I Drive – I Drive
Label: |
Little Wing Of Refugees – LW 2024/25 |
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Country: |
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Released: |
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Genre: |
Rock |
Style: |
Tracklist
A1 | Down, Down, Down | |
A2 | Oo, Bopajero | |
A3 | Looking Out My Window | |
A4 | Marry A Musician | |
A5 | Before The Devil | |
A6 | Christine | |
B1 | Only The Lonely | |
B2 | What A Pity | |
B3 | Just A Little Bit | |
B4 | Be The One | |
B5 | Brave New World | |
C1 | I Need A Friend | |
C2 | Classic Rigby | |
C3 | When Evening Comes | |
C4 | It Ain't So Bad | |
D1 | Looking Out My Window | |
D2 | Everything In Vain | |
D3 | Happy Days | |
D4 | Turmoil | |
D5 | Before The Devil |
Credits
- Bass Guitar – Leslie Graham
- Drums – David Charles Bailey
- Guitar, Vocals, Artwork By – Richard Henry Hampson
- Keyboards – John Barry Smith
- Producer – Refugees*
Notes
LW 2024: originally released in 1972 as metronome MLP 15.420
LW2025: demo tracks recorded live in 1971 except:
"Classic Rigby" released in 1969 as a private pressing
"I Need A Friend" recorded 1972 after the Metronome LP
Setting copy: Barbara Manetsberger and Klaus Schwarzfischer
Photos and touching up: Edeltrand Gerstbrein
Sleeve concept: Refugees
Ready to cut to master: Refugees and rainer Berauer (Urkult Studio, Munchen)
For their cooperation, confidence and help. Little Wingwould like to thank: Edeltrand Gerstbrein (who made the first steps possible), Geff Harrison (who gave us "I Need A Friend"), the boys from the band and especially John Barry Smith for his patience and finally finding his way to cellar...
Distributed by Little Wing of Refugees, Argonnenstrabe 16, 8400 Regensburg,
LW2025: demo tracks recorded live in 1971 except:
"Classic Rigby" released in 1969 as a private pressing
"I Need A Friend" recorded 1972 after the Metronome LP
Setting copy: Barbara Manetsberger and Klaus Schwarzfischer
Photos and touching up: Edeltrand Gerstbrein
Sleeve concept: Refugees
Ready to cut to master: Refugees and rainer Berauer (Urkult Studio, Munchen)
For their cooperation, confidence and help. Little Wingwould like to thank: Edeltrand Gerstbrein (who made the first steps possible), Geff Harrison (who gave us "I Need A Friend"), the boys from the band and especially John Barry Smith for his patience and finally finding his way to cellar...
Distributed by Little Wing of Refugees, Argonnenstrabe 16, 8400 Regensburg,
Barcode and Other Identifiers
- Matrix / Runout (Stamped A-side): LW 2024-A2 SST
- Matrix / Runout (Stamped B-side): LW 2024-B SST
- Matrix / Runout (Stamped C-side): LW 2025-A2 SST
- Matrix / Runout (Stamped D-side): LW 2024-B SST
- Rights Society: GEMA
Other Versions (5 of 12)
View AllTitle (Format) | Label | Cat# | Country | Year | |||
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Recently Edited
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I Drive (LP, Album, Stereo) | Metronome | MLP 15.420, MLP 15 420 | 1972 | |||
New Submission
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I Drive (CD, Album, Reissue) | Little Wing Of Refugees | LW 2061 RP12 | 1998 | |||
New Submission
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I Drive (2×CD, Album, Compilation, Deluxe Edition, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, 6 page Digipack) | Second Battle | SB 065 | 2004 | |||
New Submission
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I Drive (2×LP, Reissue, Limited Edition, 7", Reissue, Limited Edition) | Second Battle | SB LP 070 | 2009 | |||
New Submission
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I Drive (LP, Album, Unofficial Release, Red Vinyl) | Metronome (2) | MLP 15.420 | 2009 |
Recommendations
Reviews
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Notorious as one of the old British bands that interacted with the Krautrock scene, I Drive (who upon their inception featured Geff Harrison formerly of Beggars Opera, and later with Twenty Sixty Six & Then and later Kin Ping Meh) were typical of the turn of the decade - early 70s hard-rock bands, less intelligent than say Elias Hulk, Atomic Rooster, et al, their sound often bordered on mainstream pop. Yet, their German only LP, released and forgot about by Metronome, had a number of inspired moments: Looking Out My Window, for instance, with its surging rhythm, psychedelic styling and organ to the fore, or Before The Devil which comes across like a mix of Jericho and Black Widow, a nice and gutsy rocker. Certainly, all the better tracks are those that feature organ strongly, yet sadly the songs are often too mundane to carry the music over the okay level.
The second LP features a rare demo single Classic Rigby featuring Geff Harrison attempting to sing Eleanor Rigby in his typically creaky manner to a hotchpotch of extracts from that song and a variety of classical themes. Another later track featuring Geff sounds more like later Kin Ping Meh. The rest is live recordings from just before recording the LP featuring alternate versions of the two best tracks mentioned above.
So, considering their reputation in collectors' circles, I Drive were not such a hot band. But not every album can be a groundbreaking classic can it? Certainly fans of more mainstream rock will love it. In fact the closing track Brave New World resembles Rainbow, yet pre-dates that band by several years!
From my review in Audion #21, published in May 1992
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