Though the Mainstream record label is best known for its jazz, blues, and soundtrack releases, in the late '60s its founder, Bob Shad, explored the rock world to search for new talent. His first rock band signing, Big Brother and the Holding Company, released their debut album on the label, only to have their contract sold to Columbia as Janis Joplin's star began to rise, but dozens of likeminded artists waited in the wings. All Kinds of Highs: A Mainstream Pop-Psych Compendium 1966-70 collects the best cuts from the psychedelic pop catalog of Mainstream (and related label Brent), offering a heady hodgepodge of vintage sounds and crafting an immersive experience by using original mono mixes where available, and including extensive liner notes.
Mainstream
The Rokkets "ROKKET SIZE" release from JVC Invitation label.
Rokkets
A band from Dallas, Texas, this is their 1994 debut album. Tremendous psychedelic fuzz.
Underneath
Based in Tucscon, Arizona, the group made a convincing enough case for itself, with its Kinks and Yardbirds-influenced originals and covers, that it made it as far as stages across the United States, Canada, and western Europe, charting high on some college radio listings in the process. They recorded a series singles, EPs, and LPs for Dionysus Records in Los Angeles.
Timothy Gassen
This was the last Tell Tale Hearts single to be released and it's a fitting way to go out with two sides of purist endeavour. By now the line-up hardly resembled the original band with only Mike Stax and Bill Calhoun remaining. No one appears to have been able to fill lead guitar duties and the licks were provided by associate Carl Rusk.
Tell-Tale Hearts
Vince Maloney
This vocalist and guitarist was a veteran of many sixties groups. Often spelt Melouney, he was in The Vibratones, a Sydney instrumental band who evolved into The Aztecs. He spent 1964-65 in Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs before setting up the short-lived Vince and Tony's Two (with Tony Barber) and his own Vince Maloney's Sect later in 1966. This too was short-lived and followed by spells in The Bee Gees, Ashton, Gardner and Dyke (in the U.K.), Fanny Adams, The Cleves, Flute (a Melbourne band, which existed for only two months and included Leo De Castro before he formed Friends), McAskill, Levi Smith's Clefs and Hot Rocks.
Vince Maloney's Sect
Formed by Maloney in Melbourne in 1966, after Tony Barber had left Vince and Tony's Two, they had a residency on the 'Kommotion' T.V. show. Their cover of U.K. band The Birds' No Good Without You is considered a bit special and their EP included their 45 and two additional tracks; Sticks And Stones and Watch Your Step.
When Maloney was given the opportunity of joining The Bee Gees in England, the writing was on the wall for the 'Sect although Jim Thompson and John Shields formed The Little Bits, backing Peter Doyle and Billy Taylor joined Chirs Hall and The Torquays, Flake and Blackfeather.
