Sun Ra - Hidden Fire 1 & 2 (1988)

The two Hidden Fires are the last new Saturn releases (some items from the '70s and '80s were re-pressed by Blast First in 1989 and were sold at concerts through 1992).  These LPs are extremely confusing.  They were initially issued 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.

Saturn Sun Ra 13188III/12988II, Hidden Fire 1, was released on LP in 1988, as was Saturn Sun Ra 13088A/12988B.  Hidden Fire 2.  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 129888II (thanks to Rob Rusch for this information).

From The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra 2nd ed.

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); 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

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

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LP Rip & Scans courtesy of Paul W.

Sun Ra - Universe in Blue (1972)

The Universe in Blue is a fantastic set. The title cut is just a slow blues soloing showcase with Sun Ra's "intergalactic space organ," trumpet (not sure who), John Gilmore's tenor sax, and back to Ra. June Tyson takes center stage for "Blackman", giving a particularly impassioned performance. "In a Blue Mood" (just Ra and Luqman Ali on drums) and "Another Shade of Blue" are just back-to-the-basics blues form for more soloing. Ra sticks to organ for the entire date, and it's just wonderful to hear what the Arkestra does with such a "simple" form. This is a fairly rare, fairly inside date, and fans of Ra and Gilmore's playing will be especially pleased. 
AMG // Sean Westergaard

Sun Ra Sunday Review

Sun Ra (Intergalactic Space [Farfisa] org); Kame Hadi (tp); Akh Tal Ebah (tp); Marshall Allen (as, ob, picc, fl); Danny Davis (as, acl); John Gilmore (ts); Pat Patrick (bars); Danny Ray Thompson (bars, fl); Eloe Omoe (bcl, picc); Alzo Wright (clo); Lex Humphries (d); June Tyson (voc).
Probably live in California, c. August 1971

Saturn LP 200, Universe In Blue, was released in 1972.  The matrix number is ESR 5000 IGB.  It was recorded live on the road somewhere.  Most likely it was made on the West Coast in late summer of 1971, when only part of the Arkestra remained in the Bay Area.  (A 1972 date after the Arkestra left Oakland in May remains a possibility.)  Personnel from Saturn jacket.  The two parts of "Universe in Blue" come from a single performance, with an interruption when the tape ran out.
From The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra 2nd ed.

Universe In Blue

1. Universe in blue - part I    5:04 

2. Universe in blue - part II    8:35 

3. Blackman    2:18 

4. In a blue mood    7:16 

5. Another shade of blue    11:50

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All thanks to Paul W for sharing his LP rip of this absolutely amazing album.

Sun Ra - Continuation (1970)

Sun Ra & His Astro-Infinity Arkestra: Continuation (Saturn ESR 520)

Originally released in 1970, Continuation contains a handful of experimental small group tracks recorded at the Sun Studio in 1968 along with two tracks with the full Arkestra recorded live at The East in Brooklyn, New York in 1969.

Side A begins with “Biosphere Blues,” a typically spaced-out blues, taken at a relaxed, almost somnambulant tempo. Interestingly, John Gilmore is probably playing drums on this home recording. After Ra’s piano introduction, Wayne Harris takes a nice solo on trumpet, his tone is warm and mellow, his note choices exquisite. Next up, Ali Hassan takes a single tasteful chorus on trombone. Then, Pat Patrick jumps in with an incongruously aggressive solo on baritone saxophone before giving way to Ra’s jaunty piano. A swelling space chord ends the piece with an odd dissonance. “Intergalaxtic Research” sounds as every bit as alien and forbidding as its title. Robert Barry plays the booming “lightning drum” with James Jacson on log drum and other unidentified percussionists who construct throbbing, asymmetrical cross-rhythms while Art Jenkins does his bit on space voice. Ra twiddles with his space organ and clavinet like a mad scientist, emitting random blasts of noisy timbres, dense, lurching chords, or rapidly spinning constellations of notes. This is a wonderfully strange piece.

