Vinegar Joe - Six Star General (1973)

Vinegar Joe evolved out of Dada, a 12-piece Stax-influenced, jazz-rock fusion band. Dada released one, eponymous, album in 1970, with a line up including vocalist Elkie Brooks and guitarist Pete Gage. Singer Robert Palmer, formerly with The Alan Bown Set, and bassist Steve York both joined Dada after the album had been recorded, and the four were signed by Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records for USA and Chris Blackwell of Island Records for the UK and rest of the world to form Vinegar Joe in 1971, adding keyboard player Dave Thompson. The band was without a drummer. Conrad and Rob Tait drummed on the first album. Their debut LP Vinegar Joe was released in April 1972 on Island Records in the UK and Atco Records in the US. "Six Star General" features 10 tracks, that should please any rock music lover. Boogie, soul, blues, R n B, and even a splash of country rock. Although Vinegar Joe never achieved significant record sales, they received considerable press coverage and toured extensively, playing numerous sell-out concerts, especially on the British university circuit.

Subsequently, Elkie Brooks and Robert Palmer went on to enjoy success as solo musicians. Pete Gage became a record producer and arranger, working with Brooks, his wife, until their divorce, and a range of successful musicians like Joan Armatrading and specialising in upcoming rockabilly and punk bands such as Restless, King Kurt and others.

Track listing

01.  Proud to Be (A Honky Woman)  (Vinegar Joe)  - 4:34   

02.  Food for Thought  (Vinegar Joe)  - 3:51   

03.  Dream My Own Dreams  (Vinegar Joe)  - 3:20   

04.  Lady of the Rain  (Vinegar Joe)  - 3:55   

05.  Stay True to Yourself  (Vinegar Joe)  - 4:02   

06.  Black Smoke Rising from the Calumet  (Vinegar Joe)  - 6:13   

07.  Giving Yourself Away  (Vinegar Joe)  - 4:16   

08.  Talkin' 'Bout My Baby  (Vinegar Joe)  - 3:46   

09.  Let Me Down Easy  (Vinegar Joe)  - 3:26   

10.  Fine Thing  (Vinegar Joe)  - 3:38   

Released:  1973

Recorded at:  CBS Studios, London, England

Label:  Island Records

Genre:  Blues Rock, Boogie

Length:  41:01

Producer:  Pete Gage

Personnel:

Robert Palmer - vocals

Pete Gage - vocals, guitar, bottleneck guitar, piano, keyboards

Mike Deacon - vocals, piano, electric piano, organ, keyboards, Moog synthesizer

Elkie Brooks - vocals, piano, keyboards

Steve York - harmonica

Pete Gavin - drums, congas, percussion

John Woods - drums, percussion