Hollywood Dream is the only studio album by British Rock music band Thunderclap Newman.
Overview
The album was produced by
The Who's guitarist and songwriter
Pete Townshend, who was also responsible for the band's initial formation.
[Sleeve notes on 1996 CD reissue of Speedy Keen solo album Y'Know Wot I Mean? (Island Records / Edsel EDCD 462)] Townshend helped the group to obtain a recording contract with
Track Records, a company formed by
Kit Lambert and
Chris Stamp, who were managers of The Who. Townshend also played bass on the album, credited under the pseudonym "Bijou Drains", although the later CD releases do not credit him.
[Sleeve notes on 1991 CD reissue of Hollywood Dream (PolyGram / Polydor Records 833 794-2)] Track Records licensed the recordings to Atlantic Records for initial release in the U.S.
The group's first single, "Something in the Air", was a UK number 1 hit and is the song for which Thunderclap Newman are best known.
The original 1970 release opened with "Hollywood #1", with the title track, an instrumental by young guitarist Jimmy McCulloch, appearing toward the end of Side 2. The album then culminated in a reprise of the opener, "Hollywood #2" (featuring a miscellany of instruments including soprano saxophones, glockenspiel, sleigh bells, a Japanese battle cymbal and a Chinese temple block), and finally "Something in the Air".
In 1973, the album was reissued in the U.S. by MCA Records with different cover art. For its CD release in 1991, "Something in the Air" was moved to the start of the record. This version also added the single versions of "Something In The Air" (different mix from the album version), "Accidents" and "The Reason", and the three non-album B-sides as bonus tracks.
"Something in the Air" makes a brief appearance in the 1969 film The Magic Christian starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr. It also appears on the accompanying soundtrack LP. The song also appears in the 1970 film The Strawberry Statement and the movie's soundtrack album.
Track listing
All songs written by Speedy Keen unless otherwise stated.
- Side one
-
"Hollywood #1" – 3:20
-
"The Reason" – 4:05
-
"Open the Door, Homer" (Bob Dylan) – 3:00
-
"Look Around" – 2:59
-
"Accidents" – 9:40
- Side two
-
"Wild Country" – 4:14
-
"When I Think" – 3:06
-
"The Old Cornmill" – 3:58
-
"I Don't Know" – 3:44
-
"Hollywood Dream" (Instrumental) (Jack McCulloch, Jimmy McCulloch) – 3:06
-
"Hollywood #2" – 2:54
-
"Something in the Air" – 3:54
- 1991 CD reissue and bonus tracks
For this release, "Something in the Air" became the opening track and the album was augmented by the A and B-sides of the singles released by Thunderclap Newman.
-
- "Something in the Air" (Radio edit) – 3:54
-
"Wilhelmina" (Andy Newman) – 2:56
-
"Accidents" (Single version) – 3:46
-
"I See It All" (Jack McCulloch, Jimmy McCulloch) – 2:46
-
"The Reason" (Single version) – 3:47
-
"Stormy Petrel" (Newman) – 2:57
Personnel
- Thunderclap Newman
-
Speedy Keen – lead vocalist, , percussion, acoustic guitar, conga, glockenspiel, gong,
-
Andy Newman – piano, organ, soprano saxophone, bass saxophone, oboe, tin whistle, glockenspiel, cor anglais, Bengali , Japanese battle cymbal, handbell, zill, jingle bell, Chinese Wooden fish, backing vocalist
-
Jimmy McCulloch – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, maracas, wood block, backing vocals
- Additional musicians
- Production
Notes
