track listing

1/ The Craig Song, 2/ When The Sun Stops Shining, 3/ Loose Ends, 4/ Money To Burn, 5/ Whose Counting On Me, 6/ Make It Soon 7/ Until Tomorrow Part 1-4, 8/ Light Of My Life, 9/ She's A Woman, 10/ Swanks And Swells Part 1, 11/ Swanks And Swells Part 2,

Non-album bonus tracks:
12/ Goodnight Children, 13/ Summer Days,
14/ Seems I'm Always Gonna Love You.

Former Spencer Davis Group and Hardin/York keyboard player Eddie Hardin had made many friends in the rock music business by the time he came to record this album in 1976. In 1974 he had played on, and helped co-write some of the Butterfly Ball album, including the most commercially successful number 'Love Is All'. One year later, after the musicians had reconvened for a one-off live performance at the Royal Albert Hall, Hardin was left to decide how to follow it up. In the end, rather than pursuing a traditional solo album deal, he would write the songs, ask a number of musicians over to help him record them, and then use different guest vocalists to tackle a track each. It was an idea which certainly impressed RCA, though they were unaware that Hardin hadn't actually spoken as yet to any musicians or singers!

Thanks to Eddie's organisational skills, and some fortunate timing, work was soon going smoothly at Ian Gillan's Kingsway Recorders studio in London. For instance, guitarist Ray Fenwick and percussionist Mark Nauseef had just finished recording IGB's 'Child In Time' album, so by early 1976 they were free to work on the new project. Drumming duties were shared between Henry Spinetti (later to join Eric Clapton's band) and Les Binks (later to join Judas Priest).

When it came to the vocals, Tony Ashton was more than willing to come along to lay down one of his unique spoof vocals on 'Swanks & Swells', also adding some great piano work. Ashton was at this time about to start a new group with Jon Lord, which became PAL. From the Deep Purple camp, Eddie was able to round up David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, and Jon Lord. Deep Purple Mk4 had finished their 1976 UK tour and decided to call it a day in the aftermath. It must have been a relief for them to help out on the session after the pressures of the previous year. Jon Lord played some piano on 'She's A Woman', Coverdale put in a terrific performance on 'Money To Burn' (a track written specifically for him), and Hughes sang both 'Until Tomorrow' and 'Light Of My Life'. Mk2 Purple member Roger Glover was brought in to play bass on 'Loose Ends. Other guests included Ric Lee (Ten Years After) and Mike D'Abo (Manfred Mann).

The result was an album full of variety and style, which RCA weren't at all sure what to do with; in the end they released it to get swallowed up and overlooked in the 1976 Christmas rush. Outside the UK there were no guests listed on the sleeve, and the album wasn't even credited to Eddie Hardin! Now, it's reissued for the first time in the UK in its original format, augmented by three bonus tracks done at the same time which couldn't be fitted onto the original album. Singer Ronnie Dio (who would join Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow shortly after this) did vocals on two of them.

The CD can be ordered from the dpas online store.

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