Posts Tagged ‘Atco Records’

VANILLA FUDGE – ” Vanilla Fudge ” 2LP Packages 1967 Debut Re-Issue

Posted: January 14, 2021 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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At the emerging period of psychedelia, Vanilla Fudge started with an exemplary debut set that produced the classic track, “You Keep Me Hanging On”. This song was a claim to fame and legitimized the band going forward. Unfortunately, Vanilla Fudge never surpassed their debut in sales or hit singles, although a great cover of Donovan’s “Season of the Witch” was on the band’s second album. By 1970, Vanilla Fudge was finished after five albums.

The Vanilla Fudge story begins in 1967 when the producer and songwriter George “Shadow” Morton heard the band–then composed of vocalist-keyboardist Mark Stein, drummer Carmine Appice, guitarist Vinny Martell and bassist Tim Bogert performed the song that would become their signature tune, a slow and heavy cover of the 1966 Supremes hit “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” at The Action House in Long Island, New York. Morton quickly arranged for the group to record the song, which led to the band signing with Atlantic Records’ Atco imprint.

This time Vanilla Fudge scored a No#6 pop hit, Their self-titled debut album followed shortly thereafter and, virtually overnight, the band found itself headlining major bills on both coasts as the album reached No#6 on the sales chart. “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” was released as a single in July ’67 one year after the Supremes had took it to top spot, One year later, though a follow-up album was selling, the song was re-released as a single, and rose quickly up the chart.

Morton went on to produce the second and third Fudge albums, 1968’s The Beat Goes On and Renaissance, both of which continue their rise into the rock stratosphere. Soon, the band was touring with every major rock act, from Jimi Hendrix to Cream to Led Zeppelin, who remarkably had opened for Vanilla Fudge on their very first U.S. tour back in 1968 and early ’69.

After an exhaustive non-stop schedule between 1967 and 1970, the band went on hiatus as Bogert and Appice formed another classic rock band, Cactus. By 1972, the pair joined superstar guitarist Jeff Beck to form the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice. Their 1973 self-titled album included their cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” with Bogert singing lead.

Vanilla Fudge had numerous reunion albums and tours. A 2015 album, Spirit of ’67, featured original members Appice, Martell and Mark Stein, as well as bassist Pete Bremy replacing Bogert, who retired from touring in 2008.

Tim Bogert, who died of cancer. (January 13, 2021) Bogert was 76, he was the bass guitarist for the hard rock bands the Vanilla Fudge and Cactus, and later as part of a trio with Jeff Beck and Carmine Appice, The news was shared by Appice, his frequent bandmate and friend for over 50 years, on his Facebook page, calling Bogert “a one of a kind bass player.”
Appice’s tribute continued. “He was as masterful at shredding as he was holding down a groove, and Tim introduced a new level of virtuosity into rock bass playing. No one played like Tim. He created bass solos that drove audiences to a frenzy every time he played one. And he played a different solo every night. He was the last of the legendary 60’s bass players.

“I loved Tim like a brother. He will be missed very much in my life. I will miss calling him, cracking jokes together, talking music and remembering the great times we had together, and how we created kick-ass music together.” reports that at the time of his death Bogert had been working with Beck and Appice on a live album project.

Audio specialists at Mobile Fidelity will do the classic Vanilla Fudge debut proud by reissuing the title on a limited edition 180g-weight 2LP package, newly remastered and pressed at 45RPM. Even better, MoFi will release a limited edition SACD of the album (with a CD layer allowing play in most CD players). The 2LP set is limited to 3000 copies, while the SACD edition is limited to 2000 copies. The sound is in Mono.

IRON BUTTERFLY – ” In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida “

Posted: January 10, 2021 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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That wasn’t supposed to be the title, of course. In one of the most oft-told tales of happy mistakes in rock, Iron Butterfly member Doug Ingle was so drunk on cheap wine that when he played his new song, “In the Garden of Eden” for a band mate it came out as “In-a-Gadda-Da Vida.” The band decided to keep it that way, and a classic hard-rock song was born. The track, more than 17 minutes on the album of the same name, slashed down for the single, is often considered one of the seminal tunes of heavy metal ever.

