Pure Love & Pleasure
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1969-70) - John Allair -- keyboards, vocals - Bob Bohanna -- vocals, bass, guitar - Pegge Ann May -- vocals - David McAnally -- vocals - Rob Moitoza -- singer, guitarist - Dick Rogers -- drums, percussion, vocals
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- John Allair & Friends - The Cals (John Allair) - Morning Glory (Bob Bohanna) - Rob And Kaaren Moitoza
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Genre: pop Rating: 3 stars *** Title: A Record of Pure Love & Pleasure Company: Dunhill Catalog: DS
50076 Country/State: San Francisco, California Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $15.00
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In the wake of the collapse of Morning Glory, singer/bassist Rob Bohanna formed the band Pure Love & Happiness. Featuring keyboard player John Allair, vocalists Pegge Ann May and David McAnally, guitarist Rob Moitoza and drummer Dick Rogers.
Signed
by ABC's Dunhill subsidiary, 1970 found the band in the studio with
producers Steve Barri, Harvey Bruce and Joel Sill. With Bohanna
providing the majority of the album's ten
"A Record
of Pure Love & Pleasure" track listing: 1.) Too Scared To Go (Rob Bohanna) - 4:33 rating: **** stars Based on everything I'd read about the band, the opener 'Too Scared To Go' was nothing like my expectations. Instead of wispy Mamas and the Papas pop, this track actually kicked butt. Yeah it was pop, but powered by John Allair's organ fills, the song's bluesy edge took full advantage of May's raucous vocals and the driving melody. Love the lyrics. I suspect most of us feel the same way. This one should have been a massive AM hit. 2.) All In My Mind (Rob Bohanna) - 2:55 rating: *** stars Over the years I've grown increasingly fond of May's voice. On the sweet ballad 'All In My Mind' her raw performance has always reminded me of a cross between an American version of Sandy Denny and Janis Joplin High praise in my catalog. It wasn't the album's standout performance, but Dunhill released this one as the album's leadoff 45:
- 1970's 'All In My Mind' b/w 'What'cha Gonna Do' (Dunhill catalog number 45-4232)
3.) What'cha Gonna Do (David McAnally) - 2:04 rating: ** stars Written by and showcasing McAnally on vocals, 'What'cha Gonna Do' found the band dipping their toes into old-timey country-rock. It wasn't bad, but just not a musical genre I get much out of. The song also showed up as the "B" side to their "All In My Mind" 45. 4.) My Lies (Rob Bohanna) - 3:24 rating: *** stars Powered by Allair's boogie-woogie piano and Rogers' rock-solid drumming, the rocker 'My Lies' was one of the few songs that found May and McAnally sharing lead vocals. Initially it was kind of an also-ran performance, but it gets better with each spin. 5.) Hard Times (Rob Bohanna) - 4:33 rating: *** stars With the band hauling out their fuzz boxes, 'Hard Times' featured one of their heavier performances. Nice showcase for McAnally's likeable voice.
(side
2) Kind of funky countrified tune. Reminds me a bit of The Band. 2.) Joyce (Richard Rogers) - 2:56 rating: *** stars The first couple of times I heard it I wrote 'Joyce' off as a pretty, but forgettable country-flavored ballad. The lyrics are a little naive, but the melody is nice and the song gets increasingly more urgent as it progresses. 3.) Relax (Rob Bohanna) - 3:50 rating: **** stars Opening up with some Procol Harum-styled organ, McAnally's growling 'Relax' showed these guys could handling a full-tilt rocker. Bohanna's moment in the spotlight !!! Awesome guitar solo. Totally unexpected and one of the album's highlights. 4.) Love, Love, Love You (Rob Bohanna) - 2:35 rating: ** stars Another country-tinged rocker, the best thing on 'Love, Love, Love You' was the Allman Brothers-styled twin guitar solo. 5.) The Lord's Prayer (arranged Rob Bohanna) - 6:27 rating: **** stars Opening up with some blazing Bohanna lead guitar, their take on 'The Lord's Prayer' was just odd. Nothing wrong with it, though until May's powerhouse voice kicked in you'd never have known what you were listening to. Clocking in at over six minutes, the tune gave everyone a chance to stretch out, with Allair turning in some nice Hammond B-3 moves. Extra star for being so weird and May's dazzling vocals. Who knows why, but Dunhill released the song as a promotional single:
- 1970's 'The Lord's Prayer' (mono) b/w 'The Lord's Prayer' (stereo) (Dunhill catalog number SPD-14)
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tracks, "A Record of Pure Love &
Pleasure" was nothing like what I'd expected. The Summer
of Love-styled band name; the hippy cover, Barri serving as producer, the
few reviews I'd seen and my gut feeling all screamed Mama and the Papas,
Spanky and Our Gang-styled flower-power pop. Nothing wrong with that
genre. I own plenty of it. Imagine my surprise to discover how
wrong I was. The album was actually quite diverse; the one musical genre
conspicuously absent being flower power pop. The opener 'Too Scared To
Go', ''Hard Times' and the blazing 'Relax' all showcased their harder rock
moves. Elsewhere 'What'cha
Gonna Do', 'Love, Love, Love You' and The Band-styled 'Mama Said' showcased
routine country-rock moves. The group certainly benefited from having
a strong lead singers in May and McAnally. Curiously, with the
exception of keyboard powered 'My Lies' and 'Love, Love, Love You'
the pair didn't share the
spotlight, rather alternated in the role of lead vocalist. The
performances were energetic and none was bad, but ultimately most of the
collection came off as rather anonymous. Having released the album and
two singles, Dunhill dropped them from it's recording roster and by the end
of the year the band was history.
