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chelsea CHELSEA: CHELSEA

MCA Records/Decca Dl-75262 (USA, 1970)
MCA Records/Astor MAP/S-4212 (Australia, 1970)
MCA Records/Allied Intl. MAP/S-4212 (New Zealand, 1970)
MCA Records/? (Germany, 1970)
MCA Records MCA-5072 (Japan, 1971 *WLP)
[See It!] New Zealand Center-ring
[Lyrics]

A1. Rollin' Along (2:42) - Shepley/Brand
Notes: The song is split nearly in half into two distinctive styles: the first acoustic and mellow, and the second electric and somewhat aggressive. "Rollin' Along" is very representative of the lack of musical direction (or perhaps, "cohesiveness" is more appropriate) on the album. This song was simply titled "Rolling" on the New Zealand release of the album...

A2. Let's Call It A Day (3:20) - Shepley/Brand
Notes: This song also features strings arranged by Larry Fallon. Larry was a well-known producer and orchestrator who worked with the likes of Glass Harp (also signed to Chelsea's label), The Rolling Stones, and Van Morrison. This song would simply be titled "Call It A Day" on the New Zealand release of the album...

A3. Silver Lining (2:49) - Aroidas/Benvenga
A4. All American Boy (4:05) - Shepley/Brand

A5. Hard Rock Music (5:30) - Shepley/Brand
Notes: Had there been a single released in support of the Chelsea album then this song probably would have been it. Apart from appearing on the album it was the sole track from the band appearing on the MCA "Sound Conspiracy" album. This sampler even saw release in Australia (Decca COP/S 4524) with a slightly altered cover, though nothing could help sell product that just didn't stand out.

The back cover sampler details a brief bio on the band, which states: "Lewis Merenstein, who produces Van Morrison, Bill Rose, and Turley Richards, among others, produced this first album by the New York based group. The LP was recorded in part at the late Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studios. Backing the group on the album is John Cale, formerly of the Velvet Underground and now out on his own." This song would simply be titled "Hard Rock" on the New Zealand release of the album...

B1. Ophelia (2:46) - Shepley/Brand
Notes: This song would be promoted as a "calypso" sounding piece. That both pre-KISS bands that recorded albums, Chelsea and Wicked Lester, included songs with "Ophelia" in their titles is coincidental. As far as Chelsea's song goes, it would be too easy to read Shakespearian "Hamlet" overtones from lyrics which go: "I thought I had you in the palm of my hand" and "how could you leave me I don't understand." In "Hamlet" Ophelia spurns the love of Hamlet at the request of her father. Hamlet then goes mad and Ophelia is asked to reconcile with him in hopes of restoring his sanity. Instead, Hamlet kills Ophelia's father. That brief précis of Ophelia's character in "Hamlet" does really not do the work justice....

B2. Long River (7:03) - Shepley/Brand
Notes: One of the two tracks to feature ex-Velvet Underground's John Cale on viola. With both the Velvet Underground and Chelsea playing at the legendary Ungano's club, on West 70th in Manhattan, and producer Lewis Merenstein's connections to Velvet, it is likely that this is how the two parties became associated. The track is 6:41 and has more of a Creedence Clearwater Revival style...

B3. Grace (3:28) - Shepley/Brand
Notes: This song features Steve Loeb on piano. Without being too subjective this is one of the stranger songs on the Chelsea album with an odd lyrical structure, vocal delivery, and maniac hysteria in the background of the song. The "good moves" part of the song has often amusingly been misheard as "good food"...

B4. Polly Von (5:01) - Aroidas/Benvenga/Brand/Cris/Shepley
Notes: This song is a traditional Anglo (with a suggestive Celtic past) folk song about love, pain, murder, and betrayal. It has been recorded by the likes of Frankie Armstrong, Harry Cox, and, most famously, Peter, Paul and Mary, on their third, and landmark, "In The Wind" (Warner Bros. WB-1507) album, which was released in late September 1963. That version of the song had an arrangement attributed to Peter Yarrow, "Noel" Paul Stookey, and Mary Travers - In other words, the group. This is much the same as the credit for the 4:48 arrangement on the Chelsea album: Chelsea's version does not really vary much from the form that was popular on the folk scene of the 1960s: However, the Chelsea arrangement does change the song from third to first person and moves the chorus in parts and also skips a final verse. The Chelsea recording features strings arranged by Larry Fallon.

Differing arrangements have been presented for decades on the basic theme of the piece, and variations of the piece date back centuries, having appeared in print as early as 1772. Other titles for the piece, including variants and alternative titles include "Polly Vaughn," "At the Setting of the Sun," "The Shooting of his Dear," "Young Molly Ban," "Molly Banding," "Molly Bawn," and "Molly Bond" throughout most Anglo-speaking countries...

B5. Good Company (1:44) - Shepley/Brand
Notes: One of two tracks to feature John Cale on viola. "Good Company" is little more than a short jam piece to close out the album. It is essentially the repetition of the same verse several times: "Good company makes me smile / Downright open all the while / Downright country all the time / Good company, yeah / Bound to make me smile"...

Produced by Lewis Merenstein.
Recorded at Electric Lady Studios and Vanguard Studios in NYC, NY, 1970.
Engineered by Ron Johnsen.

John Cale provides to viola solo, album also features Steve Loeb.
Peter Criss credited as Peter Cris.