-down stereo mix. The hits "Born To Be Wild" and "The Pusher" arguably sound best here -- I like these album mono mixes even more than the mono single versions, which are yet another source of alternate mixes (confused yet?).

Reconstructed front cover scan with monaural & promo stickers

Original UK mono LP, front cover

Original US mono LP, front cover (later fold-down edition)

Back cover of the original US pressing

As I am the first person to discover this particular mono variant, I can report that this dedicated mono mix is now known to exist in at least three places: this original US mono promo, the Sundazed reissue, and the UK mono, in order of sound quality from best to worst. The Sundazed is pretty good, but you can hear severe phase cancellation issues on the inner-groove tracks, possibly from being played back with a stereo head and hastily collapsed to mono, or maybe from generational loss, or even tape damage -- not sure. What is certain is that this original US mono sounds killer from beginning to end, and most listeners will likely consider it an improvement on any other existing version of this album. This original US pressing has a treble roll-off around 16 kHz which is not found on the Sundazed, but even given this, it sounds more realistic to these ears, especially on "Your Wall's Too High" and "The Ostrich."

Promo photo from a teen music magazine.
Back row (L to R): Goldy McJohn, Jerry Edmonton.
Front row: John Kay, Michael Monarch, Rushton Moreve.

Musicians:
- John Kay: lead vocals, guitars, harmonica
- Michael Monarch: guitars, backing vocals
- Goldy McJohn: organ, piano, Wurlitzer electric piano
- Rushton Moreve: bass guitar, backing vocals
- Jerry Edmonton: drums, backing vocals, percussion

Track listing:
1) "Sookie Sookie" -- 3:15
2) "Everybody's Next One" -- 2:56
3) "Berry Rides Again" -- 2:50
4) "Hootchie Kootchie Man" -- 5:12
5) "Born To Be Wild" -- 3:29
6) "Your Wall's Too High" -- 5:45
7) "Desperation" -- 5:46
8) "The Pusher" -- 5:50
9) "A Girl I Knew" -- 2:40
10) "Take What You Need" -- 3:33
11) "The Ostrich" -- 5:46

Vinyl condition: VG (played phenomenally despite the visual
    downgrade, and cleaned up perfectly!)
Dynamic Range: DR 12

Eagles Auditorium, Seattle, WA — 26–28 July 1968
Offset litho poster (design by Chuck Trimble)

Community Concourse, San Diego, CA — 21 December 1968
Supported by local rock group The Brain Police

Equipment / Lineage:
– (brand new!) Audio-Technica VMN40ML stylus on AT150MLx dual moving-magnet cartridge
– Audio-Technica AT-LP1240-USB direct drive professional turntable (internal stock preamp/ADC removed)
– Pro-Ject Phono Box S2 Ultra preamp with dedicated Zero Zone linear power supply
– Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 MkII (96kHz / 24bit)
– Adobe Audition CC 2024 (recording)
– iZotope RX 11 audio editor (manual declicking, EQ subtraction, additional adjustments)
– Audacity 3.x.x (fades between tracks, split tracks)
– Foobar2000 v2.x.x (tagging, dynamic range analysis)

Thanks for taking the time to read my posts and check out my blog. I'd greatly appreciate it if you leave a small comment below. Notes from my readers are what inspire me to keep going. Thanks!
MEGA: https://mega.nz/folder/snUzBBoL#CckBBllCBQ40HkMZfyOBFw

Here are a couple interesting articles from some period teen music magazines pertaining to the band. Since these were published a couple years after this debut LP was released, the band's lineup had changed; nonetheless, much of the content itself pertains to the material from, and creation of, this debut album.

D.R. Hooker - The Truth (1972) [Original Pressing]

D. R. Hooker - The Truth (1972)

Original USA Private Pressing
On Records – XPL-1029 (Discogs)
~ThePoodleBites rip at 96 kHz / 24 bit FLAC + full high-res scans!~

"The Truth is one of the big private press classics ... Covers all the bases
in an impressive manner" ~ Patrick Lundborg

"For some, The Truth is one of the real 'treasures' of the early seventies private press scene." ~ Clark Faville

"If the softer songs are your cup of tea, this album will be an all-time favorite. If
not, it’s still a must-own for the rest." ~ Aaron Milenski

The underworld of rare psychedelic records is flooded by thousands of obscure and overlooked sounds, enough to easily overwhelm the interested explorer. Yet among the fold are a few well-known classics against which all others are judged -- enduring signposts to guide searchers along the path of cosmic musical discovery. The 1972 privately-pressed debut album by Donald R. Hooker, widely praised for its unique combination of psychedelia, lounge music, and early religious rock, is undoubtedly among those chosen few. Mr. Hooker, reportedly an east-coast computer engineer and Jehovah's Witness, successfully integrated then-contemporary electronic effects and Christian lyrics into a single album with diverse instrumentation, and the album's now-legendary status has led to it becoming a valuable collector's item.

