Unknown Ballad
| "Unknown Ballad" | |
|---|---|
| bonus track by Spontaneous Combustion | |
| from the album Tarkus | |
| Released | 2012 |
| Recorded | December 1970 |
| Studio | Advision Studios, London |
| Genre | Ballad |
| Length | 3:05 |
| Label | Various[1] |
| Songwriter(s) |
|
| Producer(s) | Greg Lake |
| mistakenly credited to Keith Emerson as music composer, lyrics Greg Lake, performers Emerson, Lake & Palmer, after the song demo was found on ELP's Tarkus recording session master tape without identification that another band had recorded on the tape, and the song was selected for inclusion as a bonus track during 2012 remixing. | |
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Unknown Ballad was a song that created a mystery and controversy when it was released as a bonus track on the 2012 deluxe reissue of Emerson, Lake & Palmer's 1971 album Tarkus. The deluxe reissue was withdrawn by the record company soon after it was released, and the project's remix engineer Steven Wilson announced that the project was going to be released again without "Unknown Ballad".[2][3]
Commenters debated for years whether or not the song was by ELP, and how the mix-up occurred.
In 2016 Spontaneous Combustion was identified as the band that performed the song "Unknown Ballad".[4] Found on the "Tarkus" recording session tapes during 2012 remixing, and with no information to indicate that another band had recorded on ELP's session tape, the song was believed to be by Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Because the lead singing voice sounded similar to Keith Emerson's voice on the couple of songs Keith sang with The Nice,[5][6][7] the song was mistakenly credited to Keith Emerson as composer, Greg Lake for lyrics, and ELP as performers.[8]
The song actually was the first professional recording of Spontaneous Combustion, "Just A Dream", arranged and performed by Spontaneous Combustion and producer Greg Lake, with music composed by Spontaneous Combustion's guitarist-lead singer Gary Margetts and lyrics written by his friend Mike Rowe. The new song, a demo arranged and recorded in about two hours, was not developed further for release by Spontaneous Combustion. Producer Greg had not asked recording engineer Eddie Offord to change to a different tape, and the song was recorded onto the ELP "Tarkus" tape in the recorder, leading to the mix-up forty-one years later.
The recording occurred when Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer needed to leave a "Tarkus" recording session about two hours early one day,[9] and Greg called Gary Margetts to ask whether Spontaneous Combustion would like to come to Advision Studios to record something during the available pre-booked studio time. Greg was scheduled to produce Spontaneous Combustion's first records later in 1971. Although Spontaneous Combustion had music they had already been performing in their shows, Greg and Gary discussed working on a new song from scratch, to demonstrate the process of creating music in the studio, and Gary brought the new composition.[10]
The original producer of ELP's first several albums including "Tarkus", Greg Lake had been offered the 2012 remaster-reissue project but had declined, stating he had given his best at the time of the original recordings and he thought that someone else bringing a new perspective was a valid way to move forward.[11] Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer also declined to do the reissue project, citing similar reasons. Keith Emerson stated about "Tarkus", "I wouldn't want to change one note."[12] Carl Palmer stated, "The music already was great."[13] All three had collaborated and had final approval of their recordings; before they released any of their music, all three agreed that the recording represented their best possible work for that music.[14]
When musician and remix engineer Steven Wilson was engaged to the project, it was in experienced respected hands.[15] Steven mentioned difficulties arranging time with ELP to review the remix project. A reason contributing to the disconnect was that more than a thousand reissues of ELP's music had been released in four decades by 2012; "Tarkus" alone had more than 150 releases from 1971 to 2012.[16][17] Emerson, Lake & Palmer were no longer together as a band: their last album was released in 1994, and they played their last show together in 2010. Their business partnership continued as they owned their recordings.[18] They met every six months to review business matters. "Tarkus" was pressed and released with "Unknown Ballad" as a bonus track before ELP became aware of the mix-up. Four decades later, Greg had forgotten his friends came in and recorded a song on an ELP tape in a two-hour window of studio time. Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer were unaware of it, because Spontaneous Combustion did not enter the recording studio and begin working on the song until after Keith and Carl left. Although Spontaneous Combustion toured opening for Emerson, Lake & Palmer in 1970–72,[19] forty years had passed. Keith Emerson stated in interviews that he didn't write or perform "Unknown Ballad" and he didn't know who did.
Ultimately, ownership of the "Unknown Ballad" recording was Emerson, Lake & Palmer's. It was recorded on an ELP master tape during ELP's studio time, produced by Greg, with Greg as a performer and arranger, and it was engineered by Eddie Offord, who was contracted to ELP's recording project.
"Tarkus" was reissued without "Unknown Ballad" in 2013 and 2014. Greg Lake included it again when he produced the 2016 "Tarkus" deluxe reissue.
It does not appear there was an official statement from the record company or ELP regarding the provenance of "Unknown Ballad"; but Tris Margetts' and Gary Margetts' description of recording "Just A Dream" (aka "Unknown Ballad") is at Greg Lake's Official Facebook page.[20]
References[edit]
- ↑ 2012 Tarkus issues and credits, deluxe reissue with three bonus tracks including "Unknown Ballad". https://www.discogs.com/Emerson-Lake-Palmer-Tarkus/release/3871920 . Retrieved 24 March 2020.
