Tales of Mystery and Imagination (album) — Wikipédia

Tales of Mystery and Imagination is the first album of the British Progressive Rock Group The Alan Parsons Project. He came out July 2, 1976 And was produced by Alan Parsons. The title relates to the posthumous compilation homonymous of works by Edgar Allan Poe.

The project [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

It is Eric Woolfson who is the main instigator of the project, it is his passion for the work of Edgar Allan Poe who leads him to propose to Alan Parsons to put it to music ^{[ first ]} . This album concept is based on news and poems by the American author. There is in particular The Tell-Tale Heart (the revealing heart) , The Fall of the House of Usher (La Chute de la maison Usher) , (The System of) Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether (the system of Doctor tar and Professor Plume) or The Cass of Ambontillado (the Barrique d’Econtillado) .

Creation and recording [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Recorded and mixed between July 1975 And January 1976 mainly at the Abbey Road Studios in London and produced by Alan Parsons himself, he will release the July 2, 1976 . In France he will be released on the Disc’az label, in the United Kingdom on Charisma and in the rest of the world on 20th Century Records.

Woolfson and Parsons will write the majority of the titles of the album with the exception of the suite opening the second face of the album, The Fall of the House of Usher , which will be written with Andrew Powell. The prelude to the suite is an orchestration of the opening of the unfinished opera of Claude Debussy, The fall of the Usher house . Powell takes care of the arrangements and directs the orchestra and the choir that will be recorded at the Kingsway Hall in London.

For the recording of the album, Alan Parsons naturally turns to the musicians of two groups he had produced, Pilot (an Scottish group formed by two ex-bay rollers) and Ambrosia (a Californian group). In singing, he surrounded himself with Arthur Brown from (Crazy World of Arthur Brown), Terry Sylvester (The Hollies) and actor Leonard Whiting. In all, more than two hundred musicians will play on this album ^{[ first ]} .

Three 45 laps will be taken from this album, (The System of) Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether classy 37 ^{It is} at the American hot 100 Billboard, To One In Paradise And The Raven (# 80).

Reception [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

The album will be classified at the 38 ^{It is} Place du Billboard 200 in the United States. In the British charts there will only be classified as a week at the 56 ^{It is} place. But it is in Germany that he will be a hit, remaining classified 117 weeks and reaching the 11 ^{It is}  place ^{[ 2 ]} Bour »Under finalume certalement certalement certalement certalemé des Plattaine en 1979. in france, ibe at the 6 ^{It is} place and remained 36 weeks in the ranking.

Reissue [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

The album will be reissued for the first time in 1987 in a digitally remixed version. The narration of Orson Welles and guitar passages will be added. Then he will be released in his Deluxe Edition version in June 2007 . It is a double CD including the original version of 1976, plus that of 1987 and many bonuses including the demo of a title that will not appear in the album, Edgar .

Face 1 [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Face 2 [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

2007 Deluxe Edition [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Disc 1 : 1–11 tracks, 1976 original album Plus:

12. The Raven (original demo)
13. Edgar (Demo of an unprecedented title)
14. Orson Welles Radio Spot
15. Interview with Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson (1976)

Disc 2 : Tracks 1-11, Remix The LA ‘Album Original Plus:

12. Eric’s Guide Vocal Medley
13. Orson Welles Dialogue
14. Sea Lions in the Departure Lounge (sound effects and experiments)
15. GBH Mix (unreleased experiments)

Musicians [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

• Alan Parsons – keyboards, Hammond organ, synthesizers, Projectron, Vocoder on “The Raven”, Acoustic guitar, producer, sound engineer
• Eric Woolfson – keyboards, synthesizers, harpsichords, choirs, executive producer
• Andrew Powell – keyboards, orchestra and choir arrangements
• Billy Lyall – keyboards, acoustic piano, electric piano fender rhodes, flute, battery, xylophone
• Christopher North – Claviers
• Francis Monkman – keyboards, organ
• Orson Welles – Narration on “A Dream Within A Dream” (version 1987 only) and on The Fall Of The House Of Usher : Prelude
• Leonard Whiting – Narration sur « A Dream Within a Dream » (version de 2006), chant sur The Raven
• Arthur Brown – Chant sur « The Tell-Tale Heart »
• Terry Sylvester – Chant sur « The Cask of Amontillado » et « To One in Paradise »
• John Miles – Chant sur « The Cask Of Amontillado » et « (The system of) Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether », guitare
• Jack Harris – Chant sur “The system of Dr. Tarr and Professor Feather”
• Kevin Peek – Acoustic guitar
• Laurence Juber – Acoustic guitar
• Ian Bairnson – Acoustic and electric guitar
• David Pack – Guitar
• David Paton – Acoustic and electric guitar, low, choirs
• Daryl Runswick – Basse, double bass on The Fall of the House of Usher: Pavane
• Joe Puerta – Basse
• Les Hurdle – Basse
• Dennis Clarke – Saxophone, Clarinette
• David Katz – Violin, first violin, Direction Orchestra
• David Snell – harp
• Burleigh Drummond – Batterie, percussion
• John Leach – percussion, cymbalum, kantele, choirs
• Stuart Tosh – Cymbales, Battery, Choirs, Timbales
• The English Chorale – Chœurs
• Bob Howes – Choirs
• Smokey Parsons – Choirs
• Jane Powell – Choirs

Technique [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

• Chris Blair – Sound engineer assistant
• Tony Richards – Sound engineer assistant
• Tom Trefethen – Sound engineer assistant
• Pat Stapley – Sound engineer assistant
• Gordon Parry – sound engineer
• Peter Christopherson – Photography
• Aubrey Powell – Photography
• Storm Thorgerson – Photography
• Sam Emerson – Photography
• Hipgnosis – Pocket design

Charts album

Certifications

Charts singles

Year	Single	Chart	Duration of ranking	Position
1976	“(The System of) Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether”	RPM Top Singles [ twelfth ]	5 weeks	62 It is
		Hot 100 [ 13 ]	10 weeks	37 It is
	“The Raven”	Hot 100 [ 13 ]	4 weeks	80 It is