Reg King - Reg King, Deluxe 3CD Edition

After getting his start in 1963 with The Boys, who eventually became the now legendary mod group The Action, Reg King released what would end up being his only solo release in 1971. Although the album didn’t chart when it was released, over the years it has become appreciated as the masterpiece that it is with original copies selling for hundreds of dollars.  Now, thanks to Cherry Red Records, it has been remastered and released in a three CD box set that also includes early demos recorded between the demise of The Action and the solo album, along with other demos and outtakes.

The musicians King had play on the album were quite impressive.  They included his former bandmates in The Action, Roger Powell, Ian Whiteman, Mick (Mike) Evans, Alan King and Martin Stone (the first four also of Mighty Baby), Brian Godding, Brian Belshaw and Kevin Westlake (Blossom Toes and B.B. Blunder), Danny McCulloch (Eric Burdon and the Animals), Brian Auger, Mick Taylor and Steve Winwood (listed in the liner notes as Mystery Man).  The album kicks off with “Must Be Something Else Around”, which is funk and blues rocker with some great organ running through it that’s somewhat reminiscent of Humble Pie.  It has a loose jam vibe that really sets the tone perfectly for what’s to come.  Album standout “You Go Have Yourself A Good Time” is worth the price of admission all by itself.  It’s a gorgeous, laid-back, soulful track highlighted by Whiteman’s swirling organ, King’s emotional vocals and backing vocals from Doris Troy (best know for her hit “Just One Look”).  The soulful seven minute “That Ain’t Living” ebbs and flows perfectly between slower, more laid-back passages to more upbeat rock.  Next up are a couple of leftover 1967 demos from The Action, both featuring some stellar guitar work from Godding.  After starting off more like a folk tune “In My Dreams” explodes into a dynamic psychedelia, while “Little Boy” is a powerful R&B flavored rocker.  Godding shines once again on “10,000 Miles”, which is a bit ragged and noisier, and finds him channeling a bit of Neil Young.  The powerful, slow and bluesy eight minute long “Down The Drain” is highlighted by Winwood on piano along with a brass section.  Featuring some outstanding keyboards and guitar from Auger and Taylor respectively, “Savannah” is a raw, hard charging bluesy rocker that has a great live jam feel to it.  The gorgeous, melancholy “Gone Away” closes the album perfectly.  Disc one also includes a couple of tracks that were intended to be the second single from the album, but were never released.  “Nobody Knows Where We Are” is a heavy blues rocker with some hints of psychedelia, while a alternate version of “You Go Have Yourself A Good Time” features the members of B.B. Blunder backing him instead of Mighty Baby.  It’s an interesting take that is reminiscent of the album version, but is a little mellower and the organ isn’t in the forefront as much.  

Disc two is a collection of demos King recorded in 1969 backed primarily by his former The Action bandmates.   While a lot of the tracks are more reminiscent of his work with The Action, others definitely show him shifting towards the sound found on his solo album.  Songs like “Let Me See Some Love In Your Eyes”, with its great harmonies, “You Gotta Believe In Me”, “All Up In Heaven” and the gorgeous “Picking Up Nancy’s Grin” are all extremely catchy tunes that are more on the pop side of things.  Then there are cuts that show his evolving sound, like “In And Out”, which is enhanced with a flute and has a bit of an English folk sound, “Thinkin’ Bout Getting You Out”, a powerful, somewhat soulful rocker driven by some great organ, and “Magenta”, a seven-minute track with an expansive folk feel, a bit of psychedelia and even a hint of prog.  Other highlights include “Merry Go Round”, “So Full Of Love”, an interesting song that pulls in some folk and Middle Eastern influences, and the powerhouse ballad “You’ll Be Around”, that is primarily piano, organ and a little guitar accompanying some great vocals from King.  My biggest complaint with these songs is the fact that they never got beyond the demos.  Most of them still sound really great, but it would have been incredible to hear them fully formed.

The final disc is devoted to demos and outtakes from the album and starts with four that were recorded with The Action during the same sessions as the songs on disc two.  Other than the fact that they are a little more stripped down, due to being demos, the early versions of “Must Be Something Else Around” and “You Go Have Yourself A Good Time” don’t really differ that much from the album.  On the other hand, the guitar on “10,000 Miles” is more subdued and the song is almost jubilant and definitely not as dark (ironically there is also a version here with Mighty Baby as the band, which is even noisier and more explosive than the album version).  “Down The Drain” is more upbeat and jazzier as opposed to bluesy.  Following the guide vocal and rough mix versions of “Must Be Something Else Around” is another version of “You Go Have Yourself A Good Time”.  This longer take is also more upbeat and allows the players to stretch out a little more.  After another demo version of “Down The Drain” is the long version of “Savannah”, which really allows Taylor and Auger to show their stuff.  Closing the disc out is a rough mix of “Gone Away”, the long version of “Nobody Knows Where We Are” and an unnamed instrumental that basically sounds like the band trying some things out. Rounded out with an extremely informative booklet that includes new interviews with Brian Godding and Roger Powell this is an extremely impressive collection that is well worth checking out.  

(Cherry Red Records)