I bought this on a $16.49 whim … well I actually won it of eBay for that amount. The whim was mainly based on the fact that I had already won an album from the seller so I thought buy more and save on postage!
So, after I read up on Curtiss, I decided I would have a go.
Curtiss was most famous for being the lead singer of the late 1960s psych pop / sunshine pop / folk rock band The Hobbits who put out a series of Tolkien referenced albums (that alone would normally throw me off … you can't totally trust anyone who reads Tolkien, can you?). He had been a singer prior to that and he returned to the solo world with this one (and only) obscure solo album.
And in listening to it … I must say it has substantial joys.
Curtiss' career is a good example of "obscure" by our standards though actually and reasonably substantial in his day. I'm always fascinated by these "footnotes" in pop/rock history who have been forgotten with the passing of time. For all I know he could be the old guy next door … well he could be if I was in San Francisco – his last known whereabouts.
Curtiss never had mainstream success though he plugged away and left a body of work which is not insubstantial.
Allmusic:"Born and raised in Queens, New York, Curtis first surfaced in 1959 as a member of the doo wop combo the Enjays. He issued his solo debut, "Without You," on United Artists in 1961 — the label attempted to position him as a teen crooner in the mold of Bobby Vee or Paul Anka, although original and distinctive efforts like 1962's "Five Smooth Stones" (a pop retelling of the David and Goliath story) not surprisingly failed to make a commercial impact. Stripped of his record contract, Curtis sold songs to Bobby Darin and Ellie Greenwich, and even worked for a time in advertising — he returned to music full-time in 1965, assembling a doo wop backing group dubbed the Regents and signing to Laurie Records to issue "Not for You." "The Girl From the Land of 1,000 Dances" followed later that same year, but then Curtis again disappeared from sight — he returned in 1967 with the bubblegum cult classic "Psychedelic Situation," a major hit in Germany that attracted little attention at home. Curtis then signed to Decca, collaborating with producers Jerry Vance and Terry Phillips on a studio group called the Hobbits… after rechristening the group the New Hobbits, Curtis released 1969's Back From Middle Earth essentially a solo effort — later that year, he also issued an official solo LP, Life".
He also co-wrote "Child of Clay" which was a #31 hit in 1967 for Jimmie Rodgers and formed the "Perception" record label which had a couple of hit acts including Australian band "King Harvest", Dizzy Gillespie and Astrud Gilberto.
This album is an introspective folky singer-songwriter album. A lot of former pop stars were taking Dylan's cue and putting out introspective albums ... Dion, Johnny Rivers, Bobby Darin and Lou Christie all put out successful albums in that style. What distinguishes this album (and some of the other introspective "pop" star albums) is the range of influences. Those stars usually had their own styles before taking Dylan's lead in folky self examination as opposed to hearing Dylan and following him into music. The distinction is subtle but I think you can hear it on occasion and it distinguishes it from the regular Dylan wannabes. Also, usually, the former "pop" stars can actually sing.
Curtiss' songs are strong (and have all the usual themes of the counter-culture) and are different enough to a lot of other singer-songwriter albums of the time. Certainly this LP is a lot quirkier than the singer-songwriter stuff that came out in the early 70s. The most obvious comparison is a poppier Tim Buckley,Tim Hardin, or Bob Lind.
Curtiss apparently likes obscurity – hence the the album artist is "J.C." … which he preferred to be known by … and he is not doing himself any "commercial" favours with the nudity on the LP's front sleeve (it's 1969) or songs like "Lack 'o' Testicle Blues".
Tracks (best in Italics)
- Child of Clay – (Jimmy Curtiss – Ernie Maresca) – The song which was a hit for Jimmie Rodgers. A catchy, questioning (the 60s remember), non-confrontational protest song.
- Where Can I Hide– (Jimmy Curtiss – Green – Marcia Hillman) – This sounds like something I know but I can't put my finger on it. A excellent song anyway.
- Francesca – (Jimmy Curtiss – Wexler – Marcia Hillman) – very Tim Buckley without the trippy overtones, or very Tim Hardin. A great "ode to" ballad with a good sense of mood (though the strings lend themselves to the "ode to women" songs).
- San Francisco Do You Remember Me – (Pollock – Jimmy Curtiss) – how many "San Francisco" songs were there in the late 60s?
- Lack 'o' Testicle Blues – (Sell – Jimmy Curtiss) – the sleeve has a 'not for programming' warning. The song is very much of it's era … anti-Vietnam, and very "Country Joe & the Fish". Interestingly Curtiss casts an accusing voice on society also. As per the title this is a blues but done as a comedic blues. Obvious, but entertaining:
Hey Mum, please send my balls
I think you'll find them in the closet down the hall
- Sunday Son – (Jimmy Curtiss) – almost a demo. Low key but obviously intended to be a "big power ballad". I could see Elvis, Tom Jones or Bill Medley doing this. I'm a sucker for this type of ballad…as sentimental as it may be. Think "Don't Cry Daddy" or "My Boy".
- You Can't Tell a Man By the Song He Sings – (Jimmy Curtiss – Marcia Hillman) – a great tune with its whacka whacka funky guitar intro … which goes on a bit to long but I found my toe tapping.
- Johnny Get Your Gun – (Pollock – Jimmy Curtiss) – another anti-Vietnam protest song which again is obvious but well done. I can hear a touch of Donovan in there somewhere. The phrase was also used in the George M. Cohen patriotic song "Over There" which was a mammoth seller in the late teens of the 20th century, so much so that it became a rallying cry to encourage young Americans to enlist and fight in WW1. Dalton Trumbo adapted the title for his phenomenal anti-war novel "Johnny Got His Gun" which was published in 1940 and which had been suppressed for many years and became popular again in the late 60s … co-incidentally used for this song, or maybe not.
- He was My Father – (Jimmy Curtiss – Marcia Hillman) – another broken family song (like "Sunday Son" above) about a father and a son … it is very "Cat's in the Cradle" though well before the Chapin song.
And …
Sometimes the album is a little too "late 60s" and I'm not sure of its point of view … but I like it enough to keep it. In fact it is great. It is is ripe for rediscovery.
Sounds
Where can I Hide
attached
Sunday Son
attached
Jimmy Curtiss most well known song:
early Curtiss:
Bio
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gvfoxqy5ldte~T1
(originally posted: 14/10/2009)
