martes, 12 de mayo de 2009

John Pantry - John Pantry


John Pantry (John Pantry) Philips 6308 138 - 1972

Este es su primer LP en solitario aunque, cuando fué publicado a finales de 1972, John Pantry era ya un experimentado músico y técnico de sonido. En 1965 entró como aprendiz en los legendarios estudios IBC de Londres, donde tuvo la ocasión de trabajar con Shel Talmy o Glyn Johns, y también de estar en los controles en grabaciones de, entre otros, The Who o The Small Faces.

En 1966 forma el grupo Sounds Around quienes, tras un par de singles, se convierten en Peter & The Wolves. Con este nombre publican cinco singles entre 1967 y 1970. También intervienen en multiples grabaciones para otros artistas, y algunas de las suyas propias aparecen en discos con otros nombres: Norman Conquest, The Bunch, o The Factory están estrechamente ligados a John Pantry y su grupo.

En 1970, John abandona su asociación con el empresario y productor Eddie Tre-Vett, relación que le tenía inmerso en, tal vez, demasiadas actividades. En los últimos tiempos había estado grabando y tocando en directo con Peter & The Wolves, participando en grabaciones de otros, grabando maquetas de sus muchas canciones con vistas a colocarlas a otros artistas, o manejando los botones en multitud de grabaciones en IBC como, por ejemplo, en los primeros LPs de The Bee Gees.

La última encarnación de Peter & The Wolves publicó en 1972 su primer y único LP, aunque casi en secreto: El disco apareció con el nombre acortado a Wolfe, fué publicado por la filial de Motown, Rare Earth, y se editó únicamente en USA. Un curioso disco en el que se alternan canciones propias con algunas versiones, un tanto estrafalaria alguna de ellas.

Poco después, a finales de año, el sello Philips daba luz verde a "John Pantry", primer album de John propiamente. El disco, que cuenta con la orquestación y producción del australiano emigrado David MacKay, muestra claramente la sensibilidad de John Pantry para la melodía. Mis favoritas podrían ser "This Woman's Love", que ya grabó Kris Ife en 1968 o la encantadora "Jewel". Curiosamente, la única versión del disco corresponde a "October Song", canción de Robin Williamson perteneciente al primer LP de The Incredible String Band, y que John Pantry consigue que parezca suya propia.

Aparte de dos o tres canciones, usadas mayormente para singles, este album refleja el tono intimista y un tanto melancólico de alguien que, tras los excesos y la exuberancia propios de finales de los 60, parecía andar a la busqueda de "un algo". Nuestro hombre encontró "su algo" mientras producía una grabación del grupo de rock cristiano Parchment. Tras un rápido segundo LP en 1973, "Long White Trail", John abandonó definitivamente el tenebroso mundo secular y desde entonces, y hasta hoy, se ha dedicado únicamente a la música gospel y religiosa. El reverendo John Pantry ha publicado un buen montón de discos en este género y mantiene un programa diario, "Inspirational Breakfast", en la emisora Premier Christian Radio. Bendito sea.



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This is his first solo LP though, when it was released in late 1972, John Pantry already was an experienced musician and sound engineer. In 1965 he joined legendary IBC studios in London as an apprentice, and so had the chance of working with Shel talmy or Glyn Johns, and also to be at the control room while the recordings of, among others, The Who or The Small Faces.

In 1966 he formed the band Sounds Around who, after a couple of singles, mutated into Peter & The Wolves. With that name they released five singles between 1967 and 1970. They also played in a lot of other artists recordings and some of their own ones were released with different names: Norman Conquest, The Bunch, or The Factory are thightly related to John Pantry and his band.

In 1970, John left his association with producer and business man Eddie Tre-Vett, a relationship which had him immerse in probably too many activities. During recent times he had been recording and playing live with Peter & The Wolves, playing or singing in others recordings, making demos of his many songs in order to put them with some other artists, or handling the knobs as an engineer in many recordings at IBC, like the first three Bee Gees albums.

The last incarnation of Peter & The Wolves finally released their one and only album in the summer of 1972, though it was almost a secret: The record appeared with the name shorttened to Wolfe, it was released by the Motown label, Rare Earth, and it saw the light of day only in the USA. A curious LP where self penned songs alternate with some cover versions, some of them a little bizarre.

A bit later, at the end of the year, the Philips label gave green light to "John Pantry", John's first proper album. The record, with the production and orchestration of australian David MacKay, clearly shows John Pantry's sensibilities for a good melody. My favourite ones could be "This Woman's Love", already recorded by Kris Ife in 1968 or the charming "Jewel". Curiously, the only cover of the album is "October Song", a Robin Williamson tune from The Incredible String Band's first LP, which John Pantry manages to make it seem his own.

Two or three of the songs aside, mostly used as singles, this album reflects the intimist and a bit melancholic mood of someone that, after all the proper excesses and exuberancy of the late 60s, seemed to be looking for "a certain something". Our man found "his something" while producing the recording of a christian rock band called Parchment. After a quick second album, "Long White Trail", John definitively left the gloomy secular world and since then, right until today, he devoted himself only to gospel and religious music. Reverend John Pantry has released a bunch of records in that genre and is keeping his own program, "Inspirational Breakfast", in Premier Christian Radio. Bless him.