Pete Townshend And Ronnie Lane - Rough Mix Album (1977)
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Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane - Rough Mix Album (1977)
Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane - Rough Mix Album (1977)
Recorded: Winter 1976 and Spring 1977 Recorded at: Olympic Studios, London Released: September 16, 1977 Label: Polydor, MCA Records LP, cassette Length: 41:34 (Wiki) (49 versions) |
Listen to Pete Townshend Rough Mix Album (1977) on Spotify
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Listen to Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane Rough Mix Album (1977) on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mh8u5ioQhqxxGbPNOH6gz4Rip3wxCwKLk
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Pete Townshend And Ronnie Lane - Rough Mix Album (1977)
from Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rough_Mix
from Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rough_Mix
Rough Mix is an album by the Who's guitarist Pete Townshend and former Small Faces and Faces bassist Ronnie Lane. The album was released September 16, 1977 on Polydor 2442 in the UK and MCA 2295 in the US.
Rough Mix peaked at number 44 on the UK album chart and at number 45 on the Billboard 200 in the US.
On October 21, 1976, the Who closed a brief North American tour in Toronto at Maple Leaf Gardens, a show that would be the last with Keith Moon before a paying audience. The Who then took a hiatus as band members pursued various individual interests.
Pete Townshend had been initially contacted by Ronnie Lane to produce his next album, the project instead turning into a full-blown collaboration between the pair. Lane expressed an interest in a songwriting collaboration but Townshend, who has very rarely co-written songs, was unwilling. The instrumental title track is credited to both musicians, however.
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During the recording of Rough Mix, Lane's multiple sclerosis was diagnosed but still not revealed generally. In one instance, Lane had an emotional issue related to his MS that caused an argument between him and an unknowing Townshend. Nonetheless Lane toured, wrote and recorded (with Eric Clapton among others) and in 1979 released another album, See Me, which features several songs written by Lane and Clapton. Around this time Lane travelled the highways and byways of England and lived a 'passing show' modern nomadic life in full Gypsy traveller costume and accommodation.
The album featured songs written by both principals in a vein less like that of the Who or Faces but instead close to the British folk rock vogue of the early 1970s among various English bands. The band on the track "Annie" comprised members of Lane's Slim Chance group, which played in that very style. A number of more famous colleagues also appeared on the recording, among them Who bassist John Entwistle, Ian Stewart and Charlie Watts from The Rolling Stones, and Eric Clapton. Orchestral arrangements for the track "Street in the City" were provided by Townshend's father-in-law, noted British film and television theme composer Edwin Astley.
Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane Rough Mix Album - 1983 ATCO re-release
Rough Mix was remastered in 2006 and released by Hip-O Records, the reissue label for the Universal Music Group, in both 5.1 surround sound format on Dualdisc and standard stereo compact disc. The reissue featured three outtakes as bonus tracks.
Rough Mix Album (1977) - Track Listings from Eric Clapton Website
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2006 CD Remaster Track List:
01. My Baby Gives It Away 02. Nowhere to Run 03. Rough Mix - with Eric Clapton 04. Annie - with Eric Clapton 05. Keep Me Turning 06. Catmelody 07. Misunderstood 08. April Fool - with Eric Clapton 09. Street in the City 10. Heart to Hang Onto 11. Till The Rivers All Run Dry - with Eric Clapton 12. Only You (bonus track) 13. Good Question (bonus track) 14. Silly Little Man (bonus track) Rough Mix Album (2006) CD bonus tracks
12. "Only You" Lane 4:29 13. "Good Question" (writer left blank) 3:34 14. "Silly Little Man" Lane 3:44 |
Fab Ronnie Lane Fan turn table + Japan Rough Mix CD edition
Rough Mix Album (1977) - Track List and Musician Credits
https://www.discogs.com/Pete-Townshend-Ronnie-Lane-Rough-Mix/release/1893450
https://www.discogs.com/Pete-Townshend-Ronnie-Lane-Rough-Mix/release/1893450
A1 "My Baby Gives It Away" (3:57)
Drums – Charlie Watts Written-By – Pete Townshend A2 "Nowhere To Run" (3:12)
