🎵 AotW AOTW: JIM CARROLL (A&M SP 4323)

[LPJim]

Jim Carroll
JIM CARROLL
A&M SP4323

Side One
Scratch Your Head 4:25/ On & On 3:28/ I Don't Know 2:42/ Save Me (Song from the Planet) 2:45.

Side Two
*I'm In Love Again 1:44/ Mean Mother Mary 2:28/** My Own Movie 1:57/ **Man 3:50/ Porch Song (recorded live on porch at A&M lot) 1:57/ **I Got Plenty 3:33.

All songs are BMI and by Jim Carroll, Church Mouse Music Inc. except *Antonie Domino - Dave Bartholomew, Travis Music Co. and ** Jim Carroll & Joey Levine Church Mouse Music Inc. & Crushing Music.

Musical Credits:
Jim Carroll - acoustic guitar and vocal/ Lee Sklar - bass/ Russ Kunkel - percussion/ David Spinozza - piano & guitar/ Chrissy and Vicky Cicalo and Angie Griggs - female vocals/ Aaron Russo - finger cymbals/ Danny Kootch - electric guitar/ Craig Doerge (as in Durgee) - piano.

Produced by Joey Levine - a Carrtune's Production/ Engineered by Hank Cicalo at A&M Studios/ Management: Aaron Russo, A. Russo-Levine Management/ "Save Me" and "Scratch Your Head" string section arranged by David Spinozza.

Special thanks to Jerry Moss, Chuck Kaye, Betty, Brenda, Judy Finn, Tommy, Butch, Jae, Michael Guetti, David "Tonto" Spinozza.

Art Direction: Roland Young/ Design: Chuck Beeson/ Photography: Richard Avedon

CD reissue: none.

JB

 

[Mr Bill]

Just to make sure everyone knows...

A&M's Jim Carroll is not the same Jim Carroll of "Basket Ball Diaries" or "People Who Died" fame. But he's a swell Jim Carroll nonetheless...

--Mr Bill
helping folks keep their carrolls straight... online...

 

[W.B.]

However, it appears from what I see that the LP's producer, Joey Levine, may be the same guy who sang lead with the Ohio Express ("Yummy Yummy Yummy," "Chewy Chewy") and later Reunion {"Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me")}. Please clarify if I am mistaken.

 

[Dave]

Jim Carroll
JIM CARROLL
A&M SP4323

JB

Yes, right you may be that the Joey Levine who produced this may be the one of 1910 Fruitgum fame. As for the Jim Carroll who made this, aside from a Roling Stone Record Guide (1992 Edition) Reviewer making a comment that the one we know as who wrote THE BASKETBALL DIARIES "started shaving" (which I thought to have been a reference to the "unshaven" one on the LP cover), when he recorded albums like DRY DREAMS, this one on A&M remains an obscurity. But on with the songs:


Scratch Your Head -- David Spinozza on electric piano & guitar, and Carroll on guitar and vocals with Lee & Russ on bass & drums, respectively. An obscure, finger-pointing, protest exercise--An interesting viewpoint of a hippie enui, Carroll projects. With a string section arranged by Spinozza.

On & On -- An easy going and enlightening ballad featuring Russ on conga; David Spinozza and Jim Carroll on guitars and sporting "little girls' voices" by Chrissy and Vicky Cicalo and Angie Griggs. Also David Spinozza on piano & electric piano.

I Don't Know -- A Jazzy Quest in the never-ending search for one's direction for the right place in life. Jim Carroll, acoustic guitar and vocal; Lee Sklar, bass; Russ Kunkel, drums and cowbell; David Spinozza, electric guitar; Craig Doerge (as in Durgee), piano; Aaron Russo, finger cymbals.

Save Me (Song from the Planet) -- Looks like we're back on that cloud, but asking for forgiveness; "A moment of redemption we now face--And where we hope, salvation we receive." Jim Carroll, acoustic guitar and vocal; Lee Sklar, bass; David Spinozza, electric guitar; String section arranged by David Spinozza.

I'm In Love Again -- The Fats Domino Number; written by Antonie Domino & Dave Bartholomew, as opposed to the rest of the compositions, which Carroll, himself wrote. A rather upbeat number, adding Danny "Kootch" Kortchemar on electric guitar along with Jim Carroll, acoustic guitar and vocal; Lee Sklar, bass; Russ Kunkel, drums; David Spinozza, electric guitar and Craig Doerge, piano.

Mean Mother Mary -- Jim Carroll, acoustic guitar and vocal; Lee Sklar, bass; Russ Kunkel, percussion; David Spinozza, electric guitar; Craig Doerge, electric piano. A real deep and entrancing ballad. A "head music" exercise that really draws you in.

My Own Movie -- Jim Carroll on vocal and an acoustic guitar duet with David Spinozza on 12-string acoustic guitar, electric piano and electric guitar; just the "usual sort of Hollywood Dream", conveyed in a moving and catchy way.

Man -- Written by Jim Carroll & Joey Levine and performed by Jim Carroll, acoustic guitar and vocal; Lee Sklar, bass; Russ Kunkel, drums; David Spinozza, guitar & electric piano; much like "Mean Mother Mary", but a more outgoing, but still deep and entrancing period piece.

Porch Song (recorded Live on Porch at A&M Lot) -- Carroll on vocal and acoustic guitar with everyone's cars in the background; a sort of auto-biographical number, where the artist tells the typical and ethereal, joyful story of his youth.

I Got Plenty -- Another number written by Jim Carroll & Joey Levine; About being the "someone" you can come to when "the rest of the world is using you and gives you none, while I'VE GOT PLENTY, of LOVE"! A Rocker, recorded live in the studio and boisterously delivered by Jim & Co., which Bonnie Raitt covered a few years later (on her STREETLIGHTS album, which David Spinozza appeared with her, on there, too!)--something that's at least given Carroll SOME notoriety, as well as Royalty Checks! Jim Carroll, acoustic guitar and vocal; Lee Sklar, bass; Russ Kunkel, drums; David Spinozza, electric piano; Craig Doerge, piano.

Well, a pretty obscure release, with a neat tie-died back cover, that usually shows up anywhere from the $1 bins to commanding Top Dollar on eBay & GEMM! Try to get cheap or consider this Jim Carroll the best money ever spent! Yes, it is that great!

Dave :goofygrin:

...with a handy "$1 copy" here to help me with the editing and reinstate in my collection after giving this another "quick spin"...

 

[AM Matt]

Pick up a copy of Spring 2004 "Tracks" magazine (with singer Norah Jones on the cover) & go to page 109 for a brief interview with the one & only Joey Levine, the lead singer of the Ohio Express & the group Reunion (who's "Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me")) was a big hit in 1974! Go also to: www.tracksmusic.com for other information!!! I do NOT have that Jim Carroll album though because I look everywhere & it's hard to find. Matt Clark Sanford, MI

 

[LPJim]

I like the tie-dyed back cover of SP 4323 as well, but my only complaint is the credits are hard to read.
Maybe it's these !@@#$ no-line bifocals.
I've got to get an eye exam. These things are driving me nuts.
JB

 

[Lemnet Fremnel]

Does anyone know what became of this Jim Carroll? Far as I'm concerned, he's a great '70s singer-songwriter, but I guess he ended up not much of a commercial success. Mixing in David Spinozza didn't hurt, either.
Anyone know if Carroll's still in music in some fashion? Maybe in a band somewhere?
LF