FAS #176 'Addendum'

Free Appreciation Society

Issue #176 (February 2025)

Video Addendum

As mentioned on P39 from FAS #176 here is Free on the 'Top Of The Pops' chart rundown for 1973-01-25. 'Wishing Well' is sitting at at No.8. Free didn't appear to promote the single, nor was there any promotional film made at the time. I can't confirm if Pan's People 'danced' to the song at any point or not, but after seeing them jiggle about 'interpretively' to 'Little Bit Of Love' it would be an interesting proposition! This is very short, Blink and you'll miss Free. The complete chart run down is included, it's quite interesting, the variation of things in there, and I managed to fade out before Saville is featured. I always thought he was basically weird, and not unlike 'The Child Catcher' from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! Seems I was right on that one!

Addendum #1 (Page #39)

Free Appreciation Society Magazine - Issue #176

Free Appreciation Society

Magazine Issue #176

February 2025

 

Free Appreciation Society Magazine - Issue #176

January 19th, 1973 Free move into Fort Worth for the third show on a long American tour with John Martyn and Traffic. That was 52 years ago today. Blimey!!

First issue of 2025, and even a couple of weeks early! A belated Happy New Year to everyone. Here we go, the beginning of the finale, or 'Free - The End'.

Issue #176 picks up in January 1973. Free have the 'Wishing Well' single in the shops, an album due out in a few weeks, a looming American tour - and no current guitarist! Kossoff is gone. So here we pick up with Wendell Richardson joining them JUST before they fly to the USA, and we follow the tour through January. Lots of press, reviews, photographs and reviews of tapes available from the shows. Lots of material I've never used before in this issue, as we cover the final section of Free's existence.

48 pages absolutely packed with FREE.

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Coming out to all UK FAS subscribers tomorrow, January 20th (when Free would have moving on to play in El Paso).

Overseas issues mailed out last week.

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It is cheaper to buy directly here (from the FAS itself) than it will be on Ebay, where there are other fees involved for both UK and overseas buyers. ALL payments are via Paypal, so it's all very easy and secure.

Casual buyer? Want the magazine cheaper? Get a subscription!

A subscription is the cheapest way to get the FAS magazine.

 

For subscription information email: fasarticle@aol.com

You can buy this individual issue from the email address above.

Total is £7.50 via Paypal for the UK, a three issue subscription is £19.10

Overseas it's £26 (via Paypal). Buying from the FAS directly should save you on customs charges, and fees, now levelled directly via Ebay, which will not be added here as items will be sent as 'letters'.

Drop me a mail giving your location and a Paypal money request will be sent to you. It's cheaper than buying them on Ebay where the fees add 12.5% + 30p making this issue £8 in the UK

 A subscription for three issues (UK) is £18 (£19.10 via Paypal)

A subscription for three issues  overseas is £26 (via Paypal).

The Island Book Of Records - Volume II (1969 - 1970)

 

The Island Book Of Records

Volume II (1969 - 1970) 

 

If you love Island Records, and Free, this is for you. After the nonsense of Chris Blackwell's book 'Islander' (actually more by Paul Morley, and not great), here is a book about Island Records, and its artists. that's actually worth buying. It is not cheap, but throw it at someone and you are likely to kill them, as it weighs a ton (3.75kg in fact). It's not small. You will not get it in your pocket. It's a hefty tome.

Quite a bit about Free in this volume, along with what I'd consider the prime of Island's history. Nick Drake, Mott The Hoople, Traffic, King Crimson, ELP, Spooky Tooth, Jethro Tull, Cat Stevens - blimey, a huge slice of my record collection just in this book (1969 - 1970 covered). So, yes, this includes three LPs by Free, as remarkably they released three in just under seventeen months!

Lots of information, new interviews, great photographs, stories behind the groups and the albums (sixty in this volume), lovingly edited, compiled and collated by Neil Storey. Someone who essentially knows his stuff having actually worked for Island. If you want something good in your Christmas stocking, you could do much worse than having this on your list. Just hope you have a friend who will buy it for you.

