Gumball "A Love Supreme"

Gumball Revolution on Ice CD (Sony Records [Japan], 1994)

"A Love Supreme" is one of those jazz covers that's been done enough that it's pretty much a cliché. Well, too bad! Today's piece is a cover of it, featuring some lovely, screaming psychedelic guitar skree from ax-meister Don Fleming. As you may know, these days many CDs come out in Japan with extra songs for the Japanese market; that was the case with this one. I already had the album in question, Revolution on Ice, when I stumbled across a Japanese pressing in a bargain bin. Hooray! Gumball arose from the demise of the somewhat similarly named B.A.L.L., who had also featured Fleming on guitar and Jay Spiegel on drums. On their 1989 European tour, however, bassist Kramer just up and quit. They soldiered on for a bit longer, I guess, as I saw them with bassist Guy Pinhas at the Circus in Gammelsforf, near Munich, West Germany. It was an insane show. I'm not sure if Guy knew the songs or not, but he played like a madman. Don shredded away on the guit, and Jay held down the rhythm. The highlight of the show was the encore; roadie Joey Pea came out in a green lamé dress and feather boa, and they did a slammin' cover of The Stooges' "Funhouse."