line up 1 (1967-68)

- Jules Alexander -- vocals, guitar, bass

- Mike Botts (RIP 2005) -- drums, percussion

- Larry Hansen -- guitar

- Josef Lamanno (aka Joe LaManno) -- bass

- Tom Menefee -- guitar

  line up 2 (1968)

- Mike Botts (RIP 2005) -- drums, percussion

- Larry Hansen -- guitar

- Josef Lamanno (aka Joe LaManno)-- bass

- Tom Menefee (aka Thomas "Bogart" Menefee) -- guitar

- The Association (Jules Alexander)

- Mike Botts (solo efforts)

- Bread (Mike Botts)

- Na Kama Hele (Mike Botts)

- The Travelers 3 (Mike Botts)

Genre: rock

Rating: 4 stars ****

Title:  Joshua Fox

Company: Tetragrammaton

Catalog:  T-125

Year: 1969

Country/State: Los Angeles, California

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: --

Available: 1

Catalog ID: --

Price: $70.00

You can normally find at least some biographical information on acts signed by major label releases.  Admittedly it may be a stretch to call Bruce Post-Campbell, Bill Cosby, Marvin Deane and Roy Silver's Tetragrammaton label a major label, but as a record label it certainly had some mid-'60s name recognition.  Which brings me to Joshua Fox.  There just isn't much to be found about the band.  There are a couple of YouTube clips and the few on-line reviews are brief, shedding little light on the band.  What little you can find is a result of the late Mike Botts' membership in the group.  Ironically even Bott's memories are brief:

"Over the next couple of years, outside of being a member of an ill fated group called Joshua Fox, I pretty much focused my energy on developing a career as a studio musician."

What little I can piece together indicates the group came together in 1968.  The band pulled together the talents of former Associations singer/guitarist Jules Alexander, studio musician Botts on drums, guitarist Larry Hansen, bassist Josef Lamanno and guitarist Tom Menefee.  By the time the group signed with Tetragrammaton, Alexander had apparently rejoined The Association, leaving the remaining four to continue on with producer Richard Sanford.  Anytime you see a description along the lines of "comparisons to Sgt. Pepper" you should be skeptical and that's certainly the case with 1968's "Joshua Fox".  This one shares nothing in common with that album, let alone the Fab Four.  Instead, what you got was a varied set covering the musical waterfront including stabs at the blues (an opening cover of Mose Allison's 'Young Man)', radio-friendly pop ('Goin' Down for Big Numbers'), Buffalo Springfield-styled country-rock ('Anne') and even blue-eyed soul ('Come What May'). None of the members was a particularly impressive singer, perhaps explaining why many of the songs featured group vocals.  Musically diverse, creative and energetic; it was strange in a pleasant and enjoyable way with nice clear production from Richard Sanford.  It wasn't an album that blew my mind, nor was it a collection that repelled me, but the fact the guys seemed to be having fun recording the collection made all the difference.   

"Joshua Fox" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Young Man (Mose Allison) - 3:47 rating: *** stars

Starting an album with a  cover of Mose Allison's 'Young Man' (taken from his 1960 "Transformation of Hiram Brown Suite" album) was an interesting choice. Not particularly commercial, but definitely arresting.

2.) It's Just Meant To Be (Mike Botts) - 3:19 rating: **** stars

Penned by Mike Botts and showcasing Jules Alexander's gruff, somewhat tuneless voice, 'It's Just Meant To Be' offered up an interesting mix of genres including pop, rock, country-rock and even horn-rock.  A nice guitar solo and the chorus ensured the song was quite catchy and commercial.  For years I've tried to figure out where I've heard the horn charts ...   The song was tapped as a promotional 45:

- 1968's 'It's Just Meant To Be' b/w 'Don't Tell Me a Story' (Tetragrammaton catalog number T-1532)

3.) Goin' Down for Big Numbers (Mike Botts - Larry Hansen) - 2:13  rating: **** stars 

In spite of some twists and turns, 'Goin' Down for Big Numbers' offered up a surprisingly MOR-ish slice of radio-friendly pop.

4.) Come What May (Tom Menefee) - 2:44

With a blue-eyed soul vibe, 'Come What May' has always reminded me of a slightly stoned version of Felix Cavaliere and the Rascals.  rating: *** stars

5.) We're All In It Together (Joshua Fox) - 2:02  rating: *** stars

West Coast country-rock that wasn't that far removed from Jessie Colin Young and the Youngbloods. 

6.) How I Managed To Stay Off the Truck and Find Comfort In My Insanity (Josef Lamanno) - 2:41  rating: *** stars

Buried in 'How I Managed To Stay Off the Truck and Find Comfort In My Insanity' was a Bo Diddley guitar riff, some Michael Nesmith styled country-rock, a touch of Flamenco guitar and plenty of Latin percussion.  The song was a strange as the title.

7.) Monkey Song # 1 (Mike Botts - Larry Hansen) - 4:39  rating: **** stars 

'Monkey Song # 1' ended side one with a nice slice of bar room boogie though the title and lyrics were a complete mystery to my ears.

(side 2)

1.) Don't Tell Me a Story (Tom Menefee) - 3:48  rating: **** stars 

Sporting one of the album's most memorable and commercial melodies, 'Don't Tell Me a Story' came close to bubblegum pop territory, before taking a mid-song detour into jam territory.  Bassist  Josef Lamanno proved he was one of the band's overlooked secret weapons.  

2.) Billy Goat Capricorn Lover (Larry Hansen - Jules Alexander) - 2:34  rating: **** stars 

Overlooking the weird title, 'Billy Goat Capricorn Lover' found the band taking a stab at blues with a modest lysergic edge.  Powered by some first-rate Lamanno bass lines and displaying the group's sweet harmonies, the song was actually far better than you would have expected.

3.) Anne (Mike Botts - Larry Hansen) - 6:53  rating: **** stars 

'Anne' was a nice example of their free-ranging compositional style.  Showcasing their blended vocals the song stitched together  hard rock, country-rock, pop.  The track had a distinctive Buffalo Springfield vibe with the lead singer briefly trotting out his best Stephen Stills impersonation.  The long fadeout recalled 'Hey Jude'.

4.) Are You Sleeping (Larry Hansen) - 3:48 rating: * star

Ouch, horrible ballad with out-of-tune vocals that left you wondering if they were actually going to make it through to the end.

5.) Moontime Bore (She Said) (Carmel) - 2:25  rating: **** stars 

The combination of a wild, about to lose it lead vocal and glistening Association-styled harmony vocals made the rocker 'Moontime Bore (She Said)' one of the album's standout performance.  Botts drums are amazing on a good stereo, or pair of headphones.

- 1968's 'Moontime Bore (She Said)' b/w 'Goin' Down for Big Numbers' (Tetragrammaton catalog number T-1527)