- Jack Bryant -- vocals, bass, kazoo (1965-69)
- Wally Cook -- guitar (1965-69)
- Howard Danchik -- keyboards, flute (1966-69)

- Rocky Isaacs -- drums (1965)

- Charlie Jones -- guitar (1965)
- Richard Kumer -- drums, percussion (replaced Rocky

  Isaacs) (1966-69)
- Jack Lauritsen -- guitar, sitar, vibes (replaced Charlie

  Jones) (1966-69)

- The Mad Hatters (Richard Kumer)

Genre: psych

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  The Fallen Angels

Company: Roulette

Catalog: SR 25258

Year: 1968

Country/State: Washington, D.C.

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: minor ring wear

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: not yet listed

Price: $60.00

Cost: $66.00

Based in Washington, D.C., guitarist Wally Cook had been a member of The Young Rabbits.  In 1965 he hooked up with singer/bassist Jack Bryant and Charlie Jones to form The Disciples.  Within a matter of months they became The Uncalled, followed by a shift to The Fallen Angels.  The name changes were accompanied by a series of personnel changes, resulting in a line up consisting of Bryant, Cook, keyboardist Howard Danchik, drummer Richard Kumer and guitarist Jack Lauritsen.  Under the tutelage of managers Barry Seidel and Tony Traynor (who'd previously managed Kumer in The Mad Hatters) 1967 saw the group signed by Laurie Records.   Laurie quickly financed a pair of singles:

- 1967's 'Everytime I Fall In Love' b/w 'Have Found' (Laurie catalog number LR-3343)

- 1967's 'Have You Ever Lost a Love?' b/w 'A Little Love From You Will Do' (Laurie catalog number LR-3369). 

Switching to the New York based Roulette Records, saw the band release their first LP -  1968's "The Fallen Angels".  For their part Roulette executives were probably hoping to repeat their Tommy James and the Shondells successes. Boy were the in for a rude surprise. With Seidel and Traynor producing, the band turned in an overlooked psychedelic classic. Largely written by Bryant and Danchik, material such as "Room At the Top", "Introspective Looking Glass" and "Your Friends Here In Dundeville" was full of hazy lyrics, weird timings, fuzz guitar and sound effects - simply too progressive for mainstream consumption. Mind you, the set wasn't perfect. Bryant's voice was best described as anonymous.  Also of concern, at this point in time the trippy lyrics weren't likely to do much for radio airplay.  Add to that the fact Seidel's horn arrangements were dull, needless and distracting. Still, the overall results were well worth hearing.

"The Fallen Angels" track listing:

(side 1)
1.) Room At the Top (John Bryant) - 2:35
2.) Love, Don't Talk To Strangers (John Bryant - Howard Danchik) - 1:52
3.) Your Friends Here In Dundeville (John Bryant) - 2:23
4.) I've Been Thinking (John Bryant - Howard Danchik) - 1:46
5.) It Might Be Easier To Stay Home (John Bryant - Howard Danchik) - 2:07
6.) Most Children Do (John Bryant - Howard Danchik) - 3:10

(side 2)
1.) Introspective Looking Glass (Howard Danchik) - 2:25
2.) I Don't Want To Fall (John Bryant - Howard Danchik) - 2:18
3.) No Way Out (John Bryant - Howard Danchik) - 2:39
4.) Painted Bird (John Bryant - Howard Danchik) - 2:20
5.) Your Mother's Homesick Too (Gerge Meler Jr. - Robert Decker) - 2:17
6.) You Have Changed (Howard Danchik) -2 :27

Genre: psych

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  It's A Long Way Down

Company: Roulette

Catalog: SR 42011

Year: 1969

Country/State: Washington, D.C.

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: gatefold sleeve; minor ring and edge wear

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4990

Price: $375.00

Cost: $66.00

Released within a matter of months of the debut, "It's a Long Way Down" proved an even better effort.  With managers Traynor and Seidal again co-producing, musically the album wasn't a major stylistic change from the debut offering up another mix of folk rock, pop and psych moves.  That said, the overall results were far more consistent and tighter than the debut, the band having apparently gained considerable confidence in the studio.  Adding Jack Lauritsen to the songwriting collective, ballads such as the acid soaked 'Horn Playing on My Thin Wall', 'Look to the Sun' and the heavily orchestrated 'One of the Few Ones Left' were to-kill-for numbers showcasing the band's commercial side.  Elsewhere, material such as the lead off track 'Poor Old Man', 'Something You Can Hide In' and 'I'll Drive You from My Mind' underscored the band's trippier edge with great fuzz guitar, stabbing organs and droning vocals.  All told it's easy to see why this one's become a sought after and high priced collectable.  Unfortunately, unhappy with the band's harder edged sound and ongoing lack of sales Roulette quickly dropped them from its recording roster and by the end of 1969 the members had called it quits.  (The album was originally released with a gatefold sleeve.)

"It's a Long Way Down" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Poor Old Man   (John Bryant - Howard Danchik - Jack Lauritsen) - 3:41
2.) Horn Playing on My Thin Wall   (John Bryant - Jack Lauritsen) - 4:25
3.) Something You Can Hide In   (John Bryant) - 3:59
4.) Tell Me a Story   (Howard Danchik) - 0:22
5.) Silent Garden   (Howard Danchik) - 1:54
6.) Look to the Sun   (John Bryant - Jack Lauritsen) - 3:46

(side 2)

1.) One of the Few Ones Left   (John Bryant) - 2:50
2.) I Really Love My Mother   (Howard Danchik) - 1:07
3.) Look at the Wind   (John Bryant - Jack Lauritsen) - 4:04
4.) Didn't I   (John Bryant) - 2:55
5.) It's a Long Way Down   (John Bryant) - 2:45
6.) I'll Drive You from My Mind   (John Bryant) - 4:19


In 1994 the Collectables label repackaged the two collections in CD format as "The Fallen Angels: The Roulette Masters, Part 1" (catalog number COL-5445) and "The Fallen Angels: The Roulette Masters, Part 2" (catalog number COL-5446.)