Play Don't Worry
Encyclopedia
Play Don't Worry is the second album by former member of The Spiders From Mars
, Mick Ronson
. It contains mainly covers arranged by Ronson for his own sound, covering everyone from Pure Prairie League
, The Velvet Underground
and Little Richard
. The backing track to "White Light/White Heat
" was salvaged from David Bowie
's Pinups sessions.
The Spiders from Mars
The Spiders from Mars were rock singer David Bowie 's backing band in the early 1970s, and consisted of Mick Ronson on guitars, Trevor Bolder on bass guitar, and Mick Woodmansey on drums....
, Mick Ronson
Mick Ronson
Michael "Mick" Ronson was an English guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He is best known for his work with David Bowie, as one of The Spiders from Mars...
. It contains mainly covers arranged by Ronson for his own sound, covering everyone from Pure Prairie League
Pure Prairie League
Pure Prairie League, sometimes abbreviated PPL, is an American country-rock band whose roots began between 1964 and 1969 in Waverly, Ohio with Craig Fuller, George Powell, Tom McGrail, Jim Caughlan and John David Call. In 1970 McGrail named the band after a 19th century temperance union mentioned...
, The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
and Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
. The backing track to "White Light/White Heat
White Light/White Heat
The album briefly appeared on the Billboard 200, although only peaking at number 199. Despite its poor sales, the distorted, feedback-driven, and roughly recorded sound on White Light/White Heat became a notable influence on punk and experimental rock...
" was salvaged from David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
's Pinups sessions.
Track listing
- "Billy Porter" (Mick RonsonMick RonsonMichael "Mick" Ronson was an English guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He is best known for his work with David Bowie, as one of The Spiders from Mars...
) - "Angel No. 9" (Craig FullerCraig FullerCraig Fuller is an American musician and songwriter. Co-founder of Pure Prairie League, along with John David Call and George Ed Powell. Fuller departed after their second album, Bustin' Out, due to draft board problems. He returned to the music business in 1976 for two LPs with American Flyer...
) - "This Is for You" (Laurie Heath)
- "White Light/White HeatWhite Light/White Heat (song)"White Light/White Heat" is a song by American avant-garde rock band The Velvet Underground, the title track on their second album, released in 1968. It is a fast, relatively aggressive start to the album, similar to the punk rock genre it would ultimately influence.The song's vocals are performed...
" (Lou ReedLou ReedLewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
) - "Play Don't Worry" (Ronson, Bob Sargeant)
- "Hazy Days" (Ronson)
- "Girl Can't Help ItThe Girl Can't Help It (song)"The Girl Can't Help It" is the title song to the film The Girl Can't Help It, composed by songwriter Bobby Troup. It was performed by Little Richard. It was released in December 1956 and peaked at #49 on the Billboard Top 100 singles chart "The Girl Can't Help It" is the title song to the film...
" (Bobby TroupBobby TroupRobert William "Bobby" Troup Jr. was an American actor, jazz pianist and songwriter. He is best known for writing the popular standard " Route 66", and for his role as Dr...
) - "Empty Bed (Io Me Ne Andrei)" (Claudio BaglioniClaudio BaglioniClaudio Baglioni is an Italian musician. His various works include the official Anthem for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin. He has also written for previous sporting events....
, Goggio, Ronson) - "Woman" (Adam Taylor)
Bonus tracks
- "Seven Days" (Annette PeacockAnnette Peacock- Biography :Annette Peacock began composing at the age of four. Her mother was a violist in the San Diego and Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestras....
) [Original B-Side] - "Stone Love" "(Soul LoveSoul Love"Soul Love" is a song written by David Bowie in for the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars .-Live versions:* A version recorded at the Philadelphia Spectrum, in April 1978, was released on Stage...
)" (David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
) - "I'd Rather Be Me" (Ronson)
- "Life on Mars?" (Roscoe West)
- "Pain in the City" (Ronson)
- "Dogs (French Girl)"
- "Seven Days" [Alternate Take]
- "28 Days Jam" (Ronson)
- "Woman" [Alternate Take]
Personnel
- Mick RonsonMick RonsonMichael "Mick" Ronson was an English guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He is best known for his work with David Bowie, as one of The Spiders from Mars...
- 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...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, 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...
, 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...
, clavinetClavinetA Clavinet is an electrically amplified keyboard instrument manufactured by the Hohner company. It is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an electric guitar. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk, disco, rock, and reggae songs.Various...
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, vocals - Jeff Daly - saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, flutes - Neil Kernon - ARP synthesizer
- Paul Francis - drums
- Mike GarsonMike GarsonMike Garson is an American pianist, most notable for his work with David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Billy Corgan, Free Flight, and The Smashing Pumpkins.- Early career :...
- piano - Trevor BolderTrevor BolderTrevor Bolder is an English rock bassist, musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his long association with Uriah Heep and his tenure with The Spiders From Mars, the one-time backing band for David Bowie, although he has played alongside a variety of musicians since the...
- bass, horn - Ritchie Dharma - drums
- Aynsley DunbarAynsley DunbarAynsley Thomas Dunbar is an English drummer. He has worked with some of the top names in rock, including Eric Burdon, John Mayall, Frank Zappa, Ian Hunter, Lou Reed, Jefferson Starship, Jeff Beck, David Bowie, Whitesnake, Sammy Hagar, UFO, and Journey...
- drums - Tony NewmanTony Newman (drummer)Richard Anthony 'Tony' Newman is an English rock drummer. He was at various times a member of the bands Sounds Incorporated, May Blitz, Three Man Army and T...
- drums - John MealingJohn MealingJohn Mealing is a keyboards player, composer and arranger.After leaving the Don Rendell-Ian Carr Quintet in the late-Sixties, he joined the pioneering British jazz-rock band If until they came off the road in 1972...
- piano - Ian HunterIan Hunter (singer)Ian Hunter Patterson is an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer of the English rock band Mott the Hoople from its inception in 1969 to its dissolution in 1974, and he again fronted them at the time of their 2009 reunion. Hunter was a musician and songwriter before Mott The Hoople, and...
- backing vocals on "Girl Can't Help It" - Vicky Silva - backing vocals
- Beverly Baxter - backing vocals
- Miquel BrownMiquel BrownMiquel Brown Miquel Brown Miquel Brown (born Michael Brown, 1954 is a Canadian actress and Disco/Soul singer from the 1970s and '80s most popular for the songs "Close to Perfection" and the Hi-NRG songs 'So Many Men, So Little Time' and "He's A Saint, He's A Sinner" (both now considered vintage gay...
- backing vocals
Production
- Engineered by Dennis Mackay, Peter Fielder, Ted Sharp, Ray Hendrickson and Ian Major
- track 01-10 : recorded and mixed at Strawberry Studios, Juan La Pins, South of France, Trident Studios and Scorpio Sound, London, 1974
- track 11-15 : recorded and mixed at Sundragon Studios, December 13-14, 1975.
- track 16-18 : mixed August 1997 by lestyn at Dana Studios, London
- all tracks produced, arranged and coducted by Mick Ronson for Mainman