Tag Archives: Alan Parsons

The Beatles: Abbey Road

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beatles_-_abbey_road

On September 26, 1969, “Apple Records” label released “Abbey Road” the eleventh Beatles (The) studio album. It was recorded February 22 – August 20, 1969, at “EMI Studios”,  “Olympic Studios”  and  “Trident Studios” in London, and was produced by George Martin. The album recording sessions were the last in which all four Beatles participated. Although “Let It Be” was the final Beatles album before the band’s dissolution in April 1970, most of the album had been recorded before the “Abbey Road” sessions began. The album cover was designed by “Apple Records” creative director Kosh, and It is the only original UK Beatles album sleeve to show neither the artist name nor the album title on its front cover. The cover has become one of the most famous and imitated images in the history of recorded music. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Abbey Road” at number 14 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. The album was certified Diamond in Argentina by “CAPIF”; 3 x Platinum in Australia by “ARIA”; Diamond in Canada by “Music Canada”; Platinum in Germany by “BVMI”; 5 x Platinum in New Zealand by “RMNZ”; 2 x Platinum in UK by “BPI”, and 12 x Platinum in the US by “RIIA”.

Personnel:

  • John Lennon– lead, harmony and backing vocals; lead and rhythm guitars; acoustic and electric pianos, Hammond organ and Moog synthesizer; white noise generator and sound effects; percussion
  • Paul McCartney– lead, harmony and backing vocals; lead, rhythm and bass guitars; acoustic and electric pianos, Hammond organ and Moog synthesizer; sound effects; wind chimes, handclaps and percussion
  • George Harrison– lead, harmony and backing vocals; lead, rhythm and bass guitars; Hammond organ, harmonium and Moog synthesizer; handclaps, percussion
  • Ringo Starr– lead and backing vocals, drums, percussion
  • George Martin– piano, harpsichord, organ, harmonium; percussion, mixing
  • Billy Preston– Hammond organ
  • Mal Evans– “anvil”
  • Something” and “Here Comes the Sun” orchestrated and conducted by George Martin and George Harrison
  • “Golden Slumbers”, “Carry That Weight” and “The End” orchestrated and conducted by George Martin and Paul McCartney
  • Mike Vickers – Moog programming
  • Geoff Emerick – recording, mixing
  • Phil McDonald – recording, mixing
  • Alan Parsons – engineer assistant
  • George Martin – mixing

Track listing:

All tracks by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, except where noted.

  1. Come Together
  2. Something – George Harrison
  3. Maxwell’s Silver Hammer
  4. Oh! Darling
  5. Octopus’s Garden – Ringo Starr
  6. I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
  7. Here Comes the Sun – George Harrison
  8. Because
  9. You Never Give Me Your Money
  10. Sun King
  11. Mean Mr. Mustard
  12. Polythene Pam
  13. She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
  14. Golden Slumbers
  15. Carry That Weight
  16. The End
  17. Her Majesty

Cockney Rebel: The Psychomodo

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Psychomodo

On June 2, 1974, “EMI” label released “The Psychomodo”, the second  Cockney Rebel studio album. It was recorded February – March 1974, at “Morgan Studios”, “Nova Sound Studios” and “Air Studios” in London, and was produced by Alan Parsons and Steve Harley.

Personnel:

  • Steve Harley– vocals
  • Jean-Paul Crocker –electric violin, guitars
  • Milton Reame-James –keyboards
  • Paul Jeffreys– Fender bass
  • Stuart Elliott– drums, percussion
  • Andrew Powell– orchestral and brass arrangements
  • Peter Flanagan, Richard Dodd, Geoff Emerick, John Middleton – engineer
  • Chris Blair – mastering
  • Mick Rock – design, photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Steve Harley.

  1. Sweet Dreams
  2. Psychomodo
  3. Soft
  4. Singular Band
  5. Ritz
  6. Cavaliers
  7. Bed in the Corner
  8. Sling It
  9. Tumbling Down

Paul McCartney & Wings: Red Rose Speedway

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Red_Rose_Speedway

On April 30, 1973, “Apple” label released “Red Rose Speedway”, the second Paul McCartney and Wings album. It was recorded March–June 1972 and September–December 1972, at “Abbey Road Studios”, “Olympic Sound Studios”, “Morgan Studios”,”Trident Studios” and “Island Studio” in London, and was produced by Paul McCartney.

Personnel:

  • Paul McCartney– vocals, piano, bass, guitar, electric piano, mellotron, celeste, Moog synthesizer
  • Linda McCartney– vocals, piano, organ, electric piano, electric harpsichord, percussion
  • Denny Laine– vocals, guitar, bass, harmonica
  • Henry McCullough– guitar, percussion, backing vocals
  • Denny Seiwell– drums, percussion
  • Hugh McCracken– electric guitar
  • David Spinozza– electric guitar
  • Alan Parsons– recording
  • Dixon Van Winkle – recording

Track listing:

All tracks by Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney.

  1. Big Barn Bed
  2. My Love
  3. Get on the Right Thing
  4. One More Kiss
  5. Little Lamb Dragonfly
  6. Single Pigeon
  7. When the Night
  8. Loup (1st Indian on the Moon)
  9. Medley: Hold Me Tight/Lazy Dynamite/Hands of Love/Power Cut

Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon

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Dark_Side_of_the_Moon

On March 1, 1973, “Harvest” label released “The Dark Side of the Moon”, the eighth Pink Floyd studio album. It was recorded June 1972 – January 1973, at “Abbey Road Studios” in London,  engineered by Alan Parsons and produced by David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Richard Wright and Roger Waters. The album topped the “Billboard  Top LPs & Tapes” chart for one week and remained in the charts for 741 weeks from 1973 to 1988. With an estimated of more than 50 million copies sold, it is Pink Floyd’s most commercially successful album and one of the best-selling albums in the history of modern music. In 2012, magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked “The Dark Side of the Moon” at number 43 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. In 2006, “NME” magazine readers ranked the album at number 8 in their “Best Album of All Time” online poll. “The Dark Side of the Moon” was rated at number 29 in “The Observer’s” 2006 list of “The 50 Albums That Changed Music” and 37th in “The Guardian’s” 1997 list of the “100 Best Albums Ever”.

