vinyl LP back cover detail
photo by Bob Seidemann
detail photo of album by Styrous®
The first and only album by Blind Faith was released fifty years ago today on June 22, 1969. They were an English rock group comprised of Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Ric Grech. The band was anticipated by the music press as a continuation of Clapton and Baker's former group Cream and Winwood's former group Traffic but they split after one album and a tour.
The story of Blind Faith is not a pleasant one according to the memoir, Born Under a Bad Sign, by Johnny Black in Mojo Magazine and featured on the Ginger Baker website (link below). Black says the group should have been the "Golden Child" instead it was Rosemary's Baby. The group was doomed before it even started due to inexperience of the members and the indifference of Clapton.
The album drew controversy for featuring a photograph by Bob Seidemann of a naked prepubescent girl holding what appears to be the hood ornament of a Chevrolet Bel Air, which some perceived as phallic (what kind of phalluses were THEY referencing?), on the front cover, and it was banned in the United States.
The story of Blind Faith is not a pleasant one according to the memoir, Born Under a Bad Sign, by Johnny Black in Mojo Magazine and featured on the Ginger Baker website (link below). Black says the group should have been the "Golden Child" instead it was Rosemary's Baby. The group was doomed before it even started due to inexperience of the members and the indifference of Clapton.
Blind Faith concert -1967
photographer unknown
The album drew controversy for featuring a photograph by Bob Seidemann of a naked prepubescent girl holding what appears to be the hood ornament of a Chevrolet Bel Air, which some perceived as phallic (what kind of phalluses were THEY referencing?), on the front cover, and it was banned in the United States.
vinyl LP front cover
photo by Bob Seidemann
photo of album by Styrous® The album was a critical and commercial success, reaching number one on both sides of the Atlantic and receiving mostly positive reviews.
vinyl LP back cover
photo by Bob Seidemann
photo of album by Styrous®
On a list by Rolling Stone
of "The 30 Greatest One Album Wonders", Blind Faith was at 14, while
songs such as Can't Find My Way Home and Presence of the Lord were
described as "incredible". Classic Rock Review spoke positively of the album, saying the critical acclaim it had received was "well-deserved". The German edition of Rolling Stone ranked the album as the 140th greatest of all time.
Blind Faith - 1967
photo by Bob Seidemann
Blind Faith was released on Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and Europe and on Atlantic Records in the United States. It topped the album charts in the UK, Canada and US, and was listed at No. 40 on the US Soul Albums chart. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA.
vinyl LP back cover detail
photo by Bob Seidemann
detail photo of album by Styrous®
Winwood composed a lot of the music on the album. My favorite song is Had To Cry Today.
It starts with a moderate speed tempo with a simple but dissonant
feeling. As it progresses it gets more complicated with some fantastic
guitar work by Clapton. At almost 9 minutes there is plenty of time to do some interesting experimenting.
Their cover of the Buddy Holly song, Well, All Right has some really nice piano and organ work by Winwood.
Presence of the Lord is a slow, stroll down a dreamy lane that picks up speed and gets a bit rowdy before settling back down again.
Their cover of the Buddy Holly song, Well, All Right has some really nice piano and organ work by Winwood.
Presence of the Lord is a slow, stroll down a dreamy lane that picks up speed and gets a bit rowdy before settling back down again.
vinyl LP back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
Side two consists of just two songs, one of them a 15-minute jam
entitled Do What You Like. The violin playing by Grech in Sea of Joy is a very nice breath of fresh air.
The band was able to produce two hits, Winwood's Can't Find My Way Home and Clapton's Presence of the Lord.
The band was able to produce two hits, Winwood's Can't Find My Way Home and Clapton's Presence of the Lord.
Tracklist:
Side 1:
A1 - Had To Cry Today, written by Steve Winwood - 8:49
A2 - Can't Find My Way Home, written by Steve Winwood - 3:17
A3 - Well All Right, written by Holly*, Allison*, Mauldin*, Petty* - 4:28
A4 - Presence Of The Lord, written by Eric Clapton - 4:56
Side 2:
B1 - Sea Of Joy, written by Steve Winwood - 5:22
B2 - Do What You Like, written by Ginger Baker - 15:20
Personnel:
Manufactured By – Polydor
Marketed By – Polydor
Credits:
Arranged By – Chris Blackwell, Robert Stigwood
Artwork [Cover Art] – Stanley Miller (2)
Photography By [Cover] – Bob Seideman*
Producer – Jimmy Miller
Notes:
1st catalog number RS-1-3016 on labels and spine.
2nd cat# 2394 142 in smaller print & in brackets on labels and back cover.
3rd cat# RS 1-3016 on back cover.
Girl on the cover
"Manufactured & Marketed by Polydor 810 Seventh Ave./N.Y., N.Y. 10019" on back cover and labels.
Also the song list is similar to this version, see photo's: Blind Faith (2) - Blind Faith
Side 1:
A1 - Had To Cry Today, written by Steve Winwood - 8:49
A2 - Can't Find My Way Home, written by Steve Winwood - 3:17
A3 - Well All Right, written by Holly*, Allison*, Mauldin*, Petty* - 4:28
A4 - Presence Of The Lord, written by Eric Clapton - 4:56
Side 2:
B1 - Sea Of Joy, written by Steve Winwood - 5:22
B2 - Do What You Like, written by Ginger Baker - 15:20
Personnel:
- Steve Winwood – keyboards, vocals, guitars; bass guitar on "Presence of the Lord", autoharp on "Sea Of Joy"
- Eric Clapton – guitars; vocals on "Do What You Like"
- Ric Grech – bass guitar, violin on "Sea of Joy"; vocals on "Do What You Like"
- Ginger Baker – drums, percussion; vocals on "Do What You Like"
- Production personnel
- Jimmy Miller – producer
- George Chkiantz, Keith Harwood, Andy Johns, Alan O'Duffy – engineers
- Alan O'Duffy, Andy Johns, Jimmy Miller – mixing
- Stanley Miller, Bob Seidemann – cover design and photography
- Chris Blackwell, Robert Stigwood – executive producers
- Margaret Goldfarb – production co-ordination
- Bill Levenson – reissue supervision
- Suha Gur – remastering
- Vartan – reissue art direction
Manufactured By – Polydor
Marketed By – Polydor
Credits:
Arranged By – Chris Blackwell, Robert Stigwood
Artwork [Cover Art] – Stanley Miller (2)
Photography By [Cover] – Bob Seideman*
Producer – Jimmy Miller
Notes:
1st catalog number RS-1-3016 on labels and spine.
2nd cat# 2394 142 in smaller print & in brackets on labels and back cover.
3rd cat# RS 1-3016 on back cover.
Girl on the cover
"Manufactured & Marketed by Polydor 810 Seventh Ave./N.Y., N.Y. 10019" on back cover and labels.
Also the song list is similar to this version, see photo's: Blind Faith (2) - Blind Faith
Blind Faith (2) – Blind Faith
Label: RSO – RS-1-3016, Polydor – 2394 142, RSO – RS 1-3016
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue
Country: US
Released: 1977
Genre: Rock
Style: Classic Rock
Label: RSO – RS-1-3016, Polydor – 2394 142, RSO – RS 1-3016
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue
Country: US
Released: 1977
Genre: Rock
Style: Classic Rock
Viewfinder links:
Ginger Baker
Eric Clapton
Ric Grech
Janis Joplin
Bob Seidemann
Steve Winwood
Net links:
Ginger Baker ~ Born Under a Bad Sign
RollingStone ~ Banned in the U.S.A.: 20 Wildest Censored Album Covers
Miss Rosen Presents ~
Jiani Jenny Chen Shot Rock & Roll’s Hottest Photogs
Vintage Everyday ~
Mariora Goschen: Girl on the Blind Faith album Cover
YouTube links:
Ginger Baker
Eric Clapton
Ric Grech
Janis Joplin
Bob Seidemann
Steve Winwood
Net links:
Ginger Baker ~ Born Under a Bad Sign
RollingStone ~ Banned in the U.S.A.: 20 Wildest Censored Album Covers
Miss Rosen Presents ~
Jiani Jenny Chen Shot Rock & Roll’s Hottest Photogs
Vintage Everyday ~
Mariora Goschen: Girl on the Blind Faith album Cover
YouTube links:
Can't Find My Way Home - London's Hyde Park, 1969
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