Marquee Revue: Live
The generic ‘sun-dial’ cover keeps delivering hits, here in the form of an early 70s club band who pack a lot more punch than expected. Straight outta Omaha, the Marquee Revue have more in common with fuzzed out hippie cover bands like Smack or Marble Phrogg than the lounge-rock acts they’re usually lumped in with. They do offer some lukewarm Top 40 moves in the middle of side 1 (including the one band original), but prior to that we get a pretty good wah-wah take on CSN:s “Carry On”, while the first side closes with a ballsy, crude take on the James Gang’s “Funk 49”. This is just a warm-up for side 2, where we’re treated to extended, raw, guitar-jam covers of “Sympathy For The Devil”, “Evil Ways”, and Sly Stone’s “Higher”, the latter which goes into hard urban drone-funk noise that sounds almost like The Numbers Band. The Stones cover is arguably even better with a superb rhythm section groove, and the whole second side reminds me of heavy shit like the Cosmic Travelers. According to a band member, only a few hundred copies were sold, but due to its unassuming surface and fairly unknown status, this album can probably be scored for modest dollars. Among early 70s cover band LPs from the Midwest, this one is hard to beat.
20 Comments
09. Yes.
10. Thank You.
11. Go to the next slide.
12. You’ve taken the correct action.
The one band original is actually a well sought after blue eyed soul tune and was also cut as a studio 45 on the same label. The band had another later 45 that is pretty bland.
Yeah, I know that it was out on 45 but haven’t heard it — I hope that version is better than the lukewarm crooning they deliver on the LP.
No, it’s very similar but recorded in the studio. The 45 has it’s fans within the soul scene. There were a few other similar blue eyed soul groups from this neck of the woods in the late 60s like the Mods and Chevrons that have some solid 45s (not garage or psych at all though).
OK. I’ll give side 1 another shot before filing the album away, but so far “What Good Tomorrow” sounds like one of the weakest moments on the LP; the guy’s voice didn’t seem strong enough to carry such a vocal-oriented tune. They were dynamite musicians in any event, side 2 really cooks.
lama, you find this record in omaha? curious as iv lived her my whole life (23) and never heard of this group…
No, I found it (pretty cheap) on eBay, from a Midwestern record dealer. I’m guessing they sold copies on gigs, so they’re probably scattered across NE and neighboring states. I’ve seen some talk about this LP in recent months, I guess its time has come. This webpage has a brief bio of an ex-member (guy at the bottom).
http://members.aol.com/hrdknocks/bandbios.html
Rad.
Lovely. Proper live too. No quotation marks need.
+ed
This band put out two 45’s on Pacific Avenue records in Omaha the first had a song called “Be Free” b-side was ” I had a Dream about her” the second 45 contained “What Good Tomarrow” the b-side was “Don’t talk of love” I think the studio version of “What good Tomarrow” Is very good and really well produced compared to the live version on the LP. I know a little about this band as my father Wes Piner was thier saxaphone player.
I was the guitar player in the band . I haven’t heard from Wes since we played together on a new years gig 10 or 12 years ago, before Sam died in 1999. I would love to hear from you or Wes to catch up.
Terry 4/16/2009
I haven’t heard from Wes in a while.
I was the guitar player and lead singer and part arranger on What Good Tomorrow.
Please respond to catch up.
terry
Terry I remember you I was very young but I remember when you guys practiced in my garage in Omaha as a kid. Hit me up on my band website http://www.hyndsyterocks.com Wes plays in my band as well
Bryant Piner
Wow, what a treat it is to see this! My Dad, Sam was in that band. I have at least one copy of this album and a 45. Him and I played in a bew other bands over the years too.
btw his grandsons, Matt and Alex are also following the tradition with a CD and DVD coming out.
http://www.myspace.com/coldsteelband
I have a 45 near mint of what good tomorrow. Grew up in Omaha. Now live in Texas. I remember how great it was to hear local band on the radio. If someone is interested in purchasing it please contact me @chifantim1@aol.com
8/16/09
Bryant, is that Wes in the band Hyndesite? If so, have him give me a call at my home phone, OK?
I HEARD YOUR DEMOS, SOUNDING GREAT
Terry
I played bass and helped out on vocals. That’s me singing Funk#49. The Marquee Revue had a good run from mid 1968 to mid 1971. We played at Gino’s Nightclub for over two years, six nights a week. We also played at the Hey Jude Lounge and the Aquarius and did some road gigs. The album was recorded at the Hey Jude.
Sam, Terry, Jack, Dave, and Wes were a great group of musicians to work with.
It’s really cool to see interest in the band and our records after all these years.
My girlfriend and I followed these guys for several years.Good times and good rocknroll.
I had the opportunity to sit in with the guys on a number of occasions…some of the best local musicians I ever had the chance to jam with…Terry was a great guitar player and vocalist and Sam was an unbelievable natural musician. I swear he could pick up any instrument and master it. Pete was a tremendous vocalist and bass player. I ran into Wes (sax) and Dave (keyboards) while living in Milwaukee in the early eighties but I have not seen them since. It was a great period for bands in Omaha and I was really lucky to play or sit in with bands like the Marquee Review, The Misfits and Travis.