Not till Tomorrow is the 1972 album by British Folk musician Ralph McTell. Produced by Tony Visconti, it was McTell's fifth album to be released (aside from the remixed compilation Revisited) – and first album to chart – in the UK; and his third album to be released in the U.S. Ralph had been phoned and asked if he had decided on a title for the album and, wishing to give himself another day to come up with a title, responded "Not till tomorrow" which was misunderstood to be the name he had given to the album. By the time the mistake was found it was too late.

Not till Tomorrow
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 1972
Recorded1972
StudioSound Techniques, Chelsea, London
GenreFolk, folk rock, country blues
Length45:51
LabelWarner Bros. / Reprise
ProducerTony Visconti
Ralph McTell chronology
You Well-Meaning Brought Me Here
(1971)
Not till Tomorrow
(1972)
Easy
(1974)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

"Sylvia" was a tribute to Sylvia Plath and was recorded in a single take. "When I Was a Cowboy" used, in homage, the opening lines of Lead Belly's "Out on the Western Plains". "First Song" was the first song that McTell wrote the words first and "Barges" was the first tune that he could trace to another composer, Edvard Grieg in this instance.[2]

Commercial performance

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Not till Tomorrow reached number 36 in the UK Album Chart soon after its release in November 1972.[3]

Track listing

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All tracks composed by Ralph McTell.[4]

Side One
  1. "Zimmerman Blues" – 3:50
  2. "First Song" – 2:39
  3. "When I Was a Cowboy" – 4:00
  4. "Nettle Wine" – 2:28
  5. "Sylvia" – 3:40
  6. "Birdman" – 6:10
Side Two
  1. "Barges" – 4:28
  2. "Standing Down in New York Town" – 3:58
  3. "Another Rain Has Fallen" – 3:57
  4. "This Time of Night" – 4:27
  5. "Gypsy" – 6:14

Personnel

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Production

  • Tony Visconti – producer
  • Alan Harris - engineer
  • Victor Gamm – recording engineer
  • Seabrook/Graves/Aslett – sleeve art direction
  • Kelvin McGowan – photography

Release history

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Country Date Label Format Catalogue Notes
United Kingdom 1972 Reprise LP K44210
United States 1973 Reprise LP MS2121
Canada 1973 Reprise LP MS2121
New Zealand 1973 Reprise LP RS2121
Germany 1975 Midi LP MID26030F Released as "Star Collection"
Japan Reprise LP P-8307R
United Kingdom 1998 Leola CD TPGCD15

References

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  1. ^ Allmusic review
  2. ^ "Not 'Till Tomorrow – Ralph McTell". www.ralphmctell.co.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2022.[title missing]
  3. ^ Chart Stats. “Ralph McTell”. Accessed 22 September 2009.
  4. ^ "Not till Tomorrow " LP sleeve, 1972.