THE FORTUNE TELLERS - Lively Up!

THE FORTUNE TELLERS Lively Up! lp 1990

Lively Up / Who Do You Love / Sanguine/ Livin' Hell° / First Time / Desolate / Livin' In Darkness / Hurt Somebody / I Won't / Heavy Traffic°.

Produced by B. Kolliopoulos.

The Fortune Tellers: B. Koliopoulos: voice, guitar / M. Kolliopoulos: lead guitar, slide / M. Newberry: drums / V-Roy Goetz: bass + percussion on °: D. L. Williams.

Thank you: John Manson, everybody at VZD, Scott Weiss.

Thank you again: P. Mathé.

Hello: Dr. Feelgood, England's best live band! The Senders, New York's Finest!
"This album dedicated to all who love the Fortune Tellers, for those who do not, the feeling is mutual."
And I guess they were probably required by law to put this on the CD cover:"warning: explicit guitar solos"
"The third Fortune Tellers lp was called "Lively Up!" and the band recorded and produced it in OKC. Also on New Rose, this time on cassette, lp and cd..."

"In their 16 years together, the Fortune Tellers have had several brushes with domestic record labels, but the bands and the execs could never reach an agreement. "We've been round and round with A&M, Enigma, and Restless, but it wasn't right for us," M. Newberry said. "We like to do things our own way - we're getting old and set in our ways. The labels are used to signing young guys. We don't bend too easily. We're successful on our own scale, so we don't mess with it."
Instead, the Fortune Tellers found sanctuary on the other side of the Atlantic. New Rose, a French label, has put out three Fortune Tellers discs, including their most recent CD, "Lively Up!". In addition, M.Newberry predicts the release of a live album early next year, after which the band will enter the studio to record its fifth release (never heard about a live album , same for a fith release...).
The title track to "Lively Up!" is a nasty howling blues-rock cover of the Bob Marley classic, trading the skank in favor of the rank. On slower tracks such as "Sanguine," the mood is something straight out of Big Tuna, Texas, so much so that you expect Willem Dafoe to bare his pulpy teeth at any moment.
If there is a spiritual kinship to found with the Fortune Tellers it would be Reverend Horton Heat, although with a funkier bent. If the stateside companies can't come to terms with the Fortune Tellers, perhaps they don't deserve them.
In their live performances, the Fortune Tellers emphasize original songs. "Our shows are 90 percent originals and some very select covers, like old Bo Diddley or Dr. Feelgood," M. Newberry, their drummer, said..."

" All the records are rare and long out of print, but the maniacal fan can find them online (or hiding in stores) here and there from time to time for various prices." Source

Cd covers by my old pal Max !

FORTUNE TELLERS - Musick Without Tears

FORTUNE TELLERS Musick Without Tears lp 1986
Good Time? / Lowdown / Dance / More Miho / No More / D.M.F / Broken Heart / Home Tonight.
Produced by Mike Stewart
The Fortune Tellers: B. Kolliopoulos: vocals, guitar / M. Kolliopoulos: lead guitar, slide / M. Newberry: drums / V. Goetz: bass.
The Fortune Tellers were an american band from Oklahoma. They recorded three albums from 1986 to 1990. "F.T.F.F. (Fortunes Told For Free)" in 1986, issued only on lp on the french label New Rose Records, "Musick Without Tears" one year later also on New Rose (lp only) . Both were recorded in Austin, Texas and produced by Dino Lee for the first & Mike Stewart for the second. Their third and last record, in 1990, was produced by their guitarist & singer B. Kalliopoulos and was called "Lively Up" (always on New Rose Records: cd exists). All are rare long out of print albums, but can be found on the net.
"The Fortune Tellers, an Oklahoma City rhythm'n'blues band, recently returned home after recording a second album "Musick Without Tears" in Austin.
Oklahoma City doesn't seem like the most profitable place for four ambitious R&B musicians. Especially when Austin is so close. Austin and other big cities offer recording studios, record contracts, and some of the hottest clubs in the country. These temptations have enticed a number of bands, but not the Fortune Tellers. For them, Austin is just another place to record and play. Oklahoma City is home...
Though faithful to the basics of Bo Diddley and James Brown, the Fortune Tellers add the sounds of Greek instruments to their brand of R&B. How do they describe their sounds? "You mean name another band we sound like?" Basile asked. "In my opinion...well I don't know. Miho, who do we sound like?" Miho skips all comparisons and describes what he hears. "Rhythmic rock and roll with a wild guitar and vocals to it." "Yeah," Basile said, "Its kind of like a combination of Bo Diddley and James Brown with a Greek guy singing on top of it.
The music they record is the music they listened to in Athens in the '60's. But the music was not Greek - it was hardcore R&B and solid soul. They had access to R&B records - rare in Greece - from a friend who owned a record store...

