[2021-05-07] Frankie Miller "Once In A Blue Moon", "High Life" and "The Rock" Collector's Editions (Rock Candy UK)

Linda · **Posted:** Sat Mar 27, 2021 9:34 pm

Once In A Blue Moon

Description
Fully Remastered Audio / Frankie Miller...that's who! Glasgow's gift shines on his heavenly debut from ’73 / Produced by Dave Robinson (Brinsley Schwarz, Clover) / Includes ‘After All (I Live My Life)’,‘You Don’t Need To Laugh’ & ‘It’s All Over’, plus 4 Bonus Tracks / 12 page full-colour booklet, 3,500 word essay with new interviews, enhanced artwork & previously unseen photos.

MENTION THE NAME Frankie Miller to any musician of a certain era and their face will immediately light up regarding his singing ability and subsequent influence on a generation of British vocalists. The owner of one of the finest blues voices of the era, Frankie’s shadow loomed long and hard across a multitude of styles, with enough true grit and authority to carve out a top tier reputation. Compared in the same exalted breath as Rod Stewart, Paul Rodgers, Terry Reid and Joe Cocker, Frankie quickly established a reputation second to none. Originating from Glasgow, Frankie’s first brush with fame came via Jude, a supergroup, including guitarist Robin Trower, which inexplicably failed to connect with the public. It was, however, enough of a career boost to secure him a solo recording contract with Chrysalis records and the release in 1973 of this, his debut album, ‘Once In A Blue Moon’. The record was lauded by critics and supporters, yet inexplicably failed to sell at the time. As a mixture of hardnosed blues and gritty R&B it established Miller as a real force in British rock, with most supporters predicting a bright future. The album was record at the famed Rockfield studio in Wales, backed by pub rock stalwarts the Brinsley Schwarz group and produced by their manager Dave Robinson, a man who would later go on to form Stiff Records. With tight arrangements and gritty instrumental support, the album focussed on an earthy blues rock, allowing Miller’s voice to take centre stage. It also highlighted his compositional skills, setting up a reputation for writing material that would find many varied and successful outlets over the years.

Tracklist
1. You Don't Need To Laugh (To Be Happy)
2. I Can't Change It
3. Candlelight Sonata In F Major
4. Ann Eliza Jane
5. It's All Over
6. In No Resistance
7. After All (I Live My Life)
8. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
9. Mail Box
10. I'm Ready
Bonus Tracks:
11. I Can See The Train
12. Blow My Whistle
13. The Rules Of The Game
14. And It's Raining

Amazon USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZKJ99P8/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK
Available for pre-order soon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08ZKJ99P8/?tag=imwan-21

High Life

Description
Fully Remastered Audio / Frankie takes blue-eyed soul to the 'Big Easy' for '74s sophomore album / Produced by Allen Toussaint (Dr. John, The Meters) / Includes 'Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)' & 'The Devil's Gun', plus 4 Bonus Tracks / Adds 2nd Disc of the album's Previously Unreleased Original Mix / 12 page full-colour booklet, 3,500 word essay, enhanced artwork & previously unseen photos.

IN THE EARLY seventies Glaswegian born singer/songwriter Frankie Miller was cementing a solid reputation as a talent to be reckoned with. His gritty whiskey-soaked voice was immediately compared to the true giants of the era such as Paul Rodgers and Rod Stewart. Signed to Chrysalis records, Frankie’s debut caused a stir amongst the cognoscenti but failed to connect commercially. For his follow-up album the label packed him off to America and into the arms of renowned and respected producer/songwriter Allen Toussaint in an effort to further reveal his abilities as a songwriter and vocalist. ‘High Life’ was yet another album of discovery for not only Frankie but also for his growing fan following. Toussaint was almost a deity in the New Orleans soul and funk-rock genres, having produced a litany of acts; including bayou king Dr. John, funk meisters the Meters and Labelle, and developing a recording career as a solo artist. Recruiting a pedigree team of session players, including Atlanta Rhythm Section guitarist Barry Bailey, the record was cut in Atlanta and engages a more refined musical direction yet still propels his gritty, blues-fuelled voice to the fore. Tight, funky and raw the tracks explode with a masterful force, giving the impression that Miller was onto not only to something big but also authentic. If you‘re looking for the perfect combination of Otis Redding and Paul Rodgers then look no further. Songs such as ‘Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)’, ‘The Devil Gun’ and ‘I’m Falling In Love Again’ ooze class and sophistication yet also capture a rawness that unmistakably identifies him as one of the most soulful white singers on the scene.

Tracklist
1. High Life (Filler)
2. Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)
3. Trouble
4. A Fool
5. Little Angel
6. With You In Mind
7. The Devil's Gun
8. I'll Take A Melody
9. Just A Song
10. Shoo-Rah, Shoo-Rah
11. I'm Falling In Love Again
12. I'm Falling In Love Again (Early Version)
Bonus Tracks:
13. Brickyard Blues
14. The Devil's Gun
15. If You Need Me
16. With You In Mind

Amazon USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZP4GZ42/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK
Available for pre-order soon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08ZP4GZ42/?tag=imwan-21

The Rock

Description
Fully Remastered Audio / A 2nd US sojourn yields the Celtic ranger's 3rd album / Produced by Elliot Mazer (Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, Janis Joplin) / Includes 'All My Love To You', 'Drunken Nights In The City' & 'A Fool In Love', plus 2 Bonus Tracks / 12 page full-colour booklet, 3,500 word essay, enhanced artwork & previously unseen photos.

THE THIRD SOLO album from Frankie Miller, but this time around tagged as The Frankie Miller Band. Chrysalis, his record company, felt that his career had been undervalued by two previous albums recorded with, even though they were great musicians, what amounted to, session players, not presenting a unified band identity. With this in mind, Miller was charged with gathering a group of musicians that would form the basis of a permanent outfit, the hub of which contained members from Wings and Irish progressive rock band Eire Apparent; that’s guitarist Henry McCullough and bassist Chrissy Stewart. Together with Mick Weaver (aka Wynder K. Frog) on Keyboards and drummer Stu Perry they were sent to San Francisco to record with Neil Young’s producer Elliot Mazer. Because this time around Miller avoided the limitations of working with session players he developed a far more organic and hard hitting record that met with strong critical support but, sadly, once again failed to connect commercially. Recorded in full view of San Francisco’s infamous Alcatraz prison, the contents were bolstered by the inclusion of a number of key tracks, including; ‘Ain’t Got No Money’ (later covered by Cher and Bob Seger), ‘A Fool In Love’ (co-written by Free bassist Andy Fraser and covered by UFO) and the gritty blues rock of ‘All My Love To You’. ‘The Rock’ is viewed as one of the cornerstones of Miller’s career and it’s a record that further enhanced his reputation as one of the greatest blues vocalists of the era. With the appointment of the full-time band he was able to tour the record at home and abroad, which further established his profile and elevated his status.

Tracklist
1. A Fool In Love
2. The Heartbreak
3. The Rock
4. I Know Why The Sun Don't Shine
5. Hard On The Levee
6. Ain't Got No Money
7. All My Love To You
8. I'm Old Enough
9. Bridgetown
10. Drunken Nights In The City
Bonus Tracks:
11. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever
12. I'm Old Enough

Amazon USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZKMCLHL/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK
Available for pre-order soon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08ZKMCLHL/?tag=imwan-21

[2021-05-07] Frankie Miller "Once In A Blue Moon", "High Life" and "The Rock" Collector's Editions (Rock Candy UK)

Who is WANline