The Who - "Who´s Next" .(Glyn Johns 1st Cut).

 

Who's Next was the fifth studio album published by the British rock band The Who, in August 1971, although it is considered one of the best works of the group, it is actually a residual album of the truncated rock opera "lifehouse"  an ambitious project with touches of science fiction, fruit of the mystical experiences that Pete Townshend had during the promotional tour of "Tommy" in 1969.

Where there were moments ion stage in a permanent state of levitation, with extra corporeal sensations, and the deja vu was something that seemed to be the order of the day. Moments that began to translate into new songs that did not begin to materialize until Who's Right ? was abandoned. 

Previous to the start of the new world tour,that would start on July 3 in Shefield. In March, the group moved to the Record Plant studios in New York, to start a series of preliminary recordings related to the "lifehouse" project, these sessions began on March 16 with "Baby don't you do it" and " Won't get fooled again "; followed on the 17 of "Pure and easy"; "Love ain't for keeping" and the 18 concluded with "Getting in tune" and "Behind blue eyes".

Between the end of April and next month, the group combined new recording dates, in the studios of Stargroves and Olympic in London, with a series of concerts, destined to be part of "lifehouse". So, on April 24 at the London theater: "Young Vic" and two more in May, at the University of Liverpool and at the Caird Hall in Dundee. Where the group intended to experiment and interact with the public the first line-ups of this opera. 

The songs were flowing at such a speed that Pete Townshend already had more than thirty to build a double album, but the plot became so complex that it could not materialize and that took the musician to a degree of psychological and nervous exhaustion it was to end his mental stability, fruit of it began to see the first serious problems within the formation and even with the producer Kit Lambert. 

After abandoning the project, and starting new sessions that extended from May to June of 1971 in the Olympic studios, the producer in charge of taking forward the new album, Glyn Johns, as soon as they concluded with the record of "My Wife", and the mixes, compiled a series of topics, 

which he considered best for the achievement of "Who's next"; and made with them a series of assemblies or combinations, prior to the commercial version, of which I present here one, which was about to be the final. In the side A appears as it should have been, small tribute to "Lifehouse", since they were all part of the project and in that same order, but with some other song interspersed. On the B side, except for the theme that closed "Lifehouse" - "The song is over", the rest was put following the same order that they played in, approximately, live during April and May, since the abandoned plan, I was going to see a place for some live themes, which was not the case here, although everything is studio recordings. 

Side A: (22:54)

1. Baba O´Riley.(5:09)

2. Bargain.(5:34)

3. Behind Blues Eyes.(3:42)

4. Won´t Get Fooled Again.(8:33)

  

Side B: (22:44) 

1. Baby Don´t You Do It.(5:14)

2. Love Ain´t For Keeping.(4:02)

3. My Wife.(3:41)

4. Time Waits For No Man.(3:34)

5. The Song Is Over.(6:14)

As it could not be less, the last word was the group and its leader Pete Townshend, who after listening to the version of Glyn Johns, made last minute changes, leaving the album to your liking. 

This was distributing the original order of the songs from Face A to B and replacing some songs with others. 

While all this was happening, different covers were made for the album. The first, shown here at the base of the CD box, without comments, women of proven opulence in sado plan, as referring to the title .. Who is next to the What am I going to shake?. Bit.ly/wN71At   Leaving the alternative photos of the urinated monolith, I have chosen the original alternative cover, with Mr. Keith Moon dressed as a dominant prostitute. 

Here it appears as it was going to be if design, with two of the selected photos that the friend made. Finally inside the booklet or diptico, as you want to call it, the cover of the censorship, the photograph that replaced the one of the urinations in all those countries in which the final proposal was declared indecorous, today chosen as one of the best of all times, it goes without saying if Keith Moon's whip and wig had been carried out. 

To enjoy friends.

Photo Original alternate cover for "Who´s Next!". 1971.

Faces - "Final Toot".(1975 unpublished album).

 

In January of 1976, the british rock group "Faces" officially ceased to exist, but they left an album to finish. This unfinished work was:"Final Toot", real title of this lost lp. Do you want to know what happened?. Faces ended up as a rock band without finishing their last studio work-. Were attempted on three separate occasions during 1975. The first sessions became  in late January at Air Studios, London, when they recorded these songs: "Hi-Heeled Sneakers / Everybody Needs Somebody To Love", "Gettin 'Hungry", "Open To Ideas", "Rock Me". & "Sailing Down The River"..a outtake that is nearly as good as “Open to Ideas”. Those four tracks would have to make up the core of a proposed “last album".

