2nd Chance: Sun Ra - When Spaceships Appear (1985)

Someone once commented on Ra's knack for finding the true voice of electric keyboards. You get a big dose of that here. Lots of people play synths like pianos and hope they sound like violins. Sun Ra, on the other hand, would reach into the guts of the thing and pull out the scornful beast lurking there. Followed, of course, by a loping piano blues.

via

359. [270] Sun Ra

Ra to the Rescue /
When Spaceships Appear

Sun Ra (p, syn, voc); unidentified (tp -1); Marshall Allen (as, fl, perc); John Gilmore (ts, timb, voc); prob. Danny Ray Thompson (bars, fl, perc); Hayes Burnett (b); Samarai Celestial [Eric Walker] (d); unidentified (perc); June Tyson (voc).

Squat Theatre, NYC, 1982

          Ra to the Rescue (Chapter 1) (Ra) [syn only]
          Ra to the Rescue (Chapter 2) (Ra) [ts, b only]
          Fate in a Pleasant Mood (Ra) [SR, ens voc]
         When Lights Are Dark (Ra)
          They Plan to Leave (Ra) [SR, ens voc] -1
          Back Alley Blues (Ra)

Saturn IX/1983-220, Ra to the Rescue, was issued in 1983 (mastered September 12, 1983, according to the Variety Recording Studio log).  Some pressings carry a Philadelphia Saturn label; others have a blank white label on a extraordinarily thick vinyl LP and were pressed in England by Recommended.  Location Michael Shore and Greg Drusdow.

Approximate date from Shore.  Personnel identified by rlc.  Muted trumpets can faintly be heard in the accompaniment to "They Plan to Leave."  Drusdow says this material came from a single six-hour concert, but Samarai Celestial believes that it may have been recorded at more than one Squat Theatre concert by Tommy Hunter.  Craig Haynes says that in 1981 and 1982, the Arkestra played well over 10 gigs a year at the Squat Theatre: "It was our home base.  When we weren't working, we were at the Squat."  In other words, precise dating will be difficult!

Several titles from this album were surreptitiously reissued on Saturn Sun Ra 101485, an album released in 1985 and variously known as When Spaceships Appear, Cosmo-Party Blues, and Children of the Sun.  "When Spaceships Appear" is really "Ra to the Rescue Chapter 1"; "Fragile Emotions Blues" is really "Back Alley Blues"; and "Space Shuttle" is really "Ra to the Rescue Chapter 2."  "Fate in a Pleasant Mood" and "They Plan to Leave" were reissued on this LP without a change in title.
from Campbell / Trent  The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

They Plan to Leave

Ra to the Rescue is a live set recorded at the Squat Theater in New York in 1982. It's quite well recorded, although some of the tracks are faded or edited somewhat abruptly. "Ra to the Rescue (Chapter 1)" is an insane solo synthesizer workout that has Ra in full sci-fi mode. He does things with a synthesizer that you never would have thought possible. For Chapter 2, it's Marshall Allen's turn, doing things you never thought possible with an alto saxophone. Then the album shifts gears into a very nice arrangement of "Fate in a Pleasant Mood" that leaves out the lyrics, but has nice "la-la-la" vocals and hand claps. The second side of the album heads in a blues direction. "When Lights Are Dark" is a very swinging basic blues, with just bass and drum accompaniment. "They Plan to Leave" starts with a bluesy piano intro, then June Tyson and John Gilmore singing. Ra switches to synth, then takes the vocal lead while Tyson and Gilmore continue in the background. "They Plan to put the White House on the moon, soon! and the Kremlin on a satellite!" This is another great Arkestra vocal track. "Back Alley Blues" closes the set with a fantastic gospel-blues stomper. Ra to the Rescue may be tough to find, but it's well-worth seeking out for fans.

AMG Review by Sean Westergaard

417. [310]  Sun Ra

          When Spaceships Appear

James Jacson (Inf-d).

Live, 1984 or 1985

Drummerlistics (Jacson)

418. [311]  Sun Ra (voc); Tyrone Hill (tb); Marshall Allen (as); John Gilmore (ts); Eloe Omoe (cacl); unidentified (b); unidentified (d); June Tyson (voc).

Live, 1984 or 1985

[Discipline 27-II/]
Children of the Sun (Ra)

419. [312]  Sun Ra (p.); unidentified (tp); Marshall Allen (as); John Gilmore (ts); unidentified (b); unidentified (d).

Live, 1984 or 1985

          Cosmo-Party Blues (Ra)

Saturn Sun Ra 101485 was released in 1985.  It has gone under the titles When Spaceships Appear, Children of the Sun, and Cosmo-Party Blues.  Jeffrey Little also reports the title Aura.  The provenance of these tracks is unusually obscure; they seem to be odds and ends from various concerts taped by Arkestra members.  The rest of the album consists of recycled material from Ra to the Rescue (see above).  Personnel identified by rlc.
from Campbell / Trent  The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed. 

MANY Thanks once again to Vinylust for offering a FLAC rip of his treasured LP.

(green covers pictured)

When Spaceships Appear

1. When Spaceships Appear (Ra to the Rescue Chapter 1)   5:44
2. Fragile Emotions Blues (Back Alley Blues)   3:58
3. Drummerlistics   2:53
4. Children of the Sun   5:01
5. Cosmo-Party Blues   4:53
6. Space Shuttle (Ra to the Rescue chapter 2)   4:59
7. Fate in a Pleasant Mood   9:22
8. They Plan to Leave   5:53

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or

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You can find Ra to the Rescue here

Hanging out with the man from Saturn

I stumbled across this great blog entry; some great pics and the story gets better after the jump.

