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TRAFFIC

JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE

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Original 1970 album liner notes

Between the years of 1900 and 1910, Cecil Sharpe collected a number of songs, JOHN BARLEYCORN among them.  The many versions of this song are said to have come from Oxfordshire, Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey and Somerset, and there are estimated to be between 100 and 140 versions.  The Earliest known copy is of the age of James 1^st in the Pepoysian collection 1465 printed in black letter by H. Gorson (1607-1641).  The popular interpretation is the effort of the people to give up the alcohol distilled from barley but in the last verse: “And little Sir John with his nut brown bowl, And his brandy in the glass, And little Sir John with his nut brown bowl, Proved the strongest man at last…”

but there are many other interpretations.

I

GLAD  6:30

(Winwood)

Steve Winwood: Organ, Piano, Percussion

Chris Wood: Sax, Flute, Electric Sax, Percussion

Jim Capaldi: Drums, Percussion

FREEDOM RIDER  6:02

(Winwood-Capaldi)

S.W.: Organ, Piano, Vocals, Percussion

C.W.: Sax, Flute, Electric Sax, Percussion

J.C.: Drums, Percussion

EMPTY PAGES  4:45

(Winwood-Capaldi)

S.W.: Organ, Bass Guitar, Electric Piano, Vocals

C.W.: Organ

J.C.: Drums, Percussion

II

STRANGER TO HIMSELF*  4:05

(Winwood-Capaldi)

S.W.: Vocals, All Instruments

J.C.: Vocals

JOHN BARLEYCORN  6:20

(Trad. Arrangement/ Winwood)

S.W.: Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Vocals

J.C.: Tambourine, Vocals

C.W.: Flute, Percussion

EVERY MOTHERS SON*  7:05

(Winwood-Capaldi)

J.C.: Drums

S.W.: All other Instruments, Vocals

Irving Music  B.M.I.

Licensed by Island Records, Ltd., London

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PRODUCED BY CHRIS BLACKWELL / STEVE WINWOOD

* PRODUCED BY GUY STEVENS

Recorded at Island Studios & Olympic Studios, London

Engineers: Brian Humphries / Andrew Johns

Photography: Richard Polak

Illustrations: Courtesy of the English Folk Dance & Song Society

Album Design: Mike Sida

STEREO

UNITED ARTISTS RECORDS

Entertainment from Transamerica Corporation

© LIBERTY / UA INC. Printed in U.S.A.

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