Thursday 23 March 2017

ISLAND RECORDS - UK 7" SINGLES DISCOGRAPHY for 1970 (Island WIP Series including the Chrysalis Label - Catalogue Numbers 6075 to 6099) - A List By Mark Barry...





ISLAND RECORDS - UK 7” SINGLES DISCOGRAPHY – 1970
WIP SERIES – Catalogue Numbers 6075 to 6097
(Includes Chrysalis Label Material Distributed by Island)
This list posted Thursday, 11 September 2008

NUMERICAL ORDER:

1. Island WIP 6075
Artist: QUINTESSENCE
A-side: Notting Hill Gate
B-side: Move Into The Light
Release Date: January 1970
Label: Pink Label Design With No Centre & Black Island Logo in a Pink Island Label Bag
Details: The A is a different mix to the album version on “In Blissful Company”
The B-side is a non-album track
CD availability: both tracks are extras on the Repertoire CD “In Blissful Company”

2. Island WIP 6076
Artist: JOHN and BEVERLEY MARTYN
A-side: John The Baptist
B-side: The Ocean
Release Date: January 1970
Label: Pink ‘I’ Label Design in a Pink Island Label Bag
Details: No UK Picture Sleeve, But There Are European Picture Sleeves
Both tracks off the “Stormbringer!” LP
CD availability: on the Island/Universal CD remaster “Stormbringer!”

3. Chrysalis WIP 6077
Artist: JETHRO TULL
A-side: The Witch’s Promise
B-side: Teacher
Release Date: 16 January 1970
Label: Chrysalis ‘Green’ Label Design with Chrysalis Name & Butterfly Logo at the Bottom with White Island ‘I’ Logo at the Top.
Details: Usually came in a Green Chrysalis Label Bag
Some Copies Came In A UK Picture Sleeve, But They Are Rare
Both tracks were non-album on release, later appeared on the 2LP set from 1972 called “Living In The Past”
CD availability: both tracks are extras on the CD remaster of “Benefit”

4. Chrysalis WIP 6078
Artist: BLODWYN PIG [features Mick Abrahams, ex Jethro Tull]
A-side: Same Old Story
B-side: Slow Down
Release Date: January 1970
Label: Chrysalis ‘Green’ Label Design In Green Chrysalis Label Bag
No UK Picture Sleeve, But There Are European Ones,
Details: Both Tracks are Non-Album in the UK.
“Slow Down” is a cover version of a Larry Williams song.
CD availability: both tracks are on the Island/Universal CD remaster of “Ahead Rings Out”

5. Island WIP 6079
Artist: RENAISSANCE
A-side: The Island
B-side: The Sea
Release Date: January 1970
Label: Pink “I’ Label Design in a Pink Label Bag
No UK Picture Sleeve, But There Are European Picture Sleeves
Details: The A is an edit of an album track on “Renaissance”, their December 1969 LP; the B is non-album
CD availability: both tracks are extras on the Repertoire CD “Renaissance”

6. Island WIP 6080
Artist: KING CRIMSON
A-side: Cat Food
B-side: Groon
Release Date: 13 March 1970
Label: Pink “I’ Label Design in Rare Picture Sleeve
Details: The A is an edited version of a track from “In The Wake Of Poseidon”; the B is non-album
CD availability: both the edit and it’s unreleased B-side are on the “Strangely Strange – But Oddly Normal – An Island Anthology 1967-1972” 3CD Box Set from 2005

7. Chrysalis WIP 6081
Artist: JETHRO TULL
A-side: Inside
B-side: Alive And Well And Living In
Release Date: 24 April 1970
Label: Chrysalis ‘Green’ Label Design with Chrysalis Name & Butterfly Logo at the Bottom with White Island ‘I’ Logo at the Top. No UK Picture Sleeve, But There Are Several European Picture Sleeves
Details: Both tracks taken from the Chrysalis LP “Benefit”
CD availability: both tracks on the remastered “Benefit” CD remaster

