“Encouraging Words” by BILLY PRESTON. A Review Of 2nd Album For The Beatles Apple Records (1970) – Now Reissued Onto A 2010 Extended CD.

"…Learn To Live The Golden Rule…Don’t You Go Through Life Being A Fool…"

Monday 25 October 2010 has seen 14 of the 'Apple' label albums remastered and reissued alongside "Come And Get It" - a first-time-ever label 'Best Of'. This reissue is one of them.

"Encouraging Words" was the second and last album on Apple Records for long-time friend and sometimes collaborator with The Beatles - American keyboardist and Soul Singer Billy Preston. And along with his excellent debut LP the year before (1969’s “That’s The Way God Planned It") – it’s not just one of the labels better offerings, it’s a criminally forgotten Seventies Soul gem - and arguably the best album of his long career.

Apple 5099990823923 breaks down as follows (54:44 minutes):
Tracks 1 to 13 are the LP "Encouraging Words" released 11 September 1970 in the UK on Apple SAPCOR 14 (Stereo only) and on Apple ST-3370 in the USA.

Tracks 14 and 15 are the 2 bonus tracks given with the 1993 reissue - "As Long As I Got My Baby" (a Preston original) and "All That I Got (I’m Gonna Give It To You)" (a co-wrote with Doris Troy).
“As Long As I Got My Baby” was intended to be the B-side of Preston’s version of “My Sweet Lord” on Apple 29 (scheduled for September 1970 release in the UK), but was withdrawn.
All That I Got (I’m Gonna Give It To You)” was co-produced with GEORGE HARRISON and released as a 7” single on 30 January 1970 in the UK on Apple 21.
It’s B-side “As I Get Older” is on the “That’s The Way God Planned It” CD reissue as a bonus (track 14) – both songs were non-album at the time of release.

Track 16 is a new bonus for this 2010 issue - the previously unreleased fully formed song - "How Long Has the Train Been Gone". It was co-written with Bruce Fisher, recorded in January 1970 and then later re-recorded for Preston’s 1973 album on A&M Records – “Everybody Loves Some Kind Of Music” (he would also re-record “When You Were Mine” for his 1976 A&M album “Billy Preston”).

BOOKLET/PACKAGING:
Noted writer and music lover ANDY DAVIS does the new liner notes for the disappointingly weedy 12-page booklet (EMI pushes the boat out again people). But with what little text he has been afforded, Davis does at least fill it with properly informative details - and it's peppered with some very tasty full-page colour photos of Preston from the time. No UK singles were issued around the record (possibly why it disappeared so quick), but there is a full-page reproduction of an advert for the American single of “My Sweet Lord” on Apple 1826 (it also names Radio Stations supporting the song).

PLAYERS:
The cast is impressive (if not a little vague) – GEORGE HARRISON co-produced the entire album with Preston, ERIC CLAPTON played guitar on 3 tracks – “Right Now”, “Use What You Got” and “Encouraging Words”. RINGO STARR and KLAUS VOORMAN are said to be on Drums and Bass respectively, while DELANEY BRAMLETT also plays guitar on “Encouraging Words” with Eric. The Rhythm Section for THE TEMPTATIONS are on there (Bass, Guitarist, Drums) while members of SAM and DAVE’S band played Drums and Bass too. Both MADELINE BELL and DORIS TROY provided beautiful soulful backing vocals (Doris Troy’s lone album on Apple “Doris Troy” was released the week earlier – 4 September 1970) while the EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS are on “My Sweet Lord” and “Sing One For The Lord”.

CONTENT:
Six of the 13 are Billy Preston originals with "My Sweet Lord" and “All Things (Must) Pass” being George Harrison compositions. “Let The Music Play”, “The Same Thing Again” and “Sing One For The Lord” are co-writes with Jesse Kirkland, James Herndon and George Harrison respectively. Which leaves two cover versions – The Beatles’ "I’ve Got A Feeling" and "You’ve Been Acting Strange" by Ronnie Lee Williams (also covered by Merry Clayton on her 1970 “Gimme Shelter” album). Unlike some of the other Apple issues, there are no extra tracks via download. But the really big news is the SOUND...

SOUND:
The same team that handled the much-praised 09/09/09 Beatles remasters have done this - GUY MASSEY, STEVE ROOKES, PHIL HICKS and SIMON GIBSON. I always thought the initial 1993 reissue was dull-as-dishwater soundwise - well not so now because the audio quality here is BEAUTIFUL - a massive improvement. It also makes you reassess a lot of the songs and appreciate more Harrison's excellent production contributions.

