The Last Puff is an album by British rock band Spooky Tooth, released in 1970.
| The Last Puff | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 1970 | |||
| Recorded | Island, London | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock, Psychedelic rock, Blues rock, Art rock | |||
| Length | 35:15 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer | Chris Stainton, Chris Blackwell | |||
| Spooky Tooth chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C+[2] |
| The Rolling Stone Record Guide |  [3] |
History and critical reaction
editFor the only time in its history, the band was billed as "Spooky Tooth featuring Mike Harrison". The album was released following the departure of co-lead singer and principal songwriter Gary Wright. Wright had left the band in early 1970, following the release of Ceremony in December 1969.
"Something to Say" was co-written by Joe Cocker and appeared on his 1972 album Joe Cocker. Grease Band members Henry McCullough, Chris Stainton and Alan Spenner joined original Spooky Tooth members Harrison, Grosvenor and Kellie to complete the album. The Grease Band members had achieved international prominence the year before, backing Joe Cocker at Woodstock. The album was co-produced by Stainton and Chris Blackwell.
As one reviewer commented, "...Harrison proved more than ready to command center stage in 'Puff'. His interplay with the newly augmented band mimicked the heavy rock-soul vibe Cocker tapped on his debut. That was most obvious in a cover of The Beatles' I Am The Walrus, which provided a thrilling parallel to Cocker's shout-it-to-the-heavens take on "With A Little Help From My Friends" from the year before."[4]
Despite the promise of the album, the band broke up shortly after its release. A year later, McCullough, Stainton and Spenner released the first of two Grease Band albums, while Harrison and Grosvenor both released solo albums.
Track listing
editSide one
edit- "I Am the Walrus" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 6.20
- "The Wrong Time" (Gary Wright, Hugh McCracken)[6] – 5:07
- "Something to Say" (Joe Cocker, Peter Nichols) – 6.05
Side two
edit- "Nobody There At All" (Mike Post, Timothy Martin) – 4.06
- "Down River" (David Ackles) – 5.20
- "Son of Your Father" (Elton John, Bernie Taupin) – 4.02
- "The Last Puff" (Chris Stainton) – 4.15
Personnel
edit- Spooky Tooth
- Mike Harrison – vocals
- Luther Grosvenor – guitar
- Henry McCullough – guitar
- Chris Stainton – piano, organ, guitar, bass
- Alan Spenner – bass
- Mike Kellie – drums
References
edit- ^ Chrispell, James. "The Last Puff - Spooky Tooth | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 13 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Marsh, Dave; Swenson, John, eds. (1983). The New Rolling Stone Record Guide. New York, NY: Random House/Rolling Stone Press. p. 481. ISBN 0-394-72107-1.
- ^ Jim Farber, What Happened to Spooky Tooth?; Music Aficionado. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
- ^ "RPM Magazine - September 26, 1970 - Page 10" (PDF).
- ^ "Spooky Tooth Featuring Mike Harrison – The Last Puff (1970, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. 23 August 1970. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
External links
edit- The Last Puff at Discogs (list of releases)
- Review all allmusic.com