The presence of Tommy Hunter and his echo-echo-echo machine on “Earth Primitive Earth” and “New Planet” makes me think these tracks were recorded prior to 1968. In fact, the overall ambience (and massively increased hiss) sounds like some of the Choreographer’s Workshop recordings (but this might just be wishful thinking). Both pieces pit Ra’s echoing piano against a skittering flute choir. On “Earth Primitive Earth,” Hunter plays some kind of metal scraper quite near the microphone, making for an unsettling, spooky atmosphere. “New Planet” takes the echo thing to a whole other level and Robert Cummings turns in another spectacular solo on bass clarinet (I am really starting to appreciate what a great player Cummings is on that most difficult and unwieldy instrument). Incidentally, both of these tracks appeared on the 1989 compilation CD, Out There a Minute (Blast First), although “Earth Primitive Earth” was slightly edited and re-titled “Cosmo Enticement” and “New Planet” was re-titled “Song of Tree and Forest,” presumably at the request of Sun Ra himself.

Side B contains the nearly continuous nineteen-minute live concert segment from 1969, and it’s a corker. “Continuation To” opens with the Arkestra already in full flight over sultry African percussion but Ra soon takes over with a roiling piano solo, full of booming left hand chords and scampering right hand clusters. After bringing things back down a bit, Akh Tal Ebah extemporizes on trumpet while Ra hints at ballad forms and hand percussion gurgles nervously in the background. Suddenly Ra produces a bouncy, repetitive figure and bass and drums join in for some good, old fashioned swinging. Ebah, a newcomer to the band since Sun Ra’s relocation to Philadelphia in the fall of 1968, manages to hold his own amidst the shifting musical landscapes and things really start to heat up when the Arkestra enters with big angular space chords, full of wiry clarinets and blatting trombones. But just as Boykins begins to solo, the track cuts off. “Jupiter Festival” picks up with the end of Boykins’s bass solo and he quickly moves to the fast walking to introduce “Second Stop is Jupiter.” Ra joins in and the Arkestra chants, climaxing with “all out for Jupiter!” A massive space chord erupts which melts into manic group improvisation. Gilmore emerges from the din with a lengthy, super-intense tenor saxophone solo, full of “sheets-of-sound” flurries of notes, heroically over-blown honks and squeals, and impossible multi-register leaps. Sun Ra prods things along with more furious piano, conducting brief entrances and exits of musicians while Gilmore continues to wail. The music finally simmers down a bit with the various horns exhaustedly sighing and moaning but with Boykins agitatedly scraping away with the bow. At one point, there is a tense, held note before the return of the busy piano figures after which screaming clarinets provide contrast against some sweetly melodious alto sax and rippling brass, with Jarvis propulsively pounding away in free rhythm. This deliciously complex texture continues on for some minutes before abruptly cutting off. Argh!

Nevertheless, Continuation is another fascinating album from a fertile, if spottily documented, period in Ra’s career and well worth hearing.

Review from NuVoid, home of Sun Ra Sundays.

Please enjoy another Saturn rarity LP rip complements of our friend, Paul W.

Sun Ra (p, space org [Gibson Kalamazoo org], galactone space instrument (Hohner Clavinet),  sun harp, gong); Wayne Harris (tp); Ali Hassan [Al Wardlow] (tb); Marshall Allen (picc, Jupiterian fl); Danny Davis (strings, fl); John Gilmore (bells, d); Pat Patrick (bars); Robert Cummings (bcl); Ronnie Boykins (b); Robert Barry (d, lightning d); Ronnie Boykins (b); James Jacson- (log drum, perc); Art Jenkins (space voice, perc); Tommy Hunter (scraper, perc, reverb).

From The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra 2nd ed.

Continuation
Saturn ESR 520; LP 520 (1969 or 70) (matrix numbers ESR37363NP, ESR29691)
Side A:
Biosphere Blues (Ra)
Intergalaxtic Research (Ra)
Earth Primitive Earth (Ra)
New Planet (Ra)

Side B:
Continuation To (Ra)
Jupiter Festival (Ra)

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Sun Ra - Just Friends (1983)

 In 1983 Sun Ra released an Anthology record on his Saturn label. Ra hand picked 6 tracks previously released from his vast catalog in addition to two new tracks recorded the previous year (1982). This is offered to the 'completists' out there as most tracks have been remastered and have become available on CD.  Many many thanks again to Paul W for his fantastic FLAC LP rip of this Sun Ra rarity.

Just Friends

Saturn XI (released 1983)

matrix numbers Saturn 1984A/B

Side A:

Dreams Come True (1956, from Deep Purple) 3:06

Back in your Own Backyard (1958, from Sound Sun Pleasure!!) 2:05

Otherness Blue (1969, from My Brother the Wind, vol. II) 4:49

Pleasant Twilight (likewise) 3:37

Walking on the Moon (ditto) 3:22

Side B:

Just Friends (Klenner-Lewis) 7:23

John Gilmore (ts); Ra (org); John Ore (b); Samarai Celestial (d). Recorded live, c. 1982.

Under the Spell of Love (Ra) 6:01

Marshall Allen (as); Ra (org); Luqman Ali (d);. Recorded live, c. 1982.

Dancing Shadows (1966, from Nothing Is) 8:12

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Sanford and Sun

I really like this script and have wondered how true the story of how the episode came to be might be.   For anyone  unfamliar with the 1970's TV show, HERE is a brief description.

When this post was first presented to the Saturn newsgroup, Charles Blass, the noted Sun Ra enthusiast and (former?) WKCR DJ mentioned that he was informed by an associate, Brad Markus, "that  Redd Foxx worked at the Club DeLisa, so in fact he and Sunny may well have crossed pathways somewhere there."

Fred Sanford Meets Sun Ra
(excerpt)
(for a link to the full script, scroll to the end)

SCENE 3:

[Knocking at the door]

Fred [waking up]: It must be the ladies. [more knocking]: Alright, alright, I'm coming.

[Fred opens door and a person with a huge ibis head mask of the Egyptian god Thoth and the other Horus with a hawk mask breaks the threshold]

[Fred backs up clinching his heart going into a fit]: Oh, no! [pause for laughter] Ohhhh! It's Aunt Esther! She evolved into her final stage! [roaring laughter] Oh Elizabeth! Elizabeth, I'm coming to join you honey! I'll be the one with the two 7 foot buzzards! [laughter]

Sun Ra [steps through the door dressed in elaborate ancient ceremonial garb]: Mr. Sanford [pause for applause] Mr. Sanford are you alright?

Fred [coming out of shock]: Ohhhhh...Hunh? What?

Sun Ra [coming to Fred's aid]: Are you alright Mr. Sanford?

Fred [looking up and down at Sun Ra's clothing]: Am I alright? Two 7 foot birds are standing in my living room with a black Liberace...do I look "alright"? [laughter] Who are you anyway?

Sun Ra [spreading his arms]: I...am Sun Ra.

Fred [scanning Sun Ra from head to toe]: You...Are...Sun Ra?

Sun Ra: I apologize if I startled you.

Fred: The way you're dressed, you'd startle Monty Hall. [laughter]

Fred, Ibis, Sun Ra Sketch

Sun Ra [shaking his head in amusement]: These clothes express our destiny and our identity. They were worn by your great ancestors, both on Earth and on Saturn.

Fred: Keep wearing those "ancestors" clothes from Saturn and your destiny will be a room with white padded walls and your identity will be "expressed" in a straight jacket. [laughter]

Sun Ra: Mr. Sanford, all catalysts at one time or another were called crazy.

Fred: Well, those catalysts probably had the wrong type of cattle. [laughter] They probably started off like you trying to herd giant birds instead of cows. [laughter]

Sun Ra [with a chuckle]: You don't understand Mr. Sanford. I'm just going to have to take you on a journey. As the ambassador from the intergalactic regions of outer space, please accompany me on my ship [with a courtesy gesture].

Fred [grabbing his baseball bat]: Nigga, let me tell you something [calm tone]. [pausing for roaring laughter] If you and Heckle and Jeckle aren't out of my house by the time I count to 10...I'm going to wrap this Louisville slugger around your head so tight, you going to look like you're wearing a wooden turban. [roaring laughter]

[strange pulsating sound starting up in Fred's front yard]

Fred: What's that sound?

Sun Ra: Those are the natural minors of vibro-ion accelerator engines.

Fred [walking to his door]:Engine?

[Fred looks out the door and sees a space ship]

Fred [clutching his heart]: What is that?!

Sun Ra: I told you Mr. Sanford, I'm an ambassador from the intergalactic regions of outer space.

Hereby,

our invitation

we do invite you

be of my space world.

Fred [slowly falling into a hypnotic state as Sun Ra's entourage escorts him into the ship]: ...be of your space world?

Sun Ra: Rhythmic equations...

Fred: Rhythmic equations...

Sun Ra: enlightenment is my tomorrow...

Fred: enlightenment is my tomorrow...

