September 11, 2018

Delivery - BBC Sunday Concert ’70

Carol Grimes – vocals
Phil Miller – guitar
Steve Miller – piano
Roy Babbington – bass
Pip Pyle – drums

1. Is It Really The Same? *
2. Miserable Man **
3. Why I Sing The Blues
4. Blind To Your Light *
5. We Were Satisfied
6. Fools Meeting




* bonus tracks on the Cuneiform reissue of “Fools Meeting”
** Japan only CD bonus track


Note by Phil Miller
Thanks to Joerg Reinicke for this recording of Delivery from 3rd December 1970 and probably recorded at the BBC Paris Theatre.
This is a fascinating glimpse of Phil’s early blues based stylings. He sounds almost Claptonesque in places and I’m pretty certain he is playing his Gibson SG special. I’m not certain of the amp. I think Phil owned a Vox AC30 around this time but this sounds like it could have been a Hi-Watt with 4 x 12 cab. If anyone knows for sure we would be delighted to hear from you. 
All in all, This is a very nice snapshot of the early progressive roots when psychedelia was beginning to subvert traditional blue structures. There’s also more than a taste of Haight-Ashbury here.
Listen to how fresh this sounds forty eight years on and how radical Phil was at his young age. Never playing stock licks and always a unique and individual viewpoint regardless of context. Pip is also revealed as highly developed. His crisp but fierce poly-rhythmic approach is unmistakable to anyone familiar with his later work. It just goes to show how musicians of this intrepid ilk may progress but there is an essential core to their spirit and attitude that is as solid as their bone structure. Listening back now you can hear how it was the sheer attitude and openness of the musicians that sowed the seeds for what was to come.

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