If that's not an option, and you need to buy it for yourself (well it is nearly Christmas) you can get it here;

https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526182241/

 

and get a whopping 30% off the price, if you subscribe to their newsletter (which is free).

It's also available from Amazon, Waterstones etc. But not with that deal.

You can check out the contents and features here:

https://theislandbookofrecords.com/

 Press promo type blurb...

'The Island Book of Records Volume II documents the years 1969–70, during which Island sought to build on its success with the Spencer Davis Group by seeking out new British rock talent. By the end of the period, Island was emerging as a major British label, one that could boast releases from Jethro Tull, Nick Drake, King Crimson, John and Beverley Martyn, Fairport Convention and Cat Stevens.

Featuring material from recent interviews and from media interviews of the time, and including a comprehensive discography of 45s, The Island Book of Records Volume II is lavishly illustrated with gig adverts (very many at venues that no longer exist), concert tickets, flyers, international LP variants, labels, LP and 45 adverts and other ephemera collector’s dream.'

Free Appreciation Society Magazine - Issue #175

Free Appreciation Society

Magazine Issue #175

December 2024

 

Free Appreciation Society Magazine - Issue #175

Very pleased to get this one out before Christmas, as it 'sort of' puts us back on track with the story, but now 52 years on - not 50. Thanks Covid!

Issue #175 runs through all the effort, and trauma, of November and December 1972, as Free try to complete the work on 'Heartbreaker' before they are due to fly to America in January. Here we continue a tape by tape, blow by blow, day by day, look at the history. This includes Paul Kossoff finally writing himself out of the sessions (and Free), Snuffy coming in to cover some guitar parts (and what he actually plays on), along with Andy Johns taking over the conclusion of the album, and the mixing of it. We also include the beginnings of Sharks, as they put their head about the waves to do their initial press interviews.

48 pages packed with information, archive tape box images, original press, photographs, adverts, reviews and interviews. Plenty of good reading in this issue, and a great overview into the period.

48 pages absolutely packed with FREE.

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Coming out to all UK FAS subscribers today, November 25th.

Overseas issues (USA, Canada, Japan, Australia) mailed on Friday 20th.

Issues for Europe mailed out today. 25th.

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It is cheaper to buy directly here (from the FAS itself) than it will be on Ebay, where there are other fees involved for both UK and overseas buyers. ALL payments are via Paypal, so it's all very easy and secure.

Casual buyer? Want the magazine cheaper?

Get a subscription!

A subscription is the cheapest way to get the FAS magazine, and you won't miss an issue. Magazines are sent out at least a week before they go onto Ebay.

 

For subscription information email: fasarticle@aol.com

You can buy this individual issue from the email address above.

Total is £7.50 via Paypal for the UK, a three issue subscription is £19.10

 

Overseas it's £26 (via Paypal). Buying from the FAS directly should save you on customs charges, and fees, now levelled directly via Ebay, which will not be added here as items will be sent as 'letters'.

Drop me a mail giving your location and a Paypal money request will be sent to you. It's cheaper than buying them on Ebay where the fees add 12.5% + 30p making this issue £8 in the UK

 

A subscription for three issues

UK is £18 (£19.10 via Paypal)

Overseas is £26 (via Paypal).

Free Appreciation Society Magazine - Issue #174

Free Appreciation Society

Magazine Issue #174

October 2024

This issue covers the final section of the Free MK.III October 1972 UK tour, some dates added and rescheduled after Paul Kossoff was ill in Newcastle on the September leg. In fact these are the last twelve shows of this line-up, and the final performances of Free with Paul Kossoff. There is press and photographs from a number of shows, and reviews of the tapes from Redcar, Bracknell and Bristol. Following this we pursue Free into the Basing Street studios, where they are now working on what will become the 'Heartbreaker' record. This includes a tape by tape analysis, from multi-tracks and quarter inch mix reels, of the sessions up to the end of the month.

The magazine features all the press from the period, which has, tour announcements, concert adverts, tickets, gig reviews and so on. There are some excellent photo's of the 'suited and booted' Paul Kossoff, with the white Fender Stratocaster he used on this final section of the shows, and looks at the 'Gibson neck break' in Newcastle on the final gig.

