Giant for a Day!

"Words from the Wise" / "No Stranger"
Giant for a Day!
Studio album by Gentle Giant
Released	11 September 1978
Recorded	April – May 1978
Studio	Ramport Studios, Battersea; Maison Rouge, Fulham; Scorpio Sound, Euston
Genre	Pop rock
Length	35:33
Label	Chrysalis (UK); Capitol (U.S.)
Producer	Gentle Giant
Gentle Giant chronology
Singles from Giant for a Day!
	"Words from the Wise" / "No Stranger"; Released: 1978; "Thank You" / "Spooky Boogie"; Released: 1978;

Giant for a Day! is the tenth album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant which was released in 1978. The band's previous use of counterpoint and medieval-themed arrangements was not present on this recording. This album features a pop rock sensibility, instead of their usual progressive rock sound. Unlike the previous albums, the band did not make any tour or concerts to support this album.[4] From the album only the title track was ever played live by the band during its final tour supporting the Civilian album.[5]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Rolling Stone	unfavourable[2]
Sea of Tranquility	[3]

Track listing

All lead vocals by Derek Shulman, except where noted.

All tracks are written by Kerry Minnear, Derek Shulman, and Ray Shulman, except where noted.

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Words from the Wise"		Derek Shulman and ensemble	4:14
2.	"Thank You"			4:50
3.	"Giant for a Day!"			3:49
4.	"Spooky Boogie"		instrumental	2:55
5.	"Take Me"	Derek Shulman, John Weathers		3:39

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Little Brown Bag"			3:26
2.	"Friends"	Weathers	John Weathers	2:00
3.	"No Stranger"			2:29
4.	"It's Only Goodbye"			4:19
5.	"Rock Climber"			3:52

Personnel

Gary Green – electric guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 9), electric guitars (tracks 3, 6, 8, 10), slide guitar (track 2), acoustic guitar (tracks 2, 7), backing vocals
Kerry Minnear – piano (tracks 4–6, 9, 10), electric piano (tracks 1, 4, 5, 8, 10), Minimoog (tracks 3–5), Hammond organ (track 2), Clavinet (track 1), synthesizer (track 4), xylophone (track 4), bass (tracks 2, 7), backing vocals, co-lead vocals on track 1
Derek Shulman – lead vocals all tracks except tracks 4 and 7
Ray Shulman – bass (tracks 1, 3–6, 8–10), 12-string guitar (tracks 2, 7), backing vocals
John Weathers – drums (tracks 1–6, 8–10), tambourine (tracks 1, 5), shaker (track 4), cowbell (track 10), backing vocals, lead vocals on track 7[6]

Release details

1978, UK, Chrysalis Records CHR-1186, release date 29 September 1978, LP
1978, UK, Chrysalis Records CHR-1186, release date ? ? 1978, Cassette
1978, US, Capitol Records SW-11813, release date 11 September 1978, LP
1978, US, Capitol Records SW-11813, release date ? ? 1978, Cassette
1978, Brazil, Chrysalis Records 6307 636, release date ? ? 1978, LP
?, US, Capitol Records SN-16045, release date ? ? ?, LP (re-release)
?, US, Capitol Records 17892, release date ? ? ?, CD
1993, UK, Road Goes On Forever RGFCD 1007, release date ? ? 1993, CD (with lyric sleeve)
1994, UK, Terrapin Trucking TRUCKCD007, release date 18 July 1994, CD (re-master)
1996, US, One Way CD 18470, release date 16 March 1996, CD
1999, UK, Beat Goes On BGOCD431, release date 16 April 1999, CD (2× CD with The Missing Piece)
2005, UK, DRT Entertainment RTE355, release date 5 September 2005, CD (35th Anniversary Enhanced Re-Master)

References

Little, Patrick (2011). "Giant for a Day! – Gentle Giant | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
Bloom, Michael (2011). "Gentle Giant: Giant For A Day : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". web.archive.org. Archived from the original on March 16, 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
Pardo, Pete (2011). "Review: 'Gentle Giant: Giant For a Day-35th Anniversary Edition (remaster)' – Sea of Tranquility – The Web Destination for Progressive Music!". seaoftranquility.org. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2015-10-21.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-04-19. Retrieved 2014-12-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Gentle Giant's website (www.blazemonger.com/GG/)

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[1] Little, Patrick (2011). "Giant for a Day! – Gentle Giant | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 26 June 2011.

[2] Bloom, Michael (2011). "Gentle Giant: Giant For A Day : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". web.archive.org. Archived from the original on March 16, 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2011.

[3] Pardo, Pete (2011). "Review: 'Gentle Giant: Giant For a Day-35th Anniversary Edition (remaster)' – Sea of Tranquility – The Web Destination for Progressive Music!". seaoftranquility.org. Retrieved 26 June 2011.

[4] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2015-10-21.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[5] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-04-19. Retrieved 2014-12-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[6] Gentle Giant's website (www.blazemonger.com/GG/)

Gentle Giant
Gary Green Kerry Minnear Derek Shulman Ray Shulman Malcolm Mortimore Phil Shulman Martin Smith John Weathers
Studio albums	Gentle Giant Acquiring the Taste Three Friends Octopus In a Glass House The Power and the Glory Free Hand Interview The Missing Piece Giant for a Day! Civilian
Live albums	Playing the Fool In Concert The Last Steps Live On The King Biscuit Flower Hour In a Palesport House Live Rome 1974 In'terview in Concert Endless Life Prologue Playing the Cleveland Artistically Cryme The Missing Face Live in Santa Monica 1975 Live in New York 1975 GG At The GG - Sight And Sound In Concert Live in Stockholm '75 King Alfred's College, Winchester 1971 Live at the Bicentennial
Compilation albums	The Original Studio Gentle Giant - Vol. 1 The Original Studio Gentle Giant - Vol. 2 Giant Steps – The First Five Years Pretentious – For the Sake of It Circling Round The Gentle Giant Edge of Twilight Out of the Woods: The BBC Sessions Champions of Rock Out Of The Fire: The BBC Concerts The Essential Of Gentle Giant Totally out of the Woods: The BBC Sessions Way Of Life Giant On The Box Memories of Old Days Three Piece Suite
Boxsets	Under Construction Scraping the Barrel I Lost My Head – The Chrysalis Years Unburied Treasure
EPs	Playing The Fool - Gentle Giant On Tour
UK singles	"In A Glass House" / "An Inmates Lullaby" "The Power and the Glory" / "Playing the Game" "Two Weeks in Spain" / "Free Hand" "I'm Turning Around" / "Just the Same" "Words from the Wise" / "No Stranger" "Thank You" / "Spooky Boogie" "The Power And The Glory" / "Proclamation - Live 1977"
Bootlegs	Playing the Foole (Bootleg)