Spirit (Band) Lead vocal question

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by sab, Jun 27, 2017.

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  1. sab

    sab Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    LA, CA 90049
    Hello, I have a question regarding who is singing lead vocals on the band Spirit.

    For the first album (S/T) much of the song "Uncle Jack" seems to be a group vocal (Jay Ferguson, Randy California, and Mark Andes singing together) except for the "so many lies..." section which just sounds like Jay. For other parts of the song, I can't tell. All the other songs on the album seem to be Jay.

    For The Family That Plays Together it sounds to me like the following people are singing lead vocal

    I Got A Line on You - Randy
    It Shall Be - Jay (main vocal) with Randy often singing the response vocal. Randy sings the title line.
    Poor Richard - Seems to be multiple people singing. Sounds like Randy with Jay and/or Mark
    Silky Sam - Jay
    The Drunkard - Jay
    Darlin' If - Randy
    All The Same - Randy
    Jewish - I can't tell. Randy wrote this, but it sounds more like Jay to me.
    Dream within a Dream - Jay (with Randy and/or Mark singing prominent harmonies)
    She Smiles - Jay
    Aren't You Glad - Jay

    Clear:
    Dark Eyed Woman - Jay and Randy (singing simultaneously)
    Apple Orchard - Randy (with Jay also singing on the "you've got to sing the song...)
    So Little Time To Fly - Randy
    Ground Hog - Jay
    Cold Wind - Jay
    Policeman's Ball - Jay
    Give A Life Take A Life - Jay (with Randy and Mark singing prominent harmonies)
    I'm Truckin - Jay
    New Dope In Town - Jay or Randy (I can't tell which one)


    Twelve Dreams - It seems for this album, all the songs are sung by their main composer.

    Does anyone know if this correct or not?
     
  2. Backatcha

    Backatcha New Member

    Location:
    montreal
    Does anyone know when Dr Sardonicus is being reissued?
     
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  3. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Does Randy sing on Nature's Way? That is so good.
     
  4. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    Yes.
     
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  5. Ignatius

    Ignatius Forum Resident

    Sounds more or less correct to me (the Spirit fanatic) and if it isn't, who cares? The ultimate in inspiration in that era, aren't you glad baby?
     
  6. qm1ceveb

    qm1ceveb Forum fanatic

    Location:
    Fort lauderdale
    I LOVE Spirit and know their four albums by the classic lineup pretty well.

    I think you are essentially right with the lead singers you list. I always believed that the lead singer in Jewish was Randy and in New dope in town it was Jay, but I will listen to them again.

    BTW, I like these four albums as obviously you do. I have discrepancies at large with most Spirit fans, however, and would like to hear your opinion. To start with, I like the albums in the following order:
    1) The family that plays together, an exceptional album, a top 10 best of all time for me.
    2) Spirit, almost at same level, revolutionary sounds.
    3) Clear, a very good album,slightly lower in quality, specifically some compositions.
    4) 12 dreams of Dr. Sardonicus, again, slightly inferior to prior, I guess it is now 1970 instead of 1968 and rock is changing. I like the production and arrangements less. A very good album anyway, of course.

    Then, and this is connected with above, one of Spirit's strengths for me were Ferguson's songs. Progressively, Randy got more compositions in their albums and this hurt slightly. Not in the second album though. If you asked me in early 1969. I would have told you Spirit was one of my 5 favorite groups and that it was Jay's group.

    Lastly, I think that Spirit's songs were eccentric. How much of that is the way they arranged them, I am not sure. Certainly it is a mix of composition, arrangement and execution. They lost that in Sardonicus.

    Your thoughts and those of other Spirit experts in the forum, truly appreciated!
     
  7. hhjack

    hhjack Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oak Park, IL
    Just bought a near mint reissue on Epic from '79 that sounds really good. Cheap, too.
     
