MYSTIC MERLIN

Country:
USA

Genre:
Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style:
Soul, Funk,Disco

Members:
Clyde Bullard (bass)
Barry Roark Strutt (sax / keyboards)
Leslie Dorsey (keyboards / lead and background vocals)
Jerry Anderson (guitars / background vocals)
Keith Gonzales (lead vocals / harmonica)
Sly Randolph (drums / percussion / background vocals)
Betty Brown (lead and background vocals).
Freddie Jackson (vocal only on "Full Moon" album)
Barry Strutt - Saxophone

VIDEO
"Just Cant Give You Up"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3ivQhEwaao

MYSTIC MERLIN (1980)

Credits:
Producer - Charles Kipps
Notes:
Excecutive Producer: Dr.Cecil Hale /Recorded & Mixed At Penny Lane Studios New York City /Engineer: Alan Varner

Tracklist:

01 Burned To Learn
02 Don't You Want To Be A Star
03 Dreams
04 Can't Stop Dancing (No Matter What I Do)
05 Dark Side Of Your Love
06 Got To Make The Best (Of A Love Situation)
07 Just Can't Give You Up

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/73431853/mystic_merlin_192_kbs.rar.html

"Mystic Merlin. Originally called Mystic Merlin?s Magic Band, they started off their musical careers by incorporating magic into their live shows before being taken seriously on the soul/funk scene "Just Can't Give You Up" which was originally released on Capitol in 1980 and was also a top 20 hit the same ."

SIX THRILLS A MINUTE (1981)

Credits:
Jerry Anderson - Guitar/Clyde Bullard - Bass/Keith Gonzales - Vocal/Sly Randolph - Drums/Barry Strutt - Saxophone
and:
Paulinho Da Costa, Jim Gilstrap, Bill Champlin, Cheryl Lynn, Gene Page, Charles Veal and Ernie Watts amongst others (they are all famous jazz musicians)

Tracklist:

01 Sixty thrills A Minute
02 Hideaway
03 Sign Of The Times
04 Go To Make It Better
05 Monkey Love
06 Goddess Of The Boogie
07 Searching For The Meaning Of Love
08 Get For Yourself
09 Hauting You (crystal ball)

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/73434249/minute_1981__192_kbs.rar.html

FULL MOON (1983)

Credits:
Arranged By [Horns] - Greg Mathieson (tracks: 02, 04, 06, 08) , Jerry Hey (tracks: 01, 03) /Arranged By [Strings] - Gene Page/ Artwork By [Design] - Andy Engel , Dyer/Kahn Inc. /Backing Vocals - Augie Johnson , Jim Gilstrap , John Lehman , Steve Buckley , Varnell Johnson /Bass - Clyde Bullard , Nathan East (tracks: 01 to 04, 06) /Drums, Percussion - Sly Randolph /Engineer [Assistant] - Jim Hodson/ Engineer, Mixed By - Mark Smith / Guitar - Charles Fearing , Jerry Anderson/ Keyboards - Greg Mathieson , Laythan Armor/ Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals - Freddie Jackson/ Other [Synthesizer Concept] - Fred MacFarlane, Jr. /Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa /Photography - Ron Slenzak, Daniel Catherine /Producer, Backing Vocals - Alan Abrahams / Saxophone - Barry Strutt , David Woodford (tracks: 04, 06) /Synthesizer - Michael Lewis/ Written-By - Alan Abrahams (tracks: 03, 04, 05, 06) , Barry Strutt (tracks: 02 to 04, 05, 08) , Charles Fearing (tracks: 03, 06) , Clyde Bullard (tracks: 02, 03, 05, 07, 08) , Freddie Jackson (tracks: 04, 05 ,06,08) , Jerry Anderson (tracks: 01 to 04, 05, 07, 08) , John Martin Green (tracks: 02, 07) , Kemp (tracks: 08) , Michael Lewis (tracks: 05) , Sly Randolph (tracks: 02, 03, 05)

Tracklist:

