Poet And The One Man Band ‎– Poet And The One Man Band (1969) Bonus

Part of the Harris/Colton/Smith production company. Harris is Johnny Harris who composed the Bloomfield film soundtrack recorded in 1969. The group performed live at The Royal Albert Hall in 1970 as members of the Johnny Harris Orchestra for his Movements concert as the opening act for Dionne Warwick which was engineered by Eddie Offord. Tony Colton also co-wrote and co-produced with Johnny Harris for such artists as Richard Harris and Shirley Bassey. They also co-wrote and performed the soundtrack for "The World Of Georgie Best" BBC documentary from 1970 with Johnny Harris who was a member of the band as arranger and producer. They shared the same agent in Daniel Secunda.

Initially the group coalesed as a studio outfit in Advision Studios backing artists such as Shirley Bassey etc. In their downtime they recorded two albums worth of material. The october to december '68 sessions were shelved and belatedly released 1995 as Home From Home (The Missing Album), 1969 sessions were put out under the Poet And The One Man Band moniker on UK Verve and US Paramount.

In 1971, they released their proper debut on Capitol Records as a double album in the United States, but as a single disc in Europe (on UK Island). They were the opening act at the free Hyde Park, London concert on July 3. They opened for Humble Pie & Grand Funk Railroad.

Their second album, Tracks, followed the next year, but despite critical acclaim, internal tensions in the band resulted in a breakup in 1973 before the group's third release, Old Soldiers Never Die. (Their unreleased 1970 album was released in 1996 as Home from Home.)

The members of Heads Hands & Feet provided the core backing for Jerry Lee Lewis's second album, The Session, recorded in London from 7 to 11 January 1973.

Poet And The One Man Band ‎– Poet And The One Man Band (1969)

01. Poet And The One Man Band - Please Me, She's Me 

02. Poet And The One Man Band - The Days I Most Remember 

03. Poet And The One Man Band - Jacqueline 

04. Poet And The One Man Band - Now You've Hurt My Feelings 

05. Poet And The One Man Band - Light My Fire And Burn My Lamp 

06. Poet And The One Man Band - Good Evening Mr. Jones 

07. Poet And The One Man Band - The Fable 

08. Poet And The One Man Band - Ride Out On The Morning 

09. Poet And The One Man Band - Twilight Zone

10 (Bonus). Poet And The One Man Band - Nord Express 

11 (Bonus). Poet And The One Man Band - Cross Town Link 

12 (Bonus). Poet And The One Man Band - Burn My Lamp 

13 (Bonus). Poet And The One Man Band - Dirty Heavy Weather Road 

14 (Bonus). Poet And The One Man Band - Good Evening Mr Jones 

15 (Bonus). Poet And The One Man Band - How Far 

16 (Bonus). Poet And The One Man Band - Sack O Grain 

17 (Bonus). Poet And The One Man Band - Dreams Could Come True 

18 (Bonus). Poet And The One Man Band - Don't Leave Me Now 

19 (Bonus). Poet And The One Man Band - The Corner Table 

Review by Richie Unterberger  

Poet & the One Man Band try a bunch of approaches vaguely related to late-'60s trends in folk-rock, singer/songwriter-oriented, and psychedelic music on their sole and obscure LP. None of them are embarrassing, but none of them are noteworthy or exciting, either. It's a serious album in tone, and though it's not outright melancholic, some of the stronger tracks are those that get into the moodiest territory, like "The Days I Most Remember," which is a little like the circa-1967 Zombies and Moody Blues gone a bit more downbeat and gothic. Similarities to the late-period Zombies, though with a bit more psychedelic pop fantasy/whimsy, also show up in "Good Evening Mr. Jones" (which carries a trace of Beach Boys harmonies) and "The Fable," while the acoustic folky romantic ballad "Jacqueline" has a hint of Donovan. "The Days I Most Remember" and "Good Evening Mr. Jones" sure would sound better as sung by Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent of the Zombies, though, and the harder-rocking tracks are so faceless that there's little to say about them. Guitarist Albert Lee, the group's most famous member, really doesn't leave a heavy stamp on things; only "Ride Out on the Morning" has the kind of country-rock playing for which he would become known. The funereal churchy organ swamping "Twilight Zone" is an odd note on which to close an album that never establishes a consistent mood.