Spooky Tooth - Spooky Two (1969/2005 Remastered Expanded Edition)
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Album: Spooky Tooth - Spooky Two (Remastered Expanded Edition)
Released: 1969 (2005)
Genre: Blues-, Psychedelic Rock, Heavy Prog
Repertoire Records REPUK 1061
Repertoire reissue of the band's 2nd album from 1969. Includes 4 bonus tracks 'That Was Only Yesterday'-monosingle version, 'Oh! Pretty Woman', 'Waiting For The Wind'-mono single version & 'Feelin' Bad'-mono single version. Packaged in a digipak. 2005
In 1969, the British/American band Spooky Tooth released what would become one of the classic rock albums of all time. Featuring vocalist Mike Harrison, keyboardist/vocalist (and American) Gary Wright, guitarist Luther Grosvenor, the late Greg Ridley on bass and Mike Kellie on drums, this second release solidified their reputation as one of the truly unique and innovative groups on the scene. Simply put, there is not one weak moment on this album, and it stands the test of time. While the group took a near-fatal dive with their ill-fated third release, the nearly unlistenable electronic mess titled `Ceremony', `Spooky Two' hit the bulls-eye. With their ominous organ sound, wailing guitar, solid rhythm section and the dual vocal attack of Harrison and Wright, this album remains my single favorite rock album of all time. If I were stuck on the proverbial desert island with ten CDs, this would be number one on the list!
While this album has long been available as a domestic release, the newly released, remastered version just put out on the superb Repertoire label (import) occasions this review. Never have the songs sounded better; with enhanced separation and more depth, such songs as `Waitin' For the Wind', `Feeling Bad', `Evil Woman' and `That Was Only Yesterday' sound fresh and potent. As an added treat, this release features four additional tracks (three merely mono radio versions of album cuts), with one (Oh! Pretty Woman) previously only available on a bootleg titled `First Tooth' (and it was a poor sounding live version at that). In addition, Repertoire has replicated the original album design, making it a gatefold CD. There is a fascinating six-page booklet included, with commentary by Mike Harrison, containing lots of interesting trivia (Steve Winwood played piano on `I've Got Enough Heartaches', for example).
With so many well-hyped contemporary rock albums amounting to little more than third-rate dreck, it is a real treat to be able to hear music of this caliber sounding better than ever. If you were a fan of this album, this is a must-have replacement for the mediocre-sounding domestic release. If you are unfamiliar with this band, there is no better way to become acquainted than by grabbing this superlative Repertoire release. You will not be disappointed! - Review by Dennis Hawley
There is something magical about the mood and music unleashed on the second album by the group Spooky Tooth, first released on the Island label in 1969. Several different factors came together to make 'Spooky Two* special. They include the songwriting, musicianship and production, but the photography and design of the original gatefold LP sleeve also played a role.
Spooky Two' marked a turning point in Sixties rock. The frantic, fast-paced R&B that underpinned the work of bands like Cream was replaced by a slower, subtler approach. Elements of gospel and soul percolated into the music of a band that benefited from the talents of American composer Gary Wright. A keyboard virtuoso and singer/ songwriter, Wright wrought a stylistic maturity that was perfectly interpreted by powerful lead singer Mike Harrison. Together with a strong guitarist and laid-back rhythm section, the Tooth sounded...different. Spooky Tooth took their time to build up excitement. This approach is evident from the opening bars of Waitin' For The Wind'. A slow, measured drumbeat sets up a groove that is hard, heavy and pregnant with the promise of fireworks to come.
Harrison's says that his favourite tracks were the songs with vocal harmonies like 'Feelin' Bad', 'I've Got Enough Heartaches' and 'Hangman Hang My Shell On A Tree'. On 'Feelin' Bad' he sang one verse and Gary would sing the second. "We both sang on most of the songs and when he didn't sing falsetto, the voices were very similar in texture. He used to do the high vocals. It's funny, Gary rarely sings falsetto these days and cringes every time he listens to himself! But when he sang in a lower tone our voices matched and it sounded great. 'Evil Woman' was one of our stage numbers that went down very well, although it wasn't my favourite. Bands tended to play elongated solos in those days."
Mike reveals that there were some surprise guests on the album. " Steve Winwood played the piano on 'I've Got Enough Heartaches'. I remember him doing that in Morgan studios. Everybody involved with Island at the time felt it was like a big family. If there were sessions going on people would just pop in and do some backing vocals. 'Feelin' Bad' was recorded in Los Angeles and a load of people sang in the background. One of them was Joe Cocker.
You'd say 'Hey Joe, do you wanna sing?' He'd just join in for fun. If you listen to the backing vocals on 'Feelin' Bad', you can clearly hear Joe's voice. Sue and Sunny, who sang on Joe's big hit With A Little Help From My Friends' were also involved on our sessions. The idea was to get a gospel choir effect."
