line-up 1 (1968)

- Keith Anderson -- bass, backing vocals

- Mike Anthony (aka Harry Baikauskas) -- keyboards, vocals

- Paul Cotton (aka Norm Cotton) (RIP 2021) -- vocals, guitar

- Kal David (RIP 2022) -- vocals, guitar

- Fred Page (aka Frederick Papparlado) (RIP) -- drums, percussion

  line-up 1 (1968-69)

- Mike Anthony (aka Harry Baikauskas) -- keyboards, vocals

- Paul Cotton (aka Norm Cotton) (RIP 2021) -- vocals, guitar

- Kal David (RIP 2022) -- vocals, guitar

NEW - Rob Lewine -- bass, backing vocals (replaced 

  Keith Anderson)

- Fred Page (aka Frederick Papparlado) (RIP) -- drums, percussion

  line-up 1 (1966-70)

- Paul Cotton (RIP 2021) -- vocals, guitar

- Kal David (RIP 2022) -- vocals, guitar

  backing musicians (1970)

- Hal Blaine -- drums, percussion

- Michael Lloyd -- keyboards

- Joe Osborne -- bass

- The Bliss Band (R0b Lewine)

- Paul Cotton (solo efforts)

- Kal David (solo efforts)

- Kal David & the Exceptions (Kal David and Fred Page)

- Kal David and Lauri Bono

- The Enzymes (Rob Lewine)

- The Fabulous Rhinestones (Kal David)

- The Gentrys (Paul Cotton and Fred Page)

- Mambo Spud (Mike Anthony and Fred Page)

- The Mus-Twangs (Keith Anderson and Paul Cotton)

- Poco (Paul Cotton) 

- The Rovin' Kind 

- Bobby Simms Trio (Keith Anderson)

- Song (Rob Lewine) 

- The Stupid Guys (Kal David)

Genre: country-rock

Rating: 2 stars **

Title:  Duet

Company: Columbia

Catalog: CS 9976
Year: 1970

Country/State: Chicago, Illinois

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: --

Available: 1

Catalog ID: --

Price: $25.00

I had high hopes for the sophomore Illinois Speed Press' collection.  Unfortunately 1970's James William Guercio produced "Duet"  failed to reach those expectations  By the time the group got around to recording the set, Cotton and David were the only holdovers.  In his role as manager and producer Guercio had fired keyboard player Mike Anthony, bassist Bob Lewine and drummer Fred Page.  As implied by the album title, that left  Paul Cotton and Kal David to write and record the album with an array of studio musicians including drummer Hal Blaine and keyboard player Michael Lloyd.  Working separately the pair certainly had the skills to write and record a decent follow-up album, but the personnel upheavals seem to have sucked the joy out of the process, leaving an album that frequently sounded half-hearted and patched together.  The biggest surprise was the death of country-rock influences.  By my count less than half of the songs could be tagged country-rock. Instead you got one of the most diverse collections I've come across.  The instrumental opener 'Country Dumplin'' was promising, but sounded like it was incomplete.  From there the collection bounced into Delaney & Bonnie styled Americana ('Sadly Out of Place'). There were also stops for blues ('The Visit') and conventional rock ('The Life').  Perhaps the weirdest effort was Cotton's four part suite 'Dearly' which managed to stitch together pseudo-classical moves, a decent country-rocker ('Bittersweet') and MOR film score.  Best of the lot were the album's toughest rockers - Cotton's 'Morning Blues' and 'The Life.'   This one's pretty much for hardcore fans and completists.

Following release of the album the band collapsed with Cotton replacing Jim Messina in Poco.  David joined Harvey Brooks in forming The Fabulous Rhinestones.

 "Duet" track listing:

(side 1)

1.) Country Dumplin' (instrumental) (Kal David) - 3:17 rating: ** stars

The song title wasn't very promising and while the country-rock instrumental 'Country Dumplin'' was better than you'd have expected, it sounded like an unfinished demo.  Yeah, everyone got a chance at the spotlight, but it just sounded like a leftover added to the album to pad the running time.

2.) Sadly Out of Place (Paul Cotton) - 4:36 rating: *** stars

Cotton's vocals on the pretty ballad 'Sadly Out of Place' have always reminded me of a cross between a young Stephen Stills and the late Michael Nesmith.  The problem I've had with this one is the melody wasn't particularly strong and the acoustic guitars bounce all over the place.  It was an odd choice for a single:

- 1970's 'Sadly Out of Place' b/w ' Country Dumplin'' (Columbia catalog number 4-45166)

3.) The One Who Knows (Kal David) - 4:26 rating: ** stars

David's 'The One Who Knows' found the duo sticking their toes into Band-styled Americana.  To my ears the tune sounded shrill and uninspired; kind of reminded me of a band Delany and Bonnie performance.  The raw backing singers didn't help much.

4. I.) Dearly (Paul Cotton) -  rating: ** stars

A four-part suite, the fragile ballad 'Dearly' started out with some Baroque styled strings and a classical feel.  Very odd.  It was almost discordant.  

4.II.) Bittersweet  (Paul Cotton) -   rating: **** stars

Finally they come up with a memorable country-rock tune, though the heavy strings and horn charts detracted to the overall effect.  Cotton's vocals again reminded me of Michael Nesmith, but thankfully here was a decent melody and a tasty little guitar solo.

