Saturday, August 1, 2009

Who remembers Sampler Albums?

The very first proper LP I ever bought was a sampler, CBS Records' Fill Your Head With Rock. It was a double album and featured some amazing artists; Blood, Sweat and Tears, Laura Nyro, Taj Mahal, Johnny Winter, The Flock, Janis Joplin, Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper and many more (see below).

The cover was particularly striking (it is The Flock's violinist Jerry Goodman, later of Mahavishnu Orchestra fame);



Record 1, Side 1
1. Listen - Chicago (3:22)
2. Savour - Santana (2:46)
3. Give A Life, Take A Life - Spirit (3:47)
4. Passing Through - Steamhammer (5:17)
5. Smiling Phases - Blood, Sweat And Tears (5:10)

Record 1, Side 2
6. Tired Of Waiting - Flock (4:35)
7. Come To The Sabbat - Black Widow (4:55)
8. Dance In The Smoke - Argent (6:10)
9. Gunga Din - Byrds (3:02)
10. Living In Sin - Skin Alley (4:35)

Record 2, Side 1
11. Gibsom Street - Laura Nyro (4:30)
12. You Know Who I - Leonard Cohen (3:22)
13. Stomping Ground - Moondog (2:36)
14. The Inbetween Man - Amory Kane (2:40)
15. The Garden Of Jane Delawney - Trees (4:05)
16. A Small Fruit Song - Al Stewart (2:00)
17. Driving Wheel - Tom Rush (5:22)

Record 2, Side 2
18. Try (Just A Little Bit Harder) - Janis Joplin (4:13)
19. One Room Country Shack - Al Kooper (3:35)
20. Six Days On The Road - Taj Mahal (2:55)
21. Don't Think About It Baby - Mike Bloomfield (3:34)
22. Bluesbuster - Pacific Gas & Electric (2:56)
23. I Love Everybody - Johnny Winter (3:50)

There were plenty of these albums around, usually very cheaply priced too. Atlantic had a great one called The New Age Of Atlantic, which featured a Led Zeppelin track that wasn't even on any of their records!



Side 1
1. Hey hey what can I do - Led Zeppelin (3:53)
2. Motel Blues - Loudon Wainwright lll (2:43)
3. Sitting by the fire - Gordon Haskell (3:41)
4. Where ya at mule - Dr. John (4:55)
5. Bluebird - Buffalo Springfield (4:28)
6. Only you and I know - Delaney and Bonnie (3:24)

Side 2
7. Long tall sally - Cactus (3:03)
8. Everybody knows her - Jonathan Edwards (1:53)
9. I don't need you no more - J. Geils Band (2:35)
10. Sam Stone - John Prine (4:14)
11. America - Yes (10:30)

All the major labels released them, I suppose it was a good way of getting people to hear bands and performers that they otherwise might not know about. Back in those days, before the advent of the internets, getting access to new music was from whatever you could find on late night radio or by word of mouth from friends.

Who else remembers these records with fondness?

32 comments:

shane said...

'All Good Clean Fun'
it was my dads.. still has the sticker : two records plus free booklet only £1.49
how I loved the Amon Düül II.

Side 1
"Spill the Wine" – Eric Burdon & War (4:53)
"Street Songs" – Help Yourself (5:35)
"Chicken Reel" – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (0:59)
"Take Me Away" - Colin Scot (3:15)
"Here Comes Mr Time" – If (4:47)
"Daughter of the Fireplace" – Man (5:11)

Side 2
"Home Again" – Cochise (3:41)
"Dirt Roads" - Morning (1:30)
"Let Me Take You Home" - Gypsy (4:10)
"Song for Kathy" - Allan Taylor (3:32)
"Don't Want Me Round You" - Ernie Graham (4:30)
"Boogie Chillen No.2" (Excerpt) – Canned Heat & John Lee Hooker (6:10)

Side 3
"Cherry Red" – The Groundhogs (5:40)
"Hot Water" – Sugarloaf (4:10)
"Be Yourself" (Excerpt) – Hawkwind (5:45)
"Race from Here to Your Ears" – Amon Düül II (5:18)
"Roll Em Down" - Morning (3:05)

Side 4
"That's All Right Mama" - Canned Heat (4:18)
"Funk Angel" – Brinsley Schwarz (4:16)
"Gone Away" – Reg King (2:35)
"Yukon Railroad" - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (2:20)
"Joy" (excerpt) - Sweet Pain (4:25)
"The Seed" – B .B. Blunder (5:35)

Tim (Kalyr) said...

