Even with the huge success of their second single ‘Evil Woman’ (it sold upwards of 600,000 copies in it’s first year, and was covered on the first “Black Sabbath” LP), Crow made fateful choices that killed their career in record time. “Atlantic almost signed us,” said Dave Wagner. “We had Atlantic on one line and Amaret on the other. Amaret was decided upon because (managers) Traut and Golden felt we’d get buried with the Atlantic. In a matter of months, it turned out to be the biggest mistake we ever made.” Between late 1969 and early 1971, Crow either opened for or headlined with Jefferson Airplane, Three Dog Night, Steve Miller Band, Steppenwolf, Eric Burdon & War, Janis Joplin (three separate times) and Iron Butterfly. The group was working more than ever, but seemed to be enjoying it less. “We were becoming more and more disillusioned with Amaret by the day,” said Wagner. “We fought with them over our artistic direction. We had some really good material for what was to be our fourth album all ready. But they turned it all down saying it wasn’t commercial enough, or it wasn’t this or that.” Elektra Records were very interested in the group, but Amaret wouldn’t let them out of their contract, unless they wouldn’t use the name Crow. And Elektra didn’t want Crow without their name. In the closing months of 1971, Dave Wagner, feeling there was absolutely no way out of the band’s financial and managerial mess, left the group. In 1972, Amaret released a “Best Of Crow” (Amaret AST 5012) as a sort of epitaph to a this unique band. That same year, Amaret was sold to MGM records. A deal was worked out with MGM for Dave Wagner to release a solo album. “They sent me a list of material to choose from, about twenty songs,” Wagner said. “One of the songs they insisted I re-record was a Micky Newbury tune we had done as Crow called ‘Mobile Blues.’ I worked with some top-notch musicians. Basically, MGM was fulfilling its obligatory contract to get the album (“Dave Wagner, d/b/a Crow”) out. They had no interest in really backing the project.” And so, the album and Crow’s career, came to a quiet end.
Tracklist
01. Mobile Blue (3:33)
02. Cado Queen (3:48)
03. Everything Has Got To Be Free (2:52)
04. She Makes Me Warm (3:40)
05. If It Feels Good, Do It (3:07)
06. Before My Time (3:32)
07. The Time That I Love You The Most (3:38)
08. Load The Boat Up, Captain (3:30)
09. I Don’t Want My Love Refused (3:03)
10. Victims Of The Darkness (3:07)
Credits
David Wagner: Lead Vocals, Guitar
Jim Gordon, Johnny Guerin, Larry Brown, Bobby Hally Porter, Joe Osborn, Mike Deasy, Don Peake, Dean Parks, Michael Omartian, Jackie Kelso, Bud Brisbois, Buddy Childers, Ollie Mitchell, Ron Hicklin, Stan Farber, Gene Morford …
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