Hidden Treasures Label Showcase - Harvest

[Scott]

Sometime ago I did a playlist of an old Record label named Mushroom. Recently I came across another old record label that produced some memories for me. This time its the old Harvest/EMI record label. For me the labels printed on the vinyl could hold some cool information and they certainly spoke to the quality of the production you were about the hear. Harvest was one of those labels, at least for me... First, a little wiki-history


Harvest Records was created by EMI in 1969 to market progressive rock music, and to compete with Philips' Vertigo and Decca's Dream labels, and the independent Island label, initially under the direction of Malcolm Jones. Harvest was distributed in North America by EMI's US arm, Capitol Records. They were the European licensee for the American label Blue Thumb Records from 1969 to 1971.

In the 1970s the label primarily released progressive rock recordings by British acts including Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett, Kevin Ayers, The Move, Roy Wood, Barclay James Harvest, Be Bop Deluxe and Deep Purple. Nearly all the acts on the Harvest roster were British; two notable exceptions were Australian progressive band Spectrum (whose first two LPs were issued on Harvest) and Spectrum's successor Ariel, whose first two LPs also came out on the label.

The focus of the label changed slightly as the 1970s drew to a close, with the signing of post-punk groups Wire, Australian band the Saints and the Banned. New wave artists Thomas Dolby and Duran Duran released their debut albums on the label in North America. Iron Maiden's first three albums were also released in the US by the label. Pink Floyd switched to Columbia Records after the release of The Dark Side of The Moon in 1973.

Here's some favorites from their discography... Enjoy!


PLAYLIST --> http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/a1p0z200

	Little River Band Little River Band 1975 1 - Meanwhile This is a bit like playing "one of these things is not like the others", but... this album is my first memory of this label so it has to be included! This is an astonishingly strong debut album. There aren't any surprises, just seven more eminently enjoyable if slightly looser structured mainstream rock songs in the same vein, inventive where they had to be (like on the solos or the variations on the extended choruses), all more modestly proportioned than the hit and thoroughly enjoyable. Guitarist Graham Goble dominated the songwriting with the single and "I Know It," but singer Glenn Shorrock contributed significantly with the delightfully exuberant "Emma" and the hauntingly beautiful movie-within-a-song "The Man in Black," and guitarist Beeb Birtles showed himself no slouch in the ballad department with "I'll Always Call Your Name," which overstays its welcome by about 30 seconds but is otherwise nice and catchy.
	Iron Maiden Killers 1981 2 - Prodigal Son Iron Maiden's sophomore effort, Killers, is mostly composed of pre-existing material that had been left off the debut, with just a few new additions. It's certainly a better-sounding release than the debut, with new producer Martin Birch beefing up the band's studio presence and lending their instrumental attack a newfound clarity that throws their considerable skills into sharp relief. In fact, this helps mask the fact that the songwriting isn't quite as strong overall as it was on the debut. But the teaming of new guitarist Adrian Smith with Dave Murray forms the most formidable twin-guitar attack in heavy metal, outside of Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing. Plus, bassist Steve Harris' busy, driving lines are now consistently audible in the mix. The resulting instrumental fireworks are what truly make the album tick.
	Deep Purple Fireball 1971 3 - No One Came One of Deep Purple's four indispensable albums (the others being In Rock, Machine Head, and Burn), 1971's Fireball saw the band broadening out from the no-holds-barred hard rock direction of the previous year's cacophonous In Rock. Metal machine noises introduced the sizzling title track -- an unusually compact but explosively tight group effort on which Jon Lord's organ truly shined. Sure, the following year's Machine Head would provide Deep Purple with their commercial peak, but on Fireball, the formidable quintet was already firing on all cylinders.
	Pink Floyd Animals 1977 4 - Pigs (Three Different Ones) Of all of the classic-era Pink Floyd albums, Animals is the strangest and darkest, a record that's hard to initially embrace yet winds up yielding as many rewards as its equally nihilistic successor, The Wall. It isn't that Roger Waters dismisses the human race as either pigs, dogs, or sheep, it's that he's constructed an album whose music is as bleak and bitter as that world view. Arriving after the warm-spirited (albeit melancholy) Wish You Were Here, the shift in tone comes as a bit of a surprise, and there are even less proper songs here than on either Wish or Dark Side. Animals is all extended pieces, yet it never drifts -- it slowly, ominously works its way toward its destination. For an album that so clearly is Waters', David Gilmour's guitar dominates thoroughly, with Richard Wright's keyboards rarely rising above a mood-setting background (such as on the intro to "Sheep").

[Jon]

I'm confused?

If Floyd changed to Columbia after DSOTM, how would they still been on Harvest with Animals? Unless you're just going with the artist and not the label?

Still trying to get that LRB album, but the price for the debut is insane.

This IM song is, well, killer (see what I did there?). It shouldn't fit in, but it does. Shame that the album cover is too scary and not metal enough. Probably why I didn't pick it up when it originally came out. 

