Jeff "Skunk" Baxter - ...and on guitar (1978)

Jeffrey Allen "Skunk" Baxter was born on December 13, 1948, and joined his first band at age 11. While still a high school student, he worked at Manny's Music Shop in Manhattan in 1966, and it was there that he met Jimi Hendrix, who was just beginning his career as a frontman. For a short period during that year, Baxter was the bassist in a Hendrix-led band called Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, along with fellow Manny's employee Randy California. He first reached a wide rock audience in 1968 as a member of the psychedelic rock band Ultimate Spinach, joining them for the third and final album 'Ultimate Spinach III'. After leaving the band, he played with the Holy Modal Rounders, and also backed singer Buzzy Linhart, and it was around this time that he started to use the nickname "Skunk," although its origins are shrouded in mystery to this day. Relocating to Los Angeles, he found work as a session guitarist, playing on Carly Simon's first album among many others, and in 1972 he became a founding member of Steely Dan, along with guitarist Denny Dias, guitarist-bassist Walter Becker, keyboardist-vocalist Donald Fagen, drummer Jim Hodder and vocalist David Palmer. Baxter appeared with Steely Dan on their first three albums, 'Can't Buy a Thrill' in 1972, 'Countdown To Ecstasy' in 1973, and 'Pretzel Logic' in 1974, and contributed the classic guitar solo on their highest charting hit 'Rikki Don’t Lose That Number'. While finishing work on 'Pretzel Logic', he became aware of Becker and Fagen's intentions to retire Steely Dan from touring, and to work almost exclusively with session players, and so with that in mind he left the band in 1974 to join The Doobie Brothers. As a session man, he had contributed pedal steel guitar on the band's fourth album 'What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits', so he fitted in straight away, and is much in evidence on 1975's 'Stampede'. While preparing to tour in support of 'Stampede', Tom Johnston was hospitalized with a stomach ailment, and so to fill in for him on vocals, Baxter suggested bringing in singer-keyboardist Michael McDonald, with whom Baxter had worked in Steely Dan. With Johnston still convalescing, McDonald was invited to join the band full-time, and his songwriting contributions, as well as Baxter's jazzier guitar style, marked a new direction for the band, but after three more albums Baxter left the band. He continued to work as a session guitarist for a diverse group of artists, including Willy DeVille, Bryan Adams, Hoyt Axton, Eric Clapton, Gene Clark, Sheryl Crow, Freddie Hubbard, Ricky Nelson, Dolly Parton, Ringo Starr, Gene Simmons, Rod Stewart, Burton Cummings, Barbra Streisand, and Donna Summer. 
He continues to do studio work, most recently on tribute albums to Pink Floyd and Aerosmith, and occasionally plays in The Coalition Of The Willing, a band comprising Andras Simonyi, Hungarian Ambassador to the United States; Alexander Vershbow, US Ambassador to South Korea; Daniel Poneman, formerly of the United States National Security Council and later the Obama Administration's Deputy Secretary of Energy; and Lincoln Bloomfield, former United States Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs. This is linked to a second profession that he fell into almost by accident when, in the mid-80s, his interest in music recording technology led him to wonder about hardware and software originally developed for military use, specifically data compression algorithms and large-capacity storage devices, and after extensive research he wrote a paper on missile defence systems, which he gave to California Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, and his career as a defense consultant began. However, we're more interested in the music here, so this double disc set collects some of those pre-Dan sessions from Carly Simon, Cashman & West, Buzzy Linhart, and Paul Pena, and a few post-Dan recordings from Bob Neuwirth, Wayne Berry, and Tom Rush. The second disc all takes place while he was a member of The Doobie Brothers, and features Cher, Richie Havens, Little Feat, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, and John Sebastian. Outside of the timeframe of these two discs he also played on records by Leo Sayer, Judy Collins, Cerrone, Roger Miller, and Nazareth, but the decade from 1970 to 1978 contains arguably his best work, so that's what we have here. 

Track listing

Disc One
01 Once In The Morning (from 'P. J. Colt' by P. J. Colt 1970)
02 The Best Thing (from 'Carly Simon' by Carly Simon 1971)
03 We Let Love Slip Away (from 'A Song Or Two' by Cashman & West 1972)
04 One For The Lonely (from 'Paul Pena' by Paul Pena 1972)
05 Danny's Song (from 'Reunion' by John Henry Kurtz 1972)
06 Tell Me True (from 'Buzzy' by Buzzy Linhart 1972)
07 Come Home Woman (from 'Out Of The Nest' by Swallow 1972)
08 Ole Slew-Foot (from 'Rootin'' by Navasota 1972)
09 Thanks For Nothing (from 'Thomas Jefferson Kaye' by Thomas Jefferson Kaye 1973)
10 We Had It All (from 'Bob Neuwirth' by Bob Neuwirth 1974)
11 Claim On Me (from 'Ladies Love Outlaws' by Tom Rush 1974)
12 All I Needed (from 'Home At Last' by Wayne Berry 1974)

Disc Two
01 Down The Backstairs Of My Life (from 'Eric Mercury' by Eric Mercury 1975)
02 These Days (from 'Stars' by Cher 1975)
03 Hot (from 'Moving Targets' by Flo & Eddie 1976)
04 Dreaming As One (from 'The End Of The Beginning' by Richie Havens 1976)
05 In France They Kiss On Main Street (from 'The Hissing Of Summer Lawns' by 

                                                                                                                      Joni Mitchell 1975)