All of that being said, I have always found this album to be rather mediocre: with enough interesting moments to make it a worthwhile listen, yet enough cringey guitar leads, lackluster melodies, and awkward Jesus crooning to distance it from the level of a total killer. Nonetheless, in the world of private pressings, there's no doubt that D.R. Hooker is several standard deviations above the average, and its unquestionable ubiquity among psych seekers means that a proper digital version is of indispensable value, the lack of which of course makes it an invaluable addition to this blog.

Many thanks to R.D. for kindly loaning out this gem from his archives for digital preservation!

Front cover of D.R. Hooker's The Truth

Enough rumors have circulated between collectors about D.R. over the years to make one confused about what is myth and what is reality. Certainly, the strange sounds here enclosed help contribute to that legend: after all, how many people in the early 1970s created a drug-addled LP mixing lyrics about love, mind expansion, and holy praise? Of course, it's unclear how much psychedelics were actually involved in its production: while utilized effects include those sourced from prime late-'60s acid-fried experimentalism, to my ears they more so serve to obfuscate the usual singer-songwriter gaffes than to accentuate a tangible musical goal.

"The Sea" starts off the album with D.R.'s ode to coastline life and the ever-changing ocean, musically rife with vintage synthesizer glissandi, furious bongos, and surf-like whammy guitar. The sound of waves crashing against the shoreline frame the song, giving it an almost radio-friendly polish, even if the vocals are occasionally strained and out-of-tune, and the guitar has some flubs towards the end. This track is a stand-out for many, and I also think it's great, though it's also hard to overlook the effects as sounding very dated these fifty-some years later. The second track, "Fall In Love," is surprisingly not psych nor rock at all, apart from perhaps a small subset of heady lyrics:

'Cause this world is beautiful when in touch with your mind
Expanding your consciousness is all very fine
So just relax, come along, fall in love

It's nonetheless a stand-out, perhaps because D.R.'s baritone voice aptly fits the song's relaxed, even enchanting spirit. The slower "Weather Girl" strikes me the same, like the thunder that bookends its reflective love refrains in an almost eerie mood, stretching the imagination with femme-inspired imagery not unlike the Elevators' "She Lives." This theme continues into the album-side closer "This Thing," a multi-part suite and signature D.R. guitar-driven track, beginning with amateurish guitar trills, jumping through blasts of synth and rock bits at various tempos, before concluding with a cacophonous electronic freak-out. It works, and although it's weird, that's part of this album's appeal.

Period photo of D.R.

Perhaps the LP's wriggliest earworm commences the more Christian-oriented side 2: the unassuming "Forge Your Own Chains," a laid-back lounger with synth arpeggios, horn accents, and reflective, anti-drug/anti-consumption lyrics -- it may sound contrary for a psych-head, but it's somehow very satisfying and even empowering, encouraging the listener to emancipate themselves from bad habits to improve mind, body, and soul. The arrangement is strong, with a woozy trombone reply to D.R.'s comments on drunkenness coming off as almost Zappaesque. Owing to the brass, this song would much later become the title track for an international funky-psych comp. Next comes "I'm Leaving You" which is probably the album's jammiest moment, drenched with enough flanging to put Strictly Personal's 'psychedelic bromo-seltzer' to shame. It's also good, though after a couple minutes the overdone effects become monotonous.

The album's title track then follows, creeping in with a backwards bell chime, reminiscent of the "A Thousand Days" intro from Relatively Clean Rivers. Wreathed by a spiraling guitar line, some surprising reversed cymbal hits oscillate between stereo channels, setting a sublime mood before the chorus. The lyrics are about accepting one's truth by shedding self-lies, and despite the (mostly-)unspoken underlying message (in the background D.R. says "give thanks to God, for without him we have nothing"), it doesn't come off as overly preachy. D.R.'s self-truth is more overtly revealed in his distorted-guitar-driven follow-up, "The Bible," overdubbed with reverb-laden names of Bible verses which are hardly audible above the music. The driving guitar lead has the right direction but is underwhelming in magnitude and mostly unexciting. The floating closer, "Falling Asleep," then slowly crescendos to a revelatory sign-off, before abruptly terminating with a reversed piano arpeggio, complete with a cryptic backmasked recitation:

Life is a mystery, 'course it's true
Look for the answer, recorded clues

While D.R. sadly passed away in 2009, Tom Sokira, the recording engineer behind this album (credited with his name written backwards, Samot Arikos, on the back cover), had these recollections regarding the creation of this record:

"I [was] owner of Dynamic Recording Studios in New Haven, CT. I had set up the studio in 1969 after a 10 year hiatus from audio spent as an aerospace engineer here in CT, designing tape data storage systems for spacecraft like Mariner and a bunch of others. D.R. came in one day in '72 and wanted to do a custom album. I did most of the track lay-down and mixing with one of my guys doing a lot of the mix-downs. I think we pressed 250-500 pieces for him. There was no regular D.R. Hooker band. All the guys on the session were local pick up dudes D.R. knew and worked with. D.R. was into the Jehovah's Witness Church at the time. We talked about a lot of stuff & why I was not into joining his church. D.R. really liked our piano tuner who was also a Jehovah's Witness. I still have the autographed Jehovah's Witness Bible D.R. gave me. He suggested I do Bible study with the tuner."

