Tracklist
The GroovesLiner Notes
Released in the UK on 23 January 1970, the third album reached UK #4 — Family's commercial breakthrough, and the first record they made on their own terms. John Gilbert had been sacked as manager the previous August, in the wake of the Family Entertainment mix grievance; Tony Gourvish had come in to replace him; and Family had wrapped both roles inside a new corporate vehicle called Bradgate Bush Ltd. The name combined Bradgate Park in Leicester with Shepherd's Bush in London, and the structure ensured that for the rest of the band's life, the manager worked for Family rather than the other way round.
The other big change was at the back of the band. Jim King had been a Family original — sax, harmonica, woodwind, the lot — and was involved in the early sessions for the record. But none of his overdubs would survive the cut. John 'Poli' Palmer replaced him, and where King's instruments had been brass and reed, Palmer brought vibes, electric piano, flute and a Moog. Per Robert M. Corich's later sleeve essay, the material "was written with King and his instruments in mind rather than Palmer," and the arrangements had to be reworked on the fly to suit the new player. The sound that resulted — a blend Watts would later call "more sass" — defined what Family would be for the next two records.
Whitney later told Zigzag the album's foundations were uneven: "With Weider as a bass player [it] was a bit too far up the neck, and doesn't anchor it too well. The bass, drums and guitar were all recorded together so as to put the tracks down as a three-piece." Corich, preparing the 1998 CD remaster, agreed the final mix wasn't the LP's strongest aspect — and discovered, in the process, a stranger problem. The original tapes had been run at the wrong speed at mastering, "a vari-speed — fast — by mistake of the original mastering engineer," and the entire album had been manufactured on CD with the whole record running too fast. "If you listen carefully and compare it to the original record," Corich wrote, "you will hear the higher pitch in Roger Chapman's voice." Anyone with a pre-1998 CD pressing of A Song For Me has been listening to a slightly accelerated record for thirty years.
The press caught the change. Nick Logan in NME (28 February 1970), with the LP at NME #6 on its way to the #4 peak, framed the moment as the vindication of a band who'd "acquired a kind of Cinderella image on the progressive front. In fact, it's an illusion." Peter Barraclough in the Leicester Chronicle (23 January 1970): "Any doubt that Leicester's 'Family' have become one of the most original and musically proficient groups on the pop scene today must be dispelled by their new album." Barraclough also clocked the cover dedications — Len Glover of Leicester City FC, the Burlesque (the former Leicester disco that would later give Family one of their best songs), and Bradgate Park itself.
The most lasting line from the contemporary press came not from London but from the Walsall Observer on 20 February 1970, in an unbylined review whose middle paragraph has been quoted ever since: "He has an insanely exciting voice, a sort of Larry The Lamb gone rock, with a crazy vibrato that quivers hoarsely from one note to another. On stage, he looks like an emaciated dervish, a blur of flailing arms and body, from which pours this wasted stoned-out voice. He's the most exciting rock singer in Britain."
Eighteen months later, Michael Watts in Phonograph Record Magazine (November 1971) called the album "ten times better" than Family Entertainment and credited Palmer's arrival with crystallising the band's musical direction: "He plays vibes, electric piano and flute, as well as being featured occasionally as second drummer beside Rob Townsend, and he has encouraged the band to swing more; he has given the music more sass." Of the title track, Watts was unequivocal: "a masterpiece … which has become their chef d'oeuvre at every concert."
Credits. Third studio album, 1970. Produced by Family for Bradgate Bush Ltd. Manager: Tony Gourvish. Mastering corrected on the 1998 ESMCD616 CD (Robert M. Corich); earlier CD pressings ran at incorrect speed.
Sources. A Song For Me sleeve notes — Robert M. Corich, Essential! ESMCD616 (1998) · Family — Cinderella group making good — Nick Logan, NME, 28 February 1970 · Leicester group's new LP — Peter Barraclough, Leicester Chronicle, 23 January 1970 · A Song For Me review — Walsall Observer, 20 February 1970 · In Their Own Time — An Outline of the Band — Michael Watts, Phonograph Record Magazine, November 1971.
