Back Street Crawler is the debut studio album by English guitarist Paul Kossoff, released in 1973; the same year Kossoff's band Free disbanded, Kossoff was able to moderate his drug addiction to record the album, which featured contributions from his former Free bandmates, as well as Yes drummer Alan White and Cat Stevens Keyboardist, Jean Roussel.

Back Street Crawler
Studio album by
Released16 November 1973
RecordedIsland Studios, London
GenreBlues rock, hard rock, jam rock
Length35:54
LabelIsland
Producer
  • Paul Kossoff
  • Bob Potter
  • Richard "Diga" Digby Smith
  • Jean Roussel
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

"Molten Gold" is not, as has been alleged, a reunion of the original Free line-up (Kossoff, Paul Rodgers, Andy Fraser, Simon Kirke); it is an outtake from the 1972 Free album Free at Last, with overdubs.

"Time Away" features three-fifths of the Mk II Free line-up (Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu Yamauchi), along with singer-songwriter-guitarist John Martyn, who would in 1975 invite Kossoff to guest on his own tour; this collaboration can be heard on expanded editions of Martyn's Live at Leeds album.

Track listing

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Original 1973 release

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All tracks are written by Paul Kossoff, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Tuesday Morning"17:32
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
2."I'm Ready"Jess Roden, Jean Roussel2:26
3."Time Away"Kossoff, John Martyn5:46
4."Molten Gold" 5:48
5."Back Street Crawler (Don't Need You No More)" 4:22

Deluxe edition, 2008

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Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Tuesday Morning" 17:32
2."I'm Ready"Roden, Roussel2:26
3."Time Away"Kossoff, Martyn5:46
4."Molten Gold" 5:48
5."Back Street Crawler (Don't Need You No More)" 4:22
6."Tuesday Morning" (Early Take 1) 4:31
7."Tuesday Morning" (Early Take 2) 12:19
8."Tuesday Morning Blues" 5:38
9."Tuesday Morning Groove" 6:52
10."Tuesday Morning Boogie" 4:21
11."Tuesday Morning Piano Jam" 7:47
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I'm Ready" (Take 4)Roden, Roussel5:43
2."The Lady Is a Tramp"Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers1:24
3."I'm Ready" (Take 10, Full Version)Roden, Roussel6:16
4."May You Never"Martyn4:24
5."Leslie Jam"Kossoff, Martyn3:32
6."Time Away" (Complete Jam)Kossoff, Martyn38:21
7."Molten Gold" 5:54
8."Molten Gold" (Songs of Yesterday Version) 6:12
9."Back Street Crawler (Don't Need You No More)" (Single Guitar Track, No. 14) 4:31

Personnel

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Production

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  • All songs produced by Paul Kossoff
  • "Time Away" and "Molten Gold" co-produced by Bob Potter
  • "Back Street Crawler (Don't Need You No More)" co-produced by Richard "Diga" Digby Smith and Jean Roussel
  • "Tuesday Morning" and "Back Street Crawler (Don't Need You No More)" engineered by Richard "Diga" Digby Smith
  • "I'm Ready" and "Molten Gold" engineered by Bob Potter
  • "Time Away" engineered by Tony Platt

References

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  1. ^ Back Street Crawler at AllMusic
  2. ^ "Back Street Crawler (Deluxe Edition) (2008)". John Martyn. 17 March 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  3. ^ "Kossoff* - Back Street Crawler". Discogs. 20 March 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2020.