COPPERHEAD - COPPERHEAD - 1973 (US) + 1 bonus hard rock

Copperhead was a band organized by guitarist John Cipollina after he left Quicksilver Messenger Service in 1970. Cipollina, who had been a member of Quicksilver since its formation and whose lead guitar playing was its signature sound, had grown increasingly dissatisfied after the return of band founder Dino Valenti from a prison term, when the group grew larger and he found he had less space to play. He had also grown increasingly interested in playing sessions, which the band discouraged. The early days of Copperhead were casual, with the group consisting of a loose aggregation of people playing gigs with Cipollina. Eventually it coalesced into a quartet consisting of Cipolliana on lead guitar; Gary Philippet on vocals, second guitar, and organ; Jim McPherson on vocals, bass, and piano; and David Weber on drums. The group was initially signed to the Just Sunshine label run by Michael Lang, one of the organizers of Woodstock. But in 1972 it was signed to a major-label record deal by Clive Davis at Columbia and recorded its debut album, Copperhead, released in the spring of 1973. Unfortunately, Davis was fired from Columbia shortly after the album's release, an action that doomed any developing band that had been signed under his aegis. The album went nowhere, and when Columbia refused to release their second album, Copperhead folded. Cipollina went on to play in many different bands before dying in 1989

The music was driving rock and roll with Cipollina dominating tracks such as "Making a Monster", "Spin Spin" and "Roller Derby Star", the latter written by Kent Houseman and Gary Philippet and originally recorded by The Ducks. "Roller Derby Star" was issued as a single (Columbia 45810) and deserved to have been a hit. The band had an envialble live reputation and were thought by many to be poised on the brink of a major commercial succes but Columbia, who were going through the Clive Davis bust crisis, failed to exploit their excellent beginning and didn’t run a single major ad for the sparkling debut album. All this notwithstanding the band went to work on and completed a second album (seven tracks in all) which Columbia refused to issue. With Davis removal from Columbia the band were dropped and the album remains in the Columbia vaults. Despite the lack of promotion "Copperhead" sold remarkably well for Columbia and was re-issued in 1980.

Track Listings

Roller Derby Star (4:15)

Kibitzer (3:45)

A Little Hand (5:00)

Kamikaze (5:26)

Spin-Spin (3:17)

Pawnshop Man (5:29)

Wing-Dang-Doo 4:05)

They're Making a Monster (7:36)

Chameleon (3:39)

Rip from CD 256@ (full artwork included)
Download link
http://link-protector.com/268297/