Various : TASTY : Truly Obscure Vintage Hard Rock (USA-1976-1983) NEW LINK : 11/11/2020

[bigfootkit]

NEW LINK : 11/11/2020

I'd originally made this comp just for my own enjoyment, but as it was inspired & informed by the Corroseum's Compilation Encyclopedia i thought i'd share it here as a wee early xmas gift.
Not all of it will interest everyone here as it goes off at the occasional Pomp Rock, Southern Boogie or AOR tangent, but for anyone interested in obscure music culled from vintage radio station local act comps in the general Hard Rock area there should be plenty to enjoy.

Various : TASTY : Truly Obscure Vintage Hard Rock 1976-1983 (1976-1983) USA

320 kbps



01. Bad Habit - Never Give A Sucker An Even Break
02. Luna - Hollywood
03. Winter City - Across My Heart
04. Dave Feinstein's Thunder - Road To California
05. Spike - Bad News
06. Warhead - Street Survivors
07. Liquid Sky - Cry For The King
08. The Adams-Michaels Band - Are You Ready To Rock And Roll?
09. Payne Brothers Band - Cocaine Cowboy
10. Thundertrain - Dirty Water
11. Persia - Don’t Let Your Dreams
12. Dave Steffen Band - Gettin' Ready For You
13. Good Rats - Glad To Have You Back (Beethoven)
14. Legs Diamond - Rat Race
15. Schoolboys - Mean Street Machine
16. Reign - In The Dark
17. Rock City - Closer And Closer



Track 01 from : From the 1980 '93 QFM Hometown Album Project' LP
Track 02 from : From the 1979 'The Best Of The Boston Beat : WCOZ' LP
Track 03 from : From the 1982 'Hot Hits : WFEC 14 - Harrisburg's Own Hot Rock Hits' LP
Track 04 from : From the 1979 'Sounds '79' LP
Track 05 from : From the 1982 'WEBN Album Project 7' LP
Track 06 from : From the 1983 'Z96 : Rock To Riches II' LP
Track 07 from : From the 1981 '99.5 KISS Homegrown Album' LP
Track 08 from : From the 1980 'WDVE : Pittsburgh Rocks' LP
Track 09 from : From the 1982 'WDIZ : Rock On Orlando! - Homegrown Vol 2' LP
Track 10 from : From the 1979 'The Best Of The Boston Beat : WCOZ' LP
Track 11 from : From the 1982 'WRNO : The Rock Album Vol II' LP
Track 12 from : From the 1982 '93 QFM Hometown Album Project No. 2'
Track 13 from : From the 1981 'WBAB : Homegrown Album' LP
Track 14 from : From the 1976 'KWST : The L.A. Soundtrack' LP
Track 15 from : From the 1980 'KDKB Arizona Sounds Volume IV' LP
Track 16 from : From the 1980 'WDIZ : Homegrown Album' LP
Track 17 from : From the 1981 'Y95 Rockford : Homemade Album'

In the 1970's & 1980's a little-remembered but common promotional tool for U.S. radio stations was the local artists compilation LP.
Often the groups included were chosen to appear through local battle of the band style contests, but later on some of these competitions went statewide or even national, and were often sponsored by big booze companies like Miller or Seagrams.
Whilst the majority of these bands shuffled straight back into obscurity often leaving these compilations behind as the only record that they ever existed, many aspiring rockers who later became well known got their first break on these things.
These records usually veered all over the place both stylistically & in terms of quality, but with persistent digging the occasional golden nugget can be found amongst all the dross.
Here are 17 unsung but very worthwhile songs, plucked from some of those long forgotten records and conveniently assembled in one place for your listening pleasure.
Primarily taking in Hard Rock & Heavy Metal, with the occasional excursion into Southern Rock, AOR or Pomp Rock territory, all the tracks were recorded between 1976 & 1983.
It's a weird time capsule, a sampler album from a Twilight Zone parallel universe where every teenage bedroom has posters of the Dave Steffen Band & Dave Feinstein's Thunder on the wall and no-one knows who Judas Priest or Aerosmith are.
Enjoy!