01 Mr. Magician (5:15)
02 Perfect (4:26)
03 Rock The World (4:33)
04 Your Love (4:04)
05 Full Moon Rising (Prelude) (0:30)
06 Full Moon (4:35)
07 Love Is What You Need (3:47)
08 Back To Zero (4:35)
09 Mindreader (4:42)

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/73436185/full_moon_192_kbs.rar.html

"CLASSIC, CLASSIC, CLASSIC. EMI in Europe and the UK have redeemed themselves in my eyes considerably by releasing a very healthy wave of classic soul and funk albums. Not only this, but these have been fully remastered with 24-bit digitising. AND we have been spared the dreadful digipak packaging as well. No matter how well you handle the damn things they still get worn. There are 30 releases and many I will cover. I was so, so excited when I saw this as a reissue. This superb set from 1982 was the third and final set from this eccentric and colourful ensemble, and sales-wise it did not do at all well. Obviously it was a good album then if all other in-demanders are anything to go by. This set by Mystic Merlin, overlooked in the early 1980s, has now attained an almost cult status for cuts such as "Mr. Magician" and "Full Moon" and rightly so. This album sees the timely introduction of Freddie Jackson as lead vocalist and needless to say I ADORE his vocals. He shines on all tracks and needless to say the sublime musical backdrop complete with funky bass, horns and real rhythm. I feel that the early 1980s was golden period for our music, and this has hitherto been an unexploited era for reissue. Crammed with steppers and midtempo numbers this is really essential soul from the Capitol vaults. I love every track on offer here, and feel that Freddie delivers the goods on all tempos. My standouts have to be the opener and cult favourite "Mr. Magician" and the ESSENTIAL stepper, "Full Moon", complete with freaky keyboards. Atmospheric and funky to the point of pain, this funky slap-bass driven groove is just amazing. This beats any of the drivel which passes as R&B today. With a bass line straight out of the Curtis Mayfield "You're So Good To Me" groove, you know that this is a showstopper. Did Freddie ever have an inkling about the fantastic career he would later have? The sumptuous ballad, "Your Love", resplendent in fender rhodes keyboards, with hindsight, offered us a glimpse of the man we would know and love as a very successful solo artist. I cannot recommend this album enough and to be able to buy this for as little as L6.99 here in the UK is really something special. I look forward to future releases and I implore those dealing with this, Gilles Pétard and Gérard Woog to release the classic albums "New Dimensions" from the Dramatics as well as the Blue Magic album from 1981. Go on - you know it makes sense!!! - Barry Towler" (http://www.soulexpress.net/mysticmerlin.htm)

"This album is mainly sought after for the 'rare groove' song 'Mr. Magician'. A "funtastic" track. This album has a very Eighties vibe going on. All bar one track are uptempo and seem almost like a snapshot in time, musically. Freddie Jackson left the group shortly after this set was released and the rest is history. This is a nice album and highly recommended."

"A wicked bit of jazzy soul from Mystic Merlin -- one of our favorite groups of the Capitol Rare era, and a quintet that somehow managed to take the funky group soul sound into a more sophisticated direction -- but without watering it down! Freddie Jackson leads the group on vocals, and the whole album's got a tight catchy style that's halfway between modern soul and 80s groove -- and an equally well-executed version of both! Includes the killer cut "Mr Magician", plus "Your Love", "Rock The World", "Full Moon", "Back To Zero", "Mindreader", and "Love Is What You Need"."
(http://www.dustygroove.com/browse.php?incl_oos=1&incl_cs=1&kwfilter=MYSTIC+MERLIN+&go.x=13&go.y=10)



ALBUMS

Mystic Merlin (Capitol 1980)
Sixty Thrills A Minute (Capitol 1981)
Full Moon (Capitol 1982)
Dream Lover (TAPE 1990)


