30 January : Farewell American Tour

I had never heard of this artist or this album until I browsed through Billboard for January 1971. I’m still not clear if it’s release date was December 1970 or January 1971, but I’m taking the Billboard notice as sufficient to hang this entry on. I don’t think it ever had a UK release.

Sally Eaton was (and still is I think) an actress and singer who was in the original US cast of Hair. Genre guerrillas online routinely describe this album as folk/psychedelic but, you won’t be surprised to learn, that isn’t entirely true. The songs, self-written and performed by Ms Eaton, are, for the most part, much closer to show tunes dressed up in contemporary stylings.

It’s extraordinary, and I am smitten.

The songs are as personal as anything the emergent singer-songwriter scene produced, but with a very different feel. It’s no surprise to find that the only European release at the time was in France–it has the same dramatic feel as something by Brel, and her voice has an edge that it took me a while to recognise as the same one possessed by Shirley Bassey. Having said that, and not to mislead, the material is varied and she has no problem moving from torch songs to getting down and very dirty when she wants to, as on Long Time Lover.

I haven’t been able to find out who the musicians are on the album, I guess session players, but they do a good job.

As far as I’m aware, and according to Discogs, this was her only album. That’s something of a shame. The original album back cover featured a horoscope and Wikipedia advises that she involved herself in a wide range of what might neutrally be described as neo-pagan groups. I have no issue with that but, selfishly, wish she had recorded more in this vein. Reader, I’ve tracked down a reasonably priced copy on cd from Germany, and fully expect it to get plenty of play in the shed when it arrives.

The album does not appear to be on Spotify but does exist as a YouTube playlist which I can’t embed. You’ll find it here.