After The Truth was released, D.R. would assemble a band to record his second, slightly proggier album Armageddon, the first side of which is just as good as (if not better than) his first effort. Though it appears to have never been quite finished to his satisfaction, the existing demo recordings were released on the same On Records label in 1979. Nearly a decade later, in 1988, he released his final album, Rain On The Moon, on cassette tape only. While much different from his earlier LPs -- with some awkward 1980s synth and electronic drums -- a couple well-written songs still prevail.

"Seems like D.R. dropped out of sight after the first LP. I never heard from him again. I wasn’t aware of the other two albums until very recently. D.R. apparently worked in I.T. and traveled around quite a bit according to his obituary and was living in New Hampshire. ... By the way, there were no pictures that I know of during the sessions. I never took pictures during sessions unless the client requested it, sometimes pictures were taken by talent, etc." And as for Tom Sokira: "Sold the studio in '75 and I am still an active EE."

Back cover of D.R. Hooker's The Truth

Despite having been reissued several times over the past three decades, The Truth has never been reissued from the original tapes, rendering its modern versions betwixt barely tolerable and horrible. The first vinyl dub was released in 1993 on Gregg Breth's Del-Val label, which was vinyl-only and had awful inner-groove distortion from the source LP, perhaps from having been played with a worn stylus. The first digital version appeared in 1999 on the Swedish Subliminal Sounds label and was even worse, haphazardly recorded from a very noisy copy with some of the original music even missing. After Subliminal Sounds repressed this master in 2008, the label released a new digital master via Numero Group in 2023, sourced from a cleaner original copy; but this time it was processed with dynamic range compression, noise reduction, and a heavy automatic declicker, removing not only surface noise but musical percussive sounds such as cowbell, acoustic guitar strums, etc.

The recording itself, of course, didn't do these remastering attempts any favors. The Truth lacks a bit in the highs, and already underwent some form of vintage analog noise reduction (Dolby B?) before being cut to wax. Residual NR artifacts where tape noise increases along with treble in the music -- colloquially referred to as "breathing" -- are plainly audible. The pressing itself also has some issues: mint-looking copies play with high levels of noise when using thin-ridge type styli like the MicroLine on the AT150MLx or VMN40ML, while they sound nearly silent with cheaper elliptical types. While ML styli have technically better specs, good audio restoration isn't about using the most expensive or spec-impressive equipment, it's about using the right tool for the job; so for this project I used my VMN30EN, and after calibrating a counter-EQ for this stylus, the album sounded virtually identical to ML playback sans surface noise. A careful manual declicking was then carried out as usual, and given these substantial efforts, this could be the best this album has sounded since the tapes were rolled back in 1972 at that local Connecticut studio.

Example entries from the US Catalog of Copyright Entries in Music, 1971-72.
"Alive Wind" is an unreleased (unrecorded?) track.

Track listing:
1) "The Sea" -- 4:33
2) "Fall In Love" -- 2:35
3) "A Stranger's Smile" -- 2:21
4) "Weather Girl" -- 4:11
5) "This Thing" -- 5:22
6) "Forge Your Own Chains" -- 4:42
7) "I'm Leaving You" -- 4:04
8) "The Truth" -- 3:40
9) "The Bible" -- 4:47
10) "Falling Asleep" -- 5:04

Vinyl condition: M-
Dynamic Range: DR 13

Equipment / Lineage:
– Audio-Technica VMN30EN elliptical stylus on AT150MLx dual moving-magnet cartridge
– Audio-Technica AT-LP1240-USB direct drive professional turntable (internal stock preamp/ADC removed)
– Pro-Ject Phono Box S2 Ultra preamp with dedicated Zero Zone linear power supply
– Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 MkII (96kHz / 24bit)
– Adobe Audition CC 2024 (recording)
– iZotope RX 11 audio editor (manual declicking, EQ subtraction, additional adjustments)
– Audacity 3.x.x (fades between tracks, split tracks)
– Foobar2000 v2.x.x (tagging, dynamic range analysis)

Thanks for taking the time to read my posts and check out my blog. I'd greatly appreciate it if you leave a small comment below. Notes from my readers are what inspire me to keep going. Thanks!
MEGA: https://mega.nz/folder/1yFXmARS#BZi8VkU2Tk4lhzL4U-snOQ

July - Dandelion Seeds (1968) [1987 Bam-Caruso LP]

July - Dandelion Seeds (1987)

Vinyl reissue of self-titled 1968 LP + two bonus tracks
Bam-Caruso Records – KIRI 097 (Discogs)
~ThePoodleBites rip in 24 bit / 96 kHz FLAC + full hi-res scans!~

Among adventurers who embark into the orbit of underground psychedelia, the 1968 self-titled album by July is one of the most well-known destinations, a veritable hidden platform from which almost all departures deep into the realm of obscure forgotten sounds venture through, if not begin. An arcane British band who released a single album during its tenure, with a legend now circulated for four decades or more, July boasts a cult following that few similar acts enjoy: but if I'm totally honest, it's not at all clear to me why. While the album's original artwork is unarguably extraordinary, to even the untrained listener it is obvious that July had one of the most inept vocalists this side of the acid trip, which made nearly every track they cut borderline unlistenable. Anyone who calls this album a masterpiece is outright lying to you, and should be excommunicated from your inner musical circle. But after years of revisiting this record, I must admit that a few songs have worn on me: the few tracks that sneaked out with enough special effects to hide the poor intonation. Therefore, despite my distaste for much of its content, I've resolved that the eponymous July LP is nonetheless a worthwhile addition to the blog.

