Warren Kime – Children of Time
Warren Kime may be best known to record collectors for his trio of Brass Impact LPs on the Command label released in the mid-to-late 60’s. An excellent overview of his career and how these LPs came to be can be found here: http://www.spaceagepop.com/kime.htm.
There’s one LP the Space Age Pop overview missed, though, as his “Children of Time” concept album on Candle Records seems to have almost fallen off the face of the earth. Expressing his Baha’i faith by writing and recording a song cycle wherin the Old World Order gives way to the New, Kime expands on his brass impact sound, bringing in new elements such as sunshine pop harmonies, groovy go-go sounds, the occasional fuzz guitar, and some funky rhythms that wouldn’t sound out of place on one of David Axelrod’s productions. The last half of the track “Unity” in particular may be of interest to those Waxidermists into the funky groove thang.
Packaged in a strange, almost unworkable die cut gatefold sleeve with very little information on the outside, it’s no wonder that “Children of Time” didn’t make much of an impact. Quite the opposite of the packaging his Command LPs, perhaps this was a reaction to the commercialization of his previous efforts. I almost left it in the bin at the Sedona, Arizona Goodwill, until I noticed Kime’s name reading vertically up the center stripe in 12 point type. The LP does gain a brief mention in a scholarly article by E. Taylor Atkins published by the University of Illinois Press in 2006 called The Sacralization of Jazz in the American Baha’i Community, wherin it’s mentioned that Kime “was discouraged by official Bah?’? reactions to his concept album.” Regardless of the reception the LP received upon release, I find it a fascinating excursion and quite listenable. Well worth seeking out a copy.
The Old World Order (Carnival of Life)
6 Comments
I played drums on that album and don’t have a copy. Any idea how I could get one?
Hi Norm, nice to hear from you. The LP seems pretty scarce as I’ve only ever seen this one copy which I found in a Goodwill in Arizona a few years back, and there don’t seem to be any copies available from the usual online sources. If you like, drop me a line directly and we can discuss possible options for getting you a copy: independent1 (at) independentproject (dot) net.
I was surprised to come across this reference to Warren and the Children of Time. I was living in Wilmette,Ill at the time where Warren had a sound studio on Linden Avenue directly across from the Baha’i House of Worship. It was at this studio of Warren’s I met Seal & Croft another Baha’i group of the early 70’s.
I had the good fortune of attending several of the Children of Time concerts . They were awesome. I loaned out their album and never got it back.
Thanks for the memories
Norm Christian,
Allah’u’Abha! I just noticed your post. I remember you. You also played the piano correct? Was Wayne Welsh another member of the Children of Time?
Is that Eddie Knight the drummer from South Bend, Indiana?
I found a copy of this in my collection that my parents probably purchased new. I had never played it until now. Pretty interesting stuff. It also had a xerox copy of a typewritten review by David Schlessinger. (sp?) Here is a link to Discogs with some photos I added of the LP. http://www.discogs.com/Warren-Kime-Children-Of-Time/release/5010828. Did Donna Kime also sing on this?