BOC: early Albert vocals

Chris Baker Nebosuke at AOL.COM
Fri Jul 4 19:14:35 EDT 1997


Regarding vocals on early live versions of Astronomy and Dominance and
Submission:  It seems to me that I've seen somewhere a rundown on the
distribution of early vocal duties on these songs. However I can't locate it,
so relying on my own failing memory and the meager archival recordings I have
from the period...

I remember Albert singing Dominance in the first (pre-Secret Treaties) shows
in which I saw it.  This was borne out by pulling out the tape of the New
Year's Eve '73 show (Academy of Music, NYC). Eric introduces it, but Albert
sings it; it features an interesting (embryonic?) take on the "It will be
time" line, plus a spirited cry of "No monitor!" before the second verse.

Astronomy, which follows, has vocals by a Bouchard -- at first I had assumed
it was Albert, listening to again made me wonder if it is Joe (possible?) --
on the verses, and Eric sings the chorus. If that's the correct term given
the song structure: at any rate Eric sings the "Four winds at..." and "Call
me Desdinova..." parts.  He also introduces the song as "Astronomy, a Star"
(although I don't know what punctuation he's using); he calls it that twice,
so I assume that that was its title at the time.  As I recall the album
itself was being referred to as "Power in the Hands of Fools" up until almost
the release, just before Easter '74.  I don't think I knew the actual title
until I bought it.  Eric introduces D&S in this show too, just to make things
more confusing.

A year later (viz. Boston Orpheum 12/28/74) Eric was singing both of these,
and I don't think the vocal duties ever reverted, although I'd be interested
in knowing when the changeover was, or if there was a time when different
guys handled it on different nights.  Albert? Anyone?



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