Love Spider

 

River Witch LP, cover

 

Cincinnati Joe and Mad Lydia

Love Spider

I’m a love spider baby  forty fingers on my hands
Forty ways of makin you feel good...

This song, written by Mad Lydia, is from their album released on their own label, River Witch late in 1971. "Cincinnati Joe, Mad Lydia."  They were, at the time, regulars at Mahogany Hall, in suburban Mount Adams, catering * the soul-rock-jazz clientele.

Cincinnati Joe (Joe Spaulding) and Mad Lydia (Lydia Wood) were a couple in music and life. Known previously as the Spaulding Wood Affair, they were signed to Kapp Records in New York in 1968. A full album was recorded, produced by none other than Sly Stone, but for some reason, the album wasn't issued. Only one single has been released : Something About You / Your Tomorrow (Kapp 942). But, at least, we know some details thanks to the following article by Ed Ochs (Billboard, Nov. 9, 1968)

The Spaulding Wood Affair

A mixed couple, Joe and Lydia were with the William Morris Agency, but they were dropped because the public took a dim view of mixed couple. Hence the album withdrawn from Kapp, perhaps.

From her interview published in 1980 :

Astrology and the occult seemed to be a good theme for a musical career. We came back to Cincinnati and put on our act on Mount Adams as Mad Lydia and Cincinnati Joe. I wore lots of beads and Joe dressed gypsy-ish. When I had the twins I stopped performing at night.  

I'm doing another show now with Joe and the kids, The Night Queen and the Rock and Roll Troll. It has lots of magic. The witch and the spider ten years later.

Joe Spaulding died recently in 2022.