This issue of the FAS checks in at 48 pages, Plenty of great reading in this issue, including from the period press. The centre includes a superb  photograph of Koss with suit, waistcoat and tie - Strat in hand. Enjoy! And no, it's not the same cover as FAS #173 - look carefully!

48 pages absolutely packed with FREE, and nothing but Free.

Coming out to all UK FAS subscribers on Monday (7th)

Overseas issues mailed on Friday (4th). 

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It is cheaper to buy directly here (from the FAS itself) than it will be on Ebay, where there are other fees involved for both UK and overseas buyers. ALL payments are via Paypal, so it's all very easy and secure.

Casual buyer? Want the magazine cheaper? Get a subscription!

A subscription is the cheapest way to get the FAS magazine.

For subscription information email: fasarticle@aol.com

You can buy this individual issue from the email address above.

Total is £7.50 via Paypal for the UK, a three issue subscription is £19.10

Overseas price is available on request as shipping cost depends on the country the magazines are going too. Buying from the FAS directly should save you on customs charges and fees now levelled directly via Ebay, which will not be added here as items will be sent as 'letters'.

Drop me a mail giving your location and a Paypal money request will be sent to you. It's cheaper than buying them on Ebay where the fees add 12.5% + 30p making this issue £8 in the UK

 A subscription for three issues (UK) is £18 (£19.10 via Paypal)

Coming Soon!

Just a quick note to let you know FAS #174 is just about complete, and due in October. Sorry for the delay, been a bit ill over the summer, and had some stuff to deal with. Just the final checks to do before it goes to print.

Free Appreciation Society Magazine - Issue #173

Free Appreciation Society

Magazine Issue #173

June 2024

Free MK.II return to the UK from shows in Japan, and Hungary on July 31st. Kirke goes into hospital and Kossoff rejoins them to make it Free MK.III. This issue covers PK's return to the group, and the start of the UK tour in September, which was cancelled after six dates. Koss had had a seizure during the soundcheck at Newcastle City Hall on September 15th 1972, the day after his 22nd birthday. The group come back to London as shows are rescheduled for October, and spend a few days in the studio, where they begin work on new material.

The magazine features all the press from the period, which has interviews with Paul Rodgers, Rabbit and Tetsu, tour announcements, press releases, album ads, gig reviews and so on. There are some excellent photo's from the press gatherings, and from the shows. Also there's all the newspaper headlines from the Newcastle incident, and complete information on the recording that was done after that, which includes 'Wishing Well' and 'Come Together In the Morning', tape by tape, multi-tracks and quarter inch mix reels.

This magazine checks in at 52 pages, Plenty of great reading in this issue from the period press. The centre includes a superb full colour photograph of the older line-up from an Italian magazine article, which sarcastically reports that Free have cancelled their third trip to Italy! A hugely comprehensive issue on this phase of the group. Enjoy!

52 pages absolutely packed with FREE, and nothing but Free.

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Mailed out to all UK FAS subscribers today (10th)

Overseas issues mailed on Wednesday last week (5th).

It is cheaper to buy directly here (from the FAS itself) than it will be on Ebay, where there are other fees involved for both UK and overseas buyers. ALL payments are via Paypal, so it's all very easy and secure.

Casual buyer? Want the magazine cheaper? Get a subscription!

A subscription is the cheapest way to get the FAS magazine.

For subscription information email: fasarticle@aol.com

You can buy this individual issue from the email address above.

Total is £7.50 via Paypal for the UK, a three issue subscription is £19.10

Overseas price is available on request as shipping cost depends on the country the magazines are going too. Buying from the FAS directly should save you on customs charges and fees now levelled directly via Ebay, which will not be added here as items will be sent as 'letters'.

Drop me a mail giving your location and a Paypal money request will be sent to you. It's cheaper than buying them on Ebay where the fees add 12.5% + 30p making this issue £8 in the UK

 A subscription for three issues (UK) is £18 (£19.10 via Paypal)