The band formed in San Diego in 1966, with Ingle on vocals and organ, along with Jack Pinney (drums), Greg Willis (bass) and Danny Weis (guitar). Another singer, Darryl DeLoach, who also played tambourine, soon joined them, and Jerry Penrod replaced Willis on bass before they were signed to a recording contract. Ingle has said that the band’s name was supposed to indicate a contrast between weighty and light, but no one will ever accuse Iron Butterfly of being too soft. From the start, they were going for something louder and more primal and aggressive than other bands of the day, and they titled their debut album “Heavy”, released on Atco Records in 1968, just to get the point across.

That album reached #78 early in the year and by the summer of ’68 the group was already set to release its sophomore LP. “In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida”released on June 14th, 1968, and featuring the quartet of Ingle, guitarist Erik Brann, drummer Ron Bushy and bassist Lee Dorman—took its name from its title track, which occupied all of Side B on the original vinyl LP. Most of that time was given over to a post-psychedelic jam that dovetailed with the improvisational music that was being played at ballrooms in the U.S. and abroad and would soon be taken to new extremes by groups that would fall into the just-emerging heavy metal category.

Lyrically, other than the misheard title phrase, there really wasn’t much to “In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida.” It could have been a  ’50s love song. They sang:

“In a gadda da vida, honey
Don’t you know that I’m lovin’ you
In a gadda da vida, baby
Don’t you know that I’ll always be true”

The chorus, too, was hardly profound:

“Oh, won’t you come with me
And take my hand
Oh, won’t you come with me
And walk this land
Please take my hand”

But it was all in the presentation, and Iron Butterfly found their audience with their second album and its center piece. The album, recorded on Long Island, rose to No#4 on the BillboardLP chart, while the single, was edited down to a more radio-friendly 2:52, found its way to onto that chart. Not all rock fans were swayed: “In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida,” and Iron Butterfly itself, were divisive: you either loved the song or despised it. The single and album signalled a shift in rock away from the more flowery, psychedelic sound that flourished at the Monterey Pop Festival and San Francisco’s rock palaces toward something more head-battering.

Nonetheless, “In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida” quickly established itself as a rock classic and when the band performed the song live, they often extended it even beyond the 17-minute mark, reportedly reaching a half-hour at times. The In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida album has been certified multi-platinum, reportedly selling more than 30 million copies total. (Iron Butterfly was, in fact, the first-ever group to receive an RIAA platinum album award.)

Iron Butterfly continued to find success for some years after 1968. Their next album, 1969’s “Ball”, and the group was scheduled to play Woodstock Festival but missed the gig when the helicopter meant to transport them to the site failed to show up. The 1970 “Live” album included a 19-minute version of followed just a few months later by the album “Metamorphosis”.

But as the ’70s unfurled, and other trends and bands came into the picture, audiences moved on. Iron Butterfly disbanded in 1971 but by ’74 a new line-up had revived the name, and they’ve never gone away. To this day there is an Iron Butterfly band, featuring one early member, Ron Bushy—although there has been no new Iron Butterfly album release in more than four decades.

Announced is a 7CD Box Set “Anthology” of material by legendary acid prog band Iron Butterfly ‘Unconscious Power – An Anthology 1967-1971’ features all of the albums issued on Atco, newly re-mastered from the original master tapes, plus rare mono mixes previously unreleased on CD, along with two CDs of recordings made at the Fillmore East in New York City in 1968. It also includes all of the band’s US non-album singles and single edits and a lavishly illustrated booklet.

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RORY GALLAGHER – ” Shrine Auditorium Los Angeles CA ” November 18th 1976

Posted: June 14, 2020 in MUSIC
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He never received the due he deserved, but blues guitarist Rory Gallagher was Ireland’s answer to Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Emerging in 1969 as the leader of a blues/rock power trio Taste (they were signed by Ahmet Ertegun to Atco Records in 1968, but were overshadowed at the label by acts like Cream, Blind Faith and Led Zeppelin), the group made three albums before disbanding in 1970, in order for Gallagher to go solo.

