bloodstone

n.

A variety of deep-green chalcedony flecked with red jasper. Also called heliotrope.

• Formed: 1962, Kansas City, MO
• Genres: Rhythm & Blues
• Representative Albums: "The Very Best of Bloodstone," "The Ultimate Collection," "Train Ride to Hollywood"
• Representative Songs: "Natural High," "Outside Woman," "We Go a Long Way Back"

Biography

Bloodstone was a key group in creating the shift from the R&B and soul group concepts of the '50s and '60s to the funk and black rock ideas of the '70s and afterward.

The group began in Kansas City, while the original members were in high school, as an a cappella doo wop group, the Sinceres, around 1962. They evolved with the decade, and by 1968 were ensconced in Las Vegas, playing lounges like many other soul minor leaguers (Sonny Charles & the Checkmates, most notoriously). From there, they went to Los Angeles and did the unexpected: They learned to play instruments and became a band (like the Clash and Steely Dan, they never did settle on a permanent drummer).

In fact, Bloodstone was a very good funk-soul group using the Hendrix-derived licks of Charles Love and Willis Draffen against multiple percussion ideas to underpin a vocal blend that still owed its soul to gospel and doo wop. (If this makes you think of the Isley Brothers of "That Lady," you're on the right track.)

Bloodstone received no record company interest in L.A., however, so at the advice of its manager, the group relocated to London in 1971. There, they teamed up with Mike Vernon, founder of the Blue Horizon label, who'd made his bones producing an album with the great Chicago pianist Otis Spann; white blues acts like Fleetwood Mac and Savoy Brown; and early Euro-rock with Focus. Vernon took Bloodstone into the studio and by early 1973, its debut single, "Natural High," had cracked the R&B and pop Top Ten, becoming the group's defining song.

Vernon produced the first five Bloodstone albums, which garnered seven Top 20 R&B singles, almost all of which made the pop Top 40. The group was a big concert draw, and its album sold well, if not spectacularly. Somehow, all of this was parlayed into a 1975 film deal. Train Ride to Hollywood is arguably the funniest picture of the whole '70s blaxploitation film boom, derived in equal parts from the Marx Brothers and such early spoofs as The Palm Beach Story and International House. Somehow, amidst the slapstick and the reefer jokes, Bloodstone wedges in a fairly complete history of black vocal harmony music from the Mills Brothers to the Coasters to their own bad selves. They do it even better on the soundtrack album. (All of the Vernon-produced Bloodstone albums contain versions of '50s and '60s oldies.)

The group then faded from popular view, despite a brief stint at Motown, until the early '80s, when it hooked up with the Isley Brothers' T-Neck and scored a commercially and artistically successful album, We Go a Long Way Back, produced by the Brothers. The title track returned them to the R&B Top Ten in 1982, but although several other T-Neck singles charted, the group's recording career essentially ended there. Nevertheless, this heartland group had made a significant mark and can lay fair claim to being one of the first to figure out its particular era's future. ~ Dave Marsh, All Music Guide

Essentials Buy this CD	Natural High & Other Hits Buy this CD	Very Best of Bloodstone Buy this CD	Very Best of Bloodstone Buy this CD	Natural High [Collection] Buy this CD
Now! ... That's What I'm Talkin' About Buy this CD	Ultimate Collection Buy this CD	Street Preacher Buy this CD	Go On and Cry Buy this CD	Don't Stop Buy this CD

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• Platform: IBM PC Compatible
• Release Date: 1993
• Genre: Role-Playing
• Style: Third-Person 2D RPG
• Similar Games: The Magic Candle III (IBM PC Compatible)

Game Description

In Bloodstone, the god of the dwarves, Rohrkhad Dwar-Father, tries to regain his rightful position, denied by the other gods. You are a young warrior chosen to retrieve Rohrkhad's axe by entering the mile-high, Castle Entemar and searching in the ice caverns below. However, that's only half the quest; you'll also search out artifacts in an attempt to reunite the warring dwarf clans. Potions, magic spells, weapons, dungeon crawls and more dot the fantasy landscape as you and your party of four (you choose three companions from eight possibilities) journey through the land of Tarq.

Roots & Influences

Bloodstone is patterned after the Magic Candle series. Unfortunately, this acorn didn't fall far enough from the tree and resembles its predecessor's too much.

Review: Overall

Right from the beginning, you need to know that Bloodstone has a game-crippling bug. From there, the game may not go downhill, but it certainly doesn't climb the pinnacle of thrilling gameplay either. The publishers acknowledge the goof by inserting a statement in the game box. If you collect those all-important artifacts, but don't give them to the dwarf leader of your choice before you pick up the god Rohrkhad's axe, they become dust in the wind. In one of the most anti-climactic endings I've ever seen in a game, this one wins hands down. As soon as you retrieve the god's axe, the game is over and proceeds to stroll off into the final end-sequence automatically. Huh? That's right, at that point, there IS no point.

There are a few decent aspects included in Bloodstone, if you look hard enough. During the "create-your-party" segment at the beginning of the game, you get thirty bonus points to spread among each character's skill and attribute ratings. Another plus is the auto-mapping feature, but rarely do you see one so primitive -- it's ugly, incomplete, doesn't scroll. Grab a piece of graph paper and brush up on your cartographer skills if you really to map a particular location (especially dungeons, where it doesn't work at all). Did I say it's a plus? Oops, my mistake. On the positive side, there are plenty of magic spells, but they turn out to be useless in combat situations. Many games extend premium rewards for training that priest, wizard, or sorcerer, but in Bloodstone, magic is undeniably weaker than the physical aspects of fighting. There are, of course, uses for magic, most dealing with mundane character maintenance such as healing, weakening an opponent, or stopping time, leavi

ng you with all passive spells and no decent offensive gem.

From an overall perspective, as a fan of fantasy role-playing games, I can't really recommend this game to anyone who has a genuine interest in RPG's. It's sad when one of the highlights of a game is the interface, but that's pretty much the situation with Bloodstone. The abundance of monsters is impressive, but their amazing strength and endurance levels aren't. Plan on spending huge amounts of time trying to build your characters to a fighting level equal to your opponents. Better yet, get your characters killed and walk away.

Review: Enjoyment

Plodding action, disappointing ending.

Review: Graphics

Graphically challenged.

Review: Sound

Average at best.

Review: Replay Value

It won't make any difference that you can choose from eight characters at the beginning.

Review: Documentation

The manual is better than the game.

Production Credits

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: green chalcedony with red spots that resemble blood
  Synonym: heliotrope

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bloodstone ring