McDonald and Giles

McDonald and Giles
McDonald and Giles
Studio album by McDonald and Giles
Released	November 1970
Recorded	May–July 1970
Studio	Island Studios, London
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	46:04; 45:23 (2002 reissue)
Label	Island (UK & Europe); Cotillion (US & Canada); Atlantic (Australia, New Zealand, Japan & South America); Polydor (1977 UK reissue); Virgin (2002 CD reissue);
Producer	Ian McDonald, Michael Giles
Ian McDonald chronology

Last updated June 02, 2024

Side A
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Suite in C" (including "Turnham Green", "Here I Am" and others)	Ian McDonald	11:21
2.	"Flight of the Ibis"	McDonald, B. P. Fallon	3:18
3.	"Is She Waiting?"	McDonald	2:40
4.	"Tomorrow's People – The Children of Today"	Michael Giles	7:00

Side B
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Birdman", involving: "The Inventor's Dream (O.U.A.T.)" "The Workshop" "Wishbone Ascension" "Birdman Flies!" "Wings in the Sunset" "Birdman – The Reflection"	McDonald, Peter Sinfield	21:45

From the liner notes:^[15]

"Suite in C" was written by Ian McDonald in Detroit, Los Angeles and Earl's Court between December 1969 and February 1970.
"Is She Waiting?" was written in Earls Court in the summer of 1969, between King Crimson gigs.
"Birdman" was mostly written in the spring of 1968, apart from the Flying bit which was done in 1970. Original idea by Peter Sinfield. "Wishbone Ascension" was performed live by King Crimson in 1969 as a part of the once performed live prog epic "Trees", which also included Fripp's penned "Pictures of a City." The transition to the bridge part appear in both "Wishbone Ascension" and "Pictures of a City"
"Tomorrow's People" was written by Michael Giles in 1967, and expanded and arranged in 1970. The song was dedicated to Tina and Mandy, his children.
The lyrics for "Birdman" begin "Long ago / In Walthamstow". Walthamstow Marshes was the location of Alliott Verdon Roe's attempts to build and fly his early aeroplanes. (A. V. Roe was the first British aviator and founder of Avro Aircraft Company).
The parenthetical acronym in the title of "The Inventor's Dream (O.U.A.T.)" stands for "Once Upon a Time".
"Flight of the Ibis" shares similarities to "Cadence & Cascade" on "In The Wake of Poseidon" in melody and, indeed, "Ibis" had the "Cadence & Cascade" lyric at one point. When McDonald left the band he took his music with him, while Sinfield retained the lyric. Fripp composed a song that used the lyric and had some similarities to "Ibis" in terms of structure, melody and chord progression to provide enough material for the second King Crimson album.^[16]

Personnel

Musicians

Ian McDonald – guitar, piano, organ, saxes, flute, clarinet, zither, vocals and sundries
Michael Giles – drums, percussion (including milk bottle, handsaw, lip whistle and nutbox), vocals
Peter Giles – bass guitar
Steve Winwood – organ, and piano solo on "Turnham Green"
Michael Blakesley – trombone on "Tomorrow's People"

Technical

Ian McDonald and Michael Giles – producers & arrangers
Brian Humphries – engineer
Richard Digby Smith – assistant engineer
Mike Gray – strings and brass arrangements on "Birdman" and "Suite in C"
Richard DiLello – photography
Charlotte Bates – painting

