Classic Rock Esoterica
Lost Tracks

Great acoustic slide work from original Jethro Tull guitarist, Mick Abrahams. 

12/8/10
Artist: John Lennon
Track: Working Class Hero
Album: Plastic Ono Band 
Released: 1970
"You're still fucking peasants as far as I can see," kept it off the radio.
  
12/3/10
Artist: J. Geils Band
Track: Hard Drivin' Man
Album: Live Full House
Released: 1972
High energy music from a Boston band that considered Detroit their second home.

11/25/10
Artist: Little Feat
Track: Dixie Chicken 
Album: Dixie Chicken 
Released: 1973
Seminal southern rock celebrating the shewolf in sheep's clothing.

11/20/10
Artist: The Yardbirds
Track: Happenings Ten Years Time Ago
Album: Roger the Engineer
Released: 1966
Only Yardbirds studio track to feature Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page together on guitar.  John Paul Jones on bass. Throw Donovan into the mix on vocals, Keith Moon on drums and imagine the possibilities.

11/7/10
Artist: The Rolling Stones
Track: Citadel
Album: Their Satanic Majesties Request
Released: 1967
My favorite track from a controversial album.

10/29/10
Artist: Jesse Colin Young
Track: Ridgetop
Album: Song for Juli
Released: 1973
Not just a song, but a celebration of life, California style.

10/22/10
Artist: Dave Clark Five
Track: Try Too Hard
Album: The History of The Dave Clark Five
Released: 1965
Great last gasp by a one time contender for the Beatle's throne in England.

10/9/10
Artist: Guess Who?
Track: Shakin' all Over
Album: Anthology
Released: 1965
First big hit for the Guess Who?.  Later covered to great effect by the Who on Live At Leeds.

10/2/10
Artist: Dave Mason
Track: Look At You, Look At Me
Album: Alone Together
Released: 1970
Reminiscent of Hendrix's All Along the Watchtower on which Mason played acoustic guitar.

9/25/10
Artist: Jimi Hendrix
Track: Villanova Junction
Album: Woodstock Soundtrack
Released: 1970
Long, slow jam performed only once for the 6,000 people still standing in the mud at Woodstock on Monday morning.

9/17/10
Artist: Jimi Hendrix
Track: Dolly Dagger
Album: Rainbow Bridge
Released: 1971
Tribute to groupie/girlfriend Devon Wilson

9/10/10
Artist: Derek and the Dominoes
Track: Little Wing
Album: Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Released: 1970
Eric Clapton and Duane Allman pay homage to the recently deceased Hendrix.

9/3/10
Artist: Beatles
Track: Ticket to Ride
Album: Help
Released: 1965
The Beatles first release with Paul McCartney on guitar.

8/27/10
Artist: The Doors
Track: The End
Album: Doors
Released: 1967
Morrison's take on Oedipus Rex that got them kicked out of the Whisky a Go Go by Elmer Valentine.

8/20/10
Artist: Pink Floyd
Track: Listen to the whole thing!
Album: Piper At the Gates of Dawn
Released: 1967
With Syd Barret writing most of the tracks, it was a sneak peek at where Pink Floyd was heading.  Unfortunately, Syd wouldn't be making the trip, he was about to leave on one of his own.
 

8/13/10
Artist: Faces
Track: Maybe I'm Amazed
Album: Long Player
Released: 1971
The Faces cover McCartney and give it some grit!

8/6/10
Artist: Jan and Dean
Track: Surf City
Album: Surf City
Released: 1963
Two girls for every boy!  The ultimate surfer's destination, most likely Huntington Beach, one of my early haunts.

7/30/10
Artist: Alice Cooper
Track: The Ballad of Dwight Frye
Album: Love It To Death
Released: 1971
A tribute to Hollywood's spider eater.

7/24/10
Artist: Donovan
Track: Season of the Witch
Album: Sunshine Superman
Released: 1966
Light jazzy feel with a strong vocal delivery of enigmatic lyrics.  Donovan on all guitars.

7/17/10
Artist: Traveling Wilburys
Track: Handle With Care
Album: Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1
Released: 1988
George Harrison's best post-Beatles effort after All Things Must Pass. 
 