06 A Song A Day In Nashville (from 'Welcome Back' by John Sebastian 1976)
07 Highly Prized Possession (from 'Word Called Love' by Brian & Brenda Russell 1976)
08 Missin' You (from 'Time Loves A Hero' by Little Feat 1977)
09 A Heartfelt Line Or Two (from 'Blowin' Away' by Joan Baez 1977)
10 Guns Guns Guns (from 'Dream Of A Child' by Burton Cummings 1978)
11 Cry Baby Cry (from 'Flying Dreams' by Commander Cody 1978)
12 He Lives On (Story About The Last Journey Of A Warrior) (from 'Modern Man' by 

                                                                                                                  Stanley Clarke 1978)

Andy Summers - ...and on guitar (1983)

Andrew James Somers was born on 31 December 1942, and is best known for his work with The Police under the name of Andy Summers. During his childhood he took piano lessons, but later took up the guitar, and inspired by seeing concerts by Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillepsie he started to play jazz guitar. By sixteen he was playing in local clubs and by nineteen he'd moved to London with his friend Zoot Money to form Zoot Money's Big Roll Band. This group eventually came under the influence of the psychedelic scene and evolved into the acid rock group Dantalion's Chariot, who released the classic psyche single 'The Madman Running Through The Fields' in 1967. After the demise of Dantalion's Chariot, Summers joined Soft Machine for three months and toured the United States, and for a brief time in 1968 he was a member of the Animals, then known as Eric Burdon and the Animals, with whom he recorded the album 'Love Is', featuring a recording of Traffic's 'Coloured Rain' which includes a 4 minute and 15 second guitar solo by Summers. After five years in Los Angeles, mostly spent studying classical guitar and composition in the music programme at California State University, he returned to London, where he recorded and toured with acts including Kevin Coyne, Jon Lord, Joan Armatrading, David Essex, Neil Sedaka and Kevin Ayers. In October 1975 he participated in an orchestral rendition of Mike Oldfield's seminal 'Tubular Bells', and in 1977, he was invited by ex-Gong bassist Mike Howlett to join his band Strontium 90, but was soon coaxed away by future Police bandmates Sting and Stewart Copeland. His session work wound down while he concentrated on helping to promote The Police to the stadium-filling band that they became in their heyday, and although he had a sideline in the early 80's with his recordings with Robert Fripp, there was only one guest appearance while a member of The Police, when he appeared on Carly Simon's 'Hello Big Man' album in 1983. Still, there's enough great material from before The Police to make a really interesting album of his guest appearances.

Track listing

01 Coloured Rain (from 'Love Is' by Eric Burdon and the Animals 1968)
02 Sunday Morning Sunrise (from 'Matching Head And Feet' by Kevin Coyne 1975)
03 Steppin' Out (from 'Back To The Night' by Joan Armatrading 1975)
04 Sarabande (from 'Sarabande' by Jon Lord 1976)
05 Room Service (from 'Sailing Down The Years' by Kevin Lamb 1978)
07 You Know What To Do (from 'Hello Big Man' by Carly Simon 1983)
06 Octogon (from 'Video-Magic' by Eberhard Schoener 1978)

Last Exit - Savage Beast (1976)

Following their triumphant return to the UK from Spain, Last Exit were considering a move south to help secure that all important record deal, but during the autumn of 1975, John Hedley's enthusiasm was waning and he left the band. The seeds of punk were being sown, and he - correctly, as it turned out - suspected that even with a move to London, the band would still struggle to build a following. November 1975 saw them release their only piece of vinyl, a 7" single of two Gerry Richardson tracks featuring Sting vocals, 'Whispering Voices' and 'Evensong', on the Wudwink label, and the disc was once again recorded by Dave Wood back at Impulse Studios. In late 1975 the band were hired again for a follow-up to their previous rock opera 'Rock Nativity', with 'Hellfire' consisting of the Bible set to rock music. Further sessions at Impulse in 1976 were completed which resulted in new recordings of Sting's 'Carrion Prince', Richardson's 'Whispering Voices', a cover of Neil Young's 'Don't Let It Bring You Down', and another Sting track, 'Everyday's Just The Same'. On May 1st 1976 Sting and Frances married at Our Lady and St Oswin's Chapel, Tynemouth, and in July Sting handed in his notice to the school where he taught. That summer Frances made appointments in London to showcase the band's demo tape around various A&R men, whilst leaving Sting to fend for himself back in Newcastle. Eventually Virgin showed interest and promised to watch the band, and that Autumn they kept their promise and came to check out the band when they supported fellow Geordie Alan Price at Newcastle City Hall. Virgin were not impressed but music publisher Carol Wilson was persistent, and although the band didn't get a recording contract, a publishing deal was offered to Sting - one he accepted and later came to regret, and which resulted in a court battle to win back the rights to all his early material. Carol remained enthusiastic, and she arranged for the band to come to London for an A&R gig at Dingwalls supporting Isaac Guillory, and to spend three days at Pathways studio with Virgin picking up the tab. The time wasn't right, though, with every bunch of snot-nosed kids with ripped jeans being signed up, so the band returned to Newcastle, and they slipped back into their usual routine of regular gigs at local venues. 

Just before Christmas 1976, Curved Air played Newcastle City Hall, and afterwards Stewart Copeland asked local journalist Phil Sutcliffe to take him to see a local band. A long time champion of Last Exit, Sutcliffe took Copeland to see them at St. Mary's Teacher Training College, and although Copeland took an instant dislike to the group, he saw enough in the singer to be impressed, and the first seeds of what would become The Police were sown. In January 1977, Last Exit played their farewell to Newcastle gig at the University Theatre, and considered heading for London once again. Sting went there to meet his publisher and to sort out the move of Last Exit from Newcastle to the capital, and as he didn't know that many people in London he met up with Copeland, who had his heart set on Sting joining him in a new band, and within a few days the two of them started rehearsing with Henri Padovani. Last Exit followed Sting down to London and in January and February secured a few dates, and for a short period, Sting was rehearsing with both Copeland and Padovani, getting ready to record the 'Fall Out' single, and also playing gigs with Last Exit. Sadly, Last Exit failed to get the reviews and attention they needed to retain their enthusiasm, and at the end of February 1977 they decided to disband. On 1st March 1977 the Police played their first paying gig in Monmouth, Wales, and the rest as they say, is history. This second cassette from the band contains the b-side of their 1975 single, plus most of their 1976 demo sessions from Impulse Studios, which include reworkings of some of the songs from the first tape, alongside some newly-written material. 