Hanging out with the man from Saturn

Several people have asked me to tell the story of my encounters with Sun Ra.

Over a span of about six or seven years, I caught Sun Ra and his Arkestra in Boston at least eleven times. While that’s not a lot by Deadhead standards, it’s probably more than I’ve seen any other musician live, with the exception of the great khyal singer Bhimsen Joshi.

To an alienated, jazz-obsessed teenager in Boston’s western suburbs, the knowledge that there was a bandleading madman who claimed to be from outer space was incredibly welcome. My high school library maintained subscriptions to a wide variety of periodicals — the usual suspects (Time, Newsweek, Life), some slightly more unconventional choices (The New Yorker, Ms.), and a few that were pretty bizarre. Of these last, there were three that made a huge impression on me: The Village Voice (where I first read about conceptual art, Nam June Paik and Charlotte Moorman), Source: Music of the Avant-Garde (where I first heard of Cornelius Cardew, Christo, Steve Reich and Alvin Lucier), and Downbeat (where I kept up to date on all the latest jazz happenings, and where I first learned of the existence of Sun Ra).

It was during my junior year in high school that I found out Sun Ra and the Arkestra would be performing for a solid week of gigs at Paul’s Mall in downtown Boston. Of course I was completely ineligible to go and spend hours in a jazz bar; I was fifteen. But I went anyway, and got to the club at least an hour before showtime. I was the first audience member to arrive, and somehow managed to talk my way through the bouncer. I’d brought my camera, a noisy Miranda SLR loaded with Tri-X black & white film which I “pushed” to ASA 1600 (wow! archaic darkroom talk!).

The first night I took pictures; two or three rolls’ worth. The following day I developed them at school (and went into Boston to hear the Arkestra again), and the day after that I printed them and took a sheaf of prints into Paul’s Mall, where I showed them to the musicians. Sun Ra was pleased, and autographed one of the photographs with a ball-point pen: “Space Age Greetings from Sun Ra,” with the date. Alas, the ink has faded on the photograph and can no longer be read.

The band was promoting their releases on Impulse!, particularly “Space is the Place.” There was quite a bit of that material presented at Paul’s Mall. Some elements were the same from night to night; they always played “Shadow World,” and there was always some sort of extended synthesizer solo from Sun Ra. And there was a lot of great soloing. Having the entire band crowded onto the tiny stage at Paul’s Mall was a triumph of space management.

After that? Not much Sun Ra for a few years, although I continued to buy records and had quite a good collection by the time I moved into Somerville to share an apartment with two friends in 1977. Which was the year that Sun Ra’s Arkestra played the Cyclorama, a huge circular hall in Boston’s South End that was a superb venue for their brand of outer-space theater.

I persuaded about four or five of my hippie friends to come, and we bought tickets for the second of two sets. Which was the right thing to do: the first set lasted two hours. The second set lasted four, and concluded in the wee hours of the morning with a massive drumming session that featured a number of dancers and a fire-eater who blew huge spheres of flame into the air while the band roared and pounded. One of my roommates had ingested a powerful psychoactive substance which was at the peak of its influence at this point; I turned to look at him and was rewarded by a facial expression: mouth gaping in amazement, eyes wide open with pupils the size of quarters.

I didn’t meet Sun Ra that time. We went home, completely blown away.

Ahhh, but the next time Sun Ra came to town, I was ready.

(Continue reading at Warren Senders' blog)

2nd Chance: Sun Ra - Cosmo Sun Connection (1985)

Recorded in concert in the U.S. in 1984 (no other details given), this rather odd entry in the Sun Ra discography came about when the musician, unable to deliver pressings of Saturn Records albums that the Recommended label had already paid for, instead gave the company a master tape. Nothing could be said to be a typical Sun Ra show, yet this does cover the range you could probably expect to hear had you attended one of his big-band gigs at the time. "Fate in a Pleasant Mood" is a joy, a jovial, hummable, swinging number with playful synthesizer swoops and faint vocal scats. Nothing else on the disc is nearly as accessible, as the synthesizer soon takes over proceedings with a Frankensteinian vengeance; the title track, in fact, is something that Hollywood horror film producers would probably reject as too creepy. Don't wait expectantly for the out-there synth jams to end and the band to return to more ingratiating tunes; the CD is only 31 minutes long.

AMG Review by Richie Unterberger

Saturn/Recommended SRRRD 1, Cosmo-Sun Connection, was released in 1985.  The LP was issued by the British label Recommended via an agreement with Saturn (after Recommended had paid in advance for Saturn pressings that did not materialize, the master tape was offered in compensation).  Marshall Allen told Marcel-Franck Simon in June 1985 that the LP was made "sometime last year."  Personnel identified by rlc; the lineup doesn't match any of the Arkestra's European tours from 1984, which argues for an American concert.

420. [313] Sun Ra and the Arkestra

Sun Ra (p, syn, org); Tyrone Hill (tb); Marshall Allen (as, fl); John Gilmore (ts, timb); Eloe Omoe (as, bcl); Danny Ray Thompson (bars, fl); poss. Rollo Radford (standup eb); unidentified (d); poss. Atakatune (cga). 

