"Taking Out Time: Complete Recordings 1967-1969" by THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP (August 2016 RPM Records 3CD Box Set - Simon Murphy Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Every Little Thing..."

There's a moody consensus which would have us believe that after the mercurial talent and Mod-Soul voice of a young Steve Winwood left The Spencer Davis Group, they descended into mediocrity. RPM Records and their 3CD retrospective covering the post-Winwood years of 1967 to 1969 (when alongside Spencer Davis - Ray Fenwick, Eddie Hardin and Pete York essentially took over the musical reins) wants to make a case against such tetchy poo-pooing. And "Taking Out Time..." makes a damn good fist of it. There is a lot to love here and much of it rare too in 2018.

Fans have been after this material in digital form for years and this beautifully laid out Clamshell Set won’t disappoint – three albums worth in Stereo, Mono Single Mixes, Alternate Takes from the albums that appeared on Previous CD compilations, a new unheard Stereo Outtake and a whopping 15 Previously Unreleased BBC Sessions including two new period interviews. We’ve a ton of hipster groove to get through - so once more my Aquarius-beaded shimmy-shaking patrons as we dance buck nekkid round the Mulberry Bush on our Pot Pourri way to the Pictures of Heaven (yeah man). Here are the details direct from the Sanity Inspector (it says here)...

UK released 19 August 2016 - "Taking Out Time: Complete Recordings 1967-1969" by THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP on RPM Records RPMBX533 (Barcode 5013929553309) is a 68-Track 3CD Clamshell Box Set of Remasters with three repro card sleeves, a 24-Page Booklet and plays out as follows:

Disc 1 "With Their New Face On" (74:31 minutes):

1. Time Seller (Single Version)

2. Don't Want You No More (Single Version)

Tracks 1 and 2 are the A&B-sides of a July 1967 UK 7" single on Fontana TF 854

3. Taking Out Time [Side 1]

4. Every Little Thing

5. Virginals Dream

6. Looking Back [Side 2]

7. Pictures Of Her

8. Just Like Me

9. Possession

Tracks 3 to 9 are seven of the eight songs the band provided for the 12-Track Movie Soundtrack to "Here We Go 'Round The Mulberry Bush" - released January 1968 in the USA on United Artists UAS 5175 [Stereo] and January 1968 in the UK on United Artists SULP 1186 [Stereo]. The other SDG song on the LP was "Waltz For Caroline" written by Steve Winwood but is not included here for contractual reasons. The remaining four songs were by Traffic and also outside the remit of this Box Set.

10. Mr. Second Class (Single Version)

11. Sanity Inspector (Single Version)

Tracks 10 and 11 are the A&B-sides of a December 1967 UK 7" single on United Artists UP 1203

12. After Tea (Single Version)

13. Moonshine (Single Version)

Tracks 12 and 13 are the A&B-sides of a March 1968 UK 7" single on United Artists UP 2213

14. With His New Face On [Side 1]

15. Mr. Second Class

16. Alec In Transitland

17. Sanity Inspector

18. Feel Your Way

19. Morning Sun [Side 2]

20. Moonshine

21. Don't Want You No More

22. Time Seller

23. Stop Me, I'm Falling

Tracks 14 to 23 are the album "With Their New Face On" - released June 1968 in the UK on United Artists SULP 1192 in Stereo and in the USA on United Artists UAS 6652 in Stereo.

BONUS TRACK:

24. After Tea [Stereo] - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

Disc 2 "Funky" (77:49 minutes):

1. [Aquarius] Der Wassermann

2. Let The Sunshine In

Tracks 1 and 2 are the A&B-sides of a 1968 German-Only 7" single on United Artists 67129 - the A-side is a German-language version of "Aquarius" from the "Hair" Musical - the B-side was also featured in "Hair"

3. Short Change

4. Picture Of Heaven

Tracks 3 and 4 are the A&B-sides of a December 1968 UK 7" single on United Artists UP 2226

5. I Met A Woman [Side 1]

6. Letters From Edith

7. Raintree River

8. What A Way To Die

9. Funky [aka “Firefly”] [Side 2]

10. Magical Day

11. I Guess I'm Wasting My Time

12. Poor Misguided Woman [aka “Misguided”]

13. And The Gods Came Down

14. New Jersey Turnpike

Tracks 5 to 14 are the album "Funky" - released 1970 in the USA only on Date Records TES 4021 - it was withdrawn quickly thereafter. Scheduled for release in late 1969 on CBS Records 63842, the UK variant "Letters From Edith" was also withdrawn – never released.