Track listing

01 Evensong (b-side of 'Whispering Voices' 1975)
Impulse Studio Demos I (1976)
02 Every Day's Just The Same   
03 Don't Let It Bring You Down 
Impulse Studio Demos II (1976)
04 I Burn For You 
05 Untitled (Instrumental I) 
06 Fool In Love 
07 I'm On This Train (Alternate Version)  
08 Don't You Look At Me 
09 Savage Beast (Alternate Version) 
10 Untitled (Instrumental II) 
11 Soul Music 
12 Night In The Grand Hotel 

The complete history of Last Exit by Dave & Wendy can be found on https://www.sting.com/discography/album/319/Albums

Sandy Denny - Water Mother (1977)

Alexandra Elene MacLean (Sandy) Denny was born on 6 January 1947 (just two days before David Bowie), and studied classical piano as a child. At an early age she showed an interest in singing, although her strict parents were reluctant to believe there was a living to be made from it, so after leaving school she started training as a nurse at the Royal Brompton Hospital. This turned out to be short-lived, as she was accepted on a foundation course at Kingston College of Art, becoming involved with the folk club on campus. She started working the folk club circuit in the evenings with an American-influenced repertoire, including songs by Tom Paxton, and her earliest professional recordings were made a few months later in mid-1967 for the Saga label, featuring traditional songs and covers of folk contemporaries, including her boyfriend Jackson C. Frank, and they were released on the albums 'Alex Campbell And His Friends' and 'Sandy And Johnny' with Johnny Silvo. While she was performing at The Troubadour folk club, a member of the Strawbs heard her, and in 1967 she was invited to join the band. She recorded one album with them in Denmark, which was released belatedly in 1973 as 'All Our Own Work' under the name of Sandy Denny And The Strawbs, and it includes an early solo version of her best-known composition 'Who Knows Where The Time Goes?'. After making the Saga albums with Alex Campbell and Johnny Silvo, Denny looked for a band that would allow her to stretch herself as a vocalist and to display her songwriting talents, and so when Fairport Convention conducted auditions in May 1968 for a replacement singer following the departure of Judy Dyble, Denny became the obvious choice. Beginning with 'What We Did On Our Holidays, she is credited with encouraging Fairport Convention to explore the traditional British folk repertoire, and is thus regarded as a key figure in the development of British folk rock. Denny left Fairport Convention in December 1969 to develop her own songwriting more fully, and to this end she formed her own band, Fotheringay, which included her future husband, Trevor Lucas. After one eponymous record, the band started to record a second album in late 1970, but it remained unfinished after Denny announced that she was leaving the group, although it was belatedly released in 2008. 

Her next project was to record her first solo album 'The North Star Grassman And The Ravens', which was released in 1971, and it was distinguished by its elusive lyrics and unconventional harmonies. 'Sandy' followed in 1972 and was the first of her albums to be produced by Trevor Lucas, and was almost completely self-composed, with only one traditional song 'The Quiet Joys Of Brotherhood'. In 1971, Denny duetted with Robert Plant on 'The Battle of Evermore' from Led Zeppelin's 1971 album 'Led Zeppelin IV', and she was the only guest vocalist ever to appear on a Led Zeppelin album. In 1973, after marrying long-term boyfriend Trevor Lucas, she recorded her third solo album 'Like An Old Fashioned Waltz', which continued to detail many of her personal preoccupations, such as loss, loneliness, fear of the dark, the passing of time and the changing seasons. In 1974 she and Lucas returned to Fairport Convention for a world tour, and the studio album 'Rising For The Moon' the following year, and although her development as a songwriter had taken her further away from the folk roots that the band had pursued since 'Liege & Lief', she had a hand in writing seven of the eleven tracks on the album. Denny and Lucas left Fairport Convention at the end of 1975 and embarked on what was to become her final album 'Rendezvous', which was released in 1977, but the album sold poorly and Denny was subsequently dropped by Island Records. From 1976 onwards Denny demonstrated increasing levels of both manic and depressive behaviour, abusing drugs and alcohol, and often purposely throwing herself off bar stools and down flights of stairs in order to get a reaction. Her increasing level of alcohol abuse in the last years of her life led to a rise in the number of falls (both accidental and on purpose), which in turn resulted in a growing number of injuries. 

In late March 1978, while on holiday with her parents and baby Georgia in Cornwall, Denny was injured when she fell down a staircase and hit her head on concrete. Following the incident, she suffered from intense headaches, for which her doctor prescribed the painkiller dextropropoxyphene, a drug known to have fatal side effects when mixed with alcohol. At some point during the first half of April 1978, Denny suffered yet another major fall at her home, and concerned about his wife's erratic behaviour and fearing for his daughter's safety, Lucas left the UK and returned to his native Australia with their child, leaving Denny without telling her, and selling their car in order to raise funds for the journey. On discovering Lucas' departure, Denny went to stay at the home of her friend Miranda Ward, but on 17 April, Denny fell into a coma, and on 19 April she was transferred to Atkinson Morley Hospital in Wimbledon. After receiving news that Denny was in a coma, Lucas returned from Australia, but on his arrival at the hospital, doctors informed him that Denny was effectively brain-dead and her condition would not improve. He granted their recommendation to turn off life-support machines, and Sandy Denny died on 21 April 1978. It was a sad and tragic end to the life of one of the most talented singer/songwriters of the 60's and 70's, and I wouldn't normally go into this much depth about her death, but I always thought she died as a result of that first fall, and so as others might think the same it's worth detailing the actual events. In the years since her death, her reputation has grown, with numerous anthologies and box-sets being released, many of which included previously unreleased tracks, early demos, and alternate takes, and so I've compiled a representative collection of these songs which span her whole career. This includes an early 1967 recording with Johnny Silvo, one from her album with the Strawbs, some songs used for a 1971 Danish film, a foreign language single, a rare b-side, some demos, and some out-takes from her last recording sessions in 1977. Sandy Denny was a unique talent, so enjoy this album, and if you like it then do check out her other work, on her solo albums, with her various bands, and on the many anthologies out there.

