John Barleycorn Must Die

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John Barleycorn Must Die
Studio album from Traffic

Publication
(s)

July 1970

admission

February to April 1970

Label (s) Iceland

Genre (s)

Progressive rock , jazz rock , folk rock

Title (number)

6th

running time

35:06

occupation

production

Chris Blackwell , Steve Winwood, Guy Stevens

Studio (s)

Island Studios & Olympic Studios, London

chronology
Last exit John Barleycorn Must Die The Low Spark of the High Heeled Boys

John Barleycorn Must Die is the fourth studio album by the British rock band Traffic . It was recorded at the Iceland and Olympic Studios in London in 1970 and released that same year. It peaked at number 5 in the United States, making it the band's most successful album. It came in 11th in the UK.

Emergence

After guitarist Dave Mason left and Traffic broke up, Steve Winwood formed the group Blind Faith with Eric Clapton , Ginger Baker and Ric Grech . But after an album and a subsequent tour, the band broke up again. Together with producer Guy Stevens, Winwood began recording a solo album in which he wanted to play all the instruments himself. After recording Stranger to Himself , former Traffic drummer Jim Capaldi joined in, and after recording a second track, Every Mother's Son , Chris Blackwell , head of Island Records , brought Chris Wood into the studio. Traffic was reunited as a trio. It would then take another seven years until Winwood's first solo album.

style

While Traffic's first albums were influenced by psychedelic rock , John Barleycorn Must Die has more jazz rock and blues influences. This can be heard above all in the instrumental piece Glad, which is dominated by the Hammond organ and saxophone . Stylistically, the folk-rock song John Barleycorn , which gives the album its title , is an adaptation of an old English folk song from the 15th century.

Track list and cast

page 1

  1. Glad (Winwood) 6:32
    Steve Winwood - Hammond organ , piano , percussion ; Chris Wood - saxophone , flute , percussion; Jim Capaldi - drums , percussion
  2. Freedom Rider (Winwood / Capaldi) 6:20
    Winwood - vocals , Hammond organ, piano, percussion; Wood - saxophone, flute, percussion; Capaldi - drums, percussion
  3. Empty Pages (Winwood / Capaldi) 4:47
    Winwood - vocals, Hammond organ, electric piano , bass ; Wood - Hammond organ; Capaldi - drums, percussion

Page 2

  1. Stranger To Himself (Winwood / Capaldi) 4:02
    Winwood - vocals, piano, electric guitar , bass, drums; Capaldi - vocals
  2. John Barleycorn (traditionally arranged by S. Winwood) 6:20
    Winwood - vocals, guitar , piano; Wood - flute, percussion; Capaldi - vocals, tambourine
  3. Every Mother's Son (Winwood / Capaldi) 7:05 am
    Winwood - vocals, Hammond organ, piano, electric guitar; Capaldi - drums

Track list of the CD from 1999

In 1999 the album was re-released with two additional studio recordings (4 & 8) and two live recordings from the Fillmore East ,

  1. Glad (Winwood) 6:59
  2. Freedom Rider (Capaldi / Winwood) 5:30
  3. Empty Pages (Capaldi / Winwood) 4:34
  4. I Just Want You to Know (Capaldi / Winwood) 1:30
  5. Stranger to Himself (Capaldi / Winwood) 3:57
  6. John Barleycorn (Traditional / Winwood) 6:27
  7. Every Mother's Son (Capaldi / Winwood) 7:08
  8. Sittin 'Here Thinkin' of My Love (Capaldi / Winwood) 3:33
  9. Backstage and Introduction (live) (Capaldi / Winwood) 1:50
    Announcement by Bill Graham
  10. Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring (live) (Capaldi / Winwood / Wood) 6:56
  11. Glad (live) (Winwood) 11:29

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Traffic albums on the Billboard 200
  2. ↑ Database query of the British charts
  3. ↑ On the re-establishment of Traffic
  4. ↑ Information on the LP sleeve