4.III.) Random Roads (And His Big Band) (instrumental) (Paul Cotton) -   rating: ** stars

The MOR strings and horns took the song into film score territory on the 'Random Roads' segment.

4.IV.) Dearly Theme Reprise  (instrumental) (Paul Cotton) -   rating: ** stars

The 'reprise' merely buried the melody in heavy strings, making it even more forgettable.

(side 2)

1.) Morning Blues (Paul Cotton) - 3:30 rating: **** stars

Well you knew these guys were too talented to record an album of complete duds.  A blazing rocker showcasing their interwoven vocals and twin lead guitars, the only mystery was why Columbia didn't pick this as the single.

2.) Bad Weather (Paul Cotton) - 2:59 rating: *** stars

A pretty country ballad (with actual country instrumentation), 'Bad Weather' was an indication of Cotton's future musical direction.  In fact, he re-rerecorded a heavily countrified version of song the next year with Poco - it appeared on their " From the Inside" album (Epic catalog number KE 30753).

3.) The Life  (Paul Cotton) - 4:26 rating: **** stars

Another heavier rock number (perhaps the hardest thing Cotton's ever recorded), 'The Life' was the album's most interesting performance.  Built on a mesmerizing, repetitive bass line, the song incorporate a touch of jazz , a dab of Pink Floyd and the album's best guitar solo.

4.) The Visit (Kal David) - 3:53 rating: *** stars

The acoustic guitar opening was intriguing, but complete with extensive horns, the song quickly went down a blues-rock alley. Nice bluesy solo from David.

5.) Seventeen Days  (Paul Cotton) - 6:04

A funky country-rock, 'Seventeen Days' was the album's longest performance and one of the album's sleepers.  It took a couple of spins, but eventually the song's ragged, funky edge got under my skin.  Nice joint vocals; nice electric guitars and the refrain would have made The Buffalo Springfield proud.  

© Scott R. Blackerby July 2024

Genre: p

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  The Illinois Speed Press

Company: Columbia

Catalog: C
Year: 19

Country/State: Chicago, Illinois

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: m

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 5

Price: $

I'

"Illinois Speed Press" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) 

(side 2)
1.) 

Illinois Speed Press was a Chicago-spawned band whose sound combined elements of R&B and country music in a powerful double-lead-guitar attack. It was enough to turn them into stars in Chicago, get them a contract with a major label, and a move to Los Angeles, paving the way for longtime careers for their two guitarists. Though the Illinois Speed Press was a late-'60s phenomenon in Chicago, their roots went back a full decade, traceable to a late-'50s band called "the Capitols" (no relation to the soul outfit of that name), who played local high school functions and the YMCA.

They began a series of name changes — some voluntary and some imposed by outside forces — in the early '60s, most of which reflected the changing musical sensibilities of the era. The first came in 1961, to the Mus Twangs (or Mus-Twangs), according to Linda Amicarelli in a 1997 article for the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. As their name hinted, they were primarily an instrumental outfit, and cut a surf-style instrumental version of Irving Berlin's "Marie" (backed with a piece called "Roch Lomond") on the local Nero label that was good enough to attract the attention of the Chicago-based Mercury Records, which picked it up for national distribution on the company's Smash Records subsidiary. That record didn't get very far in terms of securing the band's future, and in the wake of the British Invasion, the appeal of instrumental bands waned quickly, and by 1964, the group had added more vocals and transformed themselves into "the Gentrys" with a repertory that encompassed the Beatles and the Righteous Brothers, among other top contemporary acts. They didn't keep that name very long, however, as a Memphis-based band had a prior claim on that moniker, and by late 1964 they'd become the Rovin' Kind. It was at this point that the personnel began to solidify around two or three key members: Alabama-born guitarist/singer Paul Cotton, who'd been with the outfit since 1959, and had come to music as an admirer of Les Paul, Scotty Moore, Duane Eddy, and James Burton; and Kal David, a Chicago-born guitarist/singer whose influences were blues and R&B, and who had previously played with a band called the Exceptions (whose ranks included Peter Cetera, later of Chicago, and future Buckinghams member Marty Grebb), which had recorded briefly for Vee Jay Records. Between Cotton and David, the group generated a powerful and distinctive guitar-based rock & roll, and they were good enough to record several singles for Dunwich Records — the other members were Mike Anthony on keyboards and vocals, who also wrote some of their songs, Keith Anderson on bass (later succeeded by Rob Lewine), and Fred Page on the drums.

But it was Cotton and David who were the main source of attention from listeners with their double-lead guitar configuration. None of the group's singles performed spectacularly, but the Rovin' Kind themselves were something else, again — they were good enough to win a regional battle-of-the-bands contest against some 80 rivals and, for their reward, got flown to L.A., where they were featured on American Bandstand, miming a pair of songs, and also got to do a club performance in San Francisco. That exposure was great, but it was back home where their work suddenly began to pay off when, at a performance at the Chicago Whiskey-A-Go-Go, they were seen by producer James William Guercio, who signed them up and got them a contract with Columbia Records' Epic label under their new name, Illinois Speed Press. The band's sound was guitar-based, and a mix of rock & roll, soul, and country, reflecting the divergent tastes of the members. They subsequently moved to Los Angeles, where they worked for a time as the house band at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go, and also opened for acts such as Steppenwolf and Chicago (which was also produced by Guercio). And among the up-and-coming groups that they played with in 1969 and 1970 was the country-rock outfit Poco.

