Genre: rock
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: Nucleus
Company: Mainstream
Catalog: S/6120
Year: 1969
Country/State: North Ontario, Canada
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: --
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5901
Price: $100.00
Released on the collectable Mainstream label, this was one of those sets that tended to get slammed by critics. While it wasn't a masterpiece, it was actually quite a bit better than you would have expected.
Formed in Toronto, Canada, Nucleus traced it's collective roots back to the early-1960s. While in grade school Hughie Leggat (rhythm guitar), John Richardson (lead guitar), and Danny Taylor (drums) formed a Rolling Stones cover band - Danny Taylor and the Phantoms. By 1965 they'd opted for a 'cooler' sounding identify, morphing into The Lords of London. A 1965 battle-of-the-bands contest saw them lose out to The Mysterions, but in the process they recruited a new member in the form of Mysterions lead guitarist Greg Fitzpatrick. After joining the band Fitzpatrick agreed to switch over to bass. They also recruited keyboardist Sebastian Agnello from the Toronto band D.K. And The Lords.
With their line up set, though still in their teens, The Lords quickly became staples on the local dance and party scene (being too young to play clubs or bars). Late 1966 saw them given an opportunity to record a single for the small Apex label.
- 1965's 'Cornflakes & Ice Cream' b/w 'Time Waits for No One' (Apex catalog number 77 054)
The single proved a major hit in their native Toronto, leading Decca Records to acquire national and international distribution rights.
- 1965's 'Cornflakes & Ice Cream' b/w 'Time Waits for No One' (Decca catalog number 32196)
Following the rock and roll textbook the band hit the road touring throughout Canada and select appearances in the States. Over the next two years the band released a series of commercially unsuccessful singles:
- 'Popcorn Man' b/w '21000 Dreams' (Apex catalog number 77068)
- 'Candy Rainbow' b/w 'Within Your Mind' (Apex catalog number 77074) (also released in the US by MGM under catalog number K13919)
- 'Broken Hearted C.O.D.' b/w 'The Sit Down Dance' (Domain catalog number 1421)
- 'The Cowboy' b/w 'Little Lonely' Domain catalog number 1423)
For diehard collectors, there was also an extremely rare Australia-only EP "Introducing The London Lords" (Festival Records catalog FX-11,505)
"Introducing The London Lords" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) 21000 Dreams
2.) The Popcorn Man
(side 2)
1.) Time Waits for No One
2.) Cornflakes & Ice Cream
For anyone interested, YouTube has a black and white clip of The Lords of London performing 'Time Waits for No One':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7_hWxcKAxA
By 1968 the band had become increasingly frustrated with their management and label's demands that they pursue the teen market. Agnello headed off for a solo career and the other four decided to end The Lords of London, promptly continuing their musical partnership as Nucleus.
With Bob Horne replacing Angello on keyboards, the band signed with the US Mainstream label, releasing 1969's cleverly-titled "Nucleus". Recorded in New York, Fitzpatrick was responsible for all of the material, giving the collection a hard rock-meets-progressive sound. In comparison to their Lords of London days, this time out they clearly wanted to underscore their 'happening' credentials with a far heavier sound, and while there were some enjoyable moments scattered throughout the collection, none of the six tracks (yeah, these were long songs), were particularly original, or memorable.
- Starting with a 'freakout 'introduction of the
band members, 'Jenny Wake Up' was obviously intended to underscore the
band's 'heavy' credentials. Unfortunately the results ended up
sounding like a schizoid aural mess. The track started out with a wild
organ and guitar intro and then started bouncing all over the musical
spectrum including stabs at pop, country, lounge act crooner, progressive,
with plenty of mindless jamming scattered throughout the segments.
Yeah, there were some entertaining fragments in the collage (the fade out
jam), but sitting through the whole thing was a trying
experience. rating: ** stars
- The goofy title didn't hold a great deal of promise, but 'All About Me and the Spidery Bass' was actually an improvement over the leadoff performance. Perhaps best described as a heavy slice of blue-eyed soul, it wasn't particularly melodic, but served to showcase Fitzpatrick's likeable raspy voice and impressive, jazz-influenced bass lines. The song also highlighted the band's surprisingly tight harmony vocals. The downside was that about a third of the song was lost to a needless keyboard propelled jam segment. Should have stuck closer to the original melody. rating: *** stars
- Complete with some classic organ from Horne and ttasty Santana-styled lead guitar from Richardson, 'Judgment Day' was the album's best performance. The track had a nice FM-radio vibe that would have been even better if they'd managed to stick closer to the original melody, instead of again heading off into jam territory. rating: *** stars
- 'Lost and Found' was one of the better efforts for the simple reason that it focused more on their rock roots with a sizable portion of the song being devoted to Richardson's lead guitar. rating: *** stars
- Probably the most commercial song, 'Share Your Color' sported some 1960s-sensibility lyrics that were uplifting and hopeful, but hadn't aged all that well. At least it was short. rating: * stars
- 'Communication' started out with a jazzy groove and then floated into a modestly psychedelic mid-tempo aura. The song didn't have much of a melody or hook and clocking in at almost 11 minutes, the results seemed to go on forever. If anyone actually sat through the song, most of the second half was turned over to soloing (Richardson's performance was the best of the lot). rating: ** stars
Far from an essential acquisition, but still better than lots of other stuff released by Mainstream.
"Nucleus" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Jenny Wake Up (Greg Fitzpatrick) - 8:57
2.) All About Me and the Spidery Bass (Greg Fitzpatrick) - 3:25
3.) Judgment Day (Greg Fitzpatrick) - 6:24
(side
2)
1.) Lost and Found (Greg Fitzpatrick) - 6:41
2.) Share Your Color (Greg Fitzpatrick) - 2:59
3.) Communication (Greg Fitzpatrick) - 10:57
The album didn't do a great deal and after a brief US-Canadian tour and some television appearances the band called it quits.
Horne, Leggat, and Taylor continued their musical partnership recording a series of four studio albums as A Foot In Coldwater.
Fitzpatrick took off for a solo career. Today he records with brother Gordon in the band Fitz. They have a small website at:
http://iacmusic.com/artist.aspx?ID=78259
After his work with A Foot In Cold Water Leggat subsequently played with the bands Thunder Road, Private Eyes, and The Mississippi Hippies.
Richardson played with The Ivar Avenue Reunion.
In 2008 Leggat, Richardson, and Taylor started performing again under the moniker 'Nucleus and Friends'.
SRB 12/2009