Blind Faith
a topless pubescent girl, holding in her hands a stylized silver aircraft
Studio album by
Blind Faith
Released9 August 1969 US[1]

And

22 August 1969 UK[2]
Recorded20 February – 28 June 1969
Studio
Genre
Length42:01 (original LP): 131:38 (CD deluxe edition)
LabelPolydor
ProducerJimmy Miller
Alternative cover
US cover

Blind Faith is the only studio album by the English supergroup Blind Faith, originally released in 1969 on Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and Europe and on ATCO Records in the United States. It topped the album charts in the UK, Canada and US, and was listed at No. 40 on the US Soul Albums chart. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA.

Background

The band contained two-thirds of the popular power trio Cream, in Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton, working in collaboration with British star Steve Winwood of the Spencer Davis Group and Traffic, along with Ric Grech of Family. They began to work out songs early in 1969, and in February and March the group was at Morgan Studios in London, preparing for the beginnings of basic tracks for their album, although the first few almost-finished songs did not show up until they were at Olympic Studios in April and May under the direction of producer Jimmy Miller.[5]

The recording of their album was interrupted by a tour of Scandinavia, then a US tour from 11 July (Newport) to 24 August (Hawaii), supported by Free, Taste and Delaney & Bonnie and Friends. Although a chart topper, the LP was recorded hurriedly and side two consisted of just two songs, one of them a 15-minute jam entitled "Do What You Like". Nevertheless the band was able to produce two hits, Winwood's "Can't Find My Way Home" and Clapton's "Presence of the Lord".[5][6]

Album cover

The cover was a photo by Bob Seidemann of a topless 11-year-old girl, Mariora Goschen,[7] holding a silver-painted model of an aircraft, sculpted for the album shoot by Mick Milligan.[8] The cover was mildly controversial in the British press , with some seeing the model airplane as phallic.[9][10] The American record company issued the album with an alternative cover, with a photograph of the band on the front, as well as the original cover.

The cover art was created by Seidemann, a friend and former flatmate of Clapton, who is primarily known for his photos of Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead. In the mid-1990s, in an advertising circular intended to help sell lithographic reprints of the famous album cover, he explained his thinking behind the image.

I could not get my hands on the image until out of the mist a concept began to emerge. To symbolize the achievement of human creativity and its expression through technology a spaceship was the material object. To carry this new spore into the universe, innocence would be the ideal bearer, a young girl, a girl as young as Shakespeare's Juliet. The spaceship would be the fruit of the tree of knowledge and the girl, the fruit of the tree of life. The spaceship could be made by Mick Milligan, a jeweller at the Royal College of Art. The girl was another matter. If she were too old it would be cheesecake, too young and it would be nothing. The beginning of the transition from girl to woman, that is what I was after. That temporal point, that singular flare of radiant innocence. Where is that girl?[11]

Seidemann wrote that he approached a girl, reported to be 14 years old, on the London Underground, asking her to model for the cover. He eventually met her parents, but she proved to be too old for the effect he wanted. Instead, the model he used was her younger sister, Mariora Goschen, who was reported to be 11 years old.[7] Goschen recalled that she was coerced into posing for the picture. "My sister said, 'They’ll give you a young horse. Do it!'" She was instead paid £40.[7][12]

The image, which Seidemann titled "Blind Faith", became the inspiration for the name of the band itself, which had been unnamed when the artwork was commissioned. According to Seidemann: "It was Eric who elected to not print the name of the band on the cover. The name was instead printed on the wrapper, when the wrapper came off, so did the type." That had been done previously for several other albums.

In America, Atco Records used a cover based on elements from a flyer for the band's Hyde Park concert of 7 June 1969.