The band's self-titled debut album favored David's R&B orientation, though it had several Cotton songs (one of which, "Get in the Wind," would be completely reinterpreted by Poco) and some country elements. It was well received critically, but didn't make too much of an impression on the charts; their second album, Duet, which was much more country-oriented, was released in 1970, by which time the group had seemingly run its course. Illinois Speed Press split up that year, owing to Cotton's and David's differing musical directions: David wanted to create more of an R&B-based sound and headed for San Francisco where, in conjunction with former Electric Flag bassist Harvey Brooks, he formed the Fabulous Rhinestones, who went on to record in their own right as well as perform on-stage with such luminaries as John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Cotton stayed in Los Angeles, where he was approached by Richie Furay, the co-founder of Poco, who remembered him from his Illinois Speed Press performances on the same bill with his band; he was asked to audition as the possible replacement for co-founder Jim Messina, who was planning to leave the band. Cotton won the spot and has been with the band ever since, right into the 21st century.

Illinois Speed Press was a guitar-driven rock quintet on this, their first recording. Produced by Chicago's producer and mentor, James William Guercio, this album sounds at times like Chicago Transit Authority without horns. ISP is important in rock history primarily as the band from which co-leader Paul Cotton emerged to replace Jim Messina in Poco, whom he would help guide to commercial success. "Get in the Wind," later recorded by Poco in a completely different form, rocks hard in this version, while Cotton's "P.N.S. (When You Come Around)" hints at the sound of From the Inside era Poco. The bouncy acoustic number "Here Today" is another highlight, standing out amidst the bluesy rock that makes up the bulk of this recording. The liner notes, designed like a newspaper, were written by Firesign Theatre.

 

MIKE ANTHONY	organ, piano	A
PAUL COTTON	gtr, vcls	A	B	C
KAL DAVID	gtr, vcls	A	B
ROB LEWINE	bs	A
FRED PAGE	drms	A
JOHN URIBE	gtr, vcls			C
FRANK BARTOLI	bs
FRED PAPPALARDO	drms

 

 

ALBUMS:
1(A)	ILLINOIS SPEED PRESS	(Columbia CS 9792)	1969 144
2(B)	DUET	(Columbia CS 9976)	1970 -

NB: (1) has been reissued.  

 

45s:
1	Right On Time/Night People	(Roulette 4687)	1969
2	Get In The Wind/Get In The Wind, Pt. II (PS)	(Columbia 4-44564)	1969
3	Sadly Out Of Place/Country Dumplin'	(Columbia 4-45756)	1970

 

This Chicago-based quintet was formed in February 1968 by Paul Cotton and featured colleague Mike Anthony, whom Cotton had played with in another significant Chicago outfit, The Rovin' Kind, and Kal David, another important Chicago musician, after his spell in H.P. Lovecraft. The songs on their albums ranged from hard rock to more mainstream rock with country influences and from blues towards folk-rock, very often with psychedelic references and some fine fuzz guitars.

The first album met with some commercial success, peaking at No 144 in the Album Charts during 1969. Duet failed to consolidate on this and the band, by now based in California, went their separate ways in late 1971.

David went on to play for Fabulous Rhinestones and Cotton to Poco, who were to become flagbearers for the country-rock movement. Earlier Fred Page had left for California where he played for various LA-based bands.

Band members 
Paul Cotton, guitar vocals
 Kal David, guitar vocals
 Mike Anthony, keyboards, vocals
 Fred Page, drums
 Keith Anderson, bass 
 Rob Lewine, bass  


Singles:
Get in the Wind/Get in the wind Part 2 (instrumental), 1968
Sadly out of place/Country Dumplin', 1970

 

ALBUMS:


Illinois Speed Press, 1969 
(met with some success, peaking at 144 on the album charts)
Tracks
Overture
Get in the Wind
Hard Luck Story
Here Today
Pay the Price
P.N.S. (When you come around)
Be a Woman
Sky Song
Beauty
Free Ride


Duet, 1970
Tracks
Country Dumplin’
Sadly out of Place
The one who Knows
Dearly
i.   Dearly
ii.  Bittersweet
iii. Random Roads (and his Big Band)
iv.  Dearly Theme Reprise
Morning Blues
Bad Weather
The Life
The Visit
Seventeen Days

Get in the Wind Front

Get in the Wind Back

First ISP album

Duet album

 

Interesting to note that three ISP songs penned by Paul were later re-recorded & completely revamped by in Paul’s Poco days: Get in the wind (which can be found on “Forgotten Trail”) PNS [when you come around] (on “Rose of Cimarron”) - PNS stands for Paul’s New Song Bad Weather (on “From the Inside”)

A fan from the old days, Mike Wark remembers:
"I saw ISP in Phoenix, AZ on 12-31-68 when they opened for Three Dog Night and Steppenwolf. I still remember Paul Cotton introducing G.I.T.W. as "a monstrously groovy thing." And so it was (and still is!)."

