Since I just started this here blog recently, I'm going to periodically do some posts in tribute to some musical greats (and not so greats) who have departed in the last year or so. I'll catch up at some point and be more timely. Until then, I've unfortunately got a lot of catching up to do.
I'm avoiding the well researched career tributes and appreciations. I'll leave that the to paid professional scribes. I'm sticking to my basic subject matter and blogging about the records.
Johnny Winter - Second Winter
Johnny Winter's second album is somewhat of an oddity. It was released in 1969 in an era where the album was restricted to about 45 minutes. (Long before the expanded 75 minute CD format became the norm and forced artists to produce what amounted to a double album each time out). So the story goes that there was too much material for a single album and not quite enough for a double. Normally there would be a few choices:
1. Hold back some material for future releases.
2. Release the remaining tracks as B-Sides.
3. Flesh out the album with a live side as filler.
4. Scrap the additional material entirely.
5. Hastily throw together some covers or loose jams to flesh out the album (I'm looking at you Underture).
5. Hastily throw together some covers or loose jams to flesh out the album (I'm looking at you Underture).
Well Johnny Winter chose another option. He released a three sided record. Two LP's on Columbia. One record consists of side1 and side 2. The other Side 3 and a blank side.
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| The blank side |
I purchased this at Second Hand Tunes in Chicago. Not sure if it was the Clark Street store or the one in Evanston. I heard they're both closed now.
ReplyDeleteIt was brought to my attentions that they could have crammed all the songs on two sides, but decided against it as it would have compromised the volume. Johnny (and his fans) like volume.