"The Stones, Animals and Yardbirds took the Chicago Blues and gave it an English interpretation. We've taken the English version of the Blues and re-added a Chicago touch." The Shadows of Knight's self-description was fairly accurate. Although this mid-'60s garage band from the Windy City did not match the excellence of either their British or African-American idols, the teen energy of their recordings remains enjoyable, if not overwhelmingly original.
The group took a tamer version of Them's classic "Gloria" into the American Top Ten in 1966, and also took a Yardbirdized version of Bo Diddley's "Oh Yeah" into the Top 40 the same year. Their patchy albums contained a few exciting R&B covers in the Yardbirds/Stones style and a few decent originals in the same vein. The group's original lineup splintered quickly, and the Shadows faded in the late '60s after briefly pursuing a more commercial pop sound. Vocalist Jim Sohns continued fronting various incarnations of the band and was ultimately arrested in 1980, although he only served a three-year sentence for drug charges. In the years that followed, the Shadows of Knight enjoyed something of a comeback as several labels reissued their material, and Sohns pieced together a new touring lineup. Shows with the Romantics and Cheap Trick followed, as did the release of two new albums: 2007's A Knight to Remember and 2008's Rock 'n' Roll Survivors.
1. Shadows Of Knight - Gloria (2:37)
2. Shadows Of Knight - Dark Side (2:03)
3. Shadows Of Knight - Oh Yeah (2:48)
4. Shadows Of Knight - Light Bulb Blues (2:35)
5. Shadows Of Knight - It Always Happens That Way (1:56)
6. Shadows Of Knight - I Got My Mojo Working (3:33)
7. Shadows Of Knight - You Can't Judge A Book (By The Cover) (2:40)
8. Shadows Of Knight - Bad Little Woman (2:38)
9. Shadows Of Knight - Gospel Zone (3:19)
10. Shadows Of Knight - I'll Make You Sorry (2:41)
11. Shadows Of Knight - I'm Gonna Make You Mine (2:33)
12. Shadows Of Knight - Peepin' And Hidin' (3:02)
13. Shadows Of Knight - Willie Jean (2:49)
14. Shadows Of Knight - The Behemoth (2:35)
15. Shadows Of Knight - Someone Like Me (2:21)
16. Shadows Of Knight - Three For Love (2:37)
17. Shadows Of Knight - Shake (2:31)
18. Shadows Of Knight - My Fire Department Needs A Fireman (2:22)
19. Shadows Of Knight - Alone (2:07)
20. Shadows Of Knight - I Am The Hunter (2:52)
Recommend this one highly and if you can get the original 2 LPs you would be even better
ReplyDeleteYes, agree .
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Great post and appreciate the share. Certainly not the most prolific band to come out of America, but no 60's garage collection is complete without their first album (or this fine compilation). Keep up the excellent work on this blog!
ReplyDeletespasibo!
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