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VOLUME 15, sent November 21, 1995
Topics in this issue:
1. The Cover of "Blind Faith"
2. Re: Blind Faith - vinyl vs CD
3. Blind Faith Bootlegs
4. Re: Big Sugar
5. Blind Faith CDs
6. Re: Mulberry Bush and Re: Obscure covers
7. Re: Blind Faith - vinyl vs CD
8. Who are we?
9. instrumental versions
10. re: Blind Faith boots
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Date sent: Fri, 10 Nov 1995
From: The Doctor
Subject: POST: The Cover of "Blind Faith"
Here are two questions I have been asked, but for which I have no answer:
Who is the girl on the cover of the Blind Faith album? I've heard rumours that
she was related to Eric Clapton.
What is that silver airplane-looking object she's holding?
Anybody know?
The Doctor
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Date sent: Sat, 11 Nov 1995
From: Björn
Subject: POST: Re: Blind Faith - vinyl vs CD
Bobbie wrote:
>I have heard in many places that when the Blind Faith album was first
>issued on CD, they added a couple tracks. But I've never seen a CD
>with any extra tracks. Does anyone have the longer version, or know
>which tracks were added?
I found that CD together with a vinyl Cream boot in La Spezia in Italy in 1990.
The two extra tacks are 7. Exchange And Mart 8. Spending All My Days. The
CD originates from West Germany, is released on Polydor and the record
number is 825094-2. IMO, if you haven't heard the two extra tracks you haven't
missed much musicwise.
Björn
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Date sent: Sun, 12 Nov 1995
From: Björn
Subject: POST: Blind Faith Bootlegs
Nick wrote:
>Someone referred to a Blind Faith Bootleg LP- I believe I have a
>tape of that show (It's the only Blind Faith boot I've ever seen) and it
>was recorded at UCLA in August of 1969. It is kind of a funky show-
>sound quality is so-so, but I always enjoy hearing the electric version >of
"Can't Find My Way Home".
I'm adding this info:
These are the Blind Faith boots I know that exist.
CAN'T FIND MY WAY HOME
Date or venue unknown.
Jam/Can't Find My Way Home/Well Alright/Sleeping On The Ground/Sea Of
Joy/Under My Thumb/Do What You Like/Presence Of The Lord
US. TOUR OR CROSSROADS
Recorded at Fairgrounds Arena, Santa Barbara on Aug. 16, 1969.
Crossroads/Presence Of The Lord/Means To An End/Can't Find My Way
Home/Had To Cry Today
GOTHENBURG 1969
Recorded at Gothenburg on June 13, 1969.
Sleeping On The Ground/Sea Of Joy/Under My Thumb/Can't Find My Way
Home/Do What You Like/Presence Of The Lord/Had To Cry Today
THE MORGAN REHEARSALS
Recorded at Morgan Studios, London, on March 2, 1969.
Jams #1-9/Well Alright #1-7/Hey Joe #1-2/Jam #10/Well Alright #11-12/Jams
#11-16
STEPPING STONES PART 2
Recorded at Gothenburg on June 13, 1969.
Under My Thumb/Can't Find My Way Home/Do What You Like/Presence Of
The Lord/Means To An End/Had To Cry Today
The only one of these I ever seen is US. Tour, which also is on one of my
shelves. Does someone on the list possess any of the others? In that case a tape
copy would be highly appreciated.
Bjorn
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Date sent: Mon, 13 Nov 1995
From: BigStar303@aol.com
Subject: Re: Big Sugar
In reply to Bobbie:
>>I was catching up on my reading, and found an ad in the Aug issue of Spin
magazine for a group called Big Sugar and their new album called '500 Pounds'
(or it could be a group called 500 Pounds and their new album, 'Big Sugar';
hard to tell from the ad, and I've never heard of them myself.) Anyway, the ad
says the album features a single and video - 'Dear Mr Fantasy'. Have you heard
this? Did we start a list of covers yet? This one would be pretty obscure!<<
I wandered across the Big Sugar version of "Mr. Fantasy" several weeks ago
quite by accident, tuning into a Sunday night show featuring indie artists on the
Cleveland alternative station I sometimes listen to.
I came in on the middle of it and stayed to the end. Big Sugar's version is quite
loud and heavy, with a lot of powerful guitar work, but overall, a pretty
interesting take on the song. I don't think too many Traffic fans
would be offended by it, but then, it won't make them forget the original, either!
Best wishes,
Mike
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Date sent: Wed, 15 Nov 1995
From: "Cecilia Svensson"
Subject: POST Blind Faith CDs
Regarding Bobbie's mail in Vol. 14:
According to the June issue of Record Collector 1989, the first
release of "Blind Faith" in the States in 1986 was lifted straight
from the old master tapes, whereas those released in 1988 contained
two extra songs, as well as a better sound quality. The two songs are
"Exchange And Mart", and "Spending All My Days", and are
characterized by the author of the article (Mark Paytress) as
unfocused outtakes. "Exchange..." is the same as the untitled
instrumental single that was released as a promo by Island in June
1969.
It is not perfectly clear from the article if the enhanced version of
the "Blind Faith" CD was issued in the States or in the UK, but from the
context one is lead to believe that it should be in the States. This
is odd, since I bought the US version last year and it only contains
six songs. Anyway, if you would like to take a chance on the UK
release listed in the discography, the number should be Polydor
825 094-2 (April 1986).
Cecilia
Date sent: Thu, 16 Nov 1995
From: "Cecilia Svensson"
Subject: Re: Blind Faith CDs
I have taken a closer look at my own (American) CD and the
number is the same as is listed in the UK discography in Record
Collector, so that number probably won't get you anywhere. Please let
me know if you get hold of the extended version.