Track listing

01 Been On The Road So Long (Sandy and Johnny Silvo 1967)
02 Sail Away To The Sea (Sandy and The Strawbs 1968)
03 Water Mother (from the film 'Swedish Fly Girls' 1971) 
04 What Will I Do Tomorrow (from the film 'Swedish Fly Girls' 1971) 
05 Are The Judges Sane (from the film 'Swedish Fly Girls' 1971) 
06 Late November ('El Pea' sampler version 1971)
07 Losing Game (previously unreleased 1971)
08 Ecoute, Ecoute (French version of 'Listen' 1972)
09 Here Is Silence (single from the short film 'Pass Of Arms' 1972)
10 Man Of Iron (single from the short film 'Pass Of Arms' 1972)
11 Full Moon (previously unreleased) 

12 Still Waters Run Deep (b-side of 'Candle In The Wind' 1977) 
13 Sandy's Song (Take Away The Load) (demo 1976)
14 Easy To Slip (Little Feat cover out-take 1977)
15 Moments (out-take 1977)

Mick Ronson - Seven Days (1975)

After touring his first solo album 'Slaughter On 10th Avenue', Mick Ronson returned to the studio to craft his second set of songs for the follow-up 'Play Don’t Worry'. Adding guest musicians including Jeff Daly on saxophone, Neil Kernon on ARP, John Mealing on piano, and Ritchie Dharma, Paul Francis, and Tony Newman on drums, he recorded a version of Pure Prairie League’s swaggering 'Angel No. 9', on which he'd guested on guitar on the original recording, as well as an amped-up version of Bobby Troup’s oldie 'The Girl Can't Help It', featuring his Mott The Hoople pal Ian Hunter on background vocals. Another Pure Prairie League song 'Woman' was also selected, and a couple of different takes were taped, before the faster, full-on rock version was selected for the album, and he also contributed some original material, including the title track. Also taped were a couple of versions of Annette Peacock's 'Seven Days', from which the more mellow, stripped-back take was chosen to be the flip of the 'Billy Porter' single, and at the same time demos were recorded of other songs which were considered for the album, including a great country-ish version of Bowie's 'Soul Love', re-titled 'Stone Love', and '(Is There) Life On Mars', which strangely enough is not the Bowie song, but one of an identical title by Bob Barnes (aka Roscoe West). There are also a couple more Ronson originals in 'I'd Rather Be Me' and 'Pain In The City', and a lengthy jam based around Peacock's 'Seven Days'. Collecting all these together makes for a great companion album to 'Play Don't Worry', and to round it off there's a superb live rendition of the previous record's title track, so enjoy this collection of rarities from a much-missed musician. 

Track listing

01 Seven Days (b-side of 'Billy Porter' 1974)
02 Pain In The City (demo 1975) 
03 I'd Rather Be Me (demo 1975)
04 Stone Love (Soul Love) (demo 1975)
05 Dogs (French Girl) (demo 1975)
06 (Is There) Life On Mars? (demo 1975)
07 Seven Days II (alternate take 1975) >
08 28 Days Jam (out-take 1975)
09 Woman (alternate take 1975)
10 Slaughter On Tenth Avenue (live) 

The Baroques - Tangerine Sunset (1968)

The Complete Unknowns formed in 1966, with Rick Bieniewski on bass guitar, Jacques Hutchinson on lead guitar and vocals, and Dean Nimmer and Wayne Will both playing the drums. They began as a garage rock band playing the popular songs associated with the genre during the period, but following their first tour in Wisconsin, Will was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, so the band replaced him with multi-instrumentalist Jay Borkenhagen. With the new member, the band shifted their musical identity to encompass psychedelic rock, and changed the group name to The Baroques. The band's live performances drew the attention of Chess Records, and although they were primarily known for releasing R&B material, they signed the band in an effort to incorporate a new marketing opportunity. They went to record their debut single in Ter Mer Studios, located in Chicago, and 'Mary Jane'/'Iowa, A Girl's Name' was released in June 1967 to a universal ban by local radio stations for perceived pro-drug references. In reality, there were no pro-drug references in the song, and it was actually intended as an anti-drug statement. The controversy brought regional acclaim for the band, and soon they became known for their eccentric live performances. They recorded their sole album shortly after the single release, with 'The Baroques' emerging later that year. The album's twelve tracks, mostly written by 18-year-old baritone Jay Borkenhagen, include the nightmarish 'The Song Needs No Introduction', with a boy screaming for his mother, and a demented take of 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat', as well as the cartoonish, groovy instrumental 'Boop'. The Nimmer-penned 'In Silver Light' is about a monk freezing to death. The album became a regional hit, but the band were unable to consolidate on this success nationally, as Chess were not known for rock albums, let alone psychedelic ones. Following the lack of success of the record, they were dropped by Chess, but because they were still at the peak of their popularity and were performing in an increased amount of gigs, they decided to self-finance one last locally-acclaimed single, after which the band broke up in 1968. In 1995 the 'Purple Day' compilation album was released, which is when I first heard them, and straight away songs like 'A Musical Tribute To The Oscar Meyer Weiner Wagon' and 'Iowa, A Girl's Name' stood them apart from other psychedelic bands of the era. All of their songs were great acid-tinged rockers, and there were enough out-takes and unreleased songs to put together another complete album from the band, which is what we have here. As it stood it was a bit short, although probably not for the time that it came from, so I've added a couple of alternate takes of those two afore-mentioned songs, which are still my favourites from this criminally neglected psychedelic rock band.  