Front cover artwork for this 1987 Bam-Caruso reissue

The original UK pressing of July on the Major Minor label has become a rare and expensive item, so given the (perhaps controversial) opinion I've shared above, you'll doubtlessly comprehend why I've no interest in spending several grand to own one. It's for that reason that I tracked down this 1987 reissue on the Bam-Caruso label. According to the label owner Phil Smee: "We licensed the album from EMI at the time, who owned Major Minor. It was cut from 1/4" master tape by EMI at Abbey Road, and they also pressed it for us, which is why it didn't have our usual labels but black and silver labels."

I was therefore quite content owning this reissue, up until I started working on this rip; more on that below. From what I can tell, this was the only tape-sourced reissue of the July album until only a few years ago:

- 1993 Aftermath: NR'd vinyl rip, rather muffled sound quality.

- 2006 Mason Records (paired with 'Second Of July'): sourced from 1993 Aftermath, plus even more NR, super muffled sound quality.

- 2008 Rev-Ola: sourced from 2006 Mason Records, plus a treble boost and even more NR: now harsh, and super-duper muffled sound quality.

- 2020 Expanded Edition: new master from tapes. Not no-noised, but heavily compressed.

 

Of these more recent digital editions, the Bam-Caruso is most similar to the 2020 remaster. However, the 2020 remaster is noticeably clearer, even when level-matched to negate the extra compression. My suspicion is that the original master tape was dubbed for the Bam-Caruso edition in order that the two bonus tracks, extracted from a non-LP single, may be inserted in the track listing. The extra analog generation would explain the slight loss of high-end clarity heard throughout this pressing.

 

However, there are sadly even more significant problems here. Most of the tracks have rather serious azimuthal meandering; it's most dramatic throughout "Dandelion Seeds," where tape dropouts can be heard in most of the song. This effect can be easily observed in the spectrogram for other tracks as well. Curiously, the dropouts are very similar -- but not identical -- to those heard on the 2020 remaster, suggesting that some damage occurred to the tape pre-1987 which was subsequently used to produce both editions. These problems are not heard on the original UK LP (as evidenced by the NR'd CDs referenced above), nor on the original US LP. In other words, even if this were an untouched cut from the original master tapes, it could not be definitive, as the source material itself is faulty. The American edition on Epic is easier to find [thanks C.F. for loaning out a copy!], but it only exists in fake, 'duophonic'-style stereo, and as a folded version of such on the white-label mono promo. The UK mono should therefore be preferred above all, but who has one?

Back cover artwork for the Bam-Caruso reissue LP

That being said, the bonus tracks on this set, "Hello, Who's There?" and an alternate single mix of "The Way", seem to appear with better mastering, perhaps even better than the versions on the 2020 remaster, which come off as dull and lacking dynamics.  Unfortunately, "Hello, Who's There?" is simply one of the dumbest, most tedious and nondescript songs I have heard in my life, and the band's repertoire and this album would have been better without it. "The Way", on the other hand, may be even better than the nominal album version, which itself is a highlight from this LP.

 

So, while it would be nigh impossible to create a better rip of the Bam-Caruso LP, I cannot say that it presents the July debut in its definitive form, because of the reasons described here. Nonetheless, I still want it to exist, if for nothing else to document the sound quality of this "master tape cut at Abbey Road" issue for posterity.

 

Original front cover design, by Stephen Hill

Band members:
- Tom Newman: lead vocals, guitar
- Tony Duhig: lead guitar, organ
- Jon Field: vocals, flute, organ
- Chris Jackson: drums, organ
- Alan James: bass guitar

 

Track listing:

1) "My Clown" -- 3:28

2) "Dandelion Seeds" -- 4:32

3) "Jolly Mary" -- 2:21

4) "Hallo To Me" -- 3:01

5) "You Missed It All" -- 2:52

6) "Hello, Who's There?" * -- 3:15

7) "The Way" -- 3:24

8) "To Be Free" -- 2:50

9) "Move On Sweet Flower" -- 3:28 

10) "Crying Is For Writers" -- 2:37

11) "I See" -- 2:43

12) "Friendly Man" -- 3:12

13) "A Bird Lived" -- 2:39

14) "The Way" [Single Mix] * -- 4:18

* bonus track for this reissue

 

Vinyl condition: M-
Dynamic Range: DR 11

 

Equipment / Lineage:
– Audio-Technica VMN40ML stylus on AT150MLx dual moving-magnet cartridge
– Audio-Technica AT-LP1240-USB direct drive professional turntable (internal stock preamp/ADC removed)
– Pro-Ject Phono Box S2 Ultra preamp with dedicated Zero Zone linear power supply
– Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 MkII (96kHz / 24bit)
– Adobe Audition CC 2024 (recording)
– iZotope RX 11 audio editor (manual declicking, EQ subtraction, additional adjustments)
– Audacity 3.x.x (fades between tracks, split tracks)
– Foobar2000 v2.x.x (tagging, dynamic range analysis)

