Album: Say It Ain't So
Artist: Murray Head
1975 A&M Records
CD: VPCD 4558

Murray Head: lead vocals, acoustic guitar, Fender Rhodes piano
Bob Weston: acoustic, slide and electric guitars, backing vocals
Alun Davies: guitar, backing vocals
Jim Cregan: guitar
Mickey Finn: rhythm guitar
Graham Preskett: mandolin
Bruce Lynch: acoustic & electric bass guitar
Brian Brocklehurst: acoustic bass
Arthur Watts: string bass (5)
Nicky South: bass guitar
Chaz Jankel: Wurlitzer electric piano
Tony Kaye: piano (5)
Ann Odell: strings arrangement, piano, ARP synthesizer
Billy Day: organ
Brian Johnston: Fender Rhodes electric piano
Simon Philips: drums
Gerry Conway: drums
Glen Lefleur: drums, percussion
Pete Thompson: drums
Morris Pert: log drums
Brother James: congas, percussion
Chili Charles: percussion
PJ Crotty: tin whistle
The Tropic Isles: steel band
Anthony Head: backing vocals
Vicky Brown: backing vocals
Liza Strike: backing vocals
Sue Lynch: backing vocals
Pam Keevil: backing vocals
John Altman: clarinet (5)
Anthony Healey: trombone (5)
Noel Norris: trumpet (5)


Produced by Paul Samwell-Smith
Martin Levan: engineer, mixing
Robin Black: engineer, mixing
Mike Bobak: mixing
Gered Mankowitz: photography



Tracks:
Side A:
1. "Say It Ain't So Joe" [M Head] (4:36)
2. "Boy on the Bridge" [M Head] (3:48)
3. "Boats Away" [M Head] (4:18)
4. "When I'm Yours" [M Head] (4:04)
5. "Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat" [Leon René, Otis René, Emerson Scott] (2:44)

Side B:
6. "She's Such a Drag" [M Head] (4:17)
7. "Never Even Thought" [M Head] (5:02)
8. "Silence Is a Strong Reply" [M Head/Weston] (2:49)
9. "Don't Forget Him Now" [M Head] (4:26)
10. "You're So Tasty" [M Head] (3:27)



Notes: My CD's liner notes are so minimal that they just give track names, times and the producer. Credits here are from Wikipedia. Murray Head is an English actor and singer. He played Judas on the 1970 album Jesus Christ Superstar, thus singing the US top 20 hit single "Superstar". Say It Ain't So is his second and best known solo album. It sold over a million copies, according to Head. His younger brother, Anthony Stewart Head, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame, provides backing vocals.

Most of the album was written in 1974, but poor sales of his debut solo album saw Head lost his recording contract and there was a delay before he got to record this album. (1), backed with (9), was the first single, released 1975. Head has said the track is about fallen heroes, referencing Richard Nixon and baseball player Joe Jackson. Roger Daltrey covered the song on his solo album One of the Boys (1977) and also released it as a single outside the UK (it made #20 in the Netherlands). Various other acts subsequently covered it, including The Hollies and Gary Brooker. (5) is a 1941 ragtime composition, first recorded by The Ink Spots. It was released as a single in 1976, backed with (6). (5) comes over as a bit of a throwaway track: Kaye's piano can be clearly heard, but there's nothing special in his performance here. The third and last single from the album was (7), backed with (1).

The band on the album include Weston, who had recently left Fleetwood Mac; Davis, who had been working with Cat Stevens (including on Teaser and the Firecat, the album that includes "Morning has Broken" with Rick Wakeman); Cregan, who had replaced John Wetton in Family; and Mickey "Finn" Waller. Weston and Waller would later be in a band with Twink, who had worked with Steve Howe in The In-Crowd and Tomorrow. Jankel would later work with Dylan Howe. Phillips would later work with Asia. (HP, 9 May 20)
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