Live in the USA, 1984

Cosmo-Sun Connection was released in 1997 on CD as RER SR1.  The personnel list on that reissue (the same as we have listed here, except that "bs" for Danny Thompson was mistakenly interpreted as "bass"; we guess that's a reason to use "bars" instead!) was taken from the first edition of this discography.

from Campbell / Trent   The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

Cosmo Sun Connection (1985)
ReR SR1 [CD] (1997)
 
Fate in a Pleasant Mood   12:09
Cosmo Journey Blues   6:14
Cosmo Sun Connection   3:46
Cosmonaut Astronaut Rendezvous   3:30
As Space Ships Approach   2:36
Pharaoh's Den   2:59

-FLAC-

RS
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or

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"Back in the late 70s and early 80s, Recommended imported a great number of Saturn Records to Europe. The Arkestra would press them up to order and then I'd collect when I was in New York. We always paid in advance to cover their pressing costs. Then came an occasion when there was nothing to collect; the Arkestra had urgently needed money and ours had been there - so they had spent it. I could hardly be angry - keeping the Arkestra afloat was a miracle at the best of times - but Recommended was also poor and such a loss was not really sustainable for us. In the spirit of generous compromise, Sun Ra gave us, in lieu of the unpressed LPs, the Cosmo Sun Connection mastertape, which we released in a small edition in 1985. This is the first time that this legendary recording has been widely available."

2nd Chance: Sun Ra - Sound Mirror (1978)

 

This Saturn rarity features a side long Sun Ra declamation spoken over The Mayan Temples. Not to be missed! Thanks again to our friend, Paul W. for his lossless LP rip.

Saturn LP 19782, Sound Mirror, was released in 1978.  Some copies are titled Live in Philadelphia '78. The title track takes up all of Side A.  Personnel from Tilman Stahl with corrections by rlc.  "The Sound Mirror" is a recitation accompanied by the theme known as "The Mayan Temples."  The brand name of Sonny Blount's first wire recorder, which he purchased in the mid-1930's, was Sound Mirror.  "Jazzisticology" and "Of Other Tomorrows," from one or more live concerts in Italy, were part of the same sessions that produced Media Dream (also released under the title Saturn Research).  The exact locations of the concerts are not known. 

From The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra 2nd ed.

Sun Ra on SNL performing a medley that includes The Sound Mirror

Sound Mirror
(Live in Philadelphia '78)
Saturn 19782

Side A:
The Sound Mirror (The Mayan Temples) (Ra)

Sun Ra (recitation); Marshall Allen (fl); John Gilmore (perc); Danny Ray Thompson (bars); Ben Henderson [Jaribu Shahid] (b); Luqman Ali (d); James Jacson (Inf-d).

prob Variety Recording Studio, NYC, 1978

 

Side B:
Jazzisticology (Ra)
Of Other Tomorrows Never Known (Ra)

Sun Ra (Crumar Mainman, keyb, org, p); Michael Ray (tp); John Gilmore (ts, timb); Luqman Ali (d). Live in Italy, January 1978

Sound Mirror (Live in Philadelphia '78)

1. The sound mirror - The Mayan temples (14:09)

2. Jazzisticology (4:09)

3. Of other tomorrows never known (8:00)

-FLAC-
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or


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via
Sun Ra Arkive

El Saturn Bank

 

via

Include Me Out

2nd Chance: Sun Ra - Holiday for Soul Dance (rec. 1960, rel. 1970)

This collection is somewhat of an oddity in that there are no original compositions from Sun Ra. That said, cornet player Phil Cohran contributes "Dorothy's Dance." As the album initially surfaced in the early '70s, many presumed the recordings reflected Ra's concurrent combo and sound, which couldn't have been further from the truth. Scholars have since placed 1960 or 1961 as a closer estimation of when these sides were documented, using the rare inclusion of Ricky Murry (vocals) as sonic evidence, coupled with the fact that the effort was cut prior to the band's relocation to New York City from Chicago at the beginning of the decade. The primary (and most notable) Arkestra centered on Ra, Marshall Allen (alto sax), John Gilmore (tenor sax), Phil Cohran (cornet), Ronnie Boykins (bass), and Jon Hardy (drums). The bounty of pop standards and memorable melodies showcase Ra's spectacularly intricate and often underappreciated arrangements. The spry take of George Gershwin's "But Not for Me" is rephrased to spotlight the soloists' remarkable improvisational skills behind tight support from the compact and swinging rhythm section. Boykins and Hardy's brooding introduction to "Day by Day" immediately suggests the uneasy and inquisitive score that has been completely overhauled to express Ra's newly adopted sense of the avant-garde as well as his free jazz leanings. Seemingly disparate tunes and time signatures fuse into a free-wheeling affair that contains all the flair of Sun Ra with much of the same romantic charm of more familiar readings, such as Jo Stafford's (vocals) hit version. "Holiday for Strings" can also be recommended because of the highly stylized rendering. Rather than the mile-a-minute staccato "plinking" that often identifies the piece, Ra gives it a cool post-bop workout that discerns it for those otherwise unfamiliar with the song. "Early Autumn" is interesting from the perspective of the dearth of singers that Ra accompanied. Murry's robust voice proves a bit overwhelming, as if he might break into an operatic vocalization at any moment. Arguably the most memorable selection on Holiday for Soul Dance is the gorgeous take of "I Loves You, Porgy," incorporating a languid swing that gently drives the backbeat, ably supporting the scintillating adaptation.

AMG Review by Lindsay Planer

Dorothy's Dance (Cohran)

72. [61]  Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra

Fate in a Pleasant Mood /
Holiday for Soul Dance /
Angels and Demons at Play /
We Travel the Spaceways /
Rocket Number Nine Take Off for the Planet Venus
(Interstellar Low Ways) /
The Singles

Sun Ra (bells, perc, p -2); Phil Cohran (cnt -4), perc, voc); Nate Pryor (tb, bells -5); John Gilmore (ts -6; perc, voc); Marshall Allen (as -8, fl -9, bells, voc); Ronnie Boykins (b, voc); John Hardy (d, perc, gong).

