Jeremy Spencer and the Children
Encyclopedia
Jeremy Spencer and the Children is an album
by British
blues rock musician Jeremy Spencer
, who was a member of Fleetwood Mac
from 1967 to 1971. Released in 1972
, this is his second solo album although it was credited to Jeremy Spencer and the Children, referring to his band made up of members of the Children of God (Family International) organisation.
After leaving Fleetwood Mac while on tour in the United States
in February 1971, Spencer joined the Children of God and has remained with the organisation ever since. The band toured in the US and released a single "Can You Hear the Song" / "The World in Her Heart" to accompany this album. The lyrics were heavily religious, with references to the love of God, finding purpose in life within Christianity
, along with anti-war themes and apocalypticism
.
Although this was the first recording for which Spencer dropped his mimicry and parody of 1950s music and Elmore James
blues tunes, he nevertheless continued to show his talent for drawing inspiration from other styles of music. Influences from many contemporary sources can be heard, such as The Byrds
, The Beatles
, Jefferson Airplane
and Creedence Clearwater Revival
.
Spencer has often stated in interviews that he was unhappy with the poor production quality on the album, once declaring, "It was just like mud." It has never been released on CD, and Spencer has said that the master recordings were lost in a fire many years ago, but recently he expressed an interest in reworking some of the songs.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
blues rock musician Jeremy Spencer
Jeremy Spencer
Jeremy Cedric Spencer , is a British musician, best known as one of the first guitarists in Fleetwood Mac.Spencer was born in Hartlepool, County Durham. He grew up in South London and was educated at Strand School, where he became known for hilarious impressions of the headmaster and several of his...
, who was a member of Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
from 1967 to 1971. Released in 1972
1972 in music
-Events:*January 17 – Highway 51 South in Memphis, Tennessee is renamed "Elvis Presley Boulevard"*January 20 – The début of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon at The Dome, Brighton, is halted by technical difficulties,...
, this is his second solo album although it was credited to Jeremy Spencer and the Children, referring to his band made up of members of the Children of God (Family International) organisation.
After leaving Fleetwood Mac while on tour in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in February 1971, Spencer joined the Children of God and has remained with the organisation ever since. The band toured in the US and released a single "Can You Hear the Song" / "The World in Her Heart" to accompany this album. The lyrics were heavily religious, with references to the love of God, finding purpose in life within Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, along with anti-war themes and apocalypticism
Apocalypticism
Apocalypticism is the religious belief that there will be an apocalypse, a term which originally referred to a revelation of God's will, but now usually refers to belief that the world will come to an end time very soon, even within one's own lifetime...
.
Although this was the first recording for which Spencer dropped his mimicry and parody of 1950s music and Elmore James
Elmore James
Elmore James was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and band leader. He was known as "the King of the Slide Guitar" and had a unique guitar style, noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice.-Biography:James was born Elmore Brooks in the old Richland community in...
blues tunes, he nevertheless continued to show his talent for drawing inspiration from other styles of music. Influences from many contemporary sources can be heard, such as The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
and Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
.
Spencer has often stated in interviews that he was unhappy with the poor production quality on the album, once declaring, "It was just like mud." It has never been released on CD, and Spencer has said that the master recordings were lost in a fire many years ago, but recently he expressed an interest in reworking some of the songs.
Track listing
- "Can You Hear the Song" (Jeremy SpencerJeremy SpencerJeremy Cedric Spencer , is a British musician, best known as one of the first guitarists in Fleetwood Mac.Spencer was born in Hartlepool, County Durham. He grew up in South London and was educated at Strand School, where he became known for hilarious impressions of the headmaster and several of his...
) – 2:58 - "The World in Her Heart" (Spencer) – 3:12
- "Joan of Arc" (Spencer, David Senek) – 3:50
- "The Prophet" (Spencer) – 3:25
- "When I Looked to See the Sunshine" (Spencer) – 4:35
- "Let's Get on the Ball" (Spencer) – 4:27
- "Someone Told Me" (Spencer, Senek) – 3:40
- "Beauty for Ashes" (Spencer, Senek) – 2:54
- "War Horse" (Spencer, Senek) – 6:04
- "I Believe in Jesus" (Spencer) – 2:21
Personnel
- Jeremy SpencerJeremy SpencerJeremy Cedric Spencer , is a British musician, best known as one of the first guitarists in Fleetwood Mac.Spencer was born in Hartlepool, County Durham. He grew up in South London and was educated at Strand School, where he became known for hilarious impressions of the headmaster and several of his...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, slide guitarSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Michael – harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals - Phil Ham – lead guitar, fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, sitarSitarThe 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages... - Moriah – vocals, tambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
- Boaz – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals, recorderRecorderThe recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple... - Ginnethon – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, congas, timpaniTimpaniTimpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
, tablaTablaThe tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
s
Production
- Produced by Jeremy Spencer
- Tracking engineer – Nick Koumoutseas
- Mixing engineer – John Nagy
- Faux engineer – Stuart Love