By the time he embarked on the ’76 tour Gallagher had expanded his power trio to a four-piece band with the addition of Lou Martin on piano, organ and synths. They blast off with “Moonchild,” which borrows heavily from the riff The Moody Blues used in their hit, “The Story In Your Eyes.” Next up is “Secret Agent” (a different song than the one made famous by Johnny Rivers with the same name). The show moves forward with “Calling Card,” which was Gallagher’s new LP at the time. The rest of the show is a mix of tracks from Calling Card and staples that had long been part of his set list, including “Souped-Up Ford,” “Western Plain,”(featuring Gallagher on acoustic guitar), and the balls-out rocker, “I Take What I Want,” (which nicks The Beatles’ riff from “I Feel Fine” during Gallagher’s solo).

By the late 1970s, Gallagher’s brand of blues rock fell out of favor with radio programmers, and like artists such as Robin Trower and Steve Marriott, he had to focus on a smaller, but fiercely loyal, following. Although he never received the worldwide recognition of Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, and Jimmy Page, he certainly deserves to be remembered for the many excellent albums and tours he had during his career. Sadly, he died after receiving a liver transplant in 1995 at the age of 47.

Rory Gallagher – vocals, guitars, harmonica; Gerry McAvoy – bass; Rod De’ath – drums, percussion; Lou Martin – keyboards

DELANEY & BONNIE – ” Home / Together “

Posted: April 23, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Delaney & Bonnie were the American musical duo of singer/songwriters Delaney Bramlett and Bonnie Bramlett. In 1969 and 1970, they fronted a rock/soul ensemble, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, whose members at different times included Duane Allman, Gregg Allman, George Harrison, Leon Russell, Bobby Whitlock, Dave Mason, Rita Coolidge, King Curtis, and Eric Clapton.

Bonnie Bramlett, started as a backing singer for blues artists that included Little Milton, Albert King and Fontella Bass and gained attention as a history maker as being the first white Ikette for Ike & Tina Turner. Wanting to spread her wings she moved to Los Angeles, met up with Delaney Bramlett who was with The Shindogs and married him just days after their first meeting in 1967. Their daughter Bekka who was born the following year is herself an extremely successful singer. She and her husband became the duo Delaney & Bonnie who became one of the first successful white R&B acts and soon they would tour with Eric Clapton and perform with artists such as Dave Mason, Rita Coolidge , Leon Russell, Duane Allman, John Lennon and George Harrison where they would be known as Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. Seeing success in the charts the songs they are most known for now are possible “Only You Know and I Know” and “Never-Ending Song of Love”.

Also following her own solo career, she and Leon Russell co-wrote the song “Give Peace a Chance” and “Groupie” which would change it’s name to “Superstar” and be a huge 1971 hit for The Carpenters.

Delaney Bramlett passed away in December 2008, He learned the guitar in his youth. He moved to Los Angeles in 1959 where he became a session musician. His most notable early work was as a member of the Shindogs, the house band for the ABC-TV series Shindig! (1964–66), which also included guitarist and keyboardist Leon Russell. He was the first artist signed to Independence Records.

She and Delaney divorced in 1973.

Delaney Bramlett and Leon Russell had many connections in the music business through their work in the Shindogs and formed a band of solid, if transient, musicians around Delaney & Bonnie. The band became known as “Delaney & Bonnie and Friends”, because of its regular changes of personnel. They secured a recording contract with Stax Records and completed work on their first album, Home, in 1968.

