| David Ackles
Recordings |
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| David performed on four
albums in the late 60s and early 70s, of which the first three, on Elektra, were released on CD in
1994, then re-released in 2000. The fourth, on Columbia, had never
been re-issued until a release by Raven Records, the Australian
record label, in 2004. The Elektra CDs may be difficult to obtain,
so second hand shops and suppliers on the Internet may be your only
hope if you wish to complete your collection. (See
Record
Sellers/Values.) I
have placed a hyperlink beside each of the album cover pictures, where
the CD is on sale from
Amazon. I do get a small commission if you use this link -
enough to buy perhaps one CD a year, if I'm lucky! You may also be
able to buy
the last album directly from the
Raven
Records website, although the last time I checked, it was no
longer listed. When you hover your mouse over the "View details"
link, full track listings and production information on each album
will appear. |
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Original Studio Recordings -
listed in order of release |
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David
Ackles
a.k.a. The Road to Cairo
1968
David
Ackles
1968
Elektra (Vinyl)
EKS 74002 & 61595
(Also
released as The Road to Cairo on Elektra/Asylum 74022)
Subsequently released on CD:
1994, 2000
& 2005 Elektra/WEA 61595
2002 & 2008
Collectors Choice 03122
Track Listings:
The Road to
Cairo
When Love is
Gone
Sonny Come
Home
Blue Ribbons
What a Happy
Day
Down River
Laissez-Faire
Lotus Man
His Name is
Andrew
Be My Friend
10 tracks; 38 minutes
Production Details:
Produced
by David Anderle & Russ Miller
Piano,
vocals: David Ackles
Organ:
Michael Fonfara
Guitar:
Danny Weis
Guitar:
Doug Hastings
Bass:
Jerry Penrod
Percussion: John Keliehor
The
backing musicians also recorded as a group, under the name
Rhinoceros.
View details
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Subway to the Country
1970
Subway to
the Country
1970
Elektra (Vinyl)
EKS 74060
Elektra/Asylum in USA 61596
Subsequently released on CD:
1994, 2000
& 2005 Elektra/WEA 61596
2002, 2008
Collectors Choice 03132
Track Listings:
Mainline
Saloon
That's No
Reason to Cry
Candy Man
Out On the
Road
Cabin on the
Mountain
Woman River
Inmates of the
Institution
Subway to the
Country
8 tracks; 34 minutes
Production Details:
Produced by Russ Miller
Piano,
Vocals: David Ackles
Other
musicians include: John Audino, Gary Coleman, Victor Feldman,
Don Gallucci, James Gordon, Doug Hastings, James Horn, Larry
Knectel, Lonnie Mack, Lew McCreary, Oliver Mitchell, Meyer
Rubin.
Orchestration arranged & conducted by Fred Myrow
This
album also included a 7" 'free gift' single (pictured
below) which had Subway to
the Country on one side and an interview with David on the
other. The CD re-release did not contain this additional
material.
View
details
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American Gothic
1972
American
Gothic
1972
Elektra (Vinyl)
EKS 75032
Second
pressing numbered K42112, while USA version numbered 61597
Subsequently released on CD:
1994, 2000
& 2005 Elektra/WEA
2002
& 2008 Collectors Choice 03112
Track Listings:
American
Gothic
Love's Enough
Ballad of the
Ship of State
One Night
Stand
Oh, California
Another Friday
Night
Family Band
Midnight
Carousel
Waiting for
the Moving Van
Blues for
Billy Whitecloud
Montana Song
11 tracks; 44 minutes
Production Details:
The album was recorded in London and
produced by Bernie Taupin
Piano, Vocals: David Ackles
No information on other musicians is
available, except that the songs were arranged by David
Ackles and that members of the London Symphony Orchestra were
conducted by Robert Kirby. In a subsequent interview, David admits that
he has no idea who the musicians were on this album. He knew
some by their first name, but that was all. Unfortunately,
no details were taken of the various participants for the album
sleevenotes.
View
details
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Five
& Dime
1973
Five & Dime
1973 CBS (Vinyl)
32466
Subsequently released on CD:
2004 Raven
Records (Australia) 188
Track Listings:
Everybody Has
a Story
I've Been
Loved
Jenna Saves
Surf's Down
Berry Tree
One Good
Woman's Man
Run, Pony, Run
Aberfan
House Above
the Strand
Photograph of
You
Such a Woman
Postcards
12 tracks; 38 minutes
Additional Tracks (& Performers) on Raven CD:
Down River (Spooky
Tooth)
Road to
Cairo (Julie
Driscoll, Brian Auger & the Trinity)
Blue
Ribbons (Louisa
Jane White)
His Name
is Andrew (Martin
Carthy)
Subway to
the Country (Harry
Belafonte)
Your Face,
Your Smile (Stacy
Sullivan)
Down River (Hollies)
The above seven tracks (31 minutes) go under the collective
title, "Ackles Rendered"
Production Details:
Produced by David Ackles & Douglas Graham
Piano, Vocals: David Ackles
Guitars: Bruce Langhorn, Loren Pickford
Guitars: Janice Graham, Red Rhodes
Percussion: Colin Bailey
Strings: The Trojan String Quartet (USC)
Other musicians include:
Dawn Weiss, James Kanter, Earle Dumler, Loren Pickford,
Robert L Adcock, John Daley, Dean Torrance, Gene
Cipriano, Loa Anne Neil, Edmond Welter, Barbara
Thomason, Georgina Mohammer, Robert Henderson, Patrick
Smith, Todd Miller, Russell Kidd.
