INDIAN ROPE TRICK
THE ECHOES OF A DREAM
Company: Dragonfly Records
Matrix Number: BEAT 1-A / BEAT-1-B
Release date: January 1978
Country: USA
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SIDE A
1. MY BONNIE 3:13
2. I LOVE YOU TOO 1:59
3. IT’S ONLY LOVE (incomplete) 1:40
4. SPIRITUAL REGENERATION / HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE LOVE 2:36
5. FRENZY AND DISTORTION 1:47
6. SAVOY TRUFFLE 2:54
7. HEY BULLDOG 3:08
8. THE FOOL ON THE HILL 2:48
SIDE B
9. I AM THE WALRUS 4:17
10. WATCHING RAINBOWS 4:32
11. MADMAN / MEAN MR. MUSTARD / MADMAN 4:14
12. ALL THINGS MUST PASS 3:04
13. CHEESE AND ONIONS 1:20
14. ORIENTAL NIGHTFISH 2:30
15. THE PIRATE SONG 2:04
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Sound quality: VG-mono
Source:
#1. with Tony Sheridan, 1961 (EX-stereo); English & German slow intros & fast version edited together
#2: the Fourmost, 1964 (G); from “Ferry ‘cross the Mersey’’ film
#3, 6, 7: half stereo mixes (3: G)
#4: Rishikesh, India, Mar. 15, 1968 (featuring Wolfman Jack’s comment)
#5: Ravi Shankar, 1968 (EX-stereo); produced by George Harrison
#8, 9: demos & original released version edited together
#10, 11: Twickehnham Studios, January 14, 1969 (G); played on French RTL radio (with DJ talking over)
#12: Twickenham Studios, January 8, 1969
#13: NBC TV “Saturday Night Live’’, April 23, 1977 (EX); by the Rutles
#14: Paul & Linda, EMI Studios, Lagos, Nigeria, September 1973 (EX)
#15: George on BBC TV “Rutland Weekend TV Xmas show’’, December 26, 1975 (EX)
COMMENTS
Many of the tracks on this LP are forgeries (1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9). Track 2 is erroneously listed as by Paul & the Fourmost, track 5 as Not Guilty and track 13 as a John demo (although Neil Innes’ voice sounds very much like John’s, so perhaps someone was fooled). Track 11 was soon to resurface in better quality on the 2nd pressing of WATCHING RAINBOWS. Despite all this, the handful of unreleased tracks made this record quite interesting at the time of its release.
RELEASES
Early 1978 (photo below the title). The first pressing, and the subsequent releases distributed in the first half of 1978, had a fold-around slipsheet in various colors, on the Dragonfly label, also in various colors.
Late 1978 to early 1979. These, more common, pressings had the same insert cover, but the disc had the Ruthless Rhymes labels, white or yellow.
Late 1979 to 1980. This release had the Slipped Disc "dancing skeleton" label. The records were distributed either with the original insert, or with new, cheap inserts for the front and the back covers.
1981-1982. Subsequent releases had CANYON, GLC and blue or green RARING label. One batch of records on blue RARING label was pressed on pink vinyl. On the back, a sticker was added with the indication COLLECTOR'S EDITION "SHOCK PINK" VINYL
Mid-eighties. The last repressing used Kornyfone labels. These labels were originally used in the mid-seventies, however, the producer was the same, so he may have had left-over stocks of the Kornyfone labels, which were used for this release, or pressed a new batch from the original masters.
INTEREST. The Dragonfly records have some interest for collectors, since it's the first type of release of this title, and is comparatively less common (***). The further releases have scarce value (**/*), excepting the rare, limited one on pink wax (***).
COUNTERFEITS AND COPIES
1980. The east coast bootlegger who specialized in copycats of west coast bootlegs released his counterfeit of INDIAN ROPE TRICK, as usual in lesser sound quality, from matrix IRT A / IRT B. The jacket had the front insert directly printed, in black and white, and the track listing on the fold-over part of the original version was printed on the back cover. The label was plain blue.
INTEREST. Useless counterfeit. *
1981. This record was pressed also in Japan, from matrix IRT 614 A / IRT 614 B (hence, taken from the counterfeit) and included in the rare 5-LP box BEATLES FOREVER MORE, together with 20 X 4 (matrix TBF 615), LIVE PARIS OLYMPIA (matrix APO-6506), AT SHEA STADIUM (matrix ASS-6508) and LET IT BE 315 (matrix 315). INDIAN ROPE TRICK was also distributed as a single LP under "Geritol" label.
INTEREST. Both the 5-LP box and the single LP are quite rare. Even though musically worthless, they can be interesting for the collectors. ***
