Shawn Phillips - Live In The Seventies

Think Like A Key Music presents a 3-CD set of previously unreleased recordings capturing the enigmatic singer-songwriter Shawn Phillips at the height of his popularity on stage during the nineteen-seventies.

An impressive selection of material from eight different concerts between 1972 and 1978 has been meticulously restored to demonstrate the artists' impressive ability to deliver knock out performances.

The package is housed in a 6-panel digipak with 24-page booklet, rare photos and essay by Michael F. Scully. Scheduled for release June 10, 2022 worldwide via Think Like A Key Music in agreement with Shawn Phillips.

Pre-orders are now available through this link: https://tlak.rocks/sp

About Shawn Phillips

According to the late rock promoter Bill Graham, Shawn Phillips was "the best kept secret in the music business." The diversity of Shawn Phillips' music is as impressive as his four-octave vocal range. Phillips defies all conventions of pop music with his intense, thought-provoking music and full use of the English language. It is the composer's refusal to mold his music -- which looks to folk-rock, jazz, progressive, pop, and classical genres -- to anyone else's expectations that has helped him maintain a large cult following without ever achieving the level of fame that his talent demands. ​

The son of spy novelist/poet James Atlee Phillips, Shawn Phillips was born on 3 February 1943 in Fort Worth, Texas. The first time he heard music was while sitting under the piano listening to his mother playing "Malagueña." He began playing the guitar at the age of seven. Shawn and his family traveled extensively throughout the world and he absorbed the music of wherever he lived, including Tahiti. After returning to Texas in his teens, briefly joining the Navy at 16, he moved to California in the early 1960s, where he immersed himself in folk music. Then he moved to England, where he recorded two albums for Columbia and made friends with folk musician Donovan Leitch.

Eventually, Phillips signed a deal with A&M Records, which would allow him to release his idea of a 3-album set, albeit each independently. "Contribution" was released in 1970, followed by "Second Contribution" in 1971, which was considered by many critics to be his best work. Subsequent albums under A&M include: 1971's "Collaboration", 1972's "Faces", 1973's "Bright White", 1974's "Furthermore", 1975's "Do You Wonder", 1976's "Rumpelstiltskin's Resolve", and 1977's "Spaced". After that, A&M dropped him, citing poor album sales. He then signed to RCA in 1978 and released the album "Transcendence" for which he was given $100,000 to make the album. Of this amount, he spent $95,000 to record it. Unfortunately, the album failed to impress RCA, and he was dropped from the label. 1980 saw the release of "The Best of Shawn Phillips" in Canada, where Phillips remains a popular artist. Despite playing gigs whenever he could and continuing to compose, it was not until the late 1980s when he got picked up by a new label and released another album.

He released his 15th album in 2002, aptly titled "No Category". His tour for the album took place in South Africa, where he felt his music would have the most impact. He released his first live album, "Living Contribution," in 2007 and the archival release, "At The BBC," released in 2009 via Hux Records. ​ During his free time, Phillips worked as an Emergency Medical Technician, Marine Firefighter Rescuer and firefighter in Houston. In 2001, he received the First Responder of the Year Award from Pedernales Emergency Services.

It's a fascinating life and career that has seen Shawn Phillips perform at sold-out stadiums and sparsely attended dive bars, from a 9-record deal with A&M to busking on the Santa Monica promenade. Shawn is an all-Texan who cut his teeth with Elton John at Trident Studios, England, in the late sixties and early seventies. His passion for even better music keeps him on the road traveling as part of a one-man band, even at the age of 79.

Tracklist

CD 1

CD 2

CD 3

Contact

Label: info@thinklikeakey.com
​Artist: info@shawnphillipsmusic.com

Distributors

AMPED / Amplified Media (North America & most worldwide markets)
​Code 7 (UK)
​Clear-Spot (Netherlands)
​Musea (France)
​Disk Union (Japan)

Websites

Think Like A Key Music: www.thinklikeakey.com
​Shawn Phillips official site: www.shawnphillips.com
​Shawn Phillips Facebook: facebook.com/ShawnPhillipsMusic/

Upcoming Tour Dates

Full tour date listings: https://tlak.rocks/sp-tour

Shawn Phillips Selected Discography

Second Contribution (1970)
​Contribution (1970)
​Collaboration (1971)
​Faces (1972)
​Bright White (1973)
​Furthermore (1974)
​Do You Wonder (1975)
​Rumpelstiltskin's Resolve (1976)
​Spaced (1977)
​Transcendence (1978)
​Beyond Here Be Dragons (1988)
​The Truth If It Kills (1994)
​Another Contribution (1995)
​No Category (2003)
​Reflections (2004)
​Perspective (2013)
​Infinity (2014)
​Continuance (2017)
​