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It Ain't Easy (Long John Baldry album)

April 14, 2024

It Ain't Easy is a 1971 album by Long John Baldry. It marked his return to the edgier blues sound that he performed in the mid-60s.[1] It was Baldry's fifth solo album.

It Ain't Easy
Studio album by
Long John Baldry
ReleasedJune 1971
RecordedJanuary – February 1971
StudioMorgan Studios, London
IBC Studios, London
GenreBlues rock
Length37:29
LabelWarner Music
ProducerRod Stewart, Elton John
Long John Baldry chronology
Wait For Me
(1969) 		It Ain't Easy
(1971) 		Everything Stops for Tea
(1972)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideC[2]
The Vinyl DistrictA−[3]

Background edit

According to extensive notes about Long John Baldry's career in the re-release 2005 CD, Rod Stewart was brought on board to produce It Ain't Easy for Warner Brothers. Soon after in 1970, Stewart met Baldry’s former Bluesology bandmate Elton John at a party and the piano player joined on, too. Stewart and John each produced half of this bluesy album, with John contributing much of the piano work. Stewart brought in mate Ronnie Wood to play guitar, as well as many others who would appear on Stewart's Every Picture Tells a Story, released later in 1971.

The Baldry album features his biggest U.S. hit, "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie-Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll"; Baldry once noted how Stewart's loose and late-night recording sessions affected the tracks, "especially those recorded on my thirtieth birthday when he showed up with cases of Remy Martin cognac and several measures of good quality champagne!" Baldry points out that "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie-Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll" was recorded "whilst laying [sic] on the floor".[4]

The 1971 release also features "Black Girl", an American folk song most associated with Lead Belly, though covered by the likes of Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, Dolly Parton and Nirvana. Baldry does a version singing with Maggie Bell, who also appeared on Every Picture Tells a Story.

It Ain't Easy also includes Willie Dixon's song "I'm Ready" and an Elton John-Bernie Taupin song, "Rock Me When He's Gone".[5]

Baldry and Stewart put a band together to promote the album on Baldry's first tour of the US, consisting of mostly musicians from Stewart's Every Picture Tells a Story album: Sam Mitchell (blues guitar), Micky Waller (drums), Pete Sears (bass) and Ian Armit (piano). They were called "The Long John Baldry Blues Band", and played two tours of the US.

Track listing edit

  1. "Intro: Conditional Discharge" (John Baldry, Ian Armit) – 3:15
  2. "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie-Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll" (Jeff Thomas) – 3:26
  3. "Black Girl" (Traditional, Lead Belly) – 2:50
  4. "It Ain't Easy" (Ron Davies) – 4:52
  5. "Morning, Morning" (Tuli Kupferberg) – 2:38
  6. "I'm Ready" (Willie Dixon) – 4:15
  7. "Let's Burn Down the Cornfield" (Randy Newman) – 4:12
  8. "Mr. Rubin" (Lesley Duncan) – 4:00
  9. "Rock Me When He's Gone" (Elton John, Bernie Taupin) – 5:01
  10. "Flying" (Ronnie Wood, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Lane) – 6:50
  • Tracks 1-6 recorded at Morgan Studios; January 15, 17, 27 and 29; February 4, 1971
  • Tracks 7-10 recorded at IBC Studios; February 1, 3, 4, 10 and 11, 1971

2005 Re-issue bonus tracks:

  1. "Goin' Down Slow"
  2. "Blues (Corn Bread, Meat and Molasses)"
  3. "Love In Vain"
  4. "Midnight Hour Blues"
  5. "Black Girl" (alternate take)
  6. "It Ain't Easy" (alternate take)
  7. "I'm Ready" (alternate take)

Personnel edit

Technical edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Planer, Lindsay Planer. "It Ain't Easy - Long John Baldry | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: B". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  3. ^ Little, Michael H. (8 December 2017). "Graded on a Curve: Long John Baldry, It Ain't Easy". The Vinyl District.
  4. ^ Myers, Paul (2007). It Ain't Easy: Long John Baldry and the Birth of the British Blues. Greystone Books. p. 140. ISBN 9781553652007.
  5. ^ Myers 2007, p. 251.