RCA Studios, Chicago,
around June 17, 1960

But Not for Me (Gershwin) -2, 4, 6, 8
Day by Day (Cahn-Stordahl-Weston) -2, 4, 5, 6, 8
Holiday for Strings (Rose-Gallo) -2, 5
Dorothy's Dance (Cohran) -2, 4, 6, 8
I Loves You Porgy
(Gershwin-Gershwin-Heyward) -2, 4, 6, 9
Body and Soul (Green-Heyman-Sour-Eyton) -2, 6
Keep Your Sunny Side Up (DeSylva-Brown) -2, 4, 6, 8

(Plus MANY MORE not included on Holiday for Soul Dance)

According to Phil Cohran, this session was an all-day marathon at which 30 to 40 tunes were recorded.  All tracks were identified by Cohran as coming from this session or have a similar ambiance to those he identified.  Cohran places this session at Hall Recording Co. (but see below).  Cohran has said that he copyrighted "Dorothy's Dance" "within a week" after the session; "Dorothy's Dance" was registered on June 24, 1960.  Sun Ra followed Cohran to the Library of Congress with a suite (consisting of "Space Loneliness," "Fate in a Pleasant Mood," "Lights on a Satellite," and "State Street") on July 8, and "The Blue Set" on July 21 (James Wolf).

Alton Abraham says that the studio at Hall Recording Co. was too small for the Arkestra and that he normally used it for mastering only.  This was the smallest Arkestra to make a studio recording during the Chicago period; however, Abraham's suggestion that the session was done at RCA Studios does seem more plausible.  The actual recording order is unknown, except that "Velvet" was the last track of the day.  Personnel courtesy of Phil Cohran; the drummer, Jon Hardy, was not mentioned on any of the Saturn record jackets, though his name appears in the 1967 catalog in connection with We Travel the Spaceways.

Further confirmation of the common origin of many of these tracks is provided by a Saturn test pressing found in a Montréal record store by François Lamarche.  The test pressing was made at Sheldon Recording Studios (aka the Chess studios in Chicago) and titled simply, Music of the Future by Sun Ra Arkestra.  Side A contained "Space Mates," "But Not for Me," and "The Others in There [sic] World."  Side B had "Lights on the [sic] Satellite," "Day by Day," "Ankhnaton," and "Holiday for Strings."  The pressing contains Alton Abraham's old address at 4115 South Drexel -- and gives a Montréal address and phone number for Sun Ra.  It was therefore cut in the summer or early fall of 1961.  However, Saturn did not actually issue any LPs from this session until 1965, and when they began to appear, the tracks had been redistributed.

At least 22 tracks from this date were issued, on two Saturn singles and five different LPs.
Saturn ESR 508, Holiday for Soul Dance, was released in 1970, credited to "Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra."  The album was reissued on Evidence 22011 [CD] in 1992.

[the above entry in Campbell/Trent's The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed. has been truncated to include only info pertinent to Holiday for Soul Dance - yotte]




74. [63]  Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra

Holiday for Soul Dance

Sun Ra (p.); Marshall Allen (as, fl); John Gilmore (ts); Ronnie Boykins (b); Jon Hardy (d); Ricky Murray (voc).

Wonder Inn, Chicago,
around July 30, 1960

Early Autumn (Herman-Mercer-Burns)

Ricky Murray does not remember the June studio session and suggests that this track was made at the Wonder Inn (at 75th and Cottage Grove).  A brief item in the Chicago Defender mentions "a special added attraction" at the Wonder Inn for July 30, 1960:  Sun Ra and his "recording band."

This track was initially released in 1970 on Saturn ESR 508, Holiday for Soul Dance, and reissued in 1992 on Evidence 2201 [CD].  Though Murray is listed as the vocalist, the personnel listing on the Saturn jacket is otherwise completely wrong, giving a 14-piece ensemble from around 1969!

from Campbell/Trent  The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

Sun Ra and his Astro Infinity Arkestra
Holiday for Soul Dance

(Saturn reissue LP rip)

1. But Not For Me (Gershwin)   4:09
2. Day By Day (Cahn-Sordahl-Weston)   3:39
3. Holiday For Strings (Rose-Gallo)   4:08
4. Dorothy's Dance (Cohran)   3:14

5. Early Autumn (Vocal by R. Murray) (Herman-Mercer-Burns)   4:51
6. I Loves You Porgy (Gershwin-Gershwin-Heyward)   3:34
7. Body And Soul (Green-Heyman-Sour-Eyton)   5:58
8. Keep Your Sunny Side Up (DeSylva-Brown)   2:12

LP
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Or for those who prefer a CD rip...

Holiday for Soul Dance
(Evidence CD rip)

1. But Not For Me   4:11
2. Day By Day   3:40
3. Holiday For Strings   4:09
4. Dorothy's Dance   3:19
5. Early Autumn   4:53
6. I Loves You, Porgy   3:35
7. Body And Soul   6:00
8. Keep Your Sunny Side Up   2:12


CD
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I-) found these scans of an original LP online somewhere.  If you look closely, you'll see that the back cover seems to be decorated with black cut-outs glued to the jacket.  I wonder if it may be the original from which the Saturn Reissue LP cover was made.  Thanks for sharing, I-) !

