New Release: Teakwood - A Distant Star LP

It is a rare occurrence, especially when you consider that we are writing this in the year 2017, that an unreleased soul/disco album from the 1970s surfaces after 40 years. The Tramp crew first heard about the album while discussing the re-release of Teakwood's sole 45RPM single release “Can You Dig It?” with former band leader and founding member of the group, Fred Forsh.

It was in 1972 when two new Berry College freshmen met and realized that they were both music majors which led to an impromptu jam session in the lower level of the student center. This was the beginning of what would soon become Teakwood. “Those two original members, Ralph Moore on saxophone and me on piano, along with five others went into the studio in 1976 and recorded two songs for our first and only single”, remembers Fred Forsh. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, Moore and Forsh parted ways but Teakwood continued with four remaining members plus two new ones and with this new lineup, went into the studio in 1977 to record nine songs under the collective title “A Distant Star”. However, for some obscure reason the songs were never released but luckily the reel-to-reel master tapes survived.

The tapes were sent to the head quarters of Tramp Records in early 2016. In the end it took several attempts at three different recording studios to transfer them successfully. It took some more months to get the material mastered and finally pressed on good old vinyl. Mr. Forsh says: “Here we are, forty years later, finally releasing it to the public thanks to Tramp Records! This is a dream come true for me and it is my hope that you will enjoy listening to the music of Teakwood!” Happy New Year 2017!

01. Teakwood Jesse

02. Powerplay

03. Anything And Everything

04. Distant Star

05. Ne'gera

06. And You'll Never Know

07. Got To Give You Up

08. Moving On

09. Can You Dig It? *

10. Suddenly You're My Life *

11. We Are Teakwood *

12. Got To Give You Up (alternate version) *

13. Powerplay (alternate instrumenal version) *

* digital bonus tracks

Artist:                  TEAKWOOD

Title:                    A Distant Star

Label:                  Mo-Soul Records

Cat. No:               MSLP-9053 (LP/digital)

File under:            Soul-Disco-Funk

Distribution:         Kudos Records Ltd. (World)

Release date:       3^rd February 2017

LC-Code:             24072

EAN Vinyl:           5050580663916

Key selling points:

- previously unreleased album from 1977
- all songs taken from the original reel-to-reel master tapes

- deluxe vinyl LP including full album download code, housed in original 1970s old school tip-on cover