JESS & JAMES s/t 1969 WILD HEAVY PROG PSYCH LP LISTEN

$

140

WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS…

JESS & JAMES "Jess & James"

Original 1969 LP on the Dutch PALETTE label, STEREO MPB S-3290

Cover:  EXCELLENT, really nice, maybe even NEAR MINT

Vinyl:  CLEAN, plays VG+ with light but steady crackle between songs

ANOTHER COPY SELLING FOR $360 NOW!

Demented alien heavy progressive soul sounds that could only be made by Portuguese musicians living in Belgium, playing in England, and learning their craft on Mars.  That’s Jess and James, otherwise known as Tony and Wando Lam, otherwise known as Antonio and Fernando Lameirinhas (hey, why only change your name once?).  Scrapping around in Screaming Lord Sutch’s band has to do something to your head, and after two beat-soul LPs as Jess and James, Wando and Tony released a legendary Euro freak jam under the name Free Pop Electric Concept.  Realizing the public hadn’t quite caught up with their Portuguese/Belgian/Martian brand of music yet, and probably realizing their next LP might be their last, Jess and James teamed up with two American jazz musicians - keyboardist Scott Bradford and drummer Stu Jones - and three kids on bicycles, and kicked out this wickedly bizarre and evil-sounding third album in 1969.  It was a Big F U to their pop fans, who probably returned their copies of this album to the Brussels Sam Goodys within minutes.  This was obviously a huge departure from the days of “Move!” and “Something For Nothing,” only 2 years earlier.  Time, of course, has proved this album to be the duo’s best by far, a cracking mix of jazz, prog, psych and soul that predates very similar albums by the Battered Ornaments and Caravan. 

The stomping drunken stutter-step LSD March of “Mrs. Davis” really does sound like a lost track from the Battered Ornaments’ Mantlepiece somehow fused with elements from the first two Funkadelic albums, big funky elephantine stoner rock.  As they say, “Free your Portuguese mind and your Belgian a** will follow.”  The drugged out jazzy “Perdition Again” follows, four and a half minutes of patient Canterbury jazz prog noodling that drifts like a hangover Sunday and sounds exactly like King Crimson circa Lizard crossed with a healthy belt of absinthe.  But the druggy lull is quickly smashed into pieces when the crunching, punkish “Lip Service” storms up next, all lecherous vocals, hotwired jazz guitar and super soul Hammond.  At just under 2 minutes, it’s the most compact and dynamic thing here, a bona fide jazz prog Martian freak rock masterpiece that sounds like Funkadelic covering King Crimson’s “Cat Food” at twice the speed.  And that’s only Side 1.

Fans of alternate universe rock will already be salivating at the knowledge of this album’s existence.  It really is that good.  When it’s funky, it’s like Pete Brown and Eddie Hazel sitting in with King Crimson.  When it’s jazzy, it channels early Caravan and the Canterbury sound.  And when it’s laid-back and just plain bizarre, I hear strong similarities to early Wigwam, Finland’s finest 70’s band.  Naturally, it sold like books at a Tea Party convention, and shortly thereafter Jess and James and Waldo and Tony and Orlando and Dawn were no more.  Along with their unique brand of Portuguese/Belgian heavy funk soul.  If this album were released on the Harvest or Vertigo label, it would certainly be a monster today.  Well, it’s already a monster.  It just needs to be discovered.

 HEAR IT!

The less exciting stuff

Media mail shipping with delivery confirmation starts at $4.00 in the US, with each additional record only $1 additional shipping.  ALL DOMESTIC ORDERS REQUIRE DELIVERY CONFIRMATION, WHICH IS AN EXTRA 75 CENTS.  Air mail shipping to Canada starts at $10 US, each additional record $2 shipping.  Air mail shipping everywhere else in the world starts at $16 US, with each additional record only $3 shipping.  ALL FOREIGN ORDERS REQUIRE CERTIFICATE OF SHIPMENT, WHICH IS AN EXTRA $1.10.  I accept payments through Paypal. 

I try to grade as best as I can, and I list as many blemishes/imperfections I can find (writing, ringwear, scuff marks, etc.) – Also, please note that I DO listen to these albums – I may not listen to every track, but my grades are based on LISTENING, not just looking at it, since chances are you’ll be listening to the record you buy, not just looking at it.  Most of the albums I sell are the ones I’ve enjoyed for years – and I treat my records with kid gloves.  But sounds speak louder than words, so check out the sound clips below – they’re from the actual record you’re bidding on. 

SHIPPING AND PACKAGING

Listen, I buy a bunch of records too (when I’m not getting outbid at the last second, which is more often than not) – and I know what it’s like to get a rare, one-of-a-kind album packaged dangerously in a flimsy bubblewrap package.  I hate that too.  So rest assured, I ALWAYS package albums with stiff cardboard reinforcements, same for 45s.  And yes, the records are removed from the sleeves (for albums).  I ship out once a week, every Friday, because I have a regular day job.  But I’d be willing to give that up if you’d all be so kind as to bid my items up to stupidly high amounts. 

And finally, I include delivery confirmation on all shipments inside the US.  This is my proof of shipment, and also helps us to track your package if it doesn’t arrive when it should.  I will email you within 2 days of shipment and give you the confirmation number at that time.  Insurance is always optional, but for larger orders, it’s highly recommended.   I DO NOW REQUIRE THAT ALL FOREIGN BUYERS PAY AN ADDITIONAL $1.10 FOR PROOF OF SHIPMENT.  IT'S A NOMINAL FEE AND THE CHEAPEST WAY FOR ME TO PROVE THAT I ACTUALLY SHIPPED YOUR PACKAGE AND DIDN'T JUST POCKET YOUR MONEY AND SKIP TOWN.  For more security and international tracking, you may request GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL - but bear in mind the cost of this service is upwards of $30.  For expensive items, however, it may be well worth it.  Unfortunately, there isn’t a cost-effective way of tracking parcels to foreign countries yet, and shipping times vary depending on your country’s postal system.   Italy in particular seems to be really bad at delivering packages quickly, or delivering packages at all, now that you mention it.  I will always email you when your package ships, but once it’s on its way, please don’t ask me when it will arrive because I don’t know.  If the world’s postal systems can ever agree on a universal tracking system that’s affordable, I’ll be the first to use it.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…

I will always leave positive feedback for successful transactions, and would appreciate the same in return.  All I ask of you is the following – please pay for your items within 14 days of the close of auction.  Compared to other sellers, that’s a generous amount of time, so if you don’t pay within 2 weeks, then I have to assume something’s wrong.  You’ll get an Ebay payment reminder at that point, and possibly a decapitated horse head in your bed.  If, after 30 days, you still haven’t forked up the cash, I’ll relist the item and yell at you if I ever see you in town.