Bad Weather was inspired by Paul’s feelings relating to the break up of the Illinois Speed Press after the first album & was the song that Paul played for Richie Furay & the guys when he ‘auditioned’ for Poco. Here’s some notes from music historian, John Einarson:
As Richie told me, "I think Bad Weather is probably one of the best songs I'd heard. I love that song. We liked that song well enough to use it to introduce Paul into the band. It was a way of showing we could compliment him as well as him complimenting us."
If any of you have ever heard Richie perform Bad Weather you'll know how much respect he has for that song. Paul Cotton: "Bad Weather dates back to the Illinois Speed Press and was written about the demise of the first version of the group. It was kind of sad but was pretty easy to write. It was the first song I played for the Poco guys when we met informally at Richie's house. It really knocked them out. So it was obvious we'd record it. And when Richie learned that beautiful guitar solo it just blew me away." Many Poco aficionados consider Bad Weather to be the full realization of a true country rock sound.
Keith Anderson remembers:
"I helped to orchestrate the songs on the first ISP album, by being a member of the group - pre-recordation. Producer James William Guercio urged the group to agree to let me go before the recording was completed. He did allow "Be a Woman" which I co-wrote to stay on the album, and I think I received a royalty of $1.39. I personally think James William Guercio took the heart out of the group, when he let Fred, Mike and I go. We were all dedicated to our careers and to the ISP. Albeit the forgoing feelings about the separations, I think we were lucky to have the album(s) produced by Mr. Guercio. He was quite talented and on the cutting edge of recording technology at the time."
Here's some comments from drummer Verne Johnson who joined the Speed Press after the release of the first album:
"I remember our travel across America in the summer of '69 promoting the first album. There were some amusing moments on that tour - giant flying bugs in Houston, Texas, as big as helicopters -& they probably had serial numbers stenciled on them somewhere - our picnic on the open range outside of Dallas with the people from the club at which we were playing and my riding bareback through the picnic on a great horse named Major (I have a black and white photo of that event that Kal took just after it happened - it still makes me laugh when I look at it today) - opening for Led Zepplin at the Electric Theatre in Chicago."
Here is an advertising line by columbia regarding the first album (which included a photo of the band) & appeared April 17, 1969 in The Village Voice Newspaper in New York City:
“There are 3 things you can do while listening to the pure energy flashes of the hard rock Illinois Speed Press….one of them is - DANCE”
There’s not always good press. Here’s a transcript of an article by Pete Johnson in the LA Times, Dec 19, 1968…
“also on the bill at the Whiskey is the Illinois Speed Press, an organ-two guitar-bass-drums combo with some good voices but rather uninteresting material.”
Well, obviously the owners of the Whiskey didn’t have the same opinion…ISP played there consistently for 12 months (refer to ISP gig schedule further on).
Of course there is some good press too. In the Open City Underground Newspaper, January 24th 1969, page 6, Clubs Section, a slightly prophetic article:
"Sharing the bill with (Tim) Hardin was a group that is rapidly showing signs of becoming a Whiskey (A-Go-Go) "house band."...Illinois Speed Press. But perhaps that's good. The time the Doors spent as a Whiskey regular gave them the experience to mould an image for themselves. The ISP is doing the same thing. When they first appeared in L.A. at the Kaleidoscope, they seemed to be just another transplanted Midwest rock group. But the ISP have gotten funky. Their lead vocalist, who sounds quite a bit like Steve Stills, is leading them into material that might best be described as a rocking Buffalo Springfield. The group is very tight instrumentally, behind a driving beat of guitars and organ. The Illinois Speed press would seem to be an unheralded entrant into the newly emerging country rock field of POGO (later known as POCO), the Burrito Brothers, and the Frozen Noses (later known as Crosby, Stills, Nash and sometimes Young).”
In the Variety Magazine, July 1st, 1970, page 43, Music-records Section, repoting on the recent gig at Fillmore East, NY:
"Illinois speed Press proved the musical surprise of the evening. Although the band has two Columbia albums to its credit, it came into the Fillmore as virtually an unknown New York entity, a fact that is bound to change. It is a refreshing, unpretentious band that parlays the talents of guitarists-vocalists Paul Cotton, Kal David and a firm rhythm section into a versatile style that is equally at home with a hard electric blues, "Morning Blues" or a lilting harmonic country tune, "Bad Weather". The group's forte lies in its bright vocal harmonies." By the end of 1969 original ISP had disbanded. Vern Johnson (drums) had replaced Fred Page, but he Nad Rob Lewine had also left. Paul & Kal David tehn started to record the “Duet” album with assistance from:

Joe Osborne (bass)
Hal Blaine (drums)
Michael Lloyd (keyboards)

Guercio was in New York working with Blood, Sweat, and Tears during the recording of “Duet” so he chose Michael Lloyd to work with Paul & Kal on the record in his absence. Guercio decided to use studio musicians for the rhythm section behind Paul and Kal.. Hal Blaine and Joe Osborne played on hundreds of hit records & they played on most of the Duet album. There were also studio musicians Jack Conrad (bass) and John Guerin (drums) and a few other studio cats.
After “Duet” there was no more recording by Paul & Kal together although they still continued to perform for a time with other band members being:

Rick Allen (drums, vocals)
Jimmy Rogers (bass) 

