Stone The Crows

Stone The Crows – Teenage Licks (Remastered) (1971/2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 38:37 minutes | 421 MB | Genre: Blues
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Repertoire Records (UK) Limited

At the start of the 1970s, creativity was flourishing like never before and musicians were being encouraged to “think outside of the box”. “We used a Stylophone (toy keyboard) in the studio recalls vocalist MAGGIE BELL “And Leslie (guitarist LES HARVEY) used both a fiddle bow and a vibrator to get sounds from his guitar!” Having recorded and released no less than two albums (Stone The Crows and Ode To John Law) in the space of 12 months a new look STC showed their paces with 1971’s “Teenage Licks”.

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Stone The Crows – Stone the Crows (Remastered) (1970/2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 37:36 minutes | 423 MB | Genre: Blues
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Repertoire Records (UK) Limited

Stone the Crows is the debut album by Stone the Crows.

“A somewhat atypical debut rock release. Not only does the band deliver a soulful rendition of “Fool on the Hill,” but the dreaded side-long track makes its appearance on side two of Stone the Crows. The tune is titled “I Saw America,” and it pulls together the rock, blues, and soul elements that were splintered up on the first side. A spirited attempt was made to live up to the grandiose title, and there’s some confident guitar by Les Harvey, but ultimately Stone the Crows are unable to meld together the progressive folk, boogie, jazz, and soul sections that comprise the piece. “A” for effort, though.” (Peter Kurtz, AMG)

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Stone the Crows – Ontinuous Performance (1972/2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 39:05 minutes | 449 MB | Genre: Blues
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Repertoire Records (UK) Limited

Much of Ontinuous Performance (and no, there’s no C in there) was already in the can when guitarist Les Harvey was tragically electrocuted onstage on May 3, 1972. The band brought in young guitar wiz Jimmy McCullough (ex-Thunderclap Newman) to take his place, but really, in a band like this, no one could have filled his shoes — a listen to Harvey’s guitar work on the instrumental “King Tut” shows how far he’d come, and how integral his particular style of playing was to the band’s sound. Ironically, out of tragedy came a brief moment of success, as “Good Time Girl,” released as a single (and, except for gender, it was a perfect Rod Stewart song) hit #12 on the U.K. singles chart. But there was also a return to their blues roots with the acoustic “Penicillin Blues,” while “One More Chance” offered Maggie Bell an opportunity to show her soulful vocal chops. However, they blew it during the nine minutes of “Niagara,” a piece that, it sounded, was never finished before release. It was would have impossible for the band to let go of Harvey without a song, and it comes at the end of the disc, the ballad “Sunset Cowboy,” which is touching and heartfelt. After this disc the disheartened band broke up. – Chris Nickson

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Stone The Crows – Ode to John Law (Remastered) (1970/2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 41:28 minutes | 473 MB | Genre: Blues
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Repertoire Records (UK) Limited

“In a way, you have to feel sorry for Stone the Crows. All the elements were there for them to have been one of the major bands, up there with Zeppelin – they even had the same management. But even on this, their second and best album, they could never quite put everything together. Live, they were an incendiary act, with singer Maggie Bell and guitarist Les Harvey true stars. Somehow, though, once they entered a recording studio, the magic seemed to come off with the overcoats. That’s not to say this isn’t a good album. “Sad Mary,” “Friend,” and “Love 74” are all showcases for Harvey’s excellent guitar skills, while “Things Are Getting Better” and a cover of Curtis Mayfield’s “Danger Zone” let Maggie Bell shine in her best Janis Joplin style (although it’s a shame bassist Jim Dewar has his considerable vocal talents muffled). The good time, neo folk-rock of “Mad Dogs And Englishmen” offers some light relief. The biggest problem, really, was the songs – the original material simply wasn’t strong enough to establish them as anything more than a cult act working the British college circuit. A hit single, or even a huge album track, would have lifted them out of the more. On this disc, “Love 74” was as close as they came, but instrumentals in 7/4 time were never usually commercial blockbusters. The reissue on Repertoire appends the shorter single version of “Things Are Getting Better.” (Chris Nickson, AMG)

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Stone the Crows – Live at the BBC (2004/2022)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 04:05:15 minutes | 2,33 GB | Genre: Blues
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Repertoire Records (UK) Limited

The acclaimed jazz-rock fusion band led by Ian Carr recorded live and in session at the BBC. Over four hours of BBC broadcast recordings spanning 1969-72 remastered by Eroc. Drawn from such seminal shows as Top Gear and Sounds of the 70s. Includes concerts recorded at London’s Palace Theatre in 1971 and 1972.
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Stone the Crows – Transmissions (Live) (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 03:35:33 minutes | 2,30 GB | Genre: Blues
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Repertoire Records (UK) Limited

Right from the start, there was something special about Stone The Crows, the Glasgow band founded by guitarist Leslie Harvey, featuring vocalist Maggie Bell. Discovered by Led Zeppelin’s manager Peter Grant, along with Mark London in 1969, they had worked long and hard, and certainly deserved recognition. Their studio albums were well-received, culminating in 1972’s Ontinuous Performance (completed in the wake of Harvey’s death in April of that year), but it was on stage that the Crows really soared, captivating audiences at home and abroad with their electrifying performances. This 4CD/2DVD set showcases the band’s development from 1970 up to one of their best and last appearance in 1973 at the Rose d’Or Festival in Montreux. Along the way, we enjoy fan favourites, plus the lesser heard “Come On”, which could have been a hit. DVD One combines their Beat-Club appearances with a Beat Workshop broadcast from 1973, recorded in October 1972, just months after Leslie Harvey’s death. DVD Two presents them on French TV’s Pop Deux during their 1971 show at the Taverne de l’Olympia, and at the Bataclan in Paris (1972). An appearance on Swiss TV’s Pop Hot from the 1970 Montreux Jazz Festival, together with a crowd-pleasing performance at the prestigious Rose d’Or Festival of 1973, also in Montreux, complete the set.

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