VA - Louisville in the 60s: The Lost Allen-Martin Tapes (2019) @ 320

VA - Louisville in the 60s, The Lost Allen-Martin Tapes (2019) @ 320

Since the 1960's, the Allen-Martin Studio in Louisville was the place to record for most of the bands in the region. In 2006 when Ray Allen and Hardy Martin retired, the studio closed, a group of music lovers (Jay Petach, Marvin Maxwell & Ed Amick) stepped in to rescue the tapes for the all of bands who had recorded there over the last forty-plus years.After a careful down select process, they chose these 18 previously unreleased tracks as the best representation of the over 100+ songs they sorted through.

 01. Doug Cook  - British Invasion 

 02. Oxfords - Earth And Sea 

 03. Debbie Tuggle - Lonesometown 

 04. The Rugbys - I Want You Baby 

 05. JB And The Young Wheels - Silly Girl 

 06. The Waters  - Drive Me Mad 

 07. The Illusion's - Just To Be You 

 08. The Keyes - Dear Mr. Fantasy 

 09. The Free Reign - Drink Your Wine 

 10. Conception  - Babylon 

 11. Copperfield  - Recollection 

 12. Company Front - Blackbird 

 13. Debbie Tuggle - The Days I Have With You 

 14. The Premiers  - Nothing Lasts Forever 

 15. Brothers Pride - Let The Music Play 

 16. Roc  - Open Up 

 17. Blues  - Rats In My Room 

 18. The Magnificent 7  - I Wasn't Gonna' Tell Nobody 

Owned by Ray Allen and Hardy Martin, the Allen-Martin Studio in Louisville, Kentucky was home to the vast majority of local bands for four long decades. When the outfit ceased operation in 2006, a batch of unreleased tapes were found in the vaults. Such sessions were rescued by the Gear Fab label, resulting in ‘Louisville In The 60’s.’ Spanning The years 1966 to 1973, the disc not only covers a nice variety of musical fashions, but the quality of the material remains perpetually high.

"The Rugbys, who are mainly remembered for the 1969 hit single, “You & I,” check in with the rock and soul styled snarl and swagger of “I Want You Baby,” and from Blues, there’s the catchy fuzz stomper, “Rats In My Room,” while Conception’s “Babylon” and Free Reign’s “Drink Your Wine” are constructed of hard rocking riffs and rhythms. Directed by shouting vocals yielding a glammy punk vibe, Doug Cook’s sentiment to the movement that changed the face of music, ‘British Invasion,’ is further cemented by a crop of ringing power popping guitars.

West Coast psychedelic aspirations seated in the vein of bands like the Jefferson Airplane and the Peanut Butter Conspiracy penetrate the bracing “Earth And Sea” from the Oxfords, and “Silly Girl” by JB and the Young Wheels shimmers and soars to a harmonious pop rock pitch, punctured with a clever break. Boasting a gorgeous set of pipes, Debbie Tuggle contributes two tunes to the package, involving the country-slanted “Lonesometown” and “The Days I Have With You,” a pretty ballad dripping with purity and melody.

Formed of funky grooves, “Nothing Lasts Forever” from the Premieres plugs in as yet another tasty treat, as well as a creditable version of Traffic’s “Dear Mr. Fantasy” by the Keyes, and Copperfield’s “Recollection,” which bends and folds with stirring art rock patterns.

Bursting with youthful exuberance, great singing and impassioned playing, ‘Louisville In The 60’s’ is an effort you can listen to endlessly and never tire of. As far as compilation albums go, this is truly one of the best of the bounty. And that says a lot, considering the tracks were filed away and forgotten at the time they were recorded." ~ Beverly Paterson

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