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{{COI|date=September 2012}}
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{{COI|date=December 2016}}
{{Infobox album | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums -->
{{Infobox album
Name = Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead |
| name = Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead
Type = [[Album]] |
| type = [[Album]]
Artist = [[Vivian Stanshall]] |
| artist = [[Vivian Stanshall]]
Cover = Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead.jpg|
| cover = Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead.jpg
Released = 1974 |
| alt =
| released = August 1974<ref>Welch, Chris and Randall, Lucian, Ginger geezer : the life of Vivian Stanshall, 2002: 159. https://archive.org/details/gingergeezerlife0000rand/page/158/mode/2up?q=umbrellas
Recorded = |
</ref>
Genre = [[Rock music]]<br />[[Comedy music]] |
Length = 41:49|
| recorded =
| venue =
Label = [[Warner Bros. Records]] (1974)<br />Harkit Records (2010)<br/>Poppydisc Records (2012) |
| studio = [[The Manor Studio|The Manor]], Oxfordshire
Producer = John Darnley, Vivian Stanshall |
| genre = [[Rock music]]<br />[[Comedy music]]
Last album = |
| length = 41:49
This album = '''''Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead'''''<br />(1974) |
| label = [[Warner Bros. Records]] (1974)<br />Harkit Records (2010)<br />Poppydisc Records (2012)
Next album = ''[[Sir Henry at Rawlinson End (recording)|Sir Henry at Rawlinson End]]'' (1978) |}} {{Album ratings
| producer = John Darnley, Vivian Stanshall
| rev1 = [[Allmusic]]
| prev_title =
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}} [{{Allmusic|class=album|id=r50033|pure_url=yes}} link]|}}
| prev_year =
'''''Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead''''' is the 1974 debut solo album by British musician, writer and comedian [[Vivian Stanshall]].
| next_title = [[Sir Henry at Rawlinson End (recording)|Sir Henry at Rawlinson End]]
| next_year = 1978
}} {{Album ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/men-opening-umbrellas-ahead-mw0000853450|title=Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead – Vivian Stanshall &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=29 December 2021}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]''
| rev3Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite news |first=Jim|last=Irvin|title=Unsettle down now: Vivian Stanshall ''Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead'' |work=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]] |date=November 2010 |page=120}}</ref>
|
}}


'''''Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead''''' is the 1974 debut solo album by the English musician, writer, poet and comedian [[Vivian Stanshall]].
The initial pressing was withdrawn and [[Deletion (music industry)|deleted]] by Warner Brothers soon after release, having sold only 5,000 copies. The record remained unavailable in any commercial form for a little over 35 years, until its 2010 reissue on CD and vinyl LP by Harkit Records. The CD featured notes by [[Dutch people|Dutch]] [[dada]]-ist Freek Kinkelaar and featured two bonus tracks not on the original LP - "Babtunde" and "Lakonga".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.harkitrecords.com/stanshall.html |title=Vivian Stanshall - Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead |publisher=Harkit Records |year=2013 |accessdate=3 April 2013}}</ref>


==Releases==
A second re-release by Poppydisc Records, again on CD and vinyl LP, followed on 21st May 2012, in a remastered edition sanctioned by Stanshall's estate and family.<ref>[http://www.piccadillyrecords.com/products/VivianStanshall-MenOpeningUmbrellasAhead-Poppydisc-82374.html "Vivian Stanshall: Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead" at piccadillyrecords.com]</ref>
The initial LP pressing was [[Deletion (music industry)|deleted]] by [[Warner Bros. Records]] soon after release, having sold only the initial vinyl pressing of 5,000 copies. The album remained out of print for over 35 years.

In 2010, an unauthorized CD reissue was made available by Harkit Records. The CD featured notes by [[Dutch people|Dutch]] [[dada]]-ist Freek Kinkelaar and featured two bonus tracks not on the original LP: "Baba Tunde" and "Lakonga".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.harkitrecords.com/stanshall.html |title=Vivian Stanshall – Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead |publisher=Harkit Records |year=2013 |access-date=3 April 2013}}</ref> This edition is sourced from a vinyl copy and is a "bootleg" not authorized by the Stanshall estate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/3926869-Vivian-Stanshall-Men-Opening-Umbrellas-Ahead|title=Vivian Stanshall – Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead (2012, Vinyl)|access-date=29 December 2021|website=Discogs.com}}</ref> The bonus tracks come from a rare 1974 Warner Bros. single.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/k16424-2|title=Vivian Stanshall – Lakonga|access-date=29 December 2021|website=45cat.com}}</ref>