Release history

The album was released on vinyl in 1969 on Polydor Records in the UK and Europe, and on Atco Records in the US. Polydor released a compact disc in 1986, adding two previously unreleased tracks, "Exchange and Mart" and "Spending All My Days", recorded by Ric Grech for an unfinished solo album, supported by George Harrison, Denny Laine, and Trevor Burton.[13]

An expanded edition of the album was released on 9 January 2001, with previously unreleased tracks and 'jams' included. The studio electric version of "Sleeping in the Ground" had previously been released on the four-disc boxed set for Clapton, Crossroads (released 1988, recorded 1963–1987, including several previously unreleased live or alternate studio recordings). The bonus disc of jams does not include bassist Grech, who had yet to join the band, but includes a guest percussionist, Guy Warner. Two live tracks from the 1969 Hyde Park concert not included here, "Sleeping in the Ground" and a cover of "Under My Thumb", are also available on Winwood's four-disc retrospective The Finer Things.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[14]
The Great Rock Discography7/10[14]
Louder[15]
MusicHound Rock3.5/5[14]
Music Story
Q[16]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
The Village VoiceB[17]

Commercially, Blind Faith charted at number one in both the US[18] and the UK.[19]

The album met with a mixed response from critics. Reviewing in August 1969 for The Village Voice, Robert Christgau found none of the songs exceptional and said, "I'm almost sure that when I'm through writing this I'll put the album away and only play it for guests. Unless I want to hear Clapton—he is at his best here because he is kept in check by the excesses of Winwood, who is rapidly turning into the greatest wasted talent in music. There. I said it and I'm glad."[17] In Rolling Stone, Ed Leimbacher said of the quality, "not as much as I'd hoped, yet better than I'd expected." His colleagues at the magazine—Lester Bangs and John Morthland—were more impressed, especially Bangs in his appraisal of Clapton: "[With] Blind Faith, Clapton appears to have found his groove at last. Every solo is a model of economy, well- thought-out and well-executed with a good deal more subtlety and feeling than we have come to expect from Clapton."[20]

Retrospective appraisals have been positive. According to Stereo Review in 1988, "for 20 years this has been a cornerstone in any basic rock library."[21] AllMusic's Bruce Eder regarded the album as "one of the jewels of the Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, and Ginger Baker catalogs".[14] In 2016, Blind Faith was ranked 14th on Rolling Stone's list of "The 40 Greatest One Album Wonders", which described "Can't Find My Way Home" and "Presence of the Lord" as "incredible".[22]

Track listing

Side one[23]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Had to Cry Today"Steve Winwood8:48
2."Can't Find My Way Home"Winwood3:16
3."Well All Right"Buddy Holly, Jerry Allison, Joe B. Mauldin, Norman Petty4:27
4."Presence of the Lord"Eric Clapton4:50
Side two[23]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Sea of Joy"Winwood5:22
6."Do What You Like"Ginger Baker15:18
1986 CD bonus tracks[24]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Exchange And Mart"Rick Grech4:18
8."Spending All My Days"Grech3:03

Deluxe edition

2001 bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Sleeping in the Ground"Sam Myers2:49
8."Can't Find My Way Home" (Electric version)Winwood5:40
9."Acoustic Jam"Winwood, Clapton, Baker, Grech15:50
10."Time Winds"Winwood3:15
11."Sleeping in the Ground" (Slow blues version)Myers4:44
2001 bonus disc
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Jam No. 1: Very Long & Good Jam"Winwood, Clapton, Baker14:01
2."Jam No. 2: Slow Jam No. 1"Winwood, Clapton, Baker15:06
3."Jam No. 3: Change of Address Jam"Winwood, Clapton, Baker12:06
4."Jam No. 4: Slow Jam No. 2"Winwood, Clapton, Baker16:06

Personnel

Blind Faith

  • Steve Winwood – keyboards, vocals, guitars; bass guitar on "Presence of the Lord" and "Well All Right"; autoharp on "Sea of Joy"; bass pedals on "Jam No. 1–4"
  • Eric Clapton – guitars; vocals on "Well All Right" and "Do What You Like"
  • Ric Grech – bass guitar, violin on "Sea of Joy"; vocals on "Do What You Like"
  • Ginger Baker – drums, percussion; vocals on "Do What You Like"

Guest

  • Guy Warren – percussion on "Jam No. 1–4"

