Mighty Baby

Mighty Baby (aka Azoth) was an English post-psych band that released the 1969–71 albums Mighty Baby and A Jug of Love. They evolved from the 1968 Rolled Gold lineup of The Action. In 1972, guitarist–singer Alan King formed Ace and Mighty Baby morphed into Habibiyya for a raga-folk album on Island Records.

Members: Alan King (guitar, vocals), Ian Whiteman (flute, saxophone, organ, piano, percussion), Martin Stone (lead/slide guitar, mandolin), Michael Evans (bass), Roger Powell (drums)


Formation

Mighty Baby sprung from The Action, a mod-soul combo from Kentish Town that released six singles and recorded more than two albums of unreleased material.

In late 1968, Action singer Reg King left for a solo career. The remaining band — guitarist–singer Alan King, bassist Michael Evans, drummer Roger Powell, and lead guitarist Martin Stone — welcomed back keyboardist Ian Whiteman, who first joined the prior year but left amid tensions with Reg.

The new lineup signed to the psych indie Head Records, where label boss John Curd suggested a new name, Mighty Baby.


Mighty Baby

Mighty Baby released their self-titled debut album in 1969 on Head, a subsidiary of Pye.

A1. “Egyptian Tomb” (5:28)
A2. “A Friend You Know But Never See” (4:24)
A3. “I’ve Been Down So Long” (5:05)
A4. “Same Way From the Sun” (5:37)
B1. “House Without Windows” (6:10)
B2. “Trials of a City” (5:58)
B3. “I’m From the Country” (4:49)
B4. “At a Point Between Fate and Destiny” (4:44)

Bass Guitar – Michael Evans
Cover [Back] – Face
Cover [Front] – Martin Sharp
Drums – Roger Powell
Graphics – Keith Davis
Guitar, Vocals – Alan King
Lead Guitar, Slide Guitar – Martin Stone
Photography By – Keith Morris
Producer – Guy Stevens
Producer, Composed By – Mighty Baby
Vocals, Flute, Saxophone, Organ, Piano, Percussion – Ian Whiteman

Philips France and Netherlands
A: Egyptian Tomb
B: I’m From The Country


A Jug of Love

Mighty Baby released their second album, A Jug of Love, in 1971 on Blue Horizon.

A1. “Jug of Love” (6:20)
A2. “The Happiest Man In the Carnival” (7:09)
A3. “Keep on Juggin'” (8:42)
B1. “Virgin Spring” (9:20)
B2. “Tasting the Life” (6:43)
B3. “Slipstreams” (5:20)

Calligraphy [Caligraph By] – Farid Vafai-Alamdari
Composed By – A. King*, I Whiteman*, M. Stone*, M. Evans*, R. Powell*
Drums, Congas – Roger Powell
Electric Bass – Mike Evans
Engineer – Jerry Boys
Executive-Producer – Steven Carr
Flute – Zahara (A2)
Lead Guitar [Acoustic And Electric Lead Guitars], Mandolin – Martin Stone
Mastered By – Nick Webb
Photography By – Peter Saunders*
Piano, Harmonium, Organ [Electric], Saxophone, Flute, Vocals – Ian Whiteman
Producer – Mighty Baby, Mike Vernon
Rattle [Baby’s Rattle] – Abd’al Kabir (A2)
Rhythm Guitar [Acoustic And Electric Rhythm Guitars], Vocals – Alan King

July 1971 Philips Germany
A. “Devil’s Whisper” (3:42)
B. “Virgin Spring” (edit, 2:55)

Archival single produced by Guy Stevens
A. “Messages”
B. “Ancient Traveller”


Habibiyya — If Man But Knew

Habibiyya released their singular album, If Man But Knew, in 1972 on Island.

1. “Two Shakuhachis” (1:37)
2. “Koto Piece” (4:55)
3. “The Eye Witness” (8:17)
4. “Mandola” (5:49)
5. “If Man But Knew” (8:57)
6. “Fana Fillah” (9:50)

Drums, Safi – Roger Powell
Mandola, Guitar – Michael Evans
Vocals, Banjo, Ney – Conrad Archuletta
Vocals, Oboe, Piano, Shakuhachi, Organ [Bina] – Ian Whiteman
Vocals, Koto, Guitar, Viola – Susan Archuletta

Calligraphy – Farid
Coordinator – Ann Sullivan
Engineer – Tony Platt
Liner Notes – Ian Dallas
Photography By – Pete Sanders
Producer – Ian Whiteman, Roger Powell
Translated By [Arabic – English] – Humphrey Davies


Discography:

  • Mighty Baby (1969)
  • A Jug of Love (1971)

Sources:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *