THE DEVILS ANVIL - HARD ROCK FROM THE MIDDLE EAST (original Columbia label)

$

45

The Devils Anvil

Hard Rock From The Middle East

VG+/VG+

US 1967

Columbia Records - CS 9464

Elierzar Adoram was already a well-known and established folk musician playing the folk circuit in Greenwich Village. He was from Israel and grew up living with his mother and brother in The Kibbutz which was basically a Utopian Community. His father was in the British Army and was rarely around. Elierzar’s interest was initially in theatre as an actor. He studied acting at the Habima Theatre in Tel Aviv, Israel where directors from the US would come to direct shows. After his dad got out of the military, he wanted to move the family elsewhere.

Elierzar was granted a scholarship to and graduated from The Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York and studied at The Mannes School of Music. Already a multi-instrumentalist with accordion being his primary instrument his interest had changed from acting to music and he began playing traditional dance songs, Israeli shepherd songs and performed with a band called The Halutzim that released two LPs in the late 50’s or early 60’s, Canti E Danze Di Israele and Hava Nagila. Then he worked with The Players of the Arie Theatre, a dance troupe, that played all over the US and Canada and ventured down into South America as well. He was always involved with traditional and Hasidic folk songs and artists. 

By the mid to late 60’s he and his group found themselves in New York playing the club scene in Greenwich Village. One place they played called Café Feejon on MacDougall Street was a coffee house that featured folk personalities like Ritchie Havens, John Sebastian and others. Felix Pappalardi frequented the place and fell in love with the eastern influences and strange rhythms of this band that was playing. They sang in the Arabic, Greek, Turkish and Hebrew languages and were a band far different than those who were experimenting with Eastern music at the time. The band used original instruments like oud, bouzouki, tamboura and durbeki (darbuka – drum instrument).

The band members on stage were Elierzar Adoram (accordion, vocals), Steve Knight (bass, bouzouki, vocals), Jerry Sappir (lead guitar, vocals) and Kareem Issaq (oud, vocals). Felix saw a vision and was inspired to incorporate this sound into a rock format. He wound up as a participant of the band trading guitar and bass licks with Steve Knight and as The Devil’s Anvil, they became the house band for the club.

Felix had the reputation as a studio wizard. He used his influence to sign the band to Columbia Records and got them studio time at CBS Studio B, located in New York City, to record an album. The addition of Bobby Gregg on (drums), Unknown on (farfisa organ) and echoed guitar added a real psychedelic effect to their sound.

After the album called Hard Rock From The Middle East was completed, Felix and the band members shopped it around the New York radio stations, hoping for some interest and airplay. But on the day of the albums official release, the Six-Day War broke out between Saudi Arabia and Israel. It didn’t help that Kareem Issaq was pictured on the cover in full Arabic dress and Hijab at the time. Politics and prejudice really dampened the album’s chances of any significant distribution and the radio stations wouldn’t touch it. 

The album found its way directly to the cutout bins. One rare single was put out “Karkadon b/w Hala Laya” from the album but it went nowhere. The group broke apart shortly after the album was recorded.

Kareem Issaq moved to Las Vegas and performed with various showcases provided for entertainment at different casinos in the area. He backed the well-known Loretta St. John and the long running feature at several casinos called Nymphs of the Nile in Las Vegas and Laughlin. He passed away in June 2014. Jerry Sappir joined a folk band called The Trade Winds that released one traditional worldly folk song LP called Around The World with… on the BT Puppy label in 1970. This band played clubs in Greenwich Village. Elierzar Adoram had a long musical career and was a revered musician in Israel before he retired. He died of natural causes in Tucson, Arizona in 2000. He was only 69 years old. 

Steve Knight played keyboards with the band Wings and joined Felix Pappalardi, Corky Lang and Leslie West to form the band Mountain to enormous success. He succumbed to Parkinson’s disease in 2013.

Felix Pappalardi was a wizard on bass guitar but was more known for his production skills in the studio. He was accidentally shot and killed by his wife, Gail Collins, in 1983.

Read the full story about this band in the book I wrote called THE PSYCHEDELIC DIGEST only available through Amazon.

Musically, they are an intoxicating band, tabbed as Middle East Rock with a hard-core dance beat and psychedelic flavorings, predating the acid-techno-dance bands like Joi and Spiritualized by 30 years. The best comparison goes to maybe The Monks and Kaleidoscope (US).

This was their only LP. An original Columbia label release.

Cover shows some shelf, edge, corner and slight ring wear with a taped upper seam. Record has some sleeve and age marks with a few light hairlines. Record plays with a few ticks along the way but very subtle. Generic inner sleeve with plastic lining.

Highly recommended for psych enthusiasts.

Long time buyer from E-bay and other record websites since the 90's.

Please bear with me. I'm selling off my entire record collection (about 40,000 LPs) listing them one at a time.

A long and arduous task. Lots of gems and rare stuff.

Check out the book I wrote called "THE PSYCHEDELIC DIGEST" only found at Amazon.com.

GRADING DETAILS - SHIPPING DETAILS - RETURNS - FEEDBACK - ETC.

