Private Parts and Pieces VI: Ivory Moon

Private Parts and Pieces VI: Ivory Moon
Studio album by Anthony Phillips
Released January 1986
Recorded August 1985
Studio Englewood Studios, Clapham, London
Genre Acoustic rock
Length 59:49
Label Passport Records (US)
Virgin Records (UK)
Producer Anthony Phillips
Anthony Phillips chronology
Private Parts & Pieces V: Twelve
(1985)		 Private Parts and Pieces VI: Ivory Moon
(1986)		 Private Parts & Pieces VII: Slow Waves, Soft Stars
(1987)

Private Parts and Pieces VI: Ivory Moon is the eleventh studio album by English multi-instrumentalist and composer Anthony Phillips. It was released in January 1986 by Passport Records in the United States and Canada as the sixth instalment in his Private Parts & Pieces album series featuring tracks that were not included on his full studio releases. Ivory Moon features solely piano pieces written between 1971 and 1985, and recorded in August 1985. It is Phillips's first album that does not feature his guitar work.

Background and recording

After finalising his previous album, Private Parts & Pieces V: Twelve, Phillips decided to continue with his Private Parts & Pieces album series and prepare material for the sixth instalment. He had several ideas for the direction that the album was to take, but the lack of a recording deal with a UK label with limited money to fund a larger scale project, limited his options.[1] Phillips then decided to assemble a group of solo piano compositions that he had written between 1971 and 1985, which marked a change in direction for Phillips as each of his previous albums had featured his guitar work.[1]

"Winter's Thaw" and "The Old House" include the earliest dated compositions on the album, parts on both were written in 1971 shortly after Phillips had started formal piano lessons. Early versions of both tracks were recorded and put together with other demos in the summer of 1972.[1] "Tara's Theme" and "Moonfall" are piano versions of songs originally put together for a planned musical adaptation of the picture book Masquerade (1979) by Kit Williams. Though the musical never came into fruition, Phillips felt they were worthy for inclusion.[1]

Leith Hill Tower

The album's cover painting is a work entitled Sea-Dogs Motoring by Peter Cross, who had designed the sleeves for many of Phillips's previous albums. The painting is based on Leith Hill Tower in Dorking.[2] The back cover features a photograph of Phillips taken by Cross in 1985 during a cricket game at Hambledon, Hampshire.[1] As per most of Phillips albums, the liner notes to Ivory Moon contain a running joke reference to Phillips's friend Ralph Bernascone: "Ralph Bernascone appears courtesy of Ravaged Records". The photography is credited to "Pierror Krols and Vic Stench of Thrombosis", the latter name being another running joke as it is in fact one of Phillips's pseudonyms.

Release

The album was released in the United States and Canada by Passport Records in January 1986.[1] Ivory Moon was reissued on CD by Virgin Records in 1991, and by Blueprint Records in 1996. These reissues include a new recording done in October 1990, based on Phillips' original September 1968 piano version of the Genesis song "Let Us Now Make Love". Genesis performed the song for the BBC radio show Night Ride in February 1970.[1]

On September 23, 2016, Esoteric Recordings released a 5-CD box set containing the second four volumes in the Private Parts & Pieces series and a fifth disc of previously unreleased material.

Track listing

All titled composed, performed, and produced by Anthony Phillips, except where noted.[2]

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Suite: Sea-Dogs Motoring – (i) Sunrise Over Sienna"3:21
2."Suite: Sea-Dogs Motoring – (ii) Basking Shark"5:09
3."Suite: Sea-Dogs Motoring – (iii) Sea-Dog's Air"2:37
4."Suite: Sea-Dogs Motoring – (iv) Safe Havens"1:15
5."Tara's Theme (From Masquerade)"3:22
6."Winter's Thaw"9:35
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Old House" 15:17
2."Moonfall (From Masquerade)"Phillips, Rupert Hine4:00
3."Rapids" 8:25

Personnel

Taken from the 1986 LP liner notes.[2]

Music

  • Anthony Phillips – piano, production

Production

  • Paul Graves – maintenance
  • John Armer – piano tuning
  • "Pierror Krols" and "Vic Stench of Thrombosis" – photography
  • Ian Cooper – disc cutting at Townhouse Studios, London
  • Kim Cross – album title
  • Peter Cross – cover painting ("Sea-Dogs Motoring")

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dann, Jonathan (2016). Private Parts & Pieces V–VIII (Booklet notes). Anthony Phillips. Esoteric Recordings. ECLEC52561.
  2. 1 2 3 Private Parts and Pieces VI: Ivory Moon (Media notes). Anthony Phillips. PVC Records. 1986. PVC 8946.
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