The Great Lost Twilley Album
Encyclopedia
The Great Lost Twilley Album was the third and final studio album from the Dwight Twilley Band
, recorded in 1974 through 1980 and released in 1993 on Shelter Records
. The basic band consisted of Dwight Twilley
(guitar, piano, lead and harmony vocals), Phil Seymour
(drums, bass, percussion, lead and harmony vocals on the Dwight Twilley Band songs), and Bill Pitcock IV (lead guitar); other musicians include Leon Russell
, Tom Petty
and Susan Cowsill
. Most of the production is credited to Twilley and Seymour, although some other producers who worked on songs on the record include Jack Nitzsche
, Leon Russell
, Robin Cable and Chuck Plotkin
.
in London (four songs), the period between Sincerely and Twilley Don't Mind (eight songs) and the solo Dwight Twilley recording sessions for Blueprint (six songs).
Although the band broke up in 1978, 15 of the 25 tracks included herein are from the unreleased albums Fire (which ultimately was released in altered form as Sincerely
) and various editions of The B Album. Of the rest, two of the songs are the original mixes of the first Twilley Band single ("I'm On Fire" b/w "Did You-C-What Happened?"), two of the songs are demo tracks from the band's Twilley Don't Mind
, two were released as solo singles by Dwight Twilley, and four were intended for the unissued Dwight Twilley solo album Blueprint. Thus, 19 of the 25 songs feature the Dwight Twilley Band, while six are solo Dwight Twilley numbers. Some of the other Cable-produced numbers ended up as bonus tracks on the CD issue of Sincerely. All in all, only two Cable-produced numbers are believed to have never been released: versions of Sky Blue and Shark (In The Dark), which appear on this collection in alternate recordings.
Shortly after the release of The Great Lost Twilley Album by DCC Compact Classics in 1993 through a licensing deal with Shelter Records
, Shelter was purchased by EMI
, and this album soon went out of print. Dwight Twilley has been quoted as saying that The Great Lost Twilley Album will be the last major release of previously unreleased Dwight Twilley Band numbers, due to "legal reasons."
++ - Dwight Twilley solo songs
except:
"Shark (In The Dark)" produced by Twilley, Seymour and "The Master of Time and Space" (Leon Russell
);
"Rock Yourself, Son", "No Resistance", "I Don't Know My Name" and "Dancer" produced by Robin Cable;
"I Love You So Much" produced by Jack Nitzsche
;
"Somebody To Love" produced by Twilley, Nitzsche and Bob Schaper;
"Then We Go Up" and "Burnin' Sand" produced by Noah Shark and Max with Dwight Twilley;
"Sky Blue" produced by Chuck Plotkin
;
"Firefly" produced by Twilley.
Dwight Twilley
Dwight Twilley is an American pop/rock singer and songwriter, best known for the Top 20 hit singles "I'm on Fire" and "Girls"...
, recorded in 1974 through 1980 and released in 1993 on Shelter Records
Shelter Records
Shelter Records was a U.S. record label started by Leon Russell and Denny Cordell that operated from 1969 to 1981. The company established offices in both Los Angeles and Tulsa, Russell's home town, where the label sought to promote a "workshop atmosphere" with a recording studio in a converted...
. The basic band consisted of Dwight Twilley
Dwight Twilley
Dwight Twilley is an American pop/rock singer and songwriter, best known for the Top 20 hit singles "I'm on Fire" and "Girls"...
(guitar, piano, lead and harmony vocals), Phil Seymour
Phil Seymour
Phil Seymour was an American power pop drummer, singer, guitarist and songwriter, best known for the singles "I'm On Fire" and "Precious to Me". He had a major role in the seminal pop group Dwight Twilley Band...
(drums, bass, percussion, lead and harmony vocals on the Dwight Twilley Band songs), and Bill Pitcock IV (lead guitar); other musicians include Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
, Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
and Susan Cowsill
Susan Cowsill
Susan Claire Cowsill is a musician, vocalist and songwriter. She is the youngest member of The Cowsills and the only daughter of parents Bud and Barbara Cowsill.-The Cowsills:...
