Giant for a Day

Giant for a Day!

Studio album by Gentle Giant

Released

September 11, 1978

Recorded

April – May 1978, Ramport Studios, Battersea, England

Genre

Rock

Length

35:33

Label

Chrysalis (UK)
Capitol (U.S.)

Producer

Gentle Giant

Gentle Giant chronology

The Missing Piece
(1977)

Giant for a Day!
(1978)

Civilian
(1980)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]
Rolling Stone	(unfavourable) ^[2]
Sea of Tranquility	^[3]

Giant for a Day! is an album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant which was released in 1978. The band's previous use of counterpoint and medieval-themed arrangements was not present on this recording. This album features a pop rock sensibility, instead of their usual progressive rock sound.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Kerry Minnear, Derek Shulman, and Ray Shulman, except where noted.

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Words from the Wise"	4:14
2.	"Thank You"	4:50
3.	"Giant for a Day"	3:49
4.	"Spooky Boogie (instrumental)" (R. Shulman, K. Minnear)	2:55
5.	"Take Me" (D. Shulman, J. Weathers)	3:39

Side two
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Little Brown Bag"	3:26
2.	"Friends" (J. Weathers)	2:00
3.	"No Stranger"	2:29
4.	"It's Only Goodbye"	4:19
5.	"Rock Climber"	3:52

Personnel

Gary Green – electric guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 9), electric guitars (tracks 3, 6, 8, 10), slide guitar (track 2), acoustic guitar (tracks 2, 7), backing vocals
Kerry Minnear – piano (tracks 4-6, 9, 10), electric piano (tracks 1, 4, 5, 8, 10), Minimoog (tracks 3-5), Hammond organ (track 2), Clavinet (track 1), synthesizer (track 4), xylophone (track 4), bass (tracks 2, 7), backing vocals, co-lead vocals on track 1
Derek Shulman – lead vocals all tracks except tracks 4 & 7
Ray Shulman – Bass (tracks 1, 3-6, 8-10), 12-string guitar (tracks 2, 7), backing vocals
John Weathers – drums (tracks 1-6, 8-10), tambourine (tracks 1, 5), shaker (track 4), cowbell (track 10), backing vocals, lead vocals on track 7^[4]

Release details

1978, UK, Chrysalis Records CHR-1186, Release Date 29 September 1978, LP
1978, UK, Chrysalis Records CHR-1186, Release Date ? ? 1978, Cassette
1978, USA, Capitol Records SW-11813, Release Date 11 September 1978, LP
1978, USA, Capitol Records SW-11813, Release Date ? ? 1978, Cassette
1978, Brazil, Chrysalis Records 6307 636, Release Date ? ? 1978, LP
?, USA, Capitol Records SN-16045, Release Date ? ? ?, LP (re-release)
?, USA, Capitol Records 17892, Release Date ? ? ?, CD
1993, UK, Road Goes On Forever RGFCD 1007, Release Date ? ? 1993, CD (with lyric sleeve)
1994, UK, Terrapin Trucking TRUCKCD007, Release Date 18 July 1994, CD (Re-Master)
1996, USA, One Way CD 18470, Release Date 16 March 1996, CD
1999, UK, Beat Goes On BGOCD431, Release Date 16 April 1999 , CD (2 x CD with The Missing Piece)
2005, UK, DRT Entertainment RTE355, Release Date 5 September 2005, CD (35th Anniversary Enhanced Re-Master)

References

↑ Little, Patrick (2011). "Giant for a Day! - Gentle Giant | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
↑ Bloom, Michael (2011). "Gentle Giant: Giant For A Day : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". web.archive.org. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
↑ Pardo, Pete (2011). "Review: 'Gentle Giant: Giant For a Day-35th Anniversary Edition (remaster)' - Sea of Tranquility - The Web Destination for Progressive Music!". seaoftranquility.org. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
↑ Gentle Giant's website (www.blazemonger.com/GG/)

Gentle Giant

Gary Green Kerry Minnear Derek Shulman Ray Shulman John Weathers Phil Shulman Martin Smith Malcolm Mortimore

Studio albums	Gentle Giant Acquiring the Taste Three Friends Octopus In a Glass House The Power and the Glory Free Hand In'terview The Missing Piece Giant for a Day Civilian

Other releases	Playing the Fool In Concert-BBC Radio 1 Out of the Woods The Last Steps Under Construction King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Out of the Fire Totally Out of the Woods Live in Rome 1974 In'terview in Concert In a Palesport House Experience Artistically Cryme Endless Life The Missing Face Prologue Scraping the Barrel Playing the Cleveland Live in New York 1975 Live in Santa Monica 1975 Live in Stockholm '75 King Alfred's College Winchester Giant on the Box (DVD) GG at the GG (DVD)