Any Harvey Mandel fans here?

[Sean]

Guess I'm late to the party but, wow! What a great player. Doing the two handed tapping technique years before VanHalen came along is pretty cool too. Hackett wasn't the only one and it sounds like Harvey used it a lot more and in a variety of ways beyond Steve. But aside from that, his regular playing is outta sight and I dig the compositions. I hear he was with Canned Heat for awhile, that must have been....different?

[StarThrower]

I have a double album CD re-issue of Baby Batter / the Snake. Some cool stuff. A decade or so ago he had a band with Freddie Roulette called Nightfire. I like the instrumentals.

[StarThrower]

From The Snake

[Vic2012]

I have Harvey on a Rolling Stones album. Black And Blue. Hot Stuff.

[spellbound]

Been a fan of Harvey Mandel since the Canned Heat album Future Blues in 1970. Eventually, I worked my way back to his excellent 1968 solo album Cristo Redentor. And forward to anything he has played on since.

[spellbound]

This one has Harvey Mandel, Henry Kaiser, Steve Kimock and Freddie Roulette (see StarThrower's post #2, above).

[GuitarGeek]

I've got Shangrenade on LP, pretty cool record, kinda reminded me of Jeff Beck's Blow By Blow and Wired (though obviously it came before those two records). I keep missing out on my chance to get his stuff on CD. I suppose at this point, I should see if I can't get em on download now.

[Munster]

Yes, a great guitarist and another fine 'white blues' musician from Chicago, alongside Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield and Barry Goldberg. His solo records from the ’70s were great; very understated but excellent. He was called The Snake because of his sinuous guitar lines. I think this example shows why. It is “I Got to Love My Woman” and is recorded with Barry Goldberg on organ, Eddie Hoh on drums and I cannot off-hand recollect who the bassist was. There is not a lot of information about where this was recorded but it possibly could have been an after-concert session.




Mandel was in Canned Heat for a while and is on the Woodstock soundtrack with the band (his third gig with them apparently). He also recorded two albums with John Mayall, before auditioning with The Stones after Mick Taylor left and recording a few tracks with them.

[R_burke]

Don't forget his work with John Mayall on USA Union

[Lopez]

I have a couple of his LPs, which I like a lot. I was fortunate seeing Canned Heat with Harvey right after Woodstock in September of 1969 at Providence College. He was magnificent, though with his short hair and clean-cut looks, he appeared out of place with the scruffier Heat. I believe he left the band a few months later when Henry Vestine returned.

[interbellum]

I'm not a fan or have real knowledge of Mandel's music, but always loved the cover shown in post #1.
In my collection Mandel appears on the 1969-album Mighty Grahame Bond:

[Zeuhlmate]

[rapidfirerob]

I played in a band that Harvey played in on occasion, before I joined. He was less than loved when he did play with them, for various reasons.
I've never met him and enjoy his playing.

[Sean]

Seems to be a shadow of the brilliance on those early records.

[Trane]

Been a fan of Harvey Mandel since the Canned Heat album Future Blues in 1970. Eventually, I worked my way back to his excellent 1968 solo album Cristo Redentor. And forward to anything he has played on since.

That's where I got to encounter his name and tried Grenade & Snake right in the trail of Canned Heat, but neither struck me as worthy of further exploration then. I guess I should reinvestigate.

I guess that if I do, it will be via Cristo and Baby Batter.

I didn't even know he had recorded in the 90/00's.

[StarThrower]

I streamed his 1968 album, Cristo Redentor, last night. It's the best thing I've heard from Mandel.

[FrippWire]

I'm a fan. As well known as he is, I still feel like he's underrated.

[alucard]

Love his wailing guitar sound and his funky playong. Shangrenade is my favourite also coverwise.

[AncientChord]

Here's another dream come true concert that I attended: I believe it was 1974. Harvey Mandel with The Pure Food And Drug Act opening for Gentle Giant at The Whiskey A Go Go, in Hollywood. A buddy and I were fans of both bands and we stayed for both sets. Over the evening we consumed lines on the mirror, the green bud and plenty of booze. We sat in the balcony that overlooked the audience and stage. On Harvey's sets we kept yelling for a favorite tune, Bite The Electric Eel. On the encore of the last set Harvey gave in and played it! My friend and I stood up and cheered! What a show! and Gentle Giant? Jaw dropping! Totally unforgettable, just wow!

[Munster]

I’ve been listening to loads of Harvey Mandel stuff recently. Here are two good tracks. The first is recorded with John Mayall (1970), with Keef Hartley on drums, Larry Taylor on bass and an excellent Johnny Almond on sax. Mandel’s solo is typically slurred (and excellent). The second track, Bear Down, is from Twist City (1993) and remembers Bob Hite of Canned Heat. I find the overall sound on Twist City a bit harsh (unlike earlier Mandel solo albums) but the guitar playing on it, mostly blues, is excellent.