Greasy Trucker's Party - The Great White Whale For Music Collectors For 35 Years

The Greasy Truckers Party, as a double-LP set, was the item that every serious music collector in the 70's and 80's just had to have. Just to have seen a copy was something to tell fellow enthusiasts at the next fair.

In 2007, over 30 years later, the original eight-track master tapes had not only survived, but they had been turned into three very fully packed CDs, the complete sets of Man, Brinsley Schwarz, and Hawkwind (with a Magic Michael & Friends track thrown in too).

With the addition of Deke Leonard from 'The 'Dream', the Man started to be talked about with the same weight as The Grateful Dead. The band were a late addition to the Greasy Truckers Party, held at London's Roundhouse, on Sunday 13th February 1972. Hawkwind were the headline act on a bill that included Brinsley Schwarz and Magic Michael.

Andrew Lauder, UA's label manager, called the Greasy Truckers, "a loose organisation of individuals whose ideals were based on those of the Diggers in San Francisco, recycling money into worthwhile causes."

Man contributed five tracks to the CD with 'Spunk Rock' (originally a four minute track entitled 'Spunk Box') providing a 20 minute mix of electric guitars and powerhouse drumming.

This was the first of two concerts to be recorded (the second, Dingwalls Dancehall, featured Camel, Henry Cow, Gong and the Global Village Trucking Co).

Brinsley Schwarz were an excellent band, albeit in a pub-rock kind of way and featured a certain Nick Lowe. They played a creative yet tight set.

Magic Michael + Friends contributed just one track to the album and it's best to swiftly move on.

The balance of the party is given to Hawkwind, with 12 tracks to enjoy.

This was originally sold as a double vinyl album, sold at ?1.50, it rapidly sold out, and became a collector's item. The original album contained:

Side 1
Man - "Spunk Rock" (Ace/Jones/Leonard/Williams)

Side 2
Man - "Angel Easy" (Ace/John/Jones/Leonard/Williams)
DJ Andy Dunkley - Speech
DJ Andy Dunkley - Power cut
Brinsley Schwarz - "Wonder Woman" (Tousaint)
Brinsley Schwarz - "Its Just My Way of Saying Thank You" (Lowe)
Brinsley Schwarz - "I'm Ahead If I Can Quit While I'm Behind" (Ford)

Side 3
Brinsley Schwarz - "Midnight Train" (trad. arranged Brinsley Schwarz)
Brinsley Schwarz - "Surrender to the Rhythm" (Lowe)
Magic Michael - "Music Belongs to the People" (Michael)

Side 4
Hawkwind - "Master of the Universe" (Turner/Brock)
Hawkwind - "Born to Go" (Calvert/Brock)

The complete recording of the concert was released as a triple-CD box set in 2007. This box set includes the original take of Hawkwind's "Silver Machine" single, (actually remixed in the studio, Lemmy replacing the original vocals).

Disk 1
Man - "Spunk Rock"
Man - "Many Are Called But Few Get Up"
Man - "Angel Easy"
Man - "Bananas (Early Instrumental Version)"
Man - "Romaine"

Disk 2
Brinsley Schwarz - "Intro"
Brinsley Schwarz - "Country Girl"
Brinsley Schwarz - "One More Day"
Brinsley Schwarz - "Unknown Number"
Brinsley Schwarz - "She's Got to Be Real"
Brinsley Schwarz - "Home Work"
Brinsley Schwarz - "Nervous on the Road (But Can't Stay at Home)"
Brinsley Schwarz - "Range War"
Brinsley Schwarz - "Silver Pistol"
Brinsley Schwarz - "Going Down the Road"
Brinsley Schwarz - "Midnight Train"
Brinsley Schwarz - "Private Number"
Brinsley Schwarz - "It's Just My Way of Saying Thank You"
Brinsley Schwarz - "Wonder Woman"
Brinsley Schwarz - "I'm Ahead If I Can Quit While I'm Behind"
Brinsley Schwarz - "Surrender to the Rhythm"
Magic Michael - "Music Belongs to the People"

Disk 3
Hawkwind - "Announcement/Apology"
Hawkwind - "This is Your Captain Speaking (Breakdown)"
Hawkwind - "This is Your Captain Speaking"
Hawkwind - "You Shouldn't Do That"
Hawkwind - "The Awakening"
Hawkwind - "Master of the Universe"
Hawkwind - "Paranoia"
Hawkwind - "Earth Calling"
Hawkwind - "Silver Machine"
Hawkwind - "Welcome to the Future"
Hawkwind - "Born to Go"
Hawkwind - "Brainstorm (Jam)"
DJ Andy Dunkley - "End Announcement"

Marek Norvid has been in the music business since he was the entertainment officer at Newcastle University back in the 80s. In the late 80's he set up RPM Music which is one of the few independent records stores still in existence in the UK. You can visit cdxpress.co.uk to check out the latest classic rock releases.