The Sleeve:
The Gatefold:
The Liner/Sleeve Notes:
“These days, with the music business growing ever more competitive, it’s becoming increasingly harder for young musicians to achieve any sort of success without a long slot and/or some amazing gimmick to capture the public eye.
So it’s refreshing to come across a young group who’ve found themselves a regular place in the charts and proved themselves to be more than just ‘one hit wonders’.
In the relatively short time they’ve been making records, they’ve already notched up three top ten hits, and there’s no doubt there’ll be more to follow!
The group has built up a strong following wherever they’ve played. Their looks have something to do with this, but their music has a good deal more.
They spend a fair part of their time playing in bonnie Scotland (all the boys hail from Edinburgh) and it’s still their base.
Up front on guitar and lead vocals is Leslie Richard McKeown. Derek Longmuir is on drums while his brother Alan plays bass and piano. The boys were brought together by Tam Paton whose work has made the band what it is today.
On guitar, violin, mandolin and bass is the multi-talented Eric Faulkner. Stuart ‘Woody’ Wood, the newest member of the band plays guitar, bass, piano and mandolin. Previously, he and Eric played in a band called ‘Kip’.
So that’s the Bay City Rollers. It’s a short biography but then it’s a young group.There’ll be a lot more to add… this is the first chapter of what promises to be one hell of a story.
And you can be kept up to date with what’s happening with the boys by simply joining the Bay City Rollers Fan Club. Write away for details today.”
Personal Review:
So, here we go with another Bay City Rollers album – this one being their first release.
The album opens with one of my favorite Rollers songs “Shang-A-Lang” – and you know from the moment the song starts to the chorus, it makes for an amazing opening track, the Rollers have that way of conveying their music into amazing pop songs. After that comes a Rollers song I haven’t heard, or maybe don’t remember – and it’s “Give it To Me Now” – and well, it’s definitely different from their usual work, but it’s alright, not something I’d probably listen to repeatedly, but hey, it ain’t that bad. Then we go from that very odd, and awkward song to another song I’ve never heard, “Angel Angel” and hey, it’s better than the last! So we can all be happy about that. Or at least I can be, since I am the one sitting here listening to this song. Then comes a cover of one of my personal favorite songs, “Be My Baby” comes next, and it’s an amazing track that the boys sing so well, and it’s so great! Yup, so far this album has been good with the exception of one song, but other than that we’re all good! Next up comes “Just a Little Love” – and it starts off slow and quietly, with some faint drums and acoustic guitar playing, and Les McKeown’s vocals… it kind of brings everything from like a really good note to a really bad one. I’m very picky about my Bay City Rollers songs. The A-Side closes with another favorite of mine “Remember (Sha La La La)” and it’s a pretty good way to close the A-Side, I would’ve been really mad if they used the previous track, this track though has everything good going for it, musicianship, vocals and lyrics. Definitely a good way to end the A-Side.
S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y night! and repeat. The B-Side opens with one of their best selling tracks, “Saturday Night” and the first Rollers song I ever heard, and knew the dance to… Anyway. It’s a great way to open the B-Side, as it is literally their best song ever. I absolutely love the Bay City Rollers, they’re so great! “Ain’t It Strange” comes next, and although it’s a song I never heard before today, it’s not a bad track at all, I actually like this one comparatively to the others that I did not. It’s a little repetitive, but I can deal with it. After that comes the track “Please Stay” and it’s a softer song, it’s quieter and you can definitely tell it’s a 70’s slow dance song, for sure. It too, being a track I have never heard before is actually a pretty decent track! I’m not complaining. Then comes the song “Jenny Gotta Dance” and it has a pretty interesting opening, and then it goes a bit slow, then the chorus comes around and it’s a great song by that point! The chorus seems to make a lot of songs. Then comes the song “There Goes My Baby” and it’s not a bad song, it’s one of the lesser known tracks in my mind, but it’s not overly bad, I do love the chorus, and that is what matters, because I’m always a chorus man. The album ends with another one of my favorite songs, “Summerlove Sensation” – and it’s a pretty good song, from start to finish – and the chorus rocks, so it makes for an amazing closing track.
Interesting Facts:
It’s a Japanese pressing.
Track Listing:
A1 – Shang-A-Lang
A2 – Give it To Me Now
A3 – Angel Angel
A4 – Be My Baby
A5 – Just a Little Love
A6 – Remember (Sha La La)
B1 – Saturday Night
B2 – Ain’t It Strange
B3 – Please Stay
B4 – Jenny Gotta Dance
B5 – There Goes My Baby
B6 – Summerlove Sensation
Label:
Arista Records
Catalog Number:
IES-80480
Studio Musicians & Other Album Credits:
Produced by Bill Martin & Phil Coulter
Arranged by Phil Coulter
Photography by David Golumb
Sleeve Design Produced by Cream
Bass Guitar, Accordian & Piano – Alan Longmuir
Lead Vocals & Guitar – Leslie Richard McKeown
Guitar, Violin, Mandolin & Bass – Eric Faulkner
Drums, Congas & Tambourine – Derek Longmuir
Guitar, Bass, Piano & Mandolin – Stuart ‘Woody’ Wood
Other Albums I Own by The Bay City Rollers:
“Bay City Rollers”
“Dedication”
“It’s a Game”
“Money Honey / Maryanne”
“Rock N’ Roll Love Letter”
“Strangers in the Wind”
“The Way I Feel Tonight / Love Power”
“Wouldn’t You Like It?”
Released:
1974
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