Lindisfarne
The Alternate Nicely Out Of Tune
1970-11-01
Live Versions, Demos and BBC Sessions
Artwork Included
Quality A
Time:57.32


Lindisfarne 70-20 50th Anniversary


Lineage TradeCDR>HD>Dime


Track Listing as The American Elektra Vinyl Version (Elektra EKS-74099)

The Alternate Album

1. Lady Eleanor (Live 1972-11-08) +
2. Road To Kingdom Come (Fiddle Tracking Instrumental Version) No Harmonica/Vocals
3. Winter Song (Alan Hull BBC Session 1973 From ‘Both Sides Now’ with Wally Whyton)
4. Turn A Deaf Ear (Live 1972-11-08) +
5. Clear White Light (Part II) (Early Take,Less Vocals,Piano and Organ appear after 1 min)
6. We Can Swing Together (Live 1972-11-08) +
7. Float Me Down The river (Alan In The River With Flowers) (Live 1976-12-23) *
8. Down (Live 1976-12-23) *
9. Nothing But The Marvellous (Nothing But The Marvellous Is Beautiful) BBC Session 1971
10.Scarecrow Song (Full Version with ending) Time:4.02 all original versions fade out around 3.20 or 3.50

Bonus Tracks
11. Knacker's Yard Blues (Live 1990-12-20) *
12. Jackhammer Blues (Live 1976-12-23) *



*Live tracks recorded at Newcastle City Hall UK
All live tracks remastered 2020 for the 50th Anniversary
+Live tracks recorded at The Spectrum Philadelphia PA. US. 1972-11-08.
Clear White Light is from Brethren acetate Nicely Out Of Tune.
BBC session tracks not on Lindisfarne At The BBC,Buried Treasures 1,2,3
or Alan Hull's When The War Is Over (BBC Recordings)


ALAN HULL - Lead Vocals, Acoustic and 12-String Guitar, Piano, Electric Piano and Organ
ROD CLEMENTS - Electric Bass, Organ, Piano, Violin, Guitar and Vocals
RAY JACKSON - Vocals, Mandolin and Harmonica
SIMON COWE - Lead Acoustic, 12-String Guitars, Mandolin, Banjo and Vocals
RAY LAIDLAW - Drums and Percussion


Checked SBE's with Trader's Little Helper


Nicely Does It
Been listening to a lot of vinyl transfers this month,and very interesting
they all are in their own ways. The Philips French version is my favourite,
i'd say it's better than the CD Remaster. Mind you it's like the 20 versions
of Yes' Close To The Edge,or Floyd's Dark Side quadrophonic mix.
Everyone to their own,as the song says.
Check out the 24/96 transfer versions too,quite a few online.
By the way tracks 1,2,4,5,6,10 and 11 have not been shared before.


Lady Eleanor Info

There are 2 versions of Lady Eleanor with regards to the lyrics. One has “… some music in my bone.” and the other “… some music playing in my bones.” In addition some versions have the intro cut and others are full length. Both "bones" & "bone" versions exist cut and full length. Cut versions are around 3:30, full length around 4:10. They sound like very slightly different mixes.
The version on the original single which was released when Nicely Out Of Tune first came out and flopped (in pic sleeve - run off groove A1U) is a shortened version of the UK album version (bones). When Meet Me On The Corner was a hit in 1972 Lady Eleanor was rereleased as A2U (some copies in pic sleeve, most without). This is the full length version and is the same as appears on the US Nicely Out Of Tune LP (bone). There was a 3rd UK version (A3U). This is the same shortened version as A1U. Some versions of A2U have ‘(From the L.P. CAS. 1025 - “Nicely Out Of Tune”)’ on the label A side even though that particular version is different from the album. The 4 prong version is the same as the solid centre (A2U).

Derek's Notes...........
The 12-track recording of "Lady Eleanor" on NOOT has the descending notes on the last syllable of Eleanor which also featured on contemporary live performances; "We Can Swing Together" may be an acquired taste but is remarkably different (I quite like it!) and "Scarecrow Song" has its different piano coda.



NOTE: The American LP was belatedly issued late September 1971 on Elektra EKS-74099 and was also called "Nicely Out Of Tune". But it not only featured different 'upgraded' die-cut artwork on the front and rear and a lyric inner bag (no lyrics appeared with the UK issue) - but was reputedly remixed. It also featured an altered Side 2 track list that ran as - "We Can Swing Together", "Float Me Down The River", "Down", "Nothing But The Marvellous" and "Scarecrow Song". "Float Me Down The River" is "Alan In The River With Flowers" under another name and if you use the Bonus Track of "Nothing But The Marvellous Is Beautiful"- you can also sequence that US album variant from this CD. The supposed American remix is still absent from CD.