Auctions are listed for 7 days.  

ITEMS PULLED FROM THE AUCTION LIST - Keep in mind that if I continue to relist auction items that have been sitting for weeks with NO ACTION and several watchers with NO BIDS, I may pull the record and sell it to my local buyer. This can occur before the auction ends. LPs will typically be discounted before this happens. So, please bid if you are at all interested. Bids can always be retracted for no reason.

All records are Graded to the best of my ability and are rated VINYL FIRST / THEN COVER. For Double LPs Vinyl / Vinyl / Cover. 

GRADING DETAILS – Everything I list will be at least VG+ or better, both visually and audibly, unless I state otherwise. 95% of what is offered and up for bid is very clean with maybe 1 or 2 minor flaws. If it’s very rare, it may be offered with obvious visual marks, scratches, warps and might make some low-level noise. But this would be a rare instance. I’ll describe any flaws as best I can. I ASK THAT YOU READ THE FULL DETAILS AS DESCRIBED BY ME ABOUT THE LOOKS AND SOUND OF THE RECORD. Don’t base everything on a simple grading rate M, EX, VG++, etc. I’m not that good at it.

AUDIBLE GRADING – All vinyl records are played before they are listed. Some records look bad and play good. Others look perfect but play badly. Any visual flaws that I see will be described and I will let you know if they make an audible noise. 95% of the records up for bid are very clean sounding. You may hear a minor tick or click as its spinning but typically light hairline scratches and sleeve marks Do Not Affect Play (DNAP) and should not detract from your overall listening pleasure.

VISUAL GRADING - PLEASE READ THIS!!!

COVERS - I'm a 73-year-old guy with Strabismus (an eye disorder). I try to visually describe every flaw that I can see, but sometimes I miss a small tear or a tiny seam split.

SHELF WEAR generally means that the cellophane was removed when the LP was new and it sat on a shelf or in a box without a plastic sleeve, before they were available, for several years, so there can be some rub blemishes, sticker residue if it was purchased used, tiny tears, slight seam splits and other defects.

EDGE WEAR usually means the picture wrap around the edge has been worn, sometimes into the cardboard itself. This usually happens on the top or bottom edge.

SPLITS are usually caused by heavy edge wear when the picture wrap is worn through severely and the seams split.

CORNER WEAR is the same as edge wear but sometimes there will be a dent or ding at the corner. All 4 sides are suspect for this occurrence.

RING WEAR occurs when a record was not stored in a protective sleeve for a very long time. Back in the day, plastic sleeves were not easily available. Most of us as teenagers, ripped off the cellophane and didn’t consider how the record cover was being stored. Most of the record covers laid on the floor or were stored in the closet or on a shelf for easy access. If they sat for a long time, earth movement, that nobody feels, caused vibration and the record sleeves would rub together and wear on the cover picture or illustration causing the ring wear and other flaws. How bad the sleeve wear became was determined on darkness of the cover illustration and quality of the cover picture. The big record companies usually had a very durable illustration that could take a lot of rubbing without too much damage. But the small record labels usually tried to save on costs with cheap packaging and ink and were more susceptible to ring wear and cover damage due to rubbing if the record was not stored properly in the plastic cover sleeve.

THE VINYL RECORD ITSELF - I will try to visually grade both sides of the vinyl record. There might be some sleeve rubs or marks on some of these. All of my records were played more than once, unless they are sealed. If I mention ticks and or clicks in the description, that means that you can visually see and sometimes hear the imperfection. Most of these Do Not Affect the Play (DNAP). I try my best to see any flaws but understand I don’t Inspect these LPs with a High Lumens Tactical Light and a Magnifying Glass. If the visual flaws are obvious or severe, I try and describe these as best as I can. If there are a lot of visual scratches, it won’t be listed. The exception is if the LP is very rare. I will list a rare record that looks bad but plays pretty good without skips.

SPINDLE MARKS can be obvious if a record was popular and played a lot. The record label material and finish will determine if marks are visible. Most of the big labels don't have this problem because the finish is unusually pretty solid and durable. It's the small and private labels or a matted finish where most spindle marks will be noticed. I don't mention these for any of my listings but if that is a concern to you, ask me before you make a bid.

INNER SLEEVES - Most of the inner sleeves are simple paper sleeves and have slight splits, bends and tears on older LPs. If they’re really bad or split in half, I replace them with a newer paper or plastic sleeve. Sometimes I'll tape a small tear. GENERIC means a blank paper sleeve.

WARPED RECORDS normally occur when they are stored near high heat. I will never send a warped record unless it is very slight and doesn't affect play. If you live somewhere in the world that has high temperatures that could affect package delivery. Insurance is a must to guarantee no loss on the item you bought. You are responsible for this request and there is an additional charge for insurance. Let me know. There is NO REFUND for a record that was sent not warped when packed but was delivered as warped and unplayable. I cannot put records on ice for delivery to high heat areas of the world. Buy package insurance so there won't be any $$$$$ loss in case this happens.

HIGH END RECORDS - There will be a few more pictures for any records that are high end items. I will give a more critical inspection and description of both cover and vinyl. Ask for more pictures if you need them and I can send them to you.

