When the Beatles split, Paul McCartney tucked himself away and recorded an album where he played every instrument by himself. The resulting LP was the killer, McCartney. This must have seemed like a tempting prospect for other songwriters in bands. Other well known instances of this are Todd Rundgren from the Nazz and Emitt Rhodes from the Merry-Go-Round. Here's one you might be unfamiliar with...Myke Jackson from Felt. If this name is new to you then read on, you're in for a treat!
Myke Jackson
Felt were an Alabama,USA band that released a single, self-titled LP on the Nasco label in 1971 which was masterminded by a then 17 year old, virtuoso guitarist named Myke Jackson. The band split shortly after the release of their album. For the next few years, Jackson played in various club bands to pay the bills, while simultaneously recording homemade tapes which he would send to Hollywood producer Ed Seay. A new band was put together but quickly fell apart after failing to get any label interest. In January 1975, Jackson decided to go it alone, borrowing some money from his uncle and renting out Creative Audio Studios in Huntsville to record his album by his self.
The album which would be titled "Alone", was recorded over three sessions of two days each including the mixes. Due to a lack of funds, each of the songs were recorded in one take, not that you can tell. The production is a little thin but the songs are melodic, (McCartney-esque/powerpop is the overall vibe), the vocals are strong and the playing is first class. Did I mention that Mellotron makes an appearance?
Only 1000 copies of the album were pressed when it came out in 1975, making original copies almost impossible to track down, but in 2013, Greek label Anazitisi Records officially re-released the album from the original masters as a vinyl only, limited to 300 copies, including 100 on blue vinyl, although these too seem to selling fast so grab one while you can. If you're not yet scrambling around for your credit card to buy this record you really need to ask yourself why you're reading this blog in the first place! The full story of Myke Jackson and the making of Alone including a recent interview can be found inside the Anazitisi reissue. What are you waiting for?