Regards,
Cecilia
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Date sent: Wed, 15 Nov 1995
From: vankirks@ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu (Shannon Van Kirk)
Subject: Re: Mulberry Bush and Re: Obscure covers:
"Zing" isn't on Mulberry Bush. The Traffic songs on the soundtrack album are
the title song (Winwood, Capaldi, Wood, Mason), "Utterly Simple" (Mason),
and "Am I What I Was or Was I What I Am (Winwood, Capaldi, Wood).
I spotted a Traffic cover song on an old UK. sampler LP that I had bought
originally because it had a track by Traffic and a track by SDG (w/ SW).
Included was a group called Tramline and their record of "Pearly Queen" from
their album _Moves of Vegetable Centuries_. Eminently forgettable.
Cheers,
--Shannon
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Date sent: Thu, 16 Nov 1995
From: J.Kielema@bw.kun.nl
Subject: Re: Blind Faith - vinyl vs CD
I have a CD version of Blind Faith, that has two bonus tracks. They are
called 'Exchange and mart' and 'Spending all my days'. The first one is an
instrumental and I'm not quite sure who sings the second one. It is certainly not
Steve, so it must be Rick Grech, or Eric Clapton (Although the singer does not
sound like Clapton and it certainly is not Ginger, listen to the Masters of
Reality album to assure yourself that he cannot sing). Both songs are 'written'
by ,Winwood Clapton, Baker and Grech. Written is a somewhat big word for
these two jams, that in no way sounds like made by a 'super group'.
The whole Blind Faith album is not my favourite (it has its moments like Well
All right and Can't find my way home). Unless you are an enormous fan (which
I am not, I just happen to like a lot of Steve Winwood albums) you do not miss
anything by not possessing these two tracks.
Greetings
Joop Kielema
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Date sent: Thu, 16 Nov 1995
From: "BobbieG."
Subject: POST Who are we?
I've read interviews with many pop/rock musicians, current and
classic, and a great many of them, more than you would expect, refer
to Winwood as a source of inspiration and a great musician. It seems
that his popularity among other musicians does not rise and fall as
it does among the general populace.
So this leads me to a question - who among us are musicians,
professional or amateur? And do you agree that SW is a "musician's
musician"? Is that why you love his work?
To get the ball rolling - I consider myself a musician, although
amateur in the extreme; I play soprano and alto recorders, the piano
(I began lessons because of Steve, as a matter of fact), and drums. I
took guitar lessons in order to learn to play 40,000 Headmen but
never practiced enough. And I sing.
And yes, that is one of the reasons I love SW's music. The melodies
and arrangements are not amateurish. And you have to respect a guy
who can play all those instruments so well.
---
Bobbie
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Date sent: Thu, 16 Nov 1995
From: "BobbieG."
Subject: POST: instrumental versions
A couple of volumes ago, Scott wrote that the instrumental versions
of most of SW's songs were the same as the album versions but with
the vocal track stripped off.
I disagree strongly, Scott! (Uh-oh, the Moderator and the Home Page
Author are gonna start a flame-war, run for cover!)
I have instrumental versions of Don't You Know What the Night Can
Do? (5:46), Higher Love (6:05), Holding On (5:37), In the Light of
Day (6:10), Night Train (3:35), and Your Silence is Your Song
(4:55). With the exception of In the Light of Day, which is only a
little different, these versions are all *much* different than the
vocal ones. Higher Love has some very odd stereo effects and a lot more
percussion. And Don't You Know What The Night Can Do? is absolutely
unrecognizable until about 1:30 into the song.
Does anyone have any other instrumental versions of songs that were
released with vocals? Let's start a list.
And on the Refugees of the Heart tour, did anyone else hear the
reggae version of One and Only Man? He did it that way in Phoenix,
but not in Peoria; it was really effective.
---
Bobbie
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Date sent: Sat, 18 Nov 1995
From: pjrosano@ix.netcom.com (Paul Rosano)
Subject: POST re: Blind Faith boots
For those with an insatiable appetite for Blind Faith recordings:
There are, in fact, a number of CD titles, gray market/bootleg, out
there.
"Stepping Stones" Part 1 and Part 2 has the June 1969 Gothenburg,
Germany concert. This is after the Hyde Park debut but before the first US.
concert at Madison Square Garden. Part 1 has three tracks, the rest of the disc
is from the 1968 Cream LA. concert, and Part 2 is all Blind Faith with six
tracks. Also, "Blind Dominoes" has the four opening tracks from the Hyde Park
concert, including "Under My Thumb," which is on Steve's "Finer Things"
boxed set. For the completist there is more than two hours of jams and
rehearsals on "The Morgan Rehearsals" some of the earliest recordings from
the first get-togethers of Winwood, Clapton and Baker, sans Rick Grech.
Other titles available of the import/gray-market variety, but with
which I'm unfamiliar as of yet, are "Well All Right," which claims to be studio
and Hyde Park tracks and "Can't Find My Way Home," also a studio and live
compilation.
In answer to the question about two tracks on an import version of
the one and only "Blind Faith" album, don't bother if that's what you are buying
it for. The two tracks are reportedly demos by Rick Grech, probably before he
joined the band. The playing does not sound like messieurs Winwood, Clapton
and Baker. However, the mastering of the disc is superior to the Atlantic
release, so if you don't have it at all, it's recommended for its sound, though
none can equal the Mobile Fidelity gold disc, for its mastering that is, not
material content.
For more detailed information on the aforementioned four Blind Faith
discs, see Scott Tribble's Winwood home page, Back In The High Life.
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END OF SMILING PHASES, VOL. 15