“Right On” is a superb opener and sets the tone for the overall funky feel of the album (surely it would have been a hit single). “When You Are Mine” is a sweetheart too as is “Use What You Got” (with great wah-wah guitar from Clapton). Very cool stuff. Conversely - the two most famous ‘early versions’ of Harrison classics “My Sweet Lord” and “All Things (Must) Pass” are the ones that work the least well for me. Not so the stunning blues-soul of “The Same Thing Again” co-written with the noted Gospel singer James Herndon – it’s a monster. It had customers coming to the counter in our shop wanting to know which ‘Ray Charles’ tune we were playing (praise indeed).

“Encouraging Words” is a brilliantly brassy dancer with a message for the ‘kids’ to be kind, stay in school and don’t get suckered (lyrics above). It really is so good. The brass, the great production and the remaster combine to fill your room with superlative soul-funk. But for me the absolute dog’s undercarriage is the fabulous Beatles-meets-Gospel "Sing One For The Lord" - Preston’s huge organ playing combines with the choir feel of the backing vocals, George’s meaty guitar riff and a lingering Sitar-sounding instrument called the Indian Tamboura which floats over the whole thing – it’s a stunning cross-pollination of cultures and music and as close to post-Beatles magic as you can get.

Although a little hissy - the new song “How Long Has The Train Been Gone” is a slow soulful gem – it’s fantastic – I can’t believe its been lingering in vaults all these years. And like the new bonus track “Something’s Got To Change” on the “That’s The Way God Planned It” CD reissue (see separate review) - it's that rarest thing, a genuine must-have bonus track.

Niggles - the gatefold card sleeve is nice to look at for sure, but the booklet and overall packaging feel lightweight (what EMI could get away with). The CD should have one of those gauze inner bags to protect it - a problem that no record company seems to want to acknowledge (scuffing and damage). But these are truly minor points…

To sum up – I’ve loved rehearing this forgotten peach of an album in this hugely improved sound quality - Seventies Soul lovers ‘need’ to discover this great record. I’m also reminded of crying uncontrollably when I saw Preston play “Isn’t It A Pity” live with Clapton and that fantastic band at the “Concert For George” in 2002 in The Royal Albert Hall - magical. Too many losses man…remember his this way.

A brilliant reissue and recommended big time.

"James Taylor" by JAMES TAYLOR (2010 Apple 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue and Remaster In Gatefold Card Repro Artwork) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…In My Mind…I'm Going To Carolina…"

In 2008 I reviewed a reissue CD on Rhino called "The Circle Game" by American singer-songwriter-catalyst TOM RUSH. The original LP was issued in the USA on Elektra Records in 1968 - and apart from two original compositions from Rush - the album subsequently became famous for introducing 3 new writers and their extraordinary songs to the world (all on the same album) - Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell and JAMES TAYLOR.

Bolstered by his need to capitalise on this modest success - Taylor arrived in London in March 1968 - was signed to The Beatles 'Apple' label within weeks - recorded his songs between June and October 1968 and then saw his own self-titled debut LP released in December of that fateful year.

This UK CD is an 'Expanded Edition' of that 1968 "James Taylor" debut album - one of 14 Apple Label albums remastered and reissued on 25 October 2010. 

Apple 5099990581120 comes in a card digipak (Barcode is also 5099990581120) and breaks down as follows (51:09 minutes):

1. Don't Talk Now

2. Something's Wrong

3. Knocking 'Round The Zoo

4. Sunshine Sunshine

5. Taking It In

6. Something In The Way She Moves [Side 2]

7. Carolina In My Mind

8. Brighten Your Night With My Day

9. Night Owl

10. Rainy Day Man

11. Circle Around The Sun

12. The Blues Is Just A Bad Dream

Tracks 1 to 12 are the LP "James Taylor" released 6 December 1968 in the UK on Apple APCOR 3 (Mono)/SAPCOR 3 (Stereo) and on Apple SKAO-3352 in early 1969 in the USA (STEREO Mix Used on the CD).

Tracks 13 to 16 are FOUR PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED DEMOS - bonus tracks new to this 2010 issue (there were none on the 1991 reissue):

13 and 14 - ”Sunny Skies" and "Let Me Ride" were recorded in Los Angeles in early 1969 with Danny Kortchmar on Guitars, Charlie Larkey on Bass and Bishop O'Brien on Drums.

15 and 16 - “Sunshine Sunshine" and "Carolina In My Mind" were recorded in London in the Summer of 1968 as MONO Solo Acoustic Demos.

