Tea Break Over–Back on Your 'Eads!
Tea Break Over–Back on Your 'Eads! is the eighth studio album by British jazz-rock band If. Released on 7 March 1975, it was their final studio album for over 40 years, until the release of If 5 in 2016 following their reunion. Tea Break Over was followed in 1995 by a compilation CD covering tracks from the first three LPs featuring the band's previous line-up.
| Tea Break Over–Back on Your 'Eads! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 7 March 1975 | |||
| Recorded | July & August 1974 at Pyramid Sounds. Mixed at The Hit Factory. | |||
| Genre | Jazz rock Progressive rock | |||
| Length | 38:58 | |||
| Label | Capitol Records (US) Gull (UK) Brain (Germany) | |||
| Producer | Jon Child, Cliff Davies, Lew Futterman | |||
| If chronology | ||||
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The album reflects the band's more rock-influenced style, perfectly balanced with Dick Morrissey's harsher hard bop/bebop sax playing. The title track "Tea Break", referring to the hardships of being "on the road", is the punch line to an old musicians' joke and contains a tribute to Charlie Parker in the lyrics ("The Bird was the man to be heard" and "The music was the word") as well as in a swirling bebop tenor solo. The "Ballad of the Yessirom Kid", a tribute by the band to Dick Morrissey, finishes with a roaring bebop tenor solo. "Song for Alison" features the flute more than holding its own with a rock accompaniment. The song "Don Quixote" opens with an extensive acoustic Spanish guitar solo by Whitehorn.
Track listing
(LP version[1] - the CD re-release varies the order slightly)
Side one
- "Merlin the Magic Man" (Davies) – 5:05
- "I Had a Friend" (Davies) – 4:30
- "Tea Break Over, Back on Your 'Eads" (Whitehorn, Davies, Monaghan) – 6:05
Side two
- "Ballad of the Yessirrom Kid" (Davies) – 5:20
- "Raw Sewage" (Davies) – 6:13
- "Song for Alison" (Morrissey) – 3:55
- "Don Quixote's Masquerade" (Davies) – 7:50
Personnel
- Geoff Whitehorn - electric and acoustic guitars, lead vocals
- Dick Morrissey - electric & acoustic tenor, alto & soprano saxes; flute
- Gabriel Magno – keyboards, organ, piano, synthesiser
- Walt Monaghan – bass, backing vocals
- Cliff Davies – drums, vibraphone, backing vocals
Guest:
- Carlos Martinez – percussion
References
- ^ "IF (6) - Tea-Break Over-Back On Your 'Eads! (LP) at Discogs". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 28 October 2009.