 

D&B Together

The title of this album’s more than a little ironic because the principals’ had separated before the end of a series of events during which the record’s original configuration, titled Country Life, was refused release and the couple’s contract was transferred to Columbia Records.Ultimately released with a modified track sequence,  the dozen cuts include what’s arguably their most famous number, “Comin’ Home” (its guitar refrain courtesy Clapton), a bonafide hit of their own in the form of Dave Mason’s “Only You Know And I Know,” plus the original version of a song  subsequently made famous (in a decidedly sterilized interpretation) by The Carpenters, “Groupie (Superstar).”Reaffirmed with the addition of half a dozen bonus tracks, the gospel and r&b elements of Delaney and Bonnie’s musical approach are in full-flower here, as well as a stylistic departure in the form of the original title cut that, as a baroque waltz adorned with strings, might well have allowed for further expansion of the pair’s already eclectic style.

D&B Together 1972 album was their last album of new material, as Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett would divorce soon after its release. Although released by Columbia/CBS (catalog no. KC 31377), D&B Together was actually recorded for the Atco/Atlantic label, under the working title Country Life. According to his autobiography Rhythm and the Blues, Atlantic executive Jerry Wexler was dissatisfied with the album’s quality upon its delivery to the label, and, upon investigating the situation and discovering Delaney and Bonnie were splitting up, sold their contract – including this album’s master tapes – to CBS. CBS reordered the running sequence of the album. On reflecting on the matter in 2003, Delaney Bramlett was quoted as saying “I thought [D&B Together] was a fine piece of work, so did Bonnie. Unfortunately, Jerry Wexler didn’t agree.”

Delaney and Bonnie’s “Friends” of the band’s 1969-70 heyday also had considerable impact. After the early 1970 breakup of this version of the band, Leon Russell recruited many of its ex-members, excepting Delaney, Bonnie and singer/keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, to join Joe Cocker’s band, participating on Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen recording sessions and North American tour (March–May 1970; Rita Coolidge’s version of “Groupie (Superstar)” was recorded with this band while on tour). Whitlock meanwhile joined Clapton at his home in Surrey, UK, where they wrote songs and decided to form a band, which two former “Friends”/Cocker band members, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon, would later join. As Derek And The Dominos, they recorded the landmark album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970) with assistance on many tracks from another former “Friend,” lead/slide guitarist Duane Allman. Derek and the Dominos also constituted the core backing band on George Harrison’s vocal debut album All Things Must Pass (1970) with assistance from still more former “Friends”: Dave Mason, Bobby Keys and Jim Price.

DELANEY and BONNIE & FRIENDS – ” On Tour With Eric Clapton “

Posted: April 22, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Hindsight may be less than favorable concerning the super-group phenomenon, but Delaney and Bonnie’s efforts represent the most complementary and productive examples of the communal creativity at the heart of this approach, one which crystallized in the brief roadwork captured. On Tour with Eric Clapton recently released in an expanded edition; it’s little wonder this group, headed primarily by Delaney, went on to supervisor EC’s eponymous solo debut (see Bracelet’s mix, markedly different and arguably superior to, than official producer Tom Dowd’s, included in the Deluxe Edition CD set of that album).

   

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On Tour with Eric Clapton-Expanded Edition The four CDs in this set originally comprised a Very high-priced, limited edition package, the design of which replicated an equipment road-case. The cover artwork here mirrors that and, presumably, a pristine sound mix courtesy Bill Inglot and Dan Hersch that pulses with no small measure of the excitement in those moments.Including extensive historical notes by Bud Scoppa taken from perspectives as varied as Bonnie Bramlett herself and engineer Glyn Johns, as well as technical notes, the newly-issued set turns into a true labor of love that’s worth the dramatically reduced price. The complete concert from the Royal Albert Hall in London accompanies composites and further complete later shows on the seven-day tour; and while not surprisingly, there’s more than a little overlap, the ostensible redundancy really serves to further illustrate how infectious are these performances. And while Eric Clapton’s participation is limited to the sideman role he preferred at that time, he does take a lead vocal on “I Don’t Know Why” and there’s no mistaking what his guitar work adds to this roiling eclectic mix of vocals, keyboards, horns (trumpeter Jim Price and saxophonist Bobby Keys who went on to play with the Rolling Stones) and a redoubtable rhythm section.Given the durability and spirit of the setlist, including The Spencer Davis Group’s “Gimme Some Lovin’,” “Only You Know and I Know,” (composed by ex-Traffic member Dave Mason, whose presence in the band is given short shrift) and most conspicuously “Coming Home” with its clarion call guitar figure, it really no surprise it didn’t change much night tonight.

