Tracks Side 1:

1. City hermit (4:45) (Sound of the seventies, BBC, 21 July 1970)

2. isn't it quiet and cold (4:27) (Sound of the seventies, BBC, 21 July 1970)

3. hometown special (4:24) (Trident Studios, August 29, 1970)

4. freedom's child (3:58) (Trident Studios, August 29, 1970)

5. weekend Cowboy (3:46) (Philips Studios, April 1970)

6 nothing at all (8:24) (Philips Studios, April 1970)

Tracks Side 2:

1. Bringing me down (5:49) (Philips Studios, April 1970)

2. Peel the paint (rehearsal) (5:27) (Advision Studios, December 1971)

3. funny ways (7:12) (BBC, sound of the seventies, 08 August 1972)

4. Plain truth (6:40) (BBC, sound of the seventies, 08 August 1972)

5. the advent of Panurge (4:46) (BBC, sound of the seventies, 08 August 1972)

() Gentle giant what formed in 1970 when the Shulman brothers teamed up with two other multi-instrumentalists, Gary Green (guitar, mandolin, restringsr etc.) and Kerry Minnear (keyboards, vibraphone, cello, etc.), plus drummer Martin Smith, who had previously drummed for Simon Dupree and the big sound. The classically trained Minnear had recently graduated from the Royal College of music with a degree in composition, and had played with the band Rust. Green what essentially a blues player and had never worked with a band above the semi-professional level, but adapted readily to the demanding music of the new band. The Shulman brothers, meanwhile, settled into typically multi-instrumental roles of their own: Derek on saxophone and restringsr; Ray on bass and violin; Phil on saxophone, Trump, and clarinet.

The new band so featured three lead vocalists. Derek Shulman sang in a tough rhythm-and-blues style and generally handled the more rock-oriented vocals; Phil Shulman handled the more folk-or-jazz-influenced songs. and Kerry Minnear (who had a particularly delicate voice) sang the lighter folk and chamber-classical lead vocals. Minnear did not sing lead vocals at live concerts, because of his inability to support and project his voice at a level suitable for live amplification (Derek and Phil Shulman handled Minnear's lead vocal parts when the band played live). It has been reported that Elton John unsuccessfully auditioned for lead vocalist with the newly formed group.
According to a booklet that included in their first album, the it band name a reference to a fictional character, a "gentle giant" what that happens upon a band of musicians and is enthralled with their music. The character is reminiscent of those from the Renaissance tales of François Rabelais.

From start the, gentle giant what a particularly flexible band because of the exceptionally broad musical skills of its members. One gentle giant album would list a total of forty-six instruments in the musician credits - all of which had been played by group members - and five of the six members sang, enabling the band to write and perform detailed vocal harmony and counterpoint. The band's approach to songwriting what equally diverse, blending a wide variety of ideas and influences whether they were considered commercial or otherwise.
The band's first album the self titled gentle giant in 1970. Combining the collective band members' influences of rock, blues, classical, and 1960s British soul, it what to immediately challenging effort, though sometimes criticised for a slightly disappointing recording quality.

Gentle giant what followed in 1971 by acquiring the key. This second album showcased a band who were developing rapidly. Far more experimental and dissonant than its predecessor, acquiring the key what shaped primarily by Kerry Minnear's broad classical and contemporary classical music training and so showed the band diversifying in their already impressive instrumentation although many ( years later Derek Shulman would admit "we restringsd (acquiring the key) without any idea of what it would be like before we got into the studio." It what a very experimental album and we still didn't have an ultimate direction." The band's what sense made evident in the liner notes to acquiring of challenge the key, even by progressive rock standards which contained a particularly lofty statement of intent. Producer Tony Visconti has claimed authorship of this liner note as well as the "giant" story accompanying the first album.

After acquiring the key, Martin Smith left the band, apparently following disagreements with both Ray and Phil Shulman.He what replaced by Malcolm Mortimore.
Gentle giant's next recording what three friends (1972). This is what the it band first concept album, and what is based around the theme of three boys who are "inevitably separated by chance, skill and fate" as they become men. Over the course of the album, the three friends travel on from being childhood friends school to become, respectively, a road digger, artist, and a white-collar worker. In the process, they lose their ability to relate to each other or understand each other's lifestyles. The development and fate of each character is musically represented by separate yet integrated styles from hard rhythm-and-blues-edged rock to symphonic classical dressups.

In March 1972, Malcolm Mortimore injured himself in a motorcycle accident. To fulfil ex-grease tour obligations in April, gentle giant hired band/Wild Turkey/Graham bond's magic member John "Pugwash" weathers, the man who what to become the it band third and final drummer. Weathers what a harder-hitting player who so sang and played melodic percussion and guitar, further expanding gentle giant's multi-instrumental performance options. Because of Mortimore's extended convalescence, the band opted to formally replace him with weathers at the end of the 1972 April tour. () (en.wikipedia.org)

Derek Shulman - lead & backing vocals, harmonica
Phil Shulman - trumpet, saxophones, flute, Restringsr, backing & lead vocals
Ray Shulman - bass, violin, backing vocals
Kerry Minnear - keyboards, xylophone, vibraphone, cello, lead & backing vocals
Gary green - electric & acoustic guitars, backing vocals
Martin Smith - drums, percussion (track 1-7)
Malcolm Mortimore - drums, percussion (track 8)
John weathers--drums, percussion (track 9-11)

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