Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Majic Ship - Green Plant - Hummin' - It's Over



Here is a couple of cool and somewhat rare 45 cuts by NY band "Majic Ship".

I remember the old man telling me about the full length album he found about 10 years ago or so and sold it for around $750.00 bucks! So when I stumbled upon the "Night Time Music" / "Green Plant" 45 in a box of shit a few years ago I couldn't believe it. So I went on a mad hunt for 2nd single which i found on ebay for a few clams. The original LP is damn near impossible to find and fethces around $1,000 bucks now but there is a nice double album vinyl reissue that comes with all the 45 cuts (these 45 cuts were not on the full length album) and some of the bands prior material when they were called "The Primitives", it even has a little interview with the guys at the end of side 4. I think i paid about 30 bucks for it and if you dig these 45 cuts you should check into finding a copy.

Green Plant is the flip to the local "hit" Night Time Music and is a nice nuggets style garage rocker with some wicked fuzzy guitar and pounding drums and total 60's style organ, it's really a great track, while "Hummin" is a total 60's pop - blue eyes soul track full of horns and a bubble gum vibe. Totally different but great in a completely different way. It doesn't even sound like the same band. And the flip to Hummin "It's Over" is a light psych affair complete with flute, nice background wha wha guitar and more horns, and has a great vocal delivery. It's pretty wild the ground these guys covered, very varied... heh... Anyway, i really dig these tunes so check them out.

Here is some lifted info:
Arising out of adolescent garage band the Primitives, which played primitive covers of British Invasion tunes, the New Primitives came together in New York City in 1966, originally composed of a group of high school friends: Ray Rifice (guitar), Tommy Nikosy (guitar), Rob Buckman (drums), and Mike Garrigan (vocals). Soon, the band increased to a group of five with the addition of bassist/organist Gus Riozzi. They kept a busy performance schedule throughout the next few years when their high school commitments allowed it. In 1968, Rifice left the band to attend college, but at about the same time, former '50s crooner turned manager Johnny Mann saw the band live and promised to get them a recording contract. Philip Polimeni replaced Rifice on lead guitar, and the New Primitives became Majic Ship. Mann introduced the band to the Tokens, who produced their first single, "Night Time Music." It became a local hit, even gaining the band some national airplay, as did a second single, "Hummin." After much touring and a couple more singles, Majic Ship found their way to a studio to record their self-titled debut album in the summer of 1969. Majic Ship melded hard rock, pop, and psychedelia in a way similar to fellow New Yorkers Vanilla Fudge. The band continued on for the next couple of years with plans to record a second album, but those plans were nixed when the band's shared house in Staten Island burned to the ground in 1971, taking with it virtually all their recording equipment and instruments. Without any insurance, the band members called it quits. ~ Stanton Swihart, All Music Guide

Majic Ship - Green Plant

Majic Ship - Hummin'

Majic Ship - It's over

6 comments:

Funky16Corners said...

There was a cover of 'Green Plant' by a British group called Cherry Smash, which was on one of the original 'British Psychedelic Trip' comps back in the early 80's.

Devil Dick said...

Hey very cool Larry, I'm gong to have to try to track that down!
Thanks!

CalaixBraham Lincoln said...

WELL...PHILLIP POLIMENI IS ME DAD...I GREW UP WITH ALL THESE SINGLES,THE L.P. AND MORE...STILL HAVE ALL OF'EM IN FACT!I WAS GIVEN A SET OF DRUMS WHEN I WAS 2 AND WHEN I TURNED 16 WAS PLAYING WITH ARTHUR LEE AND LOVE AND THEN IN 2003 I TOURED ALL OVER EUROPE WITH SKY SAXON AND THE SEEDS,I'M STILL PLAYING AND INTEND TO KEEP THE FLAME BURNING IN THE "SPIRIT" OF THE 1960'S CERTAINLY INDEED!CHEERS FOR THIS POST AND I'LL BE SURE TO LET POP'S KNOW'BOUT IT...signed J.P.

Devil Dick said...

J.P.
many thanks for stopping in! Your dad made some great music and i'm glad that some folks still appreciate these great sounds!
I hope your pops stops by too!!!
Cheers!
dd

Unknown said...

LOVED THE MAJIC SHIP ESPECIALLY ORGANIST JEFF BILOTTA. DID THE CURRENT LEADERS OF THE BAND FORGET THAT JEFF WAS THE ORGANIST DURING THE YEARS OF 1967-1973 AND WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE HITS OF NIGHTTIME MUSIC AND HUMMIN? HAVE THE MEMBERS OF THE MAJIC SHIP ON LINE ALL DEVELOPED ALZIMERS DISEASE. JEFF WAS A BELOVED MEMBER OF THIS BAND AND WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR MOST POPULAR MUSIC.

Ken said...

Manic Ship was the first band I ever saw in concert. They opened for Vanilla Fudge at a theater in Staten Island in ‘67 or ‘68. Actually went to see the Ship since I knew some of the guys dnd their manager. Great memories!