Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: Hamilton Streetcar
Company: Dot
Catalog: DLP-25939
Year: 1968
Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+
Comments: original inner sleeve; minor ring, edge and corner wear
Available: 1
Price: $20.00
The Los Angeles-based Hamilton Streetcar were apparently a studio project built around the talents of ex-Appletree Theater mastermind/vocalist John Boylan, singer/guitarist Buzz Clifford (who'd enjoyed an early '60s hit with "Baby Sittin' Boogie") and Ralph Plummer. The trio somehow attracted the attention of the eccentric Lee Hazlewood who promptly signed them to his newly established LHI label. Debuting with 1968's "Invisible People" b/w "Flash" (LHI catalog 17016), the group managed one follow-up single ("Confusion" b/w "Your Own Comedown" (LHI catalog 1206), before switching to Dot Records.
1969's "Hamilton Streetcar" found the group working with producer Richard Delvy. Structurally the set was odd, largely forsaking conventional three minute song structures in favor of a pair of side long, multi-part suites that frequently interweaved main themes with shorter refrains (examples included "Streetcar" and a cover of Tim Buckley's "Pleasant Street"). Heavily orchestrated, tracks such as "Wouldn't It Be Nice (To Have Wings and Fly)" and the instrumental "Entre Acte" sounded a bit like Curt Boetcher and Gary Usher's work with Sagittarius. Elsewhere, tracks such as "Brother Speed", "Welcome into Your World" and "" were far less pop oriented, featuring a distinctive rock/psych sound. Definitely different, the set grows on you each time around. It's one of our favorite recent discoveries.
"Hamilton Streetcar" track listing:
1.) Overture - 3:18
2.) Streetcar (Lee Michaels) - :37
3.) Where Do I Go - :24
4.) Brother Speed (John Boylan) - :21
5.) I See I Am (Buzz Clifford) - :40
6.) Welcome into Your World - :15
7.) Now I Taste the Tears - :25
8.) Streetcar - :17
9.) Streetcar - 2:28
10.) Brother Speed - 2:58
11.) I See I Am - 4:45
12.) Where Do I Go - 3:33
13.) Now I Taste the Tears - 2:35
14.) Welcome into Your World - 2:15
15.) Entre Acte (instrumental) - 3:58
16.) Silver Wings (instrumental) - :33
17.) Wouldn't It Be Nice (To Have Wings and Fly). - :32
18.) Pleasant Street (Tim Buckley) - :35
19.) Honey and Wine - :32
20.) Wasn't It You? - 1:12
21.) Silver Wings - :34
22.) Wouldn't It Be Nice (To Have Wings and Fly) - 3:25
23.) Silver Wings - 4:33
24.) Honey and Wine - 3:23
25.) Pleasant Street - 4:28
26.) Wasn't It You? - 3:17
Boylan subsequently became a sought after producer. Clifford reportedly released a rare solo album (we've never seen it, or heard it), before vanishing. No idea what happened to Plummer.