SPRING 8 :: THE SCRAPS "Play Misty Play / Amy In The Afternoon" ::

Release date / Fecha de edición: Available NOW!
Includes 4 page insert with notes & pictures / Incluye insert de 4 páginas con notas y fotos. Edition of 250 copies.

English: First official release of these long lost tracks by unsung psych pop L.A. semi-legends The Scraps, that includes members of The Psychedelic Cowboys and the H-Town Jukes. Featruing vocals by Bryan MacLean (LOVE)! The band formed in Los Angeles in 1988 and soon began playing shows around Los Angeles, including shows at Raji’s in Hollywood and the legendary Palomino club in North Hollywood where The Scraps shared the bill with many legendary acts, including Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Johnnie Johnson, the Ventures, and Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. In 1992, the band embarked upon a tour of Texas and the southwest, and began recording what would eventually be their only release. “No. One”, a self-produced cassette came out in 1993. This release led to an appearance on Good Night America, a syndicated nighttime television show, in 1994. The Scraps remained together, playing shows around the Los Angeles area, until they broke up in 1998. "Play Misty Play" features the great late Bryan MacLean on vocals. The band got to know Bryan through their mutual friend and producer, John Bird. Bassit John Harlan remembers how while “arranging "Misty", Bryan makes an entrance and says, "Yes, I can read the words". He then proceeds to the microphone and lays down his best Rodgers and Hammerstein. Brilliant!” After the band’s ultimate demise John Harlan went on to form the acclaimed Psychedelic Cowboys. Guitarist and vocalist Steven Gilbert now leads H-town Jukes out of Houston, Texas.

Castellano: Histórica recuperación de este grupo perdido de la escena de Los Angeles de finales de los 80 y primeros 90. En la cara A canta y hace coros Bryan MacLean (Love). The Scraps sólo llegaron a grabar una k7, de la que proceden estas canciones, exponentes del mejor jangly-psych-pop californiano. Eran habituales de clubes como los legendarios Raji’s en Hollywood y el Palomino en North Hollywood, donde además compartieron escenario con, entre otros, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Johnnie Johnson, the Ventures y Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. El grupo se separó en 1998, y John Harlan su bajista y vocalista formaría los alucinantes The Psychedelic Cowboys, que han editado dos esenciales discos de “cosmic american music”. Por su parte el guitarrista y cantante Steve Gilbert lidera los blueseros H-Town Jukes en Houston, Texas.

SPRING 7 :: MIGUEL ÁNGEL VILLANUEVA "Un Mundo Al Revés / Luz En Mi Oscuridad" ::

Release date / Fecha de edición: Available NOW!
Includes 4 page insert with notes & pictures / Incluye insert de 4 páginas con notas y fotos. Edition of 250 copies.

Castellano: Estas maquetas fueron grabadas por Miguel Ángel Villanueva (Los Auténticos, Los Plomos, Los Brujos…) en 2006. Son adaptaciones de dos composiciones de Alan Gordon, autor junto a Garry Bonner de clásicos como "Happy Togther" de los Turtles o "An Invitation To Cry" de The Magicians que aparece en el legendario álbum "Nuggets". Fue el propio Gordon quién le pidió a M.A. que adaptase al castellano estas canciones que había escrito, con la idea de, a través de su editorial, colocárselas a algún grupo/artista de habla hispana en America. Villanueva llevó a su terreno las composiciones de Gordon convirtiéndolas en dos pequeñas joyas de soft-pop psicodélico La muerte de Gordon en 2008 frustró por completo estos planes, y sólo ahora salen a la luz estas grabaciones como humilde y sentido tributo a Alan Gordon.

