George Faith - To Be A Lover (Deluxe Edition)

George Faith - To Be A Lover (Deluxe Edition). The Original 1977 Island Records 'Black Swan' label first edition with bonus Black Ark recorded material from 1977/1978.

Born Earl George Lawrence, in the small, central Kingston, fishing village of Rae Town in 1946, Faith's vocals were spotted early when he was a member of his local school choir.

He began recording in the late 1960's for producer Clancy Eccles, using the name Earl George and eventually George Earl and his first single was entitled "See Me".

In the early 1970's he began working with producer Glen Lee, who worked a few doors down from producer Lee Perry's Upsetter Shop on Charles Street and started recording cover versions of American Soul and Pop songs.

By the mid-seventies George Earl began recording for producers Lloyd Campbell and Phil Pratt but his biggest hit came with producer Lee Perry with whom he recorded an early version of "To Be A Lover".

It was a very popular riddim and Perry cut many different vocals and DJ's over it and even gave copies of the rhythm to other producers including Bunny Lee, Tony Robinson and King Tubby.

Around 1975/1976 George Earl began recording at Lee Perry's Black Ark studio, beginning the process of what would become his first full album release.

Earl had been recording material at the studio for over eight months prompting Perry to tell Earl he had a lot of faith in this album and thus changing his name to George Faith.

Perry had often encouraged his singers to change their stage names, back in 1975 he told eventual Third World singer Bunny "Rugs" Clarke to become Bunny Scott as this would help sell the album in Scotland!
 

The first George Faith single, released on Island Records new 'Black Swan' label imprint, was an updated version of "To Be A Lover (Have Some Mercy)". This version proved even more popular than the first, it was slower, deeper and heavier with horns and harmonies. The Jamaican issue of the single was an epic 12 minute mix with Perry's added toast towards the end whilst the UK release was shorter but strangely had out of sync parts of a previous Dillinger toast noticeably in the mix due to a tape error.

The second single release was a cover of The O'Jays "I've Got The Groove" accompanied by the b-side "Diana", a dub heavy take of the Paul Anka penned tune. A third single also appeared, a cover of Wilson Picketts "Midnight Hour" which also incorporates Lee Dorsey's "Ya Ya" in a kind of medley. The b-side to this third single was another R'n'B standard, the Tyrone Davis classic "Turn Back The Hands Of Time".

All the singles and b-sides along with Faith's other Black Ark recordings, "Opportunity" (a George Faith original), "There's A Train" (a cover of The Temptations' "All The Love I've Got") and "So Fine" (a Johnny Otis song) were finally gathered together and were given a Jamaican only release entitled "Super Eight".

The album boasts backing vocals from The Meditations and The Diamonds, piano by Keith Sterling, Winston Wright on the organ, Ernest Ranglin and Earl 'Chinna' Smith on guitars, Black Ark's resident bassist Boris Gardiner, drums courtesy of Sly Dunbar and Mikey Richards and horns from the legendary trio of Headley Bennett, Glen Da Costa and David Madden.

Meanwhile Island Records would release the album in the UK and America under the title "To Be A Lover", after the popularity of the first single, on it's subsidiary 'Black Swan' label.

The track order was different to the JA release and the song "There's A Train" had been amended to "All The Love I've Got" but other than that it was the same album.

A further fourth single was released, "Opportunity", in early 1978 to help promote the album which sold well and the possibility of a UK and European tour, along with the full Black Ark session players and singers including Junior Murvin, Keith Rowe, The Congos and Full Experience, was being planned.

Unfortunately the "Upsetter Revue Tour" never came about due to Perry's increasingly erratic behaviour and unpredictability at this time.

Nevertheless, Island Records were impressed with George Faith's debut album and instructed him and Perry to return to the studio to work on a follow up.

They began recording new songs by mid-1978 and had enough for a full album according to Faith. The material had moved from soul covers to more conscious, roots reggae which had become the predominant theme at the Black Ark studio by this point.

It was around this time however that Island records had turned down a number of Perry's recordings including albums by The Congos, Candy McKenzie and the eclectic "Return Of The Super Ape" album.

Although two singles from the sessions appeared, "Working On The Guideline", which was due to be the title track and "Don't Be Afraid", both complete with dub versions, they were not released by Island. The rest of the album sadly remains unreleased and it's not clear if Island have the album in their vaults or not.

George Faith, disappointed with the album being shelved, took the material over to Phil Pratt with whom he recorded the album "One And Only" which contained new versions of songs he created with Perry including "Working On The Guideline" and "Sam Stone".

He later went on to record albums with producers Alvin Ranglin and Bunny Lee before moving to Canada in the early 1980's. He returned to Jamaica in 1986, recording the "Sings For Lover's Only" album and making sporadic recordings into the 1990's. Earl died in 2003 after battling cancer.

In recent times Island records finally re-issued the album in it's original Jamaican form of "Super Eight" on CD and vinyl in 2012. The album never before given a re-mastered issue since it's original pressing in the late 70's. 

The alternative "To Be A Lover" version of the album was given a very brief, small quantity CD release on the Hip-O label in the U.S but was not re-mastered sound-wise and label information was minimal.

This Deluxe Edition contains the original Island album released on the 'Black Swan' label in 1977 and adds additional Black Ark sessions including the 12" Single Mix of  "To Be A Lover" and it's Dub Mix and also the second album singles "Guide Line" and "Don't Be Afraid" with the dub mixes.

Enjoy!  : )


Tracklisting:

Disc One - George Faith - To Be A Lover (Original "Black Swan" Album - 1977)


1) Midnight Hour / Ya Ya
2) To Be A Lover (Have Some Mercy)
3) Opportunity
4) So Fine
5) I've Got The Groove
6) Diana
7) All The Love I've Got
8) Turn Back The Hands Of Time

Disc Two - Bonus Black Ark Material 1977 - 1978

1) To Be A Lover (Have Some Mercy) (12" Disco Mix)
2) To Be A Lover (Have Some Mercy) (12" Dub Mix)
3) I've Got The Groove (Dub)
4) Guide Line
5) Guide Line (Dub)
6) Don't Be Afraid
7) Conscious Guide
8) Conscious Guide (Slight Return)
9) To Be A Lover (Have Some Mercy) (12'' Single Mix)

George Faith - To Be A Lover (Deluxe Edition)

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