Album Reviews4
Reviews gathered with this release and kept on the album page rather than in the general Press Archive.
Leicester group's new LP
by Peter Barraclough
Leicester Chronicle — 23 January 1970
ANY DOUBT that Leicester’s “Family” have become one of the most original and musically proficient groups on the pop scene today, must be dispelled by their new album “A Song For Me.”
This is the quintet’s third album, and according to drummer Rob Townsend, their best yet. I’m inclined to agree. Since their last LP “Family Entertainment,” the group have made two changes in line-up, with Johnny Weider replacing Ric Grech on guitar and violin, and Polly Palmer in for saxophonist Jim King. Both newcomers are featured prominently on the album which covers a wide musical spectrum.
All the songs are penned by John Whitney and Rog Chapman with a little help from Grech (now with Blind Faith) and Johnny Weider. For those who have stereo, the album holds some intriguing audio effects, and obviously the group — who produced the LP themselves — have taken extra trouble to cater for the twin speaker enthusiasts. But if you’ve only got a mono player, it’s still a darn good rock album.
“Drowned in Wine”: Jazzy number featuring some nice flute work, and Roger Chapman in great vocal form.
“Some Poor Soul”: Supposedly a Mel Torme take-off. Beautiful melody with some really fine acoustic guitar work. Definitely my favourite on the album.
“Love is a Sleeper”: Quick tempo number with Polly Palmer’s vibe work featured prominently.
“Stop for the Traffic”: Slightly Rolling Stone-ish song with plenty of guitar strumming.
“Wheels”: Catchy song with Palmer in brilliant form on flute and Rob Townsend adding some nice percussion.
“Song for Sinking Lovers”: Jog along number with violin and banjo and lilting Chapman vocals. Has some interesting stereo effects.
“Hey, let it rock”: Starts off with swinging rhythm and nice vibe work, and then goes into a country-rock thing with some energetic vocals.
“93’s OK J”: Ranges from jazz to Elizabethan type music. Excellent acoustic guitar work.
“A Song for Me”: Title track with plenty of good guitar riffs, shouting from Chapman, and solos from all the group. Rather too long.
Among other things they dedicate the LP to City FC player Len Glover, The Burlesque (former Leicester disco), and Bradgate Park!
A Song for Me — contemporary review roundup (1970)
Full text of the contemporary reviews as reproduced in Galactic Ramble.
Music Business Weekly — 7 February 1970
Appreciably better than Family Entertainment, this has good contributions from new members John Weider on violin and guitar and Poli Palmer on vibes, piano and flute. The group are now stronger musically, as demonstrated by the fine jazz guitar and flute on ‘Wheels’, and Chapman is developing his distinctive quavery vocal style.
Record Retailer — 14 February 1970
Their third exciting and highly varied LP trip. The vast instrumentation at the command of these five men is impressive because it is used strategically; they eschew gimmickry. Despite widely publicised change in group personnel, they remain one of the most popular bands in Europe. The album, thoughtfully produced, by the group, has considerable aural impact.
Friends — 20 February 1970
Olympic Studios have given the overall sound a clarity badly needed on their earlier albums. Despite this, A Song For Me is very disappointing. The songs lack the strength of structure that made their previous work so exciting. They’re more demanding musically, but somehow the arrangements don’t come off. A great deal of their sensitivity has been lost throughout the LP, with what can best be described as a formless combination of thumping drums, leaping guitars and wailing violins. The loss of Ric Grech and (in particular) Jim King was obviously very significant.
Beat Instrumental — March 1970
Although Family’s image is undoubtedly that of a ‘heavy’ outfit, this gives full rein to their many different musical approaches, and extensive use is made – intelligently – of the many instruments the band play.
Record Buyer — April 1970
This is certainly their best album to date, so their ever-growing fan following will not be disappointed. All the tracks are self-compositions (former member Ric Grech, who moved over to the now lamented Blind Faith, co wrote one of them, ‘Wheels’). Moments of brilliance, a few dull patches, but all in all a very good effort.