Drums – Henry Spinetti Harmonica – Peter Hope Evans Organ – Rabbit* Written-By – Ronnie Lane A3 "Rough Mix" (3:09)
Drums – Henry Spinetti Lead Guitar – Eric Clapton Organ – Rabbit* Written-By – Pete Townshend, Ronnie Lane A4 "Annie" (2:54)
12-String Acoustic Guitar – Graham Lyle Accordion – Benny Gallagher Double Bass [String Bass] – David Marquee* Violin – Charlie Hart Written-By – Eric Clapton, Kate Lambert, Ronnie Lane A5 "Keep Me Turning" (3:44)
Drums – Henry Spinetti Organ, Piano – Rabbit* Written-By – Pete Townshend A6 "Catmelody" (3:11)
Drums – Charlie Watts Piano – Ian Stewart Saxophone – Mel Collins Written-By – Kate Lambert, Ronnie Lane |
B1 "Misunderstood" (2:59)
Harmonica – Peter Hope Evans Percussion – Julian Diggle Performer [Gulp] – Bijou Drains Written-By – Pete Townshend B2 "April Fool" (3:31)
Dobro, Body Percussion [Foot] – Eric Clapton Double Bass [Double Basses] – David Marquee* Written-By – Ronnie Lane B3 "Street In The City" (6:05)
Bass [Principal] – Chris Laurence Cello [Principal] – Chris Green (4) Leader [Orchestra] – Tony Gilbert Orchestrated By – Edwin Astley Viola [Principal] – Steve Shingles* Violin [Principal 2nd] – Charles Vorsanger Written-By – Pete Townshend B4 "Heart To Hang Onto" (4:26)
Bass – Boz Burrell Brass – John Entwistle Drums – Henry Spinetti Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Rabbit* Written-By – Pete Townshend B5 "Till The Rivers All Run Dry" (3:51)
Bass – Boz Burrell Dobro – Eric Clapton Drums – Henry Spinetti Vocals [Vocal Help] – Billy Nicholls, John Entwistle Written-By – Don Williams (2), Wayland Holyfield |
Rough Mix Album (1977) - Musician Credits
- Ronnie Lane and Pete Townshend – vocals, guitars, electric guitars, mandolins, bass guitars, banjos, ukuleles
- Charlie Hart – violin on "Annie"
- John Entwistle – horns on "Heart to Hang Onto" ; vocal help on "Till the Rivers All Run Dry"
- Mel Collins – saxophones on "Catmelody"
- Peter Hope Evans – harmonica on "Nowhere to Run" and "Misunderstood"
- Benny Gallagher – accordion on "Annie"
- John "Rabbit" Bundrick – organ, Fender Rhodes on "Nowhere to Run", "Rough Mix", "Keep Me Turning" and "Heart to Hang Onto"
- Ian Stewart – piano on "Catmelody"
- Eric Clapton – electric guitar on "Rough Mix"; acoustic guitar on "Annie"; Dobro on "April Fool" and "Till the Rivers All Run Dry"
- Graham Lyle – twelve-string guitar on "Annie"
- Dave Markee – double bass on "Annie" and "April Fool"
- Boz Burrell – bass guitar on "Heart to Hang Onto" and "Till the Rivers All Run Dry"
- Henry Spinetti – drums on "Nowhere to Run", "Rough Mix", "Keep Me Turning", "Heart to Hang Onto" and "Till the Rivers All Run Dry"
- Charlie Watts – drums on "My Baby Gives It Away" and "Catmelody"
- Julian Diggle – percussion on "Misunderstood"
- Billy Nicholls – vocal help on "Till the Rivers All Run Dry"
- Edwin Astley – orchestrations on "Street in the City"
- Tony Gilbert – orchestral leader on "Street in the City"
- Charles Vorsanger – principal second violin on "Street in the City"
- Steve Shingles – principal viola on "Street in the City"
- Chris Green – principal cello on "Street in the City"
- Chris Laurence – principal bass on "Street in the City"
Rough Mix Album - Company Credits
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Rough Mix Album - Other Credits
- Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Mandolin, Bass Guitar, Banjo, Ukulele – Pete Townshend, Ronnie Lane
- Art Direction – Jo Mirowski
- Calligraphy [Lettering] – Susan Joyce
- Coordinator – Chris Chappel
- Design Concept [Cover Concept], Design – Peter Joyce
- Engineer [Assistant] – Jon Astley
- Mastered By – Doug Sachs*
- Photography By [Inside & Title] – Martin Cook (5)
- Producer, Engineer – Glyn Johns
From the Desk of Glyn Johns
“April Fool is among the few moments in my recording career that I treasure.”
The track was almost finished when Eric Clapton offered to add a Dobro part to complement the song.
“I played him the track and I noticed that his foot was tapping as he ran through the song. I quickly put a mic on his foot and we recorded the next run-through. It was note-perfect and quite beautiful. Eric reacting in the most natural and emotive way to the song and Ronnie’s performance of it. Up until that moment I had paid very little attention to Eric as a musician and therefore never really understood what all the fuss was about. I thought he was just another bloody white kid playing the blues. That was very clearly my loss. In a matter of a few minutes I had been completely won over. This was a perfect example of what I have always thought about Eric’s playing. He never allows his brain to get in the way between his heart and his fingers.”