Sun Ra: ...has no plane of sorrow

Fred: ...has no plane of sorrow

Sun Ra: ...be of my space world

Fred: ...be of my space world

The complete episode at
Gorilla Face Uglymopotamus

Sun Ra - Nature's God (1972)

Following the Arkestra's European tour of 1971, they boarded a plane to Cairo and arrived in Egypt on December 7, 1971.  These titles are taken from a private concert at the House of Hartmut Geerken, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt, December 12, and from a Cairo TV broadcast December 16, 1971.

Thoth Intergalactic KH-1272, Live in Egypt Volume 1, was issued in 1972.  It has also been issued as Saturn as Saturn 1272 and titled Dark Myth Equation Visitation and Nature's God.  There are varying covers for these releases, including a version of Nature's God with a "printed jacket incorporating a brown photo of Ra and entourage entering an Egyptian temple" (Peter Roberts).

From The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra 2nd ed.

 

 

This Sun Ra rarity comes to Adventure-Equation by way of FREE DÉFENDU . Great blog - I recommend you go there and marvel at what they have to offer.

Sun Ra and his Astro Intergalactic Infinity Arkestra
Live in Egypt 1
Dark Myth Equation Visitation
Nature's God
Saturn 1272
Thoth Intergalactic KH-1272 (1972)

Side A:
Discipline 27 (Ra)
Interview with Ra
Solar Ship Voyage (Ra)
Interview with Ra (concluded)
Cosmo-Darkness (Ra)
The Light Thereof (Ra)

Side B:
Friendly Galaxy No. 2 (Ra)
To Nature's God (Ra)
Why Go to the Moon? (Ra)

Sun Ra (Tiger org, Mini-Moog syn, upright p); Kwame Hadi (tp, cga;) Marshall Allen (as, fl, perc); Danny Davis (as, fl); Larry Northington (as, cga); John Gilmore (ts, perc, d); Pat Patrick (bars, eb); Danny Thompson (bars, fl); Eloe Omoe (bcl, fl); Hakim Rahim (as, fl); Clifford Jarvis  (d, perc); Tommy Hunter (d, as); Lex Humphries (d); June Tyson (voc, dance); prob. Cheryl Banks (dance, voc); prob. Wisteria el Moondew [Judith Holton] (dancae, voc); Richard Wilkinson (light show).

Side A: TV broadcast, Cairo, 12/16/1971;
Side B: House of Hartmut Geerken, Heliopolis, Cairo, 12/12/71. [Info from Geerken and Stahl]

The first trip to Egypt immediately followed the second European tour of 10-12/71. Discipline 27 hasn't gone through mitosis yet; it opens with the riffs later called Discipline 27-II then moves on to what is now called Discipline 27. Friendly Galaxy No. 2 is a completely different piece from the original Friendly Galaxy, though it retains the modal exoticism. To Nature's God is a space ditty unrelated to the performance on MBWI [rlc; thanks to Mark Webber for a tape] 

From The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra 1st & 2nd ed.

Please visit the fantastic blog FREE DÉFENDU for the lossless LP rip (and for many other Sun Ra goodies).

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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.

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

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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)

Sun Ra - A Fireside Chat With Lucifer (1984)

Most of Sun Ra's Saturn releases are very difficult to come by - they were in print for a very short time in extremely limited quantities and sold primarily at concerts. Many thanks to our friend, Paul W. for the flac rip of his treasured LP.  Enjoy!

A Fireside Chat with Lucifer

Saturn Gemini 19841; A/B1984SG-9

matrix numbers Sun Ra 1984A/B

Side A:

Nuclear War (Ra) -1

Retrospect (Ra)

Makeup (Ra)

Side B:

A Fireside Chat with Lucifer (Ra)

Sun Ra (voc -1; p, syn, org); Walter Miller (tp); Tyrone Hill (voc -1; tb); Vincent Chancey (Fr hn); Marshall Allen (as, fl); John Gilmore (ts); Danny Ray Thompson (bars, fl); James Jacson (bsn, Inf-d); Hayes Burnett (b); Samarai Celestial (d); Atakatune [Stanley Morgan] (cga, perc); June Tyson (voc -1). 

Variety Recording Studios, NYC, September 1982.

Personnel were not credited on this release.  Vincent Chancey identified himself, Miller, Gilmore, Allen, Jacson, and Thompson in an interview on the WKCR Sun Ra Festival.  Sun Ra mentions Tyrone Hill by name on "Nuclear War."  Michael Shore says that Burnett, Samarai, and Atakatune were regulars with the Arkestra in 1982; Samarai confirms his presence.

