Samson - Are You Samson? LP Instant Records 1969
£
56
$
74
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Description
Samson - Are You Samson?
Instant Records
Catalog Number: INSP 004
Samson was one of the more obscure outfits signed to Andrew Oldham's Immediate label, considering that they got to cut an entire concept album, Are You Samson?, which was released by the label in 1969. They played the Marquee Club, and were known around London, but never caught on. Keyboard man and singer Ian Kewley later worked with Strider and Limey, before hooking up with Paul Young. This Samson had no relationship to an early '70s English band of the same name.
Originally released in November 1969 on Andrew Loog Oldham's subsidiary to his failing Immediate, Samson sank without trace, which was about as much as could be expected. Oldham's seemingly careless attitude of not even releasing a single to wet the record buyer's appetite however is now easier understood: Immediate was at its end; within weeks of Samson's debut release Oldham's empire went bankrupt! As the band were eagerly recording their carefully calculated work, Oldham had a lot more to worry about than whether the next album released on his subsidiary would be a big seller. With little assistance from the label, and practically no promotion, it's not surprising that the album had such low sales figures. But the poor turnover of this admittedly tackily sleeved album is by no means an indicator of the music contained within. Samson brought into their music a successful blend of harmonies which sound akin to the Gregorian psych-era choral vocal parts of the Pretty Things and the Zombies, a touch of Deep Purple circa Shades of Purple, and a hint of the increasingly popular concept album. For sake of classification, their blending of Kinks-ish psych-pop with more progressive elements is befitting of the title progressive pop -- a contemporary handle used to describe everything from the Fox's For Fox Sake, Caravan's early work, and fellow north country lads the Koobas' 1969 album. If the later songs compiled on the superb Rubbles series appeal to you, Samson are well worth investigating.
Track listing
Side One
01. "Traffic" (3:27)
02. "Sleep" (2:20)
03. "Journey" (3:10)
04. "Fair" (8:44)
05. "The End Song" (4:44)
Side Two
01. "Mars" (4:46)
02. "Venus" (2:56)
03. "Saturn" (3:49)
04. "Poem for Sam" (4:25)
CONDITION
Record: Very good
Cover: Very good, only slight wear around edges
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All items are graded according to the Record Collector Grading System
Mint: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition.
Excellent: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening of sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and / or creasing.
Very Good: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.
Good: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration etc..
Fair: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise: it may even jump. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.
Poor: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise etc.. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.
Bad: The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection filler.
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