2nd Chance: Sun Ra w/Symphony Orchestra - Pleiades (1993)

In October 1990, Sun Ra and the Arkestra traveled to France to perform a concert with an orchestral accompaniment.

 The October trip was a short one -- just the Orléans and London concerts.  According to Ahmed Abdullah and Jothan Callins, the Arkestra completed no fewer than seven trips to Europe in 1990 (March, April, May, June, July, August, and October).

From The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra 2nd ed.

In John Szwed's Sun Ra biography, "Space Is The Place," he describes the events leading up to the Orléans concert:

The Théâtre-Carré Saint-Vincent event in Orléans, France, was billed as a "Jazz Symphonique" concert, and Sun Ra had nineteen classical musicians made available to him to add to the sixteen musicians he was bringing, which already included two violins and a cello.  He threw himself into the project and brought a computer to help him produce the instruments' parts.  But once they reached Paris, Sun Ra confided to Jothan Callins that he didn't have the arrangements ready for the larger ensemble.  And though he didn't ask for help, he seemed distraught, his hands shaking.  So for the next fifty hours Callins worked with Sun Ra on the parts, transcribing and Xeroxing day and night, even adding his own composition, "Alabama," to the list, and then when the night of the performance came, Callins conducted the Arkestra for Sonny.  "When I finished he thanked me for it.  It was the first time I'd ever heard him thank anyone for anything."

Planet Earth Day

About two years before, Sun Ra had bought June Tyson a violin, and she had been teaching herself to play and slowly working herself into performances.  But when she seated herself in the violin section for a rehearsal in Paris, it was obvious to the classical players that she was not a trained musician.  When she began to read another violinist's music, he pulled the music stand away from her, saying it was "his music."  After another violinist did the same thing, she went out and bought a huge pile of music -- standards, transcriptions of Thelonious Monk tunes, some Miles Davis -- and when she returned at the next rehearsal she piled all of it in front of her on a music stand and announced to the string players that this was "her music."

For this performance and the upcoming Hackney Empire engagement in London Sun Ra also added Talvin Singh on tablas.  When Singh went to meet Sun Ra where he was staying (at a private residence outside Paris) to discuss his part, the house was filled with burning frankincense and myrrh.  Asked about rehearsing with the group, Sun Ra told him there was no need for it, just sit close to him and watch.  "He never told me what to play; just actions, hand signals, orchestrating the whole vibe with his aura.  The energy was amazing.  I knew exactly what to play:  I couldn't jam all over the music, and I had thought it was going to be like that."

Szwed, Space Is The Place, pp. 371-372

Leo LR-210/211, Pleiades, was released in 1993 on CD.  The poster for this "Jazz Symphonique" concert is reproduced on the tray copy for this CD, but the liners incorrectly give Paris as the location.  Other information from the liner notes.  According to John Szwed, Jothan Callins conducted the chamber orchestra and wrote the arrangements for seven of the pieces (not "Blue Lou" or "Prelude N. 7").  "Planet Earth Day" was used by Sun Ra as another title for "Mythic 1."  Leo mislabeled the track, which was usually titled "Carefree" or "Egyptian Fantasy."  According to Urs Berger, the unissued track can be heard on a cassette tape of this concert circulated by Danny Ray Thompson.  

From The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra 2nd ed.

(Does anyone have a copy of the above mentioned Danny Ray Thompson cassette to share?!!)

692. [452] Sun Ra and his Arkestra with Symphony Orchestra

Pleiades

Le Sony'r Ra [Sun Ra] (p, syn, voc); Michael Ray (tp, voc); Jothan Callins (tp, cond. arr); Tyrone Hill (tb); Marshall Allen (as, fl, ob, picc); John Gilmore (ts, cl, timb, voc); Noël Scottt (as, cacl); Charles Davis (bars); James Jacson (ob, bsn, Inf-d); India Cooke (vln); Stephen "Kash" Killion (clo); John Ore (b); Clifford Barbaro (d); Eric C. "Buster" Smith (d); Elson Dos Santos Nascimento (surdo grande, perc); Talvin Singh (tabla, voc); June Tyson (voc, vln).  The Symphony Orchestra (players  unidentified); 3 vln; 1 b; 3 fl; 2 as; 1 ts; 1 Eng hn; 1 bsn; 3 tp; 1 tb; 1 Fr hn; 1 tymp; 1 perc.

Théâtre-Carré Saint-Vincent, Orléans, France, October 27, 1990

Pleiades disc 1

1. Pleiades    15:47 

2. Mythic 1    16:35 

3. Friendly Galaxy    17:44 

Pleiades disc 2

1. Sun Procession    13:03 

2. Lights on a Satellite    6:27 

3. Love in Outer Space    6:55 

4. Planet Earth Day    10:00 

5. Mythic 2    7:55 

6. Blue Lou    5:30 

7. Prelude in A Major Op. 28, N. 7    7:50

-FLAC-

RS1 + RS2 linked files

HF1 + HF2 linked files

or

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2nd Chance: Sun Ra - Hidden Fire 1 & 2 (1988)

The two Hidden Fire albums are the last new Saturn releases (some items from the 70s and 80s were re-pressed by Blast First and were sold at concerts till 1992). These two LPs are extremely confusing. They were initially issued without labels. Labeled copies sometimes have the wrong volume numbers. Labels do not give track titles, either. 