PACKAGING - LPs will be packaged in the proper corrugated cardboard box, we all know about, with extra cardboard pads. Each LP will have a clear plastic sleeve. The record itself will be removed and shipped within the inner sleeve, outside the cover or inside the fold of a gatefold cover all within a plastic outer sleeve to prevent any seam splits. All of the boxes I package records in are new and there are typically no problems. I can also ship in a Whiplash Box which protects the edges and corners. But I will only do this if you request it. 

SEALED RECORDS - The vinyl record will NOT be removed from a sealed LP purchase for shipping. I would advise you to add additional insurance for all sealed LPs that are being shipped to high heat areas due to possible heat warping. No obligation, but it safeguards against some potential problems.

PAYMENT - Payment is good only through E-Bay options, either PayPal or Credit Card, and is due within 7 days unless you let me know. I will send you at least three invoices with reminders to pay during the 7-day period. If payment has NOT been received within that 7-day payment period and you have NOT contacted me, the order will be canceled and the record will be offered to the second place bidder or will be relisted. 

I WILL SHIP WORLDWIDE, BUT INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING IS DETERMINED BY THE WEIGHT OF THE PACKAGE. DO NOT MAKE A PAYMENT UNTIL I SEND YOU AN INVOICE.

INVOICES - E-Bay will always send you an invoice for each item ordered. If you ordered one item, there is no problem. Go ahead and make the payment. But, they DO NOT combine the shipping cost for multiple purchase orders. So, when they invoice you, the minimum shipping cost will multiply times that of however many items you won. Example: 5 items won will appear as 5 times the minimum postage rate. DO NOT PAY the separate E-Bay invoices you receive for multiple orders. Only I can discount the postage rate for two or more items ordered. So, wait for me to invoice you if you've won two or more items. I package them all together and send you an invoice with discounted postage costs.

PAYMENT EXTENTION - If you have won an auction and see another item that ends beyond the 7-day maximum payment period, let me know and I will hold your item until that bid period ends. This would be a special circumstance that would not typically extend beyond 10 days. I will invoice you for the full amount and expect payment at that point.

POSTAGE COST - Typically, the minimum cost for USPS Media mail in the USA would be 1-2 LPs $5.50 USD. Canada 1-2 LPs around $24.00 USD. Europe, Japan and other countries around the world, $33.00 USD for 1-2 LPs. Denmark postage cost is about $41 USD for 1-2 LPs. Additional LPs as per total weight. I will send an invoice with the total postage cost. Everything is shipped via USPS. I don't use the E-Bay International shipping unless you request that service. 

TRACKING - Each package will be assigned a USPS tracking number. Tracking for International shipping only covers destinations within the USA and only gives Dates of Arrival for all countries outside of the USA. Customs delays can and do occur. Your package may have arrived in your country and/or city, but it is probably sitting at your customs depot. (Sometimes for weeks) It would be up to you to call them and provide the tracking number for details about your package.

POSTAGE DISCOUNT - I combine the shipping for multiple record purchases but will only send a maximum of 10-12 records per package. Additional postage will be determined by the total weight of the package. An invoice will be sent to you by me.

ADDITIONAL COSTS - Priority Mail, Insurance, etc. is available at additional costs. Let me know and I will send an invoice.

REFUNDS - I will Refund for any item purchased and received that was not fully as described. Grading is difficult and is the usual cause of concern. We're talking used and 30-60 years old. THERE ARE NO PERFECT RECORDS. Even sealed records can have visual and audible flaws, ticks, clicks, skips and heat warps. IF YOU OPEN A SEALED RECORD AND IT IS WARPED SO BADLY THAT IT DOESN'T PLAY, that usually means it was stored near or shipped in high heat. I have no way of knowing. All sealed records should be insured, just in case that happens. But with regard to a warped record that was sealed and is unplayable, contact me anyway, I will make it right. Any other flaws found on a sealed record that was opened by you, deems the LP non-refundable. If there is a concern, please contact me. We can always work things out.

DAMAGES DURING DELIVERY CAUSED BY THE POSTAL SERVICE - Any damages that are caused due to unfortunate circumstances during the delivery process, broken records, scrapes, heavy package dents caused by something heavy set on the box, warpage caused by excessive heat during delivery, etc. should be handled through E-Bay. They guarantee that packages arrive in the condition as described when sent. If there are obvious damages to the package and the record is unplayable, email me with pictures of the record and the package as delivered and let me know. I mark all packages with "Fragile. Do Not Bend" notices marked in RED, so they should be careful. But $&#t happens. I will not be responsible for damages that were not incurred by me. But E-Bay can and does refund the transaction with proof. Pictures speak a thousand words.

Please message me through E-Bay to discuss any problems or concerns. ANY OBVIOUS MISTAKES I MADE IN THE DESCRIPTION OF AN ITEM PURCHASED WILL BE HONORED AND PARTIALLY OR FULLY REFUNDED. But email me through E-Bay to discuss the situation first. I'm always happy to work things out. Every customer is cherished.

Positive Feedback is happily accepted and reciprocated.