The Circle Game (album)

This article is about the folk rock album by Tom Rush. For the song by Joni Mitchell, see Ladies of the Canyon. For the poetry collection, see The Circle Game (collection). For the school prank, see Circle game.
The Circle Game
Studio album by Tom Rush
Released December, 1968
Recorded 1968
Genre Folk rock
Length 38:16
Label Elektra
Producer Arthur Gorson
Tom Rush chronology
I Got a Mind to Ramble
(1968)		 The Circle Game
(1968)		 Tom Rush
(1970)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [1]
Rolling Stone(positive) [2]

The Circle Game is the 1968 album from folk rock musician Tom Rush. He covers three songs from fellow singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, as well as songs by Jackson Browne and James Taylor. Rush himself wrote "Rockport Sunday" and his classic, often-covered tune "No Regrets"; the song has become a folk standard, and has been covered by several dozen artists, including Emmylou Harris, The Walker Brothers, Fairport Convention, Olivia Newton-John, indie-pop group Luna, and Curtis Stigers. In addition to his original rendition here, Rush himself later made a radically different version for Columbia Records featuring a screaming electric guitar solo.

The songs follow the cycle of a relationship from its beginning to an end, according to the lyric content and sequencing of songs. Joni Mitchell's "The Circle Game," recorded prior to her own release of the song, can be read as the turning point of the relationship while "Rockport Sunday" ends the romance using an instrumental piece, followed by the coda "No Regrets." Supporting this concept is the cover shot, which pictures then girlfriend Jill Lumpkin behind Tom Rush as photographed by Linda Eastman.

On May 9, 2008, Rhino/Warner released a fully remastered 40th Anniversary Edition. Three bonus tracks were added, including the single versions of "Something in the Way She Moves" and "Urge for Going," plus a previously unreleased acoustic first take of "The Circle Game." In addition, the 42-second instrumental coda to "No Regrets", which ends the original album, appears for the first time on CD.

Track listing

  1. "Tin Angel" (Joni Mitchell) – 3:22
  2. "Something in the Way She Moves" (James Taylor) – 3:25
  3. "Urge for Going" (Joni Mitchell) – 5:50
  4. "Sunshine, Sunshine" (James Taylor) – 2:55
  5. "The Glory of Love" (Billy Hill) – 2:22
  6. "Shadow Dream Song" (Jackson Browne) – 3:24
  7. "The Circle Game" (Joni Mitchell) – 5:12
  8. "So Long" (Charlie Rich) – 2:55
  9. "Rockport Sunday" (Tom Rush) – 4:34
  10. "No Regrets" (Tom Rush) - 3:50

40th Anniversary Edition Bonus Tracks

  1. Instrumental coda to "No Regrets" - 0:42
  2. "Something in the Way She Moves" (Single Version) - 3:31
  3. "Urge for Going" (Single Version) - 3:37
  4. "The Circle Game" (Take One) - 5:34

Personnel

Production

References

  1. ↑ The Circle Game (album) at AllMusic
  2. ↑ Gifford, Barry. "The Circle Game", Rolling Stone, San Francisco, 25 May 1968. page 21.
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