CCS (Collective Consciousness Society) - CCS 1 (1970)

Editorial Reviews
German reissue of the UK rock act's 1970 album includes their version of the Led Zeppelin classic, 'Whole Lotta Love' & four bonus tracks, 'Walking', 'Salome', 'Tap Turns On The Water' & 'Save The World'. Digipak.
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CCS (short for COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUNESS SOCIETY) made 3 studio albums and 7 singles for Mickie Most's RAK Records in the early Seventies, before the band finally split up in late 1973. This fantastically clear-sounding Repertoire CD is the first of those three, their debut album remastered and supplemented with four relevant bonus tracks.


The digipak mimics the album's original laminate gatefold artwork (a nice touch) and has an 8-page booklet with a CHRIS WELCH essay on the LP and the band's history.

Here's the song breakdown (54:34 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 9 are the debut album "CCS" originally released October 1970 on Rak Records SRAK 6751 in the UK and issued later as "Whole Lotta Love" in the USA on Rak 30559 in April 1971

Tracks 10 to 13 are the bonus tracks - their first two UK 7" singles and their B-sides, all 4 songs being non-album at the time.
"Walking" b/w "Salome" was issued in February 1971 on RAK Records RAK 109. "Walking" is a DONOVAN cover version, while "Salome" is a John Cameron and Alexis Korner original.
"Tap Turns On The Water" b/w "Save The World" was issued in August 1971 on Rak Records RAK 119. Both songs are Korner/Cameron originals.

The huge ensemble group was the brain-child of British Blues Boom Godfather ALEXIS KORNER who along with Danish singer PETER THORUP and British arranger JOHN CAMERON pulled together the cream of brass/flute-playing session-men of the time and went after the BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS market for funked-up rock. Mickie Most's timing couldn't have been better. Deciding right from the start to include cover versions ala B, S & T, they did a fantastic brassed-up take on Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" that not only complimented the original, but also defined that "CCS" sound. So when the new BBC pop program "Top Of The Pops" needed a cool new theme song, they took this winner, dropped the flute intro and the vocal middle and end - and a theme song legend was born. Even now, I can remember vividly as a budding teenager watching Top Of The Pops on a Thursday night (for what seemed literally like years) and when that theme came on, a rush went through your veins! I dare say that experience was repeated all across the land and it's probably one of the reasons why CCS is held in such affection to this day. "Whole Lotta Love" came before "Walking" as their 1st 7" single issued in October 1970 on RAK 104 with their cover of John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom" on the B-side (both tracks are on the debut LP).

But the best bit is the SOUND. Repertoire re-issues are always good in my book, but this licensed-from-EMI remaster is exceptional. I'd expected wads of hiss, but the transfers are very clean - and given the amount of brass coming at you, muscular to a point where you have to sometimes reach for the volume control! Plus what also impresses is that there are a lot of quiet patches in between all the musical bluster in the songs and they sound lovely too - a really great job done.

Musically the album itself has been a treasure trove to me - the structure of the songs being complicated and therefore bear repeated listening and discovery. While I'm not overly mad about Thorup's vocals to be truthful, the gravel voice-over wonder that was Alexis Korner's voice will always send a chill up my spine. A sadly, sadly missed man and God bless him wherever he may be.

When CCS folded, both Korner and Thorup teamed up with King Crimson's BOZ BURRELL and IAN WALLACE to form SNAPE who issued some albums in Europe.
But my heart is with the fab CCS. I'm biased of course because I've loved their albums since I was knee-high, but I can say with certainty that this re-issue and its great remaster is superlative - and highly recommended to those who love their Seventies with a bit of balls and a sense of humour.

PS:
For those who want more, their second album from 1972 also called "CCS" on the original vinyl (CCS II for CD purposes) is also available in this series - as is their 3rd and last album from 1973, "The Best Band In The Land".

 CCS - CCS 1 (1970)Repertoire, REP 4851  [2000 Remaster]
Tracks:

1. Boom Boom
2. (I Cant Get No) Satisfaction
3. Waiting Song
4. Lookin For Fun
5. Whole Lotta Love
6. Living In The Past
7. Sunrise
8. Dos Cantos
9. Wade In The Water
10. Walking (Bonus Track)
11. Salone (Bonus Track)
12. Tap Turns On The Water (Bonus Track)
13. Save The World (Bonus Track)

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