In March, more recording sessions in Los Angeles California, during the farewell tour, only “party jams”. The next, in late July / August, Tetsu Yamauchi, Ian McLagan entered Island Studios with Alan Merill and Paul Varley of the Arrows  and did some recordings: “Basing Street Leslie” (Tetsu instrumental), “Come On Come On Baby” and “Somebody To Love”.

Another studio recording was in Nashville Tennessee on September 25^th: “Cry To Me”(Bert Russell) and “Tracks Of My Tears”(Smokey Robinson!). More unreleased track was a cover of the Jim Ford song “I’d Be Ahead If I Could Quit While I’m Behind”, five takes was recorded a duet between Rod and Bobby Womack with the Faces on backing.

Finally In January 1976, The Faces, without Rod Stewart, had serious intentions of recording another record at Pathé-Marcony Studios in Paris, France. ““FINAL TOOT” real álbum title, Bit.Ly/75fcft it did not materialize because Warner would only pay the studio costs if Ron Wood would be willing to tour with the group. But it was impossible, because he would be on new European tour with The Rolling Stones, that would star in Frankfurt, West Germany on 26th April. So the group make a decision: suspend that recording sessions and separate definitely.

For this new reconstruction, I only used material from the 2^nd Faces line up (1973 to 75); because. I'm not interested in half things, if the band is not complete. For this reason I have only included, songs from January session and two live tracks from San Bernardino, last concert that Ron Wood gave with Faces before join to The Rolling Stones.  I would have liked to put “Sailing Down The River” on Side A- track 2, but I have not found a take that had the necessary quality. Anyway, “Take a look at the guy” is not bad, because Rod Stewart announces that it is the last appearance of Ron Wood. It can be considered as a historical recording, I think.

Side A: (19:04)

1. You Can Make Me Dance, Sing Or Anything (4:23).

2. Take A Look At The Guy.(4:48) live in San Bernardino´75)                                     

3. Gettin´ Hungry (5:12).

4. Rock Me (4:40).

Side B: (19:05)

1. I Can Feel The Fire (5:37) live in San Bernardino´75) 

2. As Long As You Tell Him (4:19).

3. HI Heel Sneakers /

     Everybody Needs Somebody To Love (5:07).

4. Open To Ideas (4:00).

To complete, the last single: "You Can Make Me Dance, Sing Or Anything" /  "As Long As You Tell Him". Not included in any Lp until October 1976, from the "Greatest Hits": “Snakes and Ladders / The Best of Faces". 

For the cover I have chosen, a drawing made by Ron Wood in 1974 and that was retouched to be possible cover of the album in 1976.

Ok, this reconstruction, I think, it´s not bad, simple and, brief, Only enjoy it.

AC/DC."16 Of The Best".(Unreleased 1978 album).

 

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Let's go with one of the first surprises promised. The unreleased "Greatest Hits" "12 to the best", in its primary version. So let's start by the beginning of the year 77... 

In March the last studio work: "Let There Be Rock" had been published and at the moment there was no intention of returning to the studios, despite the fact that the international edition was delayed until July. The numerous tours and diverse commitments of the group, broke the norm of publishing two albums per year, as had happened during the two previous seasons of 1975 and 1976.

In view of this, at the end of the summer, Albert Productions proposed to Atlantic Records to elaborate a "Greatest Hits", composed of all songs released to date in singles, with the exception of "Whole lotta Rosie", song that the group liked to play live for the response of the audience.

Let's go with one of the first surprises promised. The unreleased "Greatest Hits" "12 to the best", in its primary version. So let's start by the beginning of the year 77... 

In March the last studio work: "Let There Be Rock" had been published and at the moment there was no intention of returning to the studios, despite the fact that the international edition was delayed until July. The numerous tours and diverse commitments of the group, broke the norm of publishing two albums per year, as had happened during the two previous seasons of 1975 and 1976.

In view of this, at the end of the summer, Albert Productions proposed to Atlantic Records to elaborate a "Greatest Hits", composed of all songs released to date in singles, with the exception of "Whole lotta Rosie", song that the group liked to play live for the response of the audience.

This "Greatest Hits", which was going to be called "16 of the best", for being the number of songs that would appear in the double lp, would come out first in Australia for the end of the year and the beginning of the next in the rest of the world: (the international version) .

The order passed, once again, into the hands of the producers Harry Vanda and George Young, after making new mixes, the album was shown to Albert Productions, which thought better about reducing the content of the album Bit.ly/78AChx , so that ¡16 of the best ", it was postponed.