Advertising by columbia for ‘Duet’:
Billboard February 28, 1970:
“Increase your circulation. The Illinois Speed Press. Eclectic, uncannily melodic, and solid. Produced by James William Guerico, who’s done some pretty good things for the circulation of Blood, Sweat & tears and Chicago.”
Rolling Stone magazine June 11, 1970:
“ All vocals/Paul Cotton & Kal David All guitars/Paul Cotton & Kal David All together/-The Illinois Speed Press.Duet.” “the voices & guitars are both delicate & full. The lyrics & melodies have a straight-forward freshness about them. And underneath the romanticism, the package is extremely will put together, both technically & organically…among the very best of 1970 so far, & there’s a lot of awesome competition. (Rock Magazine)”
& yet another advertisement:
“Have you caught up with Illinois Speed Press? They blew out of Chicago to the coast. Doing hard, unadultereated rock to 40000 freaks in a California bacchanal. In their new Columbia album, Kal David & Paul Cotton are into a sound amalgam of their Chicago blues roots & California climate. Loose & easy country. Dirty blues. A guitar suite in four movements, & at the same time, the beautiful sound & feeling of acoustic guitars. ‘Duet’ is a composition for two performers. Just right for the Illinois Speed Press. On columbia records”
Here’s a review published in the Dallas Notes, underground newspaper, dated August 19 - September 1, 1970:
Last Friday night Heaven and Earth and Illinois Speed Press did two sets each; Heaven and Earth opened; Illinois closed with a long jam in defiance against the lights being turned on. They're from Chicago, heavy, noisy, and loud, using much feedback and sound manipulation on their three guitars and drum set. They have a good singer-guitarist who cut loose during the last number. I didn't get into their sound until that last number, but the group was well received by the audience from their beginning set. One of the songs they did was one they'd heard on the TWA headphones on the way down: "Sadly Out Of Place, "from their album.
Another review of a show in Kaleidoscope underground newspaper from Milwaukee May 1-14, 1970, in part it reads:
"What we've always known, of course is that The Scene has everything it takes, to bring Milwaukee into the age of rock. Like with Rastus and Illinois Speed Press in town there the 10th and 11th........Speed Press did a competent CSNY influenced set, they could've gotten down a little more, but then the audience could've gotten down a little more, but then the audience could've been larger and more on top of it too...”
Here’s an interesting piece taken from the website of the band, Chicago:
“In September, Chicago XI was released, its most notable song being "Take Me Back To Chicago," written by drummer Danny Seraphine and David "Hawk" Wolinski. . It has a darker theme than may be immediately apparent. "'Take Me Back To Chicago' is about Freddy Page, the drummer in the Illinois Speed Press who died tragically," Says Guercio. "Illinois Speed Press had the best shot,, had the biggest budget, had the first record, and totally could not get along," he recalls.
Kal & Paul were headed in different musical directions with Kal wanting to go into a more blues direction. During 1970, Kal left for New York and formed The Fabulous Rhinestones. Paul wanted to go in a more country-rock mode - Kal was into "Hendrix" and Paul was into "Buffalo Springfield" , so they parted ways with Kal the first to go.
John Uribe was a guitarist and a friend of Paul & Kal & after Kal left, he toured with Paul on the last ISP tour. Uribe ‘slotted in’ for Kal’s spot as the second part of the duet.
Illinois Speed Press was an opening act for POGO at a club called The White Room in Buena Park, California on April 12 & 13, 1969. This is where Poco first saw Paul perform. Richie Furay called Paul in September of 1970 and he went on tour with Poco, not playing but rooming with Jimmy Messina. This was just before the third Poco album, Deliverin' was released. " Deliverin' had been recorded in Boston and New York on September 22 and 23. Poco was booked to play a three night Fillmore West stand, October 30, 31 and November 1. On October 31 at the Fillmore Richie wanted to go ahead and bring Paul on to perform that evening.
Interesting to note that ISP performed at Long Beach auditorium exhibition hall on Friday, January 8, 1971, along with other groups, Timber & Sweet Marie. This was a concert presented by KNAC stereo FM. This date is after Paul joined Poco (Paul had definitely joined Poco by November 1970 because he played with Poco at Fillmore. It appears that the band has bookings ahead after Paul left & it is likely John Uribe, with others continued on for a period of time to complete commitments.

How influential were the Illinois Speed Press?
There is little doubt that the Speed Press played a part in the birth of the Southern Rock sound, especially the dual guitar sound of Paul & Kal.
Track down the book - "Southern Rockers... The Roots and Legacy of Southern Rock" By Marley Brant 1999 BPI Communications ISBN 0823084205.
Here is a quote from the book on page 64 (this concerns Ronnie Van Zant and his early group The One Percent band in the early days):
"One Percent played every recreation center and small club in North Florida, that would have them for years. Their taste in cover songs primarly included those of The Yardbirds, Beatles, Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival,Illinois Speed Press, and Cream."
pg. 186 quote from Jeff Carlisi (Carlisi had been in the band Sweet Rooster with Ronnie Van Zant when both were teenagers):
"Half of our show was playing "Power of Love" and "Down in Texas" and all the stuff from the Hour Glass record, recalled Carlisi. At the same time we were doing stuff by a band called The Illinois Speed Press, a band that had Paul Cotton, who ended up in POCO. The Illinois Speed Press was extremely popular in North Florida. It had also been one of Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington's favorite bands. I remember (Lynyrd)Skynyrd did the whole (Speed Press) album one night, laughs Carlisi."

