Re: Favorite obscure album
The Gaslight Singers
One summer night, many years ago, I walked into Chicago’s legendary
Gate of Horn and found this group on stage.
Three guys and a beautiful girl with amazing pipes.
She was Martha Velez.
Several years later I picked up a copy of Billboard and found a psychedelicized
Martha on the back cover being promoted as a new solo artist.
That album, Fiends & Angels, had a unique group of English rockers backing her up;
Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Mitch Mitchell, Rick Hayward, Christine Perfect, Brian Auger, Chris Wood, Jim Capaldi...etc.
A year later I ran into her in Woodstock. We got to know each other well enough that she would greet me from the stage during her shows.
Martha had a few solo albums on the Sire label and worked with Bob Marley on
Escape From Babylon.
But, back to “The Gaslight Singers”
There were 2 LPs, the eponymous disc and “
Turning It On!”
They include first class renderings of many folk standards from that period.
I keep hoping Collectors Choice music discovers them, and the rest of Martha’s discography.
No CDs = obfuckingscure! Rachael said so. (well, not in those exact words)
