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"...Junior's Wailing..."
Across many decades of
record collecting and buying/selling rarities for Reckless Records in London -
I can count on one-hand the number of times I've seen a British original of
Quo's "Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon" August 1970 LP with it's 'S/Quo'
black and white poster inside. I suspect like the poster in The Who's "A
Quick One" - the number is under 1000 - possibly even only 500. But it's a
measure of how comprehensive and well thought out this superb 2003 CD reissue
from England's Sanctuary Records is - that said rarity is pictured in all its
hairy-rocker glory on Side 2 of the foldout inlay - along with a huge array of
other relevant memorabilia much of which is seriously hard to find.
As all Quo fans know -
"Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon" was the band's 'real' beginning. Gone were
the garish coats and frilly shirts and the 60ts Psychedelic warbling about
Matchstick men and what not - and in came the start of their head's down
no-nonsense Rock Boogie that Status Quo became so famous for (and have been
continuing into 2016). Along with England's Slade and The Rolling Stones - they
can claim to be a band for over 50 years. In fact I'd argue that the "Ma
Kelly's..." album is actually more diverse and shows a group maturing rapidly
and not just finding their twelve-bar feet - a flowering that would explode on
"Dog Of Two Head" in 1971 (their final LP for Pye) and enter British
hearts on "Piledriver" in late 1972 (their first LP for Vertigo).
Here are the egg and chips...
UK released February 2003 -
"Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon" by STATUS QUO on Sanctuary/Castle Music
CMQCD 754 (Barcode 5050159175420) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster with ten
Bonus Tracks that plays out as follows (71:58 minutes):
1. Spinning Wheel Blues
2. Daughter
3. Everything
4. Shy Fly
5. (April) Spring, Summer
And Wednesdays
6. Junior's Wailing [Side 2]
7. Lakky Lady
8. Need Your Love
9. Lazy Poker Blues
10. Is It Really Me/Gotta Go
Home
Tracks 1 to 10 are their 3rd
studio album "Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon" - released August 1970 in the
UK on Pye Records NSPL 18344. The American copy on Janus Records JLS-3018
wasn't released until March 1971 so dropped the last track on Side 2 "Is
It Really Me/Gotta Go Home" and replaced it with the single "In My
Chair" as Track 1 on Side 2 (followed by 6, 7, 8 and 9 above). The front
sleeve was the same but the 'table/menu' photo on the back of the British LP
was replaced with a black and white photo of the band as a four-piece (minus
Roy Lynes who is shown on the 'S/Quo' poster in UK copies - he officially
resigned the band).
BONUS TRACKS:
11. Is It Really Me/Gotta Go
Home (Early Rough Mix)
12. Daughter (Early Working
Mix)
13. Down The Dustpipe - 6
March 1970 UK 7" single on Pye 7N 17987 (B-side was "Face Without A
Soul" from the 1969 "Spare Parts" LP)
14. In My Chair - 23 October
1970 UK 7" single on Pye 7N 17998 - A-side
15. Gerdundula - 23 October
1970 UK 7" single on Pye 7N 17998 - B-side to "in My Chair" -
features the 'Original Version' which is different to the cut on the 1971
"Dog Of Two Head" LP
16. Down The Dustpipe (BBC
Session)
17. Junior's Wailing (BBC
Session)
18. Spinning Wheel Blues
(BBC Session)
19. Need Your Love (BBC
Session)
20. In My Chair (1979 Pye
Promo Flexidisc)
STAUS QUO were:
FRANCIS ROSSI - Guitar and
Lead Vocals
ALAN LANCASTER - Guitar and
Lead Vocals
RICK PARFITT - Bass and Lead
Vocals
JOHN COUGHLIN - Drums
The outer card-wrap/slipcase
gives this reissue a classy feel and the 8-squares-per-side foldout inlay is a
feast of fan memorabilia that is in itself bolstered up by superlative and
seriously detailed liner notes from DAVE OXLEY. Chief moved on the reissue was
JOHN REED who has been behind so many great reissues and is a compiler fans
trust and admire. SEAN MAGEE at Masterpiece did the Remasters and there's a
special thanks to LIAM MOORE at the BBC for the Sessions.
There's a repro of the 'wolf
in sheep's clothing' advert for the UK single of "In My Chair" with
the brill "Gerdundula" on the B-side (Pye 7N 17998) - it depicts the
ludicrously hard-to-find British picture sleeve for "In My Chair"
which they wittily refer to as 'a pretty bag' (I've never seen one in 45 years
and sure its £45 price tag in the RC 2018 Price Guide is a tad low).
Even though the bopping
"Shy Fly" was considered as a 45 - the album actually produced no
singles. But the then non-album 45's for "Down The Dustpipe" and
"In My Chair" in March and October of 1970 changed everything for the
band - getting them radio play and crucial sales. Written by Australian songsmith
Carl Groszmann - apparently the initial demo Quo heard for "Down The
Dustpipe" was none other than an uncredited MAN - the Welsh Rock Band.
Initially ignored by Radio - Quo toured and pushed the catchy
"Dustpipe". Two months later it debuted in May 1970 and eventually crept
up to a healthy No. 12 on the British charts. And although the non-album
follow-up "In My Chair" only made it to No. 21 (hit the charts in
November of 1970) - it signalled 'their sound' - a fabulous slow Boogie Rocker
with the boppy and unpronounceable "Gerdundula" on the B-side. Their
inclusion as 'Bonus Tracks' on this CD ups the listening ante in a big way
(Tracks 11 and 12 are Previously Unreleased).
Album tracks like
"Spinning Wheel Blues", "Lakky Lady" and "(April)
Spring, Summer And Wednesdays" would be used by Pye to sell a "Best
Of" in May 1973 after the band had broken huge with their debut Vertigo
album "Piledriver" in December 1972 (afforded the luxury of an
eye-catching gatefold sleeve) and the single "Paper Plane" which
busted the UK Top Ten in January 1973 by landing at No. 8.
British proto-metal band
Steamhammer provided the cover version of "Junior's Wailing" and
Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac the slow burner cover of "Lazy Poker
Blues" - but the rest are band originals. The other great unsung hero of
the band in the early years was songwriter and occasional Harmonica player BOB
YOUNG who co-wrote "Spinning Wheel Blues", "Shy Fly", "(April) Spring,
Summer And Wednesdays" and "Need Your Love" with Rossi while
Lancaster trumped up two in the shape of "Daughter" and "Is It
Really Me/Gotta Go Home". Parfitt co-wrote "Everything" and
"Lakky Lady" with Rossi.
An often overlooked part of
the mighty Quo's career and yet an album held in real affection by true fans. A
wolf in sheep's clothing indeed and the beginning of a classic LP run with
those 'From The Makers Of' logos on the back on each album sleeve. Ah them was
the days...
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