Personnel

  • David Gilmour– vocals, guitars, VCS 3
  • Richard Wright– vocals, keyboards, VCS 3
  • Roger Waters– vocals, bass guitar, VCS 3, tape effects
  • Nick Mason– percussion, tape effects
  • Dick Parry– saxophone
  • Clare Torry– vocals
  • Doris Troy– backing vocals
  • Lesley Duncan– backing vocals
  • Liza Strike – backing vocals
  • Barry St. John – backing vocals
  • Storm Thorgerson – design

Track listing

  1. Speak to Me – Nick Mason, Roger Waters
  2. Breathe – Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright
  3. On the Run – David Gilmour and Roger Waters
  4. Time – Nick Mason, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, David Gilmour
  5. The Great Gig in the Sky – Richard Wright, Clare Torry
  6. Money – Roger Waters
  7. Us and Them – Roger Waters, Richard Wright
  8. Any Colour you Like – David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Richard Wight
  9. Brain Damage – Roger Waters
  10. Eclipse – Roger Waters

Alan Parsons Project: Ammonia Avenue

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The_Alan_Parsons_Project_-_Ammonia_Avenue

On February 7, 1984, “Arista” label released “Ammonia Avenue”, the seventh Alan Parsons Project album. It was recorded in 1983, at “Abbey Road Studios”, and was produced by Alan Parsons.

Personnel:

  • Alan Parsons – vocals, keyboards, programming
  • Colin Blunstone– vocals
  • Ian Bairnson– acoustic and electric guitar
  • Mel Collins– synthesizer, saxophone
  • David Paton– vocals, bass, guitar
  • Stuart Elliott– percussion, drum
  • Eric Woolfson– vocals, keyboards
  • Ken Zidar – vocals, bass
  • Chris Rainbow– vocals
  • Lenny Zakatek– vocals
  • The Philharmonia Orchestra leader – Christopher Warren-Green
  • Storm Thorgerson – design

Track listing:

All tracks by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson.

  1. Prime Time
  2. Let Me Go Home
  3. One Good Reason
  4. Since the Last Goodbye
  5. Don’t Answer Me
  6. Dancing on a Highwire
  7. You Don’t Believe
  8. Pipeline
  9. Ammonia Avenue

Barclay James Hervest: Once Again

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OnceAgain

On February 5,, 1971, “Harvest” label released “Once Again”, the second Barclay James Harvest album. It was recorded October – November 1970, at “EMI Studios” in London, and was produced by Norman Smith. Magazines “Q” & “Mojo” Classic Special Edition ‘’Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock’’, ranked the album at number 39 in its list of “40 Cosmic Rock Albums”.

Personnel:

  • John Lees– vocals, guitars, recorder
  • Les Holroyd– vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards
  • Stuart “Woolly” Wolstenholme– vocals, mellotron, keyboards
  • Mel Pritchard– drums, percussion
  • The Barclay James Harvest Symphony Orchestra
  • Gavin Wright – orchestra leader
  • Robert John Godfrey –  conductor, musical director
  • Alan Parsons– jaw harp

Track listing:

  1. She Said – John Lees, Les Holroyd, Stuart “Woolly” Wolstenholme, Mel Pritchard
  2. Happy Old World – Woolly Wolstenholme
  3. Song for Dying – John Lees
  4. Galadriel – John Lees
  5. Mocking Bird – John Lees
  6. Vanessa Simmons – John Lees
  7. Ball And Chain – Woolly Wolstenholme
  8. Lady Loves – John Lees

Alan Parsons: Try Anything Once

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Alan_Parsons_-_Try_Anything

On October 26, 1993, “Arista” label released”Try Anything Once”, the first Alan Parsons album. It was recorded October 1992 – August 1993, and was produced by Alan Parsons.

Personnel:

  • Alan Parsons– synthesizer, acoustic guitar, bass, flute, backing vocals
  • Jacqui Copland – lead and backing vocals
  • Eric Stewart– vocals
  • Chris Thompson– vocals
  • Jeremy Parsons – guitar
  • Graham Preskett – fiddle, mandolin, violin
  • David Pack– vocals, synthesizer, guitar
  • Ian Bairnson– synthesizer, bass, guitar, pedal steel, backing vocals
  • Andrew Powell – bass, synthesizer
  • Stuart Elliott– synthesizer, drums
  • Richard Cottle – synthesizer, saxophone
  • Philharmonia Orchestra Group

Track listing:

  1. The Three of Me – David Pack, Andrew Powell
  2. Turn It Up – Ian Bairnson
  3. Wine From The Water –  Alan Parsons, Ian Bairnson
  4. Breakaway – Alan Parsons
  5. Mr Time –  Stuart Elliot, Jacqui Copland, Driscoll
  6. Jigue” – Alan Parsons, Andrew Powell
  7. I’m Talkin’ To You – Davis Pack, Andrew Powell
  8. Siren Song  – Ian Bairnson and Musker
  9. Dreamscape – Alan Parsons
  10. Back Against The Wall – Ian Bairnson
  11. Re-Jigue –  Alan Parsons, Andrew Powell
  12. Oh Life – Davis Pack, Alan Parsons