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John9
Old Love
United Kingdom
2154 Posts |
 Posted - 19/10/2010 : 12:18:33
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Included in the booklet for Rhino's definitive Love Story 1966-72 compilation is an essay from Andrew Sandoval entitled Love: The Elektra Sessions 1966-68. In addition to offering tantalising revelations about Hummingbirds (apparently intended as a b-side) and Wonder People, he mentions a track that was recorded at a session for the first album on 26 January 1966. It had the working title Red Light, Green Light though he goes on to say that it is not clear whether this was ever completed. Obviously, we had to wait another five years for the first two unreleased gems, but does anyone know anything about the other one? I am intrigued especially because of the the fact that Mr Sandoval does not revisit this little mystery in his detailed session notes for the remastered debut album in 2001.
Whist on the unreleased topic, I cannot for the life of me think why Wonder People (aka I Do Wonder)remained on the shelf for so long. It has a strong melody and an exuberant, life affirming brass backing. Obviously Arthur re-recorded it during the 70s but the 1967 version sounds a lot more authentic to me. Perhaps it was thought that its mood was a little too light for the rest of the album..... a friend of mine claims that it it too closely resembles Tom Jones' It's Not Unusual! |
Edited by - John9 on 20/10/2010 12:28:27 |
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Joe Morris
Old Love
3492 Posts |
Posted - 19/10/2010 : 16:02:50
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Wonder People aka I Do WOnder I think originally appeared on a da capo vinyl ep in the mid 70s, albeit with a different band
as for Red Light Green Light don't think it still exists, at least from Andrew Sandroval or whoever has posted on the boards. Can anyone confirm? I can't be bothered to look through the archives
(the archives of this discussion board, NOT Neil Young's Archives!) |
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Joe Morris
Old Love
3492 Posts |
Posted - 19/10/2010 : 16:03:38
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| theres an interview with Andrew on the first few pages of issue 13 of the Castle btw |
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Buffalo
Fourth Love
Canada
132 Posts |
Posted - 19/10/2010 : 17:22:49
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quote:
Originally posted by Joe Morris
Wonder People aka I Do WOnder I think originally appeared on a da capo vinyl ep in the mid 70s, albeit with a different band
as for Red Light Green Light don't think it still exists, at least from Andrew Sandroval or whoever has posted on the boards. Can anyone confirm? I can't be bothered to look through the archives
(the archives of this discussion board, NOT Neil Young's Archives!)
Andrew confirmed to me that no such track (Red Light Green Light) exists in Elekta's vaults and no record of it. According to Jac Holzman, I Do Wonder was left off Forever Changes because it didn't fit the mood of the other tracks nor did it have the same depth of lyric content. |
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Joe Morris
Old Love
3492 Posts |
Posted - 19/10/2010 : 20:04:40
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it seems theres also a great lost album (no not the Kinks) for the group - Johnny recently posted that the tracks that were laid down for Love were recorded before, but now seems to have been mislaid. One assumes that these recordings predate Elektra, so maybe the late Don Conka would be on them?
Oh well. Maybe one day, when we're all old and grey, we'll get every drip and drop from the original group!
Seems to have happened with Syd Barrett; even his "Rhamadan" is out on iTunes, and MAN its bad! Best part of the song is the motorcycle kicking in!
good book B! |
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John9
Old Love
United Kingdom
2154 Posts |
Posted - 19/10/2010 : 20:32:04
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Thanks for this, Buffalo - though I cannot help but feel that Elektra missed a trick somewhere along the line. Here in the UK during the early 70s many people were mystified by what had happened to Arthur's music. This was probably one of the reasons why the Gethsemane myth seemed so alluring. If we had known then that there really had been a song from Forever Changes that had never seen the light of day, then we would all have been salivating like a pack of Pavlov's dogs. As Joe has said, I Do Wonder was re-recorded in 1978 as part of an EP on Da Capo Records. I can remember at least one review over here at that time acclaiming the song as a triumphant return to the heights of Forever Changes. Obviously the writer would not appreciate the irony of what they had written until very much later!
If I had been in Jac Holman's position I would have released I Do Wonder (backed with Hummingbirds) as a powerful, valedictory single once the band had left the label. It really was far too good a song to remain in the can for thirty-five years. After all, in 1970 he did re-release The Byrds' (Beefeaters) early Elektra single from 1964 - presumably in the hope that there would be a market for it.
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Edited by - John9 on 20/10/2010 15:36:31 |
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I Do Wonder
