86 THE HELIOCENTRIC WORLDS OF SUN RA II LP 28
86.THE HELIOCENTRIC WORLDS OF SUN RA II Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra
ESP-DISK/1017 LP
PERSONEL:
Sun Ra (p, clavioline, tuned bongos); Walter Miller (tp); Marshall Allen (as, fl, pice, perc); John Gilmore (ts); Pat Patrick (bs, fl); Robert Cummings (bcl); Ronnie Boykins (b); Roger Blank (dr); unidentified (background voc)2.
RLA Sound Studios, New York City, 16 November 1965
TRACKS:
The Sun Myth / A House Of Beauty / Cosmic Chaos
1 An LP first released on ESP-Disk in 1965. 2 Early editions of this LP on ESP-Disk exist with three distinct mixes of side A - The Sun Myth. On two mixes, there are unidentified African-style background vocalists; on the other no vocalists are heard (this seems to have become the standard version for later reissues.) The matrix numbers on side A identify the version: Version 1 - African voices very audible throughout The Sun Myth. Probably released late 1965 or early 1966. Matrix numbers side A: "ESP 1017A" "152" "DBH". Matrix numbers side B: "ESP 1017B" "152" "DBH". Both mono and stereo versions exist.
Version 2 - No voices on The Sun Myth. Known to have been acquired by Library of Congress in 1965. Matrix numbers side A: "ESP 1017A-1" "ORT-2" "DBH". Matrix numbers side B: "ESP 1017B" "152" "DBH". Mono versions are known to exist
Version 3 - African voices mixed very low, audible at beginning and end of The Sun Myth. Probably released 1968. Matrix numbers side A: "ESP 1017A(68)" "AM967" "DBH". Matrix numbers side B: "ESP 1017B(68)" "AM967" "DBH". Side B - A House Of Beauty I Cosmic Chaos - does not seem to vary audibly between these three versions of the LP.
3 It is interesting that on one of Sun Ra's most important records, one of the first to gain him wide public awareness, different people must have been listening to different versions of the music! Maybe some critical opinion was affected by which version happened to be available to different people?
REISSUES There are a huge number of bootleg and licensed reissues on cassette, 8-track, LP, CD and DAT. Some have altered / misleading album titles. To date, all known reissues use the second, 'no voices' mix of the first track, The Sun Myth.
1. LP reissues include: ESP STL 5499/Fontana 858 107 FPY; Happy Bird B/90132 under the title THE SUN MYTH (1983); Tobacco Road 6/2672 under the title COSMIC CHAOS -American Jazz & Blues History Vol. 112 (1984/85); Magic Music 10012 under the title THE SUN MYT"; Fontana STL 55349; ESP Explosive 538.108; Rosy Records ESPS 1017; Base Records 1017; Boots 2406 (1982)
2. CD reissues include: Happy Bird (1988) under the title THE SUN MYTH; Magic Music 30012 under the title "THE SUN MYTH (1988); ESP 1017-2, reissue on ZYX-Music (1993) -liner notes by Hans Schreiber & Tom "Tornado" Klatt. 3. The CD HELIOCENTRIC WORLDS VOLUMES 1 & 2 ESP-Disk 4026 combines this session and listing 83 on a single CD.
4. A 3-CD issue THE HELIOCENTRIC WORLDS OF SUN RA ESP-Disk 4062 (3xCD, 2010) combines volumes 1,2 and 3 of this series (listings 83, 85) along with bonus photos, articles, and the documentary film "SPACEWAYS". (Edward English, 1968.)
5. A House Of Beauty is included on the ESP'Disk sampler THE ESP SAMPLER ESP1051 (LP, 1965-1967)