Koobas - Barricades 1969
Includes the brilliant psychedelic monster "Barricades". Cut in '67, the album is pre-Move Brit-prog-psych-pop masterpiece w/a few loud highpoints. Those who think that Odessey And Oracle's a killer LP, better check this out and dig it! Very highly recommended! TheKoobas(originally The Kubas) began in Apr 1963. In Feb 1965 (while managed by Brian Epstein) Epstein arranged for The Koobas to be the support on nine dates of The Beatles' final UK tour in December.
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Personnel:
KEN COCHRAN drms A
STU LEITHWOOD gtr A B
ROY MORRIS lead gtr A B
PETE WILLIAMS bs A
KEITH ELLIS bs B
TONY O'MALLEY drms B
ALBUM:
1(B) THE KOOBAS (Columbia S(C)X 6271) 1969 R4
NB: (1) reissued by Bam Caruso as Barricades (KIRI 047) 1988 and on CD (Essex ESSEX 10004 CD) 1994 with two additional tracks:- Sweet Music and Face from 1966.
45s:
1.Take Me For A Little While/Somewhere In The Night (Pye 7N 17012) 1965
2.You'd Better Make Up Your Mind/Place I Know (Pye 7N 17087) 1966
3.Sweet Music/Face (Columbia DB 7988) 1966
4.Sally/Champagne And Caviar (Columbia DB 8013) 1967
5.Gypsy Fred/City Girl (Columbia DB 8187) 1967
6.The First Cut Is The Deepest/Walking Out (Columbia DB 8419) 1968
They were formed in Liverpool in 1962 during the latter part of the Merseybeat boom and were managed by Brian Epstein. Ellis and O'Riley had previously been with The Thunderbeats. Morris and Leatherwood were in The Midnighters. Despite appearing in Ferry Across The Mersey and touring with The Beatles in 1965, none of their numerous singles for Columbia and Pye reached the Charts. They cut two confident singles for Pye: the first was a Kim Weston Motown track. In Spring 1966 they switched to EMI Columbia. Their final 45 was a quasi-psychedelic version of Cat Stevens' The First Cut Is The Deepest - it's quite good fun. They also recorded an album, which was very rare and sought-after, prior to its reissue. It features some fine lead guitar work, and contains some competent and usually R&B influenced mid-sixties rock. One of the best tracks, was the complex Barricades.
They also recorded as 45 as The Kubas in 1965 for Columbia. Keith Ellis went on to Van der Graaf Generator briefly. Stu Leatherwood was later in March Hare.
Compilation appearances include: Gypsy Fred on Justafixation (LP); The First Cut Is The Deepest on Liverpool 1963-1968 (CD), Liverpool 1963-1968, Vol. 1 (LP), Electric Sugarcube Flashbacks, Vol. 1 (LP), Hard Up Heroes, Vol. 2 (CD); Barricades on Psychedelia At Abbey Road (CD), Rubble, Vol. 3 - Nightmares In Wonderland (LP) and Rubble, Vol. 2 (CD); You'd Better Make Up Your Mind on Rubble, Vol. 7 - Pictures In The Sky (LP), That Driving Beat (CD) and The Sixties File (Dble LP); Face on Twisted Teenage Screaming Fuzzbusters (LP); Somewhere In The Night on Watch Your Step (CD); Take Me For A Little While and You'd Better Make Up Your Mind on What About Us (CD) and Merseybeat Nuggets, Vol. 2; A Place I Know on Doin' The Mod, Vol. 1 (CD); Here's A Day on Illusions From The Crackling Void (LP); Face on English Freakbeat, Vol. 2 (CD).
Tracks:
1. Royston Rose [Ellis/Morris]
2. Where are the Friends? [Ellis/Leathwood]
3. Constantly Changing [Ellis/Morris/Leathwood]
4. Here's a Day [Ellis/Morris/Leathwood]
5. Fade Forever [Ellis/Leathwood]
6. Barricades [Ellis/Stratton-Smith/Leathwood]
7. A Little Piece of My Heart [Blackwell/Scott]
8. Gold Leaf Tree [Ellis] / Mr. Claire [Leathwood]
9. Circus [Ellis/Leathwood]
10. Walking Out (bonus)
11. First Cut is the Deepest (bonus)
12. Sweet Music
Musicians:
Stuart Leathwood: lead vocals, guitar
Roy Morris: guitar, vocals (lead on 1)
Tony O'Reilly: drums
Keith Ellis: bass
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