Valentyne Suite
| Valentyne Suite | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Colosseum ValentyneSuite.jpg | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 1969[1] | |||
| Recorded | Spring and summer 1969 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 35:00 | |||
| Label | Vertigo (UK) | |||
| Producer | Tony Reeves, Gerry Bron | |||
| Colosseum chronology | ||||
| ||||
Valentyne Suite is the second album released by the band Colosseum. It was Vertigo Records' first album release,[2] and reached number 15 in the UK Albums Chart in 1969.[3] The album peaked at number 18 in Australia in 1970.[4]
Though the song "The Kettle" is officially listed as having been written by Dick Heckstall-Smith and Jon Hiseman, a credit which is confirmed by Hiseman's liner notes for the album, bassist and producer Tony Reeves later claimed that it was written by guitarist and vocalist James Litherland.[5] The song's riff was later interpolated in three songs, notably "Ya Mama" by Fatboy Slim.[6]
Reception
[edit | edit source]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | StarStarStarStarFile:Star empty.svg[7] |
AllMusic derided the first three tracks, referring to "The Kettle" and "Butty's Blues" as, "tarted-up 12-bar blues", and claiming that "Elegy" was beyond James Litherland's abilities as a vocalist. They were more approving of the rest of the album, and described Dave Greenslade's solo on "The Valentyne Suite" as, "something to offer a challenge to vintage Keith Emerson, but with swing." They were critical of Litherland and Reeves's playing on the song, however, and concluded, "In retrospect this might not quite the classic it seemed at the time, but it remains listenable..."[7]
Track listing
[edit | edit source]Valentyne Suite was originally written with "Beware the Ides of March" as the final movement, but since "Beware the Ides of March" had already been released in the UK on Those Who Are About to Die Salute You, "The Grass is Always Greener" was substituted for the final movement in the UK release.[citation needed] Compact Disc issues of the suite follow the track listing of the UK release.[citation needed]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Kettle" | Dick Heckstall-Smith, Jon Hiseman | 4:25 |
| 2. | "Elegy" | James Litherland | 3:10 |
| 3. | "Butty's Blues" | Litherland | 6:44 |
| 4. | "The Machine Demands a Sacrifice" | Litherland, Heckstall-Smith, Pete Brown, Hiseman | 3:52 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "The Valentyne Suite"
| Dave Greenslade, Heckstall-Smith, Hiseman | 16:49 |
Personnel
[edit | edit source]Colosseum
[edit | edit source]- Dave Greenslade – Hammond organ, vibraphone, piano, backing vocal on "The Machine Demands a Sacrifice"
- Dick Heckstall-Smith – saxophones
- Barbara Thompson – flute on "The Machine Demands a Sacrifice"
- Jon Hiseman – drums, machine on "The Machine Demands a Sacrifice"
- James Litherland – guitars, lead vocals
- Tony Reeves – bass guitars
Guest musicians
[edit | edit source]- Neil Ardley – conductor on "Butty's Blues", string arrangement on "Elegy"
Charts
[edit | edit source]| Chart (1969–70) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[8] | 18 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[9] | 15 |
References
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- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Colosseum chart history, The Official Charts. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ WhoSampled entry for "The Kettle"
- ^ a b Valentyne Suite at AllMusic
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
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