Gun - Gun / Gun Sight (1968/69 London, UK) | Hard Rock / Heavy Psych | Vinyl Stream

For today's psychedelic trip this morning I'm spinning both Gun albums back to back - the self-titled debut on CBS S 63552 and Gun Sight on CBS S 63683, both original UK stereo pressings. Gun evolved from The Knack, an Ilford Essex band. Paul Gurvitz's father was road manager for The Shadows. By 1967 they were playing the UFO Club alongside Pink Floyd, Tomorrow, and the Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Jon Anderson - later of Yes - fronted them briefly before moving on. In early 1968 the band became a power trio: Paul Gurvitz on bass and vocals, brother Adrian on guitar, Louie Farrell on drums. Their manager was Ronnie Scott. Gun rehearsed at his Soho jazz club. A man painting murals on the walls became the cover artist for the debut. That painter was Roger Dean - this is his first known album cover, years before Yes and Uriah Heep made him famous. Race With The Devil hit number 11 in the UK in October 1968. Jimi Hendrix quoted the riff at Isle of Wight in 1970. Judas Priest, Girlschool, Black Oak Arkansas, and Church of Misery all covered it. The debut closes with the 12-minute Take Off. The debut's cover was Roger Dean's first. Gun Sight's cover was by Hipgnosis - one of their early commissions before Blind Faith, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd made them legendary. Gun Sight came out November 1969 - every track written by Paul Gurvitz, a reversal from the debut where Adrian wrote almost everything. Recorded at IBC Studios and Trident Studios. The title even has an identity crisis - Gun Sight on the front cover, Gunsight on the back and labels. Side one hits hard with Head In The Clouds and Situation Vacant. Side two turns acoustic. After this the band dissolved. Adrian and Paul went on to Three Man Army with Buddy Miles and Carmine Appice, then Baker Gurvitz Army with Ginger Baker. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinyl_piper/ Full vinyl rips playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj0yF7-9YQ9pEOi1yCUyAZikNmWVdz8Hn Shop: https://vinylpipershop.com/ #Gun #RaceWithTheDevil #GunSight #HardRock #VinylStream #VinylPiper #MorningStream #BritishPsych #Hipgnosis #RogerDean #HeavyPsych #1968