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"...More Than An Ocean Of Power..."
Like Mott The Hoople and The
Pretty Things - England's SPOOKY TOOTH have never really received the accolades
they deserve. Between 1968 and 1974 they produced seven studio albums (six on
Island - one on Goodear) as well as a posthumous Island Records 'Best Of' in
1976 - yet I defy even knowledgeable Rock types to name just two of those
original LPs.
Spooky's sixth studio album
is the same. Released only a half-dozen months after its January 1973
predecessor - it came at Blighty customers in July 1973 with a big-eyed
pyramid-on-a-banknote sleeve and the mysterious moniker "Witness" –
something few LP buyers did. Our pals in American had to wait until November
1973 for Capitol to issue Island SW-9337 and in different front cover artwork –
the band stood in front of three crosses – one of the photos used on the rear
collage of the British LP sleeve.
Four of the five-piece
line-up that had made January 1973's delightfully entitled "You Broke My
Heart So...I Busted Your Jaw" (Island ILPS 9227) such a rocking success
were back – Singers Mike Harrison and Gary Wright with future Foreigner
guitarist Mick Jones ably aided by Bassist Chris Stewart and new Drummer
replacement – Mike Kellie. Gary Wright's songwriting hand was in all nine
tracks – six solo and three co-writes - "Don't Ever Stray Away" with
Chris Stewart, "All Sewn Up" with Mick Jones and "Pyramids"
with Drummer and Percussionist Mike Kellie.
Long-suffering fans will
know that none of Spooky Tooth's Rock, Blues-Rock, Prog-Rock albums ever
bothered the British LP charts (not even a nostalgia 'Best Of' in 1976) and though
founder member and songwriter Gary Wright did some commercial welly in the mid
Seventies (especially in the USA with his "Dream Weaver" LP) - Luther
Grosvenor and Mike Harrison had solo careers also but few seemed to care nor
notice. The band is not even in Martin C. Strong's stunning 'Great Rock
Discography' Books (and almost everyone is in there). And now the final facial
slap...
These new CD Reissues and
Remasters on UMC's Universal/Island with truly superb Audio and a wad of good
bonus tracks on most (only one for "Witness" unfortunately) have
already quietly slipped under the radar only months after release in September
and October of 2016. Time to rectify this horrid 2017 anomaly on the part of an
uncaring pre-Valentine Day public - here are the eerie dental details...
UK released 30 September
2016 (7 October 2016 in the USA) - "Witness" by SPOOKY TOOTH on
Universal/Island 570 547-7 (Barcode 602557054774) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD
Remaster of the 9-track 1973 Island Records album with One Bonus Track and
plays out as follows (40:13 minutes):
1. Ocean Of Power
2. Wings On My Heart
3. As Long As The World
Keeps Turning
4. Don't Ever Stray Away
5. Things Change
6. All Sewn Up [Side 2]
7. Dream Me A Mountain
8. Sunlight On My Mind
9. Pyramids
Tracks 1 to 9 are their
sixth studio album "Witness" - released July 1973 in the UK on Island
ILPS 9255 and November 1973 in the USA on Island SW-9337. Recorded at Olympic
and Apple Studios in London - it was produced by SPOOKY TOOTH and the LP peaked
at No. 99 in the USA but didn't chart in the UK.
BONUS TRACK:
10. All Sewn Up (Alternative
Mix, February 1973)
SPOOKY TOOTH was:
GARY WRIGHT – Lead and
Backing Vocals, Keyboards and Synthesiser
MIKE HARRISON – Lead and
Backing Vocals and Percussion
MICK JONES – Electric and
Acoustic Guitar and Percussion
CHRIS STEWART - Bass
MIKE KELLIE – Drums and
Percussion
The 12-page booklet is
researched, co-ordinated and produced by MARK POWELL of England's much-revered
reissue label Esoteric Recordings who have issued absolute wads of CD Remasters
– re-presenting Sixties and Seventies music and artists in a quality way. You
get the usual black and white band photos (posed and live) – a nice colour shot
of the group sat on some rocks spread across the two inner pages and a repro of
a September 1973 Tour Poster. Complimenting that are new Mark Powell liner
notes covering the band's history on Island Records (including stuff about The
V.I.P's and Art). With contributions from Wright and Harrison- Powell explains
how the arrival of Mick Jones into the ever-changing line-up and the
re-emergence of Gary Wright as principal songwriter brought out the best in
them - even if (like Badfinger) – the public seemed not to care in their native
land.