Poppydisc Records released a remastered edition, on LP and CD, on 21 May 2012. These are the first re-issues to be authorized by the artist's estate, with a note in CD booklet stating (in bold uppercase) "Do not buy the Harkit Records CD as it is a poor quality bootleg, unauthorized by the Stanshall family".<ref name="media notes">{{Cite AV media notes |id=POPPYCD015 |type=booklet |page=10 |title=Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead |publisher=Poppydisc |year=1974 }}</ref> The remastered CD contains the two bonus tracks, while the vinyl version is the same as the original vinyl LP.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.piccadillyrecords.com/counter/404.php |title=Archived copy |access-date=29 December 2021 |archive-date=30 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130184422/https://www.piccadillyrecords.com/counter/404.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>


== Track listing ==
== Track listing ==
Line 27: Line 41:


=== Side 1 ===
=== Side 1 ===
# Afoju Ti Ole Riran (Dead Eyes) ''(Vivian Stanshall/Gaspar Lawal)''
# "Afoju Ti Ole Riran (Dead Eyes)" (Vivian Stanshall, Gaspar Lawal)
# Truck-Track
# "Truck-Track"
# Yelp, Bellow, Rasp Et Cetera
# "Yelp, Bellow, Rasp Et Cetera"
# Prong
# "Prong"
# Redeye
# "Redeye"


=== Side 2 ===
=== Side 2 ===
# How The Zebra Got His Spots
#<li value="6"> "How The Zebra Got His Spots"
# Dwarf Succulents
# "Dwarf Succulents"
# Bout Of Sobriety
# "Bout of Sobriety"
# Prong & Toots Go Steady
# "Prong & Toots Go Steady"
# Strange Tongues
# "Strange Tongues"


=== Bonus tracks on 2010 reissue (CD version only) ===
=== Bonus tracks on 2010 and 2012 CD reissues ===
:Baba Tunde (single B-side)
#<li value="11"> "Lakonga" (single A-side)
:Lakonga (single A-side)
# "Baba Tunde" (single B-side)
:''(Both tracks written by Stanshall and Lawal)''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/2568316-Vivian-Stanshall-Men-Opening-Umbrellas-Ahead|title=Vivian Stanshall – Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead (2010, CD)|access-date=29 December 2021|website=Discogs.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/6027332-Vivian-Stanshall-Men-Opening-Umbrellas-Ahead|title=Vivian Stanshall – Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead (2012, CD)|access-date=29 December 2021|website=Discogs.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/master/500992-Vivian-Stanshall-Lakonga|title=Vivian Stanshall – Lakonga|website=Discogs.com|access-date=29 December 2021}}</ref><ref name="media notes" />
:''(as tracks 11 and 12 respectively, despite incorrect order as compared<ref>{{cite web|title=Vivian Stanshall - Lakonga 7" single tracklist|url=http://www.discogs.com/Vivian-Stanshall-Lakonga/release/2291529|work=Discogs™ online record database|publisher=Discogs.com|accessdate=24 June 2013}}</ref> to the original Lakonga 7" vinyl single. Both tracks written jointly by Stanshall and Lawal as per album track 1)''


==Personnel==
==Personnel==
*[[Vivian Stanshall]] vocals, [[recorder (musical instrument)|recorder]], [[euphonium]], [[ukulele]], Chelonian pipes

*Anthony "Bubs" White – [[electric guitar]]
*[[Vivian Stanshall]] - vocals, [[recorder (musical instrument)|recorder]], [[euphonium]], [[ukulele]], Chelonian pipes
*Anthony "Bubs" White - [[electric guitar]]
*[[Steve Winwood]] [[bass guitar]], organ
*[[Gasper Lawal]] [[talking drum]]s, [[congas]], [[xylophone]], [[drum kit]] ("How The Zebra Got His Spots")
*[[Steve Winwood]] - [[bass guitar]], organ
*Gaspar Lawal - [[talking drum]]s, [[congas]], [[xylophone]], [[drum kit]] ("How The Zebra Got His Spots")
*[[Neil Innes]] [[piano]], [[slide guitar]], organ ("How The Zebra Got His Spots")
*[[Jim Capaldi]] – [[drum kit]], lesser log
*[[Neil Innes]] - [[piano]], [[slide guitar]], organ ("How The Zebra Got His Spots")
*[[Jim Capaldi]] - [[drum kit]], lesser log
*Deryk Quinn – [[cabassa]], Nigerian coffee tables, greater log
*[[Ric Grech]] violin
*Deryk Quinn - [[cabassa]], Nigerian coffee tables, greater log
*[[Rebop Kwaku Baah]] [[congas]] ("Prong & Toots")
*[[Ric Grech]] - violin
*[[Doris Troy]], [[Madeline Bell]], [[Barry St. John]] backing vocals
*[[Reebop Kwaku Baah]] - [[congas]] ("Prong & Toots")
*Ayus Ape, Gani, Gasper Lawal male [[Yoruba music|Yoruba]] chorus
*[[Doris Troy]], [[Madeline Bell]], Barry St. John - backing vocals
*unidentified [[British West Indies|West Indian]] taxi driver bass guitar ("Lakonga" and "Baba Tunde")
*Ayus Ape, Gani, Gaspar Lawal - male [[Yoruba music|Yoruba]] chorus
*unidentified [[British West Indies|West Indian]] taxi driver - bass guitar ("Lakonga" and "Baba Tunde")
*unidentified West Indian taxi driver's friend drum kit ("Lakonga" and "Baba Tunde")
*unidentified West Indian taxi driver's friend - drum kit ("Lakonga" and "Baba Tunde")