Further links to Paul's musical history -

History main page--- Beginnings--- Capitols--- Mus-twangs--- Starfires--- Carol Vega & Trio--- Gentrys--- Rovin' Kind--- Rovin' Kind Gig Dates--- Illinois Speed Press--- Illinois Speed Press Gig Dates--- Poco & Beyond--- Joseph Schwantner--- Chuck Edelhofer--- Keith Anderson--- Gerald (Jerry) Urban--- Guy Franchot (Frenchy) Germany--- Walter (Buddy) Riley--- Johnny Jordan--- Johnny Moyer--- Carol Vega--- Johnny Moore--- Verne Johnson--- Frank Bartell (Bortoli)--- Mike Anthony (Harry Baikauskas)--- Fred Page (Pappalardo)--- Rob Lewine--- Bobby Simms--- Barney Pip--- John Uribe--- Kal David--- Jim Jarosz--- Ronnie Laas---

http://www.angelfire.com/ok2/musiclink/paulcotton/isp.html

 

In response to the comments made regarding ISP, the decision to remove the first track from the debut self-titled album was not ours; it came from the artists who hated it and did not want it on the record let alone on the compilation. In actuality, it IS there--- you have to search for it as we embedded it in the flash files. That way it was not left out but was not prominent either. As to the remaster, the original source materials were horrid at best and barely usable. We looked for any source material and did our best. Ultimately, the choice was to complete the project with the issues or abandon it altogether. After discussions with a number of hardcore fans, we decided to press forward. The flash files and extra bonus material, I believe, make the package worthwhile. Please contact us with any further questions. ---John Thaler Help other customers find the most helpful reviews   Was this review helpful to you?    Report this | Permalink  Comment (1)

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful: Illinois Speed Press/Remastered, June 18, 2005 By  Marc Siegel (Simi, CA) - See all my reviews    Columbia Records should be ashamed for not putting this cd out, as it was on their imprint originally, and a great album of music. Future Edge should be applauded for having the good taste to take the time to do the remastering and put the cd out. I am sure they are not making a fortune on this. Although I love the music, I was leery about buying the cd because of all the negative reviews of the sound quality, but I bought it despite the negativity, and let me say, you're all nuts. No, this cd is not audiophile quality, nor is it good by today's standards, but it sounds great given the condition of the master tapes(again, Columbia Records should be ashamed) and the other sources that were available to Mr. Thaler. While the music does comes first, I should mention that I am very fussy about the sound that comes out of my system. I am what my friends call " a pain in the ass audiophile" I have the typical high end system that does a great job of resolving the music and lets me hear everything (warts, big and small) and I can say 100% that I was not put off by the sound in any way, shape, or form. If you remember loving this album when it came out in late '69, if you like songs that actually have melodic content, good voices out in front, and some great guitar playing then go out and buy this disc and enjoy. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews   Was this review helpful to you?    Report this | Permalink  Comment

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: About time, BUT . . ., July 3, 2004 By A Customer You probably should know that I've loved the first of these 2 albums for 35 years now (and always liked the second well enough), so it's tough to imagine how it sounds to someone hearing for the first time now. It's pretty great stuff that I still listen to regularly, even after all this time. Whether you'd like it, I can't say -- half of its appeal to me is probably nostalgia for my own ears' history. But it was one of the earliest mixes of country with rock & folk on a couple of tunes, especially the lovely "Here Today." The blues number, "Hard Luck Story," is convincing for white boy rockers, plus it's funny. Then, when it rocks, it's nimble at times and then it really lumbers. Not to mention the screaming -- there are some of the greatest out and out rocknroll SCREAMS over the guitar wailing at the end of "Pay The Price" that just kick the song into hyperspace. Look, it's fun stuff. You oughta try it. That carping about the lousy sound in other reviews is over-reacting, at least it's available again. But it's gotta be docked a star for the chicken**** exclusion of the opening cut, "Overture." How dare they profess to be supplying the public with a long lost rarity, complete with bonus tracks and all the usual hubbub and then leave off the opening track? It's a wacky, cacaphonous mixture of most of the songs on the album, plus some snips of songs that aren't (the beautiful opening lines for instance: "Too much is on my mind, I spend my time drinkin' wine and wonderin' which way to run . . ."). It is a big sloppy wonderful mess. I will never forget my father, who had trouble with NORMAL rock and roll, storming into my room in angry bewilderment when I was blasting this one. Anyway, you won't get to hear it unless you find a vinyl copy. Maybe it's a little embarrassing to somebody now, or they thought it would scare folks off before they got to the "real" songs, or the CD company couldn't understand it, but whatever the reason, it's gone and there isn't any mention or apology. Unforgiveable. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews   Was this review helpful to you?    Report this | Permalink  Comment

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: great CD with some flaws, February 6, 2004 By A Customer The first Illinois Speed Press CD is really quite good. However the song PNS has a small skip in it. Duet pretty much gives you the reason why they broke up. It has a few good songs but just isn't as good. However the real issue with this CD is that it was probably mastered from Vinyl. It appears that the shape of the 1st LP they used was superb, but Duet the second LP was worn out. You do need this if you don't have the Vinyl copies but don't expect a wonderful digital remaster sound. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews   Was this review helpful to you?    Report this | Permalink  Comment

