Description
Ph’lip Side is the fourth solo album the American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Phil Keaggy, released on Sparrow Records in August 1980, distributed by Word Records. The album was recorded by Jack Joseph Puig at Sound Labs in Hollywood, Martinsound Studios in Alhambra, Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, and Smoketree Studios in Los Angeles, California; with Dan Collins and Phil Keaggy producing. Mixed by Puig and Collins at Sound Labs. (Ph’lip Side was re-issued a year later, marked “New Sequence/New Mix”. It features a slightly different tracklist and trackorder, replacing “Send Out Your Light” recorded May 1976 with Buck Herring producing – which was the only track on the album not recorded by Puig – with “In Your Keep” recorded during the Ph’lip Side session. This second edition actually features the original first mix of the album – a version that Sparrow initially did refuse to release, demanding another mix. Thus the original 1980-version of the album actually features the second mix of the album.) The LP sleeve is designed like a two-sided cover, in order to visually convey the “acoustic” and “electric” sides of the album, credited “This Side” and “That Side”, respectively.
All songs written by Phil Keaggy except “Send Out Your Light” co-written with Ted Sandquist; “Pulling Down” co-written with touring band member Greg X. Volz of Petra fame; and “Just A Moment Away” co-written with another touring band member, Doug Pinnick (later a founding member of King’s X). Backing vocals on “Send Out Your Light” provided by Matthew Ward of 2nd Chapter of Acts fame, as well as Mylon LeFevre.
Ph’lip Side was included among CCM Magazine’s Top 10 Albums of 1980.
Ph’ lip Side provides us with two different musical portraits of Phil. One side focuses on quieter moods: McCartney-esque pop of «A Child (In Everyone’s Heart)», reflective ballads like «I Belong To You», the mesmerising soft rock reverie of «Spend My Life With You». The other side unloads the heavier more rock-oriented material like «A Royal Commandment» and the bluesy «Sunday School» – not Phil’s best but hardly shabby either. «Just A Moment Away» was co-written by King’s X member Doug Pinnick. Jamie Owens-Collins, Greg X Volz and Matthew Ward on background vocals. The original press contains the rocker «Send Out Your Light», later substituted with acoustic ballad «In Your Keep». [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th Edition]
As a singer, songwriter and guitarist, Phil Keaggy has been endowed with so much talent it almost seems unfair to other artists. The McCartneyesque «A Child (In Everyone’s Eye)» opens “this side” (Keaggy’s mellower material) and is followed by «Little Ones», a powerful anti-abortion statement delivered with great tenderness.
“That side” features (guess what) – the rock side of Keaggy. The highlight here is «A Royal Commandment». The album abounds with high quality songs built around Phil’s legendary guitar work. Ph’lip Side was produced by Dan Collins and Phil and sports a two-sided cover (if you don’t like one, simply ph’lip it over). This LP should especially ph’lip-out Phil’s phans. [CCM, September 1980]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/phlip-side-remastered/1654679040)
LP tracklist:
Side One – This Side
A1. “A Child (In Everyone’s Heart)” – 3:55
A2. “Little Ones” – 4:27
A3. “Spend My Life With You” – 4:13
A4. “Just A Moment Away” – 4:00
A5. “I Belong To You” – 4:10
Side Two – That Side
B1. “A Royal Commandment” – 5:46
B2. “Sunday School” – 4:32
B3. “Send Out Your Light” – 3:28
B4. “Pulling Down” – 5:28
Note: Simultaneously released on 8-track tape, cassette, and 12-inch vinyl LP by Myrrh Records. Re-issued a year later with a slightly different track order: “Send Out Your Light” was pulled for the re-issue and the song “In Your Keep” was added and placed on the ‘This Side’ side. Additionally, the song “Just A Moment Away” was moved from the acoustic side of this album (This Side) and placed on the electric side (That Side). The jacket was not reprinted to reflect these changes. Instead a blue sticker with the new song list was placed on the ‘This Side’ side and a pink sticker with the new song list was placed on the ‘That Side’ of the jacket. A separate lyric / credit sheet was inserted into this release. 2nd Edition Tracklist: This Side: “A Child (In Everyone’s Heart)” / “Little Ones” / “Spend My Life With You” / “In Your Keep.” That Side: “Just A Moment Away” / “Sunday School” / “A Royal Commandment” / “Pulling Down.”) “Three Great LPs on two Cassettes/CDs“: Ph’lip Side was digitally remastered by Word in 1990 and re-issued together with Town to Town and Play Thru Me on two CDs/cassettes.
The original album, as well as a Deluxe-Bonus Disc, are available at Bandcamp: https://philkeaggy.bandcamp.com/album/phlip-side
https://philkeaggy.bandcamp.com/album/phlip-side-deluxe-bonus-disc
The Man & His Music – A Very Special Radio Show (1981), a Sparrow Records promotional item hosted by Paul Baker in 1981, is available at Bandcamp:
https://philkeaggy.bandcamp.com/album/the-man-his-music-a-very-special-radio-show-1981
Cover Artwork, Front and Back (credited as “This Side” and “That Side”)
Original (First Edition) LP labels, Sparrow Records 1980
The September 1980 issue of CCM Magazine featured a cover story on Phil Keaggy.
A full-page advertisement for Phil Keaggy’s Ph’lip Side was featured on the back cover of the September and the November 1980 issues of CCM Magazine.
Phil Keaggy, Live in Concert 12-08-1980 feat. Cross Section; Curt Bartlett (Guitar), Dan Murdock (Keyboards), Lee Jones (Bass), and Jim Delong (Drums).
Phil Keaggy, Live at Ross Bagley Show
Phil Keaggy, Acoustic Guitar Performance of ‘Spend My Life With You’, 2019
CREDITS. Produced by Phil Keaggy and Dan Collins. Engineered by Jack Joseph Puig. Recorded at Sound Labs, Hollywood, CA, at Martinsound Studios, Alhambra, CA, at Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, CA, and at Smoketree Studios, Los Angeles, CA. Mixed at Sound Labs. (“Send Out Your Light” recorded May 1976 with Buck Herring producing.) Mastered at The Mastering Labs, Los Angeles, CA. Production Coordinator: B. Charlyne Hinesley.
Musicians: Phil Keaggy (Vocals, Acoustic and Electric Guitars), Richard Souther (Piano, Keyboards, Synthesizer), Leland Sklar (Bass on “Send Out Your Light”), Leon Gaer (Bass), Jim Gordon (Drums on “Send Out Your Light”), Paul Leim (Drums), Alex Acuña (Percussion). Backing Vocals: Dan Collins, Greg X. Volz, Jamie Owens-Collins, Matthew Ward (“Send Out Your Light”), Mylon LeFevre (“Send Out Your Light”).
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