8. Island WIP 6082
Artist: FREE
A-side: All Right Now
B-side: Mouthful Of Grass
Release Date: May 1970
Label: Pink ‘I’ Label Design in a Pink Label Bag
No UK Picture Sleeves, But There Are Many European Versions
Details: The single preceded the 26 June 1970 album release of “Fire And Water” and is an Edit Version at 4:16 minutes; the full album version is 5:42 minutes.
The lovely instrumental B-side “Mouthful Of Grass” is on their 2nd album “Free” from October 1969; later issues of “All Right Now” have different B-sides
CD availability: the A is on the 2000 “Fire And Rain” CD remaster and the 2008 2CD DELUXE EDITION, while the B is on the “Free” CD remaster from 2000

9. Island WIP 6083
Artist: IF
A-side: Raise The Level Of Your Conscious Mind
B-side: I’m Reaching Out On All Sides
Release Date: May 1970
Label: Pink “I’ Label Design in a Pink Label Bag; No UK Picture Sleeve,
But There Are European Picture Sleeves
Details: Both tracks are on their debut LP “If”, but both versions here are single mixes and different to the LP takes
CD availability: both 7” versions are extras on the Repertoire CD “If Volume 1”

10. Island WIP 6084 (WITHDRAWN)
Artist: SPOOKY TOOTH and ART
A-side: Nobody There At All by SPOOKY TOOTH
B-side: Room With A View by ART
Release Date: June 1970 - Withdrawn
Label: White Labels Only on 7” single - Very Rare
Details: the A is on “The Last Puff” LP released 3 July 1970 on Island ILPS 9117;
The B is on the “Supernatural Fairy Tales” LP released in 1968 on Island ILPS 967
CD availability: the A side is available on the Repertoire CD re-issue of “The Last Poof” from 2005, while the B is unavailable on Drop Out CD re-issue from 1998 of “Supernatural Fairy Tales”

11. Island WIP 6085
Artist: FOTHERINGAY [featuring Sandy Denny]
A-side: Peace In The End
B-side: Winter Winds
Release Date: June 1970
Label: Large Pink “I” Label Design with no centre in Pink Label Bag
Details: Both tracks are on “Fotheringay” – their lone album from June 1970
CD availability: both tracks are on the Hannibal label CD “Fotheringay”

12. Island WIP 6086
Artist: CAT STEVENS
A-side: Lady D’Arbanville
B-sides: 1. Time 2. Fill My Eyes (2-track B-side Maxi Single)
Release date: June 1970
Label: Large Pink ‘I’ Label Design, Most Copies In Pink Label bag
But There Is A Rare UK Picture Sleeve (mistakenly credits "Katmandu" as the B-side)
Details: All tracks taken from his 1970 Island Records debut album “Mona Bone Jakon”. The A-side is about Patti D’Arbanville whom he had a relationship with.
CD availability: all three tracks are on the Universal/Island remaster CD of “Mona Bone Jakon”.

13. Island WIP 6087
Artist: JIMMY CLIFF
A-side: Wild World
B-side: Be Aware
Release Date: August 1970
Label: Large Pink “I” Label Design in a Pink Label Bag
No UK Picture Sleeve (re-issued in 1976 in Pic Slv)
Details: “Wild World” is a CAT STEVENS cover and CAT STEVENS also PRODUCES this version.
It was re-issued as an EP in a picture sleeve in 1977 (Island IEP 9)
CD availability: both tracks are available on Disc 2 of the superlative HIP-O SELECT book set “Better Days Are Coming – The A&M Years 1969-1971”, a 4CD set out of the USA in 2005 (mastered by GAVIN LURSSEN)

14. Island WIP 6088
Artist: HIGH BROOM
A-side: Dancing In The Moonlight
B-side: Percy’s On The Run
Release Date: August 1970
Label: Pink “I” Label Design in a Pink Label Bag,
Details: both A&B are non-album tracks, the A–side was covered and made a hit by TOPLOADER in 2000
CD availability: neither track is available on CD at present