15. Magpie (TV Show Theme)

16. Twice A Week

Tracks 15 and 16 are credited to THE MURGATROYD BAND (The Spencer Davis Group under another name - Davis, Hardin, Fenwick and York) - the non-album A&B-sides of a December 1971 UK 7" single on Decca F 13256. The A-side was recorded in 1968 and became the TV Theme to the popular BBC kids program "Magpie"

OUTTAKES:

17. I'm Lost

18. Pools Winner

19. Groove Extra

20. The Girls' Song

21. Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (Demo with SUE and SUNNY on Backing Vocals)

22. Feel Your Way (Backing Track)

Tracks 17 and 18 first appeared as Bonus Tracks on the 1997 CD Reissue of "With Their New Face On" on Repertoire Records REP 4684-WY

Tracks 19 to 22 first appeared as unreleased outtakes on the 1994 CD compilation "Taking Out Time 1967-1969" on RPM Records RPM 127

Disc 3 "Radio Sessions & Alternative Versions" (60:46 minutes):

1. Feel Your Way

2. Morning Sun

3. Taking Out Time

4. Picture Of Her

5. Just Like Me

6. Possession

Tracks 1 to 6 are Alternate Versions recorded in 1967 for the Soundtrack to "Here We Go 'Round The Mulberry Bush". Tracks 1 and 2 first appeared as Bonuses on the 1997 CD Reissue of "With Their New Face On" on Repertoire Records REP 4684-WY – Tracks 3 to 6 first appeared as Bonuses on the 1997 CD Reissue of "Here We Go 'Round The Mulberry Bush" on Repertoire RPM 179.

BBC RADIO SESSIONS (All Previously Unreleased):

7. Don't You No More (BBC Radio 1 Session for 'Saturday Club', Recorded 18 December, Broadcast December 1967)

8. Interview (Recorded 18 December 1967 for "Top Of The Pops")

9. Mr. Second Class (BBC Radio 1 Session for 'Saturday Club', Recorded 18 December, Broadcast December 1967)

10. Time Seller (BBC Radio 1 Session for 'Saturday Club', Recorded 18 December, Broadcast December 1967)

11. Feel Your Way (BBC Radio 1 Session for 'Pete's People', Recorded 17 January, Broadcast 10 February 1968)

12. Taking Out Time (BBC Radio 1 Session for 'Pete's People', Recorded 17 January, Broadcast 10 February 1968)

13. Time Seller (BBC Radio 1 Session for 'Pete's People', Recorded 17 January, Broadcast 10 February 1968)

14. Moonshine (BBC Radio 1 Session for 'The David Symonds Show', Recorded 11 March, Broadcast 21 March 1968)

15. Interview (Recorded 11 March 1968, a BBC Radio 1 Session for 'The David Symonds Show', Transcription Service Radio Programme)

16. After Tea (BBC Radio 1 Session for 'The David Symonds Show', Recorded 11 March, Broadcast 18 March 1968)

17. Feel Your Way (BBC Radio 1 Session for 'The David Symonds Show', Recorded 11 March, Broadcast 19 March 1968)

18. Dust My Blues (BBC Radio 1 Session for 'The David Symonds Show', Recorded 24 March, Broadcast 1 July 1968)

19. Interview (Recorded 24 June 1968 for the BBC's 'Top Of The Pops', Transcription Service Radio Programme)

20. With His New Face On (BBC Radio 1 Session for 'The David Symonds Show', Recorded 24 June, Broadcast 4 July 1968)

21. Mr. Second Class (BBC Radio 1 Session for 'The David Symonds Show', Recorded 24 June, Broadcast 3 July 1968)

22. Dust My Blues (Recorded 24 March 1968 live at the Daily Express Stars Organisation for Spastics Radio Show in the Empire Pool, Wembley)

Track 22 first appeared on the 1994 CD compilation "Taking Out Time 1967-1969" on RPM Records RPM 127

Conceived and compiled by JOHN REED (with help from Syd Kreft and Andy Neill) and Produced for RPM Records by MARK STRATFORD - the 24-page booklet has new liner notes by ANDY NEILL featuring fresh interviews from the key band players and songwriters - Spencer Davis, Ray Fenwick, Eddie Hinton, Pete York and Phil Sawyer. The text is peppered with repros of A-label Demos, Sheet Music, Trade Adverts, Foreign Picture Sleeves, period photos of the differing band line-ups and so on while each CD Card Sleeve reflects artwork variants of the "With Their New Face On" and "Funky" albums (not "Here We Go 'Round The Mulberry Bush"). A nice touch is that the Previously Unreleased 'BBC Radio Sessions' (long rumoured to have been lost or corrupted) are given pride-of-place and broken down into finite detail on the last few pages (intricacies collectors will love). SIMON MURPHY over at Another Planet has done the Remasters and they sound kicking and full of muscle even if the Stereo cuts can be too in your face at times (personally I like it loud). Let's get to the new face and music of The Spencer Davis Group...

Even if the band thought it wonderfully ahead of its, well time - I've always thought "Time Seller" was a crap tune, a sort of poor man's Move (terrible Mono sound too). But its fantastic B-side "Don't Want You No More" is a different slap-and-tickle altogether. A fab R&B groover with flicking guitars and a John Lee Hooker driving rhythm - it's a winner and should have been the A (most people will in fact know the song from The Allman Brothers Band who covered it on their self-titled November 1969 Atco debut). We're then greeted with seven of the eight tracks SDG contributed to Clive Donner's period movie "Here We Go 'Round The Mulberry Bush" unleashed on a hip public in January 1968 (along with the soundtrack LP that also featured four cuts from Traffic). Highlights include a hard-hitting bopper in "Every Little Thing", the gorgeous Tuba and Clavinet instrumental "Virginals Dream" and the hip-shaking Rock-R&B podium-dancer of "Looking Back" (a wicked co-write between Davis and Phil Sawyer) where Spencer's got a chick and she's as mean as she can be (oh dear).