April 14, 2024
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources It Ain t Easy Long John Baldry album news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message It Ain t Easy is a 1971 album by Long John Baldry It marked his return to the edgier blues sound that he performed in the mid 60s 1 It was Baldry s fifth solo album It Ain t EasyStudio album by Long John BaldryReleasedJune 1971RecordedJanuary February 1971StudioMorgan Studios LondonIBC Studios LondonGenreBlues rockLength37 29LabelWarner MusicProducerRod Stewart Elton JohnLong John Baldry chronologyWait For Me 1969 It Ain t Easy 1971 Everything Stops for Tea 1972 Professional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingAllMusic 1 Christgau s Record GuideC 2 The Vinyl DistrictA 3 Contents 1 Background 2 Track listing 3 Personnel 3 1 Technical 4 ReferencesBackground editAccording to extensive notes about Long John Baldry s career in the re release 2005 CD Rod Stewart was brought on board to produce It Ain t Easy for Warner Brothers Soon after in 1970 Stewart met Baldry s former Bluesology bandmate Elton John at a party and the piano player joined on too Stewart and John each produced half of this bluesy album with John contributing much of the piano work Stewart brought in mate Ronnie Wood to play guitar as well as many others who would appear on Stewart s Every Picture Tells a Story released later in 1971 The Baldry album features his biggest U S hit Don t Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll Baldry once noted how Stewart s loose and late night recording sessions affected the tracks especially those recorded on my thirtieth birthday when he showed up with cases of Remy Martin cognac and several measures of good quality champagne Baldry points out that Don t Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll was recorded whilst laying sic on the floor 4 The 1971 release also features Black Girl an American folk song most associated with Lead Belly though covered by the likes of Bob Dylan the Grateful Dead Dolly Parton and Nirvana Baldry does a version singing with Maggie Bell who also appeared on Every Picture Tells a Story It Ain t Easy also includes Willie Dixon s song I m Ready and an Elton John Bernie Taupin song Rock Me When He s Gone 5 Baldry and Stewart put a band together to promote the album on Baldry s first tour of the US consisting of mostly musicians from Stewart s Every Picture Tells a Story album Sam Mitchell blues guitar Micky Waller drums Pete Sears bass and Ian Armit piano They were called The Long John Baldry Blues Band and played two tours of the US Track listing edit Intro Conditional Discharge John Baldry Ian Armit 3 15 Don t Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll Jeff Thomas 3 26 Black Girl Traditional Lead Belly 2 50 It Ain t Easy Ron Davies 4 52 Morning Morning Tuli Kupferberg 2 38 I m Ready Willie Dixon 4 15 Let s Burn Down the Cornfield Randy Newman 4 12 Mr Rubin Lesley Duncan 4 00 Rock Me When He s Gone Elton John Bernie Taupin 5 01 Flying Ronnie Wood Rod Stewart Ronnie Lane 6 50Tracks 1 6 recorded at Morgan Studios January 15 17 27 and 29 February 4 1971 Tracks 7 10 recorded at IBC Studios February 1 3 4 10 and 11 19712005 Re issue bonus tracks Goin Down Slow Blues Corn Bread Meat and Molasses Love In Vain Midnight Hour Blues Black Girl alternate take It Ain t Easy alternate take I m Ready alternate take Personnel editLong John Baldry vocals 12 string guitar track 3 Maggie Bell vocals tracks 3 4 Elton John organ piano tracks 8 10 Ron Wood guitar tracks 2 4 6 12 string guitar track 5 Alan Skidmore tenor saxophone track 2 Lesley Duncan Tony Hazzard Doris Troy Tony Burrows Roger Cook Madeline Bell Kay Garner Liza Strike backing vocals tracks 2 9 10 Sam Mitchell dobro tracks 3 4 guitar tracks 2 5 6 slide guitar track 6 Ian Armit piano tracks 1 6 Ricky Brown bass guitar tracks 2 6 David Glover bass guitar tracks 7 10 Mick Waller drums tracks 2 6 Roger Pope drums tracks 7 10 Caleb Quaye guitar tracks 7 10 Ray Jackson mandolin tracks 3 5 Joshua M Bopo guitar tracks 7 10 Madeline Bell tambourine track 9 Lesley Duncan chorus caster choirmistress tracks 2 9 10 Technical edit Rod Stewart producer tracks 1 6 Elton John producer tracks 7 10 Jimmy Horowitz executive producer Ed Thrasher art director Judith Sims liner notesReferences edit a b Planer Lindsay Planer It Ain t Easy Long John Baldry Songs Reviews Credits Awards AllMusic Retrieved 13 June 2014 Christgau Robert 1981 Consumer Guide 70s B Christgau s Record Guide Rock Albums of the Seventies Ticknor amp Fields ISBN 089919026X Retrieved 21 February 2019 Little Michael H 8 December 2017 Graded on a Curve Long John Baldry It Ain t Easy The Vinyl District Myers Paul 2007 It Ain t Easy Long John Baldry and the Birth of the British Blues Greystone Books p 140 ISBN 9781553652007 Myers 2007 p 251 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title It Ain 27t Easy Long John Baldry album amp oldid 1110035403, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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