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Monday, March 25, 2024

MALLARD LIVE : WDR Studio L - THE ROCKPALAST, Cologne, Germany - September 7th 1976

 MALLARD 

So after my plea ZigZag Wanderer* dropped by and posted a link to this, the elusive Mallard set from the Rockpalast in Cologne Germany back in 1976. It is really good quality and I am endebted to him. He also posts a link to a five track video of the concert which I don’t know how to post here but again it is well worth having and watching. ZigZagWandereer says the vid is poor quality and has some noise bars across the bottom but frankly I have seen a whole lot worse! (the one I posted down below the other day is dreadful by comparison!)

* "probably the world’s biggest Beefheart fan” Silent Way at Floppy Boot Stomp! 






The text files from the original poster says:
Mallard
WDR Studio L
Cologne, Germany
September 7th 1976

Bill Harkleroad (Zoot Horn Rollo) and Mark Boston (Rockette Morton) created this band on guitar/bass respectively having split from Captain Beefheart's Magic Band. They recruited Sam Galpin as singer, moved to the UK and made two great albums. Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull helped them and they used his studio to make the debut album. Legend has it that they even recorded some material with Anderson but Harkleroad destroyed the tapes. (no mention here of George Dragotta on drums and while they cover four John French songs or co-written numbers he is notable by his absence here. George does a good job but he ain’t no Drumbo IMO - but then I hold John as one of the world’s best and his contribution to Beefheart compositions is a given that with him and his musical notations most things from Trout Mask on wouldn’t have come to fruition- just an opinion)

I have done a bit of remastering to my CD copy as that seemed very boomy on the bass frequency. Much nicer sound now I think.
By this time another Beefheart refugee, John Thomas, (stop sniggering at the back) had joined them on keyboards.
regards
Titus

01 She's Long & She's Lean
02 One Day Once
03 A Piece of Me
04 Green Coyote & His Companion
05 Harvest
06 Mamma Squeeze
07 Back on the Pavement
08 Reign of Pain
09 Winged Tuskadaro
10 Road to Morocco


Sam Galpin: vocal
Bill Harkleroad: guitar
Mark Boston: bass
John Thomas: keyboard
George Dragotta: drums

 It is a FLAC file so be patient but the increased quality is worth it

Meanwhile the vid is available here again for the avid fan really worth checking out 

Mallard
Rockpalast Cologne Germany
7th September 1976

Back On The Pavement
One Day Once
Reign Of Pain
A Piece Of Me [split]
Mama Squeeze

here . . .

note this vid file is 1.5GB so patience may be required . . . . 

On recording and playing with Mallard “[Virgin] put us up in this castle called Clearwell Castle, right on the border of Wales. We spent a couple of weeks there, and to me, it was a whole 'nother world. I loved it.” Mark Boston

Niether Sam nor George are still with us but the rest of the boys are working away and still around I am glad to say although Mark has periods of ill health having had heart surgery recently he is taking things easier , the sniggering joke about John JT Thomas is ironic to a degree as he is a very accomplished player and has a wide experience _having played with Bruce Hornsby And The Noisemakers, Mallard, ModeReko, Rattlesnakes & Eggs, The Magic Band) Bill’s info here Bill’s webpage here , Mark here at The Radar Station

drop by and buy one of Rockette’s psychedelic drawings


This has been a ZigZagWanderer/ Swappers production!

2 comments:

  1. Excellent! Thank you very much. I bought their first album when it came out and have loved their version of Desperados Waiting For A Train ever since. Oh, and yes, I did buy the CD twofer of their albums :-))

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh glad you liked it Grum!
    My definite find of the well/month/year thanks to ZigZagWanderer
    On the [virtual] turntable as we speak!
    thanks for dropping by

    ReplyDelete