| Rutle Sole | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Released |
3 December 1965 |
|
Recorded |
Recorded 17 June & 12 October – 11 November 1965, IOU Studios, London |
|
Genre |
Pop Rock |
|
Length |
35:50 |
|
Label |
Aristophone |
|
Preceded By |
Ouch! (1965) |
|
Succeeded By |
Semi-Automatic (1966) |
Rutle Sole is the sixth studio album by the Rutles.[1] It was released on 3 December 1965 in the United Kingdom, on EMI's Parlophone label. The original North American release, issued by Capitol Records, contains ten of the fourteen songs and two tracks withheld from the band's Ouch! album. Rutle Sole was met with a highly favourable critical response and topped sales charts in Britain and the United States for several weeks.
The recording sessions took place in London over a four-week period beginning in October 1965. For the first time in their career, the Rutles were able to record an album free of concert, radio or film commitments. Often referred to as a folk rock album, particularly in its Capitol configuration, Rutle Sole incorporates a mix of pop, soul and folk musical styles. After A Hard Day's Rut in 1964, it was the second Rutles LP to contain only original material.
The songs demonstrate the Rutles' increasing maturity as lyricists, and in their incorporation of brighter guitar tones and new instrumentation such as sitar, harmonium and fuzz bass, the group striving for more expressive sounds and arrangements for their music. The project marked a progression in the band's treatment of the album format as an artistic platform, an approach they continued to develop with Semi-Automatic and Sgt. Rutter's Only Darts Club Band. The four songs omitted by Capitol, including the February 1966 single "Questionnaire", later appeared on the North American release Tomorrow and Today.
Rutle Sole was highly influential on the Rutles' peers, leading to a widespread focus away from singles and onto creating albums of consistently high-quality songs. It has been recognised by music critics as an album that opened up the possibilities of pop music in terms of lyrical and musical scope, and as a key work in the creation of styles such as psychedelia and progressive rock. The album was certified 6× platinum by the RIAA in 1997, indicating shipments of at least six million copies in the US. In 2013, Rutle Sole was certified platinum by the BPI for UK sales since 1994.
Album Cover[]
The "stretched" look of the album cover was initially an accident. While The Rutles were coming up with cover designs, Barry accidentally sneezed on the picture that was being projected on the screen. This caused it move back a little, making the band members look stretched. Barry's mucus also ended up forming a blotch that remarkably looked like the words "Rutle Sole". The band, unable to retake the photo in time for the release, ended up keeping Barry's additions to the album cover.
Track listing[]
Original Kenyan back cover, which misprinted every single song title on the album (excluding It's Looking Good) and also accidentally printed the back cover in English.
Side One[]
- Make It Easy
- If You Think You're Groovy
- Different Ways
- You Done My Brain In
- Restless
- Stadium Love
- Love Is Getting Deeper
Side Two[]
- Living Apart Together
- Burlesque
- It's Looking Good
- Travelling Show
- Living Apart Together
- If We Could Be Somewhere(Leamington Spa)
- Hero Of The Motorway
US Version[]
US album cover
In the United States, Rutle Sole was the tenth album by the group and their first to consist entirely of original songs. It was released on 6 December 1965 by Capital, in both the mono and stereo formats. The American edition differed markedly from its British counterpart. Four tracks were removed and set aside for the next American album, and two tracks were added from Ouch!.
Side One[]
- Mr Slaters Parrot
- Don't Make Your Children Pay (This Bird Has Flown)
- I Don’t Want It
- Restless
- We Are Free
- Love Is Getting Deeper