Apollo 100 - Nutrocker

Track 4 from Side 2 of Apollo 100's second album "Master Pieces", released in 1972.

Apollo 100 was a short-lived British instrumental studio based group that stayed intact for only two years: 1972 and 1973. There was no vocalist in the band; instead, they had an arranger, Tom Parker, who first got the band together. They had one top ten hit song in the United States with the Johann Sebastian Bach-inspired single "Joy", in 1972. Later that same year, they released Master Pieces, which wasn't as successful, and the band broke up in 1973.

The band members consisted of:
- Zed Jenkins (on guitar)
- Clem Cattini (on drums). Cattini was the drum player for the band Tornados prior to joining Apollo 100.
- Brian Odgers (on bass guitar)
- Vic Flick (on guitar). Among his most noted accomplishments, Flick played the guitar riff for the James Bond Theme song. One of his guitars can been seen at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
- Jim Lawless (on percussion)


The following is the complete text found on the reverse side of the album cover, as shown in the video:
---------------------------
Mega
M51-5005
Stereo

Apollo 100
Featuring Tom Parker
Master Pieces

Webster's dictionary defines masterpieces as "anything done or made with extraordinary skill." World famous painters Chagall, Cezanne, Matisse, Monet, Raischenberg, Rembrandt and the like turned them out on canvas, while immortal music masters such as Bach, Chopin, Grieg, Tchaikovsky and Wagner "did their thing(s)" in manuscript form. All of which brings us not so subtly to the subject at hand. Apollo 100, the unique-sounding British aggregation that has achieved international recognition through its recorded treatments of classical masterpieces.

Comprised of the cream of Britain's recording studio musicians, Apollo 100 is the brain child of its leader, Tom Parker, a brilliant young arranger-musician. By lacing the basic chamber music sound with overtones of contemporary rock, Parker and Apollo 100 succeeded in capturing the imagination of record buyers everywhere with one of their very first singles releases, "Joy" (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring from J.S. Bach's Cantata 147).

This album, Apollo 100's second, offers a program featuring old favorites dressed in new form by Beethoven, Chopin and Rossini; plus three exciting originals and the group's unique versions of the current favorites "Nutrocker" (Tchaikovsky revisited), "Amazing Grace", "Telstar", and "Popcorn".

Side One
Amazing Grace (ASCAP) 3:09
Custer's Last Stand (ASCAP) 2:27
Tristesse (ASCAP) 3:14
Opus 5 (ASCAP) 2:52
Valleys (ASCAP) 2:31

Side Two
Popcorn (ASCAP) 2:43
Beethoven 9 (ASCAP) 2:32
Telstar (ASCAP) 3:18
Nutrocker (BMI) 1:53
William Tell (ASCAP) 2:19

A Young Blood Production
Produced by Miki Dallon
By Arrangement with Tara International

Cover Concept: Herb Burnette and Bruce D. Davidson
Art Direction: Herb Burnette; Cover Photo: John Donegan, Pinwheel Studios, Nashville, Tennessee.
Liner: Bruce D. Davidson: Music Media
Special thanks to Lyzon Pictures & Frames, Inc., Nashville, for their cooperation and assistance.

Mega Stereo Records may be played on any present day phonograph equipped with a lightweight tone arm. You will hear excellent sound reproduction on a monaural player and full stereo sound on a stereophonic player. Caution: This or any stereo record should not be played with a worn or damaged needle as it will result in permanent damage to the record.

Printed in U.S.A.
1972 Mega Records & Tapes, Inc.
Nashville, Tennessee 37212
---------------------------

This recording was taken from a vinyl LP record. Apologies for any underlying hum that you might hear, which comes from a faulty connection between my turntable and computer input. I hope to replace the recording with a cleaner version in the future.

== DISCLAIMER ==
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED!

The music, lyrics, album cover and label artwork appearing in this video belong to the whoever the current copyright holders are, and I have no intention on claiming it as mine. It is provided here for historical purposes, since the album is long out of print.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Apollo 100
• Nutrocker
• 70's music

[FlavioGirl]

thanks for sharing this........i cant even find the cd anywhere :(

[TimothyQStanton]

@FlavioGirl Send me your addy via private message and I'll give you the link to download a package containing the entire album on MP3, the very same ones I made to create these videos. :)

[lenhumbird]

ELP's version is far superior.

[TimothyQStanton]

@lenhumbird ELP's version and A100's version are so vastly different from each other than one cannot say one is superior to the other. They are merely two interpretations, and they both sound good. I prefer A100's because it is a tightly structured studio piece that feels good to me personally. ELP, on the other hand, is a somewhat improv concert jam meant to please a live audience; no seriously artistic thought necessary.

[B52sguy]

Oh Yes, Apollo 100 nailed this. I'l bet I've listened to this about 50 times over the last week.

Just brilliant, and your sidebar message is full of thorough work.

If only some of todays musicians, and composers would get in front of that wall.

Funny, I just read an article in "The New Yorker" magazine about 'Artists of old' interpreting words of the like of Plato with musical notes instead.

It is in the Aug 24, 2009 issue by by Alex Ross.

Great read if you are interested.

Joseph F

[TimothyQStanton]

Thanks for the comment, B52sguy. I agree with you about today's musicans and composers. Music like this has gone the way of the dinosaur, unfortunately (publicly at least). And the article you recommend sounds interesting. I'll see if I can find a copy.

[xdashlydia]

"*This* is what going mad feels like." - Simon Tam

[jchez1965]

this was the Boston Bruins "theme" song from the 70's!

[landydave1000]

@TimothyQStanton Apollo 100 nailed the whole album!!!!!!!!