line up 1 (1968-69)

- Nancy Brown -- vocals, bass

- Tom Brown -- vocals, lead guitar

- Dick Conte -- keyboards

- Artmesia Lee - cello 

- Michael Patrick Moore -- drums, percussion

  line up 2 (1969)

- Nancy Brown -- vocals, bass

- Tom Brown -- vocals, lead guitar

- Michael Patrick Moore -- drums, percussion

  backing musicians:

- Hal Blaine -- drums

- Larry Knecthtel -- keyboards

- Joe Osborn -- bass

- Ron Wells -- rhythm guitar, banjo

- none known

Genre: pop

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Rejoice!

Company: Dunhill

Catalog: DS 50049
Year: 1969

Country/State: 1969

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: --

Available: SOLD

Catalog ID: SOLD 1162

Price: SOLD $15.00

Can't say I know a great deal about this short lived outfit.  The husband and wife team of Nancy and Tom Brown were apparently the group's creative core, with support from drummer Michael Patrick Moore.

The group somehow attracted the attention of Jay Lasker who was then President of ABC's Dunhill subsidiary.  Dunhill promptly put the group in the studio with producer Terry Melcher, but the recording sessions were abruptly interrupted when Melcher's father died.   A couple of months later Dunhill resumed the recording sessions with Steve Barri handling production and the musical backing being provided by sessions players including Hal Blaine, Larry Knecthtel, and Joe Osborn.  

With bland, '60s-styled cover art, "Rejoice!"  was professional, but hardly anything particularly impressive.   Largely penned by Tom Brown, the overall impression was of a bunch of folkies who'd been dropped in the middle of a more commercial folk-rock setting in an attempt to garner a wider audience.  Both of the Browns sang with Nancy having a deep dark voice that was nice, but occasionally turned shrill and irritating ('Quick Draw Man').  Tom had a voice that was probably more suited for conventional folk - he occasionally reminded me a bit of a younger Pete Seeger.  Musically the set was quite diverse with the group taking stabs at everything from Western-tinged ballads ('Sausalito Sunrise') to folk-rock (a cover of Bill Edd Wheeler's 'High Flying Bird'), and conventional pop ('Spring Flew In Today').   While most of the collection was quite listenable, the Browns simply didn't come off as particularly original, or memorable.    Among the exceptions were the bouncy summer-of-love-ish 'Golden Gate Bridge' and the album's most psychedelic tune ('Gardens of Chelsea').  

"Rejoice!" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Sausalito Sunrise   (Tom Brown) - 2:12

'Sausalito Sunrise' opened the album with an off Western-meets-folk-rock mash-up ...    Always liked Ron Wells' banjo work on this one.   rating: *** stars

2.) Gardens of Chelsea   (Tom Brown) - 4:00

With the Tom and Nancy sharing lead vocals (together they managed to soften each other's harshness), 'Gardens of Chelsea' was the album's most psych tinged tune and one of the best performances.  Complete with pretty harpsichord and some nice work from drummer Hal Blaine, the only thing wrong with this one was Steve Barri's heavy orchestration. The horns added nothing.  rating: *** stars

3.) Spring Flew In Today   (Tom Brown) - 2:34

'Spring Flew In Today' was a bouncy, if over-orchestrated pop-meets folk tune.   Guess it was just my savaged ears, but Tom's performance has always reminded me a bit of Pete Seeger.   The "breakfast beer" reference always makes me smile.    rating: *** stars

4.) High Flying Bird   (Billy Edd Wheeler) - 4:12

I'm not sure why Bill Edd Wheeler's 'High Flying Bird' had such appeal to mid-'60s musicians.   About all I can say is the Browns gave it a decent enough rock arrangement, but it would have been even better without Tony's brief attempt at scat singing.   rating: *** stars

5.) November Snow   (Tom Brown) - 3:20

Pretty enough ballad, but 'November Snow'  has to be one of the most maudlin tunes I've ever heard.  The track was seemingly written about a stillborn child.  Dunhill tapped this one as a single.    rating: *** stars

(side 2)
1.) Quick Draw Man   (Tom Brown) - 2:18

Hum, not sure I really like the Western-tinge on this one.   To my ears it sounded like something out of a Las Vegas casino show.   Not hard to imagine Ann  Margaret, or Nancy Sinatra doing this one for a drunk crowd of middle aged gamblers.    rating: ** stars

2.) Even Though   (Nancy Brown) - 3:28

So English majors should treasure Nancy's spoken word poetic introduction and will probably find the hyper-sensitive ballad that follows equally enjoyable.  Me, not so much.   rating: ** stars 

3.) Golden Gate Bridge   (Tom Brown - Nancy Brown) - 2:30

With Tom on lead vocals, 'Golden Gate Bridge' simply dripped with a "summer of love" aura and was the album's most commercial, pop tune.   Always loved the Farfisa organ touches.  Probably the album's standout performance, which would explain why it was released as the first single.   rating: **** stars

4.) Sonora   (Tom Brown) - 3:31

Well, the Flamenco guitar touches and the slinky melody were nice enough, but the heavy orchestration made it sound sappy and pretentious, sounding like it had been plucked from some forgotten, throw-away soundtrack for a Western flick.  Brown actually sounded a bit like a wired Linda Ronstadt when she hit the Spanish segment.  rating: *** stars

5.) Establishment Blues   (Tom Brown) - 4:45

You have to smile hearing this timepiece, anti-establishment tune (ah, the evils of a 9-to-5 existence) ...  As mentioned earlier, imagine an opera singer trying to sound hip and you'll get a feel for Nancy Brown's shrill voice.    The tune itself wasn't  half bad with sessions player Larry Knecthtel turning in some tasty barrelhouse piano.   rating; *** stars.

As mentioned, the album was tapped for a couple of singles:

- 1969's 'Golden Gate Bridge' b/w 'Sonora' (Dunhill catalog number D-4158)

- 1969's 'November Snow' b/w Quick Draw Man' (Dunhill catalog number D-45-4176) # 126 pop

- 1969's 'Sausalito Sunrise' b/w 'Spring Flew In Today' (Dunhill catalog number D-45-4189)

By the way, from a marketing standpoint I suspect the decision to name themselves Rejoice! and give the album the same title probably limited their commercial appeal with lots of folks wondering whether they were a religious oriented outfit.