A Song For Me — Walsall Observer review
Walsall Observer — 20 February 1970
The third album by Family, “A Song For Me” (RSLP 9001), is the first to have captured the essence of the Leicester group, fluid rock music, full of quick tempo changes set against a vocal style of extraordinary intensity and eccentricity.
It’s a definite improvement on the first L.P., “Music In A Doll’s House,” which was messily recorded, and “Family Entertainment,” which suffered from half-baked socio-political philosophy as on “How Hi The Li”). Since the last album, Poli Palmer’s vibes and flute have replaced the sax-playing of Jim King, resulting in a more jazzy feel (listen to “Hey — Let It Rock”) and a general tightening-up of the sound. They have become more advanced musically, learning where and in what proportions to use electronic effects, like reversing John Weider’s violin sound on the tapes, which becomes more than a musical gimmick.
Undeniably, their greatest asset is singer Roger Chapman. He has an insanely exciting voice, a sort of Larry The Lamb gone rock, with a crazy vibrato that quivers hoarsley from one note to another. On stage, he looks like an emaciated dervish, a blur of flailing arms and body, from which pours this wasted stoned-out voice. He’s the most exciting rock singer in Britain.
A Song for Me — Fatea expanded-edition review
Expanded-edition review. David Kidman revisits A Song for Me as the sound of Family reorganizing itself after the departures of Ric Grech and Jim King. John Weider and Poli Palmer changed the instrumental balance, producing a record that moves between folk and country textures, jazzier excursions and the almost live-in-the-studio abandon of the title track.
The 2022 remaster is praised for opening out an original mix that could feel opaque. Kidman values the singles and BBC sessions—especially the January 1970 John Peel concert—as evidence of the new line-up developing in public. He notes a missing session track and wishes the booklet went further into the music and non-album singles, but considers these minor reservations: the edition makes a persuasive case for reassessing the album within Family’s catalogue.
Reissue Sleeve Notes1
Essays and contextual notes originally prepared for later editions of this album.
A Song For Me — sleeve notes (ESMCD616 reissue)
Sleeve essay accompanying the Essential! Records CD reissue of A Song For Me (ESMCD616, 1998) — written for the band’s run of mid-90s remasters by Robert M. Corich.
A Song For Me was Family’s third album. Released in January 1970, it was a softer and less psychedelic affair than the two previous albums Music in a Doll’s House and Family Entertainment. A Song For Me charted, becoming a hit album and finally reaching number 4 in the UK charts.
The album consisted of ten tracks, of which at least four had already become a staple part of the band’s live set long before the recording of the album. It was probably a good move to work these songs in early, as the familiarity (excuse the pun) with the live versions ensured that the fans would latch onto the album quickly. A Song For Me was the first of the Family albums to feature multi-instrumentalist John ‘Poli’ Palmer. Palmer had been drafted in to replace Jim King, who had departed to form Ring Of Truth with Victor Brox. This third long player was also the first album recorded with John Weider. Weider had been brought in as the replacement for the ‘irreplaceable’ Ric Grech, who had left the band after the second album, Family Entertainment. Weider, however, proved that not many people were irreplaceable, including Grech. Palmer, who had already been exposed to the Family scene via their live concerts several months earlier, fitted in perfectly, and the band progressed into its most successful commercial period.
The band had recently split from their original manager, John Gilbert. Subsequently, they teamed up with one Tony Gourvish who was to become their new manager, and together formed a company called Bradgate Bush Ltd to handle the band’s affairs. Bradgate coming from Bradgate Park in Leicester, and Bush coming from Shepherd’s Bush in London. Forming a company from within to protect and control Family’s functions and recordings was a sensible thing for the band. They had already recorded and released two albums and plenty of singles. They were also becoming increasingly successful, and it was prudent to control their own business environment. Involving their manager within the company ensured they at least had him under their control as well! Musicians of today could learn a lot from this!