557. [374]  Sun Ra

Hidden Fire 1/2

Sun Ra (syn, org, voc); Michael Ray (tp); Ahmed Abdullah (tp); Tyrone Hill (tb); Marshall Allen (as); John Gilmore (ts, timb); Danny Ray Thompson (bars); Kenny Williams (bars); Eloe Omoe (as, bcl, cacl); James Jacson (bsn, Inf-d); Billy Bang (vln); Owen Brown Jr. (vln); June Tyson (vln, voc); Art Jenkins (voc, space voice); John Ore (b); poss. Luqman Ali (d); Buster Smith (d); poss. Pharaoh Abdullah [Thomas Thaddeus] (perc).

The Knitting Factory, NYC,
January 29, 1988

unidentified improvisation     Saturn Sun Ra 12988II
unidentified blues
unidentified title [AJ voc]     Saturn Sun Ra 12988B
unidentified title AJ voc]

Saturn Sun Ra 13188III/12988II, Hidden Fire 1, was released on LP in 1988, as was Saturn Sun Ra 13088A/12988B, Hidden Fire 2.  Location from Greg Drusdow; personnel rlc and Drusdow.  Some copies are labeled Hidden Fire 3/4, but this is identical to Hidden Fire 1; Side A or "volume 3" has the matrix number 13188III, and Side B or "volume 4" has the matrix number 12988II (thanks to Bob Rusch for this information).

unidentified blues

558. [375]  Sun Ra

Hidden Fire 2/
A Night in East Berlin -- My Brothers the Wind and Sun #9

same personnel

The Knitting Factory, NYC,
January 30, 1988

My Brothers the Wind and Sun #9 [AJ voc]     Saturn Sun Ra 13088A, Leo LR-149 [CD]

Saturn 13088A/12988B, Hidden Fire 2, was released in 1988.  Location and personnel as above.  There were no track titles on the Hidden Fire LPs.  ct believes that this piece opened one of the band's sets at the Knitting Factory that night.

This same track (which took up one side of Hidden Fire 2) resurfaced on a tape sold to Leo Records; there the title was given as "My Brothers the Wind and Sun #9," and the provenance was incorrectly given as a concert in Europe in 1990.  Leo reissued this track in May 1995 as part of the reorganized CD LR 149, A Night in East Berlin.

559. [376]  Sun Ra and his Cosmo/Love Arts Space Arkestra

Hidden Fire 1

Sun Ra (syn, org, voc); Michael Ray (tp, voc); Ahmed Abdullah (tp, voc); Tyrone Hill (tb, voc); Marshall Allen (as, ob, fl, perc); John Gilmore (ts, timb); Eloe Omoe (as, bcl); Kenny Williams (bars); James Jacson (bsn, Inf-d); Bruce Edwards (eg); Owen Brown Jr. (vln); unidentified (vln); John Ore (b); Buster Smith (d); poss. Luqman Ali (d); Art Jenkins (voc, space voice); June Tyson (voc).

The Knitting Factory, NYC,
January 31, 1988

Lecture (Ra)     audience tape

unidentified title (Ra) [syn riff and ens; van solos and duet; AJ voc; freak out ens; ob, syn, bcl, bowed b, AJ voc; syn, ens riffs; sax theme statement; Ray, tp; sax theme; falsetto ts; syn, AJ voc]

Retrospect (Ra) /
This World is Not My Home (Ra) [SR voc]     Saturn Sun Ra 13188III
Easy to Love (Porter)     audience tape
Days of Wine and Roses (Mancini)
Chloe (Moret-Kahn)
Sunset on the Nile (Ra) [SR, ens voc]
Face the Music (Ra) /
Do Not Stand in My Way (Ra) [SR declamation, ens voc]

The entire afternoon lecture (35 min.) and concert (85 min.) are preserved on an audience tape, according to Charles Blass.  The long piece that opens the musical portion is otherwise unknown from Ra recordings; it may be "The Cosmic Coordinator," a composition of legendary difficulty that John Gilmore referred to in interviews.

Saturn 13188III/12988II, Hidden Fire 1 (or Hidden Fire 3/4) was released in 1988.  Titles ct and rlc; personnel Blass and ct.  The violin solo on "Days of Wine and Roses" sounds like Billy Bang, but Blass (who was at the concert) is positive that Bang was not present.

The two Hidden Fires are the last new Saturn releases (some items from the '70s and '80s were repressed by Blast First in 1989 and were sold at concerts without labels.  Labeled copies sometimes have the wrong volume numbers, and the labels do not give track titles.  Copies were sold by the band's roadies under misleading titles as well.

from Campbell/Trent  The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

Hidden Fire 1

1. Track No. 01 - Retrospect - This World Is Not My Home    14:58 

2. Track No. 02 - Untitled Improvisation    9:29 

3. Track No. 03 - Untitled Blues    7:46

Hidden Fire 2

4. Track No. 01 - unknown title    18:11 

5. Track No. 02 - unknown title    9:42 

6. Track No. 03 - unknown title    14:01

-FLAC-
RS1 + RS2 (linked files)
HF1 + HF2 (linked files)

or

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RS

HF

LP Rip & Scans courtesy of Paul W.

Inspired by Sun Ra: 'To Sun Ra' a poem by Mark Kerstetter

To Sun Ra

You were born Herman,
as in “Herman Munster”
but they called you Sonny.
You called yourself Sun.
The stars fell on a bipolar Alabama
and you learned to read them
across the black and white keys.
Some of the greatest musicians, you said, pass
into oblivion.
Traveling you would stop to enjoy
a small town marching band.
The story I love most is how
you’d play any radio station.
What kind of music inspires you? they asked.
All of it, you answered.
No, really.
Everything, you repeated.
You meant it,
and you were the only one.
I wish I could hear with your ears,
see with your eyes.

