Richard & Linda Thompson, Hokey Pokey

Island Records ILPS 9305 (LP, UK, February 1975) - Hannibal HNCD 4408 (CD, USA, 1983) - Island Records IMCD305 (CD, UK, April 2004)

Un LP davvero entusiasmante, forse il più bello tra quelli del giovane Thompson: un filo di coerenza lega i brani che sono misurati negli arrangiamenti al punto da creare un clima confidenziale, senza cadute, una seduzione continua, un ascolto che non si può interrompere. A Fianco di Richard ci sono Simon Nicol e Kirkpatrick ma anche Aly Bain al violino. Belissima la grafica del Shirt Sleeve Studio.

Tracks:

Hokey Pokey (The Ice Cream Song) (3:22) - I'll Regret It All in the Morning (3:35) - Smiffy's Glass Eye (2:52) - The Egypt Room (3:52) - Never Again (3:08) - Georgie on a Spree (3:39) - Old Man Inside a Young Man (4:26) - The Sun Never Shines on the Poor (3:40) - A Heart Needs a Home (3:48) - Mole in a Hole (3:21)

Bonus Tracks 2004:

Wishing (2:12) - I'm Turning Off a Memory (2:30) - A Heart Needs a Home (3:45)  11-13 recorded for the BBC John Peel Show on February 11, 1975; first broadcast February 14, 1975 - Hokey Pokey (3:35) recorded live at The Roundhouse on September 7, 1975 with John Kirkpatrick, Pat Donaldson and Dave Mattacks - It'll Be Me (4:24) recorded at Oxford Polytechnic on November 27, 1975, and released on (guitar, vocal) in 1976

All tracks Richard Thompson except
Track 10 Mike Waterson - Track 11 Holly / Montgomery - Track 12 Merle Haggard - Track 15 Jack Clement

Produced by John Wood and Simon Nicol - Engineered by John Wood - Recorded at Sound Techniques, London

Musicians:

Richard Thompson, guitar, mandolin, electric dulcimer, hammer dulcimer, piano and vocals - Linda Thompson, vocals - Simon Nicol, guitar, piano, organ, electric 12 string guitar, vocals - Timi Donald, drums, percussion - Pat Donaldson, bass - Sidonie Goosens, harp - John Kirkpatrick, accordion - Ian Whiteman, piano, flute organ - Aly Bain, fiddle