  8. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Just got round to listening to Spirit : Time Circle 2 cd comp. Lists 41 tracks, but has 45 tracks. This is a 2017 a Sony/Float cd(s). What's the right track listing?
     
  9. jamesmaya

    jamesmaya Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Great thread! Who sings “Soldier” and “Life Has Just Begun” from 12 Dreams? Such great songs.
     
  10. qm1ceveb

    qm1ceveb Forum fanatic

    Location:
    Fort lauderdale
    I have the 1991 Sony issue and it lists and play 41 tracks. Have they added 4 in the reisuue?
     
  11. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    Randy California.
     
  12. jamesmaya

    jamesmaya Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    :righton:
     
  13. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    This is the tracklist of the only version I know. Also curious if there is a variant version now with four extra tracks.

    Time Circle, 1968–1972 - Wikipedia
     
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  14. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Disc one.
    23 tracks

    Cd says 21.
    1- fresh garbage
    21- rehearsal time 1:13

    Other 2 tracks ????

    22?
    23?

    Disc 2
    22 tracks

    Cd says 20.

    1. fog
    2. Now or Anywhere

    These are not there
    track 3 Dark Eyed Woman
    is now track 1

    1-(3) Dark Eyed Woman
    20- Turn To The Right

    21- ?
    22- ?

    CD lists 41 tracks
     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2017
  15. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Found out what it could be.
    4 bonus tracks ( not listed )
    Soldier
    Groundhog
    She Smiles
    Space Child.
     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2017
  16. qm1ceveb

    qm1ceveb Forum fanatic

    Location:
    Fort lauderdale
    Thanks!!! Is there any way to know if She smiles is a unique mix as the other "Family that plays together" tracks?
     
  17. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    for the 1000th time?
     
  18. Platterpus

    Platterpus Senior Member

    I have this CD. I got it used, cheap, not too long ago. Yes, there are some problems with the program running order of this version of Time Circle but you still get all the songs from the original 1991 Time Circle CD comp. plus four extra tracks. Here's the skinny:

    The 2 extra tracks on disc 1 at the end of the program are the first 2 tracks from disc 2, "Fog" and "Now Or Anywhere." That's why disc 2 starts with "Dark-Eyed Woman" since that is the 3rd track on disc 2. "Ground Hog" is duplicated on disc 2, but the first version on disc 2 is the Time Circle version with the studio chatter and count in before the band starts to play. The "Ground Hog" bonus track at the end of the program on disc 2 is just the regular "Clear" album version. So basically there was just some sort of an intent to cram as many tracks as possible on disc 1 so they added the first 2 tracks from disc 2 as I mentioned already. Then they added the 4 extra tracks at the end of disc 2 to fill the extra space up. The bonus tracks on disc 2 mentioned above by @alexpop are just additional tracks above and beyond the original Time Circle comp. from 1991. So you get a little extra music but the running order can be confusing.

    The liner notes are new from 2017, so they are not the original notes done by William Ruhlmann. The new liner notes are okay but the original notes done by William Ruhlmann are more interesting and pertain more to the Time Circle CD contents. Other than that, the sound is great and not loud or compressed.

    So besides the two "Ground Hog" tracks on disc 2 at the end of the program, you also get "Soldier", "She Smiles" and "Space Child" as well which the latter should have been on this comp. originally back in 1991. This 1991 comp has been OOP for quite a while until this recent 2017 reissue. Despite the track listing problems, I would not hesitate to recommend this to a casual fan or new listener since it is cheap but used copies of the 1991 CD are pretty easy to find and fairly cheap as well.
     
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2019
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  19. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Mines cost 12.00( new) did used to have the twofer time cycle cassette at one time. The original hits lp I like The Best Of Spirit (1973).
     
    Platterpus likes this.
  20. Safeway 1

    Safeway 1 "mad, bad, and dangerous to know"

    Location:
    Manzanillo, Mexico
    Several of us participated on a 12 Dreams thread a couple months ago:
    12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus
     
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