Track listing

01 Baroques Theme  
02 At The Garden Gate
03 Sunflowers 
04 Death Of An Onion  
05 Flying Machine  
06 Beckwith  
07 Hand
08 I Will Not Touch You (single A-side, 1968) 
09 Remember (single B-side, 1968)  

10 Tangerine Sunset
11 A Musical Tribute To The Oscar Meyer Weiner Wagon (alternate take)
12 Iowa, A Girl's Name (alternate take)

Ekseption - Another History (1974)

Ekseption were a Dutch progressive rock band, who grew out of the high-school band The Jokers, which Rein van den Broek formed in 1958, first changing their name to The Incrowd (after the Ramsey Lewis song) before discovering that this name was already taken, and so finally settling on Ekseption in 1967. The group played jazz, pop and R&B covers, but in 1969, shortly after keyboardist Rick van der Linden joined, they were impressed by a gig by The Nice, and van der Linden decided to concentrate on producing classical rock, modern re-interpretations of classical works for rock band. This was a very lucrative decision, resulting in Dutch top ten hit singles with their adaptations of Beethoven's 'Fifth' and Bach's 'Air', and their second album, 1969's 'Beggar Julia's Time Trip', won the Dutch Edison Award for album of the year. Most of their subsequent albums contained re-interpreted classical pieces, alongside a few original compositions, and their first five records all attained gold status. By 1972, it was becoming evident that van der Linden had assumed leadership of the group, and in a press release interview that year, accompanying advance copies of the album 'Ekseption 5', he openly said so. This obviously rankled with the rest of the band, and after 1973's 'Trinity' album he was asked to leave by his bandmates, forming a new group Trace, and he was replaced by Dutch keyboardist Hans Jansen. Jansen took Ekseption in a jazzier direction, with two albums of original compositions, but lackluster sales caused the band to break up in 1976. An offshoot band, named Spin, formed later that year and released two more albums, but success also eluded them, and in 1978 Trace and Spin merged to become Ekseption once again, releasing four more albums before van der Linden's death in 2006. While Ekseption were mainly known for their classical re-interpretations, they did often put an original composition on the b-sides of their singles, and sometimes on the A-side as well, and so as a compilation of their self-penned material has never been issued I thought it would be good to hear their original music all in one place. I've used their numerous singles as the basis for the album, so many of these songs did appear on their albums, and alternately there are other original songs on the albums which aren't here, but if I included all of them then the post would be too unwieldy. I'm using the criteria that they'd choose their best material for their singles, and so enjoy this unusual collection of music, in fact 'Another History' of the renowned Dutch classical rockers. 

Track listing

   
01 Talk About Tomorrow (single 1967)
02 Mojo Ann (b-side of 'Talk About Tomorrow')
03 Laura (single 1968)
04 From Africa With Love (b-side of 'Laura')
05 Feelings (b-side of 'Italian Concerto' 1970)
06 Julia (b-side of 'Adagio' 1970)
07 Another History (single 1970)
08 Body Party (b-side of 'Ave Maria' 1971)
09 My Son (single 1971)
10 Virginal (b-side of 'A La Turka' 1972)
11 Bingo-Bingo (b-side of 'Persian Market' 1973)
12 De Fietser (single 1974)
13 Sunny Revival (b-side of 'De Fiester')

Pentangle - The Casbah (1970)

Pentangle were formed in 1967, and the original line-up was unchanged throughout the band's first incarnation from 1967-1973, consisting of Jacqui McShee on vocals, John Renbourn on vocals and guitar, Bert Jansch on vocals and guitar, Danny Thompson on double bass, and Terry Cox on drums, and the name Pentangle was chosen to represent the five members of the band. Pentangle are often characterised as a folk-rock band, although Danny Thompson preferred to describe the group as a folk-jazz band, which is certainly evident when they cover Charlie Mingus's 'Goodbye Pork-Pie Hat' or 'Haitian Fight Song'. John Renbourn also rejected the 'folk-rock' categorisation, saying, "One of the worst things you can do to a folk song is inflict a rock beat on it", and many of their songs used unusual time signatures, such as 'Light Flight' from 'Basket Of Light', whihc includes sections in 5/8, 7/8 and 6/4. Prior to the band's formation, Renbourn and Jansch were already popular musicians on the British folk scene, with several solo albums each and a duet LP, while Jacqui McShee had begun as an unpaid "floor singer" in several of the London folk clubs, and by 1965 was running her own folk club at the Red Lion in Sutton, Surrey, where she met Jansch and Renbourn. Thompson and Cox were well known as jazz musicians and had played together in Alexis Korner's band, and by 1966 they were both part of Duffy Power's Nucleus, alongside John McLaughlin on electric guitar. Although nominally a 'folk' group, the members shared catholic tastes and influences. McShee had a grounding in traditional music, Cox and Thompson a love of jazz, Renbourn a growing interest in early music, and Jansch a taste for blues and contemporaries such as Bob Dylan. Throughout 1967 and 1968 the band undertook tours of Denmark and the UK tour, gradually moving from clubs to concert halls, and their growing reputation led them to be signed to Transatlantic Records, with their eponymous debut LP being released in May 1968. This was an all-acoustic affair, produced by Shel Talmy, and the following month they performed at London's Royal Festival Hall, with recordings from the concert forming part of their second album 'Sweet Child', a double album which was half live and half studio recordings. 'Basket Of Light' followed in 1969, and included their most famous song 'Light Flight', which was a surprise hit single after it was used as the theme music for the BBC television series 'Take Three Girls'. 

