Nice Enough To Eat – sampler Island Records 1969 & record covers

nice-enough

post suggested by Mark Sims & Eric Cawthraw

1. Fairport Convention – Cajun Woman
2. Mott The Hoople – At The Crossroads
3. Spooky Tooth – Better By You, Better Than Me
4. Jethro Tull – We Used To Know
5. Free – Woman
6. Heavy Jelly – I Keep Singing That Same Old Song
7. Blodwyn Pig – Sing Me A Song That I Know
8. Traffic – Forty Thousand Headmen
9. Nick Drake – Time Has Told Me
10. King Crimson – 21st Century Schizoid Man
11. Quintessence – Gungamai
12. Dr. Strangely Strange – Strangely Strange But Oddly Normal

Eric Cawthraw… Sampler albums eh! I’ve still got a copy of Island’s ‘Nice Enough to Eat’ – it was either 14/6 or 14/11, not too sure. It had some good stuff on it – Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Free and I particularly liked the Quintessence track – Gungamai. (I thing that’s the Ganges). It has been covered several times and was in the charts – by god knows who now! (John Storer – over to you, no pressure). Ah Quintessence – another great pier gig. As for the re-assurgence of albums – if you go to any major gig in the last 3 or 4 years – there is always LPs in the merchandising. I think the kids are beginning to get the fact that the artwork and the music are integral and should not be divorced as it is with downloads and even CDs for that matter. If anyone gets the chance to go to the Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham – go to St. Paul’s Gallery. It’s an art gallery specializing in LP cover art. They do it all properly – getting licences from the artists/record companies and then produce limited editions, they’re damn expensive mind but some are signed by the original artists. There is/was a lot of Hipgnosis stuff: Pink Floyd and Wishbone Ash. They even had a copy of the Sgt. Peppers album cover – the one that wasn’t used in the end. I see they have a website now – worth a browse. When I was chatting to the gallery owner, we were berating the fact that the art and music were no longer integral. I said that in times gone by the composers were influenced by the painters and in turn, the painters by the composers. I also said that you know damn well that when that cave-man made rock drawings he was going to be chanting. OK, so I’m nearly old enough to remember it first hand – I hear you thinking. It impressed him and the Mrs. and I were invited to a private gig the next day at the gallery to see Gordon Giltrapp. We had to refuse as we were off back to sunny Hastings! I’ve not had the opportunity to go back there since – it was about 4-ish years ago now. I’m pleased to see that the business is still operating.

Hipgnosis link…

http://www.hipgnosiscovers.com

Patrick Lewis… I  had this one – favourite track :Time Has Told Me by Nick Drake.

Jim Breeds…. I  remember seeing that in the shops and always meant to buy a copy. n:-/

John Wilde…..Quintessence!

Dave Miller…..Dr. Strangely Strange

Phil Thornton…..strangely strange but oddly normal as I recall !  classic album ! I keep singing that same old song by Heavy Jelly was written by local musician Colin Gibson – excellent track ! Ive loved the song since I heard it on NETE in 1969, I’ve known Colin for years but only found out he wrote it a few months ago !!!

Philip John….Mott the Hoople too.

Jon McCallion…..I still have it, Pristine condition, fantastic album.

John Storer…..When one looks at the track listing today the track selection was rather eclectic, to say the least. However, pretty much a “who’s who” of its time (with the possible exception of Heavy Jelly) Worth the cover price just for “Time Has Told Me” by Nick Drake, which sounds even better today than it did back then

Pete Prescott….I still play it ! massive influence on me also time has told me by nick drake (one of my all time fav tracks) played the album to death. When I play it on my old record player it crackles and when Roger told me about the Colin Gibson track it made it more special. I also played a double album sanpler called “all good clean fun” anyone got that ? alan we need an “old records night” we bring our best 20 lp’s along !

Mick Mepham…..Got it.

Andy Qunta….Yup, Tony & I had that one! Fabulous album! So much great stuff! Brilliant!

Tony Qunta….Great compilation album! Loved the whole album! It was a huge influence and is embedded in my teenage years! :-

Kev Towner… Got this somewhere.

Mike Curtis….  This was my introduction to Nick Drake

Robert Searle… I used to have this, wished I still had it

Geoff Peckham… Playing my copy now for the first time in 4 decades! Still in good nick, amazingly. Better By You… the Spooky Tooth one. I remember covering it with some band at the time. And We Used to Know – Anderson writing a song for us old gits 45 years later! Yeah, get your turntable down, it’s fun!

