History:

The Expressions were a lounge rock band active in the early to mid 1970's. The band consisted of drummer Rick Luckenbill, keyboardist J. Gordon “Gordy” Wilson, bassist Roger Francisco, and Bob Bolin on guitars and lead vocals. They were from the Urbana, Illinois area. 

Luckenbill, Wilson, and Francisco had worked together on various musical projects in the past. All three worked at RoFran, a label and music company owned by Francisco. On the label, Francisco and Wilson were in several groups together, most notably the rock band The Prodigies. The trio all played on Wilson’s solo albums before recruiting Bolin and transforming themselves into The Expressions. 

The group was the house band at The New Beacon club in Illinois. After a successful year at the club the band recorded a full length album. Pressed on Century Records in 1974, "A Night At The New Beacon" was the group's only recording.

Featuring long jammy covers of The Meters, Neil Young, and Buddy Miles, the album explored funk, pop, soul, and psychedelic rock. The album was recorded live at the club with further overdubbing done at The Tape Factory. The overdubbing is mainly evident on the song "Most Beautiful Girl" where piano, backing vocals, and acoustic rhythm guitar were added. Tambourine and effects also appear to be added in post. 

The band stored their albums at The New Beacon where they were to be sold during their live performances. Apparently the club would soon burn down, destroying almost all of the copies of the album. Very few allegedly remain. 

The band most likely called it quits after the club burnt down since it was their primary residence. Francisco continued his work as a producer and session musician throughout the 70's and 80's. 

Review:

A Night At The New Beacon (1974, Century Records)

Rating: 7/10

One of the better lounge / club bands I have ever heard. Solid vocalist, nice use of the synth (used as sort of a second lead guitar as opposed to the usual string synth), and tight musicianship. The only songs I disliked here were "Cissy Strut" (which is ruined with corny sound effects) and "Mother In Law". 

Where the group shines is on their long jammy tracks, of which there are three. "Chicago Medley" is a pretty good one with a nice wah wah solo and cool use of the synthesizer. "Down By The River" is a wah wah filled take with some really odd screaming synth. A bit slow but fun! "Them Changes" is a funky romp with some great soloing courtesy of Wilson. All around, a very fun listen that is very obscure.