- David Birkett -- bass

- Mickey McGee -- drums

- Owen Eugene Hale -- sax

- Richard Lewis -- keyboards, horns

- Warren S. Richardson Jr. (aka Bill Spooner) -- vocals, 

  guitar

- Joseph Ray Trainer -- sax

- Condello

- Bill Spooner (solo efforts)

- The Tubes

Genre: rock

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Warren S. Richardson Jr.

Company: Cotillion

Catalog: SD-9013

Year: 1969

Country/State: Phoenix, Arizona

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: minor ring and edge wear

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: not yet listed

Price: $50.00

A bunch of on-line references question whether Warren S. Richardson Jr. is in fact former Tubes guitarist Bill Spooner.  Given that Spooner's website includes the album in its discography section and the man was nice enough to send me a short email on the subject (see below), I'd say the answer is yes.  By the way, here's the link to his website:

http://www.billspooner.com

As a word of warning, anyone expecting to hear something along the same lines as The Tubes patented weirdness is going to be majorly disappointed by this album ...  

In 1967 Richardson-nee Spooner contributed lead guitar to Michael Condello's "Condello" LP (see separate review).  A couple of years later Condello apparently repaid the favor by producing 1969's cleverly-titled "Warren S. Richardson Jr.".  Recorded at Richardson-nee-Spooner was credited with penning all six tracks and material like 'Reputation'' and 'Shady Lady' offered up a pretty good set of fuzz-propelled hard rock.  Mind you, nothing here is particularly original and you may well feel like you've heard some of this stuff elsewhere, but Spooner had a voice that was well suited to the genre and this was one of those rare albums that actually seemed to benefit from the addition of horns (courtesy of Owen Eugene Hale, Richard Lewis and Joseph Ray Trainer).  In case anyone cared, perhaps because it strayed a little bit from the predominantly hard rock formula, excluding the needless and seemingly endless drum solo, the psych-tinged 'Wind and Rain' struck me as the standout effort on the album.

"Warren S. Richardson Jr." track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Reputation (traditional)   (Warren S. Richardson Jr.) - 7:00

2.) Easy Rider   (Warren S. Richardson Jr.) - 3:00

3.) Shady Lady   (Warren S. Richardson Jr.) - 6:50

(side 2)
1.) Wind and Rain   (Warren S. Richardson Jr.) - 10:00

2.) Stella   (Warren S. Richardson Jr.) - 3:22

3.) Goin' Home   (Warren S. Richardson Jr.) - 3:12

Hi Scott,

Wow, I didn’t think their were anymore of those out there. It’s definitely a snapshot in time. Just one of those things. I recorded it and the guys from Cotillion heard it wanted to put it out. I’d actually completed it before working with Mike on the Phase stuff. One had no relation to the other. Although I would say that Mike was a huge inspiration to me growing up in the Phoenix music scene. A really talented guy. I miss him.

Thanks for writing, it’s always nice to know folks are still out there listening.

Spoon

April 2006