Track Listing

1. Boom Boom
2. Satisfaction
3. Waiting Song
4. Lookin' For Fun
5. Whole Lotta Love
6. Living In The Past
7. Sunrise
8. Dos Cantos
9. Wade In The Water
10. Walking
11. Salome
12. Tap Turns On The Water
13. Save The World

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #35018 in Music
• Released on: 2002-07-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .16 pounds

Customer Reviews

The distinct sound of big band meets rock, meets blues.
CCS was the brainchild of legendary blues man Alexis Korner together with John Cameron and Peter Thorup. Tired of being pigeon holed, they formed a big band from some of the best session players in the land. They met, they rocked and they recorded. They enjoyed a string of top 10 hits in the early 70's, starting with their marvellous cover of the Zeppelin classic "Whole lotta love," which was the featured title music to Top of the Pops. Perhaps the best off shoot of their success was that Alexis Korner was brought to the attention of the country. If you like big sound, belting rhythm and wonderful musicianship, give CCS a try.

"Spin Your Threads....Spider Of Forgetfulness..."
CCS (short for COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUNESS SOCIETY) made 3 studio albums and 7 singles for Mickie Most's RAK Records in the early Seventies, before the band finally split up in late 1973. This fantastically clear-sounding Repertoire CD is the first of those three, their debut album remastered and supplemented with four relevant bonus tracks.

The digipak mimics the album's original laminate gatefold artwork (a nice touch) and has an 8-page booklet with a CHRIS WELCH essay on the LP and the band's history. (Amazon's artwork above is in fact the booklet and not the actual cover of the album - the cover is the red mountains scene behind the three men).

Here's the song breakdown (54:34 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 9 are the debut album "CCS" originally released October 1970 on Rak Records SRAK 6751 in the UK and issued later as "Whole Lotta Love" in the USA on Rak 30559 in April 1971

Tracks 10 to 13 are the bonus tracks - their 2nd and 3rd UK singles and their B-sides, all 4 songs being non-album at the time.
"Walking" b/w "Salome" was issued in February 1971 on RAK Records RAK 109. "Walking" is a DONOVAN cover version, while "Salome" is a John Cameron and Alexis Korner original.
"Tap Turns On The Water" b/w "Save The World" was issued in August 1971 on Rak Records RAK 119. Both songs are Korner/Cameron originals.

The huge ensemble group was the brain-child of British Blues Boom Godfather ALEXIS KORNER who along with Danish singer PETER THORUP and British arranger JOHN CAMERON pulled together the cream of brass/flute-playing session-men of the time and went after the BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS market for funked-up rock. Mickie Most's timing couldn't have been better. Deciding right from the start to include cover versions ala B, S & T, they did a fantastic brassed-up take on Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" that not only complimented the original, but also defined that "CCS" sound. So when the new BBC pop program "Top Of The Pops" needed a cool new theme song, they took this winner, dropped the flute intro and the vocal middle and end - and a theme song legend was born. Even now, I can remember vividly as a budding teenager watching Top Of The Pops on a Thursday night (for what seemed literally like years) and when that theme came on, a rush went through your veins! I dare say that experience was repeated all across the land and it's probably one of the reasons why CCS is held in such affection to this day. "Whole Lotta Love" came before "Walking" as their 1st 7" single issued in October 1970 on RAK 104 with their cover of John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom" on the B-side (both tracks are on the debut LP).

But the best bit is the SOUND. Repertoire re-issues are always good in my book, but this licensed-from-EMI remaster is exceptional. I'd expected wads of hiss, but the transfers are very clean - and given the amount of brass coming at you, muscular to a point where you have to sometimes reach for the volume control! Plus what also impresses is that there are a lot of quiet patches in between all the musical bluster in the songs and they sound lovely too - a really great job done.

Musically the album itself has been a treasure trove to me - the structure of the songs being complicated and therefore bear repeated listening and discovery. While I'm not overly mad about Thorup's vocals to be truthful, the gravel voice-over wonder that was Alexis Korner's voice will always send a chill up my spine. A sadly, sadly missed man and God bless him wherever he may be.

When CCS folded, both Korner and Thorup teamed up with King Crimson's BOZ BURRELL and IAN WALLACE to form SNAPE who issued some albums in Europe.
But my heart is with the fab CCS. I'm biased of course because I've loved their albums since I was knee-high, but I can say with certainty that this re-issue and its great remaster is superlative - and highly recommended to those who love their Seventies with a bit of balls and a sense of humour.

PS:
For those who want more, their second album from 1972 also called "CCS" on the original vinyl (CCS II for CD purposes) is also available in this series - as is their 3rd and last album from 1973, "The Best Band In The Land". I've bought the other two also - and remastered with bonus tracks - they're the business too.

PPS:
The title of this review is a lyric which I've always loved - it's sung by Alexis on the song "Don Cantos"...

Ready to be Sampled
This is the basis of all good dance tunes, aches of samples, funky Rhodes, Big funky horns.... Let this play in a club and it would stand up on and have the place swaying and a reeling. Please let some DJ slam some big beat in there and remember that I told you so when you have a massive sucess and gis some cash.
If you like Blow up / Spectrum / big band funk 70's style - here she is !
Get it