Mike Ogilvie and the Blues of Purple released this one single “Miss Dove” / “Story Book Plays” on the Sandal Wood label in 1969. Tippy Smith was the vocalist and wrote both songs.
“Miss Dove” has buzzing guitar over a very English sounding track and vocal. The flip is gentler with the piano more prominent than the guitars.
Although the label has an address at 100 Ardmore Ave, on Staten Island, NY, I’ve also read the band was from Jacksonville, Florida. Some copies have a sticker changing the artist name to Blues Uv Purple, vocal Tippy Smith. Confusingly, a CD compilation listed the band as the Powers Uv Purple, I’m not sure where they got that name.
The only other member of the group I know of besides Mike Ogilvie and Tippy Smith is Patrick Ogilvie who played organ. The photo at top is supposed to be the band but I need confirmation of that. Thank you to Ken Friedman for sending it in.
This seems to be the only release on the Sandal Wood Records label. Sandalwood Music BMI published the songs and the pressing was done by Sound of Nashville, SoN 63051.
NOTE TO GARAGEHANGOVER.COM:
That’s me, third from the left in the photo. I played with the band for around six months in 1969. I did not play on the record. I joined the band around March 1969 which I believe was not long after the record was made, but I’m not sure exactly when it was recorded.
I think this is the first picture I’ve ever seen of the band! Left to right in the photo is Tippy Smith (bass & lead vocals), Mike Ogilvie (drums), Dave Cason (lead guitar, not on the record), Pat Ogilvie (Hammond organ and guitar). I think Mike and Pat also did some backing vocals live.
The name we used while I was with them was “The Blues Uv Purple”. When I joined the band one of the guys just handed me a copy of the record and said “Here’s a record we made”. As far as I can remember, we never played the songs from the record or even rehearsed them while I was with them. They might have played those songs live before I joined the band. I don’t know anything about who their previous lead guitar player was.
My copy of the record also had the same sticker on it, which gave Tippy Smith proper credit. The band was managed by and driven to gigs (in a white Ford Econoline van) by Mike and Pat’s dad. I assume he paid for the records to be made but I’m not sure about that.
We all lived in Jacksonville, Florida and all of our gigs were in north Florida and south Georgia.
We didn’t do any originals live as far as I can remember. We focused on the ‘heavy’ rock tunes of the day by such bands as Deep Purple, Iron Butterfly, Blue Cheer, Steppenwolf, Bubble Puppy, Hendrix, etc. Mike played a double-bass drum kit and Pat played a big Hammond organ so songs featuring organ were a big part of our performances.
I had a great time playing with them!
Dave Cason
Blues of Purple opened for a band I was in at the Jacksonville Civic Auditorium in 1966 or 67. We should have opened for them (or not even been there). We all had Nehru jackets on. Also we ran out of songs. Our band had only practiced 3 or 4 times total. The Blues uv Purple were really good. Danny Tripp was the local DJ who promoted the event I think. He plugged us for months as a hot band from New Jersey. I had never been to New Jersey before . I was 13 years old. We might have been paid 50 bucks. It was a decent crowd. I remember a song B uv P did with the lyrics (round and round) that has stuck in my head to this day.
I think that is the Tippy Smith that played bass with Easy Running in Jax & other places, including a bar in Orlando in the early 70s.
I have known Pat and Mike Ogilvie since the late 60’s, they lived very close to my neighborhood of San Mateo, we all went to the same schools, though I am 2 year younger than Pat. Pat’s folks had a large organ in their living room, I used to play it when I visited there. Pat is versatile on many instruments, banjo, guitar, piano, penny whistle, and probably others. I used to play with him and Dave Roberts who also grew up in San Mateo. I believe it was Blues Uv Purple that played at my sixth grade dance at San Mateo Elementary in 1967. I was in a band with Pat and David called The Crawfish Of Love, but I only played a few gigs with them as I had tremendous stage fright (still do). Pat is a fine guitarist and banjo player, he used to come to my folks house in the early 70’s and we would all play bluegrass along with a few other friends of ours and my father’s.