"Nicely Out Of Tune" has always been in the shadow of its more famous follow-up – 1971's "Fog On The Tyne" – a Number One album back when such things mattered and took serious sales to achieve. But I'm thinking its time to call both albums sweethearts ("Dingly Dell" too for that matter).

"...Didn’t think there could be more..." – Lindisfarne sang on the hypnotic and ethereal "Lady Eleanor" Turns out there is...

Nicely Out of Tune: The story behind the album sleeve

Ray Laidlaw tells the story...
Long before Lindisfarne made their first album we had a collective interest in things visual and often fantasised about what our sleeve would be like when we eventually made our first album. It was always when and never if. Confident little gits we were.
Ray Jackson and myself had met at art college, a well-known safe haven for musicians who had yet to figure out how to make a living from music. We were surrounded by talented artists of all types and the constant exposure to striking visuals had an effect on both of us. All of us in the band were enthusiastic supporters of the films of Fellini and we often used to have trips to the Tyneside Cinema where all the arty films of the late sixties could be seen.
During the Lindisfarne gestation period in the late sixties, we produced between us a succession of posters and flyers that we displayed in a prominent shop window next to the Haymarket Bus Station in Newcastle. At that time few local promoters would take a chance on booking us as our repertoire of Tyneside Delta Blues, Dylan influenced originals and Zappa covers was a little challenging to their regular punters who prefered a backdrop of Tamla Motown songs to fight and fornicate to. Our self-promoted gigs at venues like Jesmond Banqueting Hall and the New Orleans Jazz Club attracted a clientele who were as daft as us and often remarked on the whacky self-produced advertising material that had drawn them to our gigs. For a while an artist friend of ours produced a monthly, hand drawn, one sheet comic, featuring the mythical exploits of our band. It was stuck in the Haymarket shop window next to the posters. The last picture box always had the rest of the band saying ‘Where’s Si?’ Some things never change.
I don’t remember if Jacka and I volunteered to design the ‘Nicely’ sleeve or if it was just presumed that we would. I know that the contemporary albums of the time didn’t inspire us much. We decided on a simple concept that would be direct and eye catching. An antique frame with a picture of the band in the centre and a special font echoing the Northumbrian origins of our name would be the main features. Jacka said he would design the logo and I began searching for a reference for the frame. This was long before the days of the Internet or scanners and the only way to research visuals was to go to the library. I spent a while searching but couldn’t find what I was looking for.
A couple of days later I was at my mam and dad’s house when I noticed a book of sheet music that belonged to my brother who plays piano. It was light classics or opera and was opened at a title page. The title of the piece was displayed in an ornate line drawing featuring cherubs and ladies playing harps and singing. Perfect. As there was no one around I tore out the page and put the sheet music book back in the piano stool. I took my trophy back to Jacka and he got it photographed and completed the artwork which featured his splendid Lindisfarne logo. The picture session for the sleeve was done one lunchtime between gigs. It still looks good to me.
Reinhard Groll: Ray, on the rear side of the album cover of the original Charisma album, and only there, one can find a "Thanks to..." section. First named is Ian, Si's younger brother and Lindisfarne's roadie until the disband in 73. Then there is the "Hull family", Alan's wife Pat and their daughters Rosamund, Francesca and Berenice. Coming from the pre-LF time still under the name of "Brethren" and "Downtown Faction" are Jeff Sadler and Richard Squirrel. Long time friend and Alan's partner in Hazy Music: Barbara Hayes. David Wood as the Engineer and Uncle Tony might be noone else than John Anthony. But who is: "Charlie, Kath, Barbara, Anna, Julia, Joe Robertson, Drummond, Mr. Bolton and Spectrum?"
Ray: OK Reinhard, here goes. All above is correct except that Dave Wood, in addition to being the engineer on all of Alan's and Lindisfarne's early demos, was also the owner of Impulse Studios in Wallsend, the third partner in Hazy Music and Alan's / Lindisfarne's manager. Uncle Tony was Tony Stratton Smith, Lindisfarne's manager and owner of the Charisma label which was based at Number 7, Dean Street (I think). Confusion because the office moved about six times in three years.
Charlie Cameron, Ian Cowe's pal and Lindisfarne's other roadie till '73. Kath Clements, Rod's first wife. Barbera Pell, Ray Laidlaw's girlfriend at the time. Anna Mylott, Alan and Pat's live-in nanny and close friend of the band ('Oh Anna what does money mean anyway' ) Yes, that Anna. Julia Clements, Rod's daughter. Joe Robertson, Brethren manager and then Lindisfarne co-manager with Dave Wood, took Alan Hull/Brethren demos to Tony Stratton Smith which resulted in recording deal with Charisma. Drummond Amin, Tyneside rock'n'roll godfather and owner of the Shaftsbury electric 12 string guitar that Lindisfarne borrowed for the NOOT recording sessions. Mr Bolton, owner of the local garage that regularly repaired Lindisfarne's vans at ridiculously low cost. Spectrum was design company owned by Joe Robertson, responsible for early Lindisfarne imagery/posters etc.
RG: In August 99 the website had a featured story about the US versions of various covers where Chris Groom described it this way: "The front of the sleeve has a cut-away top that follows the edge of of the trees and clouds - all part of a muted colour illustration of the five band members. Behind this cut-out, you can slide in a square card insert which contains the album title and what we’ll call the ‘American Lindisfarne logo’, both visible above the clouds. When you slide this out, a colour photograph of the band is revealed - a shot I had not seen before, of the group looning about on the shore in front of Holy Island. On the back of the insert are the lyrics - American releases always try to have lyric sheets enclosed somewhere, it seems. The record itself comes in a printed brown paper inner sleeve with a small white band logo in the centre."
Why was there a completely different sleeve for the U.S.?
RL: Simple answer. US record company Elektra insisted on it.
RG: The tracklist on Side One was identical between the original and the US release. What was the reason for changing the title "Alan In The River With Flowers" into "Float Me Down The River", swapping Jackhammer Blues against "Nothing But The Marvellous" and dropping Rod's The Things I Should Have Said?
RL: Again Elektra's insistance. Title change because Lindisfarne's in-joke 'Alan in the River with Flowers' = 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' did not amuse the americans so they reverted to the songs original title. 'Jackhammer' was dropped because it sounded too American so replaced it with UK b-side 'Marvellous'. I can't remember the reason for leaving off 'Things..' but it was probably because they didn't like it.
03/25/2017


