History:

The New Breed was a rock band based out of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The band's original lineup consisted of Jim Mills on lead vocals and drums, Augie Dietz on vocals and rhythm guitar, and Terry Calaman on bass guitar. Their fourth member, Terry Brady, was recruited from The Sharvells, a lounge rock group. He joined on lead guitar after playing lead guitar on a folk album by Gay Minnich.  Members Dietz and Calaman were in their mid 30’s during the group’s heyday and bother were veterans. Calaman served in the navy while Dietz served in Vietnam. 

The band’s origins are unknown besides the fact they got together in the early 70’s and they all worked day jobs. At night they were one of the most popular rock groups in the city. The group enjoyed moderate success playing live in central and southern Pennsylvania and eventually recorded an album. The album, titled “Many Moods Of New Breed”, was recorded at a studio in Maryland known as ITIRI. The music on the album was a blending of originals and soul covers. The album was produced by the band, arranged by Jim Mills, and featured a horn section consisting of Carlisle residents Chet Nace and Ed Strohm. Strohm and Nace frequently performed with this lineup on stage. 

During the recording, the members of the band experimented by taking up several unfamiliar instruments. Mills played organ on several tracks, Brady played drums on a tune, Dietz contributed some lead guitar parts, and their horn section played various percussion instruments on several tracks. I believe Brady also played bass guitar on the final track of the album. What resulted was a mix of soul, stoner hard rock, heavy blues rock, and garage rock.

The album was accompanied by the release of a single which lifted two tracks from the album. Both were released in 1972. The album sold very well locally and was common to find in Pennsylvania record and thrift shops back in the 90's and 2000's. Apparently the group won a contest to record a jingle for Pepsi. The band went through several lineup changes after the mid 1970's. Brady left first and wound up working the club scene with a variety of other hard rock bands. The final New Breed lineup consisted of Jim Mills, Terry Lloyd, Marshall Bachman, and Pete Einstein. 

As of 2026, Terry Brady is the only surviving band member. Terry Calaman and Augie Dietz both passed away in 2014. Brady announced Jim Mills' passing in 2021. I have heard murmurs of a possible reissue or comp selection due to the album's newfound popularity. The album was featured in The Acid Archives book and several online blogs (including this one!). 

Review:

The Many Moods Of (1972, New Breed Records)

Rating: 9/10

This is one of my favorite albums ever. These guys worked hard and played hard! "Shotgun" is a fast paced funk rocker with a great drum and bass break, horns, and groovy guitars. "Try Me" and "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby" are a bit boring but aren't bad. They serve as a break from the fuzz laden rockers throughout. "Rockbustin' Blues" and "Mississippi Delta" are both heavy / fuzzy blues rock verging on stoner rock. The latter is heavier with grungy rhythm guitar, fuzz leads, and heavy drumming. Fantastic track. "In The Wind" is a killer too with two fuzz guitars, more heavy drumming, and great vocals (wailing about the Civil Rights Movement!). 

"Don't Jive" is another funk rock number with tons of wah-wah guitar and various percussion. "Unlock Your Mind" is a lovely garage rock ballad with organ and subdued lead guitars. Great vocals too and l love the arrangement. The outlier here is the pop rock / Monkees pastiche "Never Ending Song Of Love". It has grown on me as the years have gone by but I get why people dislike it.