Nigel Ford… I still have my copy and have played tracks from it on HASTINGS ROCK Radio. KRISHNA KUDU (from Maidstone area)used to cover Heavy Jelly’s ” I keep singing that same old song ” brilliantly, aswell as others (Rare Bird, Sabbath, Spooky Tooth, Purple etc) at Battle Memorial hall dances around 1970 HRH Nige (that’s Hastings Rock Heavy!!) I’ll look it out as price sticker still on it and I believe 12/6?

John Wilde… Time has told me. Nick Drake. Utterly beautiful.

Will Cornell… I first heard Nick Drake in something called “The Antilles Sampler”–from the Island offshoot…it was “Northern Sky”. I’ve bought complete Drake collections in vinyl and CDs over the years since–even the disc with some of his Mom’s songs. I don’t know if it aired over in the UK but Americans as a whole were really first turned onto Nick Drake with “Pink Moon” played as a soundtrack to a Volkswagen TV commercial around 10 years ago. Which proved to me “going corporate” wasn’t such a bad thing. After all, we waited some 30 years for numbskulls in radio to “get it” and they refused. VW didn’t–someone who worked at their ad agency was cooler than the average baseball jacket wearing insufferable DJ.

Pete Prescott… My copy is a bit worn. I have had it 44 years. I saw Quintessence at the oval in 71. Mott the Hoople were in that gig. I feel in love with Nick Drakes music and still play time has told me. My wife has just given me the new Nick Drake bio. It’s huge ! £35 brilliant. I play We Used To Know with Roger Carey at gigs.

Terry Huggins… Yep. I got that one. I seem to recall that both samplers were re released as a CD and called Nice enough for you all to join in or something like that.

John Wilde.. I was at the Quintessence gig. Heady days. Great times.

Phil Thornton… Colin Gibson wrote track 6.

Dave Nattress… Remember this one now – I know I haven’t got it but I must go and check out the vaults and see what I have got. Another “sampler” series was called Front Runners produced by the Melody Maker – in Vinvl LP form, several albums I think. Just found one (in the vaults) Front Runners Volume II with tracks by Sutherland Brothers and Quiver (post amalgamation), Jeff Beck, Jaco Patorious, Lone Star, Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Blue Oyster Cult – labeL says 1975 and 1976 releases. Another “40 Great Tracks Rock Heroes” on the Pickwick label – must have been Woolies – sort of remember buying it. Tracks by Ten Years After, Gentle Giant, Procul Harem, Dr. John, Gerry Rafferty, Robin Trower, Rory Gallagher – many on reflection were single hits. Latest release date on label is 1978 other tracks obviously older. This site is just so brilliant for bringing back long forgotten memories. So many spin-off comments and links to so much, long forgotten. Seriously…how important is SMART to us all – especially maybe us of a certain age. In my case 3 and 60 years. Yes, I know it’s just a number but a bit of a frightener!!

Here’s a rare live video of Spooky Tooth…

Chris Giles… This one sounds good. That sounds like a brilliant sampler

Nigel Sherwood… Kevin Sherwood, remember this well.

Chris Meachen… And all for the ridiculously low price of 10’6d, if memory serves. Still have it,- must fetch it out & give it a whirl!

Terry Pack… I had that one, too.

Pete Prescott… I’ll bring my copy along to the next meeting ! Plus all good clean fun and any other goodies !

Pete Fisher… wore this one out too!

Colin Gibson… PS: It was 15/11 as far as I recall. And yes, I wrote track 6

Pete Fisher… excellent band name – more info please!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skip_Bifferty

Pete Fisher… so you were the bass player too Colin! wow!

14045661_939960692816055_6238658890026819306_n

Sarah Harvey… Classic Samplers From Start To Finish. The first of a regular feature playing you those samplers from yesteryear in their entirety. This month its ‘NICE ENOUGH TO EAT’. Saturday 27th August 2016 5pm UK (12 noon EST). (Will be repeated) . http://slammintunes.com Email me at  sarah@slammintunes.com Text us 01274-288637 in the UK or 929-238-8637 in the US Also available on tunein app

Andy Knight… Got this, still play it, brilliant.

Jan Warren… Yep, still got this!!

Alan Pepper… Who remembers a double album called Bumpers I think that was on Island label ?

Paul Richardson… Strangely Strange but Oddly Normal! Brilliant!

