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Buddy Miles Express - Expressway To Your Skull 
Just got this in the mail today from Hip-O-Select (www.hip-o-select). Buddy's generated some heated discussions here, but in his element (driving R&B) he's stellar. 
This, his 1st solo effort is no exception. Best known as the drummer in Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys, Buddy Miles also had a lengthy solo career that drew from rock, blues, soul, and funk in varying combinations. Born George Miles in Omaha, NE, on September 5, 1947, he started playing the drums at age nine, and joined his father's jazz band the Bebops as a mere 12 year old. As a teenager, he went on to play with several jazz and R&B outfits, most prominently backing vocal groups like Ruby & the Romantics, the Ink Spots, and the Delfonics. In 1966, he joined Wilson Pickett's touring revue, where he was spotted by blues-rock guitarist Mike Bloomfield. Bloomfield had left the Paul Butterfield Blues Band earlier in 1967 and was putting together a new group, the Electric Flag, which was slated to be an ambitious fusion of rock, soul, blues, psychedelia, and jazz. Bloomfield invited Miles to join up, and the band made its debut at the Monterey Pop Festival; unfortunately, the original lineup splintered in 1968. With founder Bloomfield gone, Miles briefly took over leadership of the band on its second studio album, which failed to reignite the public's interest. With the Electric Flag's horn section in tow, Miles split to form his own group, the similarly eclectic Buddy Miles Express. Signed to Mercury, the group issued its debut album, Expressway to Your Skull, in 1968, with Miles' fellow Monterey Pop alum Jimi Hendrix in the producer's chair. www.allmusic.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Hip-O-Select does a very good job on it's limited run (5000 copies) reissues. Digi-pack with a nice inner CD sleeve (similar to an LP). This is heavy R&B that along with originals includes well arranged covers of Otis Redding's Don't Mess With Cupid, Ike Turner's Funky Mule and the Hayes/Porter penned Sam & Dave dynamo Wrap It Up. The rockin' guitar of Jim McCarty (Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels and later Cactus) give it that extra edge. One of the great funky horn bands of the late 60s. tA  Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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Love this album. And the title evokes some Funkadelic. SynthiaRose said "I'm in love with blackguitaristz. Especially when he talks about Hendrix."
nammie "What BGZ says I believe. I have the biggest crush on him." http://ccoshea19.googlepa...ssanctuary http://ccoshea19.googlepages.com | |
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I've always loved his albums Them Changes and A Message to the People...
And I'll probably get stares for saying this, but I like his versions of "Down By The River" and "Midnight Rider" better than the originals by Neil Young and The Allman Brothers.... ... [Edited 10/18/05 13:30pm] " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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i didnt realize Jimi Produced this album | |
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paligap said: I've always loved his albums Them Changes and A Message to the People...
And I'll probably get stares for saying this, but I like his versions of "Down By The River" and "Midnight Rider" better than the originals by Neil Young and The Allman Brothers.... ... You won't get any from me as I happen to agree with you. The studio version of Down By The River from Them Changes is the one. The live version's weak horn solos detract from that performance. And Midnight Rider is an R&B based tune anyway. 
tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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TheRealFiness said: i didnt realize Jimi Produced this album
They're getting this album mixed up with Electric Church. Good catch. He did do the liner notes. 
tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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theAudience said: TheRealFiness said: i didnt realize Jimi Produced this album
They're getting this album mixed up with Electric Church. Good catch. He did do the liner notes.
tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 ahhhhh ok, i know he did Electric church, whew glad i caught it | |
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This is a good pick. "Expressway" pretty much put him out there as a solid R&B peformer. Buddy's 1993 CD "To Hell And Back" is pretty happenin' too. | |
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SPYZFAN1 said: This is a good pick. "Expressway" pretty much put him out there as a solid R&B peformer. Buddy's 1993 CD "To Hell And Back" is pretty happenin' too.
I saw him when he was with Wilson Pickett so his R&B card is in full effect. 
Hell and Back was an attempt to re-assemble The Express. It works it some cases and not in others. The writing just wasn't as strong. tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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I like "Down By The River", but that's not on this album. | |
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CinisterCee said: I like "Down By The River", but that's not on this album.
It's on... 
