''Sophisticated Beggar'' is English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist

Roy Harper Roy Harper may refer to: * Roy Harper (character), DC Comics character *Roy Harper (footballer) (born 1929), Australian footballer *Roy Harper (referee) (died 1969), English football referee * Roy Harper (singer) (born 1941), English musician * Roy ...

's debut album. It was released in 1966.

History

The album consists of Harper's poetry backed by

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

and recorded with a Revox tape machine by Pierre Tubbs. Tubbs was also the producer of the album, under the pseudonym Peter Richards. When initially released the album was poorly distributed; only a few thousand were ever made, so to promote the album, Harper designed flyers and personally handed them out to shoppers in Oxford Street, London. The album's liner notes imply that both John Renbourn and Ritchie Blackmore contributed.Songs of Love and Loss album review
(2011). Retrieved on 18 December 2011 On the original vinyl release, after the record

needle Needle may refer to: Crafting * Crochet needle, a tool for making loops in thread or yarn * Knitting needle, a tool for knitting, not as sharp as a sewing needle * Sewing needle, a long slender tool with a pointed tip * Trussing needle, a long sl ...

pans across the run-out groove to the

lock groove The overwhelming majority of records manufactured have been of certain sizes (7, 10, or 12 inches), playback speeds (33, 45, or 78 RPM), and appearance (round black discs). However, since the commercial adoption of the gramophone record (ca ...

, there is a recording of Harper saying "Hup hup" over and over again. Some subsequent CD releases have included this recording as a separate track, "Hup Hup Spiral". The album has subsequently been re-released on a number of different labels, given numerous titles, and had the original track listing altered. Though still available today, Harper only receives

royalties A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset o ...

for the official Science Friction release.

Album cover

The

album cover An album cover (also referred to as album art) is the front packaging art of a commercially released studio album or other audio recordings. The term can refer to either the printed paperboard covers typically used to package sets of and 78-r ...

was drawn by Lon Goddard who, at the time, was the barman at Les Cousins. Goddard also lived with Harper and his family in Kilburn, London, played 2nd guitar on "October Twelfth" and "Goldfish" and later designed the gatefold cover for Harper's 1970

Harvest Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most labor-i ...

release, '' Flat Baroque and Berserk''.

Track listing

Release history

Personnel

* Bert Jansch * John Renbourn * Paul Brett * Lon Goddard

References

External links

Roy Harper official site

The Stormcock Community fan site
1966 debut albums Roy Harper (singer) albums Science Friction albums {{1960s-folk-album-stub