Andrew Baker… I bought this album when it first came out but played it so regularly that it suffered inevitable damage and a couple of tracks would skip where small scratches were. Managed to get a pristine copy from Ebay recently and now I can appreciate it again in all its glory( on a decent hifi system too). Only trouble is, I got so used to the “skipping” tracks that it is strange to hear them 100% perfect!! I don’t think there is a bum track on this album and most of them are classic status – never get tired of listening to it . Of course it does have heavy nostalgia attached to it but it is still a brilliant album of very varied styles which all work for me

Andrew Baker… There were some other good samplers around ar the time – notably ; Fill Your Head With Rock, The Rock Machine Turns You On – both of which introduced me to new bands/singers but Nice Enough To Eat was the best of the bunch with every track a winner. I am just listening to it and can’t believe how varied and original it was. It got me into quite a few new bands at the time but was also a great album in it’s own right with a very well balanced mix of styles. Having given away all my old samplers and other lp’s some time agoi have recently sourced some pristine copies of these albums on Ebay for reasonable amounts and am once again thoroughly enjoying them

Jan Warren… I’ve still got most of these, all the originals that I bought from “Beaneys” record shop in Bexhill in the early 70s!!

Paul Huggett… Had that on vinyl, now got it again in digital form on Spotify. Excellent! Also the Rock Machine and a few others. As Alan says, sampler albums introduced me to lots of new music.

Peter Houghton… I have all the island samplers along with all good clean fun suck it and see vertigo album and the harvest bag sampler el pea

Phil Thornton… Track 6 is still a favourite !

Pete Prescott… I’m playing Porters with roger Carey this Wednesday and we will play a few tracks from this amazing album.

Nigel Ford… Must say pastry letters don’t seem at all appetising…. rather have alphabeti spaghetti. Found mine and the big green price sticker says 15/6. I’m no musician but “Better” doesn’t seem very challenging to play. Rare BIrds “As your mind Flies by” was a particular favourite of the Battle crowd when Krishna Kudu did it. First time I’d witnessed Strobe lighting when they featured it in their set.

6 thoughts on “Nice Enough To Eat – sampler Island Records 1969 & record covers”

  1. I still have my copy and have played tracks from it on HASTINGS ROCK Radio.
    KRISHNA KUDU (from Maidstone area)used to cover Heavy Jelliy’s ” I keep singing that same old song ” brilliantly, aswell as others (Rare Bird, Sabbath, Spooky Tooth, Purple etc) at Battle Memorial hall dances around 1970 HRH Nige (that’s Hastings Rock Heavy!!)
    I’ll look it out as price sticker still on it and I believe 12/6?

    Reply
  2. Remember this one now – I know I haven’t got it but I must go and check out the vaults and see what I have got. Another “sampler” series was called Front Runners produced by the Melody Maker – in Vinvl LP form, several albums I think. Just found one (in the vaults) Front Runners Volume II with tracks by Sutherland Brothers and Quiver (post amalgamation), Jeff Beck, Jaco Patorious, Lone Star, Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Blue Oyster Cult – labeL says 1975 and 1976 releases. Another “40 Great Tracks Rock Heroes” on the Pickwick label – must have been Woolies – sort of remember buying it. Tracks by Ten Years After, Gentle Giant, Procul Harem, Dr. John, Gerry Rafferty, Robin Trower, Rory Gallagher – many on reflection were single hits. Latest release date on label is 1978 other tracks obviously older. This site is just so brilliant for bringing back long forgotten memories. So many spin-off comments and links to so much, long forgotten. Seriously…how important is SMART to us all – especially maybe us of a certain age. In my case 3 and 60 years. Yes, I know it’s just a number but a bit of a frightener!!

    Reply
  3. I bought this album when it first came out but played it so regularly that it suffered inevitable damage and a couple of tracks would skip where small scratches were. Managed to get a pristine copy from Ebay recently and now I can appreciate it again in all its glory( on a decent hifi system too). Only trouble is, I got so used to the “skipping” tracks that it is strange to hear them 100% perfect!! I don’t think there is a bum track on this album and most of them are classic status – never get tired of listening to it . Of course it does have heavy nostalgia attached to it but it is still a brilliant album of very varied styles which all work for me

    Reply
  4. There were some other good samplers around ar the time – notably ; Fill Your Head With Rock, The Rock Machine Turns You On – both of which introduced me to new bands/singers but Nice Enough To Eat was the best of the bunch with every track a winner. I am just listening to it and can’t believe how varied and original it was. It got me into quite a few new bands at the time but was also a great album in it’s own right with a very well balanced mix of styles. Having given away all my old samplers and other lp’s some time agoi have recently sourced some pristine copies of these albums on Ebay for reasonable amounts and am once again thoroughly enjoying them

    Reply
  5. Must say pastry letters don’t seem at all appetising…. rather have alphabeti spaghetti.
    Found mine and the big green price sticker says 15/6.
    I’m no musician but “Better” doesn’t seem very challenging to play. Rare BIrds “As your mind Flies by” was a particular favourite of the Battle crowd when Krishna Kudu did it. First time I’d witnessed Strobe lighting when they featured it in their set.

    Reply

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