Genre: psych
Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: Sum Pear
Company: Euphoria
Catalog: EST 1
Country/State: Long Island, New York
Year: 1971
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: minor ring wear
Available: 1
Catalog ID: 5712
Price: $80.00
A Long Island New York-based (?) duo consisting of guitarist/keyboard player Sonny Hahn and singer/keyboard player Doug Miller, this is an outfit
I don't know much about, nor have I ever been able to dig up much on the
pair.
Released by the small Euphoria label (apparently a short lived Jubilee offshoot), their sole release 1971's
"Sum Pear" was well worth looking for (though
it's relative rare and increasingly costly - I've seen two original copies in twenty years). Produced by Bob Gallo, the set offered up a great mix of psych-influenced rockers
('Better Get Down'), straight ahead rock ('Bring Me Home America'), and more conventional folk
rock ('I Can See'). Miller had a nifty voice and Hahn's penchant for feedback drenched guitar (check out
the blazing 'Got Me Tragedy'), were both strong selling points. Some
interesting lyrics (yes I actually occasionally actually listen to the
words) and the presence of a full backing band with a kick ass rhythm
section in the form of bass player Bob Dorsa and drummer John Scaduto
certainly didn't hurt the proceedings. With the pair writing virtually all of the material
(a killer cover of Mickey Newbury's 'Down On Saturday' being the lone
non-original), highlights included 'Hey Sun', the wah-wah guitar propelled
'What's So Bad About Feelin' Good', the hyper-speed 'I Need Lovin'"' and the horn-propelled
'Thoughts of Slumber'. While it may not have been the year's most original offering,
the results were consistently entertaining making it one of those rare
albums I've actually bothered to transfer to CD-R and my iPod.
The album was also tapped for a single:
- 1971's 'Better Get Down' b/w 'Got Me Tragedy' (Euphoria catalog 45-202)
Needless to say, the LP and accompanying single vanished without a trace, followed in short order by the duo.
"Sum Pear" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) What's So Bad About Feelin' Good
(Doug Miller - Sonny Hahn) - 4:56
2.) Better Get Down (Doug Miller - Sonny Hahn) - 3:10
3.) Save the Children (Doug Miller - Sonny Hahn) - 3:31
4.) Hey Sun (Doug Miller - Sonny Hahn) - 3:35
5.) Thoughts of Slumber (Doug Miller) - 3:31
6.) Bring Me Home America (Doug Miller - Sonny Hahn) - 3:18
(side 2)
1.) I Need Lovin'
(Doug Miller - Sonny Hahn) - 2:17
2.) Down On Saturday (Mickey Newbury) - 4:17
3.) I Can See (Doug Miller - Sonny Hahn) - 3:32
4.) Got Me Tragedy (Doug Miller - Sonny Hahn) - 3:08
5.) On My Way/Forget Yesterday Medley (Doug Miller - Sonny Hahn) - 6:46
But that's not the end of the story. Five years later the album reappeared on the Guinness tax scam label. This time around it was credited to 'Sonny & Doug'. and carried the title "Sum Pair". Same track listing, but different song sequence - I actually like the revamped order better. As you can see the album also featured new artwork.
Guinness catalog number GNS 36044
In 2004 the notorious Radioactive label reissued a bootleg copy of the collection in CD format (Radioactive catalog number RR CD-067).