BAD HABIT were from Milwaukee, WI & as far as i can tell this was the only song they ever released.
LUNA were from Boston, MA & grew out of a prior band called ORCHESTRA LUNA, who released a S/T LP in 1974.
WINTER CITY were from Hummelstown, PA, and were previously known as FULL MOON. Under that name they released a S/T 1980 LP later reissued on CD as 'State Of The Artist'.
DAVE FEINSTEIN's THUNDER were from upstate NY, and featured a post-ELF, pre-THE RODS Feinstein on guitar & vocals, and a pre-MANOWAR Joey DeMaio on bass.
SPIKE were formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1973, and released 3 singles & 2 albums. Guitarist David T. Chastain later formed CHASTAIN, CJSS (with 2 other former Spike members) and ZANISTER, as well as recording as a solo artist.
WARHEAD were formed in South Carolina. They released 'Street Survivors' as a 45 in 1985 and a 1986 cassette EP, 'Tonight We Rock'. A compilation CD of their vintage material, 'Explosive Rock', was released in 2014.
LIQUID SKY were from San Antonio, Texas and featured a pre-WINTERKAT John Grell on Guitar, with vocals from Steve Cooper, later of S.A. SLAYER, NARITA, EXXPLORER & JUGGERNAUT.
THE ADAMS-MICHAELS BAND were from Pittsburgh, PA, and released a 45, 'Lonely Man' in 1982. Singer/Guitarist Robert Michaels later formed EXPEN$E.
PAYNE BROTHERS BAND were formed in Edgewater, Florida in 1970 and are still going strong! They released their debut album 'In The Blink Of An Eye' in 2008.
THUNDERTRAIN were from Boston, MA & released 2 albums 'Teenage Suicide' & 'Hell Tonite!'. Vocalist Mach Bell fronted the JOE PERRY PROJECT for the 1983 'Once A Rocker, Always A Rocker' LP.
PERSIA were from New Orleans, LA, and were previously known as ROYAL ORLEANS. Under that name, they released the 1981 'Hustling In Hollywood' single.
DAVE STEFFEN BAND are from Milwaukee, WI, and grew out of the earlier band SUNBLIND LION who released 3 albums between 1976 & 1980. Dave Steffen Band released their debut album, 'Find A Groove' in 2008.
GOOD RATS were from Long Island, NY and released 13 albums between 1969 & 2014. The version of the band on the (exclusive) featured track has Bruce Kulick, (KISS, MEATLOAF, BLACKJACK & UNION) on guitar & future TWISTED SISTER member JOE FRANCO on drums.
LEGS DIAMOND were formed in Los Angeles, CA, in 1975, and released 10 albums between 1977 & 2005. This version of 'Rat Race' predates the version that appears on their S/T debut LP.
SCHOOLBOYS were from Phoenix, Arizona & recorded a four song EP, 'Singin', Shoutin'' in 1980, before changing their name to ICON. As Icon, they released four studio albums between 1984 & 1989.
REIGN were formed in New Smyrna Beach, Florida in 1976 by the Rogers brothers, John & Don.
ROCK CITY were a quartet from Rockford, IL. They released a lone 45 called 'Bad Boy' in 1980.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/qe24t4rq9 ... 9.rar/file

NEW LINK : 11/11/2020 for metaljunkie & DaN

no pw

[Ernest Thesiger]

Thanks very much.

[Noisenik]

Thank you, Kit!

[rumblefist]

Interested in 3 tracks i never listened (and which are pretty good really) of Bad Habit, Rock City (they also recorded a 7'' in 1980 not sure if you know) and Spike.

Thanks.

[Astra Wally]

Thank you Kit for this great comp. Very impressive

For sure there are some gems to be found on it

[Pavlos]

Great stuff, indeed!!!!

THANX

[alien laserblast]

This is pretty killer, been jamming it a lot! Thanks! Dig the jump in the fire/minor blues scale riff near the end.

[bigfootkit]

Interested in 3 tracks i never listened (and which are pretty good really) of Bad Habit, Rock City (they also recorded a 7'' in 1980 not sure if you know) and Spike.

Thanks.

Is this the Rock City 7" you mentioned rumblefist?

[rumblefist]

Interested in 3 tracks i never listened (and which are pretty good really) of Bad Habit, Rock City (they also recorded a 7'' in 1980 not sure if you know) and Spike.

Thanks.

Is this the Rock City 7" you mentioned rumblefist?

Yep.

[bigfootkit]

Interested in 3 tracks i never listened (and which are pretty good really) of Bad Habit, Rock City (they also recorded a 7'' in 1980 not sure if you know) and Spike.

Thanks.

