The Angelic Gospel Singers

Artist: The Angelic Gospel Singers

LP: Gotta Find a Better Home

Song: "Mercy Lord" 
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I love the concept for the cover of this 1977 "Gotta Find a Better Home" LP: "This frozen planet that's completely covered with ice will do! Let's set 'er down." Actually, planet Earth made a fine home for Margaret Allison and her Angelic Gospel Singers. According to Wikipedia, they were "the longest consistently selling female gospel group in African-American history," performing together for over 60 years—from 1944 until founder Margaret Allison's death in 2008. You can find a neat video clip of Allison performing with her AGS here. The women with Margaret Allison, center, in the photo on the back of the record must be Josephine Wells McDowell and Bernice Cole, but I'm not sure which is which. Anyone else have any idea?

Neil Norman and His Cosmic Orchestra

 Artist: Neil Norman and His Cosmic Orchestra

LP: Greatest Science Fiction Hits 

Song: "Moonraker"

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Song: "Can You Read My Mind"

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Song: "Close Encounters"

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Here are three of the greatest hits from sci-fi films of the late-1970s, as interpreted by Neil Norman and His Cosmic Orchestra. Norman's outer-space musical wizardry blends perfectly with the elegant touches of lounge-master Les Baxter to create sounds that are simply out of this world. "Moonraker," originally sung by Shirley Bassey, is the theme song for one of the worst James Bond films ever made; "Can You Read My Mind," the love theme from SUPERMAN, was recorded by Maureen McGovern and released as a single—though her version doesn't actually appear in the film; and of course "Close Encounters" is from CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, and was originally performed by aliens.

 

 

 [ Neil Norman, with space necklace. ]

 

 [ Neil Norman with guitar, orbiting Earth. ]

 

 [ Neil Norman, with chest hair. ]

 

 [ Neil Norman with keyboard, in control center. ]

Chris Hodge

Artist: Chris Hodge

LP: 7" single

Song: "We're On Our Way"

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Young British upstart Chris Hodge was reportedly signed to Apple Records after calling to tell them, "I've got some good rockin' songs about UFOs." Ringo Starr likes UFOs, so he helped Chris get a record deal, and "We're On Our Way" went to #44 on the US singles charts in 1972. You can confirm this here, see more pics by searching for Chris Hodge here and listen to more of his songs here.

 

 

[ Chris Hodge on grass. ]

The Undisputed Truth

Artist: The Undisputed Truth

LP: Method to the Madness

Song: "Cosmic Contact"

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Song: "Let's Go Down to the Disco"

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Founded in the early 1970s by Norman Whitfield of The Temptations, The Undisputed Truth had minimal chart success with their blend of science fiction, psychedelia and soul. Dejected and feeling like their fellow Earthlings just didn't "get" them, group members Taka Boom, Joe Harris, Tyrone "Lil Ty" Barkley and Calvin "Dhaakk" Stephenson were pretty excited when they got beamed aboard a UFO back in 1976. With hopes of being allowed to remain in outer space where they belonged, The Undisputed Truth went before the Space God to present the detailed method to their madness and to apply for resident alien status. Click here to read more about The Undisputed Truth and to see a list of records they released before leaving the planet.