According to Danny Thompson, CBS Records expressed an interest in this material, but Nuclear War was too much for Dr. George Butler!

From The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra 1st & 2nd ed.

A Fireside Chat with Lucifer

1. Nuclear war    7:46 

2. Retrospect    5:44 

3. Makeup    4:58 

4. A fireside chat with Lucifer    20:24

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Sun Ra - Ra To The Rescue (1983)

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.

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 The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra 2nd ed.

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 Burnet (b); Samarai Celestial [Eric Walker] (d); unidentified (perc); June Tyson (voc).

Squat Theatre, NYC, 1982

Ra to the Rescue 

1. Ra to the rescue (chapter 1)    5:31 

2. Ra to the rescue (chapter 2)    4:55 

3. Fate in a pleasant mood    9:30 

4. When lights are dark    4:40 

5. They plan to leave    6:44 

6. Back alley blues    4:05

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Again, MANY THANKS to Paul W. for this outstanding rare Saturn LP rip!
 

Sun Ra - Omniverse (1979)

Yet another amazing rare Saturn LP rip complements of Paul W (my hero).

Saturn 91379
Side A:
The Place of Five Points (Ra)
West End Side of Magic City (Ra)
Dark Lights in a White Forest (Ra)

Side B:
Omniverse (Ra) -1
Visitant of the Ninth Ultimate (Ra) -1

Sun Ra (p, d); Michael Ray (tp -1); Noël Scott (as, bars -1);  John Gilmore (ts); Kenny Williams (bars -1); Victor Sproles (b); Samarai Celestial [Eric Walker] (d). Variety Recording Studio, NYC, September 13, 1979

Saturn LP 91379, Omniverse, was issued in 1979.  Personnel and location courtesy of Samarai Celestial.  What appeared to be a test pressing was played by Sun Ra on WKCR-FM in April 1987; according to Samarai is a reference to the West End of Birmingham, where the musicians used to hang out.  (Also, during the Italian concerts in July, Sun Ra referred to three of his saxophonists as the "West End Trio," according to Francesco Martinelli.)  Samarai says that overdubbing was  used on one number (probably "Visitant of the Ninth Ultimate:):  Ra played both piano parts and also overdubbed a drum part!
From The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra 2nd ed.

Omniverse

1. The Place of Five Points    4:21 

2. West End Side of Magic City    6:10 

3. Dark Lights in a White Forest    10:59 

4. Omniverse    8:48

5. Visitant of the Ninth Ultimate    9:38

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Sun Ra - I, Pharaoh (1980)

Another Saturn rarity compliments of our friend, Paul W. The title track is a 27 minute recitation delivered over the hypnotic flute and drums of The Mayan Temples. If you picked up Bumkuncha's post of A Quiet Place In The Universe you will remember I, Pharaoh recited over a different instrumental framework, Friendly Galaxy Number 2.

Both versions feature Ra's heavily overdriven , distorted vocals developing a cosmo myth of accursed immortality. In it Ra plays the role of Pharaoh looking back to a time when "My kingdom was splendid, without compare," lamenting that the "nations of the world destroyed my kingdom, enslaved my people, now I, Pharaoh, am all alone" and complaining that while "they got a Christmas Day, they got an Easter Day" yet "they never give me no glory, they never tell my story." The "one thing" Pharaoh still got left is "the secret of immortality."

This short album is filled out with Rumpelstiltskin featuring Ra alone on piano and the Arkestra standard Images featuring Ra on organ playing behind John Gilmore's tenor.

-portions from Blutopia by Graham Lock

I, Pharaoh has some fine material, but the less than perfect sound quality detracts somewhat from the experience. "Rumpelstiltskin" is a solo piano piece that starts out pretty noisy but gets quite pretty fairly quickly. Ra switches to organ for "Images," where he is joined by a swinging horn section with prominent baritone sax and flutes. Then it's time for a fantastic Gilmore tenor solo. The beginning sounds like he's practically unaccompanied, but that's just a problem with the instruments being poorly recorded (the bass is particularly difficult to hear). Ra's organ joins in for the comping, but this one belongs to John Gilmore. "I, Pharaoh" is a side-long cut with that great mysterious vibe featuring wonderful flutes over percussion and a spare baritone horn line. Then Ra delivers a long vocal/recitation on Egypt and the Pharaohs. Again, sound quality detracts somewhat, but pieces like this, where Ra blends history and myth, are always interesting. I, Pharaoh is a decent album, but probably not worth the prohibitive cost of most Saturn LP's to all but the most serious Sun Ra fans.

