McDonald and Giles

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Gatefold cover for McDonald and Giles.

McDonald and Giles is an album of music released by Ian McDonald and Michael Giles in 1971. The album was issued as Cotillion Records SD 9042, on a division of Atlantic Records.

Ian McDonald and Michael Giles were members of the original King Crimson lineup, and were featured performers on the band's debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King (1969). Both left the group at the end of its first North American tour in 1969, although Giles appeared on the second King Crimson album, In the Wake of Poseidon (1970), as a session musician.

The music on McDonald and Giles contains many of the pastoral and musically complex elements of King Crimson, while generally avoiding that band's darker tendencies. The song "Flight of the Ibis" has the a similar melody and rhythym to King Crimson's "Cadence and Cascade", with different lyrics.

The album was recorded at Island Studios between May and June 1970. Although McDonald and Giles remains popular among King Crimson fans, its commercial success was limited. The duo did not record a second album.

Track listing

"Suite in C" including "Turnham Green", "Here I Am" and others (words and music by Ian McDonald) 11:14
"Flight of the Ibis" (words: B.P. Fallon; music: Ian McDonald) 3:11
"Is She Waiting?" (words and music by Ian McDonald) 2:36
"Tomorrow's People - The Children of Today" (words and music by Michael Giles) 7:00
"Birdman" involving "The Inventor's Dream (O.U.A.T.)", "The Workshop", "Wishbone Ascension", "Birdman Flies!", "Wings in the Sunset", "Birdman - The Reflection" (words: Peter Sinfield; music: Ian McDonald) 21:22

"Suite In C" was written by Ian McDonald in Detroit, Los Angeles and Earls Court between December 1969 and February 1970. "Is She Waiting?" was written in Earls Court in the summer of 1969, between King Crimson gigs. "Birdman" was mostly written in the spring of 1968, except for the "Birdman Flies!" section in 1970. The original idea was from Peter Sinfield.

"Tomorrow's People" was written by Michael Giles in 1967, and expanded and arranged in 1970. The song was dedicated to Tina and Mandy, his children.

Personnel

Ian McDonald: guitar, piano, organ, saxes, flute, clarinet, zither, vocals and sundries
Michael Giles: drums, percussion (including milk bottle, handsaw, lip whistle and nutbox), vocals

Peter Giles: bass guitar
Steve Winwood: organ, and piano solo on "Turnham Green"
Michael Blakesley: trombone on "Tomorrow's People"

Arranged and produced by Ian McDonald and Michael Giles. Engineered by Brian Humphries. Assistant engineer: Richard Digby Smith. Strings and brass on "Birdman" and "Suite in C" arranged and conducted by Mike Gray.

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