Alice Cooper - "Reflected" / "Living" (1969) [Original US Mono Single]

 Alice Cooper - "Reflected" b/w "Living"

Original 1969 Mono 45 RPM Single

Straight Records ST 101

~ThePoodleBites rip in 96kHz / 24bit FLAC + full high-res scans~

Before front man Vincent Furnier legally changed his name in order to literally become his stage persona, the title 'Alice Cooper' referred to a psychedelic/hard rock band based in Los Angeles, California, later moving to Pontiac, Michigan (but originally from Phoenix, Arizona -- whew!). Frank Zappa is arguably responsible for the band's jumpstart into fandom, signing the group onto his Straight Records label for a three-album deal, the first of which, Pretties For You, was released in 1969. This single was a precursor to that first LP, and was in fact the first record on the then-new label, appearing for sale to the general public around the end of April / beginning of May 1969.

Major thanks to C.F. for lending out yet another rarity from his archives for digital preservation!

The early Alice Cooper records will likely sound surprising to those who only know the band for their '70s hits like "School's Out" and "No More Mr. Nice Guy." The sound is a unique blend of Revolver-style songwriting with Blue Cheer-inspired amplifier abuse. There's some nice, pleasant fuzz, and though lead guitarist Glen Buxton doesn't come close to the guitar innovation of his producer FZ, what the band lacks in innovation they make up for in energy. The band's gimmick was to dress up exotically and give fantastical stage performances; journalist Dave Dexter Jr. notes in the 15 February 1969 edition of Billboard magazine that:

"One thing is sure---the scene gets more perplexing every day. Attired in elegant, luxurious satins and silks, Alice Cooper (that's a new five-piece entry) recently clicked big in its debut concert with Frank Zappa, and UCLA student John Mendelsohn described it, with a modicum of enthusiasm, as 'the second most visually freaky group in captivity, topped only by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown.' Leader Alice, singing in a beautiful baritone, was notably effective with 'Nobody Likes Me.' And there's a reason. Alice Cooper is a man."

Alice Cooper in February 1969. Photo by Ed Caraeff

The A-side of this 45 is a different, mono edit of the song as compared to the one that would appear on the LP, and it's a burner. You can totally hear this track blasting out of the 1969 transistor radios, as kids across the US fantasized about what it would be like to be out in the streets of the freaky L.A. scene. The flip is an earlier mono mix of the track that would appear on their debut album, which I honestly perhaps slightly prefer in stereo. But, now you can be the judge!

Personnel / line-up:

• Vincent Furnier - lead vocals, harmonica
• Glen Buxton - lead guitar
• Michael Bruce - rhythm guitar, backing vocals, piano, organ
• Dennis Dunaway - bass guitar, backing vocals
• Neal Smith - drums, backing vocals
  
  

Track listing:
1) "Reflected" -- 2:57
2) "Living" -- 3:08

Vinyl condition: M-
Dynamic range: DR 9 (typical "hot" 45 mastering)

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 2020 (recording)
– iZotope RX 7 audio editor (manual declicking, EQ subtraction, additional adjustments)
– Audacity 2.3.3 (fades between tracks, split tracks)
– Foobar2000 v1.5.1 (tagging, dynamic range analysis)

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Enjoy! :) 

Photo (and humorous caption) from Phoenix music pamphlet A Closer Look, 20 April 1968