🎵 AotW AOTW: Ron Davies SILENT SONG THROUGH THE LAND (A&M SP 42

[LPJim]

RON DAVIES
Silent Song Through The Land
A&M SP 4264

(Note: SP 4263, assigned to an unspecified title by Joe Cocker, doesn't exist. "4263" was the A-Side of SP 4182.)

Ron Davies is a Nashville-based singer/songwriter whose claim to fame is writing "It Ain't Easy," which became the title tune of a Three Dog Night album. He is the brother of Country Star Gail Davies, and a complete bio can be found at her site. He is not to be confused with Rick Davies of Supertramp or Ray & Dave Davies of the Kinks.
A second A&M album, U.F.O. (SP 4400) was released in 1973 and was reissued on CD by A&M of Japan.

www.gaildavies.com/ron_davies.html


Side One: It Ain't Easy 2:29/ What Life Must be Like for Some 2:28/ Change 2:51/ The Clown 4:12.
Side Two: Silent Song Through the Land 2:33/ Yesterday is all I Want 2:47/ Open Road, the Open Sky 2:55/ Lover and the Loved 6:05.

All selections written by Ron Davies and published by Irving Music BMI

Producer Chad Stuart/ Engineer Bart Chiate and Rick Henke/ special credits: acoustic guitar Ron Davies/ Lead Guitar Mike Deasy, Dimittri Callas/ Piano Mike Lang/ Organ Larry Knechtel/ Bass Chad Stuart/ Drums Jim Keltner/ Harmony vocals Vicki Davies/ Banjo and Mandolin on "Silent Song" by Doug Dillard and Byron Berline/ background vocals by Merry Clayton, Clydie King & Venetta Fields/ Special thanks to Leon Russell for piano on "It Ain't Easy" and extra special thanks to Chris Stainton for locating Leon/ Art direction and photography by Tom Wilkes.

JB

 

[Steven J. Gross]

I have only heard "It Aint Easy", a tune that won't get out of your head once you hear it.

 

[Tom Wallace]

I was lucky enough to get a mint copy of this LP on eBay. Interesting that there's no A&M logo on the front, just an "A&M SP 4264" notation. The short-lived "Records & Tapes" logo is on the back cover.

There's some good stuff on here. I especially enjoy the title cut and "Yesterday is All I Want," which features some lovely harmonies by, I'm guessing, Vicki Davies (his wife?). The album's way too short, though (and "It Ain't Easy" is actually longer than the time listed--apparently the solo guitar intro wasn't counted).

David Bowie did a stellar version of "It Ain't Easy" on the Ziggy Stardust album--my first exposure to the song.

I wonder if SP 4263 was the original assignment for what turned out to be "Mad Dogs and Englishmen." With two disks and a higher price, it got switched to SP 6002. It came out around this time, so it's a possibility, I suppose.

Cheers,

Tom

 

[LPJim]

You're lucky indeed. The copy of SP 4264 I won in a Goldmine auction a few years ago is the only copy of SILENT SONG I've ever seen; must be pretty rare. Later I found a white label promo of U.F.O. (SP 4400) and shortly afterwards won from Ebay the Japan CD version of UFO (PCCY-10185). Lots of great tunes on this one, as well as another version of "It Ain't Easy." Also impressive sessions credits, like David Spinozza and Billy Preston.

That's a good theory on Joe Cocker's SP 4263. Another blank spot in the series is SP 4283, an unspecified Phil Ochs item. This might be the U.S. catalog number for GUNFIGHT AT CARNEGIE HALL, issued in Canada as SP 9010; or perhaps the LIVE IN VANCOUVER album which remained unreleased until Rhino put it out on CD almost 10 years ago.
JB

 

[Mr Bill]

Just an update to add aotw image...

--Mr Bill

 

[Dave]

You're lucky indeed. The copy of SP 4264 I won in a Goldmine auction a few years ago is the only copy of SILENT SONG I've ever seen; must be pretty rare. Later I found a white label promo of U.F.O. (SP 4400) and shortly afterwards won from Ebay the Japan CD version of UFO (PCCY-10185).
JB

Producer: Chad Stuart/ Engineer: Bart Chiate and Rick Henke/ Special Credits: Acoustic Guitar: Ron Davies/ Lead Guitar: Mike Deasy, Dimittri Callas/ Piano: Mike Lang/ Organ: Larry Knechtel/ Bass: Chad Stuart/ Drums: Jim Keltner/ Harmony Vocals: Vicki Davies/ Banjo and Mandolin on "Silent Song" by Doug Dillard and Byron Berline/ Background Vocals by Merry Clayton, Clydie King & Venetta Fields/ Special Thanks to Leon Russell for piano on "It Ain't Easy" and Extra Special Thanks to Chris Stainton for locating Leon/ Art Direction and photography by Tom Wilkes

Pretty neat musician, engineering and production info. Rick Henke had engineered with Chad Stuart before. This is the fourth album Stuart (of Chad & Jeremy produced--Tarantula, Gayle Cladwell & Judith Durham were the other three). And Bart Chiate was at the board on Sergio Mendes & Brasil '77's STILLNESS, PAIS TROPICAL and PRIMAL ROOTS albums. I've got a lot of albums Mike Deasy played on, too.


Yes, Very Rare, SILENT SONG really is. I used to have an Association album on cassette--a reunion of the group on Columbia, WATERBEDS IN TRINIDAD. That featured "Silent Song Through The Land", before I even knew who originally wrote and performed it, or who Ron Davies was. There were also songs like "Snow Queen" and The Lovin' Spoonful's "Darlin' Be Home Soon".

I only saw a U.K. Pressing of it, and that is the only version that is documented in Terry Hounsome's ROCK RECORD--which lists the musician's involved on Artists' and Groups' LP's. The copy of it I saw was too beat up to be considered, so I passed it up and haven't really seen a copy of it that was easily accessible, since.

As for U.F.O., I had a couple copies of it, which were W/L Promo's. And didn't Davies also do a song, "Sing With The Children"? John Kaye of Steppenwolf covered that song on a solo LP of his, MY SPORTIN' LIFE, and I think Ron Davies actually wrote it. I think "Silent Song Through The Land" may have been on it, too.

Dave

 

[W.B.]

I wonder if SP 4263 was the original assignment for what turned out to be "Mad Dogs and Englishmen." With two disks and a higher price, it got switched to SP 6002. It came out around this time, so it's a possibility, I suppose.

That could be likely, since the Cocker LP cover had the A&M layout on the front as in place since all-stereo took hold in '68, and would continue for a few more releases at that point in time. But if it were, it wouldn't be the only instance, insofar as the examples of Carpenters (SP-3502, switched from SP-4289) and Cat Stevens' Teaser And The Firecat (SP-4313, switched from SP-3506 which ended up being assigned to the two-record Performance: Rockin' The Fillmore by Humble Pie).