. Most of the production is credited to Twilley and Seymour, although some other producers who worked on songs on the record include Jack Nitzsche
Jack Nitzsche
Bernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche was an arranger, producer, songwriter, and film score composer. He first came to prominence in the late 1950s as the right-hand-man of producer Phil Spector, and went on to work with the Rolling Stones, Neil Young and others...
, Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
, Robin Cable and Chuck Plotkin
Chuck Plotkin
Chuck Plotkin is a recording engineer and producer, best known for his work with Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan.-Recording engineer:Plotkin has recorded, engineered, mastered and produced albums by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and many other artists, starting with The Floating House Band in 1972...
.
Background
The songs on The Great Lost Twilley Album come from four distinct recording periods. the band's first Tulsa and Los Angeles sessions for Shelter Records in 1974 and 1975 (seven songs), a recording session produced by Robin Cable at Trident StudiosTrident Studios
Trident Studios was a British recording facility, originally located at 17 St. Anne's Court in London's Soho district. It was constructed in 1967 by Norman Sheffield a drummer of former 1960's group The Hunters and his Brother Barry....
in London (four songs), the period between Sincerely and Twilley Don't Mind (eight songs) and the solo Dwight Twilley recording sessions for Blueprint (six songs).
Although the band broke up in 1978, 15 of the 25 tracks included herein are from the unreleased albums Fire (which ultimately was released in altered form as Sincerely
Sincerely (Twilley album)
Sincerely is the debut album from the Dwight Twilley Band, released in 1976 on Shelter Records. The band consisted solely of Dwight Twilley and Phil Seymour , although touring band member Bill Pitcock IV played lead guitar on every song except for "Sincerely" itself...
) and various editions of The B Album. Of the rest, two of the songs are the original mixes of the first Twilley Band single ("I'm On Fire" b/w "Did You-C-What Happened?"), two of the songs are demo tracks from the band's Twilley Don't Mind
Twilley Don't Mind
Twilley Don't Mind is the second album from the Dwight Twilley Band, recorded and released in 1977 on Shelter Records, distributed at the time by Arista Records. The band consisted of Dwight Twilley , Phil Seymour , and Bill Pitcock IV...
, two were released as solo singles by Dwight Twilley, and four were intended for the unissued Dwight Twilley solo album Blueprint. Thus, 19 of the 25 songs feature the Dwight Twilley Band, while six are solo Dwight Twilley numbers. Some of the other Cable-produced numbers ended up as bonus tracks on the CD issue of Sincerely. All in all, only two Cable-produced numbers are believed to have never been released: versions of Sky Blue and Shark (In The Dark), which appear on this collection in alternate recordings.
Shortly after the release of The Great Lost Twilley Album by DCC Compact Classics in 1993 through a licensing deal with Shelter Records
Shelter Records
Shelter Records was a U.S. record label started by Leon Russell and Denny Cordell that operated from 1969 to 1981. The company established offices in both Los Angeles and Tulsa, Russell's home town, where the label sought to promote a "workshop atmosphere" with a recording studio in a converted...
, Shelter was purchased by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, and this album soon went out of print. Dwight Twilley has been quoted as saying that The Great Lost Twilley Album will be the last major release of previously unreleased Dwight Twilley Band numbers, due to "legal reasons."