Sean Westergaard//AMG

Sun Ra (p, org, syn, declamation); Marshall Allen (as, fl, picc, perc); John Gilmore (ts, timb); James Jacson (bsn, fl, Inf-d); Danny Ray Thompson (bars, fl, perc); Eloe Omoe (bcl, fl, perc) Steve Clarke (eb); Richard Williams (b); Luqman Ali (d); Atakatune (cga, perc); June Tyson (voc). 

Live, 1979

El Saturn 6680, I, Pharoah, was issued in 1980.  According to Tilman Stahl, it was recorded in 1979 (a recording date of June 6, 1980, hasn't been absolutely ruled out, though).  Personnel from Stahl's discography.  "I, Pharaoh" is a recitation backed by the processional usually known as "The Mayan Temples."

From The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra 2nd ed.

I, Pharaoh

El Saturn 6680

1. Rumpelstiltskin 4:20

2. Images 8:02

3. I, Pharoah - The Mayan temples 27:51

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REPOST: WWOZ.ORaG Cosmo Jazz Radio

Update!  Link to the show Playlist is now included.  

THANKS to I-) for the hint!

My new favorite radio station broadcast 5 hours of Sun Ra last night.  Though they don't have the catalogue nor the sublime knowledge of WKCR's Charles Blass, the show was a real treat.  I captured their stream with Audacity and spent some time this morning trying to break up the show into some manageable parts.  The stream was at 128k as is the file.  Enjoy!

WWOZ

Cosmo Jazz Radio
5 hour broadcast (download)

Playlist

Sun Ra - Somewhere Over The Rainbow (1977)

Another priceless gem from Sun Ra courtesy of Paul W. Enjoy the fantastic organ playing by Ra. Thanks again, Paul W.!

Somewhere over the Rainbow
(We Live to Be)
Saturn 7877

Saturn LP 7877, on the Philadelphia label, was released in 1977 under the title Somewhere Over The Rainbow.  Some copies are titled We Live to Be.  Michael Weiss says that the Arkestra played two nights at the Bluebird; each night consisted of two three-hour sets.  Weiss has a few minutes of Super 8 mm film of the Arkestra at this gig (no soundtrack).  He recalls that "the band paraded around playing 'Lights on a Satellite' like on the Montreux album."

Sun Ra (p, org, voc); Ahmed Abdullah (tp); Akh Tal Ebah (tp, flg, voc); Marshall Allen (as, fl, perc); Danny Davis (as, fl, perc); John Gilmore (ts, timb, perc); Danny Ray Thompson (bars, fl, perc); James Jacson (bsn, fl, Inf-d); Eloe Omoe (bcl); ShooBee Doo [Reginald J. Fields] (b); Tommy Hunter (d); Luqman Ali [Edward Skinner] (d); Atakatune (cga, perc); June Tyson (voc); Judith Holton [Wisteria el Moondew] (dance); Cheryl Banks (dance).  

Recorded live at the Bluebird, Bloomington, Indiana, around 7/18/1977.

[Location and date from Ahmed Abdullah; personnel from Geerken with corrections by Abdullah. Bass player identified by Abdullah. Does anyone know ShooBee Doo's real name? Abdullah says Michael Ray and Emmett McDonald were not present. The loud oom-pah on A Train, previously mistaken for McDonald's bass horn, turns out to be a heavily amplified Jacson!]

Two newspaper accounts (both from 7/22/77) say there were 18 people in the band, and imply the presence of Pat Patrick (as, bs) and Vincent Chancey (Frh), plus a possible third drummer. It's not clear whether they were there the night(s) of the recording. Weiss, however, is sure that Patrick and Chancey were not present.  Dancers identified from the newspaper accounts. [rlc]

-from The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra 1st & 2nd eds.

Sun Ra - Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Side A:

We Live to Be (Ra)

Gone with the Wind (Magidson-Wrubel)

Make another Mistake (Ra)

[Take the] "A" Train (Strayhorn)

Side B:

Amen Amen (Amen, Meni, Many Amens) (Ra)

Over the Rainbow (Harburg-Arlen)

I'll Wait for You (Ra)

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