First Base is the debut album by English rock band Babe Ruth. Produced by guitarist Alan Shacklock and Nick Mobbs, and engineered by Tony Clark at the EMI's Abbey Road Studios between June and September 1972, it was released November that year.
The album track "Wells Fargo" — a hard rock song named after the cash-transporting stagecoach line of the American Old West, with lyrics evoking the era's cowboy legend — was released as a single and became an FM radio hit.
The album went gold in Canada (#87), sold well in the US, but by comparison had disappointing sales in the UK. The song "The Mexican" has been covered and remixed many times. The 1984 cover version by John "Jellybean" Benitez featured vocals by Janita Haan. "The Mexican" was also mixed into the third track of The Dirtchamber Sessions Volume One by Liam Howlett of The Prodigy in 1999 and covered by GZA in 2015.
The sleeve design, painting and photography were by Roger Dean.
Track listing "Wells Fargo" (Alan Shacklock) – 6:14 "The Runaways" (music: Alan Shacklock, words: David Whiting) – 7:12 "King Kong" (Frank Zappa) – 6:40, recorded in one take, no overdubs "Black Dog" (Jesse Winchester) – 8:03 "The Mexican" (Alan Shacklock) – 5:48 - interpolates Per Qualche Dollaro in Piu (For a Few Dollars More, music by Ennio Morricone) "Joker" (Alan Shacklock) – 7:42 "Wells Fargo" (single version, CD only; Shacklock) – 3:35 "Theme from For a Few Dollars More" (CD only; Morricone) – 2:19
Personnel Babe Ruth Janita "Jennie" Haan - vocals, castanets on "The Mexican" Alan Shacklock - acoustic and electric guitars, Hammond organ, percussion, vocals Dave Hewitt - bass guitar Dave Punshon - electric piano, keyboards Dick Powell - drums, percussion
Other musicians Gasper Lawal - conga, bongo, cabasa Brent Carter - saxophone Harry Mier - oboe Peter Halling - cello - Leader Clive Anstee - cello Manny Fox - cello Boris Rickleman - cello Jeff Allen - drums on "The Runaways"
Charts Chart (1972)Peakposition
Releases 1972: LP US/Canada, Harvest SW-11151 1972: LP UK, Harvest SHSP 4022 1972: LP Spain, EMI/Harvest 1J 062-05.159 1972: LP Italy, EMI/Harvest 3C 064-05159 1972: LP Japan, Odeon 1991: CD Canada, One Way 57343 1995: CD Germany, Repertoire REP 4554-WP 2001: CD Repertoire REP4554
References
External links Amateur reviews