The Spencer Davis Group - Letters From Edith (1969)

After the departure of Steve and Muff Winwood in 1967 the Spencer Davis Group underwent several line up changes, and by early 1969 parted company with their record label United Artists in the UK and looked around for a new deal. After touring America the band spent some time in New York cutting tracks for their new album with producer Lew Merrenstein. They ended up with a heady mix of laid-back blues, country rock songs, organ-driven instrumentals, plus one amazing progressive workout, which pushed the sound created on earlier albums to new limits. The record was released in the US on Columbia's budget label Date as the provocatively-titled 'Funky' after one of the instrumental tracks, but was soon deleted after disappointing sales. In the UK, CBS were expecting to sign the band for a record deal, but the deal fell through and the planned album was scrapped. Until recently it was thought that CBS only got as far as making 50 white label test pressings for internal use, however an orange label stock copy bearing the correct catalogue number has surfaced which confirms that the album was clearly named after the second track on side one, and was never officially called simply 'The Spencer Davis Group', as has been suggested. There's also a note on the label telling us that 'New Jersey Turnpike' was recorded live, which does account for the difference in sound to the other songs. Although it was long believed that no artwork was designed for the album, there does seem to be one battered copy out there which does have a finished sleeve, so I've cleaned it up to make it a bit more presentable, and added the rear cover as well. According to well-placed sources, there are only two copies of an orange label stock copy known to exist, one of which is owned by song-writer and SDG member Ray Fenwick himself, which he received at the time of recording. So although not strictly speaking 'unreleased', as 'Funky' was briefly issued in the US, this is what a UK copy of the album would have looked and sounded like had it appeared in 1969. 

Track listing

01 I Met A Woman
02 Letters From Edith
03 Raintree River
04 What A Way To Die
05 Funky
06 Magical Day
07 I Guess I'm Wasting My Time
08 Poor Misguided Woman
09 And The Gods Came Down
10 New Jersey Turnpike