Spanish Train and Other Stories

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Spanish Train and Other Stories
Spanish Train and Other Stories cover
Studio album by Chris de Burgh
Released 1975
Recorded Ramport and Scorpio Studios
Genre Rock
Length 43:28
Label A&M Records
Producer Robin Geoffrey Cable
Professional reviews
Chris de Burgh chronology
Far Beyond These Castle Walls
(1974)		 Spanish Train and Other Stories
(1975)		 At the End of a Perfect Day
(1977)

Spanish Train and Other Stories is the second album by Chris de Burgh, released by A&M Records in 1975.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Spanish Train" – 5:00
  2. "Lonely Sky" – 3:52
  3. "This Song For You" – 4:14
  4. "Patricia the Stripper" – 3:30
  5. "A Spaceman Came Travelling" – 5:10
  6. "I'm Going Home" – 3:34
  7. "The Painter" – 4:20
  8. "Old Friend" – 3:40
  9. "The Tower" – 5:22
  10. "Just Another Poor Boy" – 4:46

All songs written by Chris de Burgh.

[edit] Personnel

  • Chris de Burgh – Acoustic Guitars, Lead and all Backing Vocals, Piano on The Tower and This Song For You
  • Barry de Souza – Drums
  • Ray Glynn – Electric Guitars
  • Lennox Laington – Percussion
  • Tony Hymas – Keyboards
  • Tony Reeves – Bass, String Bass on A Spaceman Came Travelling
  • Phillip Goodhand-Tait – Harmonium
  • Chris Laurence – String Bass
  • Ken Freeman – String Synthesizer
  • Chris Mercer – Sax on The Painter
  • Mick Eves – Sax on The Painter

[edit] Other credits

  • The Strings, Choir, Recorders and Ocarinas on The Tower and Lonely Sky were arranged by Robert Kirby who also arranged the Brass for Old Friend and This Song For You
  • David Hentschel arranged and performed Synthesizer on A Spaceman Came Travelling
  • Richard Hewson arranged the Strings and Brass for Just Another Poor Boy and Spanish Train
  • Mixed at Scorpio and A.I.R. Studios
  • Engineered by Robin Groffrey Cable, assisted by Mark Dobson, Ian Major, and John Kelly

[edit] Chart positions

UK Chart Positions
Date Position Comment
August 31, 1985 48 New Entry
September 7, 1985 37 Highest & Final Entry

[edit] Controversy

The title track is a story about a train carrying the souls of the dead to the Underworld. God and the Devil are playing Poker - gambling with the souls. Naturally, the Devil cheats and wins the game. The song finishes with the stanza:

"Far away, in some dark recess,
The Lord and the Devil are now playing Chess.
The Devil still cheats and wins more souls,
as for the Lord - he's just doing his best."

The song was deemed blasphemous in South Africa, and a ban was ordered. A&M records sued to get the ban overturned - the suit was eventually successful. However, while the suit was in progress, A&M released the album under the title "Lonely Sky and Other Stories" (without "Spanish Train"). This album is considered a collector's item today - copies are extremely rare.

[edit] External links