I've got a CBS one from 1980-ish, which contains, among other things, the only good song REO Speedwagon ever recorded.

Can't remember much of the rest of it - it was all hard rock and metal. I remember Boston, one of the southern rock bands, and I think Ted Nugent.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Tim (Kalyr) said...

We all know the words to the Spam Song, don't we.

Carole or anyone else - can you remove Anonymous' comment?

treefrogdemon said...

I've got one called Rock of the USA, which was sent me by John Walters, John Peel's producer, after a letter from me about him was published in Melody Maker. He wrote a very amusing letter to go with it, which I treasure of course. (He thought I should have won an LP for my letter and so "I enclose a copy of an LP which I don't want as I have all the tracks already elsewhere.")

Side 1
1 I'm Waiting For the Man - the Velvet Underground and Nico
2 I Got the Same Old Blues - Freddie King
3 Astro Man - Jimi Hendrix
4 Stone Fox Chase - Area Code 615
5 Second Avenue - Tim Moore
6 Indian Rope Man - Richie Havens

Side 2
1 Doraville - Atlanta Rhythm Section
2 Singing Cowboy - Love feat Arthur Lee
3 It Was a Bad Scene - Link Wray
4 Running Man - Elephants Memory
5 Last Call Blues - the Mill Valley Bunch
6 Rock and Roll Love Letter - Tim Moore.

It's a budget album, I should add...

Abahachi said...

You can still get some good jazz ones from minor labels - and one of my favourite albums this year is the sampler from Ghost Box, Ritual and Education - well worth a fiver of anyone's money, if you haven't got it yet.

glasshalfempty said...

Brings back memories, CB. I was a sucker for those, cos I couldn't afford many records, and they were cheap. Mine are all languishing in a lock up now, so I can't check em out, but I remember one from Island called El Pea (geddit?). And before that they had one called Bumpers. If anyone's interested, the track lists are here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Pea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumpers_(album)
They look like TFD territory to me.

Carole said...

I remember El Pea!

I had to look up Bumpers. Some good stuff there too.

Carole said...

Tim, I can't remove Anonymous. Am I alone as seeing it as Japanese?

nilpferd said...

Carole, if you call up your own post to edit it, you ought to be able to "rubbish bin" unwanted comments. I removed our anonymous asian from a post of mine this way yesterday.

DarceysDad said...

Oh blimey, I still buy samplers.

Cooking Vinyl, SubPop, Fierce Panda (though admittedly that one had a different agenda), Chemikal Underground, 4AD ... not all good stuff, but at the prices charged, I just consider them audio Lucky Dips.

Best bargain ever? Heads up, Shane!

Memphis Industries' Estuary English Vol 1., 17 tracks including DsD collection debuts for, amongst others, The Soulsavers, The Go! Team and The Black Neon. Cost in Virgin Records? It still has the sticker attached that says £.01

Yep, that's right, just one of our English pennies. You can't buy an empty CD jewel case for that!!! (And this came in a heavy duty proper white plastic one.

shane said...

I donded Quintessence (from Bumpers) just the other week.. the record is siting right next to me...

DsD 1p is just fantastic.. how much did you pay for you Big Dog album by the way? the small amount of people I know who own it payed less than 99p.. guess what - I didn't.. searched for it ages - then after finding it.. in sales everywhere.... i grrred.

goneforeign said...

