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Tyrone Biljan's avatar

Really enjoyed this Phil. 7:30 Guided Tour has a bit of a Cowsills feel to it. Con Man is a nice production. I always thought Western Union was a Hollies song as a kid. Lots of stuff to discover here.

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Flipped Out Phil's avatar

Thanks for your feedback, Tyrone. "Con Man" is indeed a gem. Come to think of it, there is something of the Cowsills in "7:30 Guided Tour".

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Mark Ehmcke's avatar

Nice little round up of all things 5 Americans. Guess you are aware of the Five Canadians "Writing On The Wall". also I believe from Texas but they snuck onto the Made In Canada comp. I have a double solo album by Mike Rabon, which I will have to excavate and listen to now.

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Flipped Out Phil's avatar

Glad you liked my look at the Five Americans, Mark. Yes, I love "Writing on the Wall" as well as "Never Alone" by the Five Canadians who actually hailed from San Antonio, Texas. I first heard "Writing on the Wall" on the Pebbles Vol. 5 comp. Apparently, Mike Rabon's album consists of country rock. I'll check it out on YouTube.

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Dan Epstein's avatar

Great piece on a cool band. I originally thought "Western Union" was The Monkees, and couldn't figure out why I couldn't find it on any of their albums. I finally found a 45 of it in a thrift store bin circa 1986, a copy of "Zip Code" a year or two later, and then that great Sundazed comp filled in the story from there!

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Flipped Out Phil's avatar

Thanks, Dan. It's true that "Western Union" has a real Monkees feel. Years ago, I once put it on a mix tape alongside "Last Train to Clarksville".

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Dan Epstein's avatar

Bingo!

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Alan Zweig's avatar

Never thought I’d read anything about these guys. Their records are always on the chopping block over here but their second and third record keep surviving. The Abnak label is curious. I think I’ve had a few things including Jon and Robin, Jon being the labels founder. Pretty lame they were but kinda fun. And there were other Abnak things, also questionable.

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Flipped Out Phil's avatar

Years ago, I got a hold of Jon and Robin's Elastic Event album. Along with its colorful flower power-styled cover, there are a few good tracks on it, especially "Dr. Jon" and "Like I Know You Do".

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