English: These two demos were recorded in 2006 by Spanish psych pop meister M.A. Villanueva -of Los Brujos, Los Plomos & Los Autenticos fame- . The songs were written by the late great Alan Gordon, of the fabled "Bonner-Gordon" songwriting team, who asked Miguel Angel to adapt them to Spanish in order to get them recorded by a major artist in America. M.A. made the songs his own, and turned them into breathtaking masterpieces of introspective soft psychedelia. The plans fell through when Gordon died in 2008, and are now released as a tribute to the man who wrote some of the most loved songs of the 60’s: "An Invitation To Cry" by The Magicians, "Happy Together" and "She'd Rather Be With Me” by The Turtles, "Small Talk" by Harpers Bizarre & Claudine Longet, “Cat In The Window" by Petula Clark, “Celebrate” by Three Dog Night, and dozens of other great tunes by the likes of The Lovin’ Spoonful, Zal Yanovski, Gary Lewis, Jackie DeShannon, The Righteous Brothers, Bobby Vee, The Osmonds, Bobby Darin, Gandalf, The Free Design… Alice Cooper, Barbara Streisand, Ronnie Spector… and the list goes on!

SPRING 4 :: THE ROCKINGBIRDS "Till Something Better Comes Along / One More Before You Go" ::

Release date / Fecha de edición: Available NOW!
Includes insert with notes & pictures / Incluye insert con notas y fotos. Edition of 250 copies.

English: The self-titled debut album of The Rockingbirds was initially released back in 1992 to critical raves. Much-loved equally by alternative music fans, country aficionados and singer-songwriter buffs, the North London-based outfit stamped their maverick country-rock brand on the young Camden Town scene. Defiantly bucking UK trends of the early 90s, The Rockingbirds anticipated the alt-country revolution, and sit comfortably alongside like-minded contemporaries like The Jayhawks and Uncle Tupelo.

The short version of The Rockingbirds saga is that they released two acclaimed albums, but effectively burned out due to an over-enthusiastic lifestyle and imploded. However, when their label, Heavenly Recordings, threw an 18th birthday festival in London in 2008, The Rockingbirds arose phoenix-like to play the Southbank on, September 13th.

Since then the band’s first album has been re-mastered and re-released, and more live dates and fresh recording sessions are ensuing as The Rockingbirds try their method on a new generation. A new 7” single “Till Something Better Comes Along” is released on Spring Records, and a new album is planned. To echo a line from their song Gradually Learning, being late is better than never.

Castellano: El homónimo debut de los Rockingbirds fue recibido con fantásticas críticas cuando fue editado en 1992. Amados igualmente por fans de la música alternativa como por aficionados al country y a los singer-songwriters, la banda originaria del Norte de Londres dejó una profunda huella con country-rock rebelde en la escena de Camden Town. Desafiando las tendencias de principios de los 90, los Rockingbirds se anticiparon a la revolución que supuso la llegada del llamado “country alternativo” y sin duda su legado está a la altura del que dejaron bandas como The Jayhawks o Uncle Tupelo.

La versión corta de la historia del grupo es que publicaron dos discos que encandilaron a la crítica, pero acabaron quemados por un demasiado entusiasta estilo de vida y se separaron. Sin embargo, cuando su sello, Heavenly Recordings, celebró su 18 cumpleaños con un festival en Londres en 2008, los Rockingbirds alzaron de nuevo el vuelo tocando en el Southbank Centre el 13 de septiembre.

Desde entonces su álbum de debut se ha remasterizado y reeditado, el grupo ha vuelto a tocar en directo y nuevas grabaciones están en camino, mientras los Rockingbirds prueban su método en una nueva generación de oyentes. Spring Records edita su nuevo single “Till Something Better Comes Along”, y el grupo está ya preparando un nuevo disco que verá la luz en 2012. Como decía su canción “Gradually Learning”, más vale tarde que nunca.

Praise for The Rockingbirds "Till Something Better Comes Along":

"This latest piece of songwriting perfection should make the old (and new) fans very happy and stand alongside ‘Gradually Learning’ and ‘Roll on Forever’ as one of their greatest (best ever?)" Notes from Mt Pleasant.