Projections (The Blues Project album)

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Projections
1966 projections.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 1966
Genre Blues rock, psychedelic rock
Length49:24
Label Verve/Folkways
Producer Tom Wilson
Billy James on "Flute Thing" and "Fly Away"
The Blues Project chronology
Live at the Cafe Au Go Go
(1966)
Projections
(1966)
Live at Town Hall
(1967)
Singles from Projections
  1. "I Can't Keep From Crying"
    Released: November 1966
  2. "Steve's Song"
    Released: February 1967
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]

Projections is the second album by the American blues rock band the Blues Project. Produced by Tom Wilson and released by Verve/Folkways in November 1966, the album was their first studio release and examined a more rock-based sound. [2] Jim Marshall was credited as the photographer of the album cover.

Contents

Soon after the release of this album, Al Kooper left the band in the spring of 1967 to form Blood, Sweat & Tears.

Recording

Keyboardist and vocalist Al Kooper was the most prominent member of the band, having recently played on Bob Dylan's seminal album Highway 61 Revisited . However, Projections was very much a group effort, developing the band's unique style that drew upon blues, jazz, folk, soul, and psychedelic influences. [3]

According to Danny Kalb, the record company was not interested in the band's artistic merit and "just wanted to make a few bucks". The band was disappointed by this lack of creative input and did not see the album cover or hear the mix until the record was released. [4] Kooper believes the band's albums were poorly recorded, saying that Projections "has a lot of weird echo on it, and that was our best recording." [5]

Song Notes

Track listing

Side one

  1. "I Can't Keep From Crying" (Arranged by Al Kooper) – 4:25
  2. "Steve's Song" (Steve Katz) – 4:55
  3. "You Can't Catch Me" (Chuck Berry) – 4:14
  4. "Two Trains Running" (McKinley Morganfield) – 11:20

Side two

  1. "Wake Me, Shake Me" (Arranged by Kooper) – 5:15
  2. "Cheryl's Going Home" (Bob Lind) – 2:35
  3. "Flute Thing" (Kooper) – 5:58
  4. "Caress Me Baby" (Jimmy Reed) – 7:12
  5. "Fly Away" (Kooper) – 3:30

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

References

  1. Allmusic review
  2. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r2184 Album review
  3. SEIGAL, BUDDY (March 11, 1993). "The Blues Project "Projections" (1966) / Verve" via LA Times.
  4. "50 Years Ago: The Blues Project Release Their Tour de Force, 'Projections': Exclusive Interviews". Ultimate Classic Rock.
  5. Daley, Dan (January 2005). "Interview: Al Kooper" (PDF). Sound on Sound: 54. Retrieved August 16, 2025.