Spirit Of John Morgan-Spirit Of John Morgan (1969)

Spirit of John Morgan was a short-lived blues-rock band that released only three albums between the late sixties and early seventies. The lineup consisted of organist and vocalist John Morgan, guitarist Don Whitaker, bassist Phil Shutt, and drummer Mick Walker. Their origins date back to 1968 when they secured a contract with Carnaby Records, a subsidiary of British Columbia Records, and a year later released their self-titled debut album. In this first work, the fusion of different styles is more than evident, encompassing psychedelic sounds, folk, blues, and progressive elements. The opening track, "Orpheus and None For Ye", showcases their psychedelic side with organ and dark sounds reminiscent of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Meanwhile, the progressive blues track "I Want You", the dynamic instrumental "The Yodel", and the superb blues-rock "Yorkshire Blues" make for a consistent and highly accomplished album. The subsequent album, "Age Machine" (1970), despite containing certain elements of progressive avant-garde, was more oriented towards predictable folk and pop sounds. A year later, John Morgan recorded the album "Kaleidoscope", with a more pop-oriented sound that went completely unnoticed.