Description
A meticulously crafted reproduction of the world’s only extremely rare mono DJ sample LP! As part of a “super rare reissue project” related to Eric Clapton, we are releasing an extremely rare mono DJ sample LP that was produced in very limited quantities only in the United States in 1970, with no general sale whatsoever, and was distributed only to radio stations. This work is a CD version of the DJ sample mono version of the live album “DELANEY AND BONNIE AND FRIENDS ON TOUR WITH ERIC CLAPTON,” which was released in the United States in 1970. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, records and radio were common for listening to music in ordinary households, but at that time, stereo records were just beginning to appear, and equipment that could only play in mono was still the mainstream. Radio also reflected this, and mono broadcasting was the mainstream at the time, but this album was released only on stereo LP in the US and UK. However, in the United States, the ATCO label went to the trouble of producing a very small number of mono versions suitable for mono broadcasting on radio stations and distributed them to radio stations throughout the United States. In other words, it was a completely non-commercial item, but over the years, radio station staff and related personnel occasionally let go of copies as they cleared out their inventory, and these copies began to appear on the used record market. Naturally, as a limited, non-commercial, extremely rare record, it has continued to be traded at premium prices in the used record market, and this continues to this day. The longer the years go by, the more its rarity increases, and the price skyrockets. This time, our store borrowed a DJ sample mono version of “DELANEY AND BONNIE AND FRIENDS ON TOUR WITH ERIC CLAPTON” from a veteran rock enthusiast, and used high-end analog and digital equipment to create a CD that is faithful to the original. Looking at the actual item, the jacket is labeled “stereo” (meaning that they couldn’t afford to produce a jacket for the mono version and reused the jacket from the regular version), but there is a sticker attached that says “dj/copy monoural”. The record label is white and printed with the Atco mark, title, track listing, and “SAMPLE COPY NOT FOR SALE.” It is a mono-only label, lacking the “SD” prefix usually found at the beginning of the catalog number. Furthermore, the matrix number is completely different from the standard distribution PR factory pressings/stereo records (“ST-C-701831 PR/ST-C-701832 PR”), instead being “ST-C-13295 PR/STC-C-13296 PR.” In short, the mono version is extremely rare because it was manufactured using a completely different process than the standard version, and it is a valuable recording that has never been released on CD before. When converting to CD, there was a lot of needle popping due to it being a vintage record, but since removing all the popping would affect the sound, only the most noticeable pops were pinpointed and meticulously corrected. There are also several distorted sections, but these could not be improved even with adjustment of the tracking force on a high-sensitivity cartridge, so they were left as is (this is not due to input overload during digital conversion). Furthermore, at 5:55 in “Comin’ Home,” there is a point where the sound drops out only in the right channel, but this is thought to be due to the master recording, so it has been left as is. This CD release allows you to easily listen to the mono version that could only be heard on American radio at the time, in the best possible environment today. Enjoy this album and take a trip back in time to the homes of people listening to the radio in America in the 1970s! About Delaney & Bonnie Now, for those who are hearing the artist name “Delaney & Bonnie” for the first time, let me briefly explain who Delaney & Bonnie were. Delaney Bramlett (born in 1939), who was active as the guitarist and vocalist of the house band for “Shindig,” a live music program broadcast nationwide from a Los Angeles television station in the 1960s, met Bonnie Lynn (born in 1944), who was a member of the Ikettes, the backing vocal group for Ike & Tina Turner, and they got married in just a few days. Delaney, a Mississippi native steeped in blues and soul, and Bonnie, the first white singer to be hired by the Ikettes, were clearly on the same wavelength, so it’s no surprise they hit it off. The two assembled a backing band of talented studio musicians and began performing as a group, steadily releasing albums. Jerry McGee (guitar) and Jim Keltner (drums) were also members of this band at one point, and Dave Mason, influenced by them, also moved to the US and joined the band for a time (he was Clapton’s predecessor). Then, in the late 1960s, George Harrison, who had moved to the US, saw Delaney & Bonnie perform at the Snoopy Club in LA and was so impressed that he told his close friend Clapton about them after returning home. Around that time, Alan Pariser, an industry insider who had played Clapton a tape of The Band’s “Music From Big Pink” during Cream’s American tour in 1967, sent Clapton a test pressing of Delaney & Bonnie’s “Accept No