My East-West post triggered me to go over to Spotty and indulge a bit of 60's-70's reminiscence, it included Blood, Sweat and Tears who I hadn't heard in about 30 years and a fair bit of Al Kooper, Chicago and Bloomfield. I also tried to find the original 'Time' by the Chambers Bros but could only find considerably shortened version.
And speaking of jazz samplers I've got quite a few including, 'Norman Granz presents Pablo' with Sarah, Ella, Oscar P, Zoot, Milt Jackson, Basie plus more. A Bluebird sampler with Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, Duke, Louis, Artie Shaw, Al Cohn, Gil Evans, Woody Herman, Joe Williams and George Russell.
Exodus records 'Jazz of the 60's' with Lightnin Hopkins, Brownie McGhee, Dinah Washington, Sarah, Lambert, Hendrix and Ross and several more. And I just pulled an early Blue Note sampler, looked at the personell and then LOST it! It disappeared 'twixt the living room and here.
There's tons of reggae compilations from the 60's early 70's, almost always on obscure labels and very cheaply produced.

DarceysDad said...

Ah! Have to own up Shane, I don't have the Big Dog LP. Raise The Alarm is the only song I have, from a Q covermount CD (Essential Drive) from back when they still did them (July 2001 in this case). It's one of those rare examples of a song that made enough of an impact for me to remember and replay it, but I've never investigated further.

Oh, and what a damned fine giveaway CD that Q one was, btw:
also contains songs from Ash, Stone Roses, Hendrix, Feeder, REM, Oasis, Fun Lovin' Criminals, De La Soul, Semisonic, The Jam, Echobelly, Supergrass, ELO, Artful Dodger/Robbie Craig/Craig David (DEFINITELY the low point!), Julian Cope, Suede, Black Crowes, Proud Mary, ('Spillers-fave) Jonathan Richman, and my other highlight, Bomb The Bass' Bug Powder Dust. In fact, I think I'm going to put it in the car for the mega miles I've got coming up in the next fortnight.

goneforeign said...

Nilp; could you give SPECIFIC instructions, I've just spent about 20 mins trying to no avail.

TracyK said...

I've got El Pea and You Can All Join In too, great stuff! I used to love the Select and Uncut cds, but I have to say I stopped giving them the time they deserved to fully appreciate them. Also got Cherry Red and Fierce Panda samplers, including the Welsh one.

saneshane said...

yep DsD it was that cover mount that made me search it out...
bug Powder Dust is indeed a highlight.. had forgot that Woman Trouble sneaked in.

(shall send you some big dog.. when I sort all the stuff I'm doing for you, I'm slow I know.. life gets in the way sometimes!)

ToffeeBoy said...

@ TracyK - yes, the Cherry Red sampler, Pillows And Prayers is a classic of its kind.

goneforeign said...

Is Cherry Red the title of a cut, if so who wrote it?

Peg said...

Hi goneforeign! Not sure who wrote Cherry Red, but Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson did a really nice version with Mike Bloomfield on the LP with the same title.

goneforeign said...

I think Joe Turner wrote it, if it's the same song. I've got 2-3 versions by him. The classic version's on an album 'The Boss of the Blues'.
I just checked that album, it's credited to Joe Turner and Pete Johnson.

AliMunday said...

I've got a free CD from the Grauniad which doesn't seem to have the same tracks on it as the ones that are listed on the cover. Only trouble is I don't know what the rogue tracks are. Does that count?

nilpferd said...

Funny, Goneforeign, yesterday I got spammed and when I called up my own post there were little rubbish bins under the comments, which I could use to completely remove the offender. Can't see them now, though.
Sampler-wise my jazz tastes have a lot to do with a 1959 sampler called Jazz Poll Winners, with the following tracklisting:
1. ALL BLUES by Miles Davis
2. NIGHT IN TUNISIA by Les Brown
3. BLUE MOON by Lionel Hampton
4. JUST YOU JUST ME by Art Van Damme
5. ME TOO by J.J. Johnson
6. BETTER GIT IT IN YOUR SOUL by Charles Mingus
7. BLUE RONDO A LA TURK by Dave Brubeck
8. AS CATCH CAN by Gerry Mulligan
9. POLL TAX by Don Elliot and Kenny Burrell
10. CLOUDBURST by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
11. UPPER MANHATTAN MEDICAL GROUP by Duke Ellington
12. SOMETHING'S COMING by The Hi-Lo's

TatankaYotanka said...