Speaking of album covers, that DP cover look cheap, doesn't it? In a way it kinda looks like one of those K-Tel cheap-o greatest hits collections. It's probably just me, but it doesn't look like a proper album cover. Hard to explain, but I tried. "In Rock" is a cool album cover, then came this and then came "Machine Head". NOW do you see what I'm sayin'. Sad about the album cover since the album is quite good, better that you expect from the cover. Okay, I think now I have covered everything I wanted to cover about the cover.

Yeah, this PF album is dark. It's fun to listen to in the dark with headphones on. In the basement. With the blue light poster lit up. So, not COMPLETELY in the dark. Not an easily accessible album, but a damn fine one. You go from WYWH to this and then TW. They really don't match up much. But it's all good, I suppose. Right?

 

[Scott]

My highly educated, connected, and sought after research staff assures me that the original release of Animals was indeed a Harvest/EMI release, though that was only in the UK as the US release came out on Columbia.  The integrity of SHT continues to be unscathed....

We at SHT have no comment on any artistic interpretations of this particular Deep Purple album cover.  The consumer will make of it as they will.  However we would tend to agree with you regarding your comment of the "In Rock" album cover - cool indeed.

[Niels (Mod)]

LRB - Interesting, since I never heard this one, at least as I know of. I like the sound of this. Sounds a lot like 1975, and that's a very good thing imo. That's when I really started notice music. Hey, that's a Ace Frehley-solo!!!! He must had nicked it, because at this excact moment, I think it was from KISS (The album). I like this one

IM - Oh, this one i LOVE!!! THIS is Iron Maiden. For a long time, their only "ballad". Absolutely classic stuff!! I guess I shouldn't post my "D'ianno's Maiden-special" in VOTW any time soon, then. This really takes me back to the start of 1981. Great voice

DP - Probably my favorite Purple-album, but I don't consider myself a Purple-fan. Much more a Rainbow-fan. Ocaisonally I become a little bit of a Purple-fan, and listen to the classic albums, and then this is very good music. But it's only every 5th year or so. But it's not bad. Not bad at all. I never could understand those people who said that Blackmoore was the best guitarist ever, though.

PF - Oh, that's one of the very long tracks. The start sounds like Mike Oldfield. I've own this album since...2001, I think. I never really got in to it. The 3 big ones from Floyd are more than enough for me. I'm a bigger fan of Floyd than of Purple, but only slightly. At times, much more. But again, Floyd is a band that only interest me in periods. It sounds a bit like this track could had been included on The Wall, and it's very clear that it's Waters that's in command now. Gilmour is one of alltimes best guitarist, more than Blackmoore, at least.

[Scott]

You like the LRB track?!  Color me shocked!  I thought for sure that would get panned, hmmm...  Maybe I will post more of them, you know, just for you!

Conversely, I knew of your love for early Maiden, so while not pandering, it was a predictable response... 

[RJhog (Admin)]

LRB - This band will be in my town in a couple of months (headlining, with ARS and Firefall). I imagine there's probably three original members between the three bands, but I'd like to see 'em anyway.  I dig the solo for sure, especially the dual part of it.  It has a very "southern rock" feel, though I've never thought of LRB as southern rock.  Sounds like something more along the line of Foghat.

Maiden - As you guys probably already know, I'm a recent Iron Maiden fan.  Didn't listen to them at all when I was younger. This isn't a bad song, but it just kind of floats along until that guitar solo arrives.  That is killer.  

Purple - Never heard this album, but I think I might now have it on vinyl.  I remember that somebody I know had it when I was younger, because I remember thinking how cool the album cover was.  This is a cool song.  Lord's keyboard work is top notch.  I really like the vocal performance here.

Floyd - Don't have this album either.  As a matter of fact, my comment about Maiden can be mirrored here.  You know, didn't listen to 'em when I was young, the song just kind of floats along, but the guitar solo livens it up a bit.  Can't say it makes me wanna go out and pick this up, but I would grab it if the price is right.

I was just adding some of my vinyl to discogs.com the other day (trying to get the vinyl organized and cataloged so I can reference what I already have when I'm buying more dollar vinyl) and it seemed like I remember seeing and Harvest/EMI label.  But not so, it was EMI American and it was The Michael Stanley Band.  Who knows though, I may have one somewhere in all that stuff.  If I come across one, I'll try to reference it back here.  Enjoyed this post!

[RJhog (Admin)]

I do have Fireball, but it's not this label.  It's Warner Bros.

[Scott]

Yet another integrity attack on the staff here at SHT.  Fireball was released in the UK on the Harvest label, while being released on Warner Bros here in the good ol' US of A.  Yet another defense of the staff and SHT integrity thwarted...

That being said, SHT recommends that seeing LRB at this time is supporting a band that stole an entire bands history and is not treating its history and past members with respect.  While SHT recognizes the nostalgic value of seeing such an act, one could argue a local 70's bar band who plays a couple of their tracks is just as good...

On a personal note...  What is discogs?  Sounds very interesting

[RJhog (Admin)]

It's a database that allows you to catalog your collection.  I'm using it exclusively for vinyl so that I can access it before a purchase and make sure I don't already have it.  Check it out.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Look what I found, something from the Harvest label...