Chris McGregor long 'lost', sorry, long 'out of print'

[Chalupa]

I found 3 posts from "Fledg'ling" in the AAJ thread.....

chris mcgregor's septet - up to earth

The Chris McGregor Group ~ Up To Earth

1 Moonlight Aloe (Chris McGregor) 10:42

2 Yickytickee* (Chris McGregor) / Union Special* (Chris McGregor) 8:34

3 Up To Earth (Chris McGregor) 7:20

4 Years Ago Now* (Chris McGregor / Louis Moholo) 11:20

Chris McGregor - piano

Barre Phillips or Danny Thompson * - double bass

Louis Moholo - drums

John Surman - baritone saxophone, bass clarinet

Evan Parker - tenor saxophone

Dudu Pukwana - alto saxophone

Mongezi Feza - trumpet

Recorded late 1968 / early 1969 this previously unreleased album will finally see the light of day in July on the Fledg'ling label.

well actually there is another unissued album...

In 1969 Chris McGregor recorded two albums which didn't see the light of day before all energies were directed towards the Brotherhood of Breath project. Both were recorded at Sound Techniques Studio in London with Joe Boyd producing.

The Septet set 'Up To Earth' is about to be manufactured for July release. If all goes well we hope to release a Trio set 'Our Prayer' later in the year. Barre Phillips and Louis Moholo appear on the Trio album.

I'm unsure if the test pressings that have been mentioned were of either of these albums or a combination of tracks from both projects.

A while back I suggested to Joe Boyd that the acetate produced by Polydor back in 1969 contained one side of each of the two unreleased albums. He thought it very likely but couldn't recall why they might have done that. Joe's recollections of the recording sessions and the master tapes are very clear that they were intended as two seperate projects.

Here is the track list for the acetate / bootleg as I see it (I've never heard the acetate):

1. Church Mouse 04:26

2. Moonlight Aloe 07:27

3. Spike Nard 07:44

4. Moonlight Aloe 10:47

5. Yickytickee / Union Special 08:44

1-3 would be side A of the Our Prayer, Trio set and 4 & 5 would be side A of the Up To Earth set. A curious arrangement. As far as I've been able to research there was only one acetate - never a second with the two B sides.

There's a version of Church Mouse on the White Bicycle's compilation performed by Dudu Pukwana's Spear so somebody might be able to confirm that it is the same tune.

This is great news!!