tracks musicians credits notes related releases

Keepers

Merl Saunders and Friends

Initial release : 1997

Fantasy FCD-7712

A compilation of mainly unreleased music from the early to mid 70s. Jerry Garcia plays on nine of the tracks.

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album cover

Tracks

  • Mystery Train (Parker/Phillips)
  • That's All Right
  • I Was Made to Love Her (Cosby / Hardaway / May / Wonder)
  • Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You (Razaf / Redman)
  • Iron Horse (Saunders)
  • Little Bit of Righteousness (Saunders)
  • Wondering Why (Carrier / Saunders)
  • Keepers (Finders) (Saunders)
  • She's Got Charisma (Saunders)
  • La-La (Fierro)
  • Georgia on My Mind (Carmichael / Gorrell)
  • M.S. (T. Saunders / M. Saunders)
  • Bolinas Brown (Saunders)
Musicians

The CD booklet provides musician information for each track.

Mystery Train;

  • Merl Saunders - clavinet, organ
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals
  • Vassar Clements - violin
  • David Grisman - mandolin
  • John Kahn - bass
  • E. W. Wainwright - drums
That's All Right;
  • Merl Saunders - organ, piano
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals
  • Vassar Clements - violin
  • David Grisman - mandolin
  • John Kahn - bass
  • E. W. Wainwright - drums
I Was Made To Love Her;
  • Merl Saunders - organ
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Bill Vitt - drums
  • Kenneth Nash - congas
Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You;
  • Merl Saunders - piano
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar
  • Vassar Clements - violin
  • David Grisman - mandolin
  • John Kahn - bass
  • E. W. Wainwright - drums
  • Geoff Muldaur - vocals
Iron Horse;
  • Merl Saunders - piano, organ
  • Michael Bloomfield - guitar
  • Ron Stallings - saxophone
  • John Wilmeth - trumpet
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Bill Vitt - drums
  • Kenneth Nash - bongos
A Little Bit Of Righteousness;
  • Merl Saunders - piano, organ
  • Michael Bloomfield - guitar
  • Ron Stallings - saxophone
  • John Wilmeth - trumpet
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Bill Vitt - drums
  • Kenneth Nash - congas
Wondering Why;
  • Merl Saunders - piano, mellotron strings, vocals
  • Jerry Garcia - lead guitar
  • Michael Howell - rhythm guitar
  • Martin Fierro - flute
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Bill Vitt - drums
  • Kenneth Nash - percussion
Keepers (Finders);
  • Merl Saunders - organ
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Bill Vitt - drums
She's Got Charisma;
  • Merl Saunders - organ, synthesizer (electric piano)
  • Michael Howell - guitar
  • Tom Fogerty - rhythm guitar
  • Chuck Raney - bass
  • Gaylord Birch - drums
  • Kenneth Nash - percussion
  • The Hawkins Singers (Edwin, Walter, Tramaine, Lynette) - vocals
La-La;
  • Merl Saunders - organ, roland 2000
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar
  • Martin Fierro - flute
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Bill Vitt - drums
  • Kenneth Nash - percussion, bongos
  • Vince Littlejohn - drums, percussion (overdubbed in 1997)
Georgia On My Mind;
  • Merl Saunders - organ
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Bill Vitt - drums
M.S.;
  • Merl Saunders - organ, clavinet
  • Chris Hayes - guitar
  • Martin Fierro - saxophone
  • Tony Saunders - bass
  • Larry Vann - drums
  • Sheila Escovedo - congas
Bolinas Brown;
  • Merl Saunders - piano, mellotron strings
  • Martin Fierro - saxophone
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar (lead)
  • Joel Cohen - guitar
  • Billy Fender - rhythm guitar
  • John Kahn - bass
  • Gaylord Birch - drums
  • Kenneth Nash - percussion
  • Vince Littlejohn - drums, percussion (overdubbed in 1997)
Credits

  • Producer - Merl Saunders for Aunt Monk Productions
  • Recording engineer - Brian Gardner except for ...
  • Recording engineer (I Was Made To Love her) - Betty Cantor, Rex Jackson
  • Recording engineer (Keeper (Finders) and Georgia On My Mind) - Tom Scott
  • Recording engineer (M.S.) - Skip Shimmin, Don Cody, Eddie Bill Harris
  • Remixing - Steve Fontana, Merl Saunders (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13)
  • Mastering - Brian Gardner
  • Liner Notes - Mike Lawson, Merl Saunders
  • Art direction - Jamie Putnam
  • Design - Deb Sibony
  • Photography - Phil Bray, Steve Maruta
Notes

The CD is a compilation of, largely unreleased material from Merl Saunders recording period at Fantasy Records from 1971 to 1975. She's Got Charisma and M.S. have been previously released.

The recording dates for the tracks are;

  • Iron Horse, Little Bit Of Righteousness - 1971
  • She's Got Charisma - 1972
  • I Was Made To Love Her - July 1973 (Live At Keystone, Berkeley)
  • Keepers (Finders), Georgia On My Mind - September 2, 1973 (Live at the Record Plant)
  • Mystery Train, That's All Right, La-La, Bolinas Brown and Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You - January 12, 1974
  • Wondering Why, M.S. - 1975 (Fantasy Studios)
Due to technical problems on La-La and Bolinas Brown drums were overdubbed in 1997.

The information on the CD indicates that That's All Right is the Arthur Crudup song of that name. This is not the case. It is the Jimmy Rodgers song That's All Right which is also sometimes referred to as Who's Loving You Tonight.

Related releases

She's Got Charisma was originally released on;

  • Fire Up, Merl Saunders & Friends, 1973, Fantasy 9421
M.S. was originally released on; That's Alright was subsequently included on;

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