...Them Changes Them Changes I Still Love You, Anyway Heart's Delight Down by the River Memphis Train Paul B. Allen, Omaha, Nebraska Your Feeling Is Mine tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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theAudience said: CinisterCee said: I like "Down By The River", but that's not on this album.
It's on...
...Them Changes Them Changes I Still Love You, Anyway Heart's Delight Down by the River Memphis Train Paul B. Allen, Omaha, Nebraska Your Feeling Is Mine This is one of the first albums I remember hearing as a child. My dad used to wear this album out, especially "Down by the River", and "Them Changes"!! I understand that this album was a Top 20 seller, back when it originally came out.... I also vaguely remember seeing Buddy on television doing this tune... It might have been on Hugh Hefner's "Playboy after hours"...or whatever that late night music show was back then.... ... " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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paligap said: theAudience said: It's on...
...Them Changes Them Changes I Still Love You, Anyway Heart's Delight Down by the River Memphis Train Paul B. Allen, Omaha, Nebraska Your Feeling Is Mine This is one of the first albums I remember hearing as a child. My dad used to wear this album out, especially "Down by the River", and "Them Changes"!! I understand that this album was a Top 20 seller, back when it originally came out.... I also vaguely remember seeing Buddy on television doing this tune... It might have been on Hugh Hefner's "Playboy after hours"...or whatever that late night music show was back then.... ... i used to play my lil drumkit to this album when i was little. i needz a new copy of it, Next Vinyl dig | |
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I wore out my Them Changes LP also.
The LP is hard to find but the reissued CD is available on Amazon for about $8. Some of the tunes I recovered by getting... 
...The Best of Buddy Miles comp. (Them Changes, Dreams, Memphis Train) The cover almost identical to Them Changes. Since getting reaquainted with Expressway To Your Skull, i've notice a few instances that could be referred to as "Buddy Overboard" vocally. The breakdown in Let Your Lovelight Shine and the outro of Wrap It Up come to mind. Kind of funny listening to it now. But then again, it's just Buddy being Buddy. 
There's no denying the power of the band though. tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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...
Btw, from trivia land, wasn't that Buddy Miles doing the California Raisin voice on "Heard it through the Grape Vine"? ... " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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paligap said: ...
Btw, from trivia land, wasn't that Buddy Miles doing the California Raisin voice on "Heard it through the Grape Vine"? ... 
The "Lead" raisin.
tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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paligap said: I've always loved his albums Them Changes and A Message to the People...
That album... 
...A Message To The People (ignoring the awful cover art) had some other cool tunes. Along with another Allman Brothers tune (Don't Keep Me Wondering) and a good cover of Otis Redding's Wholesale Love, there was that killer instrumental titled Joe Tex. That instrumental was almost a mandatory opener, for cover bands with horns, back in the day. tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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theAudience said: paligap said: I've always loved his albums Them Changes and A Message to the People...
That album...
...A Message To The People (ignoring the awful cover art) Bro. uhh. I'm kinda diggin' that cover. Kinda psychedelic with Buddy exhaling that volcano torch. Oh uhh. Buddy also plays guitar and did some of the guitar on Standing on the Verge when Eddie Hazel phased out of the band.  test | |
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Didn't know that..Any particular cut on "Verge"?.Buddy also played drums on "Good To Your Earhole". | |
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PFunkjazz said: Oh uhh. Buddy also plays guitar...
Saw him play a bit live (Them Changes) during a Santana concert at The Wiltern some years back. This was a show where Santana merged players from all of his bands. Chester Thompson on B3 along with Tom Coster on electric keyboards as an example. 
The only slight downer being that Nu Shooz was the opening act. 
tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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theAudience said: The only slight downer being that Nu Shooz was the opening act.
More of a T'Pau guy aren'tcha. | |
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CinisterCee said: theAudience said: The only slight downer being that Nu Shooz was the opening act.
More of a T'Pau guy aren'tcha. Hey, hey don't put words in my mouth 
tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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theAudience said: PFunkjazz said: Oh uhh. Buddy also plays guitar...
