O.W.L. -

Of Wondrous Legends, also known by the acronym O.W.L., were an American folk-psych band from Chicago. In 1971, they recorded an album’s worth of material, shelved until a 2008 archival CD on Locust Music.

Members: John Knudson (flute), Al Keeler (vibraphone, marimba, bells, percussion), Sam Larderuccio (electric piano, grand piano), Jim Smyder (bass), Frank Schabold (bass), Steve Kauffman (drums, percussion), Tommy Radke (drums, percussion), Dick Boyell (cello, horn), Ellen Olson (piano), Stephen Titra (vocals, guitar, mandolin, Moog, percussion)

Background

Of Wondrous Legends, also known as O.W.L., formed in 1968 on Chicago’s North Side around singer and guitarist Stephen Titra. The early lineup placed Titra with flutist John Knudson, vibraphonist Al Keeler, and bassist Jim Smyder.

Titra was born in Chicago in 1945. Before O.W.L., he played in the Uncalled Four and Rhythm’s Children, a Chicago group that fed into Mountain Bus. Titra left Mountain Bus before that band recorded Sundance for Good Records.

Titra had played parts of the O.W.L. material in Chicago clubs before the studio project. In 1971, agent Frank Hogan arranged demos with engineer Mal Davis. Universal Recording owner Murray Allen backed a full album session at Universal Recording in Chicago. The studio ensemble added cellist and horn player Dick Boyell, bassists Jim Smyder and Frank Schabold, drummers Steve Kauffman and Tommy Radke, keyboardists Sam Larderuccio and Ellen Olson, flutist John Knudson, and vibraphonist and percussionist Al Keeler. Titra sang and played guitar, mandolin, Moog, and percussion.

Titra prepared the album with a proposed book of pen-and-ink drawings tied to the songs. He shopped the completed recordings to Elektra, Fantasy, A&M, Capitol, RCA, and Playboy Records. The album remained in test-pressing form until Locust Music issued Of Wondrous Legends in 2008.

Of Wondrous Legends

Locust Music issued O.W.L.’s singular album, Of Wondrous Legends, in 2008.

The album contains twelve Stephen A. Titra compositions from an unreleased 1971 LP project. Titra sings and plays guitar, mandolin, Moog, and percussion. On the core Chicago club material, bassist Jim Smyder and flutist John Knudson play beside percussionist Al Keeler (vibraphone, marimba, bells). Titra also recorded with keyboard players Ellen Olsen and Sam Larderuccio, bassist Frank Schabold, drummers Steve Kauffman and Tommy Radke, and string/horn arranger Dick Boyell.

“Legends” settles into a soft, old-form song setting. “A Tale of a Crimson Knight” lingers on traditional-inflected lines and restrained arrangement color. “Be Alive” warms a simple song base with expressive bass and electric-piano detail. “Midnight Carnival” unfurls through shifting phases, eerie motifs, vibraphone color, and an extended concluding drift. “Dawn of Albion” stays close to the album’s soft traditional strain.

“Upon the Wings of Gabriel” holds its mellow surface through a hypnotic, renaissance-colored arrangement. “Breton Landscape” threads warm lines through bass movement and electric-piano touches. “Everyman & the Philosopher King” breaks the softer run with a larger, rougher-edged drive. “Sunsets of Smiles” recedes into a less-treated song finish.

1. “Legends” (5:02)
2. “A Tale of a Crimson Knight” (4:12)
3. “Be Alive” (3:53)
4. “Renaissance and Rococo” (4:21)
5. “Midnight Carnival” (8:27)
6. “Dawn of Albion” (3:21)
7. “Upon the Wings of Gabriel” (3:02)
8. “Breton Landscape” (2:52)
9. “Everyman and the Philosopher King” (5:37)
10. “Peace of Mind” (3:49)
11. “Salvation Song” (3:49)
12. “Sunsets of Smiles” (1:56)

Sessions occurred across a six-month stretch in 1971 at Universal Recording Inc. in Chicago with Titra and Mal Davis producing. Davis also engineered the album. About twenty test pressings circulated after the sessions, but the album remained unreleased until Dawson Prater found one copy in a Chicago junk shop in 2004.

Of Wondrous Legends features illustrations by Stephen Titra. The front cover uses a black-and-white fantasy drawing with a winged central figure beneath a large human face, surrounded by smaller figures and architectural detail. Locust issued the recordings from the original source tapes with liner notes and vintage photographs.

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