Is this the Rock City 7" you mentioned rumblefist?

Yep.

You sure it's the same band?
rym attributes that single to Rock City (NY), and the comp track was by a Rockford, Illinois band.
rym could have it wrong of course, or they could have relocated i suppose.
Either way, is the 45 any good?

[rumblefist]

Perhaps Jonas can clear this out since what i have was originally uploaded by him.
So, he can know something more...
Anyway, is a 128 Kbps, so it can't be uploaded here. I suggest you to pm me with your email and i'll send it thru We Transfer.
1 side Power/Pop + the other Hard-Rockier...

[omen of hate]

Simply fantastic !! Thanks Bigfoot !!

[nightsblood]

Bloody hell gents, surely we can provide Mr Kit with a tad more feedback than this after he shares such a tasty package with us? If not, then the once mighty Corro is indeed well and truly knackered. Guess I have to crawl out of the Lurker’s Corner and give ‘er a go then….

BAD HABIT get the album off to a great start. They sit at the exact center of the metal-rock intersection, able to invoke the big, booming spirit of louder dinosaur rock tracks such as HUMBLE PIE’a ‘Up Our Sleeve’ and the ethos of the nascent early 80s metal sound at the same time.

LUNA is also pretty fun. The glorious 70s keyboard sounds overlie some pretty solid rock. The choppy guitars at the beginning are reminiscent of a young David Chastain (more on that later), and there’s even a slight QUEEN vibe in the vocal interplay. It’s not pure fukkin’ Armageddon, but really, what’s not to like here?

WINTER CITY changes the mood quite a bit. ‘State of the Artist’ is one of the (many) albums I played once or twice and remember liking, but I can’t tell you a bloody thing about it. This track definitely makes me want to go re-visit FULL MOON sooner rather than later. This track has a cool, moody vibe that gives it a slightly doomy feel. I dig it.

DAVE FEINSTEIN’S THUNDER- Other bands play, Dave Feinstein’s Thunder Kills! OK, so it’s probably best that Joey saved that tag line for his later endeavor. This track channels the same type of DEEP PURPLE worship that permeated Feinstein’s eponymous 1978 ingle, ‘Midnight Lady / Ship on a Stormy Sea’. Not bad at all, though Ritchie Blackmore’s lawyers might raise an eyebrow.

SPIKE- One of the better-known acts included herein. This is my favorite SPIKE track; such a great chorus hook! While bands like SPIKE didn’t drive metal up your arse, they straddled the hard rock-heavy metal line in such a way as to produce catchy fare with just enough bite to grab your attention.

WARHEAD- Another nice, energetic rocker with traces of metal running through its bloodstream. This reminds me a lot of some of the interesting hard rock-heavy metal bands that were active in the American Southwest during the early 80s (Voltz, White Noise, Loosely Tight, etc). For those not in the know, one of the WARHEAD members posted info about the band on the Corroseum forum several years ago. Really nice bloke. I live in the same area as the band’s old stomping grounds, so we had a bit of a natter on PM about some of the old venues in the area where I’ve seen shows and that they played at once upon a time.

LIQUID SKY- What a cool track! And what an interesting pedigree the band developed over the years! As soon as I heard those vocals I was like, “blimey, it couldn’t be the same bloke who screeched out SLAYER’s ‘Unholy Book?!?!”. But there you have it. Texas produced so much cool metal in the early 1980s, and then we got stuck with PANTERA and THE SWORD. What the hell happened?!

THE ADAMS-MICHAELS BAND- Well, we had to hit a bit of a clunker sooner or later. I have a personal beef with every single band to ever record under the moniker of “Name of A Member ‘S BAND’. Really now, if you can’t come up with a more original name that that, you lack the creative juices to produce anything that will be worthwhile to anyone. End of discussion.

PAYNE BROTHERS’ BAND- This song might seem kinda enjoyable. It might be a good, uptempo Southern-flavored rocker that has just enough punch in the beat and sizzle in the guitars to make the flames jump off the fret board a tad. It might hint at what Southern Rock should have morphed into rather than becoming a bunch of Skynyrd copycats wearing cowboy hats. But they went and violated the rule stated above about how to name your band, so I guess they must suck by default. And 38 years to get your debut album released? Hold onto that dream lads! Maybe if you’d come up with a better band name you could’ve crashed the record store shelves within the first, oh, 35 years of your existence.