 

Thanks for taking the time to read my posts and check out my blog. I'd greatly appreciate it if you leave a small comment below. Notes from my readers are what inspire me to keep going. Thanks!
MEGA: https://mega.nz/folder/onsBTRAZ#8QupSspi0fSQYAs1xBH51A

Lead single review in Melody Maker, June 8, 1968

Album review in Melody Maker, August 3, 1968

Advertisement for the band's first concert, at Middle Earth -- Melody Maker, June 22, 1968

Advertisement for a concert at the Marquee in London -- Melody Maker, August 24, 1968

The Petards – A Deeper Blue (1967) + 4 bonus tracks [German LP]

The Petards – A Deeper Blue (1967)

1982 German reissue (Golden Glass) with 4 bonus tracks
Bear Family Records BFX 15086 (Discogs)
~ThePoodleBites rip at 96 kHz / 24 bit + full hi-res scans!~

While Germany's music scene from the late 1960s and early 1970s is perhaps most well-remembered today for the diverse slate of 'krautrock' bands that emerged from various centers across the country, there was an earlier wave of US- and UK-influenced German beat-rockers which actually ascended the more popular circuits. One such band, the Petards, managed to release a handful of great records in the '60s-'70s, beginning with this one, A Deeper Blue. Recorded just one month after the release of Sgt. Pepper, the band's debut finds them building off of these pop-rock and beat biggies with an admixture of psychedelic influence, scant as it may be. The group was very popular in Germany, with their 45s even unseating the Beatles and Rolling Stones for the #1 spot regionally (source). A Deeper Blue is hardly the Petards' best album, but it nonetheless has a few stand-out tracks which warrant an entry in the annals of acid-rock history -- and hints at the amazing direction in which the group was heading.

Original front cover album artwork

The original German-language sleeve notes for the album read thusly (click on the blue button to toggle the language between the original German text and an English translation):

Liner notes (English / Deutsch)

It was a hot Thursday in June of this year. At Südwestfunk in Baden-Baden, a jury of press, record labels, and celebrities were sweating out their verdicts on up-and-coming talents who alternately sang like Tom Jones, Roy Black, Manuela, and Sandie Shaw. Or at least tried to. Even occasional interludes by comedians and magicians dashed the connoisseurs' hopes of talent in the heat.

At I don't remember how many places, a group was called up, whose name was initially debated. They called themselves "The Petards." Today I know that "petard" has the accent on the second syllable and means "firecracker." And their performance was a blast! At first, a tall guy provoked politely suppressed hilarity as he set up a drum kit that would normally have been ample for at least three drummers. That was Arno. Later, as he unleashed his fireworks, our hilarity turned into tremendous enthusiasm. Not only we judges, but also the competing artists were captivated by the vitality, the tempo, the hard-hitting sound of these four guys.

Six weeks after the TV competition, we met again in the studio in Hamburg to produce this EUROPA record. It took us two nights and one day, and then the recording "died," which is remarkable in every respect: It contains the brand-new tracks by the "Petards," with which they had already enjoyed success on stage and on television, and – it only costs 5 DM! This isn't a double-edged sword, but rather a contractual concession from the group. And I'd like to see the fan who doesn't like that. – "The hard beat will live on and resonate as long as we play and resonate," the "Petards" say very confidently. And resonate they do. At a time when many groups are closing down and countless band members are returning to their old jobs, the "Petards" are booked solid six days a week. They owe this to their fragrant music, a stage show that sweeps the audience off their feet, and, last but not least, to the consistent management of their organizational leader and rhythm guitarist, Horst.

His brother Klaus, a true musician, determines the repertoire, style, and sound of the four. Brimming with ideas, an incorruptible critic of his own performance, he has extensive jazz experience. He's a showman like Roger, the bassist. His show, however, appeals most to the girls. His hobby. Arno had a difficult start with the record production. He can never fall asleep before 5 a.m. For him, the start of the session was 10 a.m., quite early. But then he got going and embarrassed the technical staff with his enormous shooting gallery.

The production of this record was a real joy for everyone involved: sound engineer Horst Andritschke, the band, and me. I hope some of that will pass on to you when you listen to the record. Musicality and an incredible show are the assets of the "Petards," which I personally consider to be among the best bands. And I know groups, both international and German. The "Petards" are fantastic! I hope we agree?

Bert Varell, Producer

Es war ein heißer Donnerstag im Juni dieses Jahres. Beim Südwestfunk in Baden-Baden schwitzte eine Jury aus Presse, Platte und Prominenz Urteile über Nachwuchstalente aus, die abwechselnd wie Tom Jones, Roy Black, Manuela und Sandie Shaw sangen. Oder sich wenigstens bemühten. Selbst gelegentliche Einlagen von Humoristen und Zauberkünstlern ließen die Hoffnung der Kenner auf Könner in der Hitze schmelzen.