Miho said the band picked the tunes for the new album, which will be released this spring, from a collection of original material. "We have our material ready at any time," Basile said. "We just pick 10 songs to do that night." Since the band was well-prepared, it only took two days to record the album.
Though the band and the fans were pleased with the first album (which sold about 25,000 copies), Basile said they were happier with the second album. They describe it as less rock'n'roll, more straightforward R&B, and more "live" sounding than the first album, "Fortune Told For Free"...
With the help of producer Mike Stewart (Tail Gators), a former Oklahoman, the band produced the second album. Devoid of studio gimmicks, it's an album truer to the bands live sound. "The first time I didn't really get my live sound the way I wanted it," Miho said.
Basile said the band is content with New Rose because the label is more interested in producing original talent than in packaging what Basile calls "product"... Creative control is one advantage of an independent label. The Tellers selected the music for the first two albums, helped mix them and designed the cover art..." Source

Check the Reverb Brothers, the new band of B. Kolliopoulos here !
Cd covers by Max !

THE FORTUNE TELLERS - F.T.F.F.

THE FORTUNE TELLERS F.T.F.F. (Fortunes Told For Free) lp 1986
Blue Condition / I Wanna Know / 32-20 / Gi-Me / Broke in the USA / Think Twice / No Fuss / Dreamin'/ Please Louise / Can't Control Myself / Bo Diddley Put the Rock in Rock'N'Roll (bonus track).
Produced by Dino Lee.
The Fortune Tellers: B. Kolliopoulos: vocals, guitar / M. Kolliopoulos: lead guitar, slide / M. Newberry: drums / V. Goetz: bass.
Interesting notes from the back cover:
The Fortune Tellers would like to say thanks to: Philippe Marcade, Steve Shevlin, Billy Pigeon, Don Ledy, Keith Ferguson, Kim Wilson, Jimmy Vaughan, Fran Cristina, James Arnold, Dino Lee, Antone's, Alejandro and Xavier Escovedo, Johnny Reno, Kevin Hinks, Jennifur and Gary Dickson, Bill Bateman, Dave Alvin, Rosco the Man, Shelby Hurt, Billy Shipley (Roadie No. 1), The Fortune Cookies, And our Friends in OKC, last but not least, the man who put the Rock in Rock and Roll, Mr. Bo Diddley!!!

The Fortune Tellers were an american band from Oklahoma. They recorded three albums from 1986 to 1990. "F.T.F.F. (Fortunes Told For Free)" in 1986, issued only on lp on the french label New Rose Records, "Musick Without Tears" one year later also on New Rose (lp only) . Both were recorded in Austin, Texas and produced by Dino Lee for the first & Mike Stewart for the second. Their third and last record, in 1990, was produced by their guitarist & singer B. Kalliopoulos and was called "Lively Up" (always on New Rose Records: cd exists). All are rare long out of print albums, but can be found on the net.
The bonus track "Bo Diddley Put The Rock In Rock'n'roll" is extracted from the New Rose compilation: "Play New Rose for me".
"...The Fortune Tellers are playin' and makin' like lightnin' to that spot. One o' the select passel o' combos dishin' out a juicy original variant of the "rock" thang in these parts (the Lips, Defenestration and Doug Powell bein' most of the few others), The Fortune Tellers blast out a heady blend of ferocious r&b, psycho-whang guitarisma, and wild card Crowley, Beefheart and Coltrane influences..." J. Mooneyham (Source)
Check the Reverb Brothers, the new band of B. Kolliopoulos here !
Cd covers by Max!