A non-album single that marked the end of Joan’s association with Pam Nestor and Cube Records.
Kronomyth 1.5: I sit here by myself and you know I love it.
This nonalbum single was released in the summer of 1973 before Joan Armatrading broke her partnership with lyricist Pam Nestor and her relationship with Cube Records. Both tracks are produced by Gus Dudgeon and co-written by Nestor, which would place them firmly in Whatever’s For Usterday. In fact, they were later appended to Whatever’s For Us as bonus tracks on the CD remasters.
The songs themselves show some development from her first album, although it’s unclear if they were written during the same timeframe. Lonely Lady rocks, relative to her first album anyway, with electric guitars, horns and flute. No airy-faerie folkie stuff here.
Together in Words and Music reminds me of Cat Stevens (in the mandolin, mostly) but with more bongoes. Even more than those early Tyrannosaurus Rex albums, and I think we all remember how bongo-crazy they were. Neither song is a lost gem but rather a pair of lost shoes left behind after the debutante’s ball, soon discarded as outmoded.
Original 7-inch single version
A1. Lonely Lady (Joan Armatrading/Pam Nestor) (3:20)
B1. Together In Words And Music (Joan Armatrading/Pam Nestor) (3:20)
The Players
Produced by Gus Dudgeon.
The Plastic
Released on 7-inch single in July 1973 in the UK (Cube, BUG 31), the US (A&M, 1452-S) and Australia, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands (Cube, 2016 059) with regional picture sleeve.
