A TOTAL ELECTRIC HAPPENING
Forty Years in the Making
THE LOST DEMOS. (The Early Years)
In 1968 these songs were recorded as demos at Glen Campbell
Studio in Pittsburgh, Pa. and Bell Sound Studio, Long Island,
New York. Asphalt Mother and Reach Out were released on the
band's own Morning Glori Label as a 45 RPM single.
Soon after, the band was signed to RCA records.
The remaining tracks were never released, and were put away. The Master Tapes
disappeared, and except for a brief emergence of the badly
deteriorated 33 1/3 rpm acetate 15 years later in 1983, the songs were forgotten for several more decades. At the 1983 Carolina session. the first Mind Garage recording session since 1969,
several cassette tapes were made from the acetate, which has since been lost.
Then 21 years later, in 2004 one of the cassettes, now itself deteriorating, turned up and a CD was made
from it. The CD sounded just like the old scratchy and popping acetate. The quality was completely unacceptable for release.
But due to the perseverance of the lead singer, Larry McClurg, several attempts were made to remaster. It was an impossible task even for Rick Ravenscroft in the Rave Cave. The songs seemed doomed. But late in 2005 Rick came across a cassette in better shape that had been stored well, in the the posession of Evan Jones. Evan had played guitar with the Mind Garage at the Carolina session. The Carolina recordings have yet to be released. Rick Ravenscroft Music started the remastering project all over again. For three months Rick examined and restored each song, note by note. Collectors and fans will enjoy the raw, live sound, albeit with inherent sonic limitations, mastered from best possible sources.
Five years later in 2009 the Early Years songs were "discovered" by Anazitisi Records. The sound was remastered once again for vinyl at Anazitisi studios and released in Europe, Australia and Japan. Only Rick's skill and dedication has made the release of the CD and vinyl possible. The vinyl album "A Total Electric Happening " is available to purchase on the internet at http://www.anazitisirecords.com as either black or colored vinyl.
A Total Electric Happening has made the long journey to a new century, barely surviving one older medium after another long enough to be saved in each new recording technology. It has come full circle from demo acetate, to cassette tape, to CD and finally to vinyl as it should have been in 1968. A truly remarkable journey, making it possible to once more WITNESS THE INCREDIBLE MIND GARAGE !
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