365 Days #132 - B.O.S.S. - Beethoven's Fifth (mp3s)

MP3:
B.O.S.S. - Beethoven's Fifth (3:05)

This '70's-era high school band record is mostly a pretty dismal affair, given over to sloppy covers of things like "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top" and the "Airport 1975" theme. However, the B.O.S.S. Jazz Band gets it together on one track, a funky cover of "A Fifth of Beethoven" (titled "Beethoven's Fifth" here) by Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band. The rest of the band sort of troops along for a minute as the drummer (Marianita White) pounds out a steady, unwavering beat, and then, whoa, guitar solo! It's the only one on the album, it's played by Ronnie MacDonald, and it's pretty bitchin'.

For the record, I'm not sure what "B.O.S.S." stands for; presumably "S.S." stands for Secondary School, but the band is from Glace Bay, Nova Scotia so perhaps whoever was in charge of the album cover just thought "B.O.S.S." looked cooler than "G.B.S.S.". Also, Fantasy Sound was a record company based out of Willowdale, Ontario; you sent them your tapes, and they would press the record and have the cover printed for you. I have a few other high school band records on Fantasy Sound, so presumably they were a fairly inexpensive option for getting a record put out during the '70's.

- Contributed by: Beau Levitt

Images: Front, Back, Label

Media: LP
Album: B.O.S.S. Presents Bandology
Label: Fantasy Sound
Catalog: FS23511
Credits: Director: Mr. David W. Mangle. Produced by Fantasy Sound Limited
Date: 197?

Comments

[Karen Bower]

Oh my frig! I'm on that album. I was in grade 6. BOSS stands for Bands of our surrounding schools. Dave Mangle had just arrived in Glace Bay to teach music with his wife Barb Stetter. She is still teaching music there after 35 years! Anyway, he took us on our first big trip to Nfld to do a recording. It was great fun. Eventually the music program developed into one of, if not the best in Nova Scotia. I am still playing at the age of 44 in two bands. It all started with Barb and Dave. Even though it isn't the most professional of albums, it is a great memory.

[Shelley Eisses]

I am also on this album. Learned to play trombone at a music camp at Mt. A and was able to join the school band the next fall.Dave Mangle was my trombone teacher. I think I was in Grade 10 when we went to Nfld to make this record.The music program in Glace Bay has developed and is now second to none and has put out some fantastic musicians! I returned to Cape Breton about 10yrs ago and am a member of the Second Wind Community Band to date. Our parents , relatives bought this album because they loved us ... We were the initial senior band of the Glace Bay music program , and for what it's worth , I believe we began well!