View
details
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There
is a River
2008
- never officially released
There Is a
River
2008:
Elektra EKS 74022 CD
In late 2007, record distributors listed a
double CD as about to be released. It consisted of the first three
(Elektra) albums plus a number of additional, previously unavailable CD
tracks. Magazine reviews of the album appeared, but as the date for
release slipped by, nothing appeared. It is believed that the CD was
withdrawn at the request of the Ackles family.
Since it is possible that review copies of
the album may be circulating, I have given details of it below.
Certainly, there were no copies available for sale and it has to be
presumed that all those manufactured for sale were pulped.
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Disc 1:
The Road to
Cairo
When Love is
Gone
Sonny Come
Home
Blue Ribbons
What a Happy
Day
Down River
Laissez-Faire
Lotus Man
His Name is
Andrew
Be My Friend
Mainline
Saloon
That's No
Reason to Cry
Candy Man
Out On the
Road
Cabin on the
Mountain
Woman River
Inmates of the
Institution
Subway to the
Country
About Subway
to the Country (from the "free gift" single that accompanied the
original LP)
19 tracks |
Disc 2:
American Gothic
Love's Enough
Ballad of the Ship of State
One Night Stand
Oh, California
Another Friday Night
Family Band
Midnight Carousel
Waiting for the Moving Van
Blues for Billy Whitecloud
Montana Song
There is a River (previously unreleased)
I'm Only Passing Through (previously unreleased)
One Night Stand (alternative version)
Be My Friend (alternative version)
Hold Me in Your World (previously unreleased)
Such a Woman (alternative version)
Old Shoes (previously unreleased)
The Grave of God (previously unreleased)
La Route á
Chicago (sung in French)
20 tracks |
View
details
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The Future:
Since the release of his albums and the
termination of a recording contract, David wrote and recorded a
number of songs. Prior to his death, David had started working on
these, amending parts of them and adding backing musicians. I
understand that it is the intention of David's family and friends to
continue with this task, with a view to releasing a double album
that will contain a "Best of" section and a "new material" section
(with songs like the ones that would have been on There Is a River).
However, this is a long process, being done by people with busy
lives and time-occupying jobs, so it may be a while in its
completion. Further details will appear on this website, when
available. |
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Singles:
Apart from Down River/La
Route
á
Chicago the only other singles that may be available are demos
for issue to radio stations. You may be fortunate in finding one
with a different version of the songs from that on the albums,
recorded specially to satisfy "airtime" regulations. For example, I
have copies of Love's Enough/American Gothic on
Elektra 45797 and The Road to Cairo/Be My Friend.
Beware: every seller on EBay will tell you that their copy of a
single is "rare", but wait around long enough and a cheaper one will
appear. Regularly, EBay also has for sale the "free" single that
accompanied Subway to the Country. Ideally this should only
accompany the original album it was given away with. |
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Samplers &
Compilations:
Down River appeared on the 1971
Elektra sampler Garden of Delights (ESP9001). In addition,
Down River, Ballad of the Ship of State and Laissez
Faire are on the Elektra anthology, Forever Changing: the
Golden Age of Elektra, 1963-73 (Normal and deluxe editions). So
long as your French is good, La Route
á
Chicago is on Great Lost Elektra Singles, Volume 1. And
probably for no other reason than it's in the title, Oh,
California is on the compilation Back to California: Ladies
and Gentlemen of the L.A. Canyons. |
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Written by David Ackles, performed
by:
Brian Auger & the
Trinity (Road to Cairo), Harry Belafonte (Subway to the Country),
Jaime Brockett (Down River), Martin Carthy (His Name is Andrew),
Barry Dransfield (Be My Friend), The Hollies (Down River),
Howard Jones (Road to Cairo), Ricky Koole (Love's Enough),
Kaksi Puolta (Tie Karoon, Finnish version of Road to Cairo), Steve
Ross (Subway to the Country), Spooky Tooth (Down River), Stacy
Sullivan (Your Face, Your Smile), Linda Thomson (Down River),
Alan Trajan (Down River), Louisa
Jane White (Blue Ribbons). And, of course, there's the Elvis
Costello/Elton John duet of Down River on the interview show
Spectacle. |
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