The Crystal Ship Idaho Garage Private Star Spangled Banner Waving Set Hearts

$

31

For consideration, an obscure private label, garage single from Boise, ID probably 1967 or so. There is a mention of the band on garagehangover.com, under Idaho bands The Worlocks. It mentions The Crystal Ship, playing There's A Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere b/w To Set Hearts Free.
 This record is EX with sleeve scuffing, but really nice luster, and nothing deep. Plain sleeve, no picture sleeve. You can listen to the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hko9SWq9j1o  The backing song, To Set Hearts Free is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyL2dg3RG2U

This record is # AH-202 on American Heritage Music Corporation label, and they operated at 912 North 8th Street Boise Idaho 83702. Label states 'Bob Dye Production'.

Side One features a rendition of 'There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere" and the band is listed as 'The Crystal Ship - Featuring Ken Galyen". It starts out mentioning 'revolution and fighting everywhere' and may be in reference to the Vietnam War.

The flip side is "To Set Hearts Free", a song by Bob Hultz (presumably a band member) and the band is listed as "The Crystal Ship". Has a bit of a surf rock feel in the beginning, then at the end goes into a kind of crazy guitar finale, pretty cool.

Jerry added this information:

John Crew formed the Warlocks a year or so before I joined the group. I was playing with another group at the time, but saw an opportunity with the Warlocks that I thought had, if not potential for fame and fortune, at least fairly steady local work.

Recording a record was a goal of most local bands at that time, so we decided to give it a try. Portland was the closest city with a reputable recording studio, so we pooled our money and scheduled a recording session. "You Keep Me Hanging On" was a favorite of John Crew's, so we decided on it for the lead song, and John Anderson had written the instrumental, "Banana Soul" for the flip side. We ordered a 1000 records, and probably sold half of them, and gave the other half away to friend and relatives. The record was played on local radio stations a few times, but never took off as we had hoped it would. I still have one copy framed on my den wall.

I am attaching a picture of Warlocks playing at the "Soul Kitchen" (formerly called the "Cinnamon Cinder") in Caldwell, Idaho, our Saturday night gig for about three years. The band eventually broke up for various reasons, and some of the members played in other local groups...none achieving fame and fortune that I know of.

Some other groups playing in the Boise area during that time were the Crystal Ship and the Lee Curtis Group. I played in the Lump Sum, the New Critics and, later, Street Level. I quit playing in bands when Street Level broke up in 1978. There was one person that I used to jam with who did become quite well known for his music and song writing...Bill LaBounty, who played with Fat Chance out of Seattle.

If I may, I'd like to say that my son, Todd Sloan, picked up the music bug from me I suppose. He has made made a career in the Seattle and Boise area. His band is low-fi, check him out at myspace.com/lowfirocks. Todd writes all of the band's material, and they are planning to record a new (independent) CD in January.

Jerry Sloan, December 2009

Buyer to pay $4 first class mail shipping to USA.