- Format: CD
- Label: Ace
- Genre: Progressive
In 1994 Mother Earth released their second album "The People Tree", a masterful mix of soul, funk and rock. It made the UK Top 50 and looked to be a stepping-stone on their way to becoming genuine stars. Despite selling more than 100,000 copies world-wide it never broke really big in any one place, and the bands progress was halted by the juggernaut that was Britpop.
The original album was 13 tracks long, each beautifully recorded in analogue, and topped by incredibly soulful Matt Deighton vocals, which are pitched somewhere between Curtis Mayfield and Stevie Winwood. Tracks such as Apple Green, Jesse and Find It became great favourites of the groups fans. Guest vocalists on the record include Paul Weller and Dee C Lee.
This deluxe edition comes with an additional 13 tracks which bring together the contemporaneous singles, B-sides and two previously unreleased songs. This round up allows you to hear the wonderful acoustic version of Jesse, an unreleased Brendan Lynch 7-inch mix of the same song , the unissued 7-inch mix of Take A Trip Down Brian Lane and the unreleased psych weirdness of Slide Sweet Baby. If you really want to you can also check out Paul Weller playing harmonica on the bands version of the Small Faces Almost Grown.
The booklet comes with out-takes from Gered Mankowitzs sleeve session, and notes taken from long interviews with Mother Earth lead singer (and later Weller and Oasis guitarist) Matt Deighton, organist Bryn Barklam and album producer and Acid Jazz founder Ed Piller.
The album has been remastered from the original half-inch analogue masters and is in exceptional sound quality.
Track listing:
DISC ONE - THE PEOPLE TREE
INSTITUTION MAN
JESSE
STARDUST BUBBLEGUM
MR FREEDOM
WARLOCKS OF THE MIND Pt 1
DRAGSTER
FIND IT
THE PEOPLE TREE
APPLE GREEN
TIME OF THE FUTURE
SATURATION 70
ILLUSIONS
A TRIP DOWN BRIAN LANE
Bonus Track
JESSE (alternate master mix) Previously unissued
DISC TWO - Bonus Tracks
JESSE (acoustic)
APPLE GREEN (with backing vocals) Previously unissued
A TRIP DOWN BRIAN LANE (7" mix) Previously unissued
FIND IT (RADIO EDIT)
ALMOST GROWN
SOUL SACRIFICE
SLIDE SWEET BABY Previously unissued
TIME OF THE FUTURE (Alternate EP mix) Previously unissued
HAVE THE TIME
JESSE Previously unissued alternate Brendan Lynch Radio Mix
WARLOCKS OF BAKERSFIELD, CA
ROADSTER
HELP ME UP
HEADF**K
