Iowa rock album now worth thousands

Would you pay two grand for a vinyl document album? Would you pay two grand for an album by a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, trio — a restricted problem document that by no means charted nationally?

It appears many individuals around the globe are fairly keen to do this to have their very own copy of “No Relaxation for the Depraved,” recorded in 1975 by an Japanese Iowa band known as Reality & Janey.

Sealed copies of the album have bought for as much as $2,000, with opened copies of the album fetching between $1,000 and $2,000 on eBay.

Few document albums persistently carry such costs. Why “No Relaxation for the Depraved”?

“As a result of it’s actually nice music,” stated BillyLee Janey of rural Ryan, who wrote many of the songs with band member Steve Bock, performed guitar and sang on the progressive blues/rock album.

“It’s clever, and there’s no primary sellout,” Janey stated. “It was recorded properly. It has every thing that makes an incredible document.”

Janey additionally attributes word-of-mouth by different musicians, document sellers and the general public for the near-cult standing of “No Relaxation for the Depraved.”

Janey, 69, stated he bought an opened copy of the album to a person in Italy 15 years in the past for $1,000.

The person mailed Janey 10 $100 payments in a CD case. Janey had the payments authenticated, then despatched the person his album.

Janey can’t recall how most of the albums had been pressed on the time of the recording at AR Studios in Ames for the Montross label, however he guesses between 1,500 and a couple of,000. He has two copies left — one sealed, one open.

The album has been reissued a number of instances so savvy collectors must verify that in the event that they’re intent on having the unique. With Janey’s permission, Rockadrome Data reissued “No Relaxation for the Depraved” and one other album by the band, “Topeka Jam Stay,” Janey stated.

Will the reissues scale back the unique’s worth?

“There are individuals who will at all times need an unique,” Janey stated.

The band

The Reality & Janey band shaped in 1971 — with Janey on guitar and vocals, Steve Bock on bass and vocals and Denis Bunce on drums — when the musicians had been of their early 20s. It disbanded in 1976, victims of the disco craze, Janey stated.

Bock died about 10 years in the past, and Bunce nonetheless lives in Cedar Rapids, Janey stated.

Initially, the band initially known as itself Reality however modified the title after studying a gospel group additionally had that title. Janey doesn’t recall why his title was added.

The three band members all sported the lengthy hair fashionable in rock bands of that period. “We had about 9 ft of hair between us,” Janey recalled with amusing.

Rocker Ozzy Osbourne additionally titled one among his albums “No Relaxation for the Depraved,” however that was 5 years after Reality & Janey’s album, Janey stated.

The Reality & Janey’s jacket cowl photograph was shot at a avenue development web site in southeast Cedar Rapids. It was Bock’s idea.

The band arrange large Marshall amplifiers round a gap on the street. Off to the facet, a cymbal, drumsticks and guitar had been caught right into a pile of filth. A hand — belonging to band “roadie” Arthur Jones — is proven popping out of the outlet, touching the underside of an amplifier.

Because the photograph shoot was ending, Janey stated, police arrived and needed to know what was happening. After listening to the band’s rationalization, the police advised Jones to get out of the outlet and despatched the band on its approach.

The album’s title, Janey stated, was influenced by a line in a film starring John Wayne. He couldn’t recall the film’s title, solely that he and Bock had been watching it and that the road sparked a lyric.

Throughout their run as a band, Reality & Janey issued 5 albums and in addition two 45s reduce in 1972. The A facet of the primary 45 was an unique tune, “Midnight Horseman,” with a canopy of the Rolling Stones’ “Beneath My Thumb” on the flip facet. The second 45 featured Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Straight 8 Pontiac” and Chuck Berry’s “Round and Round,” with Janey doing the vocals. The singles now carry $200 every in close to mint situation.

Janey stated “Midnight Horseman” was performed on the favored “Beaker Road” program hosted by Clyde Clifford on 50,000-watt KAAY-AM in Little Rock, Ark., and heard by many of the U.S.

Not one of the band’s songs charted, however the band was profitable, opening for bands like REO Speedwagon. And Reality & Janey performed in Nashville for 2 weeks in 1973, opening for Spooky Tooth. That band included Gary Wright, who later had a half-dozen songs on the Billboard Scorching 100 nationwide chart.

Maintaining songs alive

Janey stated he tries preserving his outdated band’s music alive, together with his well-known musician son, Bryce Janey, and Eric Douglas becoming a member of him to sometimes play Reality & Janey’s music.

In 2016, the three bought a primary spot taking part in on the Laborious Rock Lodge in Las Vegas with 99 different bands.

Throughout that gig, Janey stated, “individuals from all around the world had been asking me to signal albums.”

Lately Janey performs solo exhibits, or groups together with his son at some gigs.

He and Bryce even have a music cope with Fervor Data of Phoenix/Los Angeles, a digital firm. Via Fervor’s efforts, one among Janey’s songs was used on the TV program “Chicago Fireplace.” One in every of Bryce’s songs was utilized in a “Legislation & Order” episode on TV and one was utilized in a brand new film, “Sitting in Bars with Cake,” wherein actor Ron Livingston, a Marion native, seems.

One other deal could also be coming as a result of Fervor needs entry to the Reality & Janey music.

“There’s no deal but,” Janey stated.