Rock and roll music
| Exotic Birds and Fruit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 1974 | |||
| Recorded | 1973–1974 | |||
| Studio | AIR, London | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock, symphonic rock | |||
| Length | 37:00 | |||
| Label | Chrysalis | |||
| Producer | Chris Thomas | |||
| Procol Harum chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Exotic Birds and Fruit | ||||
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Álbums chronology
Exotic Birds and Fruit (Remastered)
Procol Harum
Discográfica: Chrysalis · Estudio de grabación: AIR, London · Productor: Chris Thomas
1974 studio album by Procol Harum
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [1] |
| Rolling Stone | (not rated)[2] |
Exotic Birds and Fruit is the seventh studio album by British progressive rock band Procol Harum.[3] It was released in 1974.[4] The cover artwork for the album is by Jakob Bogdani, a noted Hungarian artist whose paintings centered on exotic birds and fruit.
Leer másReview
1974 studio album by Procol Harum
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [1] |
| Rolling Stone | (not rated)[2] |
Exotic Birds and Fruit is the seventh studio album by British progressive rock band Procol Harum.[3] It was released in 1974.[4] The cover artwork for the album is by Jakob Bogdani, a noted Hungarian artist whose paintings centered on exotic birds and fruit.
Leer másIn Argentina, the album was titled Pájaros Y Frutas Exóticas (literally translated as "Birds and Exotic Fruit").
Recording
| This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Exotic Birds and Fruit" – news ? newspapers ? books ? scholar ? JSTOR (January 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Collaborating again with producer Chris Thomas, Procol Harum recorded the album at George Martin`s AIR Studios in London. According to singer/songwriter/piano player and bandleader Gary Brooker, the album was recorded in reaction to the two preceding albums which used extensive orchestration. Brooker stated, "We made the live album with an orchestra. We`d then taken the orchestra into the studio for `Grand Hotel`...we`d had enough of orchestras".[5]
The album features the song "Butterfly Boys", written about the founders of the band`s record label at the time, Chrysalis. The band were unhappy with the terms of their contract and expressed that frustration in song.
Reception
Exotic Birds and Fruit met with a good critical reception[6] but only rose to No. 86 on the Billboard album charts.[7] In Denmark, it peaked at #9 upon release, and in early 1975 it re-entered the Top 20 peaking at #19.[8] The album was preceded by the single release of the opening track, "Nothing but the Truth", backed with the single-only B-side track "Drunk Again".
2009 Salvo reissue
In 2009 Salvo reissued Procol Harum`s entire discography on CD remastered by Nick Robbins. The reissue for Exotic Birds and Fruit included two bonus tracks selected by Brooker and Keith Reid. "Drunk Again", the B-side to the single "Nothing but the Truth", appeared on CD along with an alternate mix of "As Strong as Samson".
Track listing
All music by Gary Brooker, all lyrics by Keith Reid.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nothing but the Truth" | 3:13 |
| 2. | "Beyond the Pale" | 3:03 |
| 3. | "As Strong as Samson" | 5:05 |
| 4. | "The Idol" | 6:38 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 5. | "The Thin End of the Wedge" | 3:44 |
| 6. | "Monsieur R. Monde" | 3:40 |
| 7. | "Fresh Fruit" | 3:05 |
| 8. | "Butterfly Boys" | 4:25 |
| 9. | "New Lamps for Old" | 4:07 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Drunk Again" (B-side) | 4:31 |
| 11. | "As Strong as Samson" (single version) | 3:46 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "The Blue Danube" | Johann Strauss II; arranged by Gary Brooker | 9:12 |
Personnel
Procol Harum
- Gary Brooker – vocals, piano
- Mick Grabham – guitar
- BJ Cole – pedal steel guitar track 3
- Chris Copping – organ
- Alan Cartwright – bass guitar
- B. J. Wilson – drums
Production
- Produced By Chris Thomas
- Engineer: John Punter
Charts
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[9] | 82 |
| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[10] | 16 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[11] | 38 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[12] | 12 |
| US Billboard 200[13] | 86 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 1974 | Chrysalis Records | stereo LP | 63 07 531 |
| North America | 2004 | Friday Music | remastered CD | Friday Music 1021 |
1974 studio album by Procol Harum
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [1] |
| Rolling Stone | (not rated)[2] |
Exotic Birds and Fruit is the seventh studio album by British progressive rock band Procol Harum.[3] It was released in 1974.[4] The cover artwork for the album is by Jakob Bogdani, a noted Hungarian artist whose paintings centered on exotic birds and fruit.
In Argentina, the album was titled Pájaros Y Frutas Exóticas (literally translated as "Birds and Exotic Fruit").
Recording
| This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Exotic Birds and Fruit" – news ? newspapers ? books ? scholar ? JSTOR (January 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Collaborating again with producer Chris Thomas, Procol Harum recorded the album at George Martin`s AIR Studios in London. According to singer/songwriter/piano player and bandleader Gary Brooker, the album was recorded in reaction to the two preceding albums which used extensive orchestration. Brooker stated, "We made the live album with an orchestra. We`d then taken the orchestra into the studio for `Grand Hotel`...we`d had enough of orchestras".[5]
The album features the song "Butterfly Boys", written about the founders of the band`s record label at the time, Chrysalis. The band were unhappy with the terms of their contract and expressed that frustration in song.
Reception
Exotic Birds and Fruit met with a good critical reception[6] but only rose to No. 86 on the Billboard album charts.[7] In Denmark, it peaked at #9 upon release, and in early 1975 it re-entered the Top 20 peaking at #19.[8] The album was preceded by the single release of the opening track, "Nothing but the Truth", backed with the single-only B-side track "Drunk Again".
2009 Salvo reissue
In 2009 Salvo reissued Procol Harum`s entire discography on CD remastered by Nick Robbins. The reissue for Exotic Birds and Fruit included two bonus tracks selected by Brooker and Keith Reid. "Drunk Again", the B-side to the single "Nothing but the Truth", appeared on CD along with an alternate mix of "As Strong as Samson".
Track listing
All music by Gary Brooker, all lyrics by Keith Reid.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nothing but the Truth" | 3:13 |
| 2. | "Beyond the Pale" | 3:03 |
| 3. | "As Strong as Samson" | 5:05 |
| 4. | "The Idol" | 6:38 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 5. | "The Thin End of the Wedge" | 3:44 |
| 6. | "Monsieur R. Monde" | 3:40 |
| 7. | "Fresh Fruit" | 3:05 |
| 8. | "Butterfly Boys" | 4:25 |
| 9. | "New Lamps for Old" | 4:07 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Drunk Again" (B-side) | 4:31 |
| 11. | "As Strong as Samson" (single version) | 3:46 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "The Blue Danube" | Johann Strauss II; arranged by Gary Brooker | 9:12 |
Personnel
Procol Harum
- Gary Brooker – vocals, piano
- Mick Grabham – guitar
- BJ Cole – pedal steel guitar track 3
- Chris Copping – organ
- Alan Cartwright – bass guitar
- B. J. Wilson – drums
Production
- Produced By Chris Thomas
- Engineer: John Punter
Charts
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[9] | 82 |
| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[10] | 16 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[11] | 38 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[12] | 12 |
| US Billboard 200[13] | 86 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 1974 | Chrysalis Records | stereo LP | 63 07 531 |
| North America | 2004 | Friday Music | remastered CD | Friday Music 1021 |
![Something Magic [Bonus Track]](/cache/muscol/muscol_cache_221_8daa8c4e90_somethingmagicbonustrack1731071212.jpg "Something Magic [Bonus Track]")