The Minstrel

In the beginning they were called the Fenways. Hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, they were a major draw on the regional circuit. Spunky singles such as “Be Careful Little Girl” and “The Walk” translated into huge local hits. The Fenways also played on “You’re The One” by the Vogues, which peaked at the No. 4 spot on the nationwide charts late in 1965. But as was the story with a host of bands, they were floored by the newfangled nuances of psychedelic music, and wasted not a second altering their outlook and approach. Garbed in Nehru jackets and love beads, the Fenways switched their name to the Racket Squad in 1967, and signed a contract with the Jubilee label. During their tenure, they recorded two full-length albums for the roster, which have been scrabbled together in 1999 by Collectables Records as a solitary disc. Bonus tracks are a plus, as well as informative history of the group…

This British boogie group was formed on Merseyside in 1976 by the Burrows brothers. The band comprised bassist/vocalist Brian Burrows, drummer Rob E. Burrows and guitarists Sniffa and Col Harkness. After incessant gigging around the north-west, they relocated to London and were eventually signed by RCA Records in 1983. They debuted with Rock 'N' Roll Gypsies, a fuel-injected collection of boogie-based rockers, identical in almost every respect to the style of Status Quo…