THUNDERTRAIN- What was I just saying about Southern rock having a tendency to go straight off the rails? It sounds like Ronnie Van Zant’s untalented cousin came back from a drunken holiday in London and tried to start a pub rock band in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1988. But every compilation must include at least a few cringe-worthy numbers, and I salute Mr Kit for resisting the temptation to replace this track with a song that is actually good. Your adherence to the standards of the field are to be commended, good sir.

PERSIA- Ah, that’s a bit more like it! I heard the ROYAL ORLEANS single awhile back but it failed to make any lasting impression; that happens with disturbing frequency after you’ve been spinning hard rock and heavy metal records for about 30 years. This is a cool track though and may induce me to do the previously unthinkable and dredge that RO single up to give it another listen.

DAVE STEFFEN BAND- Go sit in the corner Dave, and you can’t come out until you come up with a better name for your band. Really, how self-centered can you be? Does your ego require such constant validation that you have to have your own name jammed into the band’s name, just so you could see it emblazoned in 40-foot high lights every time you played to thousands of adoring fans around the world, and read it at the top of the Best Sellers list every time you pick up a fanzine with your band’s picture- and YOUR NAME- emblazoned upon the cover? Such vanity is never flattering Dave. Oh, and this song leaves no impression whatsoever.

GOOD RATS- Wouldn’t you love to be the guy in the front at a future KISS reunion concert, featuring Bruce in the lineup, who’s wearing a GOOD RATS shirt and screaming maniacally “Glad to have you back Bruce!”? Bucket List item! Seriously, it’s always cool to find these weird connections between big bands and long-lost acts. On to the music- the song kinda smokes! Good, manic energy driving it along quite well, and it has a hard-nosed, blue-collar, street vibe reminiscent of better TKO tunes. And they released how many albums?! Crazy how some bands can thrive in the underground for so long.

LEGS DIAMOND- Er, shouldn’t GOOD RATS have used this song title? This is one of those bands that every metal head has come across; their LPs litter the ‘Two Quid Each’ boxes at every record fair on the bloody planet. And yet I don’t think I’ve ever met a single person who ever bought a single one of their albums or heard a single one of their tracks. Well, now I have, and I’m a little saddened by the experience. It’s not terrible, but it strikes me as incredibly mediocre 70s rock fare. Now that the mysterious LEGS have been opened and my Diamond cherry has been popped, I can no longer fantasize about what it’ll be like on the day I finally hear a LD track for the first time, imagining how awesome it will turn out to be and how the music will fill me, swelling within me and flowing through me like…. Wait, what the hell happened to this paragraph?

SCHOOLBOYS- Oh cool, pre-ICON material! I actually like some of ICON’s records, but I had long ago forgotten that they were once called SCHOOLBOYS. And hey, it’s a pretty good tune- speeds along, nice punch to it. Sweet! Much harder-hitting than their later ICON output.

REIGN- This is the kind of tune that all the tr00 kv1t types will bitch about, but I actually like. Not every tune has to be ‘Welcome to Hell’ or ‘Reign in Blood’. Maybe it’s just a result of having grown up in the 80s when this kind of lightweight but guitar driven rock was part of the soundtrack of my formative years, but I don’t mind such tunes as long as they have a decent hook and some nice guitar work. Poodleheads can write decent songs too.

ROCK CITY- Shades of Mark Reale! If only. This song confuses me; the lads seemed to have trouble choosing a direction. It wants to be a pacey number with a slight heaviness to it, but it loses the plot along the way. Why the ‘tougher’ sounding verses? Why the jerky interludes? Why the more laid back solo in the middle? Why speed up at the end? What’s with the last second scream? Keep ‘er in the road lads!

Alrighty then, back to my cave. See y’all in another year or so.

[bigfootkit]

Nightsblood, thank you for that most enjoyable read.
Your humour & turn of phrase are much missed hereabouts, and i laughed out loud on several occasions, even when you were tearing down a favourite song.
If this is to be your sole non-lurking reappearance in Corro-land for the year then at least it was a damn good one.
Hats off to you sir, you've set the standard to which all 2017 posts will now be compared.

[doomedplanet]

I grabbed it awhile back but currently have no convenient way to listen to mp3s, I am trying to resurrect my old dead pc and plan on making it a standalone listening station for digital files, will listen to this once that work is all successful. Really want to hear Winter City as I love the Full Moon lp, wish I had an original.