[Review] Buddy Miles Express: Electric Church (1969)
All aboard for another ride on the soul, R&B and funk train with Buddy Miles Express.
Kronomyth 2: Electric miss lady land.
In between Electric Flag and Band of Gypsys, Buddy Miles and his band stopped off at Electric Church for a second album of electric rhythm and blues spiked with soulful horns. You’ll see some familiar sights (Electric Flag’s Texas, a live version of Wrap It Up) and encounter a few familiar faces (Jim McCarty, Bill Rich), but this is a different ride than the first. One passenger likely to catch your eye is Jimi Hendrix, who produces half the record (Anne Tansey, a friend of Hendrix who had appeared in the Apple Pie Motherhood Band, produced the other half). If you’re thinking that Hendrix not playing guitar on the album is a missed opportunity, then you won’t want to miss Jim McCarty’s amazing guitar solos on Miss Lady or “Texas.” One of the big differences between this and the debut from Buddy Miles Express are the vocals. Miles goes for a higher singing range on a few songs (Destructive Love, “Texas,” My Chant) that had me initially thinking he’d brought in a female singer. His hulking frame dwarfing his drumset and producing such sweet sounds is a paradox that confounds the senses. A personal favorite from Electric Church is a version of Otis Redding’s Cigarettes & Coffee on which time stops. It’s one of several songs on here that addresses lost love, and few can preach the pain of a lonely heart like Buddy Miles. In some ways, a template was emerging for Buddy Miles Express, though one that afforded Miles a wide enough berth to change things up and expand his sound. If you enjoyed the first trip, you’ll want to stick around for this stop too.
Original elpee version
A1. Miss Lady (Buddy Miles) (4:41)
A2. 69 Freedom Special (Bill Rich/Tom Hall/Jim McCarty) (2:53)
A3. Cigarettes & Coffee (Otis Redding) (8:25)
A4. Destructive Love (Buddy Miles) (4:15)
B1. Texas (Buddy Miles/Mike Bloomfield) (7:53)
B2. My Chant (Buddy Miles) (4:27)
B3. Wrap It Up (Isaac Hayes/David Porter) (5:40)
The Players
Buddy Miles (drums/vocal), Pete Carter (trumpet), Tom Hall (trumpet), Duane Hitchings (organ), Jim McCarty (guitar), Bill Rich (bass), Bobby Rock (tenor saxophone), James Tatum (tenor saxophone), Tobie Wynn (baritone saxophone). A1/A2/A4/B2 produced by Jimi Hendrix, A3/B1/B3 produced by Anne Tansey; engineered by Warren Dewey, live recording on B3 by Hanley Sound.
The Pictures
Cover produced by Rainstory Prod. Art direction & photography by Michael O’Bryant. Graphics, design & illustration by Mitchell Brisker.
The Plastic
Released on elpee in May 1969 in the US and Canada (Mercury, SR-61222) and the UK (Mercury, SMCL 20163). Reached #145 on the US charts. (First appeared in 5/31/69 issue of Billboard.)
- Re-issued on compact disc in 1992 in Germany (Line, 512 294-2).
- Re-packaged w. Expressway to Your Skull, Them Changes and We Got to Live Together on 2CD in 2022 in the UK (Beat Goes On, BGOCD1468).