- ↑ Remix engineer Steven Wilson announcement about the 2012 Tarkus reissue: "Just heard that the current edition of ELP Tarkus is about to be withdrawn and one track REMOVED, so get it now while you can!" (28 August 2012). https://mobile.twitter.com/stevenwilsonhq/status/240551647393239040 . Retrieved 13 May 2020.
- ↑ Remix engineer Steven Wilson announcement about removing "Unknown Ballad" from future "Tarkus" reissues (29 August 2012). "Unknown Ballad is being removed from Tarkus, I'm unsure why. The currently available pressing has it, subsequent pressings will not." https://mobile.twitter.com/stevenwilsonhq/status/240795343141343232 . Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ↑ Tris Margetts and Gary Margetts comments about recording "Just A Dream" in Advision Studios during the time period ELP were recording Tarkus. https://m.facebook.com/GregLakeOfficial/posts/2059534470754117 . Retrieved 16 March 2020.
- ↑ Keith Emerson singing lead on "Happy Freuds" by The Nice. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EMbBj36o6PU . Retrieved July 2020.
- ↑ Keith Emerson singing lead on "Little Arabella" by The Nice. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o9Jg6Nxns0E . Retrieved July 2020.
- ↑ Gary Margetts singing lead on "Just A Dream" aka "Unknown Ballad" by Spontaneous Combustion, with Greg Lake playing piano and singing on the chorus 1:31-2:01 alongside Tris Margetts, Tony Brock, and Gary Margetts. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S_gqlbALbAU . Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- ↑ Track listing and details, 2012 deluxe reissue of Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Tarkus" album, with "Unknown Ballad" included as one of three bonus tracks in the 2012 Stereo Mixes. Sony Music Entertainment (UK) Ltd. Catalog # 88691937962, September 2012. Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/Emerson-Lake-Palmer-Tarkus/release/3871920 . Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- ↑ Tris Margetts and Gary Margetts comments about recording "Just A Dream" in Advision Studios during the time period ELP were recording "Tarkus". https://m.facebook.com/GregLakeOfficial/posts/2059534470754117 . Retrieved 16 March 2020.
- ↑ Tris Margetts and Gary Margetts comments about recording "Just A Dream" in Advision Studios during the time period ELP were recording "Tarkus". https://m.facebook.com/GregLakeOfficial/posts/2059534470754117 . Retrieved 16 March 2020.
- ↑ Thompson, Dave (14 December 2016). "Greg Lake discusses the magic of ELP". Goldmine Magazine. https://www.goldminemag.com/.amp/articles/greg-lake-discusses-magic-elp . Retrieved 8 April 2020. "I didn’t want to do the remastering myself. I gave it everything I had at the time, and I think that was my version of those recordings. It was better in this instance to let other people do it, and see what they could draw out of it. I thought that was a valid way to move forward. I frankly wouldn’t have changed an awful lot, because if I’d wanted to, I would have done it back at the time."
- ↑ Bosso, Joe (8 October 2012). "Interview: Keith Emerson talks ELP's Tarkus track-by-track: The 1971 prog-rock classic discussed in full". MusicRadar. https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/interview-keith-emerson-talks-elps-tarkus-track-by-track-565038 . Retrieved 14 May 2020. "I wouldn’t want to change one note."
- ↑ Carl Palmer interview. Heatley, Michael (2013). "Tank For The Memories". Record Collector. https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/tank-for-the-memories . Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ↑ Thompson, Dave (14 December 2016). "Greg Lake discusses the magic of ELP". Goldmine. www.goldminemag.com/.amp/articles/greg-lake-discusses-magic-elp . Retrieved 8 April 2020. "... at the end of the day, the album was what we agreed was the best of what we created."
- ↑ Steven Wilson biography and discography. https://www.discogs.com/artist/227943-Steven-Wilson?page=1 . Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- ↑ Emerson, Lake & Palmer discography and releases. https://www.discogs.com/artist/39765-Emerson-Lake-Palmer . Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- ↑ Thompson, Dave (14 December 2016). "Greg Lake discusses the magic of ELP". Goldmine. https://www.goldminemag.com/.amp/articles/greg-lake-discusses-magic-elp . Retrieved 8 April 2020. "As for the reissues ... “I’m sure we share the same sort of fatigue at these sort of things ..."
- ↑ Carl Palmer interview. Heatley, Michael (2013). "Tank For The Memories". Record Collector. https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/tank-for-the-memories . Retrieved 23 May 2020. "We’re still in touch because we own everything. We never sold our publishing and we own all our catalogue."
- ↑ ELP and Spontaneous Combustion concert poster. https://elparchive.com/posters/71-12-18.jpg . Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- ↑ Tris Margetts and Gary Margetts comments about recording "Just A Dream" in Advision Studios during the time period ELP were recording "Tarkus". https://m.facebook.com/GregLakeOfficial/posts/2059534470754117 . Retrieved 16 March 2020.
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