As no pictures of Delaney and Bonnie were deemed good enough for the album cover, a photo was used instead of a Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn in a desert, reportedly taken by manager Barry Feinstein while working as a photographer covering a Bob Dylan tour in 1966. Dylan’s feet are those hanging from the car window.

On Tour was re-issued in 2010 as four-disc box set, packaged in a mock road case containing the complete performance from the Royal Albert Hall, plus a composite of the next night’s performances at Colston Hall in Bristol, and both the early and late shows from the tour’s final stop at Fairfield Halls in Croydon. George Harrison played slide guitar on the English leg of the tour that followed the Albert Hall performance, as well as in Scandinavia, therefore he doesn’t appear on the first disc but does on the other three.

On Tour with Eric Clapton is a 1970 album by Delaney & Bonnie with Eric Clapton, recorded live at the Fairfield Halls, England. Released on Atco Records, The album features Delaney and Bonnie’s best-known touring band, including Eric Clapton, Jim Gordon, Carl Radle, Bobby Whitlock, and Dave Mason. Many of the players on this album would later go on to work with George Harrison on his post-Beatles debut album All Things Must Pass and with Clapton on his solo debut. The horn players Bobby Keys and Jim Price would play on the albums Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St by the Rolling Stones, and join them for their 1972 STP Tour. Whitlock, Radle, and Gordon would form with Clapton his band Derek and the Dominos for Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.

The album has received highly positive reviews, with many critics suggesting the album is superior to Clapton’s prior project (Blind Faith) . In the Rolling Stone Album Guide, the album is described as “a triumph”, which is attributed to the fact the band was “one of the best” in “rock and roll”. Writing for Rolling Stone, Mark Kemp said the album contained “wicked performances of the kind of country and boogie that would define Southern rock”.Mojo described the album as “one of the two Rosetta Stones of roots rock’n’roll”.

The Band:
Bonnie Bramlett — vocals
Delaney Bramlett — guitars, vocals
Eric Clapton — lead guitars, vocals
Rita Coolidge — backing vocals
Jim Gordon — drums, percussion
George Harrison (under the pseudonym L’Angelo Misterioso) – guitars (discs two — four of box set only)
Tex Johnson – percussion
Bobby Keys — saxophone
Dave Mason — guitars
Carl Radle — bass guitar
Jim Price — trombone, trumpet
Bobby Whitlock — organ, keyboards, vocals

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DRIVE BY TRUCKERS – ” The Unraveling “

Posted: January 18, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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The kings of country-rock and outspoken wisdom, Drive-By Truckers, are returning this year with their 12th studio album, following 2016’s American Band and the 2018 release of the long-lost Adam’s House Cat album Town Burned Down, which featured Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley before their Truckers days. “The Unraveling” arrives after a prolonged period of writer’s block for Hood and Cooley, easily one of the most impressive songwriting pairs in music’s recent history ). On The Unraveling, they pick up right where American Band left off, with searing political commentary and a sharp look at the harsh realities of modern American life.

“The past three-and-a-half years were among the most tumultuous our country has ever seen,” Hood said in a press statement, “and the duality between the generally positive state of affairs within our band while watching so many things we care about being decimated and destroyed all around us informed the writing of this album to the core.” And there you have it. It’s a new decade, but the Truckers remain dedicated to the same cause: relaying the truth—no matter how difficult it is to speak—by way of deep-rooted, multifaceted and, perhaps most importantly, southern rock ‘n’ roll.

From “The Unraveling” out January 31st, 2020

Band Members
Patterson Hood,
Mike Cooley,
Brad Morgan,
Jay Gonzalez,
Matt Patton,

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BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD – ” Whats That Sound The Complete Albums Collection ” Reissues

Posted: May 12, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Buffalo Springfield Album Art

Before playing their final show on May 5th, 1968, Buffalo Springfield released three studio albums on ATCO during an intense, two-year creative burst. Those albums – Buffalo Springfield, Buffalo Springfield Again, and Last Time Around have all been newly remastered from the original analog tapes under the auspices of Neil Young for the new boxed set: WHAT’S THAT SOUND? THE COMPLETE ALBUMS COLLECTION.

