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** RECORD COLLECTOR **

 

 

DR. JOHN, THE NIGHT TRIPPER

Gris-Gris

Original UK LP released on Atlantic Records in 1968. Fully laminated sleeve.

588147 A▼1 420   /   588147 B▼1 420

Dr. John's Gris-Gris is among the most enduring recordings of the psychedelic era; it sounds as mysterious and spooky in the 21st century as it did in 1968. It is the album where Mac Rebennack established a stage identity that has served him well.

A respected studio ace in his native New Orleans, Rebennack was scuffling in L.A. Gris-Gris was his concept, an album that wove various threads of New Orleans music together behind the character of "Dr. John," a real voodoo root doctor from the 19th century. Harold Batiste, another ex-pat New Orleanian and respected arranger in Hollywood, scored him some free studio time left over from a Sonny & Cher session. They assembled a crack band of NOLA exiles and session players including saxophonist Plas Johnson, singers Jessie Hill and Shirley Goodman, and guitarist/mandolinist Richard "Didimus" Washington. Almost everyone played percussion.

Gris-Gris sounds like a post-midnight ceremony recorded in the bayou swamp instead of L.A.'s Gold Star Studio where Phil Spector cut hits. The atmosphere is thick, smoky, serpentine, foreboding. Rebennack inhabits his character fully, delivering Creole French and slang English effortlessly in the grain of his half-spoken, half-sung voice. He is high priest and trickster, capable of blessing, cursing, and conning.

On the opening incantation "Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya," Dr. John introduces himself as the "night tripper" and boasts of his medicinal abilities accompanied by wafting reverbed mandolins, hand drums, a bubbling bassline, blues harmonica, skeletal electric guitar, and a swaying backing chorus that blurs the line between gospel and soul. On "Danse Kalinda Boom," a calliope-sounding organ, Middle Eastern flute, Spanish-tinged guitars, bells, claves, congas, and drums fuel a wordless chorus in four-part chant harmony as a drum orgy evokes ceremonial rites. The sound of NOLA R&B comes to the fore in the killer soul groove of the breezy "Mama Roux." "Croker Courtboullion" is an exercise in vanguard jazz. Spectral voices, electric guitars, animal cries, flute, and moody saxophone solos and percussion drift in and out of the spacy mix.

The set's masterpiece is saved for last, the nearly nearly eight-minute trance vamp in "I Walk on Gilded Splinters". Dr. John is brazen about the power of his spells in a slippery, evil-sounding boast. Congas, tom-toms, snaky guitar, and harmonica underscore his juju, while a backing chorus affirms his power like mambo priestesses in unison. A ghostly baritone saxophone wafts through the turnarounds. Droning blues, steamy funk, and loopy R&B are inseparably entwined in its groove.

Remarkably, though rightfully considered a psychedelic masterpiece, there is little rock music on Gris-Gris. Its real achievement -- besides being a classic collection of startlingly deep tunes -- is that it brought New Orleans' cultural iconographies and musical traits to the attention of an emergent rock audience.

Tracks Are :-

Side One

Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya
Danse Kalinda Ba Doom
Mama Roux
Danse Fambeaux

Side Two

Croker Courtbullion
Jump Sturdy
I Walk On Guilded Splinters

 

Released on 'Atlantic Records' in 1968

Catalogue No. 588 147

Disc is in VG+ condition (some light surface marks)

Sleeve is in VG+ condition (light wear)

 

Please contact me via Ebay Messages with any questions I will try my best to get back to you as quickly as possible.

 

 

PAYMENT BY PAYPAL ONLY FROM NON-UK BIDDERS

IF BUYING MORE THAN ONE ITEM PLEASE WAIT FOR COMBINED INVOICE!!!

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UK 1ST CLASS POSTAGE RATES FOR LPs & 12" SINGLES:

1 LP £3.70
2 LP £3.70
3 LP £6.50
4 LP £6.50
5 LP £6.50
6 LP £6.50

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE RATES TO EUROPE FOR LPs & 12" SINGLES:

1 LP £5.50
2 LP £7.00
3 LP £8.50
4 LP £10.00
5 LP £11.50
6 LP £13.00

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE RATES TO DESTINATIONS OUTSIDE EUROPE (USA, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN ETC ETC) FOR LPs & 12" SINGLES:

1 LP £8.50
2 LP £11.00
3 LP £13.50
4 LP £16.00
5 LP £18.50
6 LP £21.00

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POSTAGE RATES FOR 7” SINGLES & CDs:

UK: £1.50 – then £0.50 each extra.
EUROPE: £4.50 – then £0.50 each extra.
DESTINATIONS OUTSIDE EUROPE: £5.50 – then £1.00 each extra

*********DOUBLES COUNT AS TWO*********

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT COMBINED SHIPPING ON ALL 12" VINYL / LPS / 12" EPS / 12" SINGLES - PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY!!!!

We offer combined shipping on all LPs / 12" Vinyls: our shipping rates are listed above. HOWEVER shipping packages that weigh more than 2kg is VERY expensive. Therefore we can only offer combined shipping up to a maximum of SIX (6) LPs / 12" vinyls. Any extra purchases will be invoiced, packaged and shipped separately.

***Due to the physical logistics of how I can package orders, I will not combine box sets with other items, I will only package them individually***

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COMBINED POSTAGE FOR DIFFERENT FORMATS will be invoiced at my discretion:

While I am happy to combine (for example) one or two 7” singles into one package with 12” records, sometimes it simply isn’t practical (like if you want me to combine one 12” record with three or more 7” records). I simply do not think that these combinations can be packaged together safely and securely. Therefore these will be invoiced separately as two packages.

IF YOU ARE UNSURE, please contact me before bidding!

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Sorry but I am no longer willing to carry combined transactions beyond two weeks of auctions (see below).

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PAYMENT

I would appreciate payment within seven days of the auction’s end. If you want to bid on more of my auctions ending a week later please inform me. I will wait and issue a combined invoice at the close of the second week’s auctions.

However, I am no longer willing to carry combined transactions beyond two weeks and in these cases would appreciate payment promptly after the close of the second week’s auctions.

I am sorry to have to introduce these measures – I always try to be patient and allow buyers to bid on extra auctions and / or delay payment. Unfortunately some buyers have been stretching out transactions to unacceptable lengths so I feel I have no option but to limit ‘carried over’ transactions to two weeks.