15. Island WIP 6089
Artist: FAIRPORT CONVENTION [feat Richard Thompson/Sandy Denny]
A-side: Now Be Thankful
B-side: Sir B. McKenzie’s Daughter’s Lament For The 77th Mounted Lancers From The Straits Of Loch Knombe, In The Year Of Our Lord 1727, On The Occasion Of The Announcement Of Her Marriage To The Laird Of Kinleakie
Release Date: September 1970
Label: Large Pink “I” Label Design in a Pink Label Bag
Details: this is the last PINK label release on 7” in the UK; the B-side is non-album track and was their attempt to get into the Guinness Book Of Records for the longest song title!
CD availability: both tracks are available as extras on the Island/Universal CD “Full House”

16. Chrysalis WIP 6090
Artist: TIR Na N’OG [Gaelic for Land Of The Young]
A-side: I’m Happy To Be (On This Mountain)
B-side: Let My Love Grow
Release Date: October 1970
Label: Chrysalis Green Label Design; there are European Titled Sleeves of this rare release
Details: Both tracks are non-album
CD availability: neither track is available on CD at present

17. Island WIP 6091
Artist: THE ALAN BOWN
A-side: Pyramid
B-side: Crash Landing
Release Date: October 1970
Label: Pink Rim Palm-Tree Label Design
There is no UK Picture Sleeve But there is a European Titled Slv
Details: both tracks are from the “Listen” album on Island ILPS 9131
CD availability: initially available on a 1993 Edsel CD (UK reissue label) combining both of his Island label albums “Listen” from 1970 (which has both the A&B above) and his follow up LP “Stretching Out” from 1971 on ILPS 9163.
However, the CD has long been deleted and is expensive second-hand - neither track is available on any other CD at present

18. Island WIP 6092 (released 1971 – see Details)
Artist: CAT STEVENS
A-side: Moon Shadow
B-side: Father And Son
Release Date: Released in June 1971 (see below)
Label: Pink-Rim Palm-Tree Label Design (and not the Pink Island label)
Details: Some detailed explanation is needed with this one in order to clear up some confusion. Some discographies have listed 6092 as released in September 1970, which numerically makes senses, but release-wise it doesn’t. “Moonshadow” is off the “Teaser & The Firecat” LP, which was released in the UK in September 1971. “Tea For A Tillerman”, the album that preceded it was released in the UK in November 1970 – so releasing a track off an album in September 1970 before either LP is issued simply doesn’t make sense. “Moonshadow” was NOT RELEASED IN SEPTEMBER 1970 but in late June 1971. The confusion over label variation may lie with European issues. Many of them sported picture sleeves, which the UK issues didn’t, but more importantly, all of them had the famous ALL PINK LABEL with the ‘I’ logo design. However, while that label variant finished in the UK in mid 1970, it continued in Europe well into 1971. The Guinness Book Of British Hit Singles prides itself on the 100% accuracy of its details and lists “Moon Shadow” as peaking in the UK charts in August 1971, which is CORRECT. (Also of note is that the single credits the song as two words "Moon Shadow", but when it turned up on the September 1971 album it was shortened to one word - also the copyright date on the 7" is miss-credited as 1970 when it should read 1971).
CD availability: the A-side is on the 2000 remaster of “Teaser & The Firecat” while the B-side is on the 2000 remaster of “Tea For A Tillerman”

19. Island WIP 6093
Artist: FREE
A-side: The Stealer
B-side: Lying In The Sunshine
Release Date: November 1970
Label: Pink Rim Palm-Tree Label Design in a Pink Label Bag
Details: The A is a different mix to the album version on “Highway”; the B is off their second album “Free” from 1969.
CD availability: the A-side is on the 2000 remaster of “Highway” as an extra track; the B-side is on the 2000 remaster of “Free”

20. Island WIP 6094
UNISSUED

21. Island WIP 6095
UNISSUED

22. Island WIP 6096
Artist: BRONCO
A-side: Lazy Now
B-side: Matter Of Perspective
Release Date: November 1970
Label: Pink-Rim Palm-Tree label Design in Pink Label Bag
Details: both tracks are non-album
CD availability: neither track is available on CD at present

