If you don’t have any/all of the Island recordings issued between 1969-71 (three albums, a single and a stray live track), here they all are. Let’s hope the mastering is good…
Here’s the blurb:
A NEW REMASTERED 2 CD DELUXE COLLECTION OF THE COMPLETE QUINTESSENCE RECORDINGS ISSUED BY ISLAND RECORDS BETWEEN 1969 -1971
FIRST EVER COMPREHENSIVE COMPILATION OF THIS ERA OF QUINTESSENCE
INCLUDES ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET WITH NEW LINER NOTES & RARE PHOTOGRAPHS AND MEMORABILIA
Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of “Move into the Light – The Island Recordings 1969 – 1971”, a deluxe 2 CD remastered anthology of the legendary Psychedelic, Underground & Eastern influenced Rock band Quintessence.
One of the great underground acts of their era, Quintessence came together in the Ladbroke Grove area of London in 1969. The band comprised Australians Phil ‘Shiva’ Jones (vocals, keyboards), Ron ‘Raja Ram’ Rothfield (flute) along with Allan Mostert (lead guitar), Richard ‘Shambhu Babaji’ Vaughan (bass), Dave ‘Maha Dev’ Codling (rhythm guitar) and Jeremy ‘Jake’ Milton (drums). Within months of their formation the Eastern influenced rock music of Quintessence had earned the band a dedicated following and they were signed by Chris Blackwell to Island Records.
Over the next three years the band would record three classic albums for the label – “In Blissful Company”, “Quintessence” & “Dive Deep” – along with the classic single version of one of their best known tracks, “Notting Hill Gate”. The material Quintessence recorded during this period, mostly produced by John Barham, who would also work with George Harrison on his “All Things Must Pass” album, earned them admiration from such luminaries as Pete Townshend of The Who (who attended Quintessence concerts) and Jim Morrison of The Doors.
Quintessence also had the distinction of appearing at the very first Glastonbury Festival in 1970 and the legendary Glastonbury Fayre of 1971, along with selling out the Royal Albert Hall.
This 2 disc newly re-mastered set celebrates Quintessence and gathers together all of the band’s material issued by Island Records between 1969 & 1971. It also includes a live version of “Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Guaranga” which originally appeared on the Island double LP sampler “Bumpers” in 1970.
“Move into the Light” features an illustrated booklet with an essay by Malcolm Dome and exclusive new interviews with Phil Jones & Dave Codling.
If they sold out the Royal Albert Hall, it was because they were supporting Creedence Clearwater Revival in April 1970, on a bizarre bill which also included one man blues band Wilbert Harrison III (writer of Let’s Stick Together). I was there and remember the earnest Ladbroke Grove Aussies being roundly booed by the 99% of the audience who’d come to hear Proud Mary and Bad Moon Rising, not the Hare Krishna Mantra…
They did indeed support CCR at the RAH – that was their first appearance there. However, they sold it out themselves a year later. I have the date (though not handy).
Looks great. Will a decent slap be coming with it from the rough boys into Stray and The Groundhogs?
Not if you hide it under your greatcoat…
I bought the last one because of the great artwork. Will this one be just as good?
The audio content is great… in its original form. I’m not privy to the remastering – it might be terrific, it might not. I’ll be buying a copy just like everyone else*, so fiongers crossed.
(* Everyone except for Bargepole who, like the British Library with books, automatically receives one copy of every progressive rock reissue.)
Ah if only that was the case 😉
although having said that, watch this space……
Did you receive my PM @Colin-h ?
No
Not sure where that’s got to then! I’ll try resending to your inbox now.