"Sunshine Sunshine" was one of the tracks that appeared on the Tom Rush album - "Something In The Way She Moves" was the other. "Sunny Skies" was re-recorded for the "Sweet Baby James" album in 1970, while a longer version of "Let It Ride" turned on "Mud Slide Slim & The Blue Horizon" LP in 1971.

"Something In The Way She Moves" was covered by Matthews Southern Comfort on their "Second Spring" album in 1970 (a lovely version) - while Taylor famously returned to "Something..." and "Carolina..." with re-recorded versions on his 1976 "Greatest Hits" set for Columbia Records (these versions are truly beautiful and better known than the Apple originals).

BOOKLET/PACKAGING:

The liner notes are split in two - PETER ASHER explains Taylor's signing and how the album came about - while noted writer and music lover ANDY DAVIS follows this with very informational details on the songs and their history. Unfortunately, like all the other reissues in this series, the booklet is a disappointingly weedy 12-pages (EMI pushes the boat out again people). Having said that, both men do at least fill it with properly informative details, trade adverts, colour photos of a young Taylor and even an 'Internal Memo' from Asher to the US branch of Apple telling them to sign their new discovery. The playing credits are on the last page. Also - when the album was issued in the UK, it originally came with 'orange' lettering on the front cover which was then replaced with 'black' lettering on 1970 represses - the outer digipak has 'black' while the booklet 'orange' - a nice nod towards both issues. The MONO mix of the album is nowhere to be seen and not available as an extra download (nor are any other tracks).

SOUND:

The same team that handled the much-praised 09/09/09 Beatles remasters have done this - GUY MASSEY, STEVE ROOKES, PHIL HICKS and SIMON GIBSON. The audio quality is BEAUTIFUL - a massive improvement. I wish I could say the same of the music...

CONTENT:

As much as I love James Taylor's Warner Brothers albums (who doesn't), this 1968 debut is not great. First is the way it's presented - before each tune is a short musical ditty which flows into the song itself, but mostly it doesn't work - and worse - detracts from the music. Then the song itself is overdone. How to describe this - imagine someone taking one of the quieter acoustic songs off "Tea For A Tillerman" by Cat Stevens or Nick Drake's "Pink Moon" and preceding it with a English choral ditty that doesn't match the track (you can't cue up the beginning of the song because of it). Then it gets funked-up halfway through with brass and heavy-handed drum bits to make it a pop hit - you get the idea. They're not all like this of course ("Something's Wrong" is preceded by "Green Leaves" and is good), but most of the others are ruined with this lead-in gimmick and then an overloaded track.

It's easy of course to point the finger of blame 42 years after the event - Apple were trying to make a commercially viable album at the time (Asher mentions 'over-production' in the liner notes). But had Taylor been left alone or recorded in the States - how different things might have been. As it is, what we do get is a glimpse of that greatness in the shockingly good bonus tracks (two with a band, two alone) - especially the beautifully recorded acoustic demos of "Carolina In My Mind" and "Sunshine Sunshine". The tone of his voice is so sweet - and already he had his 'own' sound that is still recognizable to this day. A whole album of these pared-down band/solo numbers and Apple's belief in him as a 'major' songwriting force would have vindicated ten-fold.

To sum up - the improved sound quality will thrill fans and the bonus tracks are exactly that - bonuses. But "James Taylor" is on the way towards "Sweet Baby James" and "Mud Slide Slim..." and it would take a different country and label to get there...

A nice reissue then - but in a three-star kind of way.

PS: see also my reviews for other releases in this October 2010 series

"That's The Way God Planned It" (1969) and "Encouraging Words" (1970) by Billy Preston, "Doris Troy" (1970), "Is This What You Want?" (1969) by Jackie Lomax, "Magic Christian Music" (1969), "No Dice" (1970), "Straight Up" (1972) and "Ass" (1973) by Badfinger

"A's B's & Rarities" by HOT CHOCOLATE (2004 EMI Gold CD Compilation of UK 7" Singles Between 1969 and 1975) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"A's, B's & Rarities" by HOT CHOCOLATE pretty much does what it says on the tin. This December 2004 EMI Gold CD compilation (out of the UK) contains 20 tracks from the first six years of Hot Chocolate's extraordinary 30-year long chart career.

Covering 1969 to 1975 - most of the songs on here were released on Mickie Most's hugely successful RAK Records label in the UK. Many of these tunes are non-album and 10 make their CD debut on this release. Here are the non-fattening details...

