B

Shadows of the Knight, The

Band members Related acts

- Dan Baughman - (1967-70)
- Eric Blomquist - (1970-)
- Jack Daniel - (1970-)
- John Fisher - (1967-70)
- Norm Gotch - bass (1963-65)
- Bob Harper - (1970-)
- Charlie Hess - (1970-)
- Joe Kelley - lead guitar (1965-67)
- Gary Levin - (1970-)
- Jerry McGeorge - rhythm guitar (1965-67)
- Warren Rogers - bass (replaced Norm Gotch) (1966)
- Tom Schiffour - drums, percussion (1963-67)
- Jim Sohns - vocals (1963-70)
- Kenny Turkin - (1967-70)
- Dave Wolinsky - bass (replaced Warren Rogers) (1966-)

- Bangor Flying Circus (David Wolinsky)
- H.P. Lovecraft (Jerry McGeorge)
- Rufus (David Wolinsky)

- David Wolinsky (solo efforts)

Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Gloria Company: Dunwich Catalog: 666 Year: 1966 Grade (cover/record): VG/VG- Comments: minor ring, edge and corner wear; couple of pops on LP; mono pressing Available: 1 Price: $20.00	One of Chicago's more endearing mid-'60s garage bands, The Shadows of Knight formed in 1963. With an original lineup consisting of bassist Norm Gotch, drummer Tom Schiffour and vocalist Jim Sohns, the Knights weren't particularly talented, but exhibited a great deal of enthusiasm and the endearing ability to play at deafeningly loud levels. Having added former Vectors guitarist Joe Kelley and former Blackstones guitarist Jerry McGeorge to the line up, by 1964 the band was attracting big crowds on Chicago's club circuit, including the Cellar Club. Having seen the band's stage act, Bill Traut and George Badonsky signed them to their newly established Dunwich Records. Quickly ushered into the studio, the band (with Warren Rogers replacing Gotch), scored a top-10 hit with a note-for-note (if slightly censored) copy of Van Morrison and Them's "Gloria" b/w "Dark Side" (Dunwich catalog number 45-116). As was standard marketing procedure, the band was quickly ushered into the studio to record a supporting album. 1966's "Gloria" has always puzzled us. To be perfectly honest, taken individually the track listing isn't particularly distinctive, or impressive. Exemplified by material such as "I Got My Mojo Working", "(I'm Your) Hootchie Coochie Man" and no less than three Willie Dixon covers, the set offered up a weird blend of Chicago R&B colored with a distinctive British sound. The collection's three originals "Light Bulb Blues", "Dark Side" and "It Always Happens That Way" reflected the same R&B stance. On the other hand, Sohms and company sound as if their lives depend on getting through this material. That sense of intensity makes the album beguiling. Propelled by "Gloria" and the follow up single "Oh Yea" b/w "Light Bulb Blues" (Dunwich catalog number 45-122), the parent set hit #46. "Gloria" track listing: 1.) Gloria (Van Morrison) - 2:38 2.) Light Bulb Blues (Joe Kelley - John Sohns - Jerry McGeorge - Yuggoth) - 2:34 3.) I Got My Mojo Working (McKinnley Morgan) - 3:32 4.) Dark Side (Warren Rogers - John Sohns - Yuggoth) - 2:03 5.) Boom Boom (John Lee Hooker) - 2:28 6.) Let It Rock (Chuck Berry) - 1:54 7.) Oh Yea (Elias McDaniel) - 2:42 8.) It Always Happens That Way (Warren Rogers - John Sohns - Yuggoth) - 1:58 9.) You Can't Judge a Book (By the Cover) (Willie Dixon) - 2:38 10.) (I'm Your) Hootchie Coochie Man (Willie Dixon) - 3:54 11.) I Just Want To Make Love To You (Willie Dixon) - 3:52 In the mid-'90s the small Sundazed label reissued the album in both vinyl and CD format. The reissued included three bonus tracks; the single version of "Gloria", the previously unissued "Someone Like Me" and an alternative version of "I Got My Mojo Working".

Rating: * (3 stars) Title: Back Door Men Company: Dunwich Catalog: S-667 Year: 1967 Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: stereo pressing Available: SOLD** Price: $25.00	Recorded with Dave Wolinsky replacing the recently drafted Rogers, 1967's "Back Door Men" did little to tamper with their established formula. Other than allowing the band to take on a couple of popular covers, including The Leaves' "Hey Joe", "Tomorrow's Going To Be Another Day" and "Spoonful" the results remained loud and raunchy. Elsewhere, the sinewy "Bad Little Woman" and "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" provided the band with their final two chart hits. As an indication of just how popular the band was in Chicago, for a brief period, the Fairmont potato chip company even gave away a special 5" Shadows promotion cardboard record featuring "Got My Mojo Working" back with an interview and a chip ad with it's product. "Back Door Men" track listing: 1.) Bad Little Woman (Tito Tinsley - Victor Cating - Roger Derrick - Herbert Armstrong - Brian Rosbotham) - 2.) Gospel Zone 3.) The Behemoth 4.) Three for Love 5.) Hey Joe 6.) I'll Make You Sorry 7.) Peepin' and Hidin' 8.) Tomorrow's Going To Be Another Day 9.) New York Bullseye 10.) High Blood Pressure 11.) Spoonful (Willie Dixon) - Sundazed also reissued the sophomore collection, adding three bonus tracks; the single version of "Gospel Zone", "Willie Jean" and "I'm Gonna Make You Mine".

Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Shadows of the Knight Company: Super K Catalog: 6002 Year: 1969 Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: minor edge and corner wear Available: 1 Price: $40.00	Following the release of their second LP, in July, 1967 frontman Sohms fired the rest of the band. When the dust finally settled, The Shadows of Knight consisted of Dan Baughman, John Fisher, Kenny Turkin and Woody Woodruff. Without a contract, the band was eventually approached by Jeff Kasenetz and Jerry Katz's Super K label Interestingly, the K&K team's initial interest in the group wasn't as a recording entity, rather using them as a house band to support other acts. The pair eventually relented, allowing Sohms and company to record. 1969's "Shadows of the Knight" found the band largely abandoning their garage rock roots in favor of a more diverse/schzophrenic sound. Cover material (largely written by Joey Levine) such as "Follow", "Alone" and "Shake Revisited '69" reflected a distinctive pop-rock sound. In contrast, originals such as "Uncle Wiggley's Airship", "I'll Set You Free" and "I Wanna Make You All Mine" reflected a weird metal-psych hybrid. Not liable to drastically change your world perspective, but still worth hearing ... "Shadows of the Knight" track listing: 1.) Follow (Joey Levine) - 2:17 2.) Alone (Joey Levine - S. Feldman) - 2:06 3.) Times & Places (S. Harris) - 2:40 4.) I Am What I Am (B. Baughman - Jim Sohms) - 2:48 5.) Uncle Wiggley's Airship (B. Baughman - Jim Sohms) - 3:56 6.) I Wanna Make You All Mine (S. Woodruff - Jim Sohms) - 2:40 7.) Shake Revisited '69 (Joey Levine - K. Resnick) - 3:28 8.) I'll Set You Free (John Fisher - Jim Sohms) - 4:55 9.) Under Acoustic Control (John Fisher - Jim Sohms - S. Woodruff - Kenny Turkin) - 0:28 10.) Bluebird (Stephen Stills) - 5:40 11.) Back Door Man (C. Burnette) - 4:00 Sohns and this rendition of the Shadows continued to record through 1970. He subsequently recruited another line up (Eric Blomquist, Jack Daniel, Bob Harper, Charlie Hess and Gary Levin), turning his attention to a more metal-oriented sound. Sohms and the Shadows, Mark III continued to perform throughout the '70s. McGeorge reappeared as a member of H.P. Lovecraft, while Wolinsky joined Rufus (see separate entries).

Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Raw 'n' Alive At the Cellar Club '66! Company: Sundazed Catalog: 5006 Year: 1996 Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: Available: 1 Price: $15.00	Recorded at a December 1966 performance which didn't see a release until three decades later (courtesy of Sundazed Records), 1996's "Raw 'n' Alive At the Cellar Club '66!" was a surprisingly accomplished documentary. Recorded in front of an enthusiastic hometown crowd, the set capturing the band running though most of their debut album, with a couple of interesting covers thrown in. As you'd expect the band's sound was largely built on R&B covers (Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, etc.). To their credit, the performances were certainly enthusiastic, but their efforts weren't particularly original or impressive. Probably reflecting pride of ownership, originals such as "It Takes A Long Time Comin'", "Gospel Zone" and "Dark Side" fared far better. Be sure to check out their speed-of-sound cover of Chuck Berry's "Let It Rock" - The Ramones would've been hard pressed to keep up the tempo. Boasting decent (though slightly muddy) sound quality, highlights included a snarling cover of Dixon's "Spoonful" and Sohns' vocal gymnastics on the extended six minute "Gloria". Maybe not awe inspiring, but well worth a listening, particularly for any garage genre fan ... "Raw 'n' Alive At the Cellar Club '66!" track listing: 1.) I Got My Mojo Workin' (Morganfield) - 4:07 2.) Oh Yeah (McDaniel) - 3:45 3.) Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day (Boyce) - 2:34 4.) It Takes A Long Time Comin' (H. Pye) - 2:44 5.) Let It Rock (Chuck Berry) - 2:06 6.) Hey Joe (Dino Valenti) - 4:23 7.) Gospel Zone (Tom Schiffour) - 1:56 8.) Got To Get You Off My Mind (Simon Burke - Burke - Moore) - 1:47 9.) Everybody Needs Somebody To Love (Bert Berns - Simon Burke - Jerry Wexler) - 3:29 10.) Don't Fight It (Wilson Pickett - Steve Cropper) - 4:02 11.) Spoonful (Willie Dixon) - 3:43 12.) Dark Side (Warren Rogers - Jim Sohns) - 1:59 13.) Gloria (Van Morrison) - 6:12

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