Music From Free Creek

Introduction

This is just some notes about why, after nearly fifty years, I bought a copy of the album and a playlist of songs from it.

This is the Wikipedia entry if you want to know a little more.

My Thoughts On The Album

I don't know why I never bought this fiirst time round, maybe I just assumed it was some boring American jam session. I knew Todd Rundgren and Doctor John, and that cover. I only saw it as an outline with eagles.

When my vinyl copy turned I realised it's a naked man with a lage chain (no innuendo intended). Given that this was recorded in 1969 when I was 12, and released in 1973, the usual penchant for record cmpanies was for record companies to feature naked or scantily clad females to sell records.

I suppose this guy is fairly androgenous, but the cover was by Storm Thorgerson's Hypgnosis, who are responsible for so many records in my collection.

While I wanted to listen to side one, the first disc I pulled out was side three and four, so side four it was, and "Working In A Coalmine" was great, but "On The Rebound" originally by Floyd Cramer was so Keith Emerson, and I didn't know Keith was on the album, but he is all over it. I love "Freedom Jazz Dance".

This is the text from the inside of the album, which is a fun and interesting story:

I suppose if I told you that this album cost of a million dollars to make... that practically all of it came out of jamming, without any arrangements.... that we made up most of the tunes on the spot off the top of our heads.... that it took so long to get together that some of the stars playing on it became nobodys, and some of the nobodys became stars.... that at least two major rock 'n roll musicians asked to be on it, after the fact, and we had to turn them down.... that the work of over 300 people is embodied in the album, and only 3 won't let us use their names.... and that it's been so long since we talked with the 3, that they may have changed their minds by now.... that 4 people developed an ulcer because of this album, and have since been cured.... that LINDA RONSTADT is no longer speaking to me.... that when AHMET ERTEGUN called ROBERT STIGWOOD at his ancestral home in London to get permission to use a certain artist's name on the album, lightning struck STIGWOOD'S HOME, sparks flew out of the phone, and they were disconnected.... that. 12 people got engaged during the making of the album, 6 of them then got married, and 4 of them are already divorced.... that it took so long to pay most of the people involved that they went from absolute anger and resentment, to a point of view of hysterical laughter regarding it.... that TODD RUNDGREN's hair, during the course of making it, went from blonde to green to blue to yellow to purple to magenta to crimson, and is now all 7 colours at once.... that during the course of recording and mixing the album we consumed over 670 frankfurters, 900 beers, 1200 hamburgers, 3000 cups of coffee, 496 tunas on rye, 97 club sandwiches, 2100 cokes, 87 sides of coleslaw, 50 yoghurts, 130 servings of fish 'n chips, and over 5000 little tiny things that we can't mention or it will never be released.... that we used enough recording tape to encircle MAMA CASS twice, and the city of Liverpool 4 times, (or is it the other way round). that we had ripped off from us, in the course of making the album, 6 Fender basses, 5 harps, 2 sets of congas, a goika, 2 boxes of snuff, and 36 groupies, two of whom we actually knew by their first names.. that we have on the album, a girl who thinks she's a motorcycle, another, who has eye teeth an inch long, and claims to be a vampire, yet another who talks to dogs, (and sometimes they answer), and still another who insisted on recording the sounds of her rotating and rather large breasts, to the accompaniment of one of the country's leading tabla players.... that we were raided 6 times by the fuzz, and the 4th time we were actually recording. I suppose if I told you all that you'd never believe me

So, okay then this is the way it happened. One night, I think it was a Monday, and it was April, about 50 of us, including many of the world's leading musicians, happened to bump into each other on the corner of 51st Street and Park Avenue in New York City. We had nothing to do, and we all had our axes and the like with us, so we decided to go over to Madison Square Garden. Much to our surprise, Madison Square Garden was empty that night, so they invited us all in, and said why don't you record a big super session album, seeing as THE RECORD PLANT remote truck is still here cleaning up, after recording the Grand Funk Railroad over two months ago. Seizing upon the opportunity we dug right in and jammed the album together. At the end we each vowed to not charge the other for our trouble, the Garden refused to give us a bill, and the RECORD PLANT was intending to throw the crappy tape away anyhow. We then took the crappy tape to the rotten but famous CHARISMA LABEL, and the degenerate BUDDAH GROUP. and found them sitting around wondering what to do with piles and piles of blank vinyl records, and as many unused jacket covers. During the course of all this, someone did send out for coffee. The bill came to $1.30- which, therefore is the cost of this album. The time it took us to record it an hour and a half. We never mixed it.

One of the previous two stories, is absolutely true. But - so what, we just hope you can dig it.

EARLE DOUD

So onto the music now

Some Of The Songs

Cissy Strut

The features Jeff Beck and Todd Rundgren on guitar, and it's made by the Free Creek Horns. A brilliant opener to the album.

This is the full album and has been up here for seven years with 15K views, so this gives you a chance to check out some of the songs I mentioned. "Sympathy For The Devil" is cool too.

Conclusion

This is a class album, and I have been enjoying listening to it for the last two days. "Sympathy For The Devil" is playing, and it is a class instrumental. Moogy Klingman's organ is superb, along with Harvey Mandel's guitar and Larry Packer's violin.

Give it a listen, and thank you for reading.