23. Island WIP 6097
ARTIST: JIMMY CLIFF
A-side: Synthetic World
B-side: I Go To Pieces
Release Date: December 1970
Label: Pink-Rim Palm-Tree Label Design in Label Bag
Details: LAST Island 7” in 1970, both tracks were non-album on release
CD availability: both tracks are on the HIP-O SELECT 2006 USA CD “Goodbye Yesterday” in top quality remastered form

WIP 6098 (Unissued)
WIP 6099 (Unissued)


ARTIST ALPHABETICAL ORDER – ISLAND UK 7” SINGLES – 1970 (WIP):

1. ART (see SPOOKY TOOTH, Split Single)
2. BLODWYN PIG – Same Old Story (Chrysalis WIP 6078)
3. THE ALAN BOWN – Pyramid (Island WIP 6091)
4. BRONCO – Lazy Now (Island WIP 6096)
5. JIMMY CLIFF – Synthetic World (Island WIP 6097)
6. JIMMY CLIFF – Wild World (Island WIP 6087)
7. FAIRPORT CONVENTION – Now Be Thankful (Island WIP 6089)
8. FOTHERINGAY – Peace In The End (Island WIP 6085)
9. FREE – All Right Now (Island WIP 6082)
10. FREE – The Stealer (Island WIP 6093)
11. HIGH BROOM – Dancing in The Moonlight (Island WIP 6088)
12. IF – Raise The Level Of Your Conscious Mind (Island WIP 6083)
13. JETHRO TULL – Inside (Chrysalis WIP 6081)
14. JETHRO TULL – The Witch’s Promise (Chrysalis WIP 6077)
15. KING CRIMSON – Cat Food (Island WIP 6080)
16. JOHN and BEVERLEY MARTYN – John The Baptist (Island WIP 6076)
17. QUINTESSENCE – Notting Hill Gate (Island WIP 6075)
18. RENAISSANCE – The Island (Island WIP 6079)
19. SPOOKY TOOTH and ART– Nobody There At All and Room With A View
(Island WIP 6084 – WITHDRAWN – White Labels Exist)
20. CAT STEVENS – Lady D’Arbanville (Island WIP 6086)
21. CAT STEVENS – Moonshadow (charted August 1971) (Island WIP 6092)
22. TIR na N’OG – I’m Happy To Be (On This Mountain) (Chrysalis WIP 6090)

Saturday 11 March 2017

"Shuggie’s Boogie: Shuggie Otis Plays The Blues" [aka "Roots N' Blues" from 1994] by SHUGGIE OTIS (March 2009 SPV/Blue Label 'Expanded Edition' CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...







This Review Along With 100s Of Others Is Available in my
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Featuring tracks from his 1970 LP "Here Comes Shuggie Otis"
and the Johnny Otis Album "Cuttin' Up" - both from 1970

"...We Had A Cooking Little Band...We Had A Lot Of Fun..."

Like most people I came across this superlative guitar player in a roundabout kind of a way – via The Brothers Johnson and their huge Funk/Soul hit of 1977 "Strawberry Letter No. 23" (which Otis wrote). I remember looking at the A&M Records label credit at the time on the BJ album and wondering - who the hell is the funky-sounding Shuggie Otis?

And while this mid-priced UK reissue doesn't feature Shuggie's 1971 original of "Strawberry Letter No. 23" (it's on his 1971 "Freedom Flight" LP – see my separate review for the "Original Album Classics" 3CD Mini Box Set) – don't let that put you off for a nanosecond. "Shuggie's Boogie: Shuggie Otis Plays The Blues" is a truly stunning CD compilation of his rare and desirable funky blues output in the early Seventies - a proper big daddy bargain at twice the price. There's a lot to wade through - so let's get to the jammy details…

UK released March 2009 - "Shuggie's Boogie: Shuggie Otis Plays The Blues" by SHUGGIE OTIS on SPV Records/Blue Label SPV 306422 CD (Barcode 693723064222) is a reissue CD of a 1994 USA Columbia "Roots N' Blues" compilation. 

