From the Apostolic Archives:



Once upon a time (in the summer of ’65) there was a strange trio haunting the basket houses of the West Village’s MacDougal St., consisting of John Townley (later of The Magicians, Apostolic Studios,  scads of sea music) on electric guitar, ”Fiddler Jay” Ungar (later of “Ashokan Farewell” PBS Civil War fame) on electric fiddle, and the mysterious Gypsy Wayne on electric paint can (an abbreviated, amplified washtub bass). Calling themselves "The Psychedelic Rangers" (unbeknownst to, and mutually unaware of, the LA group of the same name that summer), they played everything from electric old-timey to Middle Eastern rock, before splitting up as swiftly as they coalesced.

John and Jay, along with Jay's wife Lyn Hardy, went on to record together on Vanguard-Apostolic’s The Family of Apostolic double album, and subsequently formed a band called Ocean, featuring Jay's searing fiddle and Lyn's soaring vocals, that recorded a studio album in 1969. Alas, the 11-cut effort never saw the light of day. The band broke up shortly after Woodstock, and Jay and Lyn continued on as a duo.  Ocean's master tape was lost during the subsequent demise of Apostolic Studios, but one 7½ ips demo copy was salvaged, from which this historical set has been taken. It contains three traditional offerings, plus a host of early originals penned by both Jay and Lyn.

The whole album in first-ever release here from Lollipoppe Shoppe Records (see below)

Every Day (Ungar) -- ...wind the clock and all is well...

In The Beginning (Ungar) -- ...we had a place to wander...

Rampe (traditional Turkish) -- ...masha'Allah...

The World Is Big (Ungar) -- ...and that's the small of it...

Reuben’s Train (trad. Amer.) -- ...starting me a graveyard of my own... 

Can’t Stay Inside (Ungar) -- ...madness, seen through a half-closed eye...

Shellneck, Slim, and Grim (Panchatantra story #20; music: variations  of Rev. Gary Davis's "Slow Drag" ) -- ...this lake has gone dry...

The Left Behind (Ungar) -- ...look over your shoulder, you're growing older...

The River Rats (Ungar) -- ...down by the sandy riverside...

That’s The Way It Is (Ungar) -- ...it is that way...

There Is A Time (Hardy) -- ...where there is no one who is without love...

Personnel:
Jay Ungar -- Fiddle, mandolin, electric and acoustic guitars, vocals
Lyndon Hardy -- acoustic guitar, vocals
John Townley -- acoustic and electric guitars, recorder, piano, vocals
Peter Smith -- electric bass, electric guitar, oud, vocals
Jim Willis -- drums, percussion
Billy Culhane -- vocal, manager
Produced by John Townley
Recorded at Apostolic Studios, Randy Rand, engineer

Lots more of Jay                    Lots more of Lyn 

Lots more of John                  Lots more of John and Jay

NEW! This album is being issued later in 2020 as a full vinyl (clear blue vinyl!) LP and digital CD by Lillipoppe Shoppe Records in Berlin, Germany. 



Jay Ungar 


Lyn Hardy 


John Townley 
  Copyright © John Townley 2011. All rights reserved.
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