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7"
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GUESSG 022EP
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First ever reissue of this rare 45 by West Coast psychedelic folk-rock legends Weird Herald, originally released in 1968 as a promo only edition. Hailing from Los Gatos (California) with roots in the '60s San Jose/Saratoga folk/coffeehouse scene, Weird Herald featured two talented guitar players, Billy Dean Andrus and Paul Ziegler. "Saratoga James" was written by Andrus about his friend Jim Fletcher from Saratoga, who was forced to receive brutal electro shock therapy after his family discovered he was using psychedelic drugs. The fragile "Just Yesterday" was written by Paul Ziegler and it's reminiscent of the Byrds with a cool laidback country-rock and timeless vibe. This reissue comes with a vintage styled picture sleeve and includes an insert with liner notes by Cam Cobb.
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CD
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GUESS 079CD
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In 1968, Weird Herald released a now sought-after promo only 45 with the songs "Saratoga James"/'Just Yesterday." That 45 was part of a full album that was never released. Music ranges from haunting, beautiful folk-rock with spacey acoustic guitar playing and delicate vocal harmonies, cool laid-back country-folk, to energetic hard-rockers à la early Moby Grape or Jefferson Airplane with stunning electric leads. Not forgetting "Where I'm Bound" which has a cool Notorious Byrd Brothers feel. Hailing from Los Gatos in California, Weird Herald featured two accomplished guitar players who are local legends in the San Jose / Santa Cruz area, Billy Dean Andrus and Paul Ziegler. Their roots can be traced to the early San Jose folk / coffeehouse scene. Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna) was a close friend and used to jam with them. Billy Dean Andrus was Skip Spence's best friend since high school and they both used to perform as a folk duo in the early days. A fantastic rhythm section, Cecil Bollinger on bass and Pat McIntire on drums rounded the band. Sadly, in 1970 Billy Dean Andrus died of a drug overdose in the Santa Cruz Mountains. He was immortalized on the songs "Ode for Billy Dean" written by Jorma Kaukonen for Hot Tuna and "Chicago" by the Doobie Brothers. Paul Ziegler ended up joining up Hot Tuna in the early '70s. He passed away in 2000. Problems with the management/producers led to the planned album being shelved and, according to legend, the master tapes destroyed. Luckily, reel-to-reel copies have remained with the Andrus family for half over a century, unheard until now. Includes eight-page insert with detailed liner notes by Cam Cobb (authors of Weighted Down: The Complicated Life Of Skip Spence) with input from the Andrus family and the surviving Weird Herald members and rare photos. Comes with download card with 11 previously unreleased bonus tracks, including basement demos from 1967 by the first line-up of the band. RIYL: Moby Grape, Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds, Milk Carton Kids, Buffalo Springfield, Maitreya Kali, Everly Brothers, Psychedelic Rock, Folk-Rock, Loner Folk.
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LP
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GUESS 264LP
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2025 restock; LP version. In 1968, Weird Herald released a now sought-after promo only 45 with the songs "Saratoga James"/'Just Yesterday." That 45 was part of a full album that was never released. Music ranges from haunting, beautiful folk-rock with spacey acoustic guitar playing and delicate vocal harmonies, cool laid-back country-folk, to energetic hard-rockers à la early Moby Grape or Jefferson Airplane with stunning electric leads. Not forgetting "Where I'm Bound" which has a cool Notorious Byrd Brothers feel. Hailing from Los Gatos in California, Weird Herald featured two accomplished guitar players who are local legends in the San Jose / Santa Cruz area, Billy Dean Andrus and Paul Ziegler. Their roots can be traced to the early San Jose folk / coffeehouse scene. Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna) was a close friend and used to jam with them. Billy Dean Andrus was Skip Spence's best friend since high school and they both used to perform as a folk duo in the early days. A fantastic rhythm section, Cecil Bollinger on bass and Pat McIntire on drums rounded the band. Sadly, in 1970 Billy Dean Andrus died of a drug overdose in the Santa Cruz Mountains. He was immortalized on the songs "Ode for Billy Dean" written by Jorma Kaukonen for Hot Tuna and "Chicago" by the Doobie Brothers. Paul Ziegler ended up joining up Hot Tuna in the early '70s. He passed away in 2000. Problems with the management/producers led to the planned album being shelved and, according to legend, the master tapes destroyed. Luckily, reel-to-reel copies have remained with the Andrus family for half over a century, unheard until now. Includes eight-page insert with detailed liner notes by Cam Cobb (authors of Weighted Down: The Complicated Life Of Skip Spence) with input from the Andrus family and the surviving Weird Herald members and rare photos. Comes with download card with 11 previously unreleased bonus tracks, including basement demos from 1967 by the first line-up of the band. RIYL: Moby Grape, Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds, Milk Carton Kids, Buffalo Springfield, Maitreya Kali, Everly Brothers, Psychedelic Rock, Folk-Rock, Loner Folk.
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