Owlsey Stanley Foundation Presents Bear’s Sonic Journals:
Tim Buckley
Merry-Go-Round at the Carousel
June 15-16, 1968
This is the most important Tim Buckley release since Dream Letter, featuring a singular performance with a jazz-rock lineup that calls to mind Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks. Buckley, father of Jeff Buckley, made his mark with his Southern California folk-rock sound and four-octave vocal range. But this rich weave of accessible, warm, improvisational music reveals Buckley in a light never before captured on tape, including two newly discovered songs (“Blues, Love” and “The Lonely Life”), early drafts of Buckley classics, and a stunning cover of Fred Neil’s “Merry-Go-Round.” Recorded by the Grateful Dead’s legendary soundman Owsley “Bear” Stanley, the infamous LSD chemist, this is one of the treasures of his Sonic Journal archive. Buckley’s performance is incredible and Bear’s thumbprint on the sonics is part of the magic!
- Featuring nearly 80 minutes of live performances from June 15 & 16, 1968 at the Carousel Ballroom in San Francisco, CA.
- This is a significant and rare addition to Tim Buckley’s musical legacy for both the performance and excellent sound quality.
- A 28-page booklet includes original cover art by Dennis Larkins and liner notes featuring new interviews with bassist John Miller, lyricist Larry Beckett, and Buckley scholar Pat Thomas.
- With Tim Buckley on vocals and 12-string guitar, John Miller on bass, David Friedman on vibraphone, and Carter C.C. Collins on percussion.
- These tapes were transferred and mastered by Jeffrey Norman (Mockingbird Mastering), long-time collaborator with the Grateful Dead and Owsley Stanley.
“This is the follow up to Dream Letter. Between the sonics and the songs, this is a major moment in Buckley land.”
—Pat Thomas, Tim Buckley scholar
“A great discovery! … Even though tracks here appear elsewhere in studio albums or other concert recordings, they are not the same at all. They are reinvented. And that’s why every single [release] is worth listening to.”—Larry Beckett, Tim Buckley lyricist
Track List:
June 15, 1968
1. Buzzin’ Fly — 6:54
2. I Don’t Need it to Rain> — 9:28
3. Blues, Love> — 10:42
4. The Father Song> — 2:30
5. The Lonely Life> — 1:09
6. Happy Time (digital only) — 3:20
7. Hi Lily, Hi Lo (digital only) — 4:17
June 16, 1968
8. Green Rocky Road — 6:46
9. Happy Time — 3:11
10. Wayfaring Stranger — 9:40
11. Buzzin’ Fly — 5:08
Strange Feelin’ Suite
12. Strange Feelin’> — 7:34
13. Love from Room 109 at the Islander>— 2:23
14. Sing a Song for You> — 2:32
15. Merry-Go-Round> Strange Feelin’ (reprise) — 10:58
The "Save The Music!" campaign seeks to raise money to enable the digitization, preservation, and release of Bear's Sonic Journals, a trove of over a thousand live concert recordings from the heart of the psychedelic era. Donations are much appreciated, and are in fact essential to our ability to preserve and release future recordings!
You can donate via our secure form, or send checks made out to the Owsley Stanley Foundation to: Owsley Stanley Foundation PO Box 625 Occidental, Ca 95465. We were officially granted 501(c)(3) nonprofit status by the IRS in December 2012. All donations to the Owsley Stanley Foundation are fully tax deductible.
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