SPIRIT – „It Shall Be The Ode & Epic Recordings 1968–1972“ (5CD Remastered Clamshell Box) [VÖ: 16/03/2018]
Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of a new 5CD remastered clamshell box set by the legendary American band SPIRIT.
Formed in Los Angeles in 1967 from the remnants of The Red Roosters, SPIRIT was one of the great bands to emerge on the US West Coast in the Psychedelic era. Featuring the talents of 16 year old guitarist Randy California (who had played guitar with Jimi Hendrix in New York the previous year), his step-father drummer Ed Cassidy along with Jay Ferguson (vocals, percussion), John Locke (keyboards) and Mark Andes (bass), Spirit signed to producer Lou Adler’s newly established Ode Records label in late 1967.
Their self-titled debut album appeared some months later and demonstrated the breadth and diversity of the band covering psychedelic, rock and jazz influences and featuring such legendary cuts as Fresh Garbage, Uncle Jack, Topanga Windows, Mechanical World , Elijah and Taurus (the subject of a court case decades later when it was alleged Led Zeppelin had taken the musical structure of the piece as a basis for Stairway to Heaven). The band’s follow-up album, The Family That Plays Together, spawned the hit single I’ve Got a Line on You and was one of their finest works thanks to material such as It Shall Be, Aren’t You Glad, Silky Sam and Darlin’ If. Leading up to the recording of 1969’s Clear album Spirit recorded the soundtrack to Jaques Demy’s film The Model Shop. In 1970 Spirit recorded the classic The Twelve Dreams of Doctor Sardonicus for Epic Records, from which the single Animal Zoo was taken and included excellent material such as Nature’s Way, Mr Skin, Space Child, Morning Will Come and Soldier. Sadly the original line- up of Spirit fell apart some months later leaving just Ed Cassidy and John Locke to assemble a new incarnation of Spirit for 1972’s Feedback, which saw brothers Al and John Staehely join the band on bass and drums respectively. Spirit went on hiatus soon after, although California and Cassidy would continue to tour and record as Spirit on and off until California’s untimely death in 1997.
Newly re-mastered, this anthology features all of Spirit’s recordings for the Ode and Epic labels between 1968 and 1972 and notably includes the entire mono mix of the band’s self-titled debut album (appearing on CD for the first time), the complete soundtrack to the film The Model Shop, along with original 1968 stereo mix of The Family That Plays Together, associated out-takes, singles and alternate mixes undertaken in 1991 for the Time Circle compilation. It Shall Be also includes an illustrated booklet with essay by Malcolm Dome featuring archive interviews with Randy California and Ed Cassidy.
- THE MOVING VAN
- MELLOW FELLOW
- NOW OR ANYWHERE
- FOG
- GREEN GORILLA
- MODEL SHOP I
- MODEL SHOP II (CLEAR)
- THE REHEARSAL THEME
- SONG FOR LOLA
- EVENTIDE
- CORAL
- AREN’T YOU GLAD (DEMO)
TAKEN FROM THE FILM SOUNDTRACK “THE MODEL SHOP” – RECORDED IN 1968
- DARK EYED WOMAN
- APPLE ORCHARD
- SO LITTLE TIME TO FLY
- GROUND HOG
- COLD WIND
- POLICEMAN’S BALL
- ICE
- GIVE A LIFE, TAKE A LIFE
- I’M TRUCKIN’
- CLEAR
- CAUGHT
- NEW DOPE IN TOWN
TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM “CLEAR” – RELEASED IN 1969
- PRELUDE – NOTHING TO HIDE
- NATURE’S WAY
- ANIMAL ZOO
- LOVE HAS FOUND A WAY
- WHY CAN’T I BE FREE?
- MR SKIN
- SPACE CHILD
- WHEN I TOUCH YOU
- STREET WORM
- LIFE HAS JUST BEGUN
- MORNING WILL COME
- SOLDIER
TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM “THE TWELVE DREAMS OF DOCTOR SARDONICUS” – RELEASED IN 1970
- ROUGHER ROAD
RECORDED IN 1970 DURING SESSIONS FOR “THE TWELVE DREAMS OF DOCTOR SARDONICUS”
- CHELSEA GIRLS
- CADILLAC COWBOYS
- PUESTA DEL SCAM
- RIPE AND READY
- DARKNESS
- EARTH SHAKER
- MELLOW MORNING
- RIGHT ON TIME
- TRANCAS FOG-OUT
- WITCH
TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM “FEEDBACK” – RELEASED IN 1972
- FRESH GARBAGE (MONO MIX)
- UNCLE JACK (MONO MIX)
- MECHANICAL WORLD (MONO MIX)
- TAURUS (MONO MIX)
- GIRL IN YOUR EYE (MONO MIX)
- STRAIGHT ARROW (MONO MIX)
- TOPANGA WINDOWS (MONO MIX)
- GRAMOPHONE MAN (MONO MIX)
- WATER WOMAN (MONO MIX)
- THE GREAT CANYON FIRE IN GENERAL (MONO MIX)
- ELIJAH (MONO MIX)
TAKEN FROM THE MONO ALBUM “SPIRIT” – RELEASED IN 1968
PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ON CD
- VERUSKA
- FREE SPIRIT
- IF I HAD A WOMAN
- ELIJAH (ALTERNATE TAKE 2)
RECORDED IN 1968 DURING SESSIONS FOR “SPIRIT”
- I GOT A LINE ON YOU (“TIME CIRCLE” MIX)
- IT SHALL BE (“TIME CIRCLE” MIX)
- POOR RICHARD (“TIME CIRCLE” MIX)
- SILKY SAM (“TIME CIRCLE” MIX)
TAKEN FROM THE 1991 COMPILATION “TIME CIRCLE”
- SCHEROZODE (“TIME CIRCLE” MIX)
- ALL THE SAME (“TIME CIRCLE” MIX)
- A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM (“TIME CIRCLE” MIX)
- AREN’T YOU GLAD (“TIME CIRCLE” MIX)
- EVENTIDE (“TIME CIRCLE” MIX)
- MODEL SHOP THEME (“TIME CIRCLE” MIX)
- GREEN GORILLA (“TIME CIRCLE” MIX)
- REHEARSAL THEME (“TIME CIRCLE” MIX)
TAKEN FROM THE 1991 COMPILATION “TIME CIRCLE”
- FOG
- SO LITTLE TO SAY
- MELLOW FELLOW
- NOW OR ANYWHERE
- SPACE CHILE
RECORDED IN 1968 DURING SESSIONS FOR “THE FAMILY THAT PLAYS TOGETHER”
- FULLER BRUSH MAN
- CORAL
RECORDED IN 1969 DURING SESSIONS FOR “CLEAR”
- 1984
- SWEET STELLA BABY
A & B-SIDES OF SINGLE – RELEASED IN 1970
- ANIMAL ZOO (MONO SINGLE VERSION)
- RED LIGHT ROLL ON
A & B-SIDES OF SINGLE – RELEASED IN 1970
- MORNING WILL COME (MONO MIX)
RECORDED AND MIXED IN 1970
--