Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead Explained

Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead
Type:	Album
Artist:	Vivian Stanshall
Cover:	Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead.jpg
Released:	August 1974^[1]
Studio:	The Manor, Oxfordshire
Genre:	Rock music Comedy music
Length:	41:49
Label:	Warner Bros. Records (1974) Harkit Records (2010) Poppydisc Records (2012)
Producer:	John Darnley, Vivian Stanshall
Next Title:	Sir Henry at Rawlinson End
Next Year:	1978

Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead is the 1974 debut solo album by the English musician, writer, poet and comedian Vivian Stanshall.

Releases

The initial LP pressing was deleted by Warner Bros. Records soon after release, having sold only the initial vinyl pressing of 5,000 copies. The album remained out of print for over 35 years.

In 2010, an unauthorized CD reissue was made available by Harkit Records. The CD featured notes by Dutch dada-ist Freek Kinkelaar and featured two bonus tracks not on the original LP: "Baba Tunde" and "Lakonga".^[2] This edition is sourced from a vinyl copy and is a "bootleg" not authorized by the Stanshall estate.^[3] The bonus tracks come from a rare 1974 Warner Bros. single.^[4]

Poppydisc Records released a remastered edition, on LP and CD, on 21 May 2012. These are the first re-issues to be authorized by the artist's estate, with a note in CD booklet stating (in bold uppercase) "Do not buy the Harkit Records CD as it is a poor quality bootleg, unauthorized by the Stanshall family".^[5] The remastered CD contains the two bonus tracks, while the vinyl version is the same as the original vinyl LP.^[6]

Track listing

All songs written and arranged by Vivian Stanshall, except where noted:

Side 1

1. "Afoju Ti Ole Riran (Dead Eyes)" (Vivian Stanshall, Gaspar Lawal)
2. "Truck-Track"
3. "Yelp, Bellow, Rasp Et Cetera"
4. "Prong"
5. "Redeye"

Side 2

6. "How The Zebra Got His Spots"
7. "Dwarf Succulents"
8. "Bout of Sobriety"
9. "Prong & Toots Go Steady"
10. "Strange Tongues"

Bonus tracks on 2010 and 2012 CD reissues

11. "Lakonga" (single A-side)
12. "Baba Tunde" (single B-side)

(Both tracks written by Stanshall and Lawal)^{[7] [8] [9]}

Personnel

• Vivian Stanshall – vocals, recorder, euphonium, ukulele, Chelonian pipes
  • Anthony "Bubs" White – electric guitar Steve Winwood – bass guitar, organ
• Gasper Lawal – talking drums, congas, xylophone, drum kit ("How The Zebra Got His Spots")
• Neil Innes – piano, slide guitar, organ ("How The Zebra Got His Spots")
• Jim Capaldi – drum kit, lesser log
• Deryk Quinn – cabassa, Nigerian coffee tables, greater log
• Ric Grech – violin
• Rebop Kwaku Baah – congas ("Prong & Toots")
• Doris Troy, Madeline Bell, Barry St. John – backing vocals
• Ayus Ape, Gani, Gasper Lawal – male Yoruba chorus
• unidentified West Indian taxi driver – bass guitar ("Lakonga" and "Baba Tunde")
• unidentified West Indian taxi driver's friend – drum kit ("Lakonga" and "Baba Tunde")

External links

• Men Opening Umbrellas page on Ginger Geezer website

Notes and References

1. Welch, Chris and Randall, Lucian, Ginger geezer : the life of Vivian Stanshall, 2002: 159. https://archive.org/details/gingergeezerlife0000rand/page/158/mode/2up?q=umbrellas
2. Web site: Vivian Stanshall – Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead . Harkit Records . 2013 . 3 April 2013.
3. Web site: Vivian Stanshall – Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead (2012, Vinyl). 29 December 2021. Discogs.com.
4. Web site: Vivian Stanshall – Lakonga. 29 December 2021. 45cat.com.
5. POPPYCD015 . booklet . 10 . Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead . Poppydisc . 1974 .
6. Web site: Archived copy . 29 December 2021 . 30 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211130184422/https://www.piccadillyrecords.com/counter/404.php . dead .
7. Web site: Vivian Stanshall – Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead (2010, CD). 29 December 2021. Discogs.com.
8. Web site: Vivian Stanshall – Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead (2012, CD). 29 December 2021. Discogs.com.
9. Web site: Vivian Stanshall – Lakonga. Discogs.com. 29 December 2021.