Well, Jocko D started a great topic when he asked people to recall how they first got into Rare Earth. Well, there's been a few memories along the way for me, despite being in a land that Rare Earth never visited (I keep rubbing that one in Peter and Ray lol) and where the music press never wrote more than a couple of sentences about the band.
For me, One World and In Concert were monumental releases. I've never played any album to the extent of In Concert, I think its just awesome. A couple of years after its release I saw a live Rare Earth album advertised on cassette. It was advertised among the US imports in one of our music paper adverts. Well, I think they called it Rare Earth Live so I wasn't sure it was the same album as In Concert. Maybe they had recorded a new one?
When the tape arrived from the US, my heart sunk when it turned out to be In Concert. So now I had it on vinyl and tape. Equally worn out I should add. Funny now I look back. This must have been around the time that Live In Chicago was recorded. I'd heard whispers that there might be another live album coming out and thought this was it.
I remember buying Willie Remembers. I clearly recall unexpectedly seeing it advertised in the music press, then frantically finding it in the new releases rack at one of the record stores. I remember reading the sleeve on the way home and being mortified at the two personnel changes. The much loved John Persh being replaced by Mike Urso. Great name, but could he replace the guy that wrote one of my all time favourite RE tracks? As for Pete Rivera, how could they cope without him? Well, at least they took on a drummer who could sing lead vocal. Obviously, it soon clicked that PR and PH were one and the same...thank goodness.
I remember seeing the Ma LP at the same store. This was a real shock because firstly it came out of the blue, secondly it appeared only about 6 months after Willie Remembers, thirdly the sleeve. Why the sleeve? Well, first thing I noticed was the title track took up a whole side. Great, this could be another Get Ready an all action jam session. On the other hand, why no songwriting contributions from the band? On hearing the album I have to be honest and say my heart sank. The full side of Ma never gets off the ground for me. Big John is the best song by a mile. The rest is so so.
My best friend was a Rare Earth fan, mainly thanks to me drawing his attention to their music. He went on holiday to visit a penfriend in Sweden (whatever happened to penfriends.? Emails killed off that word). He sent me a postcard saying something like "Weather great and food ok. Spotted a new Rare Earh LP called Back to Earth. Lots of line up changes". I thought he was having a joke with me but I made enquiries and managed to import a copy from the US.
I also remember standing on a railway station platform after midnight waiting for a train to take me home after travelling a long way to see a concert by one of my favourite artists. It was May 8th 1976 as I recall and 24 hours earlier I had just bought the Midnight Lady LP. As I waited and waited for that last train, wondering if it would ever arrive, all that was going through my head was Ray's guitar solo and the brass setion on the track Do It Right.
So does anyone else remember the first time they clapped eyes on, or played for the first time, any of Rare Earth's records? If so, it would be great to hear your stories and first imprssions.
