Coven: Coven 1971

 

Coven originally materialized in Indianapolis, Indiana during the late 1960s. According to "Witchcraft" producer Bill Traut, band members began their early gigs by being carried onstage in coffins. Alongside

England’s Black Widow, Coven are credited as being one of the very first rock bands to embrace occult imagery and outright Satanic references. They are recognized as being the band that first introduced the 'Sign of the Horns' to rock and pop culture. The band released their first album, "Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls", in 1969 after signing a contract with Mercury Records in their own blood.
                              

Coven was composed of vocalist Jinx Dawson, bassist Greg "Oz" Osborne, guitarist Chris Neilsen, keyboardist Rick Durrett (later replaced by John Hobbs), and drummer Steve Ross. In addition to

pioneering occult rock with lyrics and aesthetics that explicitly deal in themes of Satanism and witchcraft, they are recognized by metal fans and metal historians as being the band that introduced the "Sign of the horns" to rock, metal and pop culture, as seen on their 1969 debut album release Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls.
                  

Jinx Dawson and Oz Osborne, after playing together in the group Him, Her and Them, formed Coven

with Ross in Chicago in the late 1960s. In 1967 and 1968 they toured, playing concerts with artists including Jimmy Page's Yardbirds, the Alice Cooper band, and Vanilla Fudge. Coven signed with Mercury Records and released their debut album, Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls in 1969.
               

From the very beginning, Coven's performances took the shape of elaborate satanic rites that largely

overshadowed their music, but this didn't stop local producer Bill Traut (the owner of local independent, Dunwich Records, and a major mover and shaker in the Windy City rock scene) from recognizing the core trio's potential, then pairing them with external songwriters, and securing a wider distribution deal with Chicago's own Mercury Records.
                 

The first spawn of their unholy union was 1969's legendary Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps

Souls album, which draped Coven's diffuse mix of psychedelic prog rock and pop under a veritable catalog of deeply occult lyrics, opening with a song named -- remarkably enough -- "Black Sabbath," and culminating in a 13-minute reading of the Satanic Black Mass itself.
                   

                  
Three years after their Mercury debut, the Coven come back on an MGM imprint, Sunshine Snake

Records, with a more musical album produced by Frank Laughlin and Larry Brown, though their hit record, "One Tin Soldier," included here, was produced, arranged, and conducted by Mundell Lowe. The cover photography by William R. Eastabrook is pretty clever, a black cat in front of the five bandmembers, whose faces have been removed. Only an eye of the cat stares out from the picture.
                     

Where the original album, Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls, generated interest for its notorious content, the pop music crafted on this self-titled sophomore disc had to stand on its own. And it does when Jinx Dawson is given a melody and allowed to sing, as on the opening track,

"Nightingale," something not afforded her on the Witchcraft experiment. She and guitarist Christopher Nielsen, who also gets a more expanded role here, are responsible for the material. Dawson can actually belt out a tune when given the opportunity. Third album "Blood on the Snow" was put out on Buddah Records in 1974 for which they also made a video for the LP title track, seven years before MTV started in 1981.
                        

Coven – Coven
Label: MGM Records – SE-4801, Sunshine Snake Records
Format: CD, Album, Reissue
Released: 2020
Genre: Rock
Style: Hard Rock

TRACKS

                  

