RICHARD, CAM & BERT - Somewhere In The Stars - LP - Deluxe Transparent Cherry Vinyl [APR 19]

LP - Limited Edition Transparent Cherry Vinyl.  

• Previously Unreleased Recording.
• Limited to 1200 copies worldwide on transparent cherry vinyl.
• Tip-on jacket, Download code, Insert featuring LP sized original art by Grungie O'Muck.
• Includes the original recording of Richard Tucker's, "Are You Leaving For The Country", later covered by Karen Dalton, and the only song co-written by Karen & Richard, "Sleeping In The Garden".

Richard Tucker, Campbell Bruce, and Bert Lee coalesced as a trio in the spring of 1968, and by the end of that year had become regular performers at fabled Greenwich Village nightspots - The Gaslight, The Bag I’m In, Cafe Feenjon, among others. But mostly they were street singers, busking regularly in Central Park.

Their only LP, Limited Edition, was released in 1970, and sold mainly at gigs and on the street. Somewhere in The Stars compiles earlier, previously unreleased recordings, when all three members were signed with Peer-Southern Music publishers as writers and began using their studio to make demos and experiment musically. Beautifully recorded by house engineer Charlie Mack (supervised by Jimmy Ienner), the demos capture a back room casualness and rustic, homespun quality. For me, listening to their songs and harmonies is like entering a world you always hoped existed but had never experienced.

Some of the songs were re-recorded the following year for Limited Edition, but many are heard here for the first time. Among them is the original demo for Richard Tucker's song, "Are You Leaving For The Country", which Karen Dalton covered on her seminal 1971 release, In My Own Time. Richard and Karen were husband and wife for much of the 1960s, performing as a duo (initially as a trio with Tim Hardin), and navigating their time on the Village scene while alternating living in a small mining town outside Boulder, Co. before splitting up in 1967.

Also making its debut, is the only song Richard and Karen ever wrote together, the haunting "Sleeping In The Garden". Also contains two epic songs by Cam "One Of These First Nights", and "Stockholm") not on their LP, but staples of their live performances, and noted in a gig review by The New York Times, and in a column by future A&R hero, Karin Berg, who was an early champion. Another rarity is the only cover of "Sweet Mama" by Fred Neil we’ve ever heard.

Delmore is excited to present this unearthed treasure, fifteen years in the making. In the words of Richard Tucker, "Tap on your knee, roll on the floor; if you aint free, what's it all for?"

* Unofficial RSD 2024 release. Unfortunately this was submitted too late for inclusion on the official RSD list. Comes with obi strip featuring record store day Logo.

Tracklist: 

Side A
1. Sitting In The Kitchen
2. Are You Leaving For The Country
3. Sweet Mama
4. Somewhere In The Stars
5. MMMZZZ
6. My Health Is Failing Me Baby
7. If You Knew

Side B
1. Sleeping In The Garden
2. One Of These First Nights
3. The Ship
4. Evelyn
5. Aint It A Shame
6. Stockholm