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The Index - Originals Volume 1 & 2


The Index is The ultimate dark sixties combo. After over 50 years, there is finally an official vinyl double re-release!

Formed in Detroit in 1966, the year where every man over 18 in the U.S. feared being send to Vietnam, The Index worked out by their compositions the deep anxieties of a generation. With steadily repeated forcefull riffs the intensity and trance effect is risen on every track. Also with The Index the low-pitched fender sound is brought to it's apotheosis. Their balladesk style mentally send you into an eary environment of darkness and beauty.

The Index consisted of lead guitarist John B. Ford, along with rhythm guitarist and bassist Gary Francis and drummer Jim Valice. They played mostly instrumentals. There are some vocal songs though.

The band recorded two albums by themselve. The first one in 1968 in the basement of the family home of John B. Ford, that they turned into a studio. The first self-titled debut album sometimes referred to as "the Black Label Album" at the beginning of that year. It featured original songs such as "Fire Eyes" and "Israeli Blues". They released another self-titled album later that year, which is often referred to as the "Red Label Album." But, unlike the first LP, it was issued in stereo. During the recording of the second album, Tom Ballew joined the band on bass, with Ford and Francis playing lead and rhythm guitar, respectively.

The second album is more song-oriented than their first. Most of the copies of both albums were given away to friends.

In 1969, further recordings took place but were never before available on vinyl. The rare archival recordings are now finally released on vinyl. Seven of them have never been released before in any format at all.

Sadly, shortly after the group broke up.

What makes that group so special, is the fact that they produced extremely electrifying psychedelic sounds. There balladesk songs sound is extremely grave and sober, where else most groups of that Woodstock era have a more 'happy feeling' touch.

The Index remained largely unknown for many years. That changed only during the garage and psychedelic revival of the 1980s, when some vinyl collectors rediscovered them, especially following their 1984 re-issue of their first album on 'Voxx' label.

Listen to Israeli Blue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz0sPC94TkM

Originals Vol. 1 (1967-68) – [LION LP-177]
Originals Vol. 2 (1969) – [LION LP-176]

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