Sunday, November 1, 2009

Team Dokus - Tales From The Underground (uk 1969)

Team Dokus - Tales From The Underground (uk 1969)
Mysterious and menacing 1971 acetate-only album from underground rockers.

Members:
* Roger (Dokus) Hope - vocals,
* Fred Fry - Lead Guitar,
* Stephen Hall - Guitars,
* Phil Bridle - Keyboards,
* Terry Lowe - Bass guitar,
* Roy Stockley - Percussion .

ALBUMS:
1 Tales From The Underground (Tenth Planet TP 007) 1994
NB:
(1) Limited edition of 500 numbered copies.

Tracklist:
01. 50 Million Megaton Sunset
02. Night Of The Living Dead
03. Here's Hoping
04. On The Way Down
05. Visions
06. Tomorrow May Not Come
07. Big Red Beast
08. I Can't Wait
09. Feel Your Fire
10. 50 Million Megaton Sunset (Reprise)

.... All songs written by Dokus.

Essentially a concept album based on the theme of nuclear destruction it relates the tale of World War 3 and life after a nuclear holocaust.

...'In the distance an orange sun burning through your eyes. The blisters burst on your body as the mushrooms rise!'...
(from Fifty Million Megaton Sunset).

"Team Dokus was formed in 1968 after I had been squeezed out of another one-LP blues/progressive/rock super(?)group called Room (the Deram release Pre-Flight). The name came from my nickname at the time given to me by Stephen. It was better than Bob. The members of Team Dokus at the time of the recording were Roger 'Dokus' Hope (vocals), Fred Fry (lead guitar), Stephen Hall (2nd lead & rhythm guitar), Terry Lowe (bass), Phil Bridle (keyboards) and Royston Stockley (percussion).
The album was recorded by Team Dokus in 1971 for the Sphere record label, a subsidiary of CBS. On the day of the recording, both Terry and I were suffering from one of the worst bouts of flu in our lives, and were only there because of the drugs and rum that the others had pumped into us. On top of that, we had played the Temple in Wardour Street the night before (and blown Nazareth off stage), and were going on to play Potters Bar Youth Club with Genesis (early days) the next night. That's explains why the vocals on the recording are so bad. They were meant to have been re-recorded later but it never happened. There were also harmonies recorded for '50 Million Megaton Sunset', 'On The Way Down', 'Magic Castle' and 'Feel A Little Higher' ('Big Red Beast' was actually called 'Magic Castle' and 'Feel Your Fire' was called 'Feel A Little Higher'). All songs were essentially a collaborative effort with the rest of the band of songs that I wrote and arranged, except for 'Magic Castle' - I arranged that song, but Terry came up with the main riff.
We also recorded a single in London in 1971, with shortened versions of 'Tomorrow May Not Come' and '50 Million Megaton Sunset', as well as an EP (I can't remember the contents of this). We made it to the final six in the Melody Maker Rock Contest finals at the Roundhouse in the same year, but were not placed in the top three as we already had signed up with Sphere Records - with the prizes for the top three being recording contracts, we were placed fourth, I believe. However, the band was given a special commendation by John Peel, and Terry was presented with a new Fender bass guitar for his efforts.
Team Dokus split shortly after recording the album, which is why I guess it wasn't released at the time."
~ Information regarding Team Dokus from founder member Roger Hope.
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The members of this band are presently unknown but the reissue (Tenth Planet TP 007 / 1994) is from a 1969 acetate, of which only one copy is known to exist. Essentially a concept album based on the theme of nuclear destruction it relates the tale of World War 3 and life after a nuclear holocaust. The music is lightish progressive rock with the opener, Fifty Million Megaton Sunset, the highlight musically and lyrically. This cut had previously been included on Psychedelic Salvage Co. Vol. 2 (LP & CD) and both Psychedelia, Vol. 3 (LP) and Hen's Teeth, Vol. 3 (CD) include the un-abbreviated version. Side one closes with another gem, the doom-laden, gently flowing and melancholic On The Way Down. Side two opens with Visions, a pretty standard progressive rock offering, but Tomorrow May Not Come, which had previously got an airing on Psychedelic Salvage Co. Vol. 1 (LP & CD), has some good extended instrumental pieces and Big Red Beast featured some promising guitar and vocals, but the other real gem was Feel Your Fire, a very effective blend of vocals, catchy drumming, guitar and keyboards which previews the finale, a reprise of Fifty Million Megaton Sunset. Recommended.
~ (taken from "Tapestry Of Delights").

Download Links:
http://www.mirrorcreator.com/files/1UWALJMA/Dokus_-_Tales_From_The_Underground__uk_1969_.rar_links

...and also...

http://www.multiupload.com/TAMUZ8K566
Team Dokus - Tales From The Underground (uk 1969).rar (61.13 MB)
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