Here´s the original set list proposed by the first version of this unreleased "greatest hits":

SIDE ONE: (18:34)

1. It's A Long Way To The Top. (4:59)

2. High Voltage. (4:03)

3. Problem Child. (5:22)

4. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be. (4:10)

SIDE TWO: (18:01)

1. T.N.T. (3:33)

2. Whole Lotta Rosie. (5:18)

3. Love At The First Feel. (3:07)

4. Let There Be Rock. (6:02)

SIDE THREE: (18:23)

1. Jailbreak. (4:33)

2. The Jack. (5:50)

3. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. (3:48)

4. Ride On.(4:10) (Unreleased version)

SIDE FOUR: (18:24)

1. Live Wire.(5:15) (Unreleased version)

2. Dog Eat Dog. (3:30)

3. She´s Got Balls. (4:49)

4. Baby Please Don´t Go (*).(4:48)

Four of the selected songs were eliminated from the original tapes: "Hell ain'ta bad place to be", "love at the first feel", "Ride On" and "Live Wire", leaving six on each side .The project was approved, with publication date in March of 1978, so Albert Productions proceeded to print the first vinyls and copy the first cassettes.

But when everything was ready, their distribution was paralyzed because the new studio work "Powerage" was finished and the group did not want both jobs to leave at the same time despite the fact that "Powerage" ended up publishing in early May, even so " 12 of the best "was postponed to the end of the year. 

The promotion tour of the album "Powerage" was very successful and the group felt really good with it, so they recorded several of the concerts for the release of a possible live album after the summer. When it was time to choose whether to publish "12 of the best" or the live one, after listening to the powerful result of the mixes made at the concert of the Glasgow Apollo Theater and the shocking cover and back cover photo that had been taken during the " soundcheck "at the Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA, USA, on August 21, 1978, as the title" If you want blood, you got it !, ended by canceling "12 of the best".

Albert Productions ordered to destroy all existing copies, although some of them were saved because they were delivered to the staff associated with the group, managers, relatives, friends and some members of the press.

"12 of the best", has become a myth, find one is difficult and buy it even more for its high price. In this reconstruction, I used original material included in the master tapes; how it has been tried to reconstruct all the artwork.

I hope you liked this first surprise. See you soon.

The Beach Boys. "Smile"..(The 1972 Carl Wilson´s version).

 “Dumb Angel”, original title, then renamed as: “Smile”, It was defined by Brian himself as:  "a teenage symphony to God". it´s the most famous unreleased rock album of all time , was the next projected to follow to extraordinary “Pet Sounds”.

It began recording in February 1966, but was abandoned for many reasons after a final backing track session designated for "Love to Say Dada" on May 18, 1967; fSome of those reasons were by  example the departure of the band on a European tour, broke the pace of work. Brian's mental health worsened. Brian's lyricist: Van Dyke left and the pace of recording slowed even further and the group, Mike Love, questioned this new type of music that Brian was trying to do  And if all this were not enough, the released “Sgt.Pepper´s lonely hearts cluib band”, ,by the eternal rival: The Beatles, definitely ended with Brian Wilson´s masterpiece

“Smile” it became in: “Smiley Smile”, released on September 18, 1967, this new studio work was a simplified version, recorded at full speed in just a month and a half, whose versions from “Heroes & Villains”, “Vega-tables” or “Wonderful” were of inferior quality. 

The influence and the memory of "Smile" was always there,  because when they lacked material for a new album, borrowed some songs like; “Cabin Essence”, “Our Prayer”, “Cool, cool Water” or “Surf Up”. Smile was Brian Wilson's most poignant point as a composer, the not finishing it, was his personal decline in every way, as the slow but progressive decline in the group's popularity.

In the beginning of the new decade, when The Beach Boys signed to Reprise, they took with them the rights to all their post-Party Capitol albums, including “Smile”. In March 1972, when Carl Wilson was in London, announced that they would be finishing Smile to follow up on the critical and commercial success of Surf's Up. Shortly after, Carl Wilson & Steve Deper did review the tapes and made one version from “Smile” much simpler than the original, no longer than 36 minutes. Tis tape was only as reference, to start working later on it with possible overdubs, if they were necessary . 