Classic Rocker91's Review
The US mix and sequencing of this record is a significant improvement over the original British pressing. The US has a far superior, more dynamic edit for both We Can Swing Together and Lady Eleanor. While Jackhammer Blues is a fun ditty, it feels like a slight outtake and isn't missed here. Finally, swapping out The Things I Should Have Said for Nothing But The Marvellous is the final decision that really pushed this record to classic status for me.

It's a fantastic record of British folk-rock, and one of the few times I'll take an American version over the original.


Ian Hawdon's Review
The American version of Lindisfarnes debut album is fantastic, the cover is something quite unique, where the clouds end, the top bid slides out (My copy is still attached so I will not be taking mine out as it will decrease its value) on the back of this part, there are the lyrics to the tracks. On the front side there is a rare picture of the group.

Now for the music, the first tack (Lady Eleanor) is different, Alan's Voice is much more lyrical and there is more of a reverb. “We Can Swing Together” had been re recorded to remove the line “Some were smoking roll-your-owns” and has been replaced with “Some were smoking, choking, smoking”, but the American version fails to remove the original line from the lyric sheet! “Alan in the river with flowers” (originally a joke on the Beatles track “Lucy in the sky with diamonds”) has been renamed to “Float me down the river”. The tracks “the things I should have said” and “Jackhammer Blues” are not included but a track called “Nothing but the marvellous” (original on the B-Side of Lady Eleanor as “Nothing but the marvellous is beautiful”) is there instead. Finally the track “Scarecrow Song” is 45 seconds longer, Alan's piano solo is extended. The rest of the tracks have been remixed, but there are no other extreme differences I can find so far.

As the Americans seemed to get the British version on CD, I presume that this extraordinary version will only ever be released on vinyl! That is a great shame as I prefer this one to the UK release.

From the lindisfarne forum

You're right that the American NOOT is a different album on US Elektra. First there's the omission of "Jackhammer Blues" and "The Things I Should Have Said" and the addition of "Nothing But The Marvellous".

