Whatevershebringswesing: Difference between revisions

Whatevershebringswesing
Whatevershebringswesing
Studio album by Kevin Ayers
Released	November 1971
Recorded	March–August 1971
Studio	Abbey Road Studios, London
Genre	Psychedelic rock, Canterbury scene, progressive rock, experimental rock
Length	36.09
Label	Harvest
Producer	Kevin Ayers, Andrew King
Kevin Ayers chronology
Singles from Whatevershebringswesing
	"Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes"; Released: 27 August 1971;

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Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]

Whatevershebringswesing is the third solo album by Kevin Ayers, on Harvest Records.

Background

In 1971 Kevin Ayers started recording what would become his most acclaimed album, Whatevershebringswesing accompanied by members of Gong and his previous backing band The Whole World. Praised by NME, Record Mirror and Rolling Stone, the album realized all the musical aspirations Ayers had harboured since the inception of Soft Machine.

As with most Ayers albums, a collision of disparate styles confronts the listener but in this instance they work to extremely powerful effect. The title track with Mike Oldfield's guitar accompaniment and Robert Wyatt's wracked harmonies would become a template for Ayers subsequent '70s output.^[2]

The album opens with "There Is Loving/Among Us" accompanied by David Bedford's dramatic orchestral arrangement. There follow the vignettes "Margaret" and "Oh My" where Ayers juxtaposes terse lyrics against measured backing. "Song from the Bottom of a Well" marries an explosive arrangement, again featuring Oldfield, to Ayers' cryptic lyric "This is a song from the bottom of a well / There are things down here / I've got to try and tell". The title track is notable for Oldfield's extended bass solo at the beginning, while "Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes", a flirtation with Ayers' love of early rock and roll, would become a staple of his live set for years to come, a song he would re-record twice that decade.

Many critics and fans have cited Whatevershebringswesing as their favourite Ayers album and it remains to this day a best seller in his catalogue.^[1]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Kevin Ayers except "Among Us" by David Bedford and "Champagne Cowboy Blues" by Mike Oldfield^[3]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"There is Loving/Among Us/There is Loving"	7:22
2.	"Margaret"	3:20
3.	"Oh My"	2:59
4.	"Song from the Bottom of a Well"	4:37
5.	"Whatevershebringswesing"	8:13
6.	"Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes"	3:24
7.	"Champagne Cowboy Blues"	3:56
8.	"Lullaby"	2:14

2003 reissue bonus tracks^[4]
No.	Title	Length
9.	"Stars" (B-side to "Stranger...")	3:32
10.	"Don't Sing No More Sad Songs"	3:46
11.	"Fake Mexican Tourist Blues" (1976 B-side to "Stranger...")	4:38
12.	"Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes" (early mix; previously unreleased)	3:19

Personnel

Musicians

Kevin Ayers – vocals, guitar, bass (track 6)
David Bedford – keyboards, orchestral arrangements
Mike Oldfield – bass (tracks 1, 3–5), guitar (tracks 5, 7, 9)
Dave Dufort – drums (tracks 1, 4–5)
William Murray – percussion (tracks 2–3, 7)
Tony Carr – drums (tracks 6, 12)
Robert Wyatt – harmony vocals (track 5)
Didier Malherbe – saxophone (track 1), flute (track 8)
Gerry Fields – violin (track 3)
Johnny Van Derrick – violin (tracks 2, 7)
Bruce Malamut – flugelhorns (track 1), incidental brass (tracks 1–2, 5–6, 8, 12), assistant engineer (tracks 1–2)

Technical

Andrew King – producer
Kevin Ayers – producer
Peter Mews – engineer
John Barrett – engineer
Adrian Boot – design
Adrian Lyne – photography

Notes

^ ^a ^b AllMusic Review
^ Everything You Do Is True, As Long As You Believe It – Whatevershebringswesing sleevenotes by Martin Wakeling (Harvest Sept 2006)
^ Oldfield, Mike (2007). Changeling: The Autobiography of Mike Oldfield. p. 106. ISBN 978-1-85227-381-1.
^ "Whatevershebringswesing". Amazon. Retrieved 10 May 2014.

References

Live Review by Richard Williams (Melody Maker, 18 April 1970)
Album review (NME, January 1972)
Album review by Alain Dister (Rock & Folk, June 1972)
Album review (Sounds, 25 January 1972)
Album review (Record Mirror, January 1972)
Album review (Rolling Stone, June 1972)
Everything You Do Is True, As Long As You Believe It – Whatevershebringswesing sleevenotes by Martin Wakeling (Harvest, September 2006)

[AllMusic_Review-1] AllMusic Review

[2] Everything You Do Is True, As Long As You Believe It – Whatevershebringswesing sleevenotes by Martin Wakeling (Harvest Sept 2006)

[3] Oldfield, Mike (2007). Changeling: The Autobiography of Mike Oldfield. p. 106. ISBN 978-1-85227-381-1.

