An Important Find: "The Revox Singers" AKA Rodd Keith and Friend

I have something outstanding for you today, and it's another piece of the Rodd Keith story which has not previously been identified as such. And I'm going to share it even though the A-side has been available, on a rarely watched YouTube posting, for eight years, because it's not even identified as Rodd's work, there. But I'll start with the b-side, which is the better of the two tracks anyway. 

It looks like someone named John Sullivan, presumably from Chicago or nearby (the listed zip code is one used solely for high volume P.O. boxes), hired Sandy Stanton's Film City company to provide the music, arrangement and performers for two of his songs. This was to be released on the tiny (perhaps one-release) Aladdin Records and credited to The Revox Singers.

Please note that Sandy Stanton used the same numbering system for ALL of his Film City offshoots, so that if his last Film City release was #2022, and he then put out something on his "Action Records" sub-label, that would be #2023 and the next Film City release would be #2024. I add this because the number on this disc, #4150, appears to be the highest number on a Film City related record ever found, and may well be the last Film City related product released. I am speculating more than a little, but there is certainly evidence to support this. I am, of course, happy to revise this if someone has other evidence. 

Anyway, Stanton clearly handed these lyrics off to Rodd Keith. His fingerprints are all over this record - particularly "These Things For Remembrance" - from the style of the Chamberlin arrangement to his voice in the mix, to the astonishingly complex and beautiful vocal arrangement - almost like the close harmonies of a Big Band singing group. 

A handful of people who know me very, very well, know that the only thing I like better in music than a close harmony dominant seventh chord is a close harmony major sixth chord. Sixth chords send me straight to heaven. I'm certain I've mentioned that here, before, as well. And this record is chock full of them. 

Rodd arranged this for multiple voices, sung by himself and a female accomplice. I am admittedly a dunce when it comes to the female voices of the standard MSR/Real Pros gang - for the most part, I just don't care - but my best pal Stu suggests this is Bobbi Blake. If so, it's another clue that this record came out at the end of Film City's days. 

Anyway, I consider this an almost otherworldly beautiful vocal performance, and find it to be an essential addition to the Rodd Keith canon. The words are sweet, too, but in terms of my enjoyment, very much an afterthought. See what you think: 

Download: The Revox Singers - These Things For Remembrance

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As mentioned, the flip side - which is the A-side, has been available for many years as part of The Vietnam War Song Project, run by a man named Justin, with whom I have corresponded many times regarding song-poems. He does excellent work. 

"The Woodstock Message" has only a secondary connection to Vietnam, but I get why he considered it part of the oeuvre. Again, it's a male/female duo, this time with fewer vocal overdubs in the mix, but still a nice, harmony laden number. 

And it certainly contains some nice ideas, suggestions and entreaties, which, sadly, have clearly not become the norm in the ensuing years, and the possibilities of which might be, just now, experiencing their dying gasps, given the news of the last few weeks, and especially, the news as I type this today. And I say that as someone who is usually the most optimistic person you'll ever meet. 

Download: The Revox Singers - The Woodstock Message

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