This tape had four parts: the first with a complete mix of the song “Heroes & Villains” of around 12 minutes, Bit.ly/72smlbb The second, included a summary of the best "Smile" songs, as: "Wonderful", or "Cabin Essence". The Elements Suite, the thrird, with his lost intro and the last section:“Surf´s Up” and his coda: “Child Is Father Of The Man”.Something like this:

Side One: (18:43)

1.- Heroes & Villains Suite.(11:22)

2.-Barnyard. (0:48)

3.-My Only Sunshine.(1:04)

4.-Wonderful.(1:59)

5.-Cabin Essence.(3:28)

Side Two - (17:29)

1.- The Elements Suite (13:00)

a. Into the piano

b. Vega-Tables

c. Wind Chimes.

d. Fire.

e. Cool,Cool Water

2.- Surf´s Up.(3:38)

3.-Child Is Father Of The Man.(0:51) - "Surf´s Up" coda.

This demo tape was mounted for shown to Brian Wilson but the project to re-live Smile, it was impossible; Brian refused to participated in any further Smile-related reworkings. As the album was not released to the market and the Beach Boys breached the contract, were penalized with 50,000 dollars to be deducted of the fees for the next LP: “Holland”. And once again the project was forgotten.

But this was not the last attempt to return over this lost work. On the next decade, without Dennis Wilson, deceased in 1983, “Smile” return once again in june 1989 and after in September 1995 and two years later, with no luck. until Brian got his own version in 2004; Capitol Records released the original project in 2011 as “The Smile Sessions”. A special box set.

Photo: The new version of Smile, third attempt to release the album, was to be done with a cover lined in red velvet with the letters in gold.As it is shown in the picture. At least in its first edition, late 1972; because the original cover was owned by Capitol Records and was not going to give permission for it to be used. It was an error not to have taken advantage of the occasion to offer us a different "Smile", although years later the original one would have been published.

Ok, this is another surprise, I will bring you more.for now enjoy this. See you soon. 

David Crosby & The Planet Earth Rock N´Roll Orchestra - If I Could Only Remember My Name -Unreleased Doble Lp version

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This is the 1st solo album by David Crosby, released on February 22 1971 by Atlantic Records. It peaked at #12 on the Billboard 200 and earned a RIAA gold certification for selling over 500,000 copies in the United States.

It was discontinued in Europe during 1973 and in U.S two years later, although Brazil was the last country in the world to edit it before the final withdrawal from Atlantic catalog in 1979. Eleven years,October 25, 1990, had to pass to see it again at the stores, on CD, and with a bonus and unreleased track: “Kids & “Dogs”, 16 years later in 2006; but never in its original format. as I present it to you here and now.., a new reconstruction of another great album, maybe lost in the time but not forgotten.

"If I Could Only Remember My Name" lp was developed in a time of great emotional upheaval mainly from the loss of his lover Christine Hinton from a devastating car crash. On September 30th, 1969, Crosby, Stills, & Nash’s debut album, went gold; that same day, Christine borrowed Crosby’s VW bus to take her two cats to the vet. En route, one of the cats jumped into Christine’s lap, startling her and causing her to lose control of the car, which drifted into the next lane and collided head on with a school bus, dying in the instant.

This led David Crosby to a deep depressed and melancholic state, with an irremediable sense of guilt and great sorrow,his only refuge was music, friends but also unfortunately in drugs and excessive alcohol consumption. This personal misfortune nevertheless brought him one of the most creative periods of his musical career.

On September 3, 1970,Alan Wilson, co-founder, Canned Heat was found dead on a hillside behind bandmate Bob Hite's Topanga Canyon home, cause of death as accidental acute barbiturate intoxication.Just two weeks later, on September 18 1970 Jimi Hendrix died in London at his girlfriend´s apartment in the Samarkand Hotel, 22 Lansdowne Crescent, Notting Hill, while sleeping intoxicated with barbiturates, Vesparax overdose; and Janis Joplin do it days later, October 4 from an accidental overdose of heroin in room #105 of the Landmark Motor Hotel in Hollywood Ca. Obsessed with the idea that death followed him, David Crosby was convinced that he would be next, so that decided to return to the studios and record what he considered to be his farewell album.

For the occasion he was accompanied by the band known as: “The Planet Earth Rock And Roll Orchestra”: (P.E.R.R.O), a nickname given to this californian artists group by Paul Kantner, co-founder "Jefferson Airplane". This alternate and provisional band was formed by musicians from "Jefferson Airplane", "the Grateful Dead", "Quicksilver Messenger Service", and "Crosby, Stills Nash & Young", that colaborated during the sessions for Crosby's album.

The P.E.R.R.O were: Graham Nash – guitar, vocals; Paul Kantner – guitar, banjo, vocals; Grace Slick – piano, vocals; Jorma Kaukonen – lead guitar; Jack Casady – bass; Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals; Phil Lesh – bass; Bill Kreutzmann – drums; Mickey Hart – percussion and David Freiberg – viola, vocals.