Excerpt from "Sound Man: A Life Recording Hits with The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Eagles, Eric Clapton, The Faces . . ." by Glyn Johns
https://rockremnants.com/2015/05/16/song-of-the-week-april-fool-ronnie-lane-pete-townshend-feat-eric-clapton/
https://rockremnants.com/2015/05/16/song-of-the-week-april-fool-ronnie-lane-pete-townshend-feat-eric-clapton/
Ronnie Lane "April Fool" - from Rough Mix album, with clips from "The Passing Show"
Rough Mix Album (1977) Promotional Posters
Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane on The Old Grey Whistle Test OGWT- 1977
Rough Mix Album (1977) - Reviews
Rolling Stone Rough Mix Album (1977) Review (by Dave Marsh)
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/rough-mix-193552/
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/rough-mix-193552/
It’s almost impossible to avoid describing Rough Mix as devotional music, but it’s equally difficult to reconcile that description with some of the album’s components. Townshend’s stinging guitar on “My Baby Gives It Away,” the chugging. Faces-like title instrumental and the wailing saxophone coda on Lane’s Fifties-style “Catmelody” are hardly typical of spiritual music. But then matters meditative have never before been fully integrated into the ugly, angry sounds we call rock & roll. Their juxtaposition here, in fact, might be one meaning of Rough Mix; it certainly ain’t smooth.
The Who’s Townshend and former Face Lane come by their rock & roll inclinations honestly, and obviously, but spiritual inclination is their long suit here. Both men are followers of Meher Baba, the Indian spiritual master who died in 1969, and this has given the album a sort of humility — not to say modesty — which is its special virtue.
Not surprisingly, almost everything Townshend does here owes a debt to the Who. “My Baby Gives It Away” is one of his improbable sexual misadventures, like “I’m a Boy” or “Pictures of Lily.” “Misunderstood” is more understated musically — just voice, guitar, harmonica, cowbell and a drum machine — but belongs with his best boasts, in the tradition of “My Generation.” “Just one want to be misunderstood/Want to be feared in my neighborhood.” Ten years ago, this probably would have been called a Dylan parody, but the resolution of the lyric is actually a lot closer to the self-doubt of The Who by Numbers.
“Street in the City” is helped by Townshend’s marvelous acoustic guitar, but it is dominated by an utterly unlikely horn and string arrangement. It is schmaltzy enough to pass for an outtake from Days of Future Passed, and as the album’s longest track, it is simply its most vexing.
“Keep Me Turning” is a spiritual parable that is undoubtedly much clearer to its author than to any other listener. The organ, guitar and drum interplay makes the song exciting, but what draws me back time and again is the yearning and vulnerable quality of Townshend’s vocal. This is spiritual rock & roll in the very best sense: it doesn’t always make sense except in the heart, which won’t ignore it. Its wit and charm strike beyond the confusion of its verses to the heart of the chorus, where the devotional imagery is most complete, and the guitar part at the bridge, which is among the most supple and liquid Townshend has ever done.
Lane’s songs reflect his recent work with Slim Chance; his last album, which has not been released in the U.S., had a hint (“Harvest Home”) of what is fully realized here. Lane has moved past straight rock & roll — although he makes his share of it on “Catmelody” and “Rough Mix” — into a merger of rock with Irish ballads and Scottish and English folk music. There is a kind of wisdom and assurance to these songs, and when he sings, “God bless us all,” or, of “all of my family and all of my friends,” he does so with sincere conviction. More wonderfully, there is no distance, no sense of trying to recapture something lost in a modern age. In addition, as John Prine once said of Jackson Browne. I don’t know where Lane gets his melodies. but I’d sure like to go there.
Lane makes his music with guitars, fiddles, banjos, drums, harmonica, electric bass. Although that sounds like a formula for folk rock, there is nothing of the haunted quality or joyousness of the greatest folk rock. Instead, there is a meditative air to the music, captured eloquently in the opening verse of his best song here, “Annie,” which might merely be “Harvest Home” with lyrics:
Old rocks stand tall, Annie
Seen the world grow small, Annie
But when they fall, Annie
Where will they be?
Seen the world grow small, Annie
But when they fall, Annie
Where will they be?
