Ten Wheel Drive with Genya Ravan - Peculiar Friends

Name: Ten Wheel Drive with Genya Ravan
Album: Peculiar Friends
Year: 1971
Style: Classic Rock, Psychedelic Funk, Jazz Fusion
Similar Bands: Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Cold Blood, Blood Sweat & Tears, Lighthouse
"One-Word" Review: Gritty Psych Show Tunes
Based Out Of: New Jersey / NYC
Label: Polydor

Cover, Back, Sleeve, Record

Inner Gatefold, Sleeve, Record

Peculiar Friends (1971)

1. Peculiar Friends 0:19
2. The Night I Got Out of Jail 3:44
3. Shootin' the Breeze 3:19
4. The Pickpocket 3:48
5. No Next Time 4:34 (single) /
6. Love Me 5:05
7. Fourteenth Street (I Can't Gat Together) 5:49
8. I Had Him Down 3:52
9. Down in the Cold 6:09 (single)

Album Rating (1-10): 6.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Aram Schefrin - Writer, Arrangement, Producer, Guitar (Fisher Fidelity Standard Rock Band, DC LaRue, Cris Williamson, LaBelle, Lou Reed)
  
• Michael Zager - Writer, Arrangement, Producer, Keys (Love Childs Afro Cuban Blues Band, Moon Band, M-Zee Band, Fisher Fidelity Standard Rock Band, DC LaRue, Cris Williamson, LaBelle, Take Five, Whitney Houston, Cissy Houston, Mary lou Retton, Elusion, Spinners, Johnny Guitar Watson, DJ Valium, Genya Ravan, Street Corner Symphony, Cryer & Ford, Saint & Stephanie, Dee Edwards, Alvin Fields, more )
• Geyna Ravan - Writer, Arrangement, Vox, Harp (Goldie & the Gingerbreads, Denny Greene, Lou Reed, Blue Oyster Cult, Ronnie Spector, Gamma, Joy Rider. Flowerpot Men, Joey Ramone, Doughboys, Palmyra Delran, Fanny Walked the Earth, Michael Des Barres, Shady Lady, Kracker, Goldie Zelkowitz, Jay-Z)
• Blake Hines - Bass
• David Williams - Drums
• Alan Gauvin - Reeds  (Woody Herman, Bill Wartrous, Pratt Bros Big Band, Killer Force, Thundering Herd, Buddy Rich, Twiggs, Rich Shemaria)
• Dean Pratt - Trumpet (NY Neophonic Orch, Panama Friends & Savoy Sultans, Pratt Bros Big Band, Clifford Jordan, Killer Force, DMP Big Band, NTXSU Lab Band, Joel Kaye, Chris Robison, Buddy Rich, Bill Warfield, Leon Redbone, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton)
• Tom Malone - Trombone (3:00 Lab Band, Black Light Orch, Blood Sweat & Tears, Child is Father to the Man, Dude Skile's Hot Combustion, Gil Evans, Orquesta Palenque, Blues Brothers Band, Brass Attack Horns, CBS Orch, Mon Night Orch, NTXSU Lab Band, RCO All-Stars, SNL Band, Ultimate Onions, World's Most Dangerous Band, Woody Herman, Mylon, OT Zappo, more) 
• Danny Stiles - Trumpet (Sal Salvador, Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, Bill Watrous, Woody Herman, Herman & Puente, Maxwell Davis, Chris Connor, Bill Russo, Peggy Lee, Incredible Jimmy Smith, Oscsar Peterson Trip, Manny Albam, JJ Johnson, Pat Williams, T-Bone Walker, Singers Unlimited, Jake Hanna, Bette Midler, Nat Pierce, James Brown, Gerry Mulligan)
• Frank Frint - Trumpet
• Jay Messina - Engineer
• David L'Heureux - Cover Art, Album Design
• Triano-Gatefold Art
• Lou Podover - Photos
• Chuck Pulin -Photos

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, but I always enjoy a nice gatefold album I've never heard: that usually means more care has gone into the album & packaging. I do like the Alice in Wonderland-like artwork, calling them peculiar friends, which is also the album and lead track name. Never heard of the name dropped singer, Genya Ravan, but from the design, I imagine this is pretty straight forward classic rock, maybe with a touch of Psych from the Alice/Mr. Toad's Wild Ride-inspired sketches.

Album Review: The album is definitely a classic rock with powerful female vocals, thinking Joplin/Slick with all the variants present within the classic rock realm: psych, garage, funk, rock, gospel, and even some slow ballads. Even through The Night I Got Out of Jail is a driving, fun rocker, overall this is not for me, but it sounds typical of the sound & period.
The band had already found considerable success and acclaim by this, the third album, and Rayan was ready to leave the band. They had played some big festivals and high profile venues like Fillmore East (where Rayan performed part of the show topless with body paint) and Carnegie Hall. The band survived 6 years total, a lead singer and record label changes, but it was a big starting block for Michael Zager's disco career. The band was also inspirational in the face of a male dominated field for Bette Midler & her writing of The Rose.

Stand Out Track: The Night I Got Out of Jail

Links:
Full Youtube Album
Wiki
Discogs
Allmusic
Underappreciated Rock Guitarists
Rock Tour Database
Robert Christgau
Rate Your Music
Who Sampled
Billboard
Urban Dictionary
Sputnik Music