When the band get into a rock groove on 'Evil Woman', they sound a tad like Black Sabbath and there are even similarities to Humble Pie. Indeed, bass man Greg Ridley left Spooky Tooth after this album was completed, to join Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton in the newly-baked Humble Pie. Mike confirms that any similarities were purely coincidental. "We certainly didn't copy them, I can assure you of that. In Spooky Tooth, everybody had an input. Nothing was planned and yet everything fell into place. I remember coming back from a trip to Germany and the band were rehearsing Tobacco Road'. I began singing and with the combination of the two lead vocals suddenly everything came together."
Aside from the heavy rock numbers there is a delicate acoustic feel to tunes like 'Lost In My Dream', among the quartet of Wright compositions that conclude the album. Says Mike: "Gary wrote some great stuff which suited my voice perfectly.
'Better By You, Better Than Me' was the song that got Judas Priest into trouble. They recorded a version and some American teenagers read something into the lyrics, which led to a big court case."
Spooky Tooth toured heavily, mostly on the university circuit. Mike says that in two years they had just four days off. "We never stopped travelling. I used to do all the driving and in one year I clocked up 45,000 miles. We also did four American tours supporting The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin and The Eagles. I really enjoyed those days."
Although Mike believes 'Spooky Two' went 'Platinum', the band's latter albums sold less well and the grind of such heavy touring took its toll. When Greg Ridley left to join Humble Pie in 1969 he was replaced by Andy Leigh. Gary Wright later formed Wonderwheel and scored a Top Ten hit single and album with 'Dream Weaver' in 1976. Luther Grosvenor changed his name to Ariel Bender and joined Mott The Hoople. Mike released two solos albums, *Mike Harrison' and 'Smokestack Lightning' before Spooky Tooth got back together at the end of 1972. The line up included Harrison and Wright, with new recruits Mick Jones (guitar), Chris Stewart (bass) and Bryson Graham (drums). Their album You Broke My Heart, So I Busted Your Jaw' (Island) was released in May 1973.
Says Mike: "Witness' was the last album I did with Spooky Tooth before I left in 1973. Chrissie Stewart also left but the rest of the band carried on and they went to America with Mike Patto singing, where they did an album called The Mirror.' That was the end of the band in 1974".
While Mick Jones formed the highly successful Foreigner and Gary developed his solo career, Mike Harrison went to Canada and formed a band. However, he got homesick and came back to Carlisle, where he carried on singing. In 1999 Spooky Tooth reunited for an album called 'Cross Purpose'. Harrison, Luther Grosvenor, Greg Ridley and Mike Kellie were reunited for the first time in 30 years. Although the reunion turned out to be short lived, it resulted in a positive new move for their lead singer. Through the record company Mike met The Hamburg Blues Band and began recording and performing live' with them in Germany. Says Mike: "Their leader Gert Lange is a great guy and we've become close friends."
Since 'Cross Purpose', Greg Ridley passed away, on November 2003 at his home in Spain. Their old friend was in their thoughts when Gary Wright and Mike Harrison decided to stage two live' shows in Germany in 2004.
Says Mike: "We reformed Spooky Tooth with myself, Gary and Mike Kellie. We also two great musicians from Germany, including Michael Bexi' Decker on bass from The Hamburg Blues Band and Joey Albrecht (guitar) from Berlin. We recorded and filmed the gigs for a CD and a DVD for release in 2005.
The plan now is to do our first full Spooky Tooth tour in thirty years, because the gigs in Germany went so well and the feeling was great. We played every song from 'Spooky Two' and we did some of Gary's solo songs like 'Dream Weaver'. Spooky Tooth was always a good live' band and it would be nice to go back to America and do some more live' dates."
In December 2004 another of Mike's old friends, Dick Heckstall-Smith, the legendary tenor saxophone player died. Apart from playing with Colosseum for many years, Dick also played with Mike in the Hamburg Blues Band and a special tribute concert in London, featuring Mike and the band was planned for the summer of 2005.
Mike remains much in demand and says: "It's great that so many teenagers remember the name Spooky Tooth. I think they have grown up with the band from listening to their parents' records. They know all the songs and everybody I meet seems to know about 'Spooky Two'. So I guess it must be a classic!" - CHRIS WELCH London, England, March 2005
Spooky Tooth's second album is a true masterpiece, unfortunately overlooked in favour of the 'biggies' of the epoch like Led Zeppelin. Too bad; it is perhaps the ultimate synthesis of all the good elements that British roots-rock had thereto assembled or developed on its own. The aim of Gary Wright and Mike Harrison was, undoubtedly, to try their hand at everything in reach, from folk to country to soul to blues to hard; a couple of songs even have 'progressive' elements about them, and, in fact, Spooky Two might as well have served as a major blueprint for all the 'hard-art' bands to follow (unfortunately, the best known hard-art band is Uriah Heep, and I guess it's also one of the best representatives of the genre, too; thank God Spooky Tooth had none of those guys' geekiness)... - Spooky Tooth, George Starostin's Music Reviews
Produziert wurde die Platte vom mittlerweile verstorbenen Jimmy Miller, der auch schon für "Beggars Banquet" von den Stones verantwortlich zeichnete. Im Booklet lese ich, dass er derjenige war, der den Einfall mit dem Schlagzeug-Intro zu "Waiting For The Wind" hatte - das sei ihm ewig gedankt. Als Aufnahmeingenieur hatte man Andy Johns verpflichtet, ebenso eine mehr als bekannte Grösse in den Island,- Morgan,- und Olympic Studios in London.
Andy Johns saß u.a. auch während der Produktion von Led Zeppelin II am Mischpult, und ebenso wie die vorliegende "Spooky Two" weisst auch der Led Zeppelin-Klassiker einige klangliche Härten auf, von teilweise recht heftigem Klirr gekennzeichnet, der auch durch das Remastering beider Alben nicht mehr richtig glattgebügelt werden konnte. Da waren die Anzeigen der Aufnahmegeräte sicher öfter mal im roten Bereich.
Die Mischung macht's, das gilt auch für "Spooky Two". Ganz geschickt wechseln sich hier schwere, aber eher langsame, harte Rocksongs ("Waiting For The Wind", das neunminütige "Evil Woman", "Better by You, Better Than Me") mit (halb-)akustisch erzeugten Sounds ("Feelin' Bad", "That Was Only Yesterday") und einem Gospel-Soul-Rock-Amalgam ("Lost In My Dream", "Hangman Hang My Shell On A Tree") ab. Als glückliche Tatsache darf gelten, dass mit dem Bariton von Mike Harrison und dem Falsett von Gary Wright für die jeweiligen Songs hervorragende Stimmen zur Verfügung standen.
Von den 'heavy'-Klängen mal abgesehen, ergeben sich an manchen Stellen Parallelen zur Stimmung der ersten beiden Platten von Humble Pie. Der Im November 2003 verstorbene Greg Ridley hat dann auch nach den Aufnahmen von "Spooky Two" die Band verlassen und mit Peter Frampton, Steve Marriott und Jerry Shirley die 'Supergroup' Humble Pie gegründet.
Die Bonustracks wurden vom Single-Mono-Mix übernommen, und man kann schön hören, was da alles getan wurde, um die Musik in jedem Kofferradio klingen zu lassen. Durch die Komprimierungen wird aber auch vor allem der typische Hall des Schlagzeugs unter den Teppich gekehrt. Ein interessanter Vergleich zu den sauberen Stereo-Abmischungen des Albums selbst. Nötig gewesen wären diese Bonustracks aber nicht. "Oh! Pretty Woman" vielleicht ausgenommen, es war eine Single der Band, die auf keiner LP erschien.
Das Songwriting auf "Spooky Two" ist erstklassig, die Produktion mit den damals zur Verfügung stehenden Mitteln (bis auf die angesprochenen technischen Limitierungen) hochgradig gelungen. Das Remastering der neuen Ausgabe von Repertoire beschert uns einen um etliche Dezibel höheren Pegel und durchsichtigere Höhen, wobei das Rauschen sogar fast ganz unterdrückt werden konnte. Geliefert wird die CD in einem schönen Digi-Pack mit einem angemessenen Booklet, zu dem der bekannte Rock-Kritiker und Autor Chris Welsh die Linernotes beigesteuert hat.
"Spooky Two" gehört für mich persönlich zu den 20 besten Platten aller Zeiten, ein Werk das auch nach 36 Jahren kein bisschen angestaubt klingt und rundrum Spass macht und das mit intelligenten Sounds und Abwechslungsreichtum zu überzeugen weiss. Ein Reissue, das überfällig war. - Manni Hüther, ROCKTIMES - CD-Review - Spooky Tooth / Spooky Two
1. Waiting for the Wind - 3:31
2. Feelin' Bad - 3:19
3. I've Hat Enough Heartaches - 3:26
4. Evil Woman - 9:02
5. Lost in My Dream - 5:03
6. That Was Only Yesterday - 3:53
7. Better By You, Better Than Me - 3:38
8. Hangman Hang My Shell On A Tree - 5:42
9. That Was Only Yesterday (Single version) - 3:53
10. Oh! Pretty Woman (Single b-side) - 3:29
11. Waiting for the Wind (Single Version) - 3:30
12. Feelin' Bad (Single version) - 3:18
Gary Wright - Organ, Keyboards, Vocals
Luther Grosvenor - Guitar
Mike Harrison - Harpsichord, Keyboards, Vocals
Greg Ridley - Bass, Guitar, Guitar (Bass)
Mike Kellie - Drums
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