Bush - ST

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Backstage Girl	02:58
	2	Yonge Street Patty	02:49
	3	Got to Leave the City	03:37
	4	I Miss You	02:55
	5	The Grand Commander	04:20
	6	Cross Country Man	03:57

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	I Can Hear You Calling	02:49
	2	Messin' Around With Boxes	02:51
	3	Livin' Life	03:19
	4	Turn Down	04:01
	5	Drink Your Wine	05:53

Photos

Videos

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Information/Write-up

No, not the Gavin Rossdale band. This band was basically a more stripped down, rockin' version of Mandala. They released a self-titled album in 1970. All the songs were written by Troiano/Kenner, with the exception of a few tunes penned solely by Domenic. The sound is very immediate and raw with few or no overdubs. The band fills out its sound with frequent three-part harmonies and a generous helping of musical chops. The album includes "I Can Hear You Calling," which was later covered by Three Dog Night, "The Grand Commander," "Back Stage Girl," and the ultra-smooth "Turn Down," sung by Domenic. "Livin' Life" is the requisite feel-good Troiano song, and "I Miss You" foreshadows the sentimental tracks on his first two solo LPs.

The Bush LP was reissued on CD in 1995 by Magada Heritage International. I was lucky enough to snag a copy in 1998. In addition to the original album, the CD also includes four super-rare live tracks, recorded in Los Angeles in 1971 just before the band split. During "Try," Prakash John lets out a scream that could strip the paint off the walls. The 20-minute "Cross Country Man" is chock full of highlights: 5:20: Prakash apes the Sanford & Son theme song; 5:31: Kenner plays a tamborine solo; 7:04: he plays another tamborine solo; 7:15: Troiano unleashes a series of notes that sound like raindrops falling from the sky; 8:12: Domenic makes his guitar sound like a spaceship; 9:11: the band scat in unison; 12:06: Domenic does that guitar thing that no one can figure out; 17:12: Whitey Glan rolls with one hand; 18:55: Kenner scats like a hyperactive 8-year old whose had too much Jolt cola. It's a rare disc, but one definitely worth hunting for.

Troiano's new band was a musical departure from Mandala. Bush excelled in simple, blues-influenced songs that were raw without sacrificing musicianship. Onstage, the band took a more down-to-earth approach to performing, dressing casually and letting the music speak for itself. By this time, Troiano had become well-known for developing a unique guitar technique. "Troiano does things with the electric guitar no one else is doing," wrote L.A. music critic R.E. Maxon in 1970. "For instance, how about playing distinctly different melodies simultaneously? Can’t be done, you say? See Bush, and you'll see it done, as your mouth falls open." Reb Foster, a popular DJ from Los Angeles, traveled to Arizona to see the band. Foster ran a management company and was affiliated with ABC/Dunhill through his own production company, Cuordoroy Records. Impressed with the band, he got Bush signed to ABC/Dunhill.

Bush soon began touring with labelmates Steppenwolf and Three Dog Night. The band found themselves in the middle of a legal nightmare as they prepared to release their debut album in the middle of 1970. "ABC/Dunhill gave Reb his own label, Cuordoroy," said Troiano. "We were the first new signing to Cuordoroy, and just after we finished our album, ABC/Dunhill sued them, they sued ABC/Dunhill, and we ended up being the political football." Their eponymous album disappeared without a trace after its release. Nonetheless, Bush continued to tour in the southwest U.S. By the spring of 1971, the band had very little money and only a small following. In June, after a gig at the Bitter End in Los Angeles, Troiano, Kenner, Glan, and John decided to pull the plug on Bush. Although Bush was history, Three Dog Night recorded the band's song "I Can Hear You Calling" and included it as the B-side of their own single "Joy to the World." The single turned out to be one of the group's best sellers.

Domenic Troiano: guitar, vocals
Roy Kenner: vocals, congas
Prakash: bass, vocals
Pentti J. Glan: drums

Produced by Reb Foster, assisted by Tim Alvarado
Engineered by Larry Cox and Rik Pekkonen
Recorded at Wally Heider Recording Studio, Los Angeles, USA

Photography by Ed Caraeff
Album design by Cal Schenkel

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