Track listing
All songs written by Dwight Twilley- "Somebody To Love" ++ - 3:44
- "Then We Go Up" ++ - 2:06
- "Burning Sand" ++ - 4:39
- "Shakin' In The Brown Grass" - 2:16
- "Shark (In The Dark)" - 2:30
- "Sky Blue" ++ - 3:24
- "Dancer" - 2:30
- "Chance To Get Away" - 2:33
- "Living In The City" - 2:31
- "Firefly" ++ - 3:47
- "Please Say Please" - 2:21
- "Lovin' Me" - 2:15
- "No Resistance" - 3:29
- "I Love You So Much" ++ - 2:17
- "I Don't Know My Name" - 2:17
- "Didn't You Say" - 3:00
- "The Two Of Us" - 2:23
- "Twenty-Nine Times" - 2:18
- "Skywriter" - 2:29
- "You Never Listen To My Music" - 3:19
- "Rock Yourself, Son" - 2:26
- "I Can't Get No" - 2:20
- "Did You-C-What Happened" - 3:16
- "I'm On Fire" (original mix) - 3:14
- "Rock And Roll 47" - 2:50
++ - Dwight Twilley solo songs
Producers
- Dwight TwilleyDwight TwilleyDwight Twilley is an American pop/rock singer and songwriter, best known for the Top 20 hit singles "I'm on Fire" and "Girls"...
and Phil SeymourPhil SeymourPhil Seymour was an American power pop drummer, singer, guitarist and songwriter, best known for the singles "I'm On Fire" and "Precious to Me". He had a major role in the seminal pop group Dwight Twilley Band...
except:
"Shark (In The Dark)" produced by Twilley, Seymour and "The Master of Time and Space" (Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
);
"Rock Yourself, Son", "No Resistance", "I Don't Know My Name" and "Dancer" produced by Robin Cable;
"I Love You So Much" produced by Jack Nitzsche
Jack Nitzsche
Bernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche was an arranger, producer, songwriter, and film score composer. He first came to prominence in the late 1950s as the right-hand-man of producer Phil Spector, and went on to work with the Rolling Stones, Neil Young and others...
;
"Somebody To Love" produced by Twilley, Nitzsche and Bob Schaper;
"Then We Go Up" and "Burnin' Sand" produced by Noah Shark and Max with Dwight Twilley;
"Sky Blue" produced by Chuck Plotkin
Chuck Plotkin
Chuck Plotkin is a recording engineer and producer, best known for his work with Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan.-Recording engineer:Plotkin has recorded, engineered, mastered and produced albums by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and many other artists, starting with The Floating House Band in 1972...
;
"Firefly" produced by Twilley.
- Engineers: Jim Barth, Roger Harris, Robin Cable, Ted Sharp, Bob Schaper, Mark Howllett; Noah Shark, Max, Clay Rose
Musicians
- Dwight TwilleyDwight TwilleyDwight Twilley is an American pop/rock singer and songwriter, best known for the Top 20 hit singles "I'm on Fire" and "Girls"...
: lead and harmony vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica, drums on "I Can't Get No" - Phil SeymourPhil SeymourPhil Seymour was an American power pop drummer, singer, guitarist and songwriter, best known for the singles "I'm On Fire" and "Precious to Me". He had a major role in the seminal pop group Dwight Twilley Band...
: lead and harmony vocals, drums, percussion, bass, except on "I Can't Get No" and ++ - Bill Pitcock IV: lead guitar, bass on "I Can't Get No", "Then We Go Up", "Burnin' Sand", "Somebody To Love" and "Sky Blue"
- Johnny Johnson: bass on "Please Say Please" and "Didn't You Say"
- Leon RussellLeon RussellClaude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
: piano and bass on "Feeling In The Dark" and "Shark (In The Dark)" - Tom PettyTom PettyThomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
: guitar on "Rock And Roll 47" - Susan CowsillSusan CowsillSusan Claire Cowsill is a musician, vocalist and songwriter. She is the youngest member of The Cowsills and the only daughter of parents Bud and Barbara Cowsill.-The Cowsills:...
: vocals on ++ - Jerry Naifeh: drums on "I Love You So Much" and "Somebody To Love"
- Jim Lewis: bass on "I Love You So Much", drums on "Then We Go Up" and "Burnin' Sand"
- John CowsillJohn CowsillJohn Cowsill is an American musician, best known for his work as a singer and drummer with his siblings' band, The Cowsills. He is currently a drummer and vocalist for the current The Beach Boys touring band, which features original Beach Boys Mike Love and Bruce Johnston...
: drums on "Sky Blue"