[4] "Whatevershebringswesing". Amazon. Retrieved 10 May 2014.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2013}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
 {{Use British English|date=January 2013}}
-{{Infobox album| <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums -->
+{{Infobox album
-| Name        = Whatevershebringswesing
+| name       = Whatevershebringswesing
-| Type        = [[Album]]
+| type       = studio
-| Artist      = [[Kevin Ayers]]
+| artist     = [[Kevin Ayers]]
-| Cover       = Whatevershe.jpg
+| cover      = Whatevershe.jpg
-| Released    = November 1971
+| alt        =
+| released   = November 1971
-| Recorded    = Mar-Aug 1971; [[Abbey Road Studios]], [[London]]
+| recorded   = March–August 1971
-| Genre       = [[Rock (music)|Rock]]
-| Length      = 36.09
+| venue      =
-| Label       = [[Harvest Records|Harvest]]
+| studio     = [[Abbey Road Studios]], London
+| genre      = [[Psychedelic rock]], [[Canterbury scene]], [[progressive rock]], [[experimental rock]]
-| Producer    = [[Kevin Ayers]] & Andrew King
+| length     = 36.09
-| Last album  = ''[[Shooting at the Moon (album)|Shooting at the Moon]]'' <br /> (1970)
+| label      = [[Harvest Records|Harvest]]
-| This album  = '''''Whatevershebringswesing''''' <br /> (1971)
-| Next album  = ''[[Bananamour]]'' <br /> (1973)
+| producer   = [[Kevin Ayers]], Andrew King
+| prev_title = [[Shooting at the Moon (album)|Shooting at the Moon]]
+| prev_year  = 1970
+| next_title = [[Bananamour]]
+| next_year  = 1973
+| misc       = {{Singles
+ | name        = Whatevershebringswesing
+ | type        = studio
+ | single1     = [[Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes]]
+ | single1date = 27 August 1971
+}}
+}}
+{{Music ratings
+|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
+|rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="AllMusic Review">[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r29620|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic Review]</ref>
 }}
-{{Album ratings
-|rev1 = [[Allmusic]]
-|rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>[{{Allmusic|class=album|id=r29620|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic review]</ref>
-|rev2 = [[Piero Scaruffi]]
-|rev2score = (6.5/10)<ref name="scaruffireview">{{cite web |first=Piero |last=Scaruffi |url=http://www.scaruffi.com/vol3/ayers.html |title=Kevin Ayers |publisher=pieroscaruffi.com |year=1999 |accessdate=16 August 2013}}</ref>
-}}<!-- Automatically generated by DASHBot-->
-'''''Whatevershebringswesing''''' is the third solo album by [[Kevin Ayers]].
+'''''Whatevershebringswesing''''' is the third solo album by [[Kevin Ayers]], on [[Harvest Records]].
-In 1971, Kevin Ayers started recording what would become his most acclaimed album, ''Whatevershebringswesing'' accompanied by members of [[Gong (band)|Gong]] and his previous backing band The Whole World. Praised by [[NME]], [[Record Mirror]] and [[Rolling Stone]], the album realized all the musical aspirations Ayers had harboured since the inception of Soft Machine.
+==Background==
-As with most Ayers albums, a collision of disparate styles confronts the listener but in this instance they work to extremely powerful effect. The title track with [[Mike Oldfield]]'s guitar accompaniment and [[Robert Wyatt]]’s wracked harmonies would become a template for Ayers subsequent 70s output.<ref> ''Everything You Do Is True, As Long As You Believe It'' - ''Whatevershebringswesing'' sleevenotes by Martin Wakeling (Harvest Sept 2006)</ref>
+In 1971 Kevin Ayers started recording what would become his most acclaimed album, ''Whatevershebringswesing'' accompanied by members of [[Gong (band)|Gong]] and his previous backing band The Whole World. Praised by ''[[NME]]'', ''[[Record Mirror]]'' and ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', the album realized all the musical aspirations Ayers had harboured since the inception of Soft Machine.
-The album opens with "There Is Loving/Among Us" accompanied by [[David Bedford]]’s dramatic orchestral arrangement. There follow the vignettes "Margaret" and "Oh My" where Ayers juxtaposes terse lyrics against measured backing. "Song From A Bottom of a Well" marries an explosive arrangement, again featuring Oldfield, to Ayers’ cryptic lyric "This is a song from the bottom of a well / There are things down here / I've got to try and tell". The title track is notable for Oldfield's extended bass solo at the beginning, while "[[Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes]]", a flirtation with Ayers' love of early [[rock and roll]], would become a staple of his live set for years to come, a song he would re-record twice that decade.
