WIGWAM: RUMOURS ON THE REBOUND (VIRGIN IMPORT, 2LP)

$

43

Wow, what you are bidding on is a beautiful first pressing of WIGWAM: RUMOURS ON THE REBOUND on Virgin Records from the UK.  Both record and sleeve are near mint.

A brief history: Without a shadow of doubt, the most popular band in the progressive rock scene to emerge from Finland in the seventies, was the group Wigwam. One of the most important features of this band was their ability to condense music of high progressive quality coupled with pop hooks into "short" tracks, a feat that the majority of bands from that time and of the same genre, were unable to do. Unfortunately, as happens to many bands that do not hail from either the U.K. or the U.S.A., they were always on the brink of breaking through internationally, but for some reason or another they never quite cut it. The history of Wigwam can be subdivided into two separate eras: 1969 - 1974 and 1974 - 1977. The nineties, however, has seen Wigwam with a new lineup playing and recording under the same moniker.

Though Virgin Records deemed it fit to terminate Wigwam's contract following the issue of Dark Album, they still felt that the band was worth the production of a compilation album. This double album was released with tracks included from the three albums recorded with Virgin, Nuclear Nightclub, Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose and Dark Album as well as singles such as Tramdriver and unreleased B-sides such as Wardance. Furthermore there are three tracks included that are actually from Jim Pembroke's solo album Corporal Cauliflowers Mental Function.

VIRGIN RECORDS: VGD 3503, UK

Tracklist: Freddie Are You Ready, International Disaster, Nuclear Nightclub, Eddie And The Boys, June May Be Too Late, Wardance, Tramdriver, Colossus, Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose, Never Turn You In, Bertha Come Back, Cheap Evening Return, A Better Hold (And A Little View), The Big Farewell, Goddammaddog (The Horse), Helsinki Nights, Horace's Aborted Rip-Off Scheme, All Over Too Soon, Masquerade At The White Palace, The Item Is The Totem, Daemon Duncetan's Request

Musicians: Jim Pembroke (vocals, piano), Pekka Rechardt (guitars), Måns Groundstroem (bass except Tracks 11, 13, 15, 18, 19), Ronnie Österberg (drums, marimba)

Additional Musicians: Hessu Hietanen (keyboards Tracks 2, 4-10, 12, 14, 17, 21, accordion Tracks 15, 21), Esa Kotilainen (keyboards Tracks 1, 3), Paavo Maijanen (bass Tracks 11, 13, 15, 18, 19, backing vocals), Costa Apetrea (guitars Tracks 11, 13, 15, 18, 19) Eero Koivistoinen (sax & horn arrangements Track 19)

Re-mastering and re-cutting by Chris Blake (at The Townhouse and Utopia Studios, June 1979)
Cover illustration by Mats Huldén
Compilation & agony by Angus MacKinnon
Co-ordination & ecstasy by Al Clark