- Randy Cates -- vocals, bass (replaced David Larson)

  (1972-73)

- Tom Green -- drums (1969-70)

- Jay Epstein -- drums (replaced Tom Green) (1970-71)

- James C. Johnson -- vocals, lead guitar (1969-73)

- Doni Larson -- bass (1969-71)

- Bill Lordan -- drums (replaced Jay Epstein) (1971-73)

- Enrico Rosenbaum (RIP 1979) -- vocals, guitar (1969-73)

- James Walsh -- vocals, keyboards (1969-73, 77 and 96)

- Sly and the Family Stone (Bill Lordan)

- Robin Trower (Bill Lordan) 

- The Underbeats (Tom Green, James C. Johnson, Doni

  Larson and  Enrico Rosenbaum)

- The Joe Walsh Gypsy Band (Joe Walsh)

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Antithesis

Company: RCA Victor

Catalog: LSP-4775

Year: 19

Country/State: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: gatefold sleeve; embossed cover; cover signed by band member Randy Cates

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4321

Price: $10.00

Cost: $66.00

Anyone hearing this band's progressive moves would find it hard to believe they started out as the Minneapolis-based garage rockers The Underbeats.

Formed in 1964, the original Underbeats line up featured the talents of drummer Tom Green, guitarist James C. Johnson and bassist Doni Larson.  With the addition of singer/guitarist Enrico Ronsenbaum the band became a stable on the Twin Cities club circuit, enjoying a series of regional hits throughout the end of the decade.  With Johnson temporarily out of the line up thanks to his draft board, the band hired on keyboardist James Walsh.  By 1969 Johnson was back at work and the band decided to head for the west coast.

In Los Angeles they quickly won a job as the Whiskey-a-Go-Go's house band. Deciding on a name change, the newly christened 'Gypsy' also began to expand their musical horizons, showing a distinct interest in British progressive sounds.

Co-produced by Jack Richardson and Jim Mason, 1972's "Antithesis" found the Gypsy signed to RCA Victor.  Along with a new label, the band sported a new bass player in Randy Cates (having replaced David Larson).  With the first two albums having vanished with little recognition, new label RCA apparently insisted on some musical changes.  Accordingly, the third all original set found the band tinkering with their patented UK-progressive influenced sound.  As before, the album's underpinnings remained firmly planted in a progressive mode, but this time around the band turned in a series of compositions with shorter and more focused song structures.  While tracks such as 'Crusader' and 'Facing Time' weren't quite pop, they were surprisingly commercial and would have sounded quite good on FM radio - in fact two of the more commercial numbers 'Day After Day' b/w 'Lean On Me' were released as a single (RCA Victor catalog number 47- 0862).  Exemplified by tracks such as 'Young Gypsy' and 'Don't Bother Me' the set was full of strong melodies and some interesting arrangements.  Not meant as an insult, but on tracks such as 'Travelin' Minnesota Blues (Go Gophers)' and 'So Many Promises' the album reminds us of early David Pack and Ambrosia.  Needless to say, longstanding progressive fans were appalled by the change in direction, while the album simply wasn't commercial enough for top-40 radio.  In spite of releasing a second single 'Don't Bother Me' b/w 'Make Peace With Jesus' (RCA victor catalog number 74-0933) the album went nowhere.

"Antitthesis" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Crusader   (James C. Johnson - Enrico Rosenbaum) - 3:10

2.) Day After Day   (Randy Cates - James Walsh) - 3:15

3.) The Creeper   (Enrico Rosenbaum) - 3:10

4.) Facing Time   (Enrico Rosenbaum)- 4:11

5.) Lean On Me   (Enrico Rosenbaum)- 3:15

6.) Young Gypsy  (Enrico Rosenbaum) - 3:06

(side 1)

1.) Don't Bother Me  (Enrico Rosenbaum) - 3:15

2.) Travelin' Minnesota Blues (Go Gophers)   (James Walsh - Enrico Rosenbaum) - 2:33

3.) So Many Promises  (Enrico Rosenbaum) - 2:25

4.) Antithesis (Keep Your Faith)  (Enrico Rosenbaum) - 3:22

5.) Edgar (Don't Hoover Over Me)  (Enrico Rosenbaum) - 3:26

6.) Money  (Enrico Rosenbaum) - 4:52

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Unlock the Gates

Company: RCA Victor

Catalog: APL1-0093

Year: 1973

Country/State: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: --

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 5258

Price: $15.00

Judging by the cover art, liner notes and some of the song titles I initially wondered if I’d purchase a secular album (of course I didn’t immediately notice the guy on the cover holding a copy of Rolling Stone).  I owned a couple of the earlier Gypsy LPs and they weren’t religiously-themed, but people change all the time …  

Co-produced by Jack Richardson and Jim Mason, 1973’s “Unlock the Gates” was easily the band’s most conventional set.  Largely written by Rosenbaum (Johnson and Walsh also contributing material), selections like ‘Is That News?’, the title track and Bad Whore (The Machine)’ would have sounded perfect slotted into mid-1970s top-40 radio (okay the latter title might have been a problem for commercial radio).  Unfortunately while highly commercial, material like ‘One Step Away’ and ‘Need You Baby’ came at the expense of the band’s identity.  Anyone expecting to hear more of the pseudo-progressive moves found on earlier sets was going to be thoroughly disappointed.  To be honest, much of the set could have easily been mistaken for Ambrosia (‘Bad Whore’), The Doobies (‘Make Peace with Jesus’), etc.  That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially if you were into commercial 70s rock.  ‘Bad Whore (The Machine)’ and the funky (yes, funky) ‘Don’t Get Mad (Get Even)’ were particularly impressive.  Perhaps not good news to some folks, but the core of Chicago’s horn section (Lee Loughname, James Pankow, and Walter Pazaider) provided supported on a number of tracks.  Scorned by most Gypsy fans, I’ll grudgingly admit this one has grown on me over the years.  RCA tapped the album for a couple of instantly forgotten singles:

1973’s ‘Don’t Bother Me’ b/w ‘Make Peace with Jesus’ (RCA catalog number 74-0933)

1973’s ‘Need You Baby’ b/w ‘Precious One’ (RCA catalog number APBO-0036)

"Unlock the Gates" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Is That News?   (Enrico Rosenbaum – James Johnson) – 3:15

2.) Make Peace with Jesus   (Enrico Rosenbaum – James Walsh) – 3:15

3.) One Step Away   (James Walsh)

4.) Bad Whore (The Machine)   (Enrico Rosenbaum) – 2:48

5.) Unlock the Gates   (Enrico Rosenbaum) – 3:42

(side 2)

1.) Toin It   (Enrico Rosenbaum) – 2:46

2.) Need You Baby  (Enrico Rosenbaum) – 3:05

3.) Smooth Operator   (Enrico Rosenbaum) –3:20

4.) Don’t Get Mad (Get Even)  (Enrico Rosenbaum) – 3:14

5.) Precious One   (James Johnson) – 4:19

Apparently recognizing they’d lost their direction (and audience), the band subsequently called it quits. 

There was a one-shot 1977 reunion concert in St. Louis (Super Jam ’77). 

- Sadly, Rosenbaum died of a drug overdose in September 1979. 

- Walsh subsequently appropriated the band name, reappearing with a 1978 album credited to The James Walsh Gypsy Band.  In 1996 Walsh reformed Gypsy (he remained the only original member), releasing “20 Years Ago Today”.

- Lordan went on to become a longtime member of Robin Trower’s recording and touring band.