The April Roundup
This Day in Music
A summary of albums released in April, but with unknown specific dates.
1972: Procol Harum releases their first contemporary live album, “Procol Harum Live in Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.” The Edmonton in question is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta, not the village in Cornwall, England.
Peaking at No. 7 in Canada and No. 5 in the U.S., the Gold-certified record features the hit single, “Conquistador,” originally appearing on their first studio album, in addition to symphonic live versions of the band’s classic, “A Salty Dog,” from the album of the same name, and the 19-minute suite, “In Held ‘Twas I,” from their second album, “Shine on Brightly.”
1967: American rock band The Turtles release their third studio album, “Happy Together.” Featuring the hit single title track, the album was certified Gold in the U.S.
1968: The Amboy Dukes release their second studio album, “Journey to the Center of the Mind.” Though the hit title track is a psychedelic song that could be interpreted as a metaphor for LSD use, anti-drug, teetotaling songwriter Ted Nugent confirms it’s not about drugs. (Ted is nuts enough without additional substances.)
1970: “Ladies of the Canyon,” the third studio album from legendary Canadian singer-songwriter and musician Joni Mitchell is released. Referencing L.A.’s Laurel Canyon neighbourhood in the Hollywood Hills where many of the day’s songwriters lived, such as David Crosby, Graham Nash, and Frank Zappa, the Platinum certified album further showcases Mitchell’s talented songwriting abilities. The LP features her classics, “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Woodstock,” and “The Circle Game.”
1972: Legendary American singer-songwriter and musician Lou Reed releases his debut self-titled solo studio album. Noted prog rockers of the band Yes, Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe, are among the backing musicians on the record. It features the track, “I Can’t Stand It,” originally performed by the Velvet Underground, and an early version of the song, “Berlin,” which would be re-recorded for his 1973 third studio album, also titled “Berlin.”