Please stop by and tell Mark what his poem means to you.
via The Mockingbird Sings

2nd Chance: Sun Ra - Outer Reach Intensity-Energy (Stars That Shine Darkly Vol. 2)

Third of the list of hybrid versions of Stars That Shine Darkly, Outer Reach Intensity-Energy is a mysterious and remarkable album.  Side A contains Ra compositions unheard (or at least rarely heard) elsewhere, from live performances of the late 1970s and early 1980s; Side B is comprised of the amazing Sun Ra All-Stars performance "Stars That Shine Darkly vol. 2" of late 1983. 

415. [309]  Sun Ra

Stars That Shine Darkly Volume 2

Sun Ra (org); Ahmed Abdullah (tp -1); Michael Ray (tp); unidentified (tp); Marshall Allen (as); poss. Danny Davis (as); John Gilmore (ts); Eloe Omoe (as, bcl, cacl); James Jacson (bsn, Inf-d); Danny Ray Thompson (libf -2; bars); unidentified (d); unidentified (d).

Live performances, 1976-1984

          Outer Reach Intensity-Energy (Ra)
          Cosmos Rendezvous (Ra) -1
          Barbizon (Ra)
          The Double That… (Ra)
          The Ever Is… (Ra) -2

Saturn Gemini 9-1213-85, titled Stars That Shine Darkly Volume 2 or Outer Reach Intensity-Energy, was released in 1985 (mastered on September 13, 1985, according to the Variety Recording Studio log).  The tracks on Side A appear to have been recorded at several live performances in 1984.  The lineup does not correspond with any of the European tours, and in the United States, Ahmed Abdullah would have played only in the New York area.  It is not clear when Michael Ray would have worked with the Arkestra either (John Gilmore stated in an interview on October 13, 1984, that Ray had not worked with the Arkestra since early 1983; see Sun Ra Research #7).  Personnel identified by rlc with help from ct.

Chris Trent now suggests that these tracks were cut at various concerts in the late 1970s.  If "Outer Reach" includes Danny Davis on alto sax, as ct suggests, that would argue strongly in favor of 1978 or earlier.  the material with Abdullah could also come from 1975-1978.  Further research needed …

Cosmic Rendezvous

400. [297]  Sun Ra All Stars

Stars that Shine Darkly /
Stars that Shine Darkly Volume 2

Sun Ra (p, syn, voc); Don Cherry (pocket tp); Lester Bowie (tp); Marshall Allen (as, EVI, fl, ob); John Gilmore (ts, voc); Eloe Omoe (cacl); Archie Shepp (ss); Richard Davis (b); Clifford Jarvis (d); Philly Joe Jones (d); Famoudou Don Moye (d, Sun Percussion).

Montreux, Switzerland
between November 2 and 5, 1883

          Stars That Shine Darkly…
          (Ra) (part 1)
          Stars That Shine Darkly…
          (Ra) (part 2)

"Stars that Shine Darkly part 1" was first released in 1985 on Side A of the Saturn LP 10-11-85, Stars That Shine Darkly Volume 1.  This album has also been titled Hiroshima.  "Stars that Shine Darkly parrot 2" was first released in 1985 on Side B of the Saturn Gemini LP 9-1213-85, Stars that Shine Darkly Volume 2, also titled Outer Reach Intensity-Energy.  Mark Webber points out that there is also a hybrid Stars That Shine Darkly album with part 1 on Side A and part 2 on Side B.  Date and location from Ted Panken on a WKCR-FM broadcast.  Presence of Omoe noted by ct; Danny Ray Thompson confirms that Ra "augmented" the All-Stars on a couple of occasions.

from Campbell / Trent  The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

 Outer Reach Intensity-Energy (Stars That Shine Darkly Vol. 2)

1. Outer Reach Intensity-Energy   4:07
2. Cosmos Rendezvous   4:31
3. Barbizon   4:01
4. The Double That...   5:02
5. The Ever Is...   4:05

6. Stars That Shine Darkly   23:27


Many thanks to Zyxirion for sharing his FLAC rip with us.

-FLAC-
RS
HF

or

-320-
RS
HF




And Otherness:

Hiroshima (Stars That Shine Darkly)

&

Stars That Shine Darkly (hybrid)

2nd Chance: Sun Ra - Stars That Shine Darkly (1985)

In 1983 Ra came to Europe with a pretty impressive ensemble - from the Arkestra he brought Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, Richard Davis and Clifford Jarvis, then adding all-star guests Lester Bowie, Archie Shepp, Don Moye and Philly Joe Jones. The sound is generally good and there is a lot of variety in the material across the shows. More importantly, these concerts are different in character and style from regular Arkestra performances - in a very interesting way. It's a smallish ensemble and every detail counts, the two extra drummers Philly Joe Jones and Don Moye drive a lot of the material in their own way, and this very classy ensemble mutates to the accommodation of different languages with great success. The Arkestra alumni also flourish in this changed environment.
from an rermegacorp blurb

This ensemble was first heard on record on Sun Ra's LP Hiroshima (also released under the title Stars That Shine Darkly volume 1).  Two hybrid versions were also released shortly after. Stars That Shine Darkly is a hybrid featuring the two compositions featuring this same title.  Outer Reach Intensity-Energy is the 2nd hybrid release which includes Stars that Shine Darkly volume 2 as Side B and a collection of live material recorded during the 1970's and early 1980s making up Side A. 

Many thanks to Paul W for sharing his rip of this rare hybrid.