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.gingergeezer.net/moua.html ''Men Opening Umbrellas'' page] on Ginger Geezer website
*[http://www.gingergeezer.net/moua.html ''Men Opening Umbrellas'' page] on Ginger Geezer website


{{Vivian Stanshall}}
[[Category:British music]]
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1974 debut albums]]
[[Category:1974 debut albums]]
[[Category:Vivian Stanshall albums]]
[[Category:Vivian Stanshall albums]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. Records albums]]
[[Category:Warner Records albums]]

Latest revision as of 19:19, 26 September 2024

Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 1974[1]
StudioThe Manor, Oxfordshire
GenreRock music
Comedy music
Length41:49
LabelWarner Bros. Records (1974)
Harkit Records (2010)
Poppydisc Records (2012)
ProducerJohn Darnley, Vivian Stanshall
Vivian Stanshall chronology
Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead
(1974)
Sir Henry at Rawlinson End
(1978)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Mojo[3]

Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead is the 1974 debut solo album by the English musician, writer, poet and comedian Vivian Stanshall.

Releases

[edit]

The initial LP pressing was deleted by Warner Bros. Records soon after release, having sold only the initial vinyl pressing of 5,000 copies. The album remained out of print for over 35 years.

In 2010, an unauthorized CD reissue was made available by Harkit Records. The CD featured notes by Dutch dada-ist Freek Kinkelaar and featured two bonus tracks not on the original LP: "Baba Tunde" and "Lakonga".[4] This edition is sourced from a vinyl copy and is a "bootleg" not authorized by the Stanshall estate.[5] The bonus tracks come from a rare 1974 Warner Bros. single.[6]

Poppydisc Records released a remastered edition, on LP and CD, on 21 May 2012. These are the first re-issues to be authorized by the artist's estate, with a note in CD booklet stating (in bold uppercase) "Do not buy the Harkit Records CD as it is a poor quality bootleg, unauthorized by the Stanshall family".[7] The remastered CD contains the two bonus tracks, while the vinyl version is the same as the original vinyl LP.[8]

Track listing

[edit]

All songs written and arranged by Vivian Stanshall, except where noted:

Side 1

[edit]
  1. "Afoju Ti Ole Riran (Dead Eyes)" (Vivian Stanshall, Gaspar Lawal)
  2. "Truck-Track"
  3. "Yelp, Bellow, Rasp Et Cetera"
  4. "Prong"
  5. "Redeye"

Side 2

[edit]
  1. "How The Zebra Got His Spots"
  2. "Dwarf Succulents"
  3. "Bout of Sobriety"
  4. "Prong & Toots Go Steady"
  5. "Strange Tongues"

Bonus tracks on 2010 and 2012 CD reissues

[edit]
  1. "Lakonga" (single A-side)
  2. "Baba Tunde" (single B-side)
(Both tracks written by Stanshall and Lawal)[9][10][11][7]

Personnel

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Welch, Chris and Randall, Lucian, Ginger geezer : the life of Vivian Stanshall, 2002: 159. https://archive.org/details/gingergeezerlife0000rand/page/158/mode/2up?q=umbrellas
  2. ^ "Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead – Vivian Stanshall | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  3. ^ Irvin, Jim (November 2010). "Unsettle down now: Vivian Stanshall Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead". Mojo. p. 120.
  4. ^ "Vivian Stanshall – Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead". Harkit Records. 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  5. ^ "Vivian Stanshall – Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead (2012, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Vivian Stanshall – Lakonga". 45cat.com. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  7. ^ a b Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead (booklet). Poppydisc. 1974. p. 10. POPPYCD015.
  8. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ^ "Vivian Stanshall – Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead (2010, CD)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Vivian Stanshall – Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead (2012, CD)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  11. ^ "Vivian Stanshall – Lakonga". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
[edit]