The set includes stereo mixes of all three albums, plus mono mixes for Buffalo Springfield and Buffalo Springfield Again, and all  will be available on June 29th from Rhino Records as a five-CD set. High resolution streaming and downloads will be available through www.neilyoungarchives.com.

On the same date, the albums will also be released for the first time ever on 180-gram vinyl as part of a limited-edition set of 5,000 copies . The 5-LP box features the same mono and stereo mixes as the CD set, presented in sleeves and gatefolds that faithfully re-create the original releases.

Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Richie Furay, Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin played their first show together as Buffalo Springfield in 1966. The same year, the band recorded and released its self-titled debut, which included the iconic protest song, “For What It’s Worth,” featuring lyrics as poignant now as they were then, in addition to standouts like “Burned,” “Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It,” and the band’s first single, “Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing.”

The group spent the first half of 1967 making Buffalo Springfield Again, which was the first album to feature songs written by Furay (“A Child’s Claim To Fame.”) Stills and Young both contributed some all-time classics with “Bluebird” and “Rock And Roll Woman” from Stills, and “Mr. Soul” and “Expecting To Fly” from Young.

When Last Time Around came out in July 1968, the band members were in the midst of transitioning to new projects: Stills famously joined David Crosby and Graham Nash in CSN; Young went solo; and Furay started Poco with Jim Messina, who produced Last Time Around and played bass on two of the songs. Highlights abound on the album with Young’s “I Am A Child,” Furay’s “Kind Woman” and Stills’ “Uno Mundo.”

DELANEY & BONNIE & FRIENDS – ” Motel Shot ” EXPANDED EDITION

Posted: August 15, 2017 in MUSIC
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First time this classic album could potentially be reissued on vinyl in the US since its original release on Atco Records in 1971. The ROG edition would come with unique and alternate cover art originally only issued in France.
• If voted in, this expanded ROG edition will include an additional LP of acoustic outtakes from the sessions, recorded in hotel rooms while the band was on tour. The material has never been issued on vinyl.
• Taken from the highest quality sources, this album would have lacquers cut at Sam Phillips Recording Service in Memphis
• The ROG edition would be pressed on 180g black vinyl at Record Industry in the Netherlands and come in a gatefold tip-on Stoughton sleeve, creating THE definitive vinyl version of this release
• Each LP will be individually numbered and strictly limited based on pre-orders

