Coven Blood On The Snow Buddah Gatefold LP Heavy Metal Goth Black Sabbath

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Coven : Blood On The Snow

A band of many firsts, Coven was a unique product of the late-'60s environment, transforming their concerts and albums into full-fledged satanic rituals on a scale never seen in pop music up to that time. Coven was formed in late-'60s Chicago by female vocalist Jinx Dawson (an Indiana native who had previously studied opera), bassist Oz Osborne (no relation to the Black Sabbath singer), and drummer Steve Ross, and by 1967/1968, they could be seen opening local shows for visiting luminaries ranging from Vanilla Fudge to the Yardbirds, with the help of ancillary players Chris Nielsen on guitar and John Hobbs on keyboards. From the very beginning, Coven's performances took the shape of elaborate satanic rites. The first recorded spawn of their unholy union was 1969's legendary Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls album, which draped Coven's diffuse mix of psychedelic prog rock and pop under a veritable catalog of deeply occult lyrics, opening with a song named, remarkably enough, "Black Sabbath" and culminating in a 13-minute reading of the Satanic Black Mass itself. What's more, the album contained a now-infamous poster depicting said Black Mass, where bandmembers and associates dressed in monks' robes hoisted torches, upside-down crosses, and threw devil's horns hand signs over a stark naked Dawson, who herself served as the object of their human sacrifice. It should be noted, however, that the striking singer, who made it a point to cast the devil's horns throughout the band's shows, possessed a highly distinctive and refined voice reminiscent of Grace Slick, only much more powerful. Unfortunately, none of this would matter when the not-unexpected controversy that followed the album's release led to widespread boycotts from retailers and mass returns. Then, the imminent rise to fame of Britain's Black Sabbath and their own Ozzy Osbourne just a few months later muddled the situation even further, simultaneously causing much confusion for consumers. The final blow came when Coven were cited in a March 1970 article in Esquire Magazine entitled "Evil Lurks in California," that linked the counterculture with the occult via Charles Manson and his family's heinous acts, convincing Mercury to officially withdraw Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls from circulation. Coven would never really recover from this setback, and had effectively disbanded by the end of 1970; but a new lineup fronted by a then California-based Jinx Dawson was given a second chance at success via the recording of a single called "One Tin Soldier" for a movie soundtrack, which surprisingly charted three separate times in Billboard Magazine's Hot 100 over the next few years. Amid these recurring signs of life, Dawson and co. recorded an eponymous Coven album for MGM in 1972 and third opus named Blood on the Snow for Buddah Records in 1974; moving closer, each time out, to the hard rock and heavy metal sounds that their iconoclastic debut had influenced. Blood on the Snow's title track was also the subject of one of the first true music videos ever produced, ironically in partnership with Disney Studios. Dawson began focusing on a budding acting and modeling career. It was through Dawson's movie industry work that Coven would eventually reemerge in 1990, when the singer collaborated with original drummer Steve Ross on the soundtrack to a film entitled Heaven Can Help, and then appeared in it with assorted new bandmembers. Coven's next resurrection would, as with so many cult bands of every stripe, result from organic rediscovery via the worldwide web, followed by renewed engagement by Dawson herself as she realized the lasting power of her "Goth Queen" legacy. In 2008 she released a new CD of unreleased Coven material entitled Metal Goth Queen: Out of the Vault, which featured session work from original Steppenwolf guitarist Michael Monarch, one-time Jethro Tull bassist Glen Cornick, and even James Gang/Deep Purple guitarist Tommy Bolin, captured on some of his final recordings. (web bio)

The Who's producer Shel Talmy crafts the smoothest sound yet for Blood On The Snow. "This Song's for All You Children" shimmers with fabulous production and an exquisite Jinx Dawson vocal. They even sound like Spanky & Our Gang on the sublime "Lady O," and that is a quantum leap from the witchcraft and magic eventual Lovecraft member Jim Donlinger brought to their first release in 1969. The album cover looks like it came out of Creepy or Eerie magazines and there are the obligatory Halloween costume photographs in the gatefold, but songs like "Blue Blue Ships" and "I Need a Hundred of You" don't sound like the comic book episodes from the band's past. One has to read the lyric sheet to see that "Blue Blue Ships" is actually a haunting song sung as if Dawson had already passed over. "I Need a Hundred of You" is fun, singer Dawson and guitarist Neilsen collaborating on a song that in future days would be thought of as a song about cloning. It's a shame Buddah dropped the ball on Coven and artists like Buzzy Linhart, who they recorded and marketed but couldn't break on the level of Gladys Knight and some of their higher-profile groups. The version of Alan O'Day's "Easy Evil," covered by Lulu, Genya Ravan, Dusty Springfield, and so many others, really fits. Alan Estes, a Tammy Wynette co-writer and percussion player on many recordings, guests on conga drums, helping give this up-tempo version a uniquely fun perspective. Dawson sounds like she's having a blast. Blood on the Snow is an album that proves that Coven had more talent than the band was ever given credit for, the title track being the one where the group really cuts loose and goes back to its roots with some blazing hard rock. This is the band's key recording. (web review)

Tracklist:
Don't Call Me
This Song's For All You Children
Lady-O
Blue, Blue Ships
I Need A Hundred Of You
Hide Your Daughters
Lost Without A Trace
Easy Evil
Blood On The Snow

Album Description: This rare album is in the original gatefold cover with credits and photos inside. The vinyl record is in glossy clean excellent to near mint condition, just a few very very light small paper scuffs. The gatefold cover has a tiny cut-out near top left corner and some edge/corner wear. The pictures in this listing are of the actual record album you will receive. Check out our other listings for more records by this artist along with a wide variety of records, CD's, cassettes & more, everything priced to sell. All reasonable 'Best Offers' accepted. Combined shipping available worldwide. Only $.50 shipping for each additional record album mailed within the USA; only $3.00 shipping for each  additional record album mailed outside the USA. Gatefold double albums count as two. We ship worldwide in secure, padded packaging. Please let us know if you have any questions; click the "Ask A Question" link below for a prompt reply.

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