By 1970, they were at the peak of their popularity, recording a soundtrack for the film 'Tam Lin', making at least 12 television appearances, and undertaking tours of the UK and America. However, their fourth album 'Cruel Sister' was a commercial disaster, consisting of just four songs, all traditional, and including an 18 and a half minute-long version of 'Jack Orion'. For 1971's 'Reflection' the band returned to a mix of traditional and original material, and this was received with much more enthusiasm by the press and public, but the strains of touring and of working together as a band were readily apparent, and the band withdrew from Transatlantic in a bitter dispute with regarding royalties. The final album of the original lineup was 'Solomon's Seal', released by Warner Brothers/Reprise in 1972, with its release being accompanied by a UK tour, the last few dates of which had to be cancelled owing to Thompson becoming ill. On New Year's Day 1973, Jansch decided to leave the band, and Pentangle were no more. Reunions have been planned for sometimes happened over the next 40 or so years, and incarnations of the band continue to tour today. Their heyday, though was definitely the late 60's/early 70's, and this collection brings together some rare singles, b-sides, soundtrack recordings, and previously unreleased tracks from 1967 to 1970. The band recorded a number of different takes of 'Tam Lin' for the film of the same name, which were scattered throughout the movie, and here they are segued together into two separate tracks. There are also snatches of 'The Name Of The Game' heard in a party scene in the film, and although this was never recorded in the studio, luckily a live take of it has subsequently been discovered, while 'The Best Part Of Me' plays in full over the opening credits. There is also a studio recording of 'Haitian Fight Song' which was only previously available as a live recording on the 'Sweet Child' album, and a much shorter, instrumental version of the notorious 'Jack Orion'. 

Track listing

01 Travellin' Song (single 1968)
02 Poison (previously unreleased 1967)
03 Koan (previously unreleased 1967)
04 The Wheel (previously unreleased 1968)
05 The Casbah (previously unreleased 1968)
06 Haitian Fight Song (previously unreleased 1968)
07 I Saw An Angel (b-side of 'Once I had A Sweetheart' 1969)
08 Cold Mountain (b-side of 'Light Flight' 1969)
09 Jack Orion (previously unreleased instrumental 1970) 
10 Tam Lin - Part I (from the film 'Tam Lin' 1970)
11 Name Of The Game (live version of song from the film 'Tam Lin' 1970)
12 The Best Part Of You (from the film 'Tam Lin' 1970)
13 Tam Lin - Part II (from the film 'Tam Lin' 1970)

Joe Walsh - ...and on guitar (1974)

Joseph Fidler Walsh was born on November 20, 1947, in Wichita, Kansas, and lived in Columbus, Ohio, for a number of years during his youth. When Walsh was twelve years old, his family moved to New York City, then later to Montclair, New Jersey, where he attended Montclair High School, playing oboe in the school band. He got his first guitar at the age of 10, and on learning The Ventures' 'Walk Don't Run', he decided that he wanted to pursue a career as a guitarist. Inspired by the success of the Beatles, he replaced Bruce Hoffman as the bass player in the New Jersey group The Nomads, and after high school he attended Kent State University, where he spent time in various bands playing around the Cleveland area. One of these bands, The Measles, recorded two songs which appeared on The Ohio Express's 'Beg Borrow And Steal' album, as well as an instrumental for the b-side of one of their singles. Walsh majored in English while at Kent State, and was present during the Kent State massacre in 1970, which was something that profoundly affected him, leading him to drop out of university to pursue his musical career. Around Christmas 1967, James Gang guitarist Glenn Schwartz decided to leave the band to move to California, where he ended up forming Pacific Gas & Electric, and just days later Walsh knocked on Jim Fox's door and asked to be given a tryout as Schwartz's replacement. Walsh was accepted and the band continued as a five piece for a short time until Phil Giallombardo left. In May 1968, the group played a concert in Detroit at the Grande Ballroom opening for Cream, but at the last minute Silverman informed the others that he would not join them at the show, so the other three took to the stage as a trio, and they liked their sound so much that they decided to remain as a three-piece. In 1968 the band signed with manager Mark Barger, who put them in touch with ABC Records staff producer Bill Szymczyk, and he signed them to ABC's new Bluesway Records subsidiary in January 1969. The James Gang had several minor hits and became an early album-oriented rock staple for the next two years, releasing one live and four studio albums before Walsh left in 1971. He was invited to move to England and join Humble Pie by Steve Marriott, since Peter Frampton had left the band, but declined his offer, instead moving to Colorado and forming Barnstorm with drummer and multi-instrumentalist Joe Vitale and bassist Kenny Passarelli. Walsh and Barnstorm released their debut album, the eponymous 'Barnstorm' in October 1972, which garnered critical praise which unfortunately did not translate into commercial success. The follow-up 'The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get' followed in June 1973, and although officially a Barnstorn album it was marketed under Walsh's name, and was their commercial breakthrough, peaking at No. 6 on the US Billboard chart, and including the classic 'Rocky Mountain Way'. Throughout his busy career Walsh has always been ready to add his prodigious guitar skills to a variety of albums, with soul maestro Jimmy Witherspoon, blues legend B.B. King and folkies Stephen Stills, Dan Fogelberg, and America. He also rocks out with REO Speedwagon and Rick Derringer, as well as re-uniting with his old Barnstorm band-mate Joe Vitale on his 1974 solo album, and playing on Michael Stanley's 'Rosewood Bitters', which he later covered on his own 1985 album 'The Confessor'. This collection takes us up to the point that Walsh joined The Eagles in 1975, as Bernie Leadon's replacement, but despite the extra workload this entailed, he was still able to help out on albums by Keith Moon, Al Kooper, Andy Gibb, and Randy Newman throughout the rest of the 70's.