Substitute.” At this time, Pariser had become Delaney & Bonnie’s manager. Clapton was shocked when he heard it and immediately nominated them to open for Blind Faith on their upcoming US tour. This was in 1969. After actually seeing their performance on tour, Clapton began spending more time with Delaney & Bonnie’s band than with his own band members. After the tour ended, Blind Faith disbanded, and Clapton began to travel with Delaney & Bonnie. At the time, Clapton was a superstar who had achieved fame with Cream, but pride was irrelevant. He was truly captivated by this unknown band that had opened for Blind Faith, their earthy, bluesy, and soulful music despite them being white, and the family-like bond between the band members. After recording two songs with them for a single, Clapton eagerly asked Delaney to let him join the band, and he officially became a member. He then planned and executed a tour to introduce them to Europe. The live album “Delaney & Bonnie & Friends On Tour With Eric Clapton” was recorded and released during their UK performances. Clapton continued to work with them into the 1970s, and at Delaney’s suggestion, he recorded his first solo album, which Delaney produced. Although they disbanded in 1972, considering that “Delaney & Bonnie & Friends On Tour With Eric Clapton” was their best-selling album, it can be said that they and Clapton were comrades who pushed each other to the limit during a turbulent era. Delaney & Bonnie brought about a transformation in Clapton’s career, while also breathing new life into British rock with blue-eyed soul. Regarding this album, although it’s a relatively low-key period in Clapton’s career (a transitional period between Blind Faith and the formation of Derek and the Dominos), it can be said that it was a time of intense training in the heart of the music scene, undertaken by Clapton alone. The tour, which Clapton planned and executed for them, began in Germany in late November, but from the UK tour in December, Clapton’s predecessor, Dave Mason, joined them. Since it was close to Clapton’s house where they were staying, Clapton came up with the idea to practically kidnap his close friend George Harrison and force him to ride the tour bus with them. This album mainly consists of live takes recorded on December 7, 1969, at Fairfield Hall in Croydon, England, but “I Don’t Want to Discuss It” is a take from December 2nd at Colston Hall in Bristol. What’s noteworthy is the guitarist. At one point, the stage featured as many as four guitarists: leader Delaney Bramlett, Eric Clapton, Dave Mason, and George Harrison. It’s a well-known fact that George Harrison’s participation couldn’t be credited due to rights issues because he was on a different record label, and he was credited under the pseudonym “Thanks to L’Angelo Misterioso” on the album’s back cover (this was the same pseudonym George used when he participated in Cream’s “GOODBYE”). George’s name is cleverly edited out during the member introductions by the MC before the Little Richard Medley and by Delaney during the song. Regarding the stereo mix, in the Croydon take, Clapton was mixed in the right channel, Mason in the left channel, and Delaney and George both in the center channel (this is easy to spot in “Comin’ Home” as two slide guitars are mixed in the center; one of them is George). In the Bristol performance take, Clapton’s playing is mixed into the center channel (George Harrison did not participate in this performance). While this distinction was possible on the stereo version, how were the four players’ playing balanced and mixed into the center in this mono mix? This is something that fans will surely be very curious about. Listening to the mono mix, you are once again overwhelmed by the thickness and power of the sound of this band, which consists of a total of 12 members. Despite being unknown at the time, every single one of them was a first-class musician (it’s understandable why Clapton later wanted to form Derek and the Dominos with these members). In other words, the band on this stage was an incredibly豪華 lineup, with Derek and Bonnie plus George Harrison and Dave Mason, who would later become Derek and the Dominos, and Rita Coolidge, who would later become the horn section of the Rolling Stones. Listen to the playing of this band that shone so brightly even though they weren’t commercially successful in that era. In a way, I feel that the true essence of this band lies in this mono sound. Taken from the original US ATCO PROMOTIONAL dj/copy monaural (ST-C 13295/6 PR) (42:51) 1. Things Get Better 2. Poor Elijah – Tribute to Robert Johnson Medley 3. Only You Know and I Know 4. I Don’t Want to Discuss It 5. That’s What My Man Is for 6. Where There’s A Will There’s A Way 7. Comin’ Home 8. Little Richard Medley – Tutti Frutti/The Girl Can’t Help It/Long Tall Sally/Jenny Jenny Eric Clapton – Guitar / Vocals Delaney Bramlett – Guitar / Vocals Bonnie Bramlett – Vocals Dave Mason – Guitar George Harrison – Guitar Rita Coolidge – Vocals Bobby Whitlock – Keyboards / Vocals Carl Radle – Bass Jim Gordon – Drums Tex Johnson – Percussion Jim Price – Trumpet Bobby Keys – Saxophone
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