Coven (band)
Coven was an American psychedelic rock band that aroused by a Satanic image sensation. The band had with the title song for the film Billy Jack a One Hit Wonder.
Biography
The band was ( not identical with the British singer John Michael " Ozzy " Osbourne ), founded in 1967 in Chicago by singer Esther " Jinx " Dawson, bassist Mike " Oz" Osbourne and drummer Steve Ross. A native of Indiana Dawson was studied opera singer. First public appearance came Coven in 1967 and 1968 as the opening act for Vanilla Fudge and The Yardbirds. They were supported by guitarist Chris Nielsen and keyboardist John Hobbs. Music producer Bill Traut was aware of the band and brought them together with guitarist Jim Donlinger. The band received a recording contract with Akarma Records and released their debut album in 1969 Witchcraft: Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls. In 1970 Donlinger the band to regroup with Michael Tegza Lovecraft. The supported with the album and stage shows to flaunt Satanism led to a boycott by retailers and media. When the band was brought in March 1970 by a newspaper article with Charles Manson in conjunction, the sales company Mercury Records picked up the album from circulation.
The band therefore broke up in late 1970. Dawson singer she formed shortly afterwards again to accommodate the single One Tin Soldier ( The Legend of Billy Jack ) for Tom Laughlin's Billy Jack movie. The song was represented from 1971 to 1973 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached there in 26th place
Due to the success of the single Sunshine Snake Records took ( a sub label of MGM Records) Coven for an album under contract. 1972, when appeared the second studio album Coven. In 1974, the third studio album Blood on the Snow followed with Buddah Records. About the title song, a music video was shot at the Disney Studios, but the song failed to enter the Billboard charts. The band broke up in the mid-1970s. Singer Jinx Dawson began a career as an actress and model. A 1990 comeback attempt, undertaken the tape failed. 2007, a compilation Metal Goth Queen was: Out of the Vault published. It consists of unreleased recordings by Coven. The CD features renowned guest musicians like Michael Monarch (ex - Steppenwolf ), Glen Cornick (ex - Jethro Tull ) and Tommy Bolin (ex - Deep Purple ).
Image and reception
The debut album Witchcraft contained at the end of the 13 minutes long recording of a written from producer Bill Trout Black Mass under the title The Satanic Mass. This was just as Anton Szandor LaVey title track of his eponymous LP recorded in 1968, LaVey called his version but explicitly as " Satanic Mass" in contrast to the Black Mass, the only one " inversion of the Christian rite " was, in his view. Coven bassist Osbourne suspected that the recording was made before the Coven, but doubts that LaVey had in fact carried out a fair. The first song was called Black Sabbath. The album was provided with a hinged cover, the front of which " the obsessive faces of the three band members " showed. On the inside of the photo of a Black Mass was printed. A naked woman (probably Jinx Dawson ) was the living altar in the center of the image. Michael Moynihan in his book Lords of Chaos music as a typical end- Sixties Rock which is stylistically similar to Jefferson Airplane. Other sources describe the music as "pure Devil rock". The nine pieces of the debut album and the Black Mass at the end were " an introduction to the modern witchcraft ." The 1970 released debut album Black Sabbath in the band Black Sabbath called the music magazine Rolling Stone "England's answer to Coven ".
Also displayed in their live performances Coven a black mass. One of the roadies was tied to a cross during the show in the back of the stage. The stage was lit red and was full of candles. Each performance ended with a cover of Procol Harum Walpurgis, which passed into a Hail Mary. Singer Dawson closed the presentation with a quote from Aleister Crowley and the cry of " Hail Satan! ". At this point, the Roadie of the Cross pulled away and turned it over to St. Peter's cross. This was Coven as one of the first bands in rock history, who wore a Satanic image on open display. They also showed on Witchcraft as one of the first rock bands the Mano cornuta as satanic symbol. The Satanic elements in the music lost with time.
Later the band by different musicians was specified as an inspiration, as King Diamond, the parts of the text of the Black Mass without related information for the song The Oath on the second album Do not Break the Oath of his band Mercyful Fate, and Selim Lemouchi ( The Devil's Blood ). In the 2000s, the Internet community singer Jinx Dawson stylized prototype for a "Gothic Queen". In this image, the title of which appeared in 2007 made reference sampler.
Discography
- Witchcraft: Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls (1969, Akarma / Mercury )
- Coven (1972, MGM)
- Blood on the Snow ( 1974 Buddah )
- Metal Goth Queen: Out of the Vault (2007, Nevoc Records)
- One Tin Soldier (1971, Warner Bros. )