Eight Frames a Second is the debut album by British folk musician Ralph McTell. Released in the UK in 1968, it is notable for being the first record produced by Gus Dudgeon, and the first arranged by Tony Visconti. Unusually for a new artist, the front of the album sleeve contained no reference to either McTell or the album title. The entire album cost £350 in total.[1]
| Eight Frames a Second | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 1968 (UK) May 1969 (US) | |||
| Recorded | October 1967 | |||
| Studio | Pye (London) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 38:54 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Producer | Gus Dudgeon | |||
| Ralph McTell chronology | ||||
| ||||
Track listing
editAll songs composed by Ralph McTell, except where noted.
- Side one
- "Nanna's Song" – 3:05
- "The Mermaid and the Seagull" – 4:05
- "Hesitation Blues" (traditional; arranged by Ralph McTell) – 2:43
- "Are You Receiving Me?" – 3:37
- "Morning Dew" (Bonnie Dobson; arranged by Fred Neil) – 3:10
- "Sleepytime Blues" – 3:50
- Side two
- "Eight Frames a Second" – 3:20
- "Willoughby's Farm" – 2:00
- "Louise" – 3:45
- "Blind Blake's Rag" (traditional; arranged by Ralph McTell) – 1:55
- "I'm Sorry – I Must Leave" – 2:15
- "Too Tight Drag" (Blind Blake) – 2:29
- "Granny Takes a Trip" (Geoff Bowyer, Christopher Joe Beard) – 2:40
Personnel
edit- Ralph McTell – guitar, vocals
- Mac McGann – double-neck guitar
- Mick "Henry VIII" Bartlett – jug
- "Whispering Mick" Bennett – washboard
- Bob Strawbridge – mandolin
- Tony Visconti – arrangements and musical direction
- Technical
- Bobby Davidson – cover photography
- Nickolas Venet – coordinator
Awards and accolades
editRalph McTell was presented with a Gold Disc of Eight Frames a Second during his 60th birthday concert at the Royal Festival Hall in November 2004.[2]
Release history
edit| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1968 | Transatlantic | LP | TRA165 | Mono |
| United States | 1969 | Capitol | LP | ST240 | Remixed to stereo |
| Canada | 1969 | Capitol | LP | ST240 | Remixed to stereo |
| South Africa | 1975 | Logo | LP | LGD6001 | Record 2 of 2-LP set "2 Originals of Ralph McTell" |
| France | 1978 | Transatlantic | LP | TRA89554/5 | Record 1 of 2-LP set. Record 2 is "Spiral Staircase" |
| Australia | 1980 | Transatlantic/ 7 Records |
LP | MLM400 | |
| United Kingdom | 2007 | Transatlantic | CD | TRRCD400 | 'Expanded Edition' with four previously unreleased bonus tracks. |
Many of the tracks on this album also feature on the Spiral Staircase - Classic Songs compilation.
Track variations
editThe LP released in South Africa in 1975 omits "Nanna's Song", "The Mermaid and the Seagull" and "Hesitation Blues", that are included on Record 1 of the 2-LP set.[3]
The UK 2007 CD release includes four bonus tracks:[4]
- 14. "Suzanne" (Leonard Cohen) (1)
- 15. "I Love My Baby" (Traditional; arranged by Ralph McTell) (2)
- 16. "Boodle Am Shake" (Traditional; arranged by Ralph McTell) (2)
- 17. "San Francisco Bay Blues" (Jesse Fuller) (3)
(1) From the original album recording sessions
(2) Live concert recording from 1967
(3) Demo recording with Rick Wakeman (piano).
References
edit- ^ "Eight Frames a Second – Ralph McTell". www.ralphmctell.co.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2022.[title missing]
- ^ Leola Music Ltd. “The London Show”, TPGDVD25, 2005.
- ^ "2 Originals of Ralph McTell" LP sleeve, 1975.
- ^ "Eight Frames a Second" CD inlay, 2007.