FAS #158 (Page 24) 'addendum #2'

A&M Records USA

Promotion 7" single to radio, with edited versions of tracks from 'Highway'.

Side A - 'The Highway Song' (Edit - 3.15)

Side B - 'Love You So' (Edit - 3.30)

Free Appreciation Society Magazine - Issue #158

 Free Appreciation Society

Magazine Issue #158

June 2021

Okay, these have now all gone out overseas. The UK issues will drift into the mail over the next week. A few went out yesterday and today, but I'll be posting a few more each day from Monday. They'll all be on their way by the end of the week at the latest.

It's a bigger issue than usual (72pages), and heavier (120g). This not only knocks the mailing cost up to £1.53 (from .66p) but it means some issues require 'making up' in postage, where some of you kindly send SAE's and you've put on various denominations of stamps yourself. It just all takes a bit longer. 2nd class, 1st class, 2nd large letter and 1st large letter stamps all need different levels of extra postage adding to them this time, and as the PO here (locally) has no stamps above 20p... Well some of you have a nice collection on your envelopes! I'm just glad I don't have to lick them all these days!! I'm also taping up all of the paper envelopes to try and stop the PO from destroying them - which is becoming more and more of a problem.

This issue, being bigger, has a slightly more expensive individual cover price, but not to subscribers - where it is simply one issue of your sub. It's really my choice, but running one album period out over five issues is a bit much to handle and it's either I cut something out of it, or use it all and make the issue a bit bigger. I choose the latter, as I've promised you all I can deliver in this final series. I blame FREE!

So here we go...

Free Appreciation Society Magazine - Issue #158

This is the concluding instalment of our FAS 'Highway' quadrilogy!  A bumper 72 pages here (as opposed to the usual 56) and this issue opens with an exclusive introduction from Simon Kirke. It then runs through all the record issues from the period - worldwide - for the single, 'Stealer', and the LP 'Highway'.  This includes the good, the bad and the ugly!

UK, Norway, Netherlands, France, Japan, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Turkey, Germany, Argentina, Canada and America are covered (among others) and releases on Island Records, Festival Records, Philips Records, Polydor Records and A&M Records are logged and shown visually. This includes promotional issues, radio pressings, test pressings and variations in the sleeve, inner bags and label design over different issues of the album through the years, and the matrix numbers of those releases. Label errors, timing inaccuracies, edits and pressing differences are all included. A real wealth of information for the collector and the casual fan alike.

Also included is the day to day diary of what the band were doing, from August to December 1970. 16 pages listing gigs, recording dates (with songs listed), filming and more, illustrated with rare ads, posters, and tickets. This updates the information in 'Heavy Load - The Story Of Free' considerably. That was of course compiled over twenty years ago, so lots has been added to my original 'Itinerary And Recording History' as included there.

A hugely comprehensive issue. Enjoy!

72 pages absolutely packed with FREE!

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The three music 'addendums' for this issue will be uploaded a few days after the final issues have been mailed out. Probably next weekend.

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

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

This individual issue is available here directly.

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'Sunny Day' Bank Holiday Extra!!

 'Sunny Day' - Epic Soundtracks

There is no 'Addendum' in FAS #157 (don't worry there are three in #158!) so I thought I'd give you something a bit different - and certainly something I feel it is unlikely you will have heard before.

Nikki Sudden (Adrian Godfrey) and his brother, Epic Soundtracks (Kevin Godfrey) are probably best known for their punky work in Swell Maps. In fact the noisy siblings were both BIG Free fans, and both were subscribers to the FAS from very early on. Nikki (later in Jacobites, and with a long solo career), continued to get the magazine up until his death from a heart attack in 2006. Tragic really, he was only 49.

In fact we owe Nikki something of a debt of gratitude as it was he, via his friend BBC DJ Annie Nightingale, that first came across the complete Free BBC session from April 1971 with all the outtakes. He sent me a DAT tape of it. Thus securing it's safety from BBC damage, loss or erasure in the future.

