Las Vegas Nights – Las Vegas Nights

This one was a total unknown to me. It attracted my attention for one reason; namely it was released on Jeff Kasenetz and Jerry Katz's Magna Glide label and is quite rate (it doesn't appear in any on-line discography I've seen).

Assuming they were actually a band, as reflected in the brief liner notes, the line-up was completely unknown to me - Bobby Fox, Bill Green, Melodie Jane, and Cassy Martin. My skepticism stems from the fact so many of the songs were credited to the late songwriter Sal Trimachi. He's all but forgotten in the day and age, but as a songwriter, throughout the late 1950s and into the late '60s Trimachi enjoyed a string of successes with acts ranging from the 1910 Fruitgum Company ('1, 2, 3, Red Light'), to Dusty Springfield ('Here She Comes'), and a slew of released with Tommy James and the Shondells. Credited to Sal, he also recorded at least one solo 45: 1969's 'Life Is Beautiful' b/w 'Reflections' (Vanguard catalog VSD 35102). The connection with Kasenetz and Katz makes sense given Trimachi's work with a host of their bubblegum acts - 1910 Fruitgum Company, Captain Groovy and His Bubblegum Army, The Ohio Express, and The Zig Zag People. Again, nothing more than speculation on my part, but I'm guessing most of this album reflected Trimachi demos that were recorded as demos, or vocal "guides" for other bands. Perhaps they reflected tunes he hoped to one day release on his own. At a minimum the voice on tracks like 'Where Do We Go From Here' and 'Yellow Brick Road' bore a similarity to the Sal 45. Lacking enough Trimachi material for a full album they rounded the collection out with a pair of Graham Gouldman demos (yes, Gouldman was on Kasenetz and Katz payroll during 1969-70 - a relationship he doesn't have many nice things to say about.). Another guess on my part, but common sense would indicate the final track was lifted from the recording sessions for Ed Wahonka's 1970 album on the Super K label - "Wahonka"

This certainly wasn't a great album, but in spite of it's fragment background, the collection had more than its share on intriguing moments.

"Las Vegas Nights" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Where Do We Go From Here (Sal Trimachi - Paul Anka) - 3:15 rating: *** stars
'Where Do We Go From Here' was a surprisingly likeable mid-tempo ballad. Very late-'60s vibe that sounded a bit like something The Brooklyn Bridge, or perhaps Tommy James and the Shondells might have recorded. The lead singer was a little rough and the arrangement was a little MOR, but still nice. The track was released as an instantly obscure single:
- 1977's 'Where Do We Go From Here' b/w 'Free As the Wind' (Magna Glide catalog number MGR 337)
2.) Yellow Brick Road (Sal Trimachi - Paul Anka) - 3:08 rating: **** stars
If you've ever heard Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band's version of this tune (on their 1967 album "Safe As Milk", you'll be hard pressed to recognize this version. I'll readily admit to loving the Beefheart cover, but this version was equally charming. Arranged as a slice of bubblegum pop, this is one of the tunes that makes me think these were Trimachi demos - listen to the scat section and compare it to the Sal 45. Sweet tune.
3.) Free As the Wind (Sal Trimachi - Jeff Kasenetz - Jerry Katz) - 2:47 rating: **** stars
I mentioned The Brooklyn Bridge earlier ... by coincidence they happened to have released 'Free As the Wind' as a 1970 single. Johnny Maestro may have had the stronger voice, but their arrangement didn't stray far from this version.
4. I Looked for Love (Sal Trimachi - Paul Anka) - 5:02 rating: ** stars
The first mild disappointment, 'I Looked for Love' was the kind of overly sappy ballad that you would have expected from Jimmy Webb.

(side 2)
1.) I'll Give You My Love (Jeffrey Calvert - Norman Marzano - Sal Trimachi) - 2:29 rating: **** stars
Not quite a garage rocker, but kicked along by a cool little guitar figure (Norman Marzano?), this one came close. One of the most commercial tunes on the album and another one that had commercial potential.
2.) My Dog Named Joe (Sal Trimachi) - 3:00 rating: **** stars
Hum, how did I manage to put on a Lobo record by mistake? One of those early-'70s I-remember-how-life-used-to-be-simpler singer/songwriter tracks, I have to admit this one was another guilty pleasure. My all rights the title alone should have made this one a stinker. Yeah, the singer sounded like he was going to suffer an aneurysm at any moment, but there was something endearing about the track.
3.) Have You Ever Been In Love? (Graham Gouldman) - 2:50 rating: *** stars
As mentioned above, there appear to be a couple of Graham Gouldman tunes on this album. I own a lot of Gouldman material and 'have You Ever been In Love' sure sounds like his voice. The song title also happens to show up on a list of Graham demos. A breezy ballad with a somewhat strained lead vocal, the song would have been better without the heavy orchestration (which sounded like it was added after-the-fact).
4.) Together (Graham Gouldman) - 2:45 rating: *** stars
'Together' was another Gouldman demo. A pretty ballad, this one sounded a bit like an Al Stewart slice of singer-songwriter material. Again the heavy orchestration didn't do the song any favors. I know the song was also recorded by Shirley Bassey on her 1973 "Never Never Never" LP.
5.) I Keep On Wanting You (Ed Wahonka) - 2:45 rating: *** stars
Wahonka was a Shoshonee Indian with a killer blue-eyed soul voice (check out his single 'Emergency'). He somehow got tangled up with Kasenetz and Katz, recording an obscure 1970 album for their Super K label. As alluded to, while 'I Keep On Wanting You' wasn't on that album, it was likely a tune recorded during the same sessions. Showcasing his nice voice, 'I Keep ON Wanting You' was a very commercial pop tune with a nice chorus and quite a bit of commercial potential.

What appears to be a batch of Sal Trimachi demos rounded out by some from Graham Gouldman and Ed Wahonka. (Also, copyright registration info credits "Yellow Brick Road" to Trimachi alone.)