line up 1

- Don Fleming -- vocals, lead guitar, bass, synthesizers, percussion

- Rusty Jones -- guitar, bass

- Bruce Joyner -- vocals, guitar, synthesizers, percussion, bass

- Max Sikes -- drums, percussion

  supporting musicians:

- Alva Dickerson -- guitar

- Danny Heitzhausen -- bass

- Robert Folson - guitar, synthesizers, percussion

- Jerry Williams -- synthesizers

- B.A.L.L. (Don Fleming)

- The Backbeat Band

- Citizen 23 (Don Fleming)

- Dim Stars (Don Fleming)

- Don Fleming (solo efforts)

- Foot (Don Fleming)

- Gravy (Don Fleming)

- Gumball (Don Fleming)

- Half Japanese

- Idlewood (Don Fleming)

- Bruce Joyner (solo efforts)

- Bruce Joyner and the Plantations

- Bruce Joyner and the Tinglers

- Thurston Moore and Don Fleming

- Out of the Fire

- The Reconstruction

- Tom Smith and Don Fleming

- The Unknowns

- The Velvet Monkeys (Don Fleming)

Genre: pop

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Green and Yellow

Company: Abacus

Catalog: 78-095
Year: 1978

Country/State: Valdosta, Georgia

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: --

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 14863

Price: $175.00

I probably shouldn't admit to this (it's like being someone who buys wine because they like the label design), but I bought this album at a yard sale based entirely on the goofy album cover -  I had absolutely no idea who The Stroke Band was and after I bought it, the set sat in my to-listen-to pile for about four years before I finally got around to giving it a spin.

Joyner apparently came to music as a form of therapy combating a slew of physical  issues including damaged vocal chords (as a young child he was tricked into swallowing chloride crystals which all but destroyed his vocal chords), loss of an eye, and partial paralysis as a result of a car accident.   Together with singer/guitarist Don Fleming, bassist Rusty Jones, and drummer Max Sykes, by the mid-'70s he'd formed The Stroke Band (paying his bills as a substitute teacher).  

Produced by Robert Lester Folsom, 1978's "Green and Yellow" was a strange album to describe.  Even before hearing it, the fact these guys were from Valdosta, Georgia and the album was recorded in 1978 gave me the feeling it was going to have a Mitch Easter/B-52s/R.E.M. vibe to it - not necessarily a bad thing given I'm a big fan of that particularly genre.  Musically it featured a mixture of '60s pop and '70s new wave moves, with more than a touch of eclecticism thrown in for good measure.  As mentioned above, probably the most apt comparisons would be to The B-52s and other early-'80s Georgia bands that Mitch Easter produced.   I'm guessing it had more to do with limited funding than anything, but the whole album sounded like it was recorded on a shoestring; the end result being one of the most low-tech sounds you'll ever hear.  Imagine a crude demo tape and you'll be in the right mind frame for the results.  'Course that makes sense given none of these guys were what you'd call musical superstars.  Shrill, fragile, and aurally quite limited, Joyner had a voice you either loved, or hated with a passion (no middle ground).  As the other singer, Fleming didn't get much spotlight time, though he had the far better voice.   Jones was okay as a bassist, but Sykes was a hoot as the drummer.   Collectively, you occasionally were left to wonder whether they were all playing on the same song.    And while that sounds like a major put down, I'll readily admit there was something charming about the collection.   It wasn't always pretty (well, it was seldom pretty), but these guys played with more passion than a multitude of top-40 bands.

Green and Yellow" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Don't Get Angry  (Bruce Joyner - Rusty Jones) - 

A breezy, '60s tinged pop tune with plenty of Farfisa organ and the kind of uplifting lyrics that should make mothers happy, I've always loved Joyner's introduction which gave you the song title ...   You can find the song on YouTube where Joyner wrote in to say it was his mom's favorite tune "This was my mom's favorite song....She always wanted me to make music and to get rid of my bad temper ....I still do music".   rating: **** stars

2.) Green and Yellow   (Don Fleming - Rusty Jones - Bruce Joyner - Max Sikes) - 

The album's title track (and the first song Joyner ever wrote), 'Green and Yellow'  has to be one of the lowest tech songs I've ever heard - it literally sounded like Joyner and company recorded it in a closet.   In spite of the aural limitations, the result was a pretty, mid-tempo ballad marked by some wild electric guitar (that sounded totally out of place on the song), and irritating buzzing synthesizer, and Sikes limited drumming skills - I think my ten year old could probably do at least as well.   I'm not sure how, but it still charming.    rating: **** stars

3.) Fiction/Non-Fiction   (Don Fleming) - 

Nice '60s garage rocker with some of the album's best guitar work.   rating: **** stars

4.) Spaced   (Bruce Joyner) - 

Bassist Jones and drummer Sikes get a little spotlight time on 'Spaced' while Joyner trots out his best speak-sing voice for this weird one.   Hum, was Joyner really a substitute teacher ?  Why do I find that somewhat disconcerting ...   rating: *** stars

5.) Gun Fighting Man  (Don Fleming - Rusty Jones - Bruce Joyner - Max Sikes) - 

So 'Gun Fighting Man' finds The Stroke Band taking a stab at Lou Reed-meets-The Rolling Stones ...   Yeah, it actually rocks with a quite a bit of energy and the spastic lead guitar is fun.  rating: **** stars

(side 2)
1.) Rat Race (Bruce Joyner - Rusty Jones) - 

Anyone into Fred Schneider and The B-52s was probably going to enjoy this one - Complete with gurgling synthesizers and catchy melody, 'Rat Race' was possibly the most commercial track on the album.  It was also tapped as an instantly obscure single.   

2.) Janie's Living In a Cell   (Don Fleming) - 

Written and sung by Fleming (who had a far more mainstream voice than Joyner), the keyboard-propelled 'Janie's Living In a Cell' was the album's prettiest and most polished composition - not hard to picture this one having been covered by a metal band looking for a hit.      rating: **** stars

3.) Son of Sam (Bruce Joyner - Rusty Jones) - 

Maybe its just me but writing a song inspired by David Richard Berkowitz isn't exactly a normal occupation.    Weird synthesizer accompaniment too boot.   rating: ** stars

4.) Latin Melody   (Bruce Joyner) - 

Well, in spite of the title , there was nothing remotely Latin-flavored on this barebones and disturbing ballad.   Complete with discordant vocals, spastic drumming, and eerie synthesizers, it may have been even more disturbing than the previous 'Son of Sam'.   rating: *** stars

5.) The Waves Rush In (live In Miami)  (Don Fleming - Rusty Jones - Bruce Joyner - Max Sikes) - 

As you probably figured out from the title, 'The Waves Rush In' was supposedly a live track - seems doubtful to my ears, but what do I know.   Regardless, the song showed these guys could actually rock out in a Velvet Underground sort of way.  The song sure sounded like it had been recorded in cement truck and was with the wave and broken glass sound effects ?    rating: *** stars

As mentioned, the album spun off a single:

- 1978's (I Wanna Get Away from) 'Rat Race' b/w 'Don't Get Angry' (Abacus catalog number # UR 1271)

The band subsequently collapsed, but both Fleming and Joyner have remained active in music, forming and playing in a host of post-Stroke Band projects.  Fleming's also enjoyed success as a producer.