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Fire Up Plus

Merl Saunders and Friends

Initial release : 1992

Fantasy FCD 7711-2

A compilation that includes all but two of the tracks from the first two Merl Saunders albums. Jerry Garcia plays on all the tracks, Bill Kreutzmann plays on one track.

Tracks

  • My Problems Got Problems (Saunders / Carrier)
  • Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (Robbie Robertson)
  • Save Mother Earth (Saunders / Lewis)
  • Imagine (John Lennon)
  • Welcome to the Basement (Saunders / Moore)
  • Man Child (Saunders / Lewis)
  • After Midnight (J.J. Cale)
  • Expressway (To Your Heart) (Gamble / Huff)
  • Soul Roach (Saunders / Shanklin)
  • Benedict Rides (Saunders / Carrier)
  • The System (Saunders / Carrier)
  • Lonely Avenue (Doc Pomus)
Musicians

The musicians on the CD as a whole are;

  • Merl Saunders - keyboards, organ, electric piano, Arp, Clavinet, vocals

  • Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals
  • Tom Fogerty - guitar
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Bill Vitt - drums
  • Gaylord Birch - congas
  • Mike Howell - guitar
  • Christopher Parker - drums
  • The Hawkins Singers (Edwin, Walter, Tramaine, Lynette, Freddie, Carol) - vocals
  • Bill Kreutzmann - drums
  • Eddie Moore - drums, saw
  • Kenneth Nash - percussion
  • Bob Drew - saxophone
  • The Tower of Power Horns
Garcia plays on all tracks. Bill Kreutzmann plays on the last track. The CD insert provides information on musicians for each track.

My Problems Got Problems;

  • Merl Saunders - keyboards, vocals
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar
  • Tom Fogerty - rhythm guitar
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Bill Vitt - drums
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down;
  • Merl Saunders - keyboards, vocals
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals
  • Tom Fogerty - rhythm guitar, vocals
  • John Kahn - bass, vocals
  • Bill Vitt - drums
  • The Hawkins Singers - vocals
Save Mother Earth;
  • Merl Saunders - keyboards
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals
  • Tom Fogerty - rhythm guitar
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Bill Vitt - drums
  • The Hawkins Singers - vocals
Imagine;
  • Merl Saunders - keyboards
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar
  • Tom Fogerty - rhythm guitar
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Bill Vitt - drums
Welcome To The Basement;
  • Merl Saunders - keyboards
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar
  • Tom Fogerty - rhythm guitar
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Eddie Moore - drums, saw
  • Kenneth Nash - percussion
  • Bob Drew - Saxophone
  • Tower of Power Horns
Man-Child;
  • Merl Saunders - keyboards
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar
  • Tom Fogerty - rhythm guitar
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Bill Vitt - drums
  • The Hawkins Singers - vocals
  • Tower of Power Horns
After Midnight;
  • Merl Saunders - electric piano, organ
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals
  • Tom Fogerty - rhythm guitar
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Bill Vitt - drums
Expressway (To Your Heart);
  • Merl Saunders - organ
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar
  • Tom Fogerty - rhythm guitar
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Bill Vitt - drums
  • Gaylord Birch - congas
Soul Roach;
  • Merl Saunders - organ, arp (band)
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar
  • Tom Fogerty - rhythm guitar John Kahn - electric piano
  • Christopher Parker - drums
Benedict Rides;
  • Merl Saunders - eleectric piano, clavinet
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar
  • Tom Fogerty - rhythm guitar
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Bill Vitt - drums
  • The Hawkins Singers - vocals
The System;
  • Merl Saunders - piano, organ, arp (flute), vocals
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar
  • Tom Fogerty - rhythm guitar
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Bill Vitt - drums
  • The Hawkins Singers - vocals
Lonely Avenue;
  • Merl Saunders - eleectric piano, organ
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Bill Kreutzmann - drums
  • The Hawkins Singers - vocals
Credits

  • Producer - Merl Saunders / Tom Fogerty with Brian Gardner
  • Engineer - Brian Gardner
  • Assistant engineer - Eddie Harris
  • Digital remastering (1992) - Phil De Lancie
  • Art direction - Joe Carroll
  • Design - Jamie Putnam
  • Photography - Tony Lane
  • Recorded at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley
  • Except for Lonely Avenue - recorded live KSAN broadcast
Related releases

The CD is a compilation of two Merl Saunders LPs from the early 1970's.

My Problems Got Problems, Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Save Mother Earth, Imagine, Welcome to the Basement and Man Child were originally released on;

After Midnight, Expressway (To Your Heart), Soul Roach, Benedict Rides, The System and Lonely Avenue were originally released on;
  • Fire Up, Merl Saunders & Friends, 1973, Fantasy 9421
Fire Up Plus includes all the tracks from Heavy Turbulence and all but two tracks from Fire Up.

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