Biography:
Mystic Merlin were from New York.Mystic Merlin were originally a novelty act incorporating magic into their live shows before being taken seriously on the soul / dance scene.The group were, originally known as Mystic Merlin's Magic Band.They then became, simply, Mystic Merlin and in 1980 they signed with Capitol and released the, Charles Kipps produced, album 'Mystic Merlin'.It featured the dance classic 'Just Can't Give You Up', a U.K. Top 20 single (the acappella from which was utilized by the U.K. group Life On Earth on their single 'Can't Give You Up').A second album, entitled 'Sixty Thrills A Minute' followed in 1981.Recorded in Hollywood, the album featured the original line-up with further artistic input from Paulinho Da Costa, Jim Gilstrap, Bill Champlin, Cheryl Lynn, Gene Page, Charles Veal and Ernie Watts amongst others.After that release they added Freddle Jackson to the group, and he sang on their third Capitol album, 'Full Moon'.The album included 'Mr Magician', popular among U.K. soul / dance fans.The song 'Your Love' was penned by Freddie Jackson and Barry Strutt and was originally titled 'Don't Let Your Love (Love Without A Meaning)'.It was written in the attic of Clyde Bullard's home in the Bronx.
Incidentally, Clyde's uncle is Bill Withers.Mystic Merlin continued to record after the departure of Freddie Jackson for a successful solo career.In 1990, they recorded a single entitled 'Dream Lover' which was released on TAPE.They have also recorded under the name of Storm (not to be confused with the same group who recorded 'Can't Nobody Love Me Like You').In the aftermath of the September 11th disaster, Clyde Bullard and Barry Strutt wrote a song entitled 'Standing Tall', which was performed at a rememberance service for that day.

Barry Strutt is an attorney today (http://keeganstrutt.com/bios.htm#brs) ,although he still writes with Clyde and is in touch with Jerry Anderson.

Clyde Bullard -Bass Guitar Musician, Magician, Producer…Clyde Bullard has played bass with Bill Withers, Eddie Murphy, The Weather Girls, Gloria Gaynor, Martha Wash, Freddie Jackson, Cuba Gooding & the Main Ingrediant, The Delfonics, Brasil’s superstars Beth Carvalho, Zeze Motta and Jair Rodriques. He spent seventeen years as the bassist for “The Boys Choir of Harlem”, touring the world.He created “Mystic Merlin”, a band that performed magic in concert and was signed to Capitol Records in Hollywood, California.Clyde has played in the orchestras of such Broadway shows as “Two Gentlemen of Verona”, “Hair”, “Bubbling Brown Sugar”, “A Chorus Line” and “Amen Corner”.As a producer, Clyde has produced, Bucky Pizarelli, Jay Leonhardt, Eddie Palmieri, Joey DeFrancesco, Stanley Turrentine, Marion McPartland, Jon Hendricks, The New York Opera, Alex Blake, Gloria Lynne, Little Jimmy Scott, The Tito Puente Orchestra,, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Jimmy McGriff, Kenny Garrett, Barry Harris, Jimmy Heath, Gary Bartz, Randy Weston and The World of Brasil.Clyde is also on the panel for N.Y.S.C.A (New York State Council for the Arts).(http://www.unityofnewyork.org/music_bios.cfm)

Clyde Bullard, Jazz Producer. Producer of Flushing Town Hall's Jazz Live! series since 1998, Mr. Bullard is also a professional musician who has performed in over twenty-five Broadway and off Broadway shows. A principal bassist for the Boys Choir of Harlem for over seventeen years, Mr. Bullard toured nationally and internationally. He has performed with Tony Bennett, Freddie Jackson and Vivian Reed among others. Mr. Bullard has produced numerous large-scale productions both in the United States and abroad. Bullard has served as a panelist for the NYSCA Presenting Program for several years and is currently an alternate panelist. (http://www.flushingtownhall.org/about/profile-staff.php)

Sly Randolph is Master drummer and educator (http://www.mee-j.com/mmigpress.html) still playing with jazz musicians (The Dartanyan Brown Trio,Howard Wiley,Lavay Smith)

Sadly, Leslie Dorsey was killed driving a gypsy cab.Leslie was a classically trained singer, and sang on streets corners as part of a Black barbershop quartet.

More info:
http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Mystic%20Merlin.html

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=108070868

http://www.discomusic.com/forums/funk-jazz-northern-soul-rare-grooves/3348-mystic-merlin.html

Clyde Bullard
http://www.nypress.com/19/12/pagetwo/conterfeit1.cfm

http://www.princepassion.com/categorie-667799.html