Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends
Encyclopedia
Welcome Back, My Friends, to the Show That Never Ends... Ladies and Gentlemen, Emerson, Lake & Palmer is a 1974 live album by progressive rock
band Emerson, Lake & Palmer
, originally released as a three-disk vinyl album in a gatefold ("trifold" with two sections opening away from the center) cover, the inside of which used the letters "E", "L" and "P" as retainers for the individual disks.
During 1973 and 1974, ELP toured on their Someone Get Me a Ladder Tour all around the world, and this album captures the representative musical sound of that tour. The title of the album comes from the opening line of the song "Karn Evil 9
: First Impression, Part 2" as well as the introduction to the performance, uttered at the beginning of the song "Hoedown
."
The album reached #4 on the Billboard album chart making it ELP's highest charting album in the US.
A Quadraphonic mix of the album was only ever released in the Quadraphonic 8-track cartridge format, as a three-tape set.
Most of the original recordings included on the album had been first issued as a presentation for the syndicated US radio show "King Biscuit Flower Hour
". In 1999, these original radio recordings were released on CD. Comparisons of the "King Biscuit" tapes to the album show that ELP did not re-record any of the live musical parts in a studio. It also allows fans to hear how Greg Lake
remixed the tracks for the album release. In some places the sound was changed by using different echo and reverberation
effects.
The Hard Rock Cafe
in Orlando, Florida, also has the title as a message above their main entrance. The "welcome back my friends" hook was also used by Alan Freeman
on some of his radio shows.
The tour was so exhausting for them that this was the last ELP release for almost three years while the band took an extended break to recover and pursue some solo projects that eventually ended up on their next release Works
in 1977.
John Lydon
once appeared on stage with the Sex Pistols
in London wearing a t-shirt featuring pictures of Emerson, Lake and Palmer with the slogan "Welcome Back Bellends..." and proceeded to burn an effigy of Keith Emerson.
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...
, originally released as a three-disk vinyl album in a gatefold ("trifold" with two sections opening away from the center) cover, the inside of which used the letters "E", "L" and "P" as retainers for the individual disks.
During 1973 and 1974, ELP toured on their Someone Get Me a Ladder Tour all around the world, and this album captures the representative musical sound of that tour. The title of the album comes from the opening line of the song "Karn Evil 9
Karn Evil 9
"Karn Evil 9" is an extended work by progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer, appearing on the album Brain Salad Surgery. A futuristic fusion of rock and classical themes, it is regarded by many fans to be their best work...
: First Impression, Part 2" as well as the introduction to the performance, uttered at the beginning of the song "Hoedown
Hoedown
A Hoedown is a type of American folk dance or square dance in duple meter, and also the musical form associated with it.-Overview:The most popular sense of the term is associated with Americans in rural or southeastern parts of the country, particularly Appalachia. It is a dance in quick movement...
."
The album reached #4 on the Billboard album chart making it ELP's highest charting album in the US.
A Quadraphonic mix of the album was only ever released in the Quadraphonic 8-track cartridge format, as a three-tape set.
Most of the original recordings included on the album had been first issued as a presentation for the syndicated US radio show "King Biscuit Flower Hour
King Biscuit Flower Hour
The King Biscuit Flower Hour was a syndicated radio show presented by the D.I.R. Radio Network that featured concert performances by various rock artists.-History:...
". In 1999, these original radio recordings were released on CD. Comparisons of the "King Biscuit" tapes to the album show that ELP did not re-record any of the live musical parts in a studio. It also allows fans to hear how Greg Lake
Greg Lake
Gregory Stuart "Greg" Lake is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a vocalist and bassist of King Crimson, and the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.-1960s: King Crimson:...
remixed the tracks for the album release. In some places the sound was changed by using different echo and reverberation
Reverberation
Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed. A reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound is produced in an enclosed space causing a large number of echoes to build up and then slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the walls and air...
effects.
The Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of theme restaurants founded in 1971 by Americans Peter Morton & Isaac Tigrett. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia, a tradition which expanded to others in the chain. In 2006, Hard Rock was sold to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and...
in Orlando, Florida, also has the title as a message above their main entrance. The "welcome back my friends" hook was also used by Alan Freeman
Alan Freeman
Alan Leslie "Fluff" Freeman, MBE was a British disc jockey and radio personality in the United Kingdom for 40 years.-Career:...
on some of his radio shows.
The tour was so exhausting for them that this was the last ELP release for almost three years while the band took an extended break to recover and pursue some solo projects that eventually ended up on their next release Works
Works
Works may refer to:* An author's or artist's body of work of art* Engineering structures, projects, and so on, including:** Earthworks , created through moving soil or unformed rock...
in 1977.
John Lydon
John Lydon
John Joseph Lydon , also known by the former stage name Johnny Rotten, is a singer-songwriter and television presenter, best known as the lead singer of punk rock band the Sex Pistols from 1975 until 1978, and again for various revivals during the 1990s and 2000s...
once appeared on stage with the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
in London wearing a t-shirt featuring pictures of Emerson, Lake and Palmer with the slogan "Welcome Back Bellends..." and proceeded to burn an effigy of Keith Emerson.
Disc one
- "Hoedown" Taken from Rodeo (Aaron CoplandAaron CoplandAaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later in his career a conductor of his own and other American music. He was instrumental in forging a distinctly American style of composition, and is often referred to as "the Dean of American Composers"...
, arr. Keith EmersonKeith EmersonKeith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
, Greg LakeGreg LakeGregory Stuart "Greg" Lake is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a vocalist and bassist of King Crimson, and the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.-1960s: King Crimson:...
& Carl PalmerCarl PalmerCarl Frederick Kendall Palmer is an English drummer and percussionist. He is credited as one of the most respected rock drummers to emerge from the 1960s...
) – 4:27 - "JerusalemAnd did those feet in ancient time"And did those feet in ancient time" is a short poem by William Blake from the preface to his epic Milton a Poem, one of a collection of writings known as the Prophetic Books. The date on the title page of 1804 for Milton is probably when the plates were begun, but the poem was printed c. 1808...
" (Charles Hubert Hastings ParryHubert ParrySir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 1st Baronet was an English composer, teacher and historian of music.Parry's first major works appeared in 1880. As a composer he is best known for the choral song "Jerusalem", the coronation anthem "I was glad" and the hymn tune "Repton", which sets the words...
, William BlakeWilliam BlakeWilliam Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
, arr. Emerson Lake & Palmer) – 3:20 - "Toccata" An adaptation of Ginastera's 1st piano Concerto, 4th movement (Alberto GinasteraAlberto GinasteraAlberto Evaristo Ginastera was an Argentine composer of classical music. He is considered one of the most important Latin American classical composers.- Biography :...
, arr. Emerson) – 7:21 - "TarkusTarkus (song)"Tarkus" is the title track of Emerson, Lake & Palmer's second album. The progressive rock epic clocks in at 20:35. It was the longest studio song by the band until the three impressions of Karn Evil 9 and their concert performances. The name "Tarkus" refers to the armadillo-tank from the William...
" – 27:24- "Eruption" (Emerson)
- "Stones of Years" (Emerson, Lake)
- "Iconoclast" (Emerson)
- "Mass" (Emerson)
- "Manticore" (Emerson)
- "Battlefield" (Lake) including "EpitaphEpitaph (song)"Epitaph" is the third track from the British progressive rock band King Crimson's debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King....
" (Robert FrippRobert FrippRobert Fripp is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He was ranked 42nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #47 on Gibson.com’s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique...
, Ian McDonaldIan McDonald (musician)Ian McDonald is an English multi-instrumental musician, best known as a founding member of progressive rock group King Crimson, formed in 1969, and of the hard rock band Foreigner in 1976. He is well-known as a rock session musician, predominantly as a saxophonist...
, Lake, Michael GilesMichael GilesMichael Giles is an English drummer, best known as a co-founder of King Crimson in 1969...