The lack of Steve Winwood's extraordinary set of lungs starts to show in the social commentary single "Mr. Second Class" b/w "Sanity Inspector" - another two-header from Davis and Hardin that's good but feels too busy and needed the sheer power of a real singer to get it across. The shadow of "Sgt. Peppers" and Indian Sitar Music permeates through "After Tea" with the R&B dancer B-side "Moonshine" faring better. It didn’t take reviewers of the day but a few moments to see that the June 1968 LP "With A New Face On" gathered up preceding 45s – similar songs now done in Stereo with different mixes and even musicians. The ubercool piano vs. drums boogie instrumental "Alec In Transitland" (peppered by occasional shouts of 'yeah' as the spirit of Ray Charles flows through his fingers) started out life in their first new-SDG sessions as an Eddie Hardin and Pete York Jazzer called "For Pete's Sake". Other winners on the album including the catchy Boogaloo of "Feel Your Way" where it feels the new-SDG is having some fun with Alvin Lee on Vocals, the striking 'you're trying to make me see' Rock of "Morning Sun", an uptempo'ed better cut of "Moonshine" and a grinding-remake of the fabulous "Don't Want You No More" which could easily be a Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac track from their 1968 debut. And hippies everywhere will rejoice at the new Stereo cut of "After Tea" too – so much clearer as the sitars and flutes spread out (very nice).

While the first CD impresses on almost every level - Disc 2 begins to let the side down in places. The German language version of "Aquarius" is not just bizarre but superfluous to requirements (the English language cover of another "Hair" musical tune "Let The Sunshine In" on the flipside is much better). But the withdrawn US/UK album "Funky" is 0inflicted with too many genres and uninspired material. It was to be called "Letter To Edith" in the UK but was again withdrawn by CBS in late 1969 despite being allocated a catalogue number (Ray Fenwick penned or co-penned every tune). It's not all bad though - the very cool instrumental title-track "Funky" that opens Side 2 actually lives up to its moniker – a fabulous little groover that aficionados of Wynder K. Frog type Hammond Organ will chew up. And Fenwick was clearly listening to the Led Zeppelin 1969 debut and The Jeff Beck Group's "Truth" album when he wrote the 'she caused me so much sorrow' Blues Rock of "Poor Misguided Woman" – a hard-hitting guitar-chugger with BST Brass punches throughout. But both the last two tracks are more plodding than inspired and some of the others feel like poor-man's Hollies. Of the singles the December 1968 double-header "Short Change" b/w "Pictures Of Heaven" is a clear winner – lyrically and musically. And that "Magpie" ITV Theme song makes me grin and think of my teenage crush on the gorgeous and classy Susan Stranks (heavens a Murgatroyd indeed). The piano-funky B-side instrumental "Twice A Week" is a bit of a goer too. Diehards will probably have the studio-song outtakes "I'm Lost" and "Pools Winner" on the 1997 CD-reissue of "With Their New Face On" (one a gorgeous 60ts ballad, the other a groovy instrumental). If you don't – both are great discoveries and Andy Neill rightly name-checks them in his liner notes. "Groove Extra" is another excellent instrumental – the kind of sexy guitar-grinder that will end up on some cool CD compilation somewhere. And the German language demo of "Aquarius" (with session regulars Sue and Sunny adding backing vocals) is actually better than the released cut to my ears (music historians should note that the three-minute demo doesn't actually get to "Let The Sunshine In" despite the double-headed title printed on the box). I can fully understand why RPM included the Backing Track to "Feel Your Way" – it's the most fantastic groover and again will be winging its way to you on some cool comp right soon (it ends Disc 2 on a high).

Disc 3 will be exciting for fans – almost all of it unreleased BBC Radio Sessions that many thought would never see the light of day. It opens with six outtakes from the "Mulberry Bush" sessions - the fab "Feel Your Way" kicking opening proceedings with style. The other I like here is the very Kinks "Just Like Me" and "Possession" even has a few seconds of dialogue before the music. As you can see from my breakdown of the Radio Sessions above the recordings begin in December 1967 and continue right through to February 1969. Complete with a 'hey, groovy' Keith Skues DJ intro "Don't Want You No More" opens the account on a winner even if the audio is a tad muddy. A very cool version of "Feel Your Way" from a Pete Murray show in February 1968 arrives minus any intro - the recording sharp and full as the boys sound re-energised (Hammond A-Go-Go). "Taking Out Time" too sounding brilliant - live Love or The Zombies in a groove. Both "Moonshine" and the Elmore James cover of "Dust My Blues" get DJ-excited entries - both sounding great - that fab combo of Harmonicas and Hammond. It all ends on a crude recording of a live "Dust My Blues" - the band still sounding kicking and the crowd enthusiastic.

For sure not everything on here is Leonard Da Vinci - but each disc contains enough to satiate fans and turn on the newly interested. Time to 'fell you way' too methinks. Well done to all involved...