+As with most Ayers albums, a collision of disparate styles confronts the listener but in this instance they work to extremely powerful effect. The title track with [[Mike Oldfield]]'s guitar accompaniment and [[Robert Wyatt]]'s wracked harmonies would become a template for Ayers subsequent '70s output.<ref>''Everything You Do Is True, As Long As You Believe It'' – ''Whatevershebringswesing'' sleevenotes by Martin Wakeling (Harvest Sept 2006)</ref>
-Many critics and fans have cited ''Whatevershebringswesing'' as their favourite Ayers album and it remains to this day a best seller in his catalogue.<ref> [{{Allmusic|class=album|id=r29620|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic Guide 2006]</ref> A reissue in 2003 added four additional songs; "[[Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes|Stars]]" (B-side to "Stranger..."), "Don’t Sing No more Sad Songs", "Fake Mexican Tourist Blues" (1976 B-side to "Stranger...") and "Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes" (Early Mix Previously Unreleased).
+The album opens with "There Is Loving/Among Us" accompanied by [[David Bedford]]'s dramatic orchestral arrangement. There follow the vignettes "Margaret" and "Oh My" where Ayers juxtaposes terse lyrics against measured backing. "Song from the Bottom of a Well" marries an explosive arrangement, again featuring Oldfield, to Ayers' cryptic lyric "This is a song from the bottom of a well / There are things down here / I've got to try and tell". The title track is notable for Oldfield's extended bass solo at the beginning, while "[[Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes]]", a flirtation with Ayers' love of early [[rock and roll]], would become a staple of his live set for years to come, a song he would re-record twice that decade.
-==Quotes==
+Many critics and fans have cited ''Whatevershebringswesing'' as their favourite Ayers album and it remains to this day a best seller in his catalogue.<ref name="AllMusic Review"/>
-<blockquote>
-"At one of the recording sessions at Abbey Road, I turned up a bit early, as usual. When everyone was supposed to arrive, nobody came, so it was just me and the engineer, Peter Mew, sitting there in Studio Number Two, twiddling our thumbs and waiting. I said, 'Well, look, nobody's going to turn up, I'll make a track,' and so he said, 'All right then.' In about an hour and a half I made an entire track: all the overdubbing, the percussion, the guitar and bass - I did three harmonized electric guitars. I was really getting carried away, it was all a bit megalomaniacal. I got the entire staff of the studio in at one point to sing some lyrics I made up. I was having a ball and it sounded bloody good as well.
-<br /><br />
-Eventually, Kevin rolled in. I said, 'I've done it, I've done a track!' He was a bit put out, I think, that I had taken over his studio time, so my track was taken off the machine. [...] He did keep it as a backing track: he put some different words to it and it was put on the album, I think it's called 'Champagne Cowboy Blues.'" (Mike Oldfield, from ''Changeling: The Autobiography'' ISBN 978-0-7535-1307-1)
-</blockquote>
 ==Track listing==
+{{Track listing
-Side 1
+| all_writing = Kevin Ayers except "Among Us" by David Bedford and "Champagne Cowboy Blues" by Mike Oldfield<ref>{{cite book|last1=Oldfield|first1=Mike|title=Changeling: The Autobiography of Mike Oldfield|date=2007|isbn=978-1-85227-381-1|page=106|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0fcPAwAACAAJ}}</ref>
-# "There is Loving (Ayers)/Among Us (Bedford)/There is Loving (Ayers)" (7:22)
+| title1 = There is Loving/Among Us/There is Loving
-# "Margaret" (3:20) (Ayers)
+| length1 = 7:22
-# "Oh My" (2:59) (Ayers)
+| title2 = Margaret
-# "Song from the Bottom of a Well" (4:37) (Ayers)
+| length2 = 3:20
-Side 2
+| title3 = Oh My
-# "Whatevershebringswesing" (8:13) (Ayers)
+| length3 = 2:59
-# "[[Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes]]" (3:24) (Ayers)
