Before I’m Gone / Earth Tones and Celestial Landscapes
A handpicked musical exploration of our place within the cycle of living things, commingled lovingly by Paul Hillery to accompany this article
Before I’m gone
I’d like to see us turn the corner
and give up being spoilers of the land . . .
Attunement (Reading by Sigurd F. Olson)
Douglas Wood
From the album ‘Solitary Shores’ by ‘Douglas Wood’
Released on Earthsong Music in 1983
Medicine Wheel – Dialogue / Theme)
Warehouse Sound Co.
From the album ‘Warehouse Sound Co. & Friends’
Privately pressed in 1974
Nature Boy
Accolade
From the self titled album ‘Accolade’
Released in 1970 on Columbia, EMI in the UK, and Capitol Records in the US
Evergreen (Earth Anthem)
Cyrus Faryar
From album ‘Cyrus’
Released in 1971 on Elektra
Before I’m Gone
David Riordan
From album ‘Wilderness America, A Celebration Of The Land ‘ a musical exploration of our place within the cycle of living things. All compositions were specially commissioned for the album and blended with natural sounds recorded out in the wild
Privately pressed with Arts Funding and released in 1975
For the story behind the album see here
Ocean
Big Lost Rainbow
From the self titled album ‘Big Lost Rainbow’
Originally privately pressed on the ‘Big Lost’ label in 1973, and then re-issued on ‘Akarma’ in 1999
Ocean
Poema
From the album ‘Beautiful Day’
Privately pressed sometime in the 1970s
The Last Whale: Critical Mass / Wind On the Water
Crosby & Nash
From the album ‘Wind On The Water’
Originally issued on ‘ABC Records’ in 1975
Thursday Song
Peter Martin featuring Finch
From the album ‘Drouyn’
A wonderful Australian album released on ‘Rainbow Records’ in 1975. A rare surf soundtrack from the Bob Evans film called simply Drouyn, composed by Peter Martin and featuring the band Finch
Seagull
David Savage
From the album ‘Sounds Like North Cornwall’
Released on ‘Sentinel’ in 1972
Greenpeace Whale Song
Laurent Trudel
A 45 released by ‘Greenpeace’ in 1977
I first heard this on a compilation by IAN from the verygoodplus forum swap a few years back
The Lake
Wendell Ing With Hank Leandro & Friends
From ‘Home Grown’ volume 1 and compilation of music from ‘KKUA Records’ in Hawaii
Music selection: Don Ho, Chuck Lee, Tom Moffatt, Wayne Harada (Honolulu Advertiser), Don Weller (Honolulu Star-Bulletin) Ed Kanoi (KKUA).
The Sign (Pt. 4)
David Axelrod
From ‘Earth Rot’ on ‘Capitol Records’ released originally in 1970
A musical comment on the state of the environment. Contemporary music with ancient yet timely words set to the theme of ecology
Lyrics adapted by Michael T. Axelrod from The Book Of Isaiah, The Old Testament and adapted from Song Of The Earth Spirit, A Navajo origin legend
To See One Eagle Fly
Morrison Kincannon
The ‘B’ side of ‘Smiling Face’ which was released on 45 by ‘Sea Castle Records’
The track was re-issued on a twelve inch in 2016 and then on the album ‘Beneath The Redwoods’ in 2018 both on ‘Spacetalk Records
Big love to the legends ‘Peter Beaver’ and ‘Danny McLewin’
Metropolis
Walter Hawkins
Originally called ‘Living In The City’ and written by ‘David Riordan’ this track appeared on the masterpiece ‘Wilderness America / A Celebration of the Land’ privately pressed in 1975
Composed By – David Riordan
Arranged By [Strings], Conductor [Strings] – Patrick Gleeson
Lead Vocals – Walter Hawkins
Bass [Fender] – Rob Moitoza
Congas – Lee Pastora
Drums – Harvey Mason
Electric Guitar – Lee Retenoir
Piano – Mike Melvoin
The track has now been issued on a number of compilations over the last couple of years
Morning of the Earth
G. Wayne Thomas
From the album ‘Morning Of The Earth (Original Film Soundtrack)’ and released by ‘Warner Bros. Records – Australia’ in 1972
I hunted for this record for many years a long while ago, in the age before you could type a record into your chosen search engine and order on line. I love these old Australian surf soundtracks from the 1970s. I had the film on VHS first I think I bought it from a skateboard shop and then hunted the vinyl down
Drop this along side ‘Les Fleur’ and ‘ I Am The Black gold Of The Sun’ and watch those smiles form
The Wanderer
Eden Ahbez
From the album ‘Eden’s Island (The Music Of An Enchanted Isle)’ released by ‘Del-Fi Records’ in 1960
I ummed and arred over what tracks to put into this mix, there were a lot in my collection that could have fitted but it felt wrong not to have ‘Eden’ appear
Nature (Wilderness)
Les Crane
From the album ‘Desiderata’ on ‘Warner Bros. Records’
Released in 1971
There’s A Good Earth Out Tonight
Mystic Moods
From the 45 on ‘Philips’ released in 196
Also to be found on the album by ‘ The Mystic Moods Orchestra’ called ‘Extensions’
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