2019 Covers

Esoteric Recordings is pleased to announce the release of “The Albums 1969 - 1972” by the Climax Blues Band; a 5 CD set comprising the band’s first five albums, originally issued on EMI’s Parlophone and Harvest labels between 1969 and 1972, namely The Climax Chicago Blues Band, Plays On, A Lot of Bottle, Tightly Knit and Rich Man.
Formed in Stafford in 1968 by Colin Cooper, the band (originally known as The Climax Chicago Blues Band) recorded their debut album in September & November 1968. Issued early the following year on EMI’s Parlophone label, the album saw the band gain a wider audience. Shortening their name to the Climax Blues Band, the group recorded and released their excellent follow-up album, Plays On, later that year. By 1970 the band had moved to EMI’s “progressive” label, Harvest, and issued their third album A Lot of Bottle later that year…

One minute The Action were the ultimate mod cult band, belting out exuberant Anglicised approximations of Tamla/soul material in clubs across the country, the next they’d shed singer Reggie King and mutated into questing countercultural adventurers Mighty Baby.
Under the leadership of guitarist Martin Stone, they would become increasingly insular as four of the five band members converted to Islam and they moved slowly towards a more improvised sound. By the end of 1971, fasting for Ramadan had left them almost too weak to perform onstage, at which juncture they came to the reluctant conclusion that rock’n’roll and the Muslim faith were incompatible…

Esoteric Recordings is pleased to announce the release of a 4CD clamshell boxed set by Climax Blues Band, “The Albums 1973-1976”. This release is the second collection of Climax Blues Band albums and features their work issued between 1973 and 1976, a period of commercial and concert success for the group which saw the release of the albums FM Live, Sense Of Direction, Stamp Album and Gold Plated.
Formed in Stafford in 1968 by Colin Cooper, the band (originally known as the Climax Chicago Blues Band) recorded their first live album, FM Live, in New York City at the Academy of Music. The album was originally released as a single LP in the UK by Polydor Records, but issued as an entire performance by Sire Records in the USA. The version in this set is the original US double album running order (with the full version of Goin’ to New York)…

Sharing the Covers is a clever title from a clever band - a band clever enough to not allow themselves to succumb to their wittiness anywhere on this light and lively collection of other people's songs. Casting their net wide, the quartet cover contemporaries and classics, modern and vintage tunes in equal measure, their choices continually telegraphing their good taste. Happily, their execution demonstrates their skill. Although Chatham County Line doesn't reinterpret many of the songs - even a nimble reading of the Ventures' "Walk-Don't Run" doesn't turn the tune inside-out - they nevertheless imprint these largely familiar tunes with their personality. Witness their version of Tom Petty's "You Don't Know How It Feels"…

Esoteric Recordings is pleased to announce the release of a 4CD clamshell boxed set by Climax Blues Band, “The Albums 1973-1976”. This release is the second collection of Climax Blues Band albums and features their work issued between 1973 and 1976, a period of commercial and concert success for the group which saw the release of the albums FM Live, Sense Of Direction, Stamp Album and Gold Plated.
Formed in Stafford in 1968 by Colin Cooper, the band (originally known as the Climax Chicago Blues Band) recorded their first live album, FM Live, in New York City at the Academy of Music. The album was originally released as a single LP in the UK by Polydor Records, but issued as an entire performance by Sire Records in the USA. The version in this set is the original US double album running order (with the full version of Goin’ to New York)…

After a ten year hiatus, original Boytronic vocalist and songwriter Holger Wobker (Kamerata/Beachead), return with former Boytronic frontman James Knights to release the new Boytronic album The Robot Treatment. Never before in the history of pop music has a predecessor collaborated with their replacement to make a new album. It's very much a thing of legend. And perhaps it's hard for some to understand why two singers occupying the same position would make a new album together. The answer is simply Boytronic! Despite critically acclaimed performances surrounding the release of the Jewel album in 2017, differences of opinion over the musical direction of the band saw James leave the line-up in January 2018. Holger and James decided to meet in Berlin. They soon realised they had far more in common musically than they'd realised…