SAINT STEVEN - OVER THE HILLS/ THE BASTICH - Original PROBE label - 1969

$

30

Richard Bartlett and Steve Cataldo were both playing in bands in and around Cape Cod, Massachusettes. Steve was in a band called "The Underground Cinema" which was a very early rendition of  "The Ultimate Spinach" with Ian Bruce Douglas. Richard Bartlett's band became the "Front Page Review" and hired Steve because he could write lyrics. The songs he wrote were deep and unusual and given the times were inventive and psychedelic. Playing clubs like “The Crosstown Bus” and “The Psychedelic Supermarket”, they had developed into quite a band. This was also a time when Alan Lorber was putting together his plan to market some of the local talent. A quarter million college students in the area and bands like “The Ramrods”, “The Beacon Street Union”, “The Lost” and others inspired Alan with a good money making idea. Big time producers, recording studios and record labels were located in New York less than an hour away. He chose MGM records as the label of convenience and had already signed the “Beacon Street Union”, “Orpheus” and “Ultimate Spinach” to record deals. Other bands were being looked at and “The Front Page Review” fell into the mold of Lorber’s “Boston Sound” concept. The band had charisma and Steve brought in "deep thought” lyrics. An album was recorded at Mayfair Studios in New York and was produced by Alan Lorber himself. Lots of special effects, heavy psych guitar, spooky Farfisa organ and dreamy vocals permeate the disc. But all the negative media surrounding the “Bosstown Sound” and the bands Lorber had signed, spelled doom for any release of this album and so it sat on the shelves for 30 years. When the media dust had settled, “The Front Page Review” had ceased to exist. Richard Bartlett and a few others from "Front Page Review" reformed as "Brother Fox and the Tar Baby" and released an album. Steve Cataldo went back home to Cape Cod. He continued writing and peddled his music around New York and found the liking of the Command/Probe label to put his songs down. His music was recorded with session musicians and included Richard Moog who was developing his famous synthesizer. Steve was christened as “Saint Steven” by producer John Turner. He confesses that these songs were a continuation of the “Front Page Review” (which is evident) had that band caught on.  A huge underground radio artifact with lots of special effects and great psychedelic guitar licks. Very similar in sound to the 80's LP “Marcus – From The House Of Trax”. It was an early concept album. Afterward, Steve formed and also had a long a lucrative career with the punkish new wave outfit “The Nervous Eaters”.
The Cover has some ring, edge and corner wear and discoloration towards the top. The Back Cover also has ring wear with and "Not For Sale" sticker at the bottom left. The record plays with some minor ticks, but fairly clean overall.

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