Production personnel

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[41] 3× Platinum 150,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[36] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[42] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[43] Platinum 1,000,000^
Summaries
Worldwide (IFPI) — 8,000,000[44]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 9 August 1969. p. 42. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  2. ↑ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Melody Maker. 23 August 1969. p. 18. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  3. ↑ uDiscover Team (11 February 2020). "Blind Faith". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  4. ↑ "The Top 30 British Blues Rock Albums Of All Time". Classic Rock. Future plc. 23 March 2007. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  5. 1 2 Black, Johnny (June 1996). "Born Under A Bad Sign". Mojo. pp. 47–52.
  6. ↑ Welch, Chris (2016). Clapton – Updated Edition: The Ultimate Illustrated History. Voyageur Press. pp. 132–141. ISBN 978-0-760-35019-5.
  7. 1 2 3 Thorgerson, Storm; Powell, Aubrey (1999). 100 Best Album Covers: The Stories Behind the Sleeves. Dorling Kindersley. p. 29. ISBN 0-7513-0706-8.
  8. ↑ "Blind Faith: The Prop Aircraft Model Used On The Controversial Album Cover, Blind Faith". Bonhams. 10 December 2014.
  9. ↑ Doggett, Peter (2008). There's a Riot Going On: Revolutionaries, Rock Stars, and the Rise and Fall of the '60s. Canongate Books. pp. 280–281. ISBN 978-1-84767-180-6.
  10. ↑ Larkin, Colin (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music. p. 268. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  11. ↑ "She's older than she looks..." Badcat Records. Archived from the original on 27 October 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2008.
  12. ↑ Barrell, Tony (11 November 2007), "Cover Stories", Sunday Times.
  13. ↑ Simon Leng (2003). The Music of George Harrison: While My Guitar Gently Weeps. SAF Publishing Ltd. p. 43. ISBN 9780946719501.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "Blind Faith – Blind Faith | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  15. ↑ Henderson, Paul (16 August 2018). "Blind Faith: Blind Faith album review". Louder. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  16. ↑ "Blind Faith". Q. April 2001. p. 116.
  17. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (14 August 1969). "Consumer Guide (3)". The Village Voice. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  18. ↑ "Blind Faith – Chart history – Billboard". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  19. ↑ "BLIND FAITH – full Official Chart History – Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  20. ↑ Hjort, Christopher (2007). Strange Brew: Eric Clapton & the British Blues Boom, 1965–1970. Jawbone Press. p. 256. ISBN 978-1906002008.
  21. ↑ "Blind Faith". Stereo Review's Stereo Buyers Guide. CBS Magazines. 1988.
  22. ↑ "40 Greatest One-Album Wonders". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  23. 1 2 "Blind Faith". discogs.com. 1969.
  24. ↑ "Blind Faith - Blind Faith". Discogs. 1986.
  25. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  26. ↑ "Top Albums/CDs – Volume 12, No. 10, October 25 1969". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  27. ↑ "Danskehitlister – Blind Faith: Blind Faith" (in Danish). Hitlisten. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  28. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Blind Faith – Blind Faith" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  29. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 263. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  30. ↑ "Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste – Lettre B" (in French). Institut français d'opinion publique. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  31. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Blind Faith – Blind Faith" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  32. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  33. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Blind Faith – Blind Faith". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  34. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 40: 14 September 1969 – 20 September 1969". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  35. ↑ "Blind Faith Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  36. 1 2 Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  37. ↑ "Top Stanih – Tjedan 20/2015" (in Croatian). Top of the Shops. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  38. ↑ "Alben 1969 Deutschland | Album-Charts | Top 100 Auswertung". GfK Entertainment (in German). Chartsurfer.de. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  39. ↑ "Alben 1969 Norwegen | Album-Charts | Top 40 Auswertung". GfK Entertainment (in German). Chartsurfer.de. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  40. ↑ "Alben 1969 UK | Album-Charts | Top 75 Auswertung". GfK Entertainment (in German). Chartsurfer.de. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  41. ↑ "Australian Fun Countdowns: Accreditation Awards". Australian Recording Industry Association. Australian Fun Countdowns. 7 April 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  42. ↑ See BPI Certifications list on UKMIX.org for reference. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  43. ↑ "American album certifications – Blind Faith – Blind Faith". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  44. ↑ Eder, Bruce (2007). "Rovi Corporation". MTV Biographies – Blind Faith. United States: MTV Books. p. 2.
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