01. Nightingale   2:57
Producer – Coven, Frank Laughlin
Written-By – Jinx Dawson
02. Shooting Star   2:54
Producer – Coven, Larry Brown
Written-By – C. Neilsen, J. Dawson
03. Natural Love   4:00
Producer – Coven, Frank Laughlin
Written-By – Chris Neilsen
04. What Can I Get Out Of You   3:45
Producer – Coven, Larry Brown
Written-By – Chris Neilsen
05. Dark Day In Chitown   3:51
Producer – Coven, Frank Laughlin
Written-By – Chris Neilsen
06. Jailhouse Rock   2:06
Producer – Coven, Frank Laughlin
Written-By – J. Leiber - M. Stoller
07. Lonely Lover   3:32
Producer – Coven, Frank Laughlin
Written-By – Chris Neilsen
08. I Guess It's A Beautiful Day Today   3:19
Producer – Coven, Frank Laughlin
Written-By – Chris Neilsen
09. Washroom Wonder   3:50
Producer – Coven (3), Larry Brown
Written-By – C. Neilsen, G. Glovacki, R. Durrett, S. Ross
10. Nobody's Leavin' Here Tonight   3:42
Producer – Coven, Larry Brown
Written-By – Chris Neilsen
11. One Tin Soldier (The Legend Of Billy Jack)   3:18
Arranged By, Conductor, Producer – Mundell Lowe
Written-By – Lambert - Potter

LINE - UP

                      

Bass – Oz Osborne
Drums – Steve Ross
Guitar, Vocals – Chris Neilsen
Lead Vocals – Jinx Dawson
Piano – John Hobbs

Flac (24/192 KHz) Size: 1.60 GB

Coven: Witchcraft Destroys Minds And Reaps Souls 1969 HERE

Coven : Witchcraft Destroys Minds And Reaps Souls 1969

Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls is the debut studio album by the American rock band Coven. Released in 1969, it was unusual in that it dealt with overtly occult and satanic themes and was removed from the market soon after its release due to controversy.
However it remains a classic of its genre, and in some ways set groundbreaking trends for later rock bands. This album marked the first appearance in music of the sign of the horns, inverted crosses, and the phrase Hail Satan. Today, these are characteristics of the occult and heavy metal genres. 

According to rock journalist Lester Bangs, "in England lie unskilled laborers like Black Sabbath, which was hyped as a rockin' ritual celebration of the Satanic mass, something like England's answer to Coven".[3] As a further coincidence, Coven's bass guitarist and co-writer (Mike Osborne) is credited as "Oz Osborne", and the opening track is "Black Sabbath".

The music on the album was considered underground rock; what made it distinctive was the heavy emphasis on diabolical subject matter, including songs such as "The White Witch of Rose Hall" (based on the story of Annie Palmer), "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge", "Black Sabbath" and "Dignitaries of Hell".

The album concluded with a 13-minute track of chanting and Satanic prayers called "Satanic Mass" (written by their producer, Bill Traut, of Dunwich Productions, and described as "the first Black Mass to be recorded, either in written words or in audio"). This Satanic Mass was also the first time Latin phrases such as "Ave Satanas" (Hail, Satan) were used in occult rock music, and later Satanic and Black Metal bands continued this innovation (see List of songs with Latin lyrics for some examples).

The debut LP from the group Coven is noteworthy for reasons more historical than musical. That is not to say it is a bad record; it is more of an interesting record that is unique and listenable. With an elaborate package released on Mercury in 1969, a good trivia question can be made of the fact that bassist Oz Osborne performs on this album, whose opening track is "Black Sabbath." That the group Black Sabbath formed in 1969 when this album was issued seems to indicate that Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls may have had more than a little influence on the more popular heavy metal band.

With the "evil" prayers during "Coven in Charing Cross," Coven get a bit heavy-handed; the group goes over the top trying to push the black magic stuff. "Pact With the Devil" is written "Pack With the Devil" on the label, and the 13-plus minute "Satanic Mass" is more of a curiosity piece than musical adventure; it's no "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," and that's the flaw with this unique album. Had there been a song to hold onto or had "Satanic Mass" possessed the musical individuality of the Seeds' "Up in My Room," this disc would be more than just a novelty. "Choke, Thirst, Die," which ends side one, is actually one of the best performances on the record, though it also suffers from its excesses, with Jinx Dawson acting like a satanic Ruby Starr when she should have gone in the Wendy O. Williams direction.