Anyway, Epic (Kevin) also continued to record after Swell Maps had disbanded and in 1995 released a CD called 'Debris', basically a compilation of tracks from other sessions recorded over the 1981-1994 period he'd never made available before. Among these was his solo version of the Fraser/Rodgers song 'Sunny Day', a favourite of his and recorded during the sessions for his 'Sleeping Star' album in January 1994 but not included. I don't think it's ever been available anywhere else, and curiously I can't find this on Youtube so I thought I'd put it here. The 'Debris' CD fetches quite a price these days it seems, often well over £100, so I'm pleased that Kevin sent a copy at the time!

I appreciate of course this won't be to everyone's taste, but the treatment here is very different to the original version by Free on 'Highway' - which is why I like it. This is musically stripped right back, and has a lovely wistful melancholic feel to it, but at the same time it's still very pretty (or I think it is). It's also rather poignant really. You might want to play it a few times before you make up your mind.

Kevin actually died before Adrian, the official cause 'inconclusive' but it appears he passed away in his sleep, way back in 1997. He was 38. Both were good friends of mine, Nikki wrote to me frequently over many years in his spidery writing from wherever he was in the world (in the end that was New York, where he died).  I miss them both, so it's nice to be able to include this little rarity here.

'Sunny Day' - Epic Soundtracks.

From the CD 'Debris' (1981-94 collection)

Back Street Crawler '2nd Street' - Album Of The Week - 45 Years On!

Okay, this is a bit left of field but thanks to Angus for sending me the link to this a few days ago. Sorry for the delay getting this up but I wanted to leave FAS #157 at the top of the blog for a few days.

Seems 'Classic Rock' magazine (on-line) have decided that Back Street Crawler's '2nd Street' is their album of the week, and have retrospectively reviewed it. I should perhaps point out it is now 45 years old!

Anyway, good enough for me, I always rated it highly. Some quite interesting comments, but take them all with a pinch of salt. It is after all only really your own opinion of the album that should matter to you. As for me personally, well this is one of my favourite records, by anyone, ever. The songs are great, the quality of the performances are excellent, the production is superb -  and while Kossoff was never fully committed to the album due to his own personal issues, his parts are generally well played and emotionally charged. I consider the record as a whole piece, not just something with Paul Kossoff on it. My opinion is that had he been in better shape, and fully engaged with this record, it would have been sensational. But that wasn't too be. All of course, just an opinion -  and you don't have to share it. Anyway, check out what 'Classic Rock' and others have to say here...

Back Street Crawler - Album Of The Week

If you don't have a copy of this you should try to find the Japanese release on HQCD (mini LP syle) from 2014 (shown here) as that is by far the best sounding version available, the remastering is excellent.

Free Appreciation Society Magazine - Issue #157

I'm just this minute back from the post office - which means...

Free Appreciation Society

Magazine Issue #157

May 2021 (Dated inside as March 2021)

The third of our ongoing FAS 'Highway' quadrilogy as we slowly (but not that slowly!) attempt to play 'catch-up' after printer lockdowns and work restrictions due to Covid 19. In this issue we take Free through November, December and to the end of a very busy year.  This includes final mixing of the new album, the release of 'Stealer' and then the 'Highway' album. We follow the band around Europe for six weeks, and review any shows that were recorded during that period. We also have a look at the Radio Huset broadcast from Sweden and the TV appearance on 'Hits A GoGo' that wasn't shown here in the UK.

There is a rundown of all the gigs, showing how the set-list altered, and how the band begin to incorporate the piano numbers into the performances for the first time.

56 pages of history, text and press, including interviews, adverts, recording session reel boxes, photographs, reviews... everything! A magazine full of updated and new information dealing with a specific period from the band's life and the most in depth look at the 'Highway' album EVER!

56 pages packed with FREE!

Mailed out today to all UK subscribers. Posted for overseas last week.

For a subscription email: fasarticle@aol.com

Otherwise you can buy this individual issue from the email address above. 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 - (UK £6.50)

UK price including postage from here directly is £5.80 for this issue.

A subscription for three issues (UK) is £14.85.

Kossoff - Band Plays On... Newly Announced Terry Slesser & John Buckton Gigs For 2021

FAS #156 (Page 44) 'addendum'

Quite a simple one this time, demonstrating the difference between the introductions on the Single and LP mixes of '(The) Stealer'.

First: Single Mix (with guitar 'lick') 

Second: LP Mix (without!)