Genre: rock
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title:  Sonny & Doug
Company: Guinness
Catalog: GNS 36044
Year: 1977
Country/State: US
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: still in shrink
Available: 1
Catalog ID: 5713
Price: $80.00


So here's one of the Guinness releases that you can actually track back to its original life ...

A Long Island New York-based (?) duo consisting of guitarist/keyboard player Sonny Hahn and singer/keyboard player Doug Miller, this is an outfit I don't know much about, nor have I ever been able to dig up much on them. 



Euphoria catalog number EST-1


Released by the small Euphoria label (apparently a short lived Jubilee offshoot), their sole release 1971's "Sum Pear" was well worth looking for (though it's relative rare and increasingly costly - I've seen two original copies in twenty years). Produced by Bob Gallo, the set offered up a great mix of psych-influenced rockers ('Better Get Down'), straight ahead rock ('Bring Me Home America'), and more conventional folk rock ('I Can See'). Miller had a nifty voice and Hahn's penchant for feedback drenched guitar (check out the blazing 'Got Me Tragedy'), were both strong selling points. Some interesting lyrics (yes I actually occasionally actually listen to the words) and the presence of a full backing band with a kick ass rhythm section in the form of bass player Bob Dorsa and drummer John Scaduto certainly didn't hurt the proceedings. With the pair writing virtually all of the material (a killer cover of Mickey Newbury's 'Down On Saturday' being the lone non-original), highlights included 'Hey Sun', the wah-wah guitar propelled 'What's So Bad About Feelin' Good', the hyper-speed 'I Need Lovin'"' and the horn-propelled 'Thoughts of Slumber'. While it may not have been the year's most original offering, the results were consistently entertaining making it one of those rare albums I've actually bothered to transfer to CD-R and my iPod. 

Five years later the album reappears on Guinness. Same track listing, but different song sequence and as you can see new artwork. So what's the common denominator here? Producer Bob Gallo and 'album coordinator' Louis Lofredo. Wonder if these guys were aware that they'd been reissued ...

"Sonny & Doug" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Better Get Down (Doug Miller - Sonny Hahn) - 3:10
2.) I Can See (Doug Miller - Sonny Hahn) - 3:32
3.) Bring Me Home America (Doug Miller - Sonny Hahn) - 3:18
4.) Got Me Tragedy (Doug Miller - Sonny Hahn) - 3:08
5.) What's So Bad About Feelin' Good (Doug Miller - Sonny Hahn) - 4:56
6.) Save the Children (Doug Miller - Sonny Hahn) - 3:31

(side 2)
1.) Down On Saturday (Mickey Newbury) - 4:17
2.) Hey Sun (Doug Miller - Sonny Hahn) - 3:35
3.) I Need Lovin' (Doug Miller - Sonny Hahn) - 2:17
4.) Thoughts of Slumber (Doug Miller) - 3:31
5.) On My Way/Forget Yesterday Medley (Doug Miller - Sonny Hahn) - 6:46