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: sound: B-, content: A+, March 17, 2006 By  zinger919 "tuxfan" (Wendell, NC) - See all my reviews Overall, a great CD, but am I the only one who: - can't find the "Overture" track in the flash files - wonders why several scratches were left in that could have easily been edited out. - wishes Mr. Thaler had done the remastering with an eye on being more true to a live performance rather than the original recording. Some of the tracks scream for a little reverb. Why be true to something that sounds like it was recorded in an anechoic chamber? Still, the music is the important thing & I have to second the opinion of Mr. Abraytis; this is the real thing. There's some great stuff for Poco fans, but the real treats for me are "Morning Blues" & Kal David's blues oriented tracks. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews   Was this review helpful to you?    Report this | Permalink  Comment

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful: Finally on CD!, January 12, 2004 By  John Abraytis "Tomahawk Kid" (Illinois) - See all my reviews Thank you for having the good taste to put this relic on cd! Want to hear some classic rock? Then turn off them classic rock stations that pollute the air with the Eagles, Eric Clapton, and the rest of that sorry lot, and listen to some genuine rock 'n' roll. If there's a better song than "Pay the Price," then I haven't heard it. "Hard Luck Story," "Be a Woman," and "Free Ride" are as good as ever. Even the cornball acoustic stuff is bearable. Stop listening to "artists" and check out some actual musicians. If you already listen to Kid Rock, it's probably too late, so exercise caution. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews   Was this review helpful to you?    Report this | Permalink  Comment

DYK, July 30, 2009 By  John Zawacki "ZMAN" (La Porte , Texas) - See all my reviews    The riff from Get in the Wind is sampled by Chicago in South California Purples . Been listening to this album for almost 40 years . Great inside liner by Fire Sign Theatre. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews   Was this review helpful to you?    Report this | Permalink  Comment

Must wear bellbottoms when listening to this..., December 8, 2008 By  Bill Shoulders "Bill" (Rockford Il USA) - See all my reviews Being from Illinois this album has always been in my music collection until my collection was stolen about 20 years ago. I decided recently to research and see if I could replace this album and found Illinois Speed Press on CD...what memories of the 1970s it evokes...that is what I call music. If you play it backwards it say Obama for President...who would have guessed. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews   Was this review helpful to you?    Report this | Permalink  Comment

Enough technical stuff aready!, April 4, 2008 By  Philip Bradshaw (toronto canada) - See all my reviews    The Illinois Speed Press. Paul Cotton. Great memories from the past. I could never figure out why ISP weren't more popular. Hell, they are all but unknown. Yet they have a number of killer songs. In particular the fabulous tracks from side two of Duets - Bad Weather and The Life. They alone are worth the price of admission. ISP is one of those rare and talented groups that those "in the know" can feel smug about - we appreciate them and no-one else has heard of them! As far as the technical problems go all I can say is that I hope and expect that those in charge of the process that produced the cd knew what they were doing and did the best that could be done. If this is the case then the choice is this or the rather dense sounding LP. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews   Was this review helpful to you?    Report this | Permalink  Comment

Still very acceptable, May 9, 2007 By  Judson T Doglips "Doglips" (St. Louis MO USA) - See all my reviews I read the other reviews and though I can certainly hear a few pops and scuffs here and there, I am just glad to get this on disc since the vinyl LP is lost and I'll probably never find it. There are a couple tracks on the first disc, near the end that sound pretty rough, but to be honest, Its kind of different and reminds me of days when recordings on LP records, eight track or cassette tape just weren't perfect. I like this album and it's easy to see where Poco came from after you listen to disc 2. Don't be scared off by a few glitches here and there, if you are thinking of picking this up. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews   Was this review helpful to you?    Report this | Permalink  Comment

I was always hopeful these 2 LPS (which I never owned)would be released on CD. When they were(and before I made a purchase) I got in touch with the label of origin,Futuredge, and addressed the issue of remastering problems. They emailed me in detail and allayed many of my fears. Still,as I began to play Disc 1,I tried to keep my expectations at a minimum. I've listened to this 2 cd set several times on a large stereo system as well as with headphones. What is the BIG DEAL?? This release sounds FINE!! Sure, there is some intermitent noise but it's only on the bonus 45 sides and the outtake from the first album that's it's a problem. First of all, Futuredge had their hands full trying to work with tapes getting close to the forty year mark that were in poor condition; their results are just fine. Secondly, no one else was interested in putting these albums out,so be glad someone did. I can heartily recommend this to anyone one interested in quality 60's rock, warts (as small as they ARE!!)and all. And while I'm putting my two cents in, as much as I like the first LP, I prefer DUET. Poco fans, take note. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews   Was this review helpful to you?    Report this | Permalink  Comment

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful: Great Music, Poor Mastering, May 20, 2004 By A Customer Don't waste your money this is a great album but the Remastering leaves a lot to be desired. I have been in touch personally with the label and was told I would recieve a replacement cd (with all the defects repaired). I have yet to recieve a replacement (6 mos. later)after several assurances that I would. The artwork and everything else is quite good, but the sound quality is lacking ( I,ve done better with used LP's ) Help other customers find the most helpful reviews   Was this review helpful to you?    Report this | Permalink  Comment