UK released December 2004 – "A's, B's & Rarities" by HOT CHOCOLATE on EMI Gold 560 2172 (Barcode 724356021723) is a 20-track CD compilation of Remasters and plays out as follows (75:16 minutes):

1. Give Peace A Chance

2. Living With Tomorrow

3. Love Is Life

4. Pretty Girls

5. You Could've Been A Lady (Original Single Version)

6. Everybody's Laughing

7. I Believe In Love (Previously Unreleased Stereo Mix)

8. Caveman Billy

9. Mary-Anne

10. Ruth

11. You'll Always Be A Friend

12. Go Go Girl

13. Brother Louie

14. I Want To Be Free

15. Rumours

16. A Man Needs A Woman

17. Emma

18. Makin' Music

19. Blue Night

20. You Sexy Thing (Original Version)

Tracks 1 and 2 are the A&B-sides of their debut UK 7" single on Apple Records APPLE 18 issued Oct 1969

Tracks 3 and 4 are the A&B of Rak Records RAK 103 issued August 1970

Tracks 5 and 6 are the A&B of Rak Records RAK 110 issued February 1971

Tracks 7 and 8 are the A&B of Rak Records RAK 118 issued August 1971

Tracks 9 and 10 are the A&B of Rak Records RAK 127 issued March 1972

Tracks 11 and 12 are the A&B of Rak Records RAK 139 issued October 1972

Tracks 13 and 14 are the A&B of Rak Records RAK 149 issued April 1973

Tracks 15 and 16 are the A&B of Rak Records RAK 157 issued August 1973

Tracks 17 and 18 are the A&B of Rak Records RAK 168 issued March 1974

Tracks 19 and 20 are the A&B of Rak Records RAK 199 issued April 1975

(Tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 18 and 20 are first time on CD)

Their 1st UK 7" single (credited as HOT CHOCOLATE BAND) is an awful reggae version of John Lennon's "Give Peace A Chance" coupled with a slightly better original Tony Wilson/Errol Brown song on the B. As you can see it's on the highly collectable Beatles label APPLE and is a £60+ rarity. The remaining 18 songs were all issued on RAK and as you scan down the names - many of the huge hits will be familiar.

However there are a few things worth noting. "I Believe (In Love)" is a previously unreleased stereo mix, while "Mary-Anne" and its B-side "Ruth" is one of the only times that the soulful Hot Chocolate ventured into bubble-gum pop! Horrifying for a soul group I know but both tracks are actually pretty good.

In the undiscovered gem corner is "Go Go Girl". With its Kinks-style opening guitar riff and rough 'n' ready production, this completely forgotten non-album B-side has recently been played in some London clubs as a 6T's dancer and beat tune (check it out on iTunes). And the ‘honky' talking lines at the end of "Brother Louie" is spoken by Alexis Korner - with John Cameron doing the superb string arrangements - both from the much-loved and revered C.C.S. of “Tap Turns On The Water” fame (another Rak Records label act).

The last curio is Track 20 - the mid 1975 original version of "You Sexy Thing" (RAK 199) and absolutely not the version hot-wired into your wedding dance routines. It was initially put out as a B-side to "Blue Night" - one of Mickie Most's rare mistakes. But as luck would have it – an American DJ flipped the 45 and immediately realised what a funky cracker “You Sexy Thing" was. On the strength of this radio play and public-driven demand - Hot Chocolate then re-recorded the song and released it as the familiar chart hit we all know and love in October of that year (RAK 221). It's been their signature tune ever since. The original version here is excellent - but you can't help feel they made the right choice with the re-released re-recording. And that is of course a bit of an obvious poo-poo here – the version we all love and want is AWOL. Looking at the playing time – it could have been squeezed in – but alas...

Still - the 12-page booklet has superb and detailed liner notes by PHIL HENDRICKS and the sound quality is up there with all EMI releases - clear, warm and punchy.

It's not all Picasso of course and it may be too lightweight-soul for some - but rehearing "Emma", "Brother Louie" and "You Could Have Been A Lady" and so many others in this superb sound quality has been a blast.

So - at under a fiver including P&P - you have to be asking yourself - am I getting enough of what makes me happy - is there Heaven in the back seat of Errol's Cadillac... did it start with a kiss...will I have a Honky in my house... oh stop it.

Recommended...

PS:

Other 70's acts in the "A's B's & Rarities" series are:

THE ARROWS, C.C.S. (see REVIEW), MUD, PILOT and SUZI QUATRO

(All of these artists were on the RAK label except Pilot who were on EMI)