Saw him play a bit live (Them Changes) during a Santana concert at The Wiltern some years back. I recently read a "Them Changes" album review where they said that it was Buddy playing guitar on "Down By The River"... ... " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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paligap said: theAudience said: Saw him play a bit live (Them Changes) during a Santana concert at The Wiltern some years back. I recently read a "Them Changes" album review where they said that it was Buddy playing guitar on "Down By The River"... ... I believe that's correct. tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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theAudience said: paligap said: ...
Btw, from trivia land, wasn't that Buddy Miles doing the California Raisin voice on "Heard it through the Grape Vine"? ...
The "Lead" raisin.
tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 Now THAT is a weird coincindence. When I worked in customer relations at the Applause Company (from 1988 - 1992), I once got a call from a guy who said he was Buddy Miles. I'm a fan of his work with Hendrix so I indulged him and we talked a bit about music and what he was doing lately and he said the reason for his call was that he had lost his 'lead singer' California Raisin figure and was hoping we would find one in our warehouse and send it out to him. Applause was pretty much at the end of its big success with those figurines anyway, so I checked stock and had the authority to order one and send it to anyone, so I fugured what the hell - I might as well get rid of them. He was so grateful and said he was going to send me a copy of his latest work but of course, nothing ever arrived for me. I would love to know if it's true that he did the voice for the commercials. He never told me he did, but that would explain his weird interest in the figurines. Just to clarify - Will Vinton Studios did the commercials and Applause did the figurines and had nothing to do with the commercials. | |
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Jestyr said: theAudience said: Now THAT is a weird coincindence. When I worked in customer relations at the Applause Company (from 1988 - 1992), I once got a call from a guy who said he was Buddy Miles. I'm a fan of his work with Hendrix so I indulged him and we talked a bit about music and what he was doing lately and he said the reason for his call was that he had lost his 'lead singer' California Raisin figure and was hoping we would find one in our warehouse and send it out to him. Applause was pretty much at the end of its big success with those figurines anyway, so I checked stock and had the authority to order one and send it to anyone, so I fugured what the hell - I might as well get rid of them. He was so grateful and said he was going to send me a copy of his latest work but of course, nothing ever arrived for me. I would love to know if it's true that he did the voice for the commercials. He never told me he did, but that would explain his weird interest in the figurines. Just to clarify - Will Vinton Studios did the commercials and Applause did the figurines and had nothing to do with the commercials. Great story. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= They just don't make senses of humor like they used to. After working closely with musical legend Jimi Hendrix and singing duet on both a studio and live album with Carlos Santana, Buddy Miles settled into his most famous role yet — the lead singer of the fictional California Raisins. From Emmy-award winner Will Vinton, whose studio has created some of the most impressive clay animation (claymation) to date, the California Raisins sprung to life in the mid-1980s. www.allmusic.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Buddy was definitely the "Lead Raisin".
tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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theAudience said: Jestyr said: Now THAT is a weird coincindence. When I worked in customer relations at the Applause Company (from 1988 - 1992), I once got a call from a guy who said he was Buddy Miles. I'm a fan of his work with Hendrix so I indulged him and we talked a bit about music and what he was doing lately and he said the reason for his call was that he had lost his 'lead singer' California Raisin figure and was hoping we would find one in our warehouse and send it out to him. Applause was pretty much at the end of its big success with those figurines anyway, so I checked stock and had the authority to order one and send it to anyone, so I fugured what the hell - I might as well get rid of them. He was so grateful and said he was going to send me a copy of his latest work but of course, nothing ever arrived for me. I would love to know if it's true that he did the voice for the commercials. He never told me he did, but that would explain his weird interest in the figurines. Just to clarify - Will Vinton Studios did the commercials and Applause did the figurines and had nothing to do with the commercials. Great story. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= They just don't make senses of humor like they used to. After working closely with musical legend Jimi Hendrix and singing duet on both a studio and live album with Carlos Santana, Buddy Miles settled into his most famous role yet — the lead singer of the fictional California Raisins. From Emmy-award winner Will Vinton, whose studio has created some of the most impressive clay animation (claymation) to date, the California Raisins sprung to life in the mid-1980s. www.allmusic.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Buddy was definitely the "Lead Raisin".
tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 No way! I wish he had told me! Thanks for clearing up that old mystery for me 'Audience! | |
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Jestyr said: No way! I wish he had told me! Thanks for clearing up that old mystery for me 'Audience!
My pleasure.
tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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