Staircase to the Day

Description

Staircase to the Day is the fourth and final studio album by the British progressive rock band Gravy Train, released on Dawn Records in ‎1974. The album was recorded by Vic Smith (Vic Coppersmith-Heaven) and Simon Heyworth at The Manor Studios in Oxford, England; with Smith producing for Mike Vaughan Productions Ltd. Mixed by Vic Smith at Manor Studios. Arrangements by Vic Smith and the band. Artwork by Roger Dean.

Gravy Train features Norman Barrett on lead vocals and acoustic and electric guitar, George Lynon on acoustic and electric guitar, John D. Hughes on acoustic and electric piano, clavinet, organ, mellotron, and flute, Les Williams on bass, and Russell Caldwell (Cordwell) on drums. Tracks A1 and B1 feature Peter Solley on synthesizer while tracks A4 and B4 feature Mary Zinovieff on synthesizer and electric violin, resepctively. Tracks A1 and B1 feature Jim Frank on drums, as well as harp on A3.

In July the following year Gravy Train released a final single produced by Vic Smith, “Climb Aboard The Gravy Train (And Get On To A Good Thing)”, b/w “Sanctuary”, before the band broke up. Around 1980 Norman Barratt and Russell Caldwell formed a new band simply entitled Barratt Band.

(Gravy Train had been working on new tracks for a future effort, but as the band broke up in 1975 after the release of their final single, a fifth Gravy Train album never unfolded. Though later some of these songs actually were included on Barratt Band’s debut album, Playing in the City. As well, in 1976, and again produced by Vic Smith, a few tracks were recorded by Norman Barratt, including “Never Seen Your Face”, “Nowhere To Run”, two versions of “Playing In The City” and “Not The Way”. All were Barratt’s compositions. These five recordings are featured as bonus tracks on the double CD compilation Strength of a Dream: The Gravy Train Anthology, released on Sanctuary Records in 2006).

[Dave Thompson, AMG]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/staircase-to-the-day/1583679006)

LP tracklist:

Side One
A1. “Starbright Starlight”
A2. “Bring My Life On Back To Me”
A3. “Never Wanted You”
A4. “Staircase To The Day”

Side Two
B1. “Going For A Quick One”
B2. “The Last Day”
B3. “Evening Of My Life”
B4. “Busted In Schenectady”

Note: The LP was housed in a gatefold sleeve. “Starbright Starlight” was released as a 7-inch vinyl single, featuring the non-album track “Good Time Thing” as the B-side. A remastered version of the album was re-issued on CD by Repertoire Records in 2007 as a Limited Edition Mini LP Papersleeve, featuring four bonus tracks taken from the band’s two final singles (“Starbright Starlight” (Single Version), “Good Time Thing”, “Climb Aboard The Gravy Train”, and “Sanctuary”).

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