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References

↑ Williams, Richard (21 November 1970). "Outside the Court of the Crimson King". Melody Maker. Archived from the original on 4 November 2022.
↑ Mullin, Connor (21 March 2015). "McDonald and Giles: A Hidden Gem". Progarchy. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
1 2 3 Tomsett, Pete (2021). Fifty Shades of Crimson: Robert Fripp and King Crimson. Backbeat. p. 63. ISBN 9781493051038 – via Google Books.
1 2 Luhrssen, David; Michael Larson (2017). Encyclopedia of Classic Rock. ABC-CLIO. p. 193. ISBN 9781440835148 – via Google Books.
↑ Buckley, Peter, ed. (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). Rough Guides. p. 557. ISBN 9781858284576 – via Google Books.
↑ Helander, Brock (2001). The Rockin' 60s: The People Who Made the Music. Music Sales. p. 422. ISBN 9780857128119.
1 2 3 McDonald, Steven (n.d.). "McDonald and Giles Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 19 March 2015.
↑ Macan, Edward (2006). Endless Enigma: A Musical Biography of Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Open Court. p. 75. ISBN 9780812695960 – via Google Books.
↑ Ladaga, Eloy Pérez (2017). Rock Progresivo: Historia, cultura, artistas y álbumes fundamentales [Progressive Rock: History, Culture, Artists and Fundamental Albums] (in Spanish). Ma Non Troppo. p. 151. ISBN 9788499175157 – via Google Books.
↑ Cowen, Andrew (17 August 2002). "CD Reviews". Birmingham Post. Birmingham Post and Mail Ltd: 52 – via ProQuest.
1 2 Dellard, Fred (January 1971). "Current Pop: McDonald and Giles". Hi-Fi News & Record Review. 16 (1): 129 – via Google Books.
↑ Staff writer (30 January 1971). "Newcomer Picks" (PDF). Cash Box. XXXII (32). The Cash Box Publishing Company: 34 – via World Radio History.
↑ Staff writer (30 January 1971). "Album Product" (PDF). Record World. 25 (1234). Record World Publishing: 16, 18 – via World Radio History.
↑ Staff writer (28 November 1970). "Cat is an artist with plenty to say". The Guardian Journal: 5 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ McDonald and Giles (liner notes). McDonald and Giles. United Kingdom: Virgin Records. 2002.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
↑ Kobi, Hayim (13 June 2017). "In the Wake of Poseidon, by King Crimson". The Music Aficionado. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017.

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[1] Williams, Richard (21 November 1970). "Outside the Court of the Crimson King". Melody Maker. Archived from the original on 4 November 2022.

[2] Mullin, Connor (21 March 2015). "McDonald and Giles: A Hidden Gem". Progarchy. Retrieved 31 March 2021.

[fiftyshades-3] 1 2 3 Tomsett, Pete (2021). Fifty Shades of Crimson: Robert Fripp and King Crimson. Backbeat. p. 63. ISBN 9781493051038 – via Google Books.

[ecr-4] 1 2 Luhrssen, David; Michael Larson (2017). Encyclopedia of Classic Rock. ABC-CLIO. p. 193. ISBN 9781440835148 – via Google Books.

[5] Buckley, Peter, ed. (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). Rough Guides. p. 557. ISBN 9781858284576 – via Google Books.

[6] Helander, Brock (2001). The Rockin' 60s: The People Who Made the Music. Music Sales. p. 422. ISBN 9780857128119.

[allmusic-7] 1 2 3 McDonald, Steven (n.d.). "McDonald and Giles Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 19 March 2015.

[8] Macan, Edward (2006). Endless Enigma: A Musical Biography of Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Open Court. p. 75. ISBN 9780812695960 – via Google Books.

[9] Ladaga, Eloy Pérez (2017). Rock Progresivo: Historia, cultura, artistas y álbumes fundamentales [Progressive Rock: History, Culture, Artists and Fundamental Albums] (in Spanish). Ma Non Troppo. p. 151. ISBN 9788499175157 – via Google Books.

[10] Cowen, Andrew (17 August 2002). "CD Reviews". Birmingham Post. Birmingham Post and Mail Ltd: 52 – via ProQuest.

[hifi-11] 1 2 Dellard, Fred (January 1971). "Current Pop: McDonald and Giles". Hi-Fi News & Record Review. 16 (1): 129 – via Google Books.

[12] Staff writer (30 January 1971). "Newcomer Picks" (PDF). Cash Box. XXXII (32). The Cash Box Publishing Company: 34 – via World Radio History.

[13] Staff writer (30 January 1971). "Album Product" (PDF). Record World. 25 (1234). Record World Publishing: 16, 18 – via World Radio History.

[14] Staff writer (28 November 1970). "Cat is an artist with plenty to say". The Guardian Journal: 5 – via Newspapers.com.

[mcdonaldgiles-15] McDonald and Giles (liner notes). McDonald and Giles. United Kingdom: Virgin Records. 2002.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[16] Kobi, Hayim (13 June 2017). "In the Wake of Poseidon, by King Crimson". The Music Aficionado. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017.

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