Shakey Legs


Band members                             Related acts

  line up 1 (1969-71)

- Jack Bruno -- drums, percussion

- Ted Demos -- lead guitar

- Tom Enright-- bass

- Nick Lauritzen -- keyboards, vocals

- Michael Sorafine -- vocals

 

  supporting musicians (1971)

- John Mastory -- bass

 

  line up 2 (1972-74)

- Jack Bruno -- drums, percussion

- Ted Demos -- lead guitar

- Tom Enright-- bass

- Nick Lauritzen -- keyboards, vocals

- Bruce Parrott -- drums, percussion (replaced Jack Bruno)

- Michael Sorafine -- vocals

 

 

 

The Apple Pie Motherhood Band (Jack Bruno and Ted Demos)

- Bluesblasters (Bruce Parrott

- C.C. and the Chasers (Jack Bruno and Ted Demos)

- Fair Exchange (Bruce Parrott)

- Bruce Parrott (solo efforts)

- Ann Rose Band  (Bruce Parrott)

- The Sacred Mushroom (Jack Bruno and Ted Demos)

- The Second Coming (Jack Bruno and Ted Demos)

- Swing (Bruce Parrot)

 

 

 


 

Genre: rock

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Shakey Legs

Company: Paramount

Catalog: PAS 6022
Year:
 1971

Country/State: Boston, Massachusetts

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: promo sticker on cover

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 2059

Price: $20.00

Can't say I know a great deal about this short-lived outfit (there sure isn't much information to be found in the web about them).  

 

Drummer Jack Bruno and lead guitarist Ted Demos had been members of the Boston-based C.C. and the Chasers.  Along with singer Michael Sorafine they also recorded a pair of late-'60s albums as members of Boston's The Apple Pie and Motherhood Band.   When that group called it quits in 1969 they eventually moved on to The Shakey Legs Blues Band which quickly abbreviated the name down to Shakey Legs.

Fronted by singer/keyboardist Nick Lauritzen, Shakey Legs featured a professional, if someone under-whelming mixture bar band boogie, blues, and FM rock moves.   That was enough to get the group signed by Paramount, which quickly put them in the studio with producer Dave Blume.  Rounded out by bassist Tom Enright, "Shakey Legs" certainly didn't sound bad, but if you were expecting Apple Pie Motherhood-styled psych moves, or were looking for something that was going to rock your world - well, this probably wasn't the album to buy.  Lauritzen had a nice enough voice that was well suited for the band's blues-rock, but for some reason he seemed interested in mimicking BS&T's David Clayton-Thomas.  Check out tunes like the ballad 'Voices', 'We Might Give You Your Freedom', and 'Give Your Man a Little Faith'.  Having listened to the album dozens of times over the years, I'll tell you it is a collection that sounds better in snippets. Played all at once the LP has a tendency to simply blend into the background, but if you pay attention, there are four or five performances that stuck with you ('We Might Give You Your Freedom', the should've-been-a-single 'I'm Gonna Make It', and the blazing rocker 'You Say You Love Me').  Perhaps because it sounded like an early Steely Dan tune, 'Where In the World' was the album's oddest and most interesting tune.  

 

Again, 'Shakey Legs" wasn't a monumental album, but it's actually quite a bit better than what the isolated reviews would have you believe.  Worth checking out since you can still find copies for a reasonable price.

  

"Shakey Legs" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Dirty Dog Woman   (Nick Lauritzen) - 2:47

Likeable bar band blues-rocker with group vocals from Demos, Lauritzen, and Sorafine.  The song's best facet came in the form of Demos' Eric Clapton-styled lead guitar chops.  rating: *** stars

2.) Voices  (Nick Lauritzen) - 3:35

Pretty ballad showcasing Demos on acoustic guitar and  Lauritzen on Hammond and lead vocals.   The song served as a nice showcase for Lauritzen's gravelly voice - imagine a David Clayton Thomas without the self-indulgence.  This was one of the album's best performances.  rating: **** stars

3.) Back In Line  (Nick Lauritzen) - 3:11

Bar band boogie that sounded like they'd lifted virtually every note from Chuck Berry and Little Richard  tunes.  If you were going to borrow influences, though were certainly good sources, but this one didn't do much for the band in terms of originality.   rating: ** stars

4.) Where In the World  (Nick Lauritzen) - 4:35

Opening up with some lunge act keyboard moves, 'Where In the World' had a slight jazzy/bluesy feel that sounded like the band had overdosed on mid-career Steely Dan.   Interestingly the combination of Lauritzen's jazzy keyboards, his weird, nasally vocal (guess he was trying to add an ominous edge to the sound, but it came off as plain strange), and Demos squealing lead guitar all served to underscore the Steely Dan comparison.   Curiously, this was the track Paramount tapped as a promotional single:

- 1971's 'Where In The World' b/w 'Back In Line' (Paramount catalog number PAA - 0143)    rating: *** stars

5.) We Might Give You Your Freedom  (Nick Lauritzen) - 4:00

I liked the jumpy keyboard-propelled rocker 'We Might Give You Your Freedom', but the downside was it was another tune where Lauritzen seemed to take his inspiration from David Clayton-Thomas.  Judging from the lyrics which seem inspired by an arrest for loitering , I'm guessing this one had some autobiographical basis.  rating: **** stars 

 

(side 2)
1.) I'm Gonna Make It 
(Nick Lauritzen) - 2:45

With a  very commercial melody and vocal, this was the album's most straightforward commercial pop tune and the song that should have been tapped as a single.   rating: **** stars

2.) Give Your Man a Little Faith  (Nick Lauritzen) - 5:26

Bluesy ballads are a dime-a-dozen, but the sweet harmony vocals saved this one from the junk pile.   rating: *** stars 

3.) Everybody's Got Something On Me  (Nick Lauritzen) - 3:28

It opened up sounding like a Vanilla Fudge tune and Lauritzen employed that strange nasal voice, but otherwise 'Lauritzen' was a nice rocker which gave Lauritzen a chance to showcase his lounge act keyboards and gave Demos a chance to open up on guitar.   rating: *** stars

4.) Ever Since the Lights Went Out  (Nick Lauritzen) - 2:01

Hum, an unexpected slice of blue-eyed soul.   Nice bass line from John Mastory.   rating: *** stars

5.) You Say You Love Me  (Michael Sorafine) - 3:37

The lone non-Lauritzen composition, Sorafine's 'You Say You Love Me' was also one of the album's most entertaining tunes.  In addition to writing the tune, Sorafine was also featured on vocals.  His voice wasn't substantially better or worse than Lauritzen's, but he at least brought a little variety to the proceedings.  The fact this was an out-and-out guitar rocker certainly didn't hurt.   rating: **** stars

6.) In a Real Bad Way  (Nick Lauritzen) - 2:21

Okay rocker with Lauritzen and Sorafine seemingly sharing lead vocals, but what was with Lauritzen's  irritating nasally delivery?     rating: *** stars

 

 

Undergoing a stream of personnel changes the band struggled on through 1974, but they don't seem to have recorded anything else.  Bruno subsequently ended up supporting Tina Turner and then did a short stint in Elton John's touring band.  

 

Demos ended up in Hollywood where he made a name for himself as an art and set director.

 

 

 

 

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