It uses the same front-cover artwork and name (though this time it’s in a card digipak rather than a jewel case) - but has had its original quota of 12-tracks bumped up by 2 - meaning that Tracks 13 and 14 here are Bonuses on this 'Extended Edition' reissue. It breaks down as follows (65:16 minutes)

1. 12:15 Slow Goonbash Blues
2. Shuggie's Boogie
3. Gospel Groove
4. The Hawks
5. Me And My Woman
6. I Can Stand To See You Die
7. I Got The Walkin' Blues
8. Purple
9. Cold Shot
10. Sweet Thang
11. Bootie Cooler
12. Shuggie's Old Time Slide Boogie

BONUS TRACKS:
13. Shuggie's Shuffle
14. Oxford Gray

Tracks 1, 12 and 13 are from the AL KOOPER LP "Kooper Session – Al Kooper Introduces Shuggie Otis" released January 1970 in the USA on Columbia Records CS 9951 and in the UK on CBS Records S 63797

Tracks 2, 3, 4, 11 and 14 are from Shuggie Otis' debut solo album "Here Comes Shuggie Otis" released February 1970 on Columbia BN 26511 in the USA and in the UK on CBS Records S 63996

Tracks 6 and 7 are from the JOHNNY OTIS LP (credited as The Johnny Otis Show) "Cuttin' Up" released 1970 in the USA on Epic Records BN 26524. "I Can Stand To See You Die" features Shuggie Otis on Guitar, Bass, Harmonica, Organ and Piano with SUGARCANE HARRIS on solo Lead Vocals. "I Got Walkin' Blues" has the same instrumentation but features duet vocals between Johnny Otis and Sugarcane Harris.

Tracks 5, 8 and 10 are from Shuggie’s 2nd solo LP "Freedom Flight" released September 1971 in the USA on Epic Records KE 30572 [produced by Johnny Otis]

Track 9 is an October 1970 recording featuring Johnny & Shuggie Otis and had remained unreleased until the 1994 "Roots N' Blues" CD compilation

Originally mastered for Columbia by Roger Lomax at Ro-Lo Studios in the USA, the sound quality is uniformly excellent and at times 'so' sweet. But it’s the material that blows you away. His debut "Here Comes Shuggie Otis" is the very definition of lost classic and 'cool album' you must hear before you die.

Musically it’s a little instrumental B.B. King ("Purple") meets trippy Albert King on Stax ("Sweet Thang") meets the straight-up blues workout ("12:15 Slow Goonbash Blues") – it’s hugely impressive stuff and strangely diverse too. The fantastic soulful organ shuffle of "Bootie Cooler" – an instrumental I regularly put on a 70’s Fest CD - always brings customers to the counter asking after the 'cool' tune that’s playing. The false 78" crackle put on "Shuggie’s Old Time Slide Boogie" by Al Kooper in 1970 now sounds a tad gimmicky (even if the old-time National Steel blues guitar feel of the track is great), but it’s quickly sorted out by the organ-guitar driven "Shuggie’s Shuffle" – great stuff.

His 'talking about his influences and past' song "Shuggie's Boogie" (lyrics above) features him name-checking every great Blues player and then imitating their licks for about two minutes before the band kicks in. The track sung by Sugarcane Harris “I Can Stand To See You Die” and the unreleased instrumental cover of “Cold Shot” are more indicative of the Fifties/Sixties Rhythm'n'Blues stuff he would play with his Dad in the mid to late Seventies. Those tracks were issued by Johnny Otis on his own US label and featured huge R'n'B and Blues stars of old (that period is covered extensively on another superb CD called "In Session" from 2002 on the Goldenlane label). "Gospel Groove" sounds like Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac on a churchy tip – a slow-paced Blues groove with organ – 'so' good. And we should make special mention of Otis' incredibly accomplished guitar playing throughout which completely belied his 20 to 21 year’s old age when it was all recorded.

"Shuggie’s Boogie: Shuggie Otis Plays The Blues" is the kind of superlative little reissue that might pass you by – don’t let it. It’s a genuine voyage of discovery for lovers of Seventies Blues – especially those who like their particular poison with a slightly soulful tint.

Recommended like a preacher feeling the groove on a Sunday morning...