After "Blows Against the Empire", a concept album by Paul Kantner, released under the name Paul Kantner and Jefferson Starship; the second project of P.E.R.R.O was David Crosby's debut album, which features all the Planet Earthers mentioned above, in addition to: Joni Mitchell, Greg Rolie and Mike Shrieve.

Therecording sessions started on November 1970 at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco, California, under a very entertaining and creative environment, where it was not necessary to interpret a song many times to be considered acceptable for the album bit.ly/71DCaP A couple of rehearsals and directly to record, sometimes even that was not necessary, it was directly performed live. In mid-January 1971 Graham Nash made a cut of the disc, it was structured on a double lp, with this provisional line-up: 

Side A: (18:53)

1.Music Is Love.(3:22)

2.Song With No Words (Tree With No Leaves).(5:55)

3.What Are Their Names.(4:11)

4.Laughing.(5:23) 

Side B: (18:31)

5.Tamalpais High (at about 3). (12:47) (Unreleased full length version).

6.Traction In The Rain.(3:44)

7.Orleans.(1:54) 

Side C: (18:12)

8.Cowboy Movie.(10:56) (Alternate studio version).

9.Kids & Dogs.(7:17) (Alternate studio version).

Side D: (18:55)

10.Is It Really Monday?.(3:28) (Unreleased re-worked and remixed version).

11.The Wall Song.(6:05) (Unreleased remixed version).

12.You Sit There.(4:10) (Unreleased re-worked and remixed version).

13.The Mountain Song w/piano outro.(5:10) (Unreleased re-worked and remixed version). 

All the songs were written by David Crosby except:

- “Music Is Love”  - in collaboration with Graham Nash & Neil Young.

- “What Are Their Names”  - with Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Michael Shrieve & Neil Young.

- “The Mountain Song”  - by Jerry Garcia, Paul Kantner.

- "Orleans" -  traditional arranged by David Crosby.

In this early version lack “‘I’d Swear There Was Somebody Here’, of which it is said, It was inspired by a supernatural experience that David Crosby had one dawn while he was alone in the studio when he had the vision of Christine Hinton, that watching him from the gloom, through the glass that separated the study from the control room. Something that ended up convincing him that his end was already very close. That paranormal experience brought with it that David Crosby restructure the album, giving more importance to spiritual compositions and without words, editing finaly the project to a single Lp, adding as album closure the hypnotic and transcendental tune: “I’d Swear There Was Somebody Here".

Some of the songs that were rejected, years later were rewrites and included in different works of Crosby, a couple on Jerry Garcia's solo, one on Grace's Slick album and one more on Paul's 1983 'Planet Earth...' album - and other never seen the light of day.

- “Cowboy Movie” & “ “Kis and Dogs” - original studio versions appeared in 2006 compilation box “Voyage”.

- “It´s Really Monday” - Crosby with his acoustic guitar singing . Unreleased.

- “The Wall Song” - a different version appeared in 1972 on the LP 'Graham Nash David Crosby.' On that take, the duo were backed by Garcia, Lesh and Kreutzmann. The real distinction between the released version and this is the absence of Nash.

- “You Sit There“ - sung by David Cosby with Jerry Garcia, Paul Kantner It often circulates under the title "Under Anesthesia", but the correct title is "You Sit There".

- “The Mountain song” - was re-recorded by Paul Kantner (without Garcia) for his 1983 album "The Planet Earth Rock And Roll Orchestra. In this version Jerry & David sing together with Grace Slick on backing vocals. 

There are also a multitude of outtakes of the sessions available, almost all of them under a good sound quality. Here the original selection has been recovered, for which it has been necessary to remix some themes.

About the fate of these tapes, on August 23.91 a copy of the several P.E.R.R.O master reels were compiled onto a DT 120 DAT including personal collections of Barncard, Joel Bernstein, Nash and Stills. in addition to 4 reels more from mixes made in 1971 during the "If I Could Only..." sessions for a possible inclusion on :"Crosby, Stills & Nash" box-set . Years later in 2005, Graham Nash revisited, once again, these tapes, when he was working on a new David Crosby project: "Voyage". Some alternative takes were used as: "Cowboy Movie" and "Kids & Dogs".

From "If I Could Only Remember My Name" original lp, two singles were taken: "Music Is Love," / "Laughing" a collaboration with Nash and Young that was released in April 1971 and "Orleans" / Traction in the Rain" one month later.

Enjoy it and see you soon, if you want.

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