Mighty Baby
Artist Mighty Baby
Format:Vinyl / 12" Album
Label:Ace
Catalogue No:HIQLP039
Barcode:0029667004015
Genre:Psychedelic
No of Discs:1
Release Date:11 Aug 2023
Weight:366g
Dimensions:312 x 12 x 312 (mm)
Track Listings
Disc 1
1Egyptian Tomb
2A Friend You Know But Never See
3I've Been Down So Long (It Looks Like Up to Me)
4Same Way from the Sun
5House Without Windows
6Trials of a City
7I'm from the Country
8At a Point Between Fate and Destiny

Mighty Baby evolved out of the Action, club favourites who released a number of poor-selling singles. Dropped by Parlophone, musical chairs saw Ian Whiteman (keyboards/flute) and Martin Stone (guitar) join and the music now blended progressive psychedelia with longer pieces dominated by instrumental prowess rather than Reggie King’s soulful vocals. King departed and guitarist Alan King and Whiteman began to share vocal duties on newly penned material like ‘Egyptian Tomb’ and ‘House Without Windows’ that, in retrospect, can be seen as reflecting light from the dark star of the Grateful Dead.

“Mighty Baby” was first released on the Head label on 7th November 1969 in a superb gatefold sleeve with artist Martin Sharp serving up the arresting front cover that looked like a lion being showered in blood. The album received positive reviews, with International Times stating “The music has a hundred characters… Eastern, Oriental, country, folk, rock, blues, pop etc. etc… At this moment in time Mighty Baby’s record is simply THE best thing in its class.”

The album is now seen as a progressive rock classic; cohesive, with no low spots, the inventiveness and musical prowess on a par with the equally revered, albeit jazzier, prog rock band Cressida. This latest edition from Ace, not only replicates the gatefold sleeve of the original but also contains an inner sleeve replete with memorabilia from the collection of Richard Morton Jack.