[2017-09-22] Jon-Mark "Sally Free And Easy" expanded remaster of previously unreleased 1965 album (RPM UK)

Linda · **Posted:** Sat Jul 29, 2017 6:15 pm

Description
JON-MARK’s enviable skills as a musician are familiar to many due to his leadership of the much-loved Mark-Almond band during the 1970s. Less familiar is his early work as an itinerant folk guitarist and session player in the mid-1960s, the recorded evidence of which expertly showcases a natural and prescient talent.

Top producer Shel Talmy signed the guitarist in 1964 whilst he was making a name as Marianne Faithfull’s accompanist, and prepared a full-length acoustic album, scheduled for release in the autumn of 1965. It remained unreleased until now.

Firmly in the mould of contemporary progressive folk acts like Davy Graham and Bert Jansch, the playlist not only demonstrates Mark’s dexterity as an instrumentalist, writer and interpreter, it also features one of the earliest uses of sitar on a British production, upon the title cut.

Sally Free And Easy presents the intended album in order, along with outtakes from the 1965 sessions, as well as Mark’s debut 45 ‘Baby I’ve Got A Long Way To Go’ (the flip being Mark’s original version of the popular mod item ‘Night Comes Down’). Mark’s last session with Talmy in late 1965 featured an interesting orchestrated version of Jackson C Frank’s notable ‘Blues Run The Game’.

Transferred from the original master tapes by compiler Alec Palao and packaged with detailed notes and rare images, Sally Free And Easy adds a fascinating and heretofore little-discussed chapter to the Brit-folk movement of the mid-1960s.

Tracklist
1. Sally Free & Easy
2. Paris Bells
3. Confusion
4. Blues For Hobbits
5. I Was Born In Winter
6. Going Down The Road
7. Love From Afar
8. Gotta Make Their Future Bright
9. The Vulture
10. Buddy Can You Spare A Dime
11. What Will You Do When I’m Gone
12. Portland Town
13. Baby I’ve Got A Long Way To Go
14. Night Comes Down
15. If You’re Gonna Leave Me
16. North Country Fair
17. Once I Loved A Girl
18. Black Girl
19. You Don’t Know My Mind
20. The First Time
21. Sally Free & Easy (Acoustic Guitar Version)
22. Baby I’ve Got A Long Way To Go (Acoustic Version)
23. Stagger Lee
24. Room Service (Blues Run The Game)

Amazon USA
Available for pre-ordering soon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07451V1FG/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07451V1FG/?tag=imwan-21

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

I liked Mark Almond. The Mark Almond John Mayall period is also probably my 3rd fav Mayall era (after Clapton & Peter Green). I've never seen the "-" between his first & last names before; also never heard him as a folky. This could be good, or it could be real bad.

ericsen · **Joined:** 23 Jan 2007 **Posts:** 3844

I really liked Mark-Almond as well. I have not heard this early stuff by Jon-Mark, but Mark-Almond kind of had that folk jazz vibe going. I remember their 70's tracks. I really liked "The City" and "One Way Sunday" which was played a lot on WNEW FM, when I lived in NY some 40 years ago. I also enjoyed their "Other People's Rooms" album from the 80's. I liked the version of Billy Joel's "New York State Of Mind" from that period, as well. I'm thinking I may like this "Sally Free And Easy" disc. I'll have to try some previews when they become available.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

I LOVE their 1st 2 albums, & Mayall's Turning Point which was basically M-A with Mayall on lead vocals & Harmonica.

Rick Peterson · **Joined:** 23 Jan 2007 **Posts:** 388

More love for Mark-Almond and that Mayall album they played on. Saw Mark-Almond in the early 70's in San Antonio, great show. I have tracked down most of their earlier stuff on CD. This release, judging from the album cover and the song titles, looks like what Shawn Phillips was doing in the mid-60's, before he came into his own as a singer-songwriter. I can't see it being any good.

[2017-09-22] Jon-Mark "Sally Free And Easy" expanded remaster of previously unreleased 1965 album (RPM UK)

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