What Lane does is hardly unprecedented. Dylan’s soundtrack to Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Eric Clapton’s 461 Ocean Boulevard, even Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” share a part of its wise and ancient spirit. (Clapton brings a blues guitar to “April Fool” that is its prettiest touch.) Townshend has made his share of songs with a similar feeling — silly as it was, The Who by Numbers’ “Blue, Red and Grey” had it — as has Lane himself: listen to the Faces’ “Debris.” What’s important is that the dedication and beauty of the music is as crucial as the homage it pays to its masters and traditions.
So the final numbers on Rough Mix, among the few true collaborations on the record, have a special flavor. Don Williams’ “‘Til the Rivers All Run Dry” is a country love song, but in this context — and considering Baba’s love for Jim Reeves’ “There’s a Heartache Following Me,” which Townshend did on his first solo album — it is clearly a tribute to the master.
“Heart to Hang Onto,” written by Townshend but on which Lane sings the verses and Townshend the choruses, wears an even thinner veil. There’s a brutal war going on in the song’s midsection between Townshend’s Tommy-like guitar and John Entwistle’s brass arrangement. This is the perfect musical expression of the cosmic quest — this is the real “The Seeker.” The lesson here is stated through a series of metaphorical characters, the most tragic of whom is Danny: “Danny, he wants to save for a new guitar/He’s gonna learn to play but he won’t get far.” Implicitly, Danny’s not going anywhere because he hasn’t made the connection; he has no “heart to hang onto,” which is to say he lacks the spirit to make the music move.
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The glory of this album and of the work of Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane throughout their careers is that art and the deepest spiritual aspiration are completely intertwined. Often, of course, that makes for a rough mix, and a rougher life. But it’s worth the turbulence, for it touches closer to the heart of the rock & roll experience than almost anything I know.
AllMusic Review by Brett Hartenbach
www.allmusic.com/album/rough-mix-mw0000653674
Rough Mix, Pete Townshend's 1977 collaboration with former Small Faces and Faces songwriter and bass player Ronnie Lane, combines the loose, rollicking folk-rock of Lane's former band, Slim Chance, with touches of country, folk, and New Orleans rock & roll, along with Townshend's own trademark style. Lane's tunes, especially the beautiful "Annie," possess an understated charm, while Townshend, with songs such as "Misunderstood," the Meher Baba-inspired "Keep Me Turning," and the strange love song "My Baby Gives It Away," delivers some of the best material of his solo career. Rough Mix stands as a minor masterpiece and an overlooked gem in both artists' vast bodies of work. Eric Clapton, John Entwistle, and Charlie Watts guest.
www.allmusic.com/album/rough-mix-mw0000653674
Rough Mix, Pete Townshend's 1977 collaboration with former Small Faces and Faces songwriter and bass player Ronnie Lane, combines the loose, rollicking folk-rock of Lane's former band, Slim Chance, with touches of country, folk, and New Orleans rock & roll, along with Townshend's own trademark style. Lane's tunes, especially the beautiful "Annie," possess an understated charm, while Townshend, with songs such as "Misunderstood," the Meher Baba-inspired "Keep Me Turning," and the strange love song "My Baby Gives It Away," delivers some of the best material of his solo career. Rough Mix stands as a minor masterpiece and an overlooked gem in both artists' vast bodies of work. Eric Clapton, John Entwistle, and Charlie Watts guest.
This disc is an outstanding collaboration between Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane. The story goes that Ronnie had been asking to record with Pete for several years -- likely looking for a major career boost after suffering heavy financial losses with his Slim Chance carnival tours across the rural areas of the U.K. The sequencing of songs alternates between Pete's songs and Ronnie's. Highlights include "My Baby Gives It Away," the ballad "Annie" -- featuring Eric Clapton, Cat's Melody and "Misunderstood."
