This upload was created to complement my film review of "UFO: Target Earth." If there is an issue with this upload, please let us know in the comments below and it can be removed, if needed.
BIOGRAPHY
Kim Milford's band Moon starred in and wrote the soundtrack for the Don Kirshner-produced films "Song of the Succubus" and "Rock-a-Die Baby" (both 1975), which served as pilots for an unsold, ABC-TV late night weekly series.
Milford’s pre-Moon band - which he formed with remnants from Genya Ravan`s jazz-rock fusion concern Ten Wheel Drive (active 1968 to 1974; recorded for Polydor and Capitol) - called Eclipse, provided a song to the indie film "UFO Target Earth" (1974), that’s alternately referred by Milford fans, based on the song’s opening verses, as “Between the Ceiling and the Sky” and “Between the Earth and the Moon.” Per the film’s opening credits, the song is actually titled “Between the Attic and the Moon.”
However, it’s debated that it’s Kim Milford on lead vocals or if Eclipse even features members of Ten Wheel Drive.
The debate is the song in question being produced by Patrick Colecchio - who managed the ’60s California “sunshine pop” outfit the Association (“Cherish,” “Windy,” “Along Comes Mary”) for eight years from 1966 to 1974 (on and off until the early ’80s) - thus, many believe the song was written/performed by the Association incognito. By then, the band’s best-known vocalist from those chart-topping hits, Terry Kirkman, left the band and was replaced by Association drummer-background vocalist Ted Bluechel, Jr. from 1974 until 1979.
So, is it Kirkman, Bluechel, or Milford - backed by members of the Association - singing lead vocals?
For a period of time, Kim Milford - who cut late ’60s singles for Decca Records with Ron Dante (anything Don Kirshner-connected) and was plucked from a production of the hippie musical "Hair" for an ill-fated, short-lived frontman post in Beck, Bogert & Appice - was managed by Bill Acoin, known for his work with Kiss and Starz, as well as developing the solo careers of Billy Squire and Billy Idol. Prior to his Acoin years, Milford, it seems was managed, or the very least produced, by Patrick Colecchio.
During his Moon years, Milford's career was overseen by Don Kirshner who, in turn, employed his go-to, Jeff Barry, to produce the sessions. Moon was comprised of Gaille Heidemann (vocals), Stash Wagner (bass), Mike Baird (drums), and David Foster (keyboards). No other studio musicians appeared on those recordings.
David Foster came from from the '70s pop band Skylark. He's won 16 Grammy awards by way of co-writing and appearing on albums by George Harrison, Earth, Wind & Fire, Chicago, Kenny Loggins, Boz Scaggs, and helped propel the Tubes up the charts in the early '80s.
Gaille Heideman was an established voice actress in Hollywood and performed the uncredited dubbing of Patti Duke’s singing voice in the film "Valley of the Dolls." Stash Wagner previously appeared on the soundtrack of "Easy Rider" as the writer of the counterculture radio hit “Don’t Bogart Me” (aka “Don’t Bogart That Joint”) for Fraternity of Man and worked on albums with Chicago for the remainder of the seventies. Mike Baird, a noted L.A session drummer, joined Hall & Oates for their 1975 debut.
Amid his stage work, Kim was hired as Rod Stewart’s replacement in the Jeff Beck Group - the second version of the group. At the time, the Jeff Beck Group was a done deal, with Beck already enamored with the idea of forming a power trio with Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice of the recently splinted Cactus (both also of Vanilla Fudge).
However, the Jeff Beck Group had tour obligations to fill (as did Jimmy Page with the Yardbirds after Beck left and the band split), so the newly christened Beck, Bogert and Appice hit the road with Kim Milford on lead vocals from July to August of 1972. For whatever reasons, the band didn’t appreciate Kim's “style," so the Kim Milford-version of BBA/JBG split.
As for Kim, he recorded his original composition, “Justice,” for 1972’s "Ciao, Manhattan" (a feature-length art film about Andy Warhol’s “Factory Girl,” Edie Sedgewick), then formed, his own bands proper, Eclipse and Moon.
After Jeff Beck, Kim recorded "Chain Your Lovers to the Bedpost" (1974, label unknown). The album features the single, “Help is on the Way, Rozea," that was used in a episode of Mannix, in which Kim guest-starred with his then collaborator, Bruce Scott. Kim next collaborated with Trace Harrill (Gene Clark's Firebyrds) in 7th Heaven.
As for Moon, when ABC-TV opted not to pick up the series, the band went their separate ways. The proposed album, featuring songs from "Song of the Succubus" and "Rock-a-Die Baby," including the cherished singles “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” and “Come with Me," went unreleased.
An official restoration of the "UFO Target Earth" is currently in production by Gila Films for release sometime in 2024.
Royalty-free image courtesy of istockphoto.com.