More Info
• Rock Workshop’s self-titled 1970 debut album and 1971 follow up ‘The Very Last Time’ re- issued.
• Audio from the album master tapes for the first time ever.
• Includes the first re-issue of the single versions of ‘You To Lose’ and ‘Born In The City’, also taken from the master tapes.
Rock Workshop’s debut album features legendary singer Alex Harvey as one’s of the band’s two lead vocalists alongside Alan Greed. Harvey sings lead on ‘Wade In The Water’ and ‘Hole In Her Stocking’ and also on alternate takes of album tracks ‘You To Lose’ and ‘Ice Cold’, single B side ‘Born In The City’ and originally unreleased track ‘Let My Bluebird Sing’.
This box includes several previously unreleased tracks including the instrumentals ‘People That’s Why’ and ‘Tokyo Drift’ and the excellent pre- first album demo taken from Ray Russell’s archive – ‘When Life Was Simple’ that along with ‘Soul Sisters’ and ‘Watch Your Step’ got the group signed to CBS.
Rock Workshop were formed by guitarist Ray Russell who’d replaced Vic Flick in The John Barry Seven, toured with Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames and led his own jazz group The Ray Russell Quartet. Bringing jazz style improvisation to rock music, Rock Workshop pioneered an innovative and exciting jazz / funk / rock fusion.
Band members include celebrated British Jazz musicians Harry Beckett (trumpet / flugelhorn), Bob Downes (tenor sax / flute), Tony Roberts (tenor sax / flute), Derek Wadsworth (trombone), Daryl Runswick (bass), Alan Rushton (drums) and Robin Jones (congas).
Notes by MOJO magazine’s Lois Wilson include a new interview with band leader and guitarist Ray Russell.
Tracklist
DISC ONE
Rock Workshop
1 You To Lose
2 Wade In The Water
3 Primrose Hill (Theme for Jake)
4 Theme For Freedom
5 Spine Cop
6 Ice Cold
7 Hole In Her Stocking
8 He Looks At Me / Mooncross Grove
PLUS
9 Born In The City (Single Version)
10 You To Lose (Single Version)
11 Let My Bluebird Sing
12 You To Lose (Alternate Take - Alex Harvey vocal)
13 Ice Cold (Alternate Take – Alex Harvey vocal)
14 Wade In The Water (Alternate version) 15 Born In The City (Alternate Version)
16 People That’s Why (Take 8)
DISC TWO
The Very Last Time
1 Living Reason
2 Street War Parts 1 & 2
3 Going Home
4 What’s Mine Is Mine
5 Weeping Wood Mandalas
6 Forgotten How To Live
7 Light Is Light
8 I Think It’s…
9 Ella Banta Dum Bundy
10 Very Last Time (includes Is This The End… Baby?)
PLUS
11 Heavy Weather
12 Ashen Besher
13 Tokyo Drift
14 Street War (Live)
DISC THREE
The Hustler: Alternate Versions, Demos and Outtakes First Demos
1 When Life Was Simple
2 Soul Sisters a.k.a. Patterns
3 Watch Your Step
Live In The Studio
4 Spine Cop (Live Studio Version)
5 Hole In Her Stocking (Live Studio Version)
6 Born In The City (Live Studio Version)
7 You To Lose (Live Studio Version)
8 Primrose Hill (Live Studio Version)
9 Return To Goddess
10 The Hustler a.k.a. Watch Your Step
11 Wade In The Water (Live Studio Version)
12 Ice Cold (Live Studio Version)
13 Spine Cop (Live Studio Version #2)
14 Theme For Freedom (Live Studio Version)
Outtakes
15 People That’s Why (Take 1)
16 Don’t Go Short a.k.a. Hole In Her Stocking (instrumental version)
17 Studio Jam