There were frustrations in recording the album, these sessions were when Townshend found out Lane suffered from multiple sclerosis, after shoving him and watching Ronnie fall over weakly. This disc represents the best musical performances of Lane after 1976, as the disease began eating away at his talents. A great musical partnership is heard on every track. ~J Riemen - December 29, 2015
There were frustrations in recording the album, these sessions were when Townshend found out Lane suffered from multiple sclerosis, after shoving him and watching Ronnie fall over weakly. This disc represents the best musical performances of Lane after 1976, as the disease began eating away at his talents. A great musical partnership is heard on every track. ~J Riemen - December 29, 2015
I bought it in '77 and loved it then and still do. It should have been a chart topper. The acoustic roots folk vibe undermined much of the LP (no English blues here) which was expertly varied with a sense Townshend and Lane just wanted to play for the joy of it. While some have noted there was a disconnect in the fact it was not a full collaboration as not all songs had both Townshend and Lane's coming together in writing/playing, I never felt like that. I liked the two sides that occasionally melded, it gave the album a wider range of that had that British DNA underneath everything. It gave Townshend a chance to stretch apart from The Who. As for Lane, it gave him a platform to reach a wider audience while honing his vision of his Slim Chance project's strengths without the excesses. Lane's songs are small triumphs even as they feel a bit unfinished and truncated. It does have an excellent cross-pollination instrumental track, the title track "Rough Mix", that is a great tune of the joy of playing together with your close friends. It certainly makes you wish for a second volume where, perhaps, the players came together to pin an entire collaborative album as their is great promise here. All in all an excellent album that deserved so much more attention than it received. This many years later it remains a favorite bringing into focus how good it actually is. Annie and Heart To Hang On To are true highlights in a fantastic album. ~John Werner - April 12, 2017
Rough Mix Album (1977) - Amazing Amazon Reviews
Best unknown album award!!
The "Mod Summit"
Pleasing mix of Townshend and Lane originals a pity they didn't do this again...
The Right Mix
A good collaboration of these two musicians.
Two giants of rock in a classic collabortion!
Read more Amazon Rough Mix reviews
The "Mod Summit"
Pleasing mix of Townshend and Lane originals a pity they didn't do this again...
The Right Mix
A good collaboration of these two musicians.
Two giants of rock in a classic collabortion!
Read more Amazon Rough Mix reviews
https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/pete-townshend-ronnie-lane/rough-mix/
https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/14626/Pete-Townshend-and-Ronnie-Lane-Rough-Mix/
https://greilmarcus.net/2014/11/10/pete-townshend-ronnie-lane-rough-mix-100377/greilmarcus.net/2014/11/10/pete-townshend-ronnie-lane-rough-mix-100377/
http://lostgrooves.blogspot.com/2010/01/pete-townshend-ronnie-lane-rough-mix.html
https://thefalconsnestalbumjukebox.wordpress.com/2013/11/03/pete-townshend-ronnie-lane-rough-mix/
https://bestclassicbands.com/pete-townshend-ronnie-lane-rough-mix-8-22-20/
https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/14626/Pete-Townshend-and-Ronnie-Lane-Rough-Mix/
https://greilmarcus.net/2014/11/10/pete-townshend-ronnie-lane-rough-mix-100377/greilmarcus.net/2014/11/10/pete-townshend-ronnie-lane-rough-mix-100377/
http://lostgrooves.blogspot.com/2010/01/pete-townshend-ronnie-lane-rough-mix.html
https://thefalconsnestalbumjukebox.wordpress.com/2013/11/03/pete-townshend-ronnie-lane-rough-mix/
https://bestclassicbands.com/pete-townshend-ronnie-lane-rough-mix-8-22-20/
From the Camera of Martin Cook:
Ronnie Lane and Pete Townshend, Rough Mix album (1977) photo sessions
Ronnie Lane and Pete Townshend, Rough Mix album (1977) photo sessions
Martin Cook photographs available for purchase links here...
Ronnie Lane Photo Picture Photographer Martin Cook Master Page
~Ronnie Lane, Pete Townshend and Faces Martin Cook photo cache
https://www.ronnielane.com/ronnie-lane-photo-picture-photographer-martin-cook-master-page.html
Ronnie Lane Photo Picture Photographer Martin Cook Master Page
~Ronnie Lane, Pete Townshend and Faces Martin Cook photo cache
https://www.ronnielane.com/ronnie-lane-photo-picture-photographer-martin-cook-master-page.html
Listen to Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane Rough Mix Album (1977) on Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/album/54bBUtZtmwtEydxifKz6fA
https://open.spotify.com/album/54bBUtZtmwtEydxifKz6fA
Listen to Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane Rough Mix Album (1977) on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mh8u5ioQhqxxGbPNOH6gz4Rip3wxCwKLk
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mh8u5ioQhqxxGbPNOH6gz4Rip3wxCwKLk
Eric Clapton says release was September 1, 1977
https://www.whereseric.com/eric-clapton-discography/eric-clapton-guest-appearance-recordings-studio-all-recordings-ordered-103
https://www.whereseric.com/eric-clapton-discography/eric-clapton-guest-appearance-recordings-studio-all-recordings-ordered-103
Wiki says release was September 16, 1977
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rough_Mix
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rough_Mix
Complete Ronnie Lane Discography
https://www.ronnielane.com/ronnie-lane-complete-album-discography.html
https://www.ronnielane.com/ronnie-lane-complete-album-discography.html