Dig Deep: The Corporation – The Corporation – Capitol (1968)

The Corporation – India
The Corporation – I Want To Get Out Of My Grave
The Corporation – Smile

I first ran into a copy of this record over at Groove Merchant, listened to it dug the hell out of it, but inexplicably put it back. I think at the time I thought it might have been a second or third press and not worth the price. After doing some research on Capitol record labels, and running into it again at Bagatelle in Long Beach, I quickly snatched up this bit of psychedelic rock.

Though i’d always been into psych, I only recently (in the last 4 years) started actively digging for it. Aside from looking for particular labels or records that you know are solid, I find that looking at the line-up of the group will often lead you towards records that fit your own sensibilities. For me, I tend to look for rock groups that feature a brass section and an organist. If there’s a flute player, all the better, at least if it’s before 1972…The Corporation fit this checklist and then some, six member group led by the Kondos Brothers, couple guitars, organ player, flute and even trombone.

It’s the drums that make this record, coming from Nicholas Kondos, just a great funky and punchy sound throughout. Though I like the overall sound, their group harmonizing was a bit grating initially, though it’s grown on me recently. That sound is evident on the two vocal tracks I’ve provided here, “I Want To Get Out Of My Grave” and “Smile”. The real winner however is their version of Trane’s “India,” a 19 minute monster that takes up the entire second side and sounds almost like an outtake from the first Axelrod/Electric Prunes sessions. The song features solos on fuzzy guitar, banging organ, flutey flute and a bass/drums duet that has multiple breaks for days and days…

Cheers,

Michael