An ich-weiß-nicht-mehr-wievielter Stelle wurde eine Gruppe aufgerufen, über deren Name erst einmal debattiert wurde. Sie nannte sich »The Petards«. Heute weiß ich, daß »Petard« auf der zweiten Silbe betont wird und »Knallfrosch« heißt. Und ihr Auftritt wurde ein Knaller! Zunächst erregte ein langer Kerl höflich unterdrückte Heiterkeit, als er ein Schlagzeug aufbaute, auf dem normalerweise mindestens drei Drummer ausreichend Beschäftigung gefunden hätten. Das war Arno. Später, als er sein Feuerwerk abbrannte, wandelte sich unsere Heiterkeit in enorme Begeisterung. Nicht nur wir Juroren, auch die konkurrierenden Künstler waren hingerissen von der Vitalität, dem Tempo, dem knallharten Sound dieser vier Burschen.

Sechs Wochen nach dem TV-Wettbewerb trafen wir uns im Studio in Hamburg wieder. Um diese EUROPA-Platte zu produzieren. Wir brauchten zwei Nächte und einen Tag, dann war die Aufnahme »gestorben«, die in jeder Hinsicht bemer-kenswert ist: Sie enthält die brandneuen Titel der »Petards«, mit denen sie auf der Bühne und im Fernsehen bereits erfolgreich waren und - sie kostet nur DM 5,–! Das ist kein Trick mit doppeltem Boden, sondern ein vertragliches Entgegenkommen der Gruppe. Und ich möchte den Fan sehen, der das nicht prima findet. – »Der harte Beat wird solange leben und ankommen, wie wir spielen und ankommen«, sagen die »Petards« dazu sehr selbstbewußt. Und sie kommen an. In einer Zeit, in der viele Gruppen eingehen und zahllose Band-Mitglieder in ihre alten Berufe zurückkehren, sind die »Petards« an sechs Tagen der Woche ausgebucht. Das verdanken sie ihrer duften Musik, einer Bühnenschau, die das Publikum von den Schemeln fegt und, last not least, dem konsequenten Management ihres organisatorischen Leiters und Rhythmus-gitarristen Horst.

Sein Bruder Klaus, urmusikalisch, bestimmt Repertoire, Stil und Sound der vier. Randvoll mit Ideen, unbestechlicher Kritiker der eigenen Leistung, hat er fundierte Erfahrungen vom Jazz her. Er ist ein Show-Talent wie Roger, der Bassist. Dessen Schau zieht allerdings am besten bei den Mädchen. Sein Hobby. Arno hatte bei der Plattenproduktion Startschwierigkeiten. Vor 5 Uhr morgens kann er nie einschlafen. Für ihn war der Beginn der Sitzung 10 Uhr vormittags, reichlich früh. Aber dann kam er in Fahrt und brachte die Technik mit seiner riesigen Schießbude in Verlegenheit.

Die Produktion dieser Platte hat allen Beteiligten, dem Tonmeister Horst Andritschke, der Gruppe und mir, wirklich Freude gemacht. Ich hoffe, daß sich ein Teil davon auf Sie überträgt, wenn Sie die Platte hören. Musikalität und eine unwahrscheinliche Schau sind das Kapital der »Petards«, die ich persönlich zu den besten Gruppen zähle. Und ich kenne Gruppen, internationale wie deutsche. Die »Petards« sind fab! Ich hoffe, wir sind einer Meinung?

Bert Varell, Produzent

Original back cover album artwork

The album's story is elaborated by experts at Bear Family Records, who have shared some information on their website along with the recent reissue [with translation to English]:

In their early days, The Petards (French: "Firecrackers") were considered the third force in the German rock scene, behind The Rattles and The Lords – with the crucial difference that, unlike their competitors, they didn't come from a metropolis like Hamburg or Berlin, but from the tranquil village of Schrecksbach in Upper Hesse. They had no big-city media behind them, no urban club scene around them, and no record label anywhere in sight, let alone professional artist or tour management.

The Petards stood for the provinces, the deepest provinces, and it's often overlooked that the majority of the population still lives in rural areas. This was no different in 1964, when the two brothers Klaus and Horst Ebert (both vocals, guitars, keyboards) set out with Roger Waldmann (bass) and Hans-Jürgen Schreiber (drums) to shake up the West German rock world. The band compensated for their geographical disadvantage with incredible ambition, hard work, and determination. No village pub or festival tent was left out in the years to come; The Petards worked hard to build their audience, and this ultimately paid off.

Furthermore, the band boasted two exceptionally talented musicians in the Ebert brothers. Klaus, in particular, stood out as the composer of almost all Petards songs, while Horst contributed most of the lyrics and otherwise handled the band's management. In 1966, the band traveled to Osnabrück to record the two singles "Baby Run, Run, Run / Pretty Miss" and "Right Time / She Didn't" for Hans-Werner Kuntze's CCA label in two sessions, one in August and one in December. These singles were released nationwide via Metronome and brought the band its first national recognition.

1967 saw the decisive turning point for The Petards. With new drummer Arno Dittrich, the band performed in front of an audience of millions on ZDF's Drehscheibe in March; a month later, The Petards already had 58(!) registered fan clubs. Their television appearance on SWF's Talentschuppen in June 1967 brought the band their final breakthrough. The jury of this extremely popular music show included producer Bert Varell.

