EVER SENSE THE DAWN

An unusual album from an unusual and forgotten folk band. Providence were the only American band ever signed to the Moody Blues Threshold label that I’m aware of. Their only released album is really more like an EP, clocking in at a paltry 29 minutes.

But it’s a pretty interesting 29 minutes at least. The instrumentation of the band would be considered atypical in any era, although in the early seventies they were probably on the outer edge of that period where fringe bands like this could still attract some attention. The band had no drummer per se, although multinstrumentalist Tom Tompkins’ percussion included a tad bit of hand drumming. Instead, bassist Bob Barriatua sets the tempo (such that it is) for the music.

And speaking of the Moodies, there is a clear influence in the inflection and overall timbre of vocalist Andy Guzie, as well as in the harmonic accompanying vocals of the other singers (and just about all the band’s members sing here at one time or another). The rest of the music comes courtesy of Tompkins’ cello (and sometimes violin), as well as the twin violins of Jim Cockney and Jim Corkey, along with Barriatua’s bass and Guzie on guitar. Keyboardist Bartholomew Bishop rounded out the band with his piano, harpsichord (especially noticeable on “If We Were Wise” and “The Stream”) and less frequently on organ. There’s also a bit of glockenspiel and uncredited flute on a couple numbers, although except for “Island of Light” the flute is barely noticeable, and in fact it may be the product of Bishop’s occasional organ play rather than an actual flute. Come to think of it, it probably is.

Comparisons are pointless for the most part, as I’m not aware of any bands of this era that had even a similar sound. Maybe Sindelfingen, another American band who also favored acoustic and stringed instruments, although their sound was decidedly heavier at times and they had a traditional drummer.

The lyrical themes are similar to those of the Moodies as well, and the album’s producer was long-time Moodies producer Tony Clarke, so that influence was probably unavoidable. “If We Were Wise” especially could easily be mistaken for a Moody Blues studio outtake or ‘lost’ recording.

I’ve read this is a hard recording to find, but it really isn’t, although most often the vinyl releases that surface are promo copies. There are CD versions around that I’ve seen, but I don’t know much about their quality or the source material for them, and doubt if they were remastered from original studio tapes.

A couple notable tracks include the heavier “Island of Light” where Guzie even manages a bit of guitar fuzz and comes off sounding surprisingly like a tamer version of some of the late eighties grunge bands that came out of the American Northwest; and “Mountain” features some fairly well-developed complex vocal harmonies. Otherwise most of the songs are heavily laden with string arrangements, Mike Pinder-like vocals, and a rather folksy feel.

Providence hung on for a couple more years after this album’s release, but fractured around 1975 in the wake of the mysterious and suspect disappearance of their second album’s master tapes from the studio where they had just finished recording it. I’m told that album has surfaced on CD in recent years, but several members of the band has since sued to stop its distribution. All of the members are involved in music today in one form or another except Bishop, whose whereabouts are unknown.

This is a bit of a novelty recording, and isn’t developed enough to merit consideration as an essential prog recording. But it is interesting to listen to, and calls to mind a simpler time when this kind of rather naïve music was still being made with a straight face by the little brothers of many old sixties hippies. 3.4 stars and recommended to string fans, lovers of folk music, and anyone who digs the kind of music the Moody Blues got famous making.

peace