Elton John Sings Nick Drake... The Incredible String Band... John Martyn...

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I bought this really cheap and dodgy looking CD by Elton John once because it had him singing songs by the above artists. Really poor sound quality and apparently sourced from publishing demos. I've been trying to find a tracklisting online and this is as close as I've managed:

1. STORMBRINGER (John Martyn)
2. WAY TO BLUE (Nick Drake)
3. GO OUT AND GET IT (John Martyn)
4. WHEN THE DAY IS DONE (Nick Drake)
5. TIME HAS TOLD ME (Nick Drake)
6. SATURDAY SUN (Nick Drake)
7. SWEET HONESTY (Beverly Martin)
8. YOU GET BRIGHTER (Mike Heron)
9. THIS MOMENT (Mike Heron)

... might be more. Last two tracks are songs from the Incredible String Band's "Wee Tam" and "I Looked Up" albums respectively! Weird.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Saturday, 2 April 2005 15:18 (twenty years ago)

He auditioned as vocalist for King Crimson as well IIRC.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Saturday, 2 April 2005 15:24 (twenty years ago)

As did Bryan Ferry!

― Dadaismus (Dada), Saturday, 2 April 2005 15:30 (twenty years ago)

can u describe the music ?

― jlton eohn, Sunday, 3 April 2005 09:55 (twenty years ago)

http://www.eltonography.com/imports/nick_drake_sessions.html

― jlton eohn, Sunday, 3 April 2005 09:56 (twenty years ago)

I wonder if Drake reciprocated. I'm sure he would've made the line 'If I was a sculptor, but then again no' sound really touching. [warming to my theme here] And I'd love to hear a Nick Drake/acoustic version of Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting.

― Japanese Giraffe (Japanese Giraffe), Sunday, 3 April 2005 12:00 (twenty years ago)

This record is briefly mentioned in the Nick Drake bio. It seems that Island records employed Reg to sing a number of Island artist compositions as publishers demos in order to hawk some of their songs to other labels/artists.. If i remember correctly, there was only a handful of acetates pressed...

― Jack Battery-Pack (Jack Battery-Pack), Sunday, 3 April 2005 12:17 (twenty years ago)

Dada, crunch this and put it on SLSK!

― J (Jay), Sunday, 3 April 2005 15:29 (twenty years ago)

There must be a "reasonably good sound source" for this by now...

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 4 April 2005 07:07 (twenty years ago)

Before becoming famous, Mr. John apparently recorded any number of cover versions - both as Reg Dwight and under any number of other pseudonyms - that appeared on any number of bargain-basement compilations by K-Tel and the like in the early '70's.

There are apparently so many of these that no-one's believed to have a complete and definitive list.

Since his success, various of these numbers that are either known or believed to feature Mr. John have been collected together on any further number of bargain-basement compilations, both official (by K-Tel and the like) and unfofficial (bootlegs).

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 4 April 2005 10:58 (twenty years ago)

six months pass...

oh, my. really wanna hear this. dada, did you ever get this on to slsk??

― god body, Wednesday, 5 October 2005 10:49 (twenty years ago)

xpost A lot were given away as one of those "Double albums" by the Express. Heck, I actually got this.

You know, ten tracks by elt, ten tracks of unsigned peoplesound crappnessie.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 10:52 (twenty years ago)

I have those too.

Mr Osborne is libelling "K-Tel and the like" up there. K-Tel only did original artist comps. The facsimiles that Elt sang on were for tiny, budget labels.

― zebedee (zebedee), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:28 (twenty years ago)

Yes, but they did get collected together, but not by KTel and the like. RPM Records (part of Cherry Red) I think did the first one, credited to Reg Dwight, but when Elton gave his blessing, they reissued it under his nome de rock. Which made it look even cheaper, but there you go.

The only one I had heared previously was "Baby loves lovin" which isn't on that 2CD set.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 11:33 (twenty years ago)

Is this the one that has the quote on the back about "Ravers! Want to be shot so high you'll hit the moon?"

― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 17:10 (twenty years ago)

He did a version of "My Baby Loves Lovin'" the White Plains Britgum song?

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 17:12 (twenty years ago)

different EJ comp, zack - youre looking for this one: http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000034CYE/whizzopresent-20/701-7833697-9758708

― petesmith (plsmith), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 17:15 (twenty years ago)

oh, my. really wanna hear this. dada, did you ever get this on to slsk??

No I didn't. The CD's in "storage" at the moment, I wouldn't mind hearing it again myself to be honest!

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 6 October 2005 08:25 (twenty years ago)

Ah, I see that the CD linked above has 16 tracks, and the one(s) had ten, maybe twelve.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 6 October 2005 08:42 (twenty years ago)

"Mr Osborne is libelling "K-Tel and the like" up there. K-Tel only did original artist comps."

Wasn't it K-Tel who (back in the '70's and '80's) used to regularly release (apparently) bargain-price "compilation" albums; usually with titles that were almost - but not quite - "Top Of The Pops"; usually with covers featuring raunchy (by the prevalent standards of the time) pictures of scantily clad young ladies, presumably in order to distract the prospective purchaser's attention away from the absolute minute message in positively miniscule script, hidden away somewhere on the back cover, that "warned" that the recordings included weren't actually the originals?

Or was that someone else?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 6 October 2005 18:17 (twenty years ago)

My memory's just dredged up the name "Pickwick" - might they be the rascals I'm thinking of?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 6 October 2005 18:31 (twenty years ago)

oh my god I think I used to have this on cassette. And I think I don't have it anymore

*points gun to head*

― Bimble The Nimble, Jumped Over A Thimble! (Bimble...), Friday, 7 October 2005 05:14 (twenty years ago)

Stewart, are you thinking of the "Sessions" label?

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 7 October 2005 05:18 (twenty years ago)

"Pickwick" and "Hallmark" there, Stewart.

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 7 October 2005 07:07 (twenty years ago)

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