The recording of A Deeper Blue took place from August 15-18, 1967, under the direction of Varell. The band was well prepared and quickly recorded the 12 tracks written by the two Ebert brothers. The songs reflected the Beatles-like pop sound typical of the era, with slight psychedelia influences. They were short and very catchy. Varell placed the record with the low-budget label Europa, which resorted to a marketing ploy that was sensational at the time: A Deeper Blue was released in the fall of 1967 at the unbeatable price of 5 DM per record [equivalent to €11.58 in 2025] and quickly sold over 100,000 copies. An incredibly high circulation for a German band's debut album!

In ihrer Anfangszeit zählten The Petards (franz.: Knallfrösche) hinter den Rattles und den Lords als als dritte Kraft der deutschen Szene - mit dem entscheidenden Unterschied, sie stammten nicht wie ihre Konkurrenten aus einer Metropole wie Hamburg oder Berlin sondern aus dem beschaulichen Flecken Schrecksbach in Oberhessen. Keine Großstadtmedien hinter sich, keine städtische Clubszene um sich herum, weit und breit keine Plattenfirma, ,geschweige denn ein professionelles Künstler- oder Tourmanagement.

Die Petards standen für Provinz, tiefste Provinz, wobei gerne übersehen wird, dass der größte Teil der Bevölkerung nach wie vor in ländlichen Gegenden wohnt. Das war auch 1964 nicht anders, als sich die beiden Brüder Klaus und Horst Ebert (beide Gesang, Gitarren, Keyboards) mit Roger Waldmann (Bass) und Hans-Jürgen Schreiber (Schlagzeug) aufmachten, die bundesdeutsche Rockwelt aufzumischen. Den geografischen Nachteil glich die Band durch unglaublichen Ehrgeiz, Fleiß und Zielstrebigkeit aus. Keine Dorfkneipe und kein Festzelt wurde in den den nächsten Jahren ausgelassen, The Petards erarbeiteten sich geradezu ihr Publikum, und das sollte sich letztendlich auszahlen.

Ausserdem besaß die Band mit dem Brüdern Ebert zwei ausserordentlich begabte Musiker, vor allem Klaus als Komponist fast aller Petards-Titel stach heraus, während Horst die meisten Texte beisteuerte und sich ansonsten um das Bandmanagement kümmerte. 1966 fuhr die Band nach Osnabrück, um in zwei Sessions im August und im Dezember die beiden Singles Baby Run, Run, Run / Pretty Miss und Right Time / She Didn't für das CCA-Label von Hans-Werner Kuntze aufzunehmen, die über Metronome, deutschlandweit in den Handel gelangten und der Band erste überregionale Bekanntheit bescherten.

1967 fand dann die entscheidende Weichenstellung für The Petards statt. Mit dem neuen, Schlagzeuger Arno Dittrich trat die Band im März in der ‚ZDF-Drehscheibe’ vor einem Millionenpublikum auf, einen Monat später hatten The Petards bereits 58(!) registrierte Fanclubs. Der Fernsehauftritt im ‚Talentschuppen’ des SWF im Juni 1967 brachte der Band den endgültigen Durchbruch. Zur Jury dieser äusserst beliebten Musiksendung zählte auch der Produzent Bert Varell.

Die Aufnahmen von ‚A Deeper Blue’ fanden vom 15.-18. August 1967 unter der Regie von Bert Varell statt. Die Band war bestens vorbereitet und spielte die 12 Titel aus der Feder der beiden Ebert-Brüder zügig ein. Die Songs entsprachen dem für diese Zeit typischen an die Beatles gemahnenden Pop-Sound mit leichten Psychedelia-Anleihen. Kurz und sehr eingängig. Varell brachte die Platte bei dem Low-Budget-Label Europa unter, die zu einem damals sensationellen Marketing-Trick griffen. ‚A Deeper Blue’ erschien im Herbst 1967 zum unschlagbaren Preis von DM 5,00 pro Platte [entspricht 11,58 € im Jahr 2025] und verkaufte sich im Handumdrehen über 100.000 mal. Für die Debütplatte einer deutschen Band eine schier unfassbar hohe Auflage!

 

Musically, the album has a few stand-out tracks. "Sun Came Out At Seven" is a standard 1960s-rock shuffle, but is nonetheless quite catchy. "If You Want To Go Away" starts off with cymbal rolls leading into a drone-influenced verse which resembles (yet predates) the psychedelic self-titled July LP to these ears, though the chorus is a bit more traditional. The title track "A Deeper Blue" is a slightly-funky jive with dual guitars, piano, backing vocals, and is clearly well-suited for 1967 pop radio. But the best track to these ears is the burning closer, "Confusion All Day," whose ripping fuzz lead points towards the melodic highs the band would reach on their later albums, especially Hitshock (1970) and Pet Arts (1971).

While the original release may have been cheap to acquire, its 'cheepnis' was also plainly audible. These original pressings, like all Europa LPs, were manufactured with high levels of background surface noise, especially in the lower frequencies. It's no surprise, then, that when the album was reissued from tapes in 1982, the mastering sounded just as good as the originals, but the pressing quality was much improved. This reissue, now appearing on the Bear Family group label, was redesigned with a vintage photo of the band, and was retitled "Golden Glass," the name of one of the band's early singles. That single, along with the space-aged "Shoot Me Up To The Moon" and the accompanying B-sides, were tacked on as bonus tracks.

