Tin House -

Tin House was an American hard-rock powertrio that released a 1971 self-titled album on Epic.

Members: Floyd Radford (guitar, vocals), Mike Logan (drums, vocals), Jeff Cole (bass, vocals, 1969-71)

Background

Tin House was formed in 1969 in Orlando, Florida, by guitarist Floyd Radford, drummer Mike Logan, and bassist Jeff Cole. All three were still teenagers when they transitioned from the local six-piece Marshmellow Steamshovel into a stripped-down trio with louder intent.

They sharpened their attack in regional clubs caught the attention of Johnny Winter’s manager Steve Paul during the Winter’s End Pop Festival. Paul signed them to Epic and assigned Rick Derringer—himself just breaking from The McCoys and entering his Winter brotherhood period—as producer. The band relocated briefly to New York, where they tracked their lone album at CBS Studios in mid-1970 with full amplification and no outside players.

Tin House

Tin House’s released their self-titled album in March 1971 on Epic. The album contains ten compact originals rooted in hard blues and proto-metal, all composed jointly by the three members.

Logan’s lyrics often pivot between taunts and raw declarations, while Radford’s playing toggles between jagged single-note riffs and thickly sustained minor passages. “I Want Your Body” opens with clipped vocal stabs and searing organ pulses over a tight two-minute frame. “30 Weight Blues” follows with a brisk shuffle, riding a downward, steel-heavy rhythmic descent.

“Be Good and Be Kind” levels out into a slashing rhythmic pattern with doubled vocals and abrupt halts. “You’ve Gone Too Far” is slower and more angular, its arrangement marked by sudden shifts in pitch and an unstable sense of cadence. “Silver Star” uses rising minor-third turns and abrupt downshifts, yielding the album’s most expansive progression.

Side two begins with “Personal Gain,” which hinges on stop-start meter shifts and vocal strain, followed by “Jezebel Give Me Your Lovin’,” a tight, hand-played number with a clipped, two-chord drive. “Tomorrow” drops the volume and introduces celeste from Derringer, creating a stark contrast with the surrounding material. “Endamus Finallamus” weaves modal guitar themes around sharp rhythmic pulls, while closer “Lady of the Silent Opera” uses sudden dynamic shifts and minor arpeggios, capped with orchestration added in post-production at Derringer’s request.

A1. “I Want Your Body” (1:50)
A2. “30 Weight Blues” (2:24)
A3. “Be Good and Be Kind” (3:44)
A4. “You’ve Gone Too Far” (3:49)
A5. “Silver Star” (4:10)

B1. “Personal Gain” (4:31)
B2. “Jezebel Give Me Your Lovin'” (2:45)
B3. “Tomorrow” (3:01)
B4. “Endamus Finallamus” (3:57)
B5. “Lady of the Silent Opera” (3:44)

Recorded at CBS Studios, New York. Produced by Rick Derringer. Engineered by Lou Slotsburg and Pete Weiss. Design by Dick Mantel and Ron Coro. Photography by CBS Records Photo Studio. Released in Holland by Artone.

Epic released one single from the album: “I Want Your Body” backed with “Be Good and Be Kind.”

Postlude

Tin House performed regularly along the Southeast circuit, but the album received limited promotion and faded quickly from view. The group splintered soon after its release when Radford was invited by Rick Derringer to join Edgar Winter’s White Trash, where he replaced Ronnie Montrose.

Radford later played in the Johnny Winter band before stepping away from the industry. Cole left music entirely after Tin House. Logan later recorded intermittently and reconnected with Radford in the 2000s for sporadic sessions. A second Tin House album, Winds of Past, recorded during that later period, was released in 2009.

Discography: