Golden Earring miss their lead singer Frans Krassenburg in June 1967, and he was replaced by The Haigs lead singer Barry Hay, so after some psycedelic singles they recoded thier third album with the name of Miracle Mirror, so it´s album of late psycedelica and pre prog, called in some review Kosmische Popsound.
Yeah they can called this music whatever they want, but this is one of Golden Earrings best albums, and it´s definitely a piece of rock-history that no one should miss, because this group was one of the world leading group from 1965 to 1975 and every album they made was something extra, but they wasn´t Englenders, so people miss this great group, and many peole is still missing that they made their best albums before the hit Radar Love, and every record collection that´s counts should have at leach a couple of Golden Earrings album, because this group should be compared to the Beatles in the history books.
01 - The Truth About Arthur (2:56)
02 - Circus Will Be In Town In Time (3:27)
03 - Crystal Heaven (3:52)
04 - Sam And Sue (1:40)
05 - I've Just Lost Somebody (3:04)
06 - Mr. Fortune's Wife (3:17)
07 - Who Cares? (3:45)
08 - Born A Second Time (2:37)
09 - Magnificent Magistral (2:45)
10 - Must I Cry (2:16)
11 - Nothing Can Change This World Of Mine (3:23)
12 - Gipsy Rhapsody (3:19)
All songs written by Marinus Gerritsen and George Kooymans
Barry Hay - Lead Vocals, Flute, Guitar
George Kooymans - Lead Vocals, Guitars
Rinus Gerritsen - Bass, Organ, Piano
Jaap Eggermont - Drums
Produced by Fred Haayen for Red Bullet Production 1968.
For financial reasons, albums were recorded in the Netherlands and this time it was the turn of the GTB Studio again.
Wind instruments and violins played in Hilversum led and arranged by Frans Mijts.
This was also where the mixing was done.
This version is the German version of 1991 with the German artwork
The revision
For three weeks the Golden Earrings have been nowhere. That “nowhere” does not mean their popularity or their top position of their latest record, but it means at a secret hidden bungalow, which the Earrings are given every year for a few weeks and where the boys cannot be disturbed by anyone. The Earrings give this period the name ‘work-camp’. And work they did, for although George, Rinus, Jaap and Frans have been visiting this ‘camp’ for several years to work out new ideas and to perfect new songs, it appeared that this year those 3 weeks were hardly sufficient to get everything finished with Barry. Ex-Earrings singer Frans Krassenburg, through family circumstances forced to leave, it has to be said the Earrings have improved. Barry the new singer is a native Englishman and though it has been 10 years since he first came to the Netherlands, he still speaks better English than Dutch. A ‘Golden’ plus point for the Earrings, who in the new set up really can aim for countries abroad, with main aim: England.
Their clothing fashion, for as far as possible, has been even more anglicized and the already impressive sound installation will be increased with another system.
This so as to be able to create an unending sound.
Hardly a month goes by when they don’t come to England. There they visit ‘the’ clubs. With the aim to meet up with the Animals, Jimmy Hendrix and the Yardbirds and to get impressions of what is happening there. With Barry they plan great things.
“Our stage appearance has improved 100%”, George Kooymans tells us. “Barry sings fantastic, but on top of that he plays the bas and flute very well. That gives new possibilities! We can go many different ways. And we make use of these.
We are going to make a show that’s as sound as a bell. ‘Show’, that is one of the things we have worked hard at during our three-week work camp. Our stage appearance from now on is much more varied.
“Sound of the screaming day” was recorded in he Netherlands, but not in the way you hear it on the record. The band took the recording home, listened – edited and improvised. When they knew what it was going to be they went to England and over there recorded the song, as you now know it. It was recorded in the ‘Kingsway studio’s’ where also Herman’s Hermits, Jeff Beck, Animals, Yardbirds in short all Micky Most productions are recorded.
The recordings took 358 minutes. The Earrings were almost bursting with inspiration. “When we go on holiday together it is still every day music, music, music. And yet one would like to be away from it every now and then. It is strange that I noticed myself being homesick after a few days. I’ve been to the South of France. I mist my music too much it is your life. You cannot do without it. I was there during the Tour de France, but had too many ideas in my head to just for one minute enjoy the Tour de France. From now on, we’ll be making every month a short but strong promotional film. The first was broadcast on 29th July and in that we sang ‘Sound of the screaming day’. Rinus and I have also organized new material for Bojoura. Even though we refuse all requests from groups to write songs for them, we are going on with Bojoura. She ‘makes’ a song, as we imagine it. That is thankful work, you enjoy that. Our first appearance with Barry was 5th August. It was great. We were only just in time because en route we got a puncture. On the 9th August it was Rinus’ birthday.
We had a fantastic party – loads of fun and laughter. A whole dinner service got broken and there was one fan that had to have a lock of Rinus’ hair. A birthday lock. He could not do without that. Rinus will put up with a lot, but you must not touch his hair.
The chat is beginning to get cozy, but time is money in this business. And we have talked enough for this time.
When George, accompanied by Fred Haayen gets into his red Triumph Spitfire he shouts, “Wish all Music Express readers a good beat season.”
And we do that gladly herewith.
Muziek Express 1967
Third LP is coming
The third L.P. of the Golden Earrings, hopefully on sale in the middle of January, has got to be fantastic and perfect, because the boys have been spending 2 long days every week in the Phonogram studio during the last 2 months - to attain 14 sensational numbers. It takes a whole day to record 1 supporting track and if necessary they continue into the next day with the same sample tape. Until they are completely satisfied. 'It is going to be a superb record', says Earrings mouthpiece (because he is on the telephone) Rinus Gerritsen, cheerful as always. 'It will be even more our own style. It is not like anything else…. uh…I mean more positive - you know what I mean. 'I wonder' the B - side of 'Together we live' gives an indication where we want to go with our L.P. We use many, many guitars: piano & organ only where it is absolutely necessary. We are working with new sounds, but all effects and experiments we do as much as possible with the guitars, so we can do the same when playing live. Many groups nowadays do something different, because they're in the hit parade, by using of hoompa bands and children's choirs, we prefer not to do that'.
The Earrings feel at ease at the Phonogram - studio, in London. Why? 'We are not dissatisfied with the Dutch technicians'; says Rinus diplomatically 'but in London everything happens a lot quicker. When you have a sound in your head in Holland you have to look hours before you get an inch* from your apparatus. (*Not sure if I've translated this correctly?) In London they understand at once what you mean and you get it, as you want it. Every time we record at Pye we learn something new. That's another reason why we go there. Once we brought an English technician to the Phonogram studio and he altered all kinds of things, the setting up of the microphone etc. The floor for example, we have seen in England that they use soft flooring. But Phonogram is a kind of gymnasium. At our insistence they've bought a few rugs and every time we play, these are put on the floors. It does give a much nicer sound'.
How does Rinus see the Earrings in comparison with English bands? After a thoughtful moment: 'if you mean musical quality, well I am no longer afraid of English bands. But I am afraid of the English chauvinism. I expect a lot more from America. They are not so averse of something different - quite the opposite. However we still want to have a go in England. When we have a good number, for example 'Together we live', which is not a bad song at all: it would do nothing in England. No, I don't know why, but that's how I feel it. We are not going to compose something just for the English market. Some time in the future we'll just say about a song, Yes that's something for the English'.
Teenbeat 1967
So give yourself a favour and listen to this wonderful album
|
