Wednesday, 26 September 2012

The Steve Miller Band Reissues

Steve Miller is someone I have a lot of time for. The man seems to have been on the go for so many decades and he's still making great music. As a child he sat side by side with the great Les Paul and learnt to play the guitar and as a teenager he cut his teeth playing the blues alongside Chicago greats like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf before moving to San Francisco in the 60's to kickstart his own career with a band that featured Boz Skaggs on guitar (taught of course by Steve Miller!). He had tried to get The Beatles producer George Martin to produce his debut album but to quote him, "he said he would do it, but he wanted points and everything, and I'm cheap and ruthless, and wouldn't pay him! Brilliant businessman that I am!" Instead he got the man who had been working alongside Martin as an engineer on The Beatles records, Glyn Johns, who would go and and produce The Steve Miller Band's first four albums that are part of the package of reissues of the first five albums by the Steve Miller Band that were originally released between 1968-70. Edsel Records is involved in their release and all the albums will be reissued in October 2012.
 

First album “Children Of The Future” was produced by Glyn Johns at Olympic Studios in London, and released in April 1968. The five-man line-up featured Steve Miller on guitar and vocals, Boz Scaggs on guitar and vocals, Lonnie Turner on bass, Tim Davis on drums and Jim Peterman on keyboards.
• The original side one of the album features a suite of linked psychedelic songs, while side two starts with two Boz Scaggs originals before culminating in a selection of blues cover versions. The bonus track is the non-album single side “Sittin’ In Circles”.
• The booklet of this Special Digipak Edition contains all the lyrics, a brand new booklet note by San Francisco journalist Joel Selvin, based on 2012 interviews with Steve Miller himself, and photos from Steve’s own collection.

1. Children Of The Future
2. Pushed Me To It
3. You’ve Got The Power
4. In My First Mind
5. The Beauty Of Time Is That It’s Snowing (Psychedelic B.B.)
6. Baby’s Callin’ Me Home
7. Steppin’ Stone
8. Roll With It
9. Junior Saw It Happen
10. Fanny Mae
11. Key To The Highway
Bonus track:
12. Sittin’ In Circles



Second album “Sailor” was produced by Glyn Johns at Wally Heider’s Studio in Los Angeles, and released in October 1968. But this was the end of the five-man line-up, as Boz Scaggs and Jim Peterman left soon after. The album includes the classic opening instrumental “Song For Our Ancestors”, perennial concert favourite “Living In The U.S.A.” and three Boz Scaggs songs.
• The booklet of this Special Digipak Edition contains all the lyrics, a brand new booklet note by San Francisco journalist Joel Selvin, based on 2012 interviews with Steve Miller himself, and photos from Steve’s own collection.

1. Song For Our Ancestors
2. Dear Mary
3. My Friend
4. Living In The U.S.A.
5. Quicksilver Girl
6. Lucky Man
7. Gangster Of Love
8. You’re So Fine
9. Overdrive
10. Dime-A-Dance Romance



Third album “Brave New World” was produced by Glyn Johns at Sound Recorders in Hollywood, and released in June 1969. The album was the first by the three-man line-up of Steve Miller, bassist Lonnie Turner and drummer Tim Davis, and featured guests Ben Sidran, Nicky Hopkins, and Paul McCartney on drums and vocals on “My Dark Hour”, credited as Paul Ramon. Also featured is the classic “Seasons”, still in Steve’s set-list today.
• The booklet of this Special Digipak Edition contains all the lyrics, a brand new booklet note by San Francisco journalist Joel Selvin, based on 2012 interviews with Steve Miller himself, and photos from Steve’s own collection.

1. Brave New World
2. Celebration Song
3. Can’t You Hear Your Daddy’s Heartbeat
4. Got Love ‘Cause You Need It
5. Kow Kow
6. Seasons
7. Space Cowboy
8. LT’s Midnight Dream
9. My Dark Hour



Fourth album “Your Saving Grace” was produced by Glyn Johns at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco, and released in November 1969. The album was the second by the three-man line-up of Steve Miller, bassist Lonnie Turner and drummer Tim Davis, and featured guests Ben Sidran, and Nicky Hopkins in a tour de force on the epic “Baby’s House”.
• The booklet of this Special Digipak Edition contains all the lyrics, a brand new booklet note by San Francisco journalist Joel Selvin, based on 2012 interviews with Steve Miller himself, and photos from Steve’s own collection.

1. Little Girl
2. Just A Passin’ Fancy In A Midnite Dream
3. Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around
4. Baby’s House
5. Motherless Children
6. The Last Wombat In Mecca
7. Feel So Glad
8. Your Saving Grace


Fifth album “Number 5” was recorded at Area Code 615’s studios in Nashville and released in July 1970. The band for this album featured Steve Miller, drummer Tim Davis, and new bassist Bobby Winkelman (from Frumious Bandersnatch). Guests included Ben Sidran and Nicky Hopkins and Buddy Spicher, Wayne Moss and Charlie McCoy of Area Code 615.
• The booklet of this Special Digipak Edition contains all the lyrics, a brand new booklet note by San Francisco journalist Joel Selvin, based on 2012 interviews with Steve Miller himself, and photos from Steve’s own collection.

1. Good Morning
2. I Love You
3. Going To The Country
4. Hot Chili
5. Tokin’s
6. Going To Mexico
7. Steve Miller’s Midnight Tango
8. Industrial Military Complex Hex
9. Jackson-Kent Blues
10. Never Kill Another Man

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