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Jeff
Cotton, The Exiles, The Magic Band & MU
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Introduction
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MU(RTV 300) 1971 The band's first album released on the small ERA/RTV label. Recorded at Wally Heider's studio in Los Angeles, it was produced by the band and engineered by John Golden. As can be seen above the cover is a formal photograph of the band looking fairly uncomfortable ... although Jeff looks ill, thin, pale and haggard more than anything else. The back cover had MU in large letters interweaved with the 'four forces of MU' symbol on a shiny foil background. A lyric sheet was also included. There was a press kit produced to accompany the RTV release. This is a very rare item ... I've only ever seen one and that was on ebay and fetched a ridiculous sum of money. (See the image below ... which also shows the foil back cover of the album.) The record issued with the kit had white demo labels. The kit itself included:-
(CAS Records CAS100) 1972 The following year the album was released again on another small label, CAS Records & Tapes of Arroyo Grande. The cover design was identical although it had a plain card back instead of the foil and there was no lyric sheet included this time. (United Artists UAG 29709) 1974 The first UK/Europe release for a MU album ... and it was on a major label. There was even talk of the band touring Europe in support of the album. Although the cover only carries the name MU the labels on the vinyl give the title of the album as Lemurian Music. There are no photographs of the band but the front cover, as can be seen below, had a stunning painting by Catherine Andrews while the back cover showed a map of the legendary continent of MU superimposed on a dramatic photograph of a volcanic crater on Maui taken by the band. There are some sleevenotes by 'A.L.', dated 28th November 1974 which are interesting enough to quote here in full:-
Ironically as this was being written the band had already broken up. There are copies of this release that have a stunning inner sleeve decorated with various MU symbols. (Thanks to Neil Ogden for sending along this scan for me).
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Introduction
| Early Years |
Exiled | Between
Exile & Magic | Magic
| Space & Beyond |
Discography | Sources
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