Track listing

01 Stay With Me Baby (from 'Handbags And Gladrags' by Jimmy Witherspoon 1970)
02 Rosewood Bitters (from 'Michael Stanley' by Michael Stanley 1972)
03 Midnight (from 'L.A. Midnight' by B.B. King 1972)
04 Sweet Maria (from 'She Is A Song' by Rick Roberts 1973)
05 Down The Road (from 'Down the Road' by Stephen Stills / Manassas 1973)
06 Uncomplicated (from 'All American Boy'by Rick Derringer 1973)
07 Green Monkey (from 'Hat Trick' by America 1973)
08 Open Up (from 'Ridin' The Storm Out' by REO Speedwagon 1973)
09 Shoot 'Em Up (from 'Roller Coaster Weekend' by Joe Vitale 1974)
10 Better Change (from 'Souvenirs' by Dan Fogelberg 1974)
11 The Gambler (from 'The Whole Thing Started With Rock & Roll Now It's Out of Control' by

                                                                                                                   Ray Manzarek 1974)
12 You Are So Beautiful (from 'The Kids & Me' by Billy Preston 1974)

Jethro Tull - The Kelpie (1979)

Jethro Tull's twelfth studio album 'Stormwatch' was released September 1979, and is considered to be the last in the trilogy of folk-rock albums by the band, following 'Songs From The Wood' and 'Heavy Horses', but this time with lyrics that touch heavily on problems relating to the environment, oil and money. It was also the last Tull album to feature the classic line-up of the 1970's, as bassist John Glascock died from heart complications during the Stormwatch tour, and drummer Barriemore Barlow and keyboardists John Evan and Dee Palmer all left the band in the months after the tour had concluded in April 1980. Reception for the album was mixed, as the lyrics gave it a darker energy than previous albums, and the music bordered on heavy metal in places, but overall the fans approved. The 40th anniversary re-issue included a plethora of bonus tracks, with a complete 1980 live concert from Den Haag, and fourteen previously unreleased songs. Once I'd removed early versions of some of the 'Stormwatch' tracks and a live 'Sweet Dream', that left exactly 40 minutes of previously unheard material - just enough for a companion album to 'Stormwatch'. One of the bonus tracks was the original nine-minute take of Orion, but as the first four minutes were pretty much identical to the released version, I extracted the coda to make a stand-alone track, now titled 'Orion Revisited'. I also removed 'Rock Instrumental (Unfinished Master)', as that didn't really seem to go anywhere, and so what we're left with is a pretty good selection of songs that the band couldn't find a place for on the album at the time, but which are definitely worth hearing. I've titled it 'The Kelpie' (a mythical Scottish water spirit, often in the shape of a horse), after one of the songs, and that gave me the opportunity to use this magical painting that I found for the cover.      

Track listing

01 Crossword
02 Kelpie
03 A Stitch In Time
04 The Lyrikon Blues
05 A Single Man
06 Broadford Bazaar
07 Orion Revisited
08 King Henry's Madrigal
09 Urban Apocalypse
10 Man Of God

Soft Machine - Soft Machine's Little Red Records (1970)

After touring the first half of 1972, Soft Machine got back together in CBS Studios around the summertime to record their next album. With Robert Fripp at the production helm, the album was conceived as a "musical adaptation of The Little Red Book". Originally the double album was set to be titled 'Soft Machine's Little Red Records' with an accompanying cover parodying a piece of Chinese propaganda artwork. The title and artwork, however, was turned down by Harvest, who feared the potential controversy. "I honestly don’t blame 'em", said Kevin Ayers, "I doubt our original cover would have done us any favours in the US, what with the Cold War and Red Terror and all that. Personally I never really cared that much for Rob's politics either way, so I was sort of unphased by it." The album was then retitled after one of Ayers' songs, 'Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes', and was preceded by the single 'Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes' / 'God Song', which failed to reach the top 40 everywhere except New Zealand. While the album was critically acclaimed, it failed to make a significant commercial impact, reaching only #80 in the US and #16 in the UK. "I think that album, in particular, was very contrasting terms of our songwriting", said Robert Wyatt, "yet that made it work so well. They oddly balance each other a bit, mine being more political nonsense, and Kevin’s being somewhat bohemian and carefree. It almost forms this narrative of sorts, contrasting the complicated matters of politics with the simple pleasures of life." 

I actually preferred the original title and sleeve, so have reinstated them for this pared-down version of the original double album. I omitted 'Nan's True Hole' as a version of that had already appeared on my previous Hatfield And The North post, and I felt a couple of Ayers' songs sounded a bit out of place, so left them off as well, although he is still very well-represented on here. I've also used an alternate, extended take of 'Flora Fidget', and cross-faded and edited where I thought it would improve the flow. The result is a great 50-minute album, so enjoy this new Soft Machine record from an alternate universe where the band never broke up.

  

Track listing

01 Starting in the Middle of the Day We Can Drink Our Politics Away 
02 Marchides
03 Butterfly Dance
04 Righteous Rhumba 
05 Brandy as in Benj 
06 Song From The Bottom Of A Well 
07 God Song
08 Smoke Signal

09 Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes
10 Flora Fidget
11 Hymn

Enormous thanks to The Soft Machine Rigmarole for their notes, and for putting together the original double album from which this abbreviated version is taken. Hope they don't mind me posting this, but I love their site and want to publicise it as much as I can. 