I'm sure you can guess from my interests, ahem, that I still own 'Charisma Disturbance' ... good job my mother didn't know what a gimp mask was ...

http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=13062

1 Sonato Pian E Forte - Sinfonia of London
2 Unanswered Question - John Neville
3 Intermezzo "Karelia Suite" - The Nice
4 German Overalls - Peter Hammill
5 Money Game - Alan Hull
6 She Belongs to Me - Bell & Arc
7 Spam Song - Monty Python's Flying Circus
8 Lady Eleanor - Lindisfarne
9 Flight to the Ford - Bo Hansson
10 Fog on the Tyne - Lindisfarne
11 No Range - Capability Brown
12 Sympathy - Rare Bird
13 I Had a Dream - Audience
14 Home Thoughts - Clifford T Ward
15 Killer - Van Der Graaf Generator
16 Getting Back to Molly - Music From Free Creek
17 Too Many People - Graham Bell
18 Dark Side of the Moon - Jo'burg Hawk
19 Regent Street Incident - String Driven Thing
20 Return of the Giant Hogweed - Genesis

Carole said...

I suspect some serious mellotron abuse on that last sampler, Tatanka!

TatankaYotanka said...

Mellotron abuse? Not really ... Genesis and Bo Hanson fer sure but the whole point about Charisma at this point was Tony Stratton Smith backing the diverse range of artists that he believed in. I'm surprised that there's still no full biography of TSS.

http://themarqueeclub.net/tony-stratton-smith

Shoey said...

On-U Sound's Pay It All Back series. Title from Mark Stewart's Hypnotized "7% of the population own 84% of the wealth. PAY IT ALL, PAY IT ALL, PAY IT ALL BACK". Tracklisting of volume from the wonderful Discogs:

A1   Introduction
A2 Singers & Players Bedward The Flying Preacher
    Featuring - Prince Far I
A3 Maffia Hallelujah
    Featuring - Tom Silverman
A4 Dub Syndicate Must Be Dreaming
    Guitar [Rhythm] - Congo Ashanti Roy
A5 Circuit, The Loudspeaker
A6 Mark Stewart And The Maffia Jerusalem
B1 Voice Of Authority Fuh Fuh
B2 Missing Brazilians Ace Of Wands
B3 Akabu (2) Akabu's Theme
    Featuring - Tom Silverman
B4 New Age Steppers Some Love
B5 African Head Charge Timbuktu Express

magicman said...

I also had the "All Good Clean Fun" album from the 70s, remember fondly Amon Duul 11 and The Groundhog's "Cherry Red". More recently I still have the first WOMAD album on Gabriel's Globestyle (?) label - has Mighty Sparrow, The Beat, Rico Rodriguez, Peter Hammill (!) and many others. Some ace WOMADs came after that two - I have Europe and Asia samplers, both with comprehensive booklets and notes. Nice.

gremlinfc said...

@shoey-YESSSSSSSSS!
Thee greatest sampler ever- introduced me to a whole new world of dub- question : whose version of"Mafia" is better?
Dub Syndicate?
OR
Lloyd Parks?
ill have to ask webcore over onRR...

gremlinfc said...

@shoey-YESSSSSSSSS!
Thee greatest sampler ever- introduced me to a whole new world of dub- question : whose version of"Mafia" is better?
Dub Syndicate?
OR
Lloyd Parks?
ill have to ask webcore over onRR...

gremlinfc said...

Sorry for posting twice - it was an accident due to crap machine in tenerifean cybercafe...

Shoey said...

Gremlin - Not familiar with the original, but the late Bim Sherman always set the bar high when it comes to reggae vocals.