Spiral Staircase (Ralph McTell album)
Spiral Staircase | ||||
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Studio album by Ralph McTell | ||||
Released | 26 May 1969 | |||
Recorded | December 1968 | |||
Studio | Regent Sound Studies, London | |||
Genre | Folk, folk rock, country blues | |||
Label | Transatlantic | |||
Producer | Gus Dudgeon | |||
Ralph McTell chronology | ||||
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Spiral Staircase is British folk musician Ralph McTell's second album.[1] Produced by Gus Dudgeon and released in the UK in 1969, its opening track, "Streets of London", has become McTell's signature tune.
Track listing[]
All titles by Ralph McTell except where stated.
- "Streets of London"
- "Mrs Adlam's Angels"
- "Wino and the Mouse"
- "England 1914"
- "Last Train and Ride"
- "The Fairground"
- "Spiral Staircase"
- "Kind Hearted Woman Blues" (Robert Johnson)
- "Bright and Beautiful Things"
- "Daddy's Here"
- "Rizraklaru (Anag.)"
- "(My) Baby Keeps Staying Out all Night Long" (Buddy Moss)
- "Terminus"
Personnel[]
- Ralph McTell - guitar, vocals
- Jug Band
on "Last Train and Ride" and "Spiral Staircase"
- Brian "Brock" Brocklehurst - double bass
- Mick "Henry VIII" Bartlett - jug
- "Whispering Mick" Bennett - washboard
- Peter Berryman - second guitar
- Mike Vickers - orchestral arrangements
- Brian Gascoigne - musical direction
Production credits[]
- Producer: Gus Dudgeon for Tuesday Productions
- Engineer: Tom Allom at Regent Sound
- Sleeve design: Peter Thaine
- Liner notes: Ben Klein
Awards and accolades[]
- McTell's song "Streets of London" won the Ivor Novello Award for songwriting in 1974.[2]
- A re-recorded version of "Streets of London" became a world-wide hit single in 1975.
- During his 60th birthday concert at the Royal Festival Hall in November, 2004, McTell was presented with a Gold Disc of "Spiral Staircase".[3]
Release history[]
Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue | Notes |
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United Kingdom | 1969 | Transatlantic | LP | TRA177 | |
France | 1978 | Transatlantic | LP | TRA89554/5 | Record 2 of 2-LP set. Record 1 is "Eight Frames a Second" |
Australia | 1980 | Transatlantic/ 7 Records |
LP | MLF227 | |
Japan | 1980 | Transatlantic | LP | YS-7057-LA | |
Israel | Logo/Transatlantic | LP | TRA177 | ||
Germany | 1988 | Titan | LP CD |
577/3001-1 577/3001-2 |
|
United Kingdom | 1990 | Ariola Express | CD | 295945 | Released as "The Streets of London" |
United Kingdom | 1996 | Wooden Hill | CD | HILLCD5 | |
United Kingdom | 2007 | Transatlantic | CD | TRRCD401 | 'Expanded Edition' with four bonus tracks taken from "Revisited". |
Many of the tracks on this album also feature in the "Spiral Staircase - Classic Songs" compilation.
Track variations[]
The UK 2007 CD release includes four bonus tracks that were re-mixed or re-recorded in 1970 for "Revisited":[4]
- 14. "Spiral Staircase"
- 15. "Last Train and Ride"
- 16. "The Fairground"
- 17. "Terminus"
References[]
- ^ "Spiral Staircase" LP sleeve, 1969.
- ^ BBC. "Sold on Song: Streets of London". Accessed 9 May 2009.
- ^ Leola Music Ltd. “The London Show”, TPGDVD25, 2005.
- ^ "Spiral Staircase" CD inlay, 2007.
Categories:
- Ralph McTell albums
- 1969 albums
- Albums produced by Gus Dudgeon
- Transatlantic Records albums