The Electric Prunes - Release of an Oath - 1968

Editorial Reviews
Much of the same team that made the notorious Mass in F Minor album were around for this 1968 album, though none of them were in the original band! But it's who was in the studio for this one that's important: producer/arranger David Axelrod, engineer Dave Hassinger and most notably guitarist Howard Roberts, who lets loose with some absolutely insane guitar solos. Mass in F Minor took as its text a Catholic Mass; this one adapts the Kol Nidre, the sacred Jewish prayer recited on the eve of Yom Kippur - the `60s didn't get too much more far-out than this!
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Style; Psych, Rock,Funk-Soul....

Extrait from reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars Not the Prunes! Thank God! 
By JR Ewing

I love all the hand wringing here, people all up in arms that this music wasn't performed by their sacred cow The Electric Prunes, Good thing too, because this album would sound like a pile of dung if it were, after all they dissolved the band after the album Mass in F Minor "they couldn't learn the music for a tour"

So by the time David Axelrod needed some extra cash, he got the session musicians back together, and cranked out this brief but spectacular music, in fact it is one of the first true prog rock albums in my estimation. a real precursor to symphonic prog.

The only flaw here is that Axelrod kept the Prunes name, it makes no real sense, think how disappointed someone will be loving this album only to find out how weak the real prunes were. so yes this is not the real prunes!
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 4.0 out of 5 stars Oath, 
By
RWstone "RWstone" (Denver, CO United States) 

An elite group of LA session musicians were recruited to complete the concept album, written and directed by David Axelrod, and produced by Dave Hassinger (the E. Prunes producer and owner of the name). This was a composition written by Axelrod (producer, Lou Rawls & Cannonball Adderley) and was a follow-up to Mass In F Minor on Reprise Records.

The musicians who recorded "Oath' were Earl Palmer on drums, Howard Roberts (G), vocals were by Richard J. Whetstone,Don Randi (keyboards), Carol Kaye (Bass), Gary Coleman (percussion), Lou Morell (G).

Oddly, enough "Oath" seems to have a life of its own, more than ten hip-hop artist have sampled various tracks from 'Oath' - "Holy Are You" was recently sampled by Rakim (The Seventh Seal - 2007 CD); Ali & Gipp (No God But You - 2007 CD); Fat Joe ('95); Howie B ('97), to name a few.

In London, a recording and DVD of "David Axelrod Live at Royal Festival Hall" was released January 2007 and featured Richard Ashcroft (lead singer of The Verve) singing "Holy Are You" from Release Of An Oath.

For a recording made in 1968 to resurface and be re-released, then to be sampled multiple times by hip-hop artists almost forty years later...it makes you wonder!

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 5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it!!
By
Ernesto (Cambridge, MA) 
This review is from: Release of An Oath (Audio CD)
Psych, Judaica, funky soul feel... this is brilliant, just brilliant. So what if the the original Prunes didn't record it? Shorter than I expected but but all the more reason to relish it. "Holy Are You" is worth the price of the album alone.
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Track Listings:

1. Kol Nidre
2. Holy Are You
3. General Confessional
4. Individual Concessional
5. Our Father, Our King
6. The Adoration
7. Closing Hymn
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MORE INFO:
http://shadwell.tripod.com/oath.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Release_of_an_Oath
http://www.discogs.com/Electric-Prunes-Release-Of-An-Oath/release/1380882
http://www.popmatters.com/review/electric-prunes-the-release-of-an-oath-just-good-old-rock-and-roll/
http://shadwell.tripod.com/epdisco.html
http://www.piccadillyrecords.com/prod/TheElectricPrunes-ReleaseOfAnOath-Reprise-16833.html
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 The Electric Prunes - Release of an Oath - 1968 (2006):

Personnel

Although credited to the Electric Prunes, the album is largely the work of composer and producer David Axelrod and a group of session musicians. Personnel included:

    Howard Roberts and Lou Morrell (guitar)
    Don Randi (keyboards)
    Carol Kaye (bass)
    Earl Palmer (drums)

Only the vocals appear to have been recorded by the band members.


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