400. [297] Sun Ra All Stars

Stars that Shine Darkly /
Stars that Shine Darkly Volume 2

Sun Ra (p, syn, voc); Don Cherry (pocket tp); Eloe Omoe (cacl); Lester Bowie (tp); Marshall Allen (as, fl, ob, EVI); John Gilmore (ts, voc); Archie Shepp (ss); Richard Davis (b); Clifford Jarvis (d); Philly Joe Jones (d); Famoudou Don Moye (d, Sun Percussion).

Montreux, Switzerland,
between November 2 and 5, 1983

"Stars that Shine Darkly part 1" was first released in 1985 on Side A of the Saturn LP 10-11-85, Stars That Shine Darkly Volume 1.  This album has also been titled Hiroshima.  "Stars that Shine Darkly part 2" was first released in 1985 on Side B of the Saturn Gemini LP 9-1213-85, Stars that Shine Darkly Volume 2, also titled Outer Reach Intensity-Energy.  Mark Webber points out that there is also a hybrid Stars That Shine Darkly album with part 1 on Side A and part 2 on Side B.  Date and location from Ted Panken on a WKCR-FM broadcast.  Presence of Omoe noted by ct; Danny Ray Thompson confirms that Ra "augmented" the All-Stars on a couple of occasions.
from Campbell / Trent  The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

Stars that Shine Darkly volume 2

Sun Ra All Stars

Stars That Shine Darkly

(hybrid)

1. Stars that Shine Darkly   14:23
2. Stars that Shine Darkly volume 2   23:05

-FLAC-

RS

HF

or

-320-

RS

HF

Radioactivity and the Outskirts of the Universe

 

WKCR Sun Ra Festival Poster 1987

Philadelphia 1984

This is likely the Halloween show.  Via Sugarmegs.  Thanks to Ritzbird for the heads up!

Many THANKS to Marc E.  If anyone would like to share any recordings from these performances, I would love to hear them.

2nd Chance: Sun Ra - Hiroshima (1985)

Performed almost solo by Sun Ra (save the occasional selected percussion effects and bird calls) on an Atlanta theatre pipe organ, the haunting title track is every bit as dark, reflective and epic a lament as its title suggests. While Hiroshima very much feels like a standalone piece, Stars That Shine Darkly is equally fascinating, but for very different reasons. Recorded live in Montreux in November 1983 and featuring the Sun Ra All Stars who, besides Arkestra mainstays John Gilmore and Marshall Allen, also include the interstellar talents of Archie Shepp, Don Cherry and Lester Bowie, Stars That Shine Darkly catches the ensemble in heavyweight improvisatory mood.

Part revelatory listening experience, part hair-raising journey to the outer limits of the known jazz universe, the album feels much longer than its 29- minute playing time, thanks to the sheer diversity and scope of the ideas so dazzlingly compressed into its two wildly contrasting tracks.
reviewed by Grahame Bent

Hiroshima (Sun Ra)

400. [297] Sun Ra All Stars

Stars that Shine Darkly /
Stars that Shine Darkly Volume 2

Sun Ra (p, syn, voc); Don Cherry (pocket tp); Eloe Omoe (cacl); Lester Bowie (tp); Marshall Allen (as, fl, ob, EVI); John Gilmore (ts, voc); Archie Shepp (ss); Richard Davis (b); Clifford Jarvis (d); Philly Joe Jones (d); Famoudou Don Moye (d, Sun Percussion).

Montreux, Switzerland,
between November 2 and 5, 1983

"Stars that Shine Darkly part 1" was first released in 1985 on Side A of the Saturn LP 10-11-85, Stars That Shine Darkly Volume 1.  This album has also been titled Hiroshima.  "Stars that Shine Darkly part 2" was first released in 1985 on Side B of the Saturn Gemini LP 9-1213-85, Stars that Shine Darkly Volume 2, also titled Outer Reach Intensity-Energy.  Mark Webber points out that there is also a hybrid Stars That Shine Darkly album with part 1 on Side A and part 2 on Side B.  Date and location from Ted Panken on a WKCR-FM broadcast.  Presence of Omoe noted by ct; Danny Ray Thompson confirms that Ra "augmented" the All-Stars on a couple of occasions.

Stars that Shine Darkly (Sun Ra All-Stars)

416. [298]  Sun Ra

Stars That Shine Darkly

Sum Ra (pipe org).

Atlanta, GA, 1984 or 1985

Hiroshima (Ra)
unidentified titles (unissued)

Saturn 10-11-85, Stars That Shine Darkly, was released in 1985.  It is sometimes titled Hiroshima.  "Hiroshima" appeared on Side B.  In the first edition of this discography [Earthly Recordings vol. 1], this piece was said to have been recorded on the same European tour as the All Stars material.  However, in a conversation with Peter Hinds on Feb. 14, 1986, Sun Ra alluded to the existence of additional material from this performance, as well as an unissued video by Danny Ray Thompson.  Peter Hinds refers to "the thing in Atlanta, Ga, with the organ."  According to John and Peter Hinds, the organ was located in a large theater in Atlanta.  The exact date is not known, but the Arkestra was in Atlanta on October 26, 1984 and again on January 1, 1985.

From The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra 2nd ed.

 

 

Hiroshima
Art Yard Stereo LP 2007

1. Hiroshima   14:33
2. Stars that Shine Darkly   14:15

Files include a rip I received through the Sun Ra Trading Group
of Saturn 10-11-85 (1985)

-FLAC-

RS

HF

or

-320-

RS

HF

 

original post