Delaney & Bonnie were a pioneering musical duo and married singer-songwriter couple, known as Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett that fronted a rock & soul ensemble called Delaney & Bonnie & Friends in the late 60s and 1970s. The “Friends” part included a laundry list of legendary performers such as Duane Allman, Gregg Allman, George Harrison, Leon Russell, Bobby Whitlock, Dave Mason, Rita Coolidge, King Curtis, and of course, Eric Clapton. Delaney was from Mississippi and was an accomplished guitarist and singer. His earliest work included playing for the Shindig! TV series house band with Leon Russell. Bonnie was from Alton, Illinois, near St. Louis, and was an amazing singer performing with Albert King at 14 and Ike & Tina Turner at 19 years of age. She met and married Delaney when she moved to Los Angeles in 1967. The duo secured a recording contract with Stax in 1969 and released their debut album, Home. Despite excellent production and session assistance from Isaac Hayes and Donald “Duck” Dunn, the album was not successful commercially and suffered similar distribution woes as other Stax albums of the late 60s and early 70s. Delaney & Bonnie signed with Elektra Records for their follow up album, Accept No Substitute, issued in 1969. Despite not selling well, it created a buzz in music industry circles and caught the attention of one George Harrison who offered D&B a contract with Apple Records. The duo signed with Apple despite their prior commitment to Elektra, the Apple contract was voided and this caused tension between the group and Elektra who were eventually released from their contract in late 1969. At the behest of George Harrison, Eric Clapton took Delaney & Bonnie & Friends on the road in mid-1969 as the opening act for Blind Faith. Clapton became good friends with Delaney, Bonnie and their band and preferred their music over what he was doing with Blind Faith. Impressed with their live performance, he would often join them on stage and continued to record and perform with them following the demise of Blind Faith in August of 1969. Clapton helped get the band a record deal with his then-US label, Atco Records and even performed on their third album: On Tour with Eric Clapton. Released in the US in 1970, this would be their most successful release, reaching number 29 on the Billboard album chart and achieving RIAA gold status. Clapton also recruited Delaney & Bonnie and their band to back him on his debut solo album, which was consequently produced by Delaney. The band continued to release well-regarded, modest selling records through their entire career. “Motel Shot” is their fourth studio album released in 1971, their third release for Atco Records and their fifth album overall. The album’s title refers to the impromptu, late-night jam sessions that touring musicians would get into while on the road. The album reached #65 on the Billboard album chart and includes Delaney & Bonnie’s biggest chart single, “Never Ending Song of Love,” which peaked at #13. Guest musicians on the album include Leon Russell, Joe Cocker, Duane Allman, Dave Mason, John Hartford, Clarence White, Gram Parsons and Bobby Whitlock. The band attempted to record the impromptu jam session in engineer Bruce Botnick’s living room but ended up doing it over in a recording studio. The performances are mostly acoustic and the song choices are mostly traditional gospel, blues and country standards. Eight of those impromptu, acoustic jam tracks will be included on this deluxe ROG edition for the first time on vinyl if this title wins the popular vote. By late 1971, Delaney & Bonnie’s often tempestuous relationship began to fall apart. Their next album, “Country Life” was rejected by Atco and the label decided to sell their recording contract to CBS including the master tapes to Country Life. The album was released by CBS in 1972 and it would be the duo’s last album of new material. They eventually divorced in 1973. Both went on to release solo albums and Delaney passed away in 2008, only months before releasing his final solo album, “A New Kind of Blues.” Extremely influential before their time, Eric Clapton has been quoted as saying that Delaney Bramlett taught him everything he knew about singing. Delaney has also been cited as teaching George Harrison how to play slide guitar.

Track listing:
Side A
1 Where the Soul Never Dies (Traditional) 3:25
2 Will the Circle Be Unbroken (A.P. Carter) 2:42
3 Rock of Ages (Traditional) 2:15
4 Long Road Ahead (Delaney Bramlett-Bonnie Bramlett-Carl Radle) 3:25
5 Faded Love (Bob Willis -Johnnie Willis) 4:03
6 Talkin’ About Jesus (Traditional) 6:40
Side B
1 Come On In My Kitchen (Woody Payne-Robert Johnson) 2:43
2 Don’t Deceive Me (Please Don’t Go) (Chuck Willis) 3:53
3 Never Ending Song of Love (Delaney Bramlett) 3:20
4 Sing My Way Home (Delaney Bramlett) 4:07
5 Going Down the Road Feeling Bad (Traditional arranged by Delaney Bramlett) 5:10
6 Lonesome and A Long Way From Home (Delaney Bramlett-Bonnie Bramlett-Leon Russell) 4:00
Side C
1 I’ve Told You For the Last Time (Eric Clapton) 4:20
2 Long Road Ahead (alternate take) (Delaney Bramlett-Bonnie Bramlett-Carl Radle) 3:39
3 Gift of Love (Delaney Bramlett-Mac Davis) 3:15
4 Come On In My Kitchen (alternate take) (Woody Payne-Robert Johnson) 3:39
Side D
1 Blues (Delaney Bramlett) 6:00
2 Lonesome and A Long Way From Home (alternate take) (Delaney Bramlett-Bonnie Bramlett-Leon Russell) 5:29
3 What A Friend We Have in Jesus (Joseph M. Scriven) 2:50
4 Farther Along (J.R. Baxter) 3:40