Week of November 12, 2000

Hanson

Unapologetic and hard-funkin', this supergroup released two sundry albums in the mid-70s for Manticore:

Now Hear This (1973, MC66672 - US, K43507 - UK)
Magic Dragon (1974, MC66672 - US)

Formed by Junior Hanson (real name: Donald Hanson Marvin Kerr Richards Jr.; was a member of Bob Marley & The Wailers, Steve Winwood, Keef Hartley Band), it's simply criminal that this outfit was overlooked by the British press and record buying public alike (note "Magic Dragon" being possibly a US-only release!); the only way I've personally found out about it is the same way most of today's "heavy rock archaeologists" are finding out about it: via the inclusion of bassist Neil Murray (see below).

Both albums featured a star-studded cast. On "Magic Dragon" - Glen Le Fleur (Murray Head, Gonzalez, Ronnie Lane & Slim Chance, Olympic Runners, Gerry Rafferty), Neil Murray (Whitesnake, Gilgamesh, Colosseum II, Black Sabbath, Gary Moore, National Health). On "Now Hear This" - Rebop Kwaku Baah (Can, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, Free, Traffic, Steve Winwood), Clive Chaman (Jeff Beck, Hummingbird), Delisle Harper (Graham Bond Organisation, Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, Ginger Baker, David Coverdale, Freddie King, Olympic Runners), Conrad Isadore (Olympic Runners, Joe Cocker, Hummingbird, Paul Kossoff, Manfred Mann, Terry Reid, Stephen Stills, Vinegar Joe), Jean Roussel (Joan Armatrading, Elkie Brooks, Atlantis, Joe Cocker, Donovan, Roger Glover, Keef Hartley, Alan Hull, Tim Hardin, Juicy Lucy, Paul Kossoff, Linda Lewis, Osibisa, Robert Palmer, Wilson Pickett, Police, Cat Stevens, Mick Taylor, 10CC, Thin Lizzy, Ron Wood), Bob Tench (Jeff Beck Group, Roger Chapman & Shortlist, Boxer, Peter Green, Humble Pie, Hummingbird, Freddie King, Van Morrison, Linda Lewis, Streetwalkers).

Vinyl copies today are extremely scarce and your chances of finding them in VG+ (let alone EX or M-) condition are slim to none; CD treatment WAY OVERDUE!!

Alex Gitlin, November 2000

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