''The Road to Ruin'' is a 1970 album released by husband and wife

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

and

Beverley Martyn Beverley Martyn (born Beverley Kutner 24 March 1947) is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. At various times, Martyn has worked with John Martyn, Levon Helm, Jimmy Page, Dave Pegg, Richard Thompson, John Renbourn, Ralph McTell, Davy ...

. It was the second (and last) album released as a duo.

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...

persuaded John Martyn to resume his solo career as they believed that the public was more interested in John as a solo artist rather than as part of a duo. The album marked the first collaboration on record between John and bassist

Danny Thompson Daniel Henry Edward Thompson (born 4 April 1939) is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as a double bassist. He has had a long musical career playing with a large variety of other musicians, particularly Richard Thompson and John Mart ...

, who featured on many of Martyn's subsequent recordings. The album's first track "Primrose Hill" written and sung by Beverley Martyn, and featuring

Ray Warleigh Raymond Kenneth Warleigh (28 September 1938 – 21 September 2015) was an Australian alto saxophonist and flautist. Biography Ray Warleigh was born in Sydney, Australia, and migrated to England in 1960, where he quickly established himself as an ...

on saxophone, about the simple joys of domesticity, was extensively sampled by

Fatboy Slim Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known by his stage name Fatboy Slim, is an English musician, DJ, and record producer who helped to popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. In the 1980s, Cook was the bassist f ...

for the track "North West Three" from his 2004 album ''

Palookaville Palookaville may refer to: * ''Palookaville'' (film), a 1995 comedy film * ''Palookaville'' (album), a 2004 electronic album by Fatboy Slim * ''Palookaville'' (comics), an alternative comic book See also * Palooka (disambiguation) {{disa ...

''.

Track listing

All tracks composed by John Martyn except where indicated. #"Primrose Hill" (Beverley Martyn) #"Parcels" #"Auntie Aviator" (John & Beverley Martyn) #"New Day" #"Give Us a Ring" (Paul Wheeler) #"Sorry to Be So Long" (John & Beverley Martyn) #"Tree Green" #"Say What You Can" (John & Beverley Martyn) (titled "Let It Happen" on cover) #"Road to Ruin" The remastered CD release includes the following previously unreleased track: #"Here I Am"

Personnel

Musicians

* John Martyn - vocals, guitar,

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

, keyboards * Beverley Martyn - vocals, guitar *

Dudu Pukwana Mthutuzeli Dudu Pukwana (18 July 1938 – 30 June 1990) was a South African saxophonist, composer and pianist (although not known for his piano playing). Early years in South Africa Dudu Pukwana was born in Walmer Township, Port Elizabeth, S ...

- saxophone on "Road to Ruin", "Sorry to Be So Long" and "Say What You Can" *

Lyn Dobson Lyn Dobson (born 22 June 1939 in Bedford) is an English musician, noted as a jazz-rock flautist and saxophonist. He appeared with Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames and Manfred Mann in the mid-1960s, and then with Soft Machine and Keef Hartley, as we ...

- flute on "New Day"; saxophone on "Say What You Can" *

Dave Pegg Dave Pegg (born 2 November 1947) is an English multi-instrumentalist and record producer, primarily a bass guitarist. He is the longest-serving member of the British folk rock band Fairport Convention and has been bassist with a number of folk ...

- bass on "Say What You Can"and "Give Us a Ring" *

Rocky Dzidzornu Kwasi Dzidzornu (1935 – March 13, 1993), also known as Rocky Dijon, was a Ghanaian percussionist known for his playing on recordings by The Rolling Stones, Nick Drake, Ginger Baker, Stevie Wonder, Billy Preston and Joe Walsh. During the 1970s ...

conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...

s * Paul Harris - keyboards *

Wells Kelly Orleans is an American pop rock band best known for its hits " Dance with Me" (No. 6 in 1975); " Still the One" (No. 5 in 1976), from the album '' Waking and Dreaming''; and "Love Takes Time" (No. 11 in 1979). The group's name evolved from th ...

- drums on all tracks, except "Auntie Aviator"; bass on "Auntie Aviator" *

Mike Kowalski Mike Kowalski (born July 28, 1944) is an American drummer, percussionist and musicologist. He is best known as a longtime touring and session drummer for the rock band the Beach Boys. Early career Mike Kowalski was born in Hollywood, Los Angele ...

- drums on "Auntie Aviator" *

Alan Spenner Alan Henry Spenner (7 May 1948 – 11 August 1991) was an English bass player who performed with Wynder K. Frog, the Grease Band, Spooky Tooth, ABC, David Coverdale, David Soul, Joe Cocker, Kenny Loggins, Lynda Carter, Peter Frampton, Ted N ...

- bass on "Primrose Hill", "Road to Ruin" and "Sorry to Be So Long" *

- saxophone on "Primrose Hill" *

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

on "New Day" Arrangement for "Say What You Can" by Tony Cox. All other arrangements by John Martyn and Paul Harris.

Technical

* John Wood - engineer *

Nigel Waymouth Nigel Waymouth (born 1941) is a designer and artist, a co-partner in the boutique, Granny Takes a Trip, and one of the two-man team, Hapshash and the Coloured Coat, which designed psychedelic posters in the 1960s. He has since had a solo career, in ...

- design, photography *

Max Ernst Max Ernst (2 April 1891 – 1 April 1976) was a German (naturalised American in 1948 and French in 1958) painter, sculptor, printmaker, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst was a primary pioneer of the Dada movement and Surrealism ...

- front cover engraving (from "Une Semaine De Bonté")

References

External links

John Martyn's WebsiteThe Beverley Martyn Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Road To Ruin, The John Martyn albums Island Records albums 1970 albums Albums produced by Joe Boyd Beverley Martyn albums Warner Records albums