Last Exit - First From Last Exit (1975)

In autumn 1971 Gordon Sumner enrolled at Northern Counties Teacher Training College in Newcastle, where he met and befriended Gerry Richardson who was in the year ahead. Richardson saw him playing, and although not initially impressed, his interest picked up when he learned that Sumner knew a drummer, Paul Elliot, who had access to both a van and a PA, and it didn't take long before the three got together with a female singer to form 'Earthrise', and started rehearsing at the Wheatsheaf pub. Richardson was involved with local bands, including the Phoenix Trad Jazz Band where he filled in on bass, and when he left the band his place was taken by Sumner, and it was at this time that he was given the nickname Sting, because of the black and yellow stripey jumpers that he used to wear. When Richardson finished his stint at Teacher Training College he left for Bristol, but within a year he found himself back in Newcastle, just as Sting finished his spell at college, and at this point they decide to put together a band with John Hedley and Ronnie 'Armour' Pearson, naming themselves Last Exit, after Hubert Selby's cult book 'Last Exit From Brooklyn'. By December 1974 Last Exit, augmented by Derek Lunn on drums and Iwan Williams on keyboards, had secured the job of house band for the 'Rock Nativity' show at Newcastle University Theatre, which is where Sting met his future wife Frances Tomelty. By now Richardson and Sting were starting to write their own material, and by 1975 they were regular visitors to Impulse Sound Studios in Wallsend to record demo tracks. 
The band secured a booking at the 1975 San Sebastian festival in Spain, and the thought of the trip spurred the band into yet more recording activity, and it was decided at short notice to cobble together the demos they'd recorded to produce an album that they could sell at the festival. 'First From Last Exit' is one of the rarest collectibles in the Sting world, containing some of his earliest material, and reworked versions of some songs would later feature on Police albums. The nine track collection, produced by Dave Wood, features the three original Last Exit members along with one track by semi-occasional guest guitarist, Terry Ellis, who was later to replace John Hedley full time. With their 100 demo cassettes ready to be (hopefully) snapped up by eager fans, Last Exit arrived in Spain on 16 July, and played well enough to win the award for best amateur band. In return for accommodation and food the band played another festival on 2 August 1975, and with some additional club dates hastily arranged in Bilbao, the band secured enough money to book places on the ferry back home to Britain. So, graced with some new artwork, here is the first album that Sting put his name to.  

Track listing

01 We Got Something (Sumner) 
02 Truth Kills (Sumner)
03 Whispering Voices (Richardson)   
04 Carrion Prince (Sumner)
05 Savage Beast (Sumner) 
06 I Got It Made (Richardson)  
07 I'm On This Train (Sumner) 
08 Oh My God (Sumner)
09 A Bit Of Peace (Ellis) 

Cliff Richard - Imagine Love (1979)

Over a career spanning 60 years, Cliff Richard has had more than 130 of his singles, albums and EPs reach the UK Top 20, which is more than any other artist. His 67 UK top ten singles is the second highest total for an artist behind Elvis, and he holds the record (with Elvis) as the only act to make the UK singles charts in all of its first six decades (1950's–2000's). While I appreciated his work in the 60's, I wouldn't say that I was a massive fan, but some of his 70's singles did appeal to my tastes at the time, when I was just starting to get heavily into music. In 1973 he sang the British Eurovision entry 'Power to All Our Friends', which finished third, close behind Luxembourg's 'Tu Te Reconnaîtras' and Spain's 'Eres Tú', and this was one of the first singles of his that I really liked. In 1975, he released the single 'Honky Tonk Angel', produced by Hank Marvin and John Farrar, oblivious to its connotations or hidden meanings, and as soon as he was notified that a "honky-tonk angel" was southern US slang for a prostitute, the horrified Richard ordered EMI to withdraw it. EMI agreed to his demand despite the fact the single was expected to sell well, and only about 1,000 vinyl copies are known to exist. In 1976, the decision was made to repackage Richard as a "rock" artist, and with Bruce Welch in the producer's chair, he released the landmark album 'I'm Nearly Famous', which included the successful but controversial guitar-driven track 'Devil Woman', and the ballad 'Miss You Nights'. In 1979, he teamed up once again with producer Bruce Welch for the hit single 'We Don't Talk Anymore', written and composed by Alan Tarney, which hit No. 1 in the UK and No. 7 in the US. It was his first time at the top of the UK singles chart in over ten years, and the song would become his biggest-selling single worldwide, selling almost five million copies throughout the world. With the success of 'We Don't Talk Anymore' in 1979, he finally began to receive some recognition in the United States, and in 1980 'Carrie' broke into the US top 40, followed by 'Dreamin'', which reached No. 10. The 70's were a productive period for Richard, and many of his singles included non-album songs on the flip, and I've gathered the best of them here, including that controversial 'Honky Tonk Angel' single, which not surprisingly never appeared on an album.   

Track listing

01 The Days Of Love (b-side of 'Ashes To Ashes' 1973)
02 Celestial Houses (b-side of 'Take Me High' 1973)
03 You're The One (b-side of 'Its Only Me You've Left Behind') 
04 Love Enough (b-side of 'Miss You Nights' 1975)
05 Honky Tonk Angel (single 1975)
06 Love On (Shine On) (b-side of 'Devil Woman' 1976) 
07 Nothing Left For Me To Say (b-side of 'My Kinda Life' 1977)
08 No One Waits (b-side of 'Hey Mr. Dream Maker' 1976)
09 Love Is Here (b-side of '(You Keep Me) Hangin' On' 1974)
10 That's Why I Love You (b-side of 'When Two Worlds Drift Apart' 1977)
11 Needing A Friend (b-side of 'Can't Take The Hurt Anymore' 1978)
12 Imagine Love (b-side of 'Green Light' 1978)
13 Walking In The Light (b-side of 'Hot Shot' 1979)
14 Moving In (b-side of 'Carrie' 1979)