(1974 Albums) Various Artists – The House That Track Built

I believe I bought this Track Records budget compilation from Woolworths’ music department in Eastleigh.

In terms of a budget compilation it certainly had a LOT going for it. Here’s the track listing….
• The Who – Magic Bus
• Jimi Hendrix Experience – All along the Watchtower
• The Sandpebbles – Love Power
• The Who – Young Man Blues
• The Precisions – If this is Love
• Thunderclap Newman – Wilhemina
• John’s Children – Desdemona
• The Crazy World of Arthur Brown – Fire
• Jimi Hendrix Experience – Purple Haze
• The Parliaments – (I Wanna) Testify
• Fairport Convention – If I had a Ribbon Bow
• The Crazy World of Arthur Brown – Devil’s Grip
• The Who – A Quick One While He’s Away

Track Records was a label set up by The Who’s managers, Chris Stamp &  Kit Lambert, so it’s no wonder that their boys get the lion’s share of cuts, and “Magic Bus” has always been one of my favourite Townshend & Co cuts (outside of the “Quadrophenia” album… more about that in a later post).

For the unaware, John’s Children was an early incarnation of T.Rex’s Marc Bolan. The cut here, “Desdemona“, was actually banned by the BBC when it came out, the lyric “Lift up your skirt and fly” evidently corrupting the youth of Britain. There’s really no doubting Bolan’s distinctive warble in the background is there?

“Fire” is, as this blog has mentioned before, a psychedelic prog rock classic of the very highest order. We tip our (probably flaming) hat to Arthur Brown for that one!

The Sandpebbles “Love Power” was their one and only R&B hit (at least, in the USA), whilst The Precisions – another R&B offering by Track – were probably the only Motown-sounding band from Detroit who weren’t actually signed to Motown!

Let’s face it, Fairport Convention are never worth talking about. 

The Parliaments - that's George Clinton on the right!

However, The Parliaments are hugely notable for being the precursor to Funkadelic & Parliament, all featuring the one and only P-funkmeister; Mr George Clinton. (Many of The Parliaments songs were later re-recorded by both bands after a label dispute was settled in the early 70’s)

Thunderclap Newman had one hit single during their brief career, the sublime “Something in the Air“. Newman himself was a Dixieland jazz pianist, whilst the band featured not only an uncredited Pete Townshend on guitar, but a 15-year-old axe virtuoso, Jimmy McCullogh, who later went on to play in Stone the Crows, Paul McCartney’s Wings and an ill-advised 1977 reformation of The Small Faces. (McCullogh died of a heroin overdose in 1979, aged just 26)

You do have to say though that for the Hendrix and Who tracks alone this album was worth every penny of its entrance fee. Surprisingly, it wasn’t an album I held on to… which in retrospect is one hell of a shame as original UK copies regularly fetch three figure sums on the likes of eBay. (Mainly because it’s the only album where that studio version of The Who’s “Young Man Blues” appears)

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Just to let you know, EFA70sTRO posts will continue to appear a little sporadically for a week or so. This is due to the necessary ‘catch up’ following my battle with the flu. Once again, apologies to all the regular readers out there.

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February 26th 1972

“Bought The House that Track Built”

Until I read this diary entry, I had forgotten all about this compilation album which enticed music buyers to further investigate other stuff released on the Who’s “own” label, Track Records.

I could not have been 100% impressed with it at the time, because I certainly didn’t own it in my later teenage years, so I presumably must have sold it on, or swapped it with someone for something else?

Bit of a shame really, as it’s now worth quite the pretty penny or two. £50 ($100) or so in good condition, to be precise.

But look what it introduced to an easily-influenced 14-year-old boy in 1972!

• The Who – Magic Bus / Young Man Blues / A Quick One While He’s Away
• Jimi Hendrix Experience – All Along The Watchtower / Purple Haze
• The Sand Pebbles – Love Power
• Precisions – This is Love
• John’s Children – Desdemona
• Fairport Convention – If I had A Ribbon Bow
• Thunderclap Newman – Wilhelmina
• The Parliaments – I Wanna Testify
• The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown – Fire / Devil’s Grip

“Magic Bus” and “Fire” remain two of my most enjoyed cuts from the 60’s.

Years later I caught a video of Arthur Brown’s performance of Fire on TV and laughed my head off….

Trivia freaks might like to know that the drummer in the paper bag mask is none other than Carl Palmer from Emerson, Lake & Palmer (oh, and Asia)