The CD is coloured Pink when
in fact it was a Orange Palm-Tree label by mid 1973 (all the reissues I've
bought in this series are like this - Pink labels regardless of the time frame)
and there's a close-up photo of the album artwork 'symbol' beneath the
see-through CD tray. But the big news is new PASCHAL BYRNE and BEN WISEMAN
Remasters from original tapes - wonderful chunky sound on the accomplished
"Ocean Of Power" and the very Bad Company chug of "All Sewn
Up".
There's proper riffage in
tracks like "Ocean Of Power" where Wright seems to have discovered
the Lord and won't be held in contempt for such beliefs. There's lovely warmth
in the Bass and Piano bottom end and when Harrison's voice blends with the
others - it feels so damn good - meaty like it didn't before. "Wings On My
Heart" is a 'feeling like I'm free' churchy organ song and is prettier
than I remember it back in the day. Treated piano notes open "As Long As
The World Keeps Turning" - a deceptively musical song and one I return to
again and again (why hasn't someone covered this?). Power chords ala Montrose
open "Don't Ever Stray Away" - a 'don't throw the magic away' plea to
his girly - huge guitars panning across your speakers. Side 1 ends with the
Acoustic-Rock of "Things Change" where Spooky Tooth sound American -
like Spirit or Jefferson Airplane's Paul Kantner - and again with great axe
work from the boys.
Side 2's "All Sewn
Up" is presented to us in two forms - the original album rocker where ST
come across like a more boogiefied ACE with Paul Carrack on the Vocals - and a
brilliant 'Alternate Mix' that could (and should have been) an American single.
I'm sure fans will be chewing up this lone but truly excellent Bonus Track.
"Dream Me A Mountain" is another wicked Wright hooky melody - a Rock
song with warmth that lifts it up above the average (and dig that just-right
guitar solo). More James Gang grunge guitars open "Sunlight On My
Mind" - a 'shine a light on me' plea with Harrison's echoed vocals giving
the whole thing pathos. Drummer Mike Kellie co-wrote the Soulful piano-led
"Pyramids" with Wright - ending the album on a building ballad with
big voices and perhaps too much melodrama. To sum up - I like
"Witness" as an album. It's true that nothing grabs you by the short
'n' curlies immediately - but I like the overall musicality of it. There are
real growers on here and this new CD Remaster has only elevated that.
1973’s duo "You Broke
My Heart So...I Busted Your Jaw" and "Witness" are both Classic
1970s Rock albums that cry out for re-discovery. And at last they’ve received
the aural makeover they’ve both long needed and deserved.
With the April 2015
"Island Years: 1967-1974" 9CD Box Set now fetching huge prices after
deletion – these 2016 individual CD Remasters are welcome. Well done to
everyone involved for giving SPOOKY TOOTH this late dental polish. Time indeed
to bear witness...
PS: Reissue Titles for
SPOOKY TOOTH - 2016 Universal/Island CD Remaster Series:
1. It's All About (1968
Debut) - 30 Sep 2016 CD release on Universal/Island 570 547-1 (Barcode 602557054712)
with 10 Bonus Tracks
2. Spooky Two (1969 2nd LP)
- 7 Oct 2016 CD release on Universal/Island 570 547-3 (Barcode 602557054736)
with 9 Bonus Tracks
3. Ceremony: An Electronic
Mass (1969 3rd LP with Pierre Henry)
- 7 Oct 2016 CD release on
Universal/Island 570 547-0 (Barcode 602557054705) with 6 Bonus Tracks
4. The Last Puff (1970 4th
LP) - 7 Oct 2016 CD release on Universal/Island 570 547-5 (Barcode
602557054750) with 6 Bonus Tracks
5. You Broke My Heart...So I
Busted Your Jaw (1973 5th LP) - 30 Sep 2016 CD release on Universal/Island 570
547-8 (Barcode 602557054781)
6. Witness (1973 6th LP) -
30 Sep 2016 CD release on Universal/Island 570 547-7 (Barcode 602557054774)
with 1 Bonus Track
7. The Mirror (1974 7th LP)
- 30 Sep 2016 CD release on Universal/Island 570 547-6 (Barcode 602557054767)
