Extravaganza (album)

Extravaganza
Studio album by Stackridge
Released	January 1975 (UK)
Recorded	1974
Genre	Rock
Length	42:34
Label	Rocket Records, Sire Records, Stallion Records, (CD re-issue) Angel Air, (CD re-issue)
Producer	Tony Ashton
Stackridge chronology
The Man In The Bowler Hat (1974) Extravaganza (1975) Mr. Mick (1976)
UK. Single label
label (Rocket Records)

Extravaganza is the fourth album by the British rock group Stackridge. The album was produced by Tony Ashton at AIR Studios, London.

The album was originally released in the UK on Elton John's Rocket Records label. Stackridge was the first group signed to the new label.

A different version of the album was released by Sire Records in the U.S and Canada. This version removed 2 songs already released on Pinafore Days and added "Do The Stanley" from a UK single and "The Indifferent Hedgehog" from the UK album The Man In The Bowler Hat.

Singer and songwriter Gordon Haskell rehearsed with Stackridge for a short time during 1974. Though Haskell decided not to join Stackridge they did keep one of his songs in their repertoire and decided to record it for Extravaganza. Originally called Worms, the song was re-titled No One's More Important Than the Earthworm.

Track listing

Side one

1. "Spin 'Round the Room" (Rod Bowkett, Lucy Vernon) – 2:45
2. "Grease Paint Smiles" (Bowkett, Bathos) – 4:04
3. "The Volunteer" (Andy Davis, Smegmakovitch) – 5:05
4. "Highbury Incident (Rainy July Morning)" (Davis, Bowkett, "Mutter" Slater) – 4:02
5. "Benjamin's Giant Onion" (Bowkett, Bathos) – 4:04
6. "Happy in the Lord" (Phil Welton) – 3:51

Side two

1. "Rufus T. Firefly" (Bowkett) – 4:51
2. "No One's More Important Than the Earthworm" (Gordon Haskell) – 5:12
3. "Pocket Billiards" (Bowkett) – 4:04
4. "Who's That Up There With Bill Stokes?" (Bowkett, Davis) – 4:36

Track Listing: U.S. version, Sire Records SASD-7509

1. "Do the Stanley" (Wabadaw Sleeve) – 2:53
2. "Grease Paint Smiles" (Bowkett, Bathos) – 4:04
3. "The Volunteer" (Davis, Smegmakovitch) – 5:05
4. "The Indifferent Hedgehog" (Davis, Graham Smith) – 3:15
5. "Benjamin's Giant Onion" (Bowkett, Bathos) – 4:04
6. "Happy in the Lord" (Phil Welton) – 3:51
7. "Rufus T. Firefly" (Bowkett) – 4:51
8. "No One's More Important Than the Earthworm" (Haskell) – 5:12
9. "Pocket Billiards" (Bowkett) – 4:04
10. "Who's That Up There With Bill Stokes?" (Bowkett, Davis) – 4:36

Note that "Bathos", "Smegmaokovitch" and "Wabadaw Sleeve" are entities invented by the band to signify the whole band. Many lyrics were joint efforts.

Personnel

• Andy Davis (Andy Cresswell-Davis) – guitar, mellotron, vocals
• Michael Evans - violin
• Michael "Mutter" Slater - flute, vocals
• James "Crun" Walter - bass
• Keith Gemmell - saxophones, clarinet, flute
• Paul Karas - bass, vocals
• Rod Bowkett - keyboards
• Roy Morgan - drums

Production

• Produced by Tony Ashton and Stackridge
• Engineers : Geoff Emerick, Pete Swettenham, Gary Edwards
• Recorded at AIR Studios, London, England 1974
• Remastered under the watchful eye of Andy Davis and James Warren at Sundried Artits by Glenn Tommey during November 2006.