The company formation might have been a bright idea, but the self-production of the album at this point was probably not such a good one. The band were still developing their use of recording techniques. Charlie Whitney later commented in an interview that, “With Weider as a bass player [it] was a bit too far up the neck, and doesn’t anchor it too well. The bass, drums and guitar were all recorded together so as to put the tracks down as a three-piece” (source: special issue on Family published in Zigzag, 1973). The album’s final mix was definitely not the best in the world either. To top it all, Jim King, who had been involved early on in the recording (although none of his overdubs were used), was then replaced by the talented Palmer who played quite different instruments than King had planned to use. The result was that material was written with King and his instruments in mind rather than Palmer.
The final result featured studio recordings of some now familiar live staples along with previously unheard songs. However, the test of time has shown that it is definitely not their best record with regard to recording and mixing techniques. The material itself though, was as good as ever and improving with every album.
The release of A Song For Me was preceded by the single No Mule’s Fool, backed with Good Friend Of Mine. It is these two recordings that were the last to feature Jim King. Poli Palmer also managed to add a few instruments at the tail end of the recording sessions. The single reached number 29 in the charts, and unlike previous single releases from Family it was not issued merely to advertise the next project, but as an independent recording in its own right. Although not included on the original release, we have added these two songs to this newly re-mastered version as they are relevant to the time period.
Although the original recording may not have been the best, the album has stood the test of time surprisingly well. An interesting point associated with the original CD release is the fact that the original tapes had been run at an incorrect speed (probably a vari-speed — fast — by mistake of the original mastering engineer) and this meant that the original CDs were manufactured with the whole album too fast! If you listen carefully and compare it to the original record you will hear the higher pitch in Roger Chapman’s voice caused by this mistake.
Re-mastering this one was always going to be a challenge, but with access to original master tapes and the addition of the single tracks that preceded the album’s release, you will hopefully find it a welcome addition to the recordings of one of the 70s’ most influential and respected bands. The story continues with the re-mastered version of Family’s fourth album, Anyway.
— © 1998 Robert M. Corich
Bonus tracks added to this CD reissue:
No Mule’s Fool — Released in October 1969, it finally charted at number 29. This was the first of Family’s singles to feature a picture sleeve. The songs for the single were recorded during a different session from the album, specifically with the intention of creating a single separate from an album release.
Good Friend Of Mine — B-side of No Mule’s Fool. These were the last two recordings to feature Jim King.
Reissue credits: Research & co-ordination — Robert M. Corich. Revised sleeve notes prepared by Red Steel Productions for Essential!. Project co-ordination: Mick Carpenter. Original album covers courtesy of Roger Chapman & Paul Ashton. Remastered by Mike Brown and Robert M. Corich, January 1998. Reissue design by Albert de Gimenez. Postal contact (1998): Family / Roger Chapman, PO Box 6481, London, N8 8QD.
All Pressings38
Every known issue, variant, reissue, and repress across all countries and formats. Identical catalogue entries with multiple Discogs listings are grouped into a single row.
Variant Tracklists5 variants
Pressings that add bonus tracks or replace the canonical programme. Pressings sharing the same variant content are grouped.
Original LP programme (Side 1: 1. Drowned in Wine 2. Some Poor Soul 3. Love Is a Sleeper 4. Stop for the Traffic — Through the Heart of Me 5. Wheels // Side 2: 1. Song for Sinking Lovers 2. Hey — Let It Rock 3. The Cat and the Rat 4. 93's O.K. J. 5. A Song for Me) plus two bonus tracks: 11. No Mule's Fool 12. Good Friend Of Mine — both originally the Reprise RS 27003 single, October 1969. Restored from master tapes after the original CD edition was mastered at an incorrect (fast) vari-speed.
- 11
- 12
- 11
- 12
- 13Drowned in Wine — Live
- 14The Cat and the Rat — Live
- 15Wheels — Live
- 16A Song for Me — Live
- 11
- 12
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 1Roger Chapman Interview Drowned In Wine
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8Songs For Sinking Lovers
- 9
- 10
- 11A Good Friend Of Mine (Stereo Mix)
- 12
Gallery35 images
Covers, labels, inserts, and press material across all pressings. Click any image to view full-size.
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