Jac Holzman revamped John Anthony's production for an American audience. As I mentioned in my earlier post, you can approximate the album by programming track sequence 16,2,3,4,5,17,7,8,13 and 18 on CD1 of "The Charisma Years"!

Tracks 16,17 and 18 are obviously different hence their inclusion as bonus tracks. I'd agree with you that 3,4 and 5 are the same which leaves 2,7,8 and 13 for consideration.

To me these tracks are broadly the same but with minor remix differences. Track 2 "Road To Kingdom Come" finishes slightly differently. Track 8 "Down" does have a remixed louder intro shorn of crackle but the track sounds similar to me otherwise. There may be slight mix differences to the overall sound on Track 7 "Alan In The River With Flowers" but I think Track 13 "Nothing But The Marvellous" is identical to the UK B-side.



Nicely Out Of Tune - The US version
by Chris Groom and Reinhard Groll (idea and images) - August 1999

NICELY OUT OF TUNE - The US version Elektra EKS-74099
Although the label states that it is a ‘Radio Station Copy’ there is probably no other difference between this and the regular US record release. But what a difference between the UK and US sleeves! One description might well be ‘extravagant’. Another might be ‘over-elaborate and unpractical’! Whatever your opinion, this is certainly no ordinary album cover - consisting of what is basically a large open-topped envelope with a card insert.
The front of the sleeve has a cut-away top that follows the edge of of the trees and clouds - all part of a muted colour illustration of the five band members. Behind this cut-out, you can slide in a square card insert which contains the album title and what we’ll call the ‘American Lindisfarne logo’, both visible above the clouds. When you slide this out, a colour photograph of the band is revealed - a shot I had not seen before, of the group looning about on the shore in front of Holy Island. On the back of the insert are the lyrics - American releases always try to have lyric sheets enclosed somewhere, it seems. The record itself comes in a printed brown paper inner sleeve with a small white band logo in the centre.
As for the record itself, there are a few differences. Track one, side one is ‘Lady Eleanor’, but unlike the Charisma release I think the Americans got a different version. Whereas the UK track is bright and crisp and far more ‘punchy’, the US album track is more laid-back, especially on the chorus where the characteristic harmonies are well down in the mix leaving Alan’s vocal clear on top. Ray’s drums are mixed right down, too. In the UK, ‘Lady E’ was released twice before it became a chart hit and it was always rumoured that the track was remixed before being re-released. My guess is that the American album got the original single take, before it was amended/improved for the UK singles chart.
Side two has a completely different version of ‘We Can Swing Together’, although approx. two minutes shorter and ‘Alan In The River with Flowers’ is renamed ‘Float Me Down the River’. However, ‘We Can Swing Together’ deserves to get some extra space for a more detailed description:
The American version is quite different to the original U.K. release, but it is not the solo Alan Single version that was released on Transatlantic. The big T. single is faster, is covered in electric guitar fills and has no harmonica whatsoever. The original Charisma album version is quite 'heavy' and Alan's vocal is almost aggressive. The track found here is lighter & more melodic, with less guitar and more piano. During Jacka's harmonica break in the middle, the sounds of a 'party' going on can be heard. There is also a lyric change - and this is the true clue to why it was changed; this copy of the Elektra album says 'Radio Station Copy' on the label and I believe that the Americans wanted the line "some were smoking roll your own's" changed in case it was thought to be a reference to drug use (which it undoubtedly was !) and this made it suitable for play opn the U.S. radio. Alan sings "some were smoking, choking, smoking, while others they had none" and you can hear one of the band cough, too. The Elektra version must be a 'N.O.O.T' out-take and overall I prefer it to the Charisma version.
Rod’s ‘The Things I Should Have Said’ and Woody Guthries ‘Jackhammer Blues’ are both left out, in favour of ‘Nothing But The Marvellous’ (the Americans even shorten this title, leaving off the ‘...Is Beautiful’ that completed the track on the B-side of ‘Lady Eleanor’). Finally, ‘Scarecrow Song’ is a whole 45 seconds longer, allowing for some fine extra piano from Alan. The ‘Thanks to...’ credits are dropped from the sleeve, but the men responsible for the US version are named - US Production Supervisor Jac Holzman, Enginnering: Robin Cable, Photography: Angus McDonald, Cover Art: Peter Schaumann and Art Direction & Design: Robert L. Heimall. Overall, there are so many differences from the UK Charisma release that it is well worth seeking out an American copy - and yes, I think the sleeve is terrific!

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