Them Belfast Gypsies [Bonus Tracks] (CD)

• Category:  Music  »  Rock & Pop  »  General Rock & Pop
• Format: CD   Learn more about the CD format using Tower WIKI.
• Release Date: September 15, 2003
• Label: Rev-Ola Records (UK)
• UPC: 5013929434929
• WAPI (Tower ID): 105956431
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• Tower.com Sales Rank: #115069 in Music (See Top 100 Music Bestsellers)
• #33705 in Rock & Pop (See Top 100 Rock & Pop Bestsellers)
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Liner Note Author: Jon "Mojo" Mills.

The Belfast Gypsies' sole album was first issued in Scandinavia by Sonet in 1967. Though the lettering on the sleeve led many to incorrectly think it was an album by Them titled "Belfast Gypsies," the name of the group is indeed the Belfast Gypsies (though some of the group had played in Them when Van Morrison was their lead singer), and the album title Them Belfast Gypsies. That clarification out of the way, as for the music itself, producer Kim Fowley gives this rough-hewn R&B a manic, freaky edge on cuts like "People, Let's Freak Out," "Suicide Song," and "Secret Police." The Them-like atmosphere is heightened by singer Jackie McAuley, who's very much a Van Morrison-style vocalist ("Gloria's Dream" is a blatant cop of "Gloria"), though not in Morrison's league. Still, it's quite a solid effort, McAuley's organ pacing the band's brittle rock-R&B, with some decent originals and a diverse assortment of imaginative covers, ranging from Donovan to traditional folk to a tongue-in-cheek classical instrumental. Their tense version of "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is one of the greatest obscure Dylan covers, and the magnificent harmonica on "Midnight Train" is a highlight. [The record was first reissued on LP in 1978 with a slightly different cover bearing the subtitle "Legendary Master Recordings" and historical liner notes by Brian Hogg, though much later many more definite details about the band emerged. In 2003, it was reissued on CD by Rev-Ola with six bonus tracks, though most of these were different mixes of songs from the original LP.] ~ Richie Unterberger

The Belfast Gypsies' sole album was a very credible blast of British Invasion-styled R&B-rock, though it sounded slightly out of date by the time it was issued in 1967, about a year after it was recorded. Producer Kim Fowley gives this rough-hewn R&B a manic, freaky edge on cuts like "People, Let's Freak Out," "Suicide Song," and "Secret Police." The Them-like atmosphere is heightened by singer Jackie McAuley, who's very much a Van Morrison-style vocalist ("Gloria's Dream" is a blatant cop of "Gloria"), though not in Morrison's league. Still, it's quite a solid effort, McAuley's organ pacing the band's brittle rock-R&B, with some decent originals and a diverse assortment of imaginative covers, ranging from Donovan to traditional folk to a tongue-in-cheek classical instrumental. Their tense version of "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is one of the greatest obscure Dylan covers, and the magnificent harmonica on "Midnight Train" is a highlight. [In 2003, it was reissued on CD by Rev-Ola with six bonus tracks, five of them barely different EP and 45 mixes of songs from the original LP (though the French EP mix of "Midnight Train" seems to straighten out a varispeed flaw that had afflicted previous pressings). The other bonus track (and sole cut not to have appeared on the original LP), "The Gorilla," is a generic soul-rock instrumental with prominent organ that appeared on a French EP. Note, though, that while that recording did originally appear on a Belfast Gypsies release, it's not actually the Belfast Gypsies performing on the track, which was likely done by some or all members of Shotgun Express (particularly as two of them, including keyboardist Peter Bardens, shared in the songwriting credits).] ~ Richie Unterberger

The Belfast Gypsies' sole album was first issued in Scandinavia by Sonet in 1967. Though the lettering on the sleeve led many to incorrectly think it was an album by Them titled "Belfast Gypsies," the name of the group is indeed the Belfast Gypsies (though some of the group had played in Them when Van Morrison was their lead singer), and the album title Them Belfast Gypsies. That clarification out of the way, as for the music itself, producer Kim Fowley gives this rough-hewn R&B a manic, freaky edge on cuts like "People, Let's Freak Out," "Suicide Song," and "Secret Police." The Them-like atmosphere is heightened by singer Jackie McAuley, who's very much a Van Morrison-style vocalist ("Gloria's Dream" is a blatant cop of "Gloria"), though not in Morrison's league. Still, it's quite a solid effort, McAuley's organ pacing the band's brittle rock-R&B, with some decent originals and a diverse assortment of imaginative covers, ranging from Donovan to traditional folk to a tongue-in-cheek classical instrumental. Their tense version of "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is one of the greatest obscure Dylan covers, and the magnificent harmonica on "Midnight Train" is a highlight. [The record was first reissued on LP in 1978 with a slightly different cover bearing the subtitle "Legendary Master Recordings" and historical liner notes by Brian Hogg, though much later many more definite details about the band emerged. In 2003, it was reissued on CD by Rev-Ola with six bonus tracks, though most of these were different mixes of songs from the original LP.] ~ Richie Unterberger

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