4 of 8 people found the following review helpful: Loved these albums for 35 years, but this CD has flaws... , February 21, 2005 By  Wah Wah (CA USA) - See all my reviews I am happy to see these releases in print again and on cd for the first time. I have enjoyed my vinyl copies for some 35 years. However, as some have said, there are some nasty flaws with this CD release - #1: They decided to leave off the first song of the first album called "Overture". Yes, it may be a bunch of tape snipets taken from the album and spliced together with no apparent structure, but for the producer John Thaler to be so insensitive as to arbitarily cut anything from the original work, that is completely unacceptable. Shame on you John, who do you think you are hacking off a part of ISP's debut release! #2: As recognized by others, there is a nasty digital glitch in "PNS..." which I find hard to excuse. I have never heard a digital glitch like this one in any other professional cd release, regardless of the recordings age. It sounds more like an incompetent mistake than a planned compromise to my ears. #3: The first bonus cut "Right On Time" starts before the last album cut "Free Ride" has completed, abruptly cutting off the last feedback-drenched chord. Another insensitive, sloppy and unforgivable mistake. Shame on producer John Thaler's sloppiness and insensitivity toward this historic debut recording. Fortunately, the 2nd album Duet is included in it's entirety. Hey John, why didn't you arbitrarily cut something from it?

In 1970 fresh off the success of Blood Sweat & Tears and Chicago Transit Authority, producer James William Guercio took another band under his wing—Illinois Speed Press featuring the guitarist/vocalist tandem of Kal David and Paul Cotton. While ISP never enjoyed the same level of success as that of their contemporaries, they did release two exceptional albums before imploding—their self-titled debut and its follow-up Duet.

For years these albums remained an obscurity, long out of print and only ever released on vinyl LP. In recent years some fans & collectors took it upon themselves to re-master and finally give these albums the CD release they deserved. Unfortunately, due to the obscurity of these releases, that 2 CD set is now out of print as well and is as much as (if not more of) an obscurity as the original vinyl releases.

Prior to ISP, Kal David was a blues guitarist mainstay of the Chicago club circuit in his band, The Exceptions, which also featured an exceptional tenor vocalist and bass player, Peter Cetera who went on to join Chicago. Paul Cotton’s musical talents lean more to the acoustic end of the spectrum, his influences more of the Buffalo Springfield variety. The two different musical styles are quite evident on both albums as there appears to be an initial marriage of these styles on their debut followed by a more fractured tug of war between the two styles on the Duet album.

Indeed, it’s almost hard to believe that you’re listening to the same band when hearing Kal David’s rock blues guitar playing on songs like Get In the Wind and Pay the Price interspersed with songs like Here Today and Sky Song featuring Paul Cotton’s more mellow country-tinged guitar playing and smoother vocals. Despite the two very different styles—this works quite well on disc 1 featuring ISP’s debut album.

On the 2nd disc featuring Duet however you can hear the two styles competing rather than blending—two men trying to take the band in two very different directions in a disagreement that would lead to the band’s demise. While the first album exhibited more of Kal David’s influence, Duet seemed to show Paul Cotton exerting more control and many tracks exhibit the country-rock sound that Cotton would come to be known for as a member of Poco.

Following the demise of ISP as a band, drummer Freddie Page died and had the song Take Me Back to Chicago written for and dedicated to him by Chicago drummer Danny Seraphine and recorded on Chicago XI. Kal David continued taking his music in a blues-rock oriented direction initially with The Fabulous Rhinestones and later as a solo artist in his own right. And upon the recommendation of Peter Cetera, Paul Cotton was approached by country-rock band, Poco, to replace founding member Jim Messina who had left the band to form the duo Loggins & Messina.

A handful of ISP’s songs found new life as Poco songs once Cotton was well settled in that band. Get In the Wind was re-arranged to the point of being unrecognizable—Kal David’s distortion heavy blues guitar vibe was completely stripped away, the tempo completely changed and the only aspect of the song bearing resemblance to the ISP original being snippets of lyrics here and there. P.N.S. (When You Come Around) was a bit more faithful to the original and remained at least marginally recognizable—but without Kal David’s trademark blues tinged guitar—in its place a bit of pedal steel and a lot more of Paul Cotton’s acoustic guitar stylings. Bad Weather was probably most faithful to the original but again with pedal steel replacing Kal David’s guitar work. Cotton also took advantage of Poco’s stronger vocal harmonies in his later arrangement of the song.

This two disc set is a true gem, not to mention an interesting snapshot of what happens when you mix the urban electric blues influences of the Windy City, late sixties/early seventies rock and roll, and a bit of southern California country-rock into one band.

They are true collectors items. Where did you get a copy of these?

I might add that Poco has always been one of America's greatest unknown bands. They not only never received the fame they deserved, they never even had a hit.

Coincidentally, I'm going to see Poco with both Rusty Young and Paul Cotton on May 31st. If they do "Good Feeling to Know" and "Rose of Cimarron" I'll be in musical heaven.

6:52 AM

Charlie said...

Actually, I was wrong. Poco had 2 hit singles late in 1979, "Crazy Love" and "Heart of the Night." I should have said that their classic lineup never had a hit. It's ironic that their best days were over by the time these songs charted.

9:40 PM