, Peter SinfieldPeter SinfieldPeter John Sinfield is an English poet, lyricist and artist, most famously known as the lyricist and co-founding member of early incarnations of King Crimson, whose debut album In the Court of the Crimson King has been regarded as one of the most influential progressive rock albums ever...
) - "Aquatarkus" (Emerson)
- "Take a PebbleTake a Pebble"Take a Pebble" is a song by the British progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer. It is the second track of their eponymous debut album. It was written by Greg Lake, and was arranged by the full band.The song starts as a soft ballad.....
" (Lake) including "Still...You Turn Me On" (Lake) and "Lucky Man" (Lake) – 11:06
Disc two
- "Piano Improvisations" Including Friedrich GuldaFriedrich GuldaFriedrich Gulda was an Austrian pianist and composer who worked in both the classical and jazz fields.Born in Vienna as the son of a teacher, Gulda began learning to play the piano from Felix Pazofsky at the Wiener Volkskonservatorium, aged 7...
's "Fugue" and Joe SullivanJoe SullivanMichael Joseph "Joe" O'Sullivan was an American jazz pianist.Sullivan was the ninth child of Irish immigrant parents. He studied classical piano for 12 years and at age 17, he began to play popular music in a club where he was exposed to jazz...
's "Little Rock Getaway" (Emerson) – 11:54 - "Take a Pebble (Conclusion)" (Lake) – 3:14
- "Jeremy Bender" / "The Sheriff" (Emerson, Lake) – 5:26
- "Karn Evil 9Karn Evil 9"Karn Evil 9" is an extended work by progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer, appearing on the album Brain Salad Surgery. A futuristic fusion of rock and classical themes, it is regarded by many fans to be their best work...
(Emerson, Lake, Sinfield) – 35:21- "Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression" (Emerson, Lake)
- "Karn Evil 9: 2nd Impression" (Emerson)
- "Karn Evil 9: 3rd Impression" (Emerson, Lake, Sinfield)
Side two
- "Tarkus" – 16:42
- "Eruption" (Emerson)
- "Stones of Years" (Emerson, Lake)
- "Iconoclast" (Emerson)
- "Mass" (Emerson)
- "Manticore" (Emerson)
- "Battlefield" (Lake) including "EpitaphEpitaph (song)"Epitaph" is the third track from the British progressive rock band King Crimson's debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King....
" (Robert FrippRobert FrippRobert Fripp is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He was ranked 42nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #47 on Gibson.com’s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique...
, Ian McDonaldIan McDonald (musician)Ian McDonald is an English multi-instrumental musician, best known as a founding member of progressive rock group King Crimson, formed in 1969, and of the hard rock band Foreigner in 1976. He is well-known as a rock session musician, predominantly as a saxophonist...
, Lake, Michael GilesMichael GilesMichael Giles is an English drummer, best known as a co-founder of King Crimson in 1969...
, Peter SinfieldPeter SinfieldPeter John Sinfield is an English poet, lyricist and artist, most famously known as the lyricist and co-founding member of early incarnations of King Crimson, whose debut album In the Court of the Crimson King has been regarded as one of the most influential progressive rock albums ever...
)
Side three
- "Tarkus (conclusion)" – 10:42
- "Aquatarkus" (Emerson)
- "Take a Pebble", including "Still...You Turn Me On" / "Lucky Man" – 11:06
Side four
- "Piano Improvisations" – 11:54
- "Take a Pebble (conclusion)" – 3:14
- "Jeremy Bender" / "The Sheriff" – 5:26
Personnel
- Keith EmersonKeith EmersonKeith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Greg LakeGreg LakeGregory Stuart "Greg" Lake is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a vocalist and bassist of King Crimson, and the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.-1960s: King Crimson:...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Carl PalmerCarl PalmerCarl Frederick Kendall Palmer is an English drummer and percussionist. He is credited as one of the most respected rock drummers to emerge from the 1960s...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA – USA | Gold | September 19, 1974 |