+| title4 = Song from the Bottom of a Well
-# "Champagne Cowboy Blues" (3:56) (Ayers)
+| length4 = 4:37
-# "Lullabye" (2:14) (Ayers)
+| title5 = Whatevershebringswesing
+| length5 = 8:13
+| title6 = [[Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes]]
+| length6 = 3:24
+| title7 = Champagne Cowboy Blues
+| length7 = 3:56
+| title8 = Lullaby
+| length8 = 2:14
+}}
+{{Track listing
+| headline = 2003 reissue bonus tracks<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Whatevershebring-Kevin-Ayers/dp/B00008Y2IW/ref=tmm_acd_title_0/175-0370792-4385563|title=Whatevershebringswesing|website=Amazon |accessdate=2014-05-10}}</ref>
+| title9 = [[Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes|Stars]]
+| note9 = B-side to "Stranger..."
+| length9 = 3:32
+| title10 = Don't Sing No More Sad Songs
+| length10 = 3:46
+| title11 = Fake Mexican Tourist Blues
+| note11 = 1976 B-side to "Stranger..."
+| length11 = 4:38
+| title12 = Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes
+| note12 = early mix; previously unreleased
+| length12 = 3:19
+}}
 ==Personnel==
+===Musicians===
-*[[Kevin Ayers]] / vocals, guitar, bass (6)
+* [[Kevin Ayers]] – vocals, guitar, bass (track 6)
-*[[David Bedford]] / keyboards (1,2,5,6,8,12), orchestral arrangements
+* [[David Bedford]] – keyboards, orchestral arrangements
-*[[Mike Oldfield]] / bass (1,3,4), guitar (5,7)
-*[[Dave Dufort]] / drums (1,4,5)
+* [[Mike Oldfield]] – bass (tracks 1, 3–5), guitar (tracks 5, 7, 9)
+* [[Dave Dufort]] – drums (tracks 1, 4–5)
-*[[William Murray (musician)|William Murray]] / percussion (2,3,7)
+* [[William Murray (musician)|William Murray]] – percussion (tracks 2–3, 7)
-*Tony Carr / drums (6,12)
+* Tony Carr – drums (tracks 6, 12)
-*[[Robert Wyatt]] / Harmony vocals (5)
-*[[Didier Malherbe]] / saxophone (1), flute (8)
+* [[Robert Wyatt]] – [[harmony vocals]] (track 5)
+* [[Didier Malherbe]] – saxophone (track 1), flute (track 8)
-*Gerry Fields / violin (3)
-*Johnny Van Derek / violin (2,7)
+* Gerry Fields – violin (track 3)
+* Johnny Van Derrick – violin (tracks 2, 7)
-*Bruce Malamut / flugelhorns (1), incidental brass (1,2,5,6,8,12), ass't engineer (1,2)
+* Bruce Malamut – [[flugelhorns]] (track 1), incidental brass (tracks 1–2, 5–6, 8, 12), assistant engineer (tracks 1–2)
+===Technical===
+* [[Andrew King (music manager)|Andrew King]] – producer
+* Kevin Ayers – producer
+* Peter Mews – [[audio engineer|engineer]]
+* John Barrett – engineer
+* Adrian Boot – design
+* Adrian Lyne – photography
 ==Notes==
@@ Line 69: / Line 104: @@
 ==References==
-* Live Review by Richard Williams (Melody Maker, 18 April 1970)
+* Live Review by Richard Williams (''Melody Maker'', 18 April 1970)
-* Album Review (NME, Jan 1972)
+* Album review (''NME'', January 1972)
-* Album Review by Alain Dister (Rock & Folk, Jun 1972)
+* Album review by Alain Dister (''Rock & Folk'', June 1972)
-* Album Review (Sounds, 25 January 1972)
+* Album review (''Sounds'', 25 January 1972)
-* Album Review (Record Mirror, Jan 1972)
+* Album review (''Record Mirror'', January 1972)
-* Album Review (Rolling Stone, Jun 1972)
+* Album review (''Rolling Stone'', June 1972)
-*''Everything You Do Is True, As Long As You Believe It'' - ''Whatevershebringswesing'' sleevenotes by Martin Wakeling (Harvest Sept 2006)
+*''Everything You Do Is True, As Long As You Believe It'' – ''Whatevershebringswesing'' sleevenotes by Martin Wakeling (Harvest, September 2006)
 {{Kevin Ayers}}
+{{Authority control}}
 [[Category:1971 albums]]

v t e Kevin Ayers
Studio albums	Joy of a Toy (1969) Shooting at the Moon (1970) Whatevershebringswesing (1971) Bananamour (1973) The Confessions of Dr. Dream and Other Stories (1974) Sweet Deceiver (1975) Yes We Have No Mañanas (So Get Your Mañanas Today) (1976) Rainbow Takeaway (1978) That's What You Get Babe (1980) Diamond Jack and the Queen of Pain (1983) Deià...Vu (1984) As Close As You Think (1986) Falling Up (1988) Still Life with Guitar (1992) The Unfairground (2007)
Collaborations	June 1, 1974 (1974) Lady June's Linguistic Leprosy (1974)
Singles	"Singing a Song in the Morning" "Butterfly Dance" "Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes" "Oh! Wot a Dream" "Caribbean Moon" "Star" "Mr. Cool" "Money Money Money" "Animals" "Who's Still Crazy"
Related articles	Soft Machine Robert Wyatt Daevid Allen