7/10/10
Artist: Ringo Starr
Track: No No Song
Album: Ringo
Released: 1974
It would still be years before Ringo took his own advice and said, "I don't do that no more, I'm tired of waking up on the floor."

7/3/10
Artist: The Supremes
Track: You Can't Hurry Love
From: The Supremes au Go Go
Released 1966
Listen to Jamerson's bass grab your attention from the first note.

6/26/10
Artist: The Stooges
Track: I Wanna Be Your Dog
From: The Stooges
Released: 1969
The title says it all!

6/19/10
Artist: Jefferson Airplane
Track: Mexico
From: 2400 Fulton Street
Released: 1970
Won't hear this one on the radio, not then, not now. 
 
6/12/10 
Artist: The Byrds
Track: Wasn't Born to Follow
From: The Notorious Byrd Brothers
Released: 1968 
The three remaining Byrds cover Carol King.

6/3/10
Artist: Humble Pie
Track: Thirty Days in the Hole
From: Smokin'
Released: 1972
Some Newcastle Brown, Black Nepalese and a silver coke spoon and all they got was thirty days?

5/29/10
Artist: Jackie DeShannon
Track: What the World Needs Now
From: What the World Needs Now
Released: 1965
Two years before the Beatles told us All You Need Is Love, Jackie let us in on the secret.

5/21/10
Artist: Curtis Mayfield
Track: Superfly
From: Superfly Soundtrack Album
Released 1972
If that intro doesn't suck you in, nothing will.

5/15/10
Artist: Cream
Track: Crossroads
From: Wheels of Fire
Released: 1968
Eric Clapton at the absolute top of his form.

5/7/10
Artist: Fleetwood Mac
Track: Rattlesnake Shake
From: Then Play On
Released: 1969
Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer at their best.

4/30/10
Artist: Traffic
Track: Vagabond Virgin
From: Traffic
Released: 1968
Just a hint of things to come from Steve Windwood and friends.

4/24/10 
Artist: John Mayall
Track: California
From: Turning Point
Released: 1969
Some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard, and without a doubt, one of the best live perfromances ever caught on tape.

4/16/10
Artist:Rolling Stones
Track:Sweet Black Angel
From: Exile on Main Street
Released: 1972
Mick and Keith's nod to black activist Angela Davis.

4/11/10
Artist:Derek and the Dominoes
Track:Little Wing
From: Layla
Released: 1972
Eric and Duane's tribute to Hendrix, recorded the week he died.

4/4/2010
Artist: The Nashville Teens
Track: Tobacco Road
From:  The Best of the Nashville Teens
Released: 1964
In spite of the name, they were English Invasion from Weybridge, Surrey, not Nashville, Tennessee


Old Format:

3/28/10  The Who ~ Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand from The Who Sell Out ~ A vile ode to masturbation, the girls who will and some tasty acoustic work by Pete. 

3/20/2010 The Beach Boys ~ Do It Again from The Very Best of the Beach Boys ~ Feel good nostalgia

3/14/2010 The Bob Seger System ~ Ivory from Ramblin' Gamblin' Man - Great song from his breakout album.(unavailable in MP3) 

1/10/2010 The Velvet Underground ~  Sweet Jane from The Best of The Velvet Underground  Musical pornography for the twisted mind

12/06/2009 Carole King ~ Music from Music
Music is playing inside our heads too.

11/08/2009 Herman's Hermits ~Silhouettes from The Best of Herman's Hermits ~ An early uncredited session for Jimmy Page?

10/13/2009 Faces ~Three Button Hand Me Down from First Step - What a treat to see them do this one live in Detroit.

09/28/2009  Dr. John ~ Gris Gris Gumbo from Gris-Gris - The good doctor practicing a little voodoo down in the Big Easy.

09/12/2009 Cream ~ I Feel Free from Fresh Cream - First album, first track from a new band. Need I say more?

08/19/2009 Bob Dylan ~It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry from Highway 61 Revisited ~ Would've been the best song on the album if not for Like a Rolling Stone.