Bullinamingvase

History

The album features a mix of musicians and instruments, including the Vauld Symphony Orchestra (named after the Marden, Herefordshire farm Harper owned and recorded in at the time). The CD release (Science Friction HUCD021) has been remastered with SNS 20-bit digital supermapping.

One of the album's highlights is the epic, 19 minute, "One Of Those Days In England (Parts 2–10)" (originally side 2 of the album). Comprising several musical movements, the song is a collection of reminiscences from both a personal and cultural perspective. Harper sings of "Britannica and all those who sail in her, especially those with Albions cultural heritage claws...", and refers to the Alfred Jewel.

"Naked Flame" is modelled on the traditional Lady Franklin's Lament, in much the same way as Bob Dylan's Dream (from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan) used the same source.

Watford Gap

Originally the album contained the song "Watford Gap" which contained somewhat disparaging lyrics concerning the Watford Gap service station, a motorway service area situated between junctions 16 and 17 of the M1 Motorway, near Watford Gap, in Northamptonshire, England.

It's the Watford Gap, Watford Gap A plate of grease and a load of crap

Harper claimed the food was "junk, absolute junk. I tried to get the media food commentators of the day interested, but none of them would help me because they were all kind of bought off in some way, they were in the pockets of the corporations. I got a reply from Bernard Levin - he agreed with me but wouldn't go public about it". Subsequent pressings omitted the song at the behest of an EMI board member who was (also) a non-executive director of Blue Boar (the owners of the service station). Under duress, Harper replaced the controversial track with "Breakfast With You", a song Harper himself allegedly described as "pap". "Watford Gap" was finally restored to the 1996 re-issued CD with "Breakfast With You" closing the CD.

Track listing

All tracks credited to Roy Harper

Side one

1. "One Of Those Days In England Part 1" – 3:25
2. "These Last Days" – 4:26
3. "Cherishing the Lonesome" – 5:54
4. "Naked Flame" – 5:06
5. "Watford Gap" – 3:22

Side two

1. "One Of Those Days In England Parts 2–10" – 19:27

Side one

1. "One Of Those Days In England" – 3:25
2. "These Last Days" – 4:26
3. "Cherishing the Lonesome" – 5:54
4. "Naked Flame" – 5:06
5. "Breakfast With You" – 2:42

Side two

1. "One Of Those Days In England (Parts 2–10)" – 19:27

1996 CD reissue

1. "One Of Those Days In England" – 3:25
2. "These Last Days" – 4:26
3. "Cherishing the Lonesome" – 5:54
4. "Naked Flame" – 5:06
5. "Watford Gap" – 3:22
6. "One Of Those Days In England (Parts 2–10)" – 19:27
7. "Breakfast With You" – 2:42

Promotional and single releases

With the re-print of Bullinamingvase, Harvest Records included a promo "single".

Promo release (SPSR 407)

Side 1. – "Referendum (Legend)" / "Another Day" (Live Version)

Side 2.– "Tom Tiddler's Ground"

Promo release (SPSR 408)

Side 1. – "One Of Those Days In England" / "Watford Gap"

Side 2. – "Naked Flame" / "Mrs Space" - (Extract from One Of Those Days In England)

Two singles were also released from the album on the Harvest label.

Single release March 1977 (HAR 5120)

Side 1. "One Of Those Days In England"

Side 2. "Watford Gap"

Single release November 1977 (HAR 5140)

Side 1. "Sail Away"

Side 2. "Cherishing The Lonesome"

Personnel

Roy Harper

John Leckie – Sound Engineer

Mark Vigars – Sound Engineer

Steve Broughton

Dave Cochran

B.J. Cole

Herbie Flowers

John Halsey

Percy Jones

Skaila Kanga – Harp

Ronnie Lane

David Lawson

Alvin Lee

Linda McCartney (backing vocals on One Of Those Days In England)

Paul McCartney (backing vocals on One Of Those Days In England)

Jimmy McCulloch

Henry McCullough

Max Middleton

Dave Plowman

Andy Roberts

The Vauld Symphony Orchestra