Front cover design for the 1982 reissue on Bear Family Records

The album then went out-of-print again for another 35+ years until, in 2018, the Bear Family label remastered and reissued it for digital streaming and repressed the vinyl; however, the mastering was no longer transparent as on the older issues. The treble was boosted and noise reduction had been applied to the upper frequencies, making the sound anemic. A few tracks were also issued on an earlier CD compilation, though the mastering was not much better. As such, vintage vinyl pressings remain the best way to experience this old German rock LP.

I decided to source this remaster from the 1982 reissue for the reasons mentioned above. The four bonus tracks included on this reissue correspond to two non-LP singles. The first two tracks, "Golden Glass" b/w "Tiger Rider," are sourced from the original vinyl 45, and are in mono. Their sound quality can only get as good as the original 1980s rip, which is not great, but still better than what was distributed in 2018 (also a vinyl rip). I may rip the original 45 in the future, which would certainly result in better sound quality, but for now it's not in the works. The rest of the tracks, including the other single tracks that open side 2, are sourced from tape, are in stereo, and sound phenomenal.

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The Petards:
- Klaus Ebert: vocals, guitars, keyboards
- Horst Ebert: vocals, guitars, keyboards
- Rüdiger "Roger" Waldmann: bass
- Arno Dittrich: drums

Track Listing:
1) "Golden Glass" [mono single / bonus track] -- 3:03
2) "Tiger Rider" [mono single / bonus track] -- 2:47
3) "Sun Came Out At Seven" -- 2:13
4) "Firetree" -- 2:24
5) "Summerwind" -- 2:55
6) "If You Want To Go Away" -- 2:41
7) "Drive" -- 3:30
8) "I Won't Come Back" -- 2:26
9) "Shoot Me Up To The Moon" [single / bonus track] -- 2:47
10) "Lazy Moon" [single / bonus track] -- 2:16
11) "A Deeper Blue" -- 2:47
12) "My Little Hear" -- 2:45
13) "Love Is All Around" -- 2:27
14) "Baby" -- 3:04
15) "Roses For Kathy" -- 2:45
16) "Confusion All Day" -- 2:39

Equipment Lineage:
– Audio-Technica VMN40ML stylus on AT150MLx dual moving-magnet cartridge
– Audio-Technica AT-LP1240-USB direct drive professional turntable (internal stock preamp/ADC removed)
– Pro-Ject Phono Box S2 Ultra preamp with dedicated Zero Zone linear power supply
– Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 MkII (96kHz / 24bit)
– Adobe Audition CC 2024 (recording)
– iZotope RX 11 audio editor (manual declicking, EQ subtraction, additional adjustments)
– Audacity 3.7.5 (fades between tracks, split tracks)
– Foobar2000 v2.25.2 (tagging, dynamic range analysis)

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German newspaper clipping about the "Shoot Me Up To The Moon" 45 (source: Hersfelder Zeitung, July 2019)

Moon Hit from Northern Hesse

It was a breathtaking moment when Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the moon on July 21, 1969. Numerous musicians were inspired by it. One of the hits from the moon landing came from Hesse's most successful beat band, The Petards (translated as "firecrackers"). With "Shoot Me Up To The Moon," Rüdiger Waldmann, Horst Ebert, Arno Dietrich, and Klaus Ebert (photo from left) reached number one in several radio charts, including the "Schlagerbörse" (hit market) on the German public broadcaster HR. "It had around two million listeners and received 85,000 responses," recalls Walter Simon from The Petards' club Mylord in Schrecksbach. The song was included in the charts on Radio Luxembourg, featuring Camillo Felgen and Frank Elstner. "But then they were disqualified because people in Luxembourg thought it couldn't be that this band received more chart entries than the Beatles," Simon said.

Es war ein atemberaubender Moment, als Neil Armstrong am 21. Juli 1969 als erster Mensch auf dem Mond spazieren ging. Zahlreiche Musiker ließen sich davon inspirieren. Einer der Hits zur Mondlandung kam von der erfolgreichsten hessischen Beatband The Petards – übersetzt „Knallfrösche“. Mit „Shoot Me Up To The Moon“ landeten (auf dem Foto von links) Rüdiger Waldmann, Horst Ebert, Arno Dietrich und Klaus Ebert in mehreren Radio-Hitparaden auf Platz eins – auch bei der „Schlagerbörse“ des HR. „Sie hatte um die zwei Millionen Hörer und bekam 85 000 Zuschriften“, erinnert sich Walter Simon vom The Petards-Club Mylord aus Schrecksbach. In der Hitparade von Radio Luxemburg, mit Camillo Felgen und Frank Elstner, sei der Song platziert gewesen. „Wurde dann aber disqualifiziert, weil man in Luxemburg der Meinung war, es kann nicht sein, dass diese Band mehr Hitparaden-Zuschriften bekommt als die Beatles“, so Simon.