In 1972, the band released a self-titled album that included "One Tin Soldier" which was rated as a hot pick in Billboard and Cashbox.[citation needed] By this point, the occult posturing was toned down to just one spooky black cat and a band member surreptitiously flashing the sign of the horns on the album cover.

Their third album, Blood on the Snow, was produced by Shel Talmy and released by Buddah Records in 1974. A music video was filmed for the title track.

An ad hoc version of Coven was assembled to back up Dawson and Ross for the 1990 film Heaven Can Help.

Jinx Dawson recruited a new line up of musicians in late 2016 - early 2017 in order to perform at Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, The Netherlands on April 20, 2017. This was Coven's first performance in Europe.

TRAXS

01."Black Sabbath"    Donlinger    3:32
02."White Witch of Rose Hall"    Donlinger    3:08
03."Coven in Charing Cross"    Donlinger    4:04
04."For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge"    Dawson, Ross, Wilkerson, Osborne    4:41
05."Pact with Lucifer"    Donlinger, Wilkerson    3:32
06."Choke, Thirst, Die"    Donlinger    3:32
07."Wicked Woman"    Dawson, Ross, Wilkerson, Osborne    3:01
08."Dignitaries Of Hell"    4:09
09."Portrait"    Dawson, Ross, Osborne    2:37
10."Satanic Mass"    Traut    13:19

Personnel

    Jinx Dawson: lead vocals
    Jim Donlinger: guitar, vocals
    Jim Nyeholt, John Hobbs, Rick Durrett : organ, piano, keyboard
    Alan Estes, Oz Osborne: bass guitar
    Steve Ross: drums, percussion

Line-up / Musicians

- Jim Donlinger / guitars, vocals
- Steve Ross / drums
- Chris Neilsen / guitars, vocals
- Rick Durret / organ
- John Hobbs / keyboards
Releases information

Released by Nevoc Musick

COVEN IN CHARING CROSS

Thirteen cultists
Held a secret meeting,
Bringing powers of the darkness
Upon those who opposed them.
The cheif of the circle,
Known as Malchius
Drank the blood of a young baby
Offered unto him.

They danced ecstatically,
The orgied frantically.
The demon had arisen
From the circle on the floor.
The chanting was much louder
And more piercing than before.

They are seven.
They are seven.
Seven are they.

Out of the abyss they rise,
When day sinks into darkness.
Seven are they.
Coven in charing cross...
Coven in charing cross...

Soon, a certain family
Living in the village,
Would die one by one by
The curse of the cult.
The head of the family,

A witchhunter named Mead,
Had burned their leadser at the stake;
Soon he'd regret his deed.
Pain from Devil's we evoke!
Thirst and suffer til he'd choked.

The magic did take over
And the soul did feel the roar.
Incantations were much louder
And more piercing than before.
Born in the bowels of the hills
Evil ones, sources of ills.

Setters of unseen snares,
Death to all pity, all prayers.
Male they are not.
Female they are not.
No wives have they known.
No children begot.

The fiends they are seven,
Disturbers of heaven.
They are seven.
They are seven.
Seven they are.
Coven in charing cross...
Coven in charing cross...

PACT WITH LUCIFER

The farmer'd lost most all he had
His crop had failed, his stock went bad
He cursed his fate, wife and son
Vowed to sell his soul for dollar one

In disbelief he'd uttered such words
He'd hoped and prayed that no one had heard
With the smell of sulfur and a flash of light
Appeared a demon in the dead of night

The plan was for the farmer to sign
His name in blood upon the line
They'd meet again to seal the sign
In 1840, in seven year's time
Time!

The farmer prospered, did do well
Good fortune was his story to tell
Still he pursued the path he feared
The time was short, the dark day neared




The seven years had passed away
Now it was the judgement day
In memory of the words he said
Lucifer appear in a flash of red

It's the day I said I'd come for you
And now it's time to pay your due
I'm here to claim the soul I've won
To seal the bargain and take your son!

Flac  Size : 260 MB