Jim Sullivan "U.F.O." (US SSW 1970)

by Reynaldo:
I picked this LP up on eBay three years ago after hearing a different version of it during a listening session in the apartment of a San Francisco record dealer. I made note of the artist and label and plugged that info into my eBay "Favorite Searches" list when I got home. A couple weeks later, I received two saved searches e-mails announcing new items found for "Jim Sullivan" and "Century City." Following the links brought me to a listing for a "rare private '70 folky outsider" record by Jim Sullivan titled U.F.O. on Monnie records. That, of course, was not the record I was looking for or expecting to see listed, but I went ahead and read the description, hoping that it would aid me some way in my search. It's a good thing I did, because the seller?sonray66?was musically knowledgeable enough to note in the description that Jim Sullivan's U.F.O. album contained the same songs as those on his self-titled album on Century City (the record I was looking for). If the seller hadn't mentioned that, I may have never discovered this gem.

Thinking that it would contain the same exact same music, I spent the next two years looking for the Century City press of the album; but when I finally got a hold of a copy, what I immediately noticed upon hearing it was that the drums, percussion and bass were moved way back in the mix and made quieter, while Sullivan's vocals and guitar were brought to the forefront?as perhaps they should have been for the more official release.

The differences between most of the songs on the two albums are striking: the Monnie versions sound like lost Axelrod sessions with Earl Palmer on drums and steroids, while the Century City versions are more subdued and in line with how a singer/songwriter/folk album is "supposed to" sound?which I guess is fine for those who don't particularly enjoy being slapped upside the head by Earl Palmer's snares, or for those who want to hear the intricacies of Sullivan's vocals and guitar work instead of percussion. While I can definitely understand and appreciate that point of view, there's still something magical about the sound achieved on U.F.O.?the way the drums punch holes through the mix of sounds to assert their dominance, turning a standard folk album into something one of a kind.

As for the rarity of U.F.O., from everything I can tell, it is an extremely difficult record to turn up. I’ve been patiently waiting for another copy to show up on eBay?so I can upgrade my VG+ copy?but I have yet to see one listed, and searches for “Jim Sullivan - U.F.O.” still stump google, suggesting that the record is still fairly far under the radar (not for long, I suppose).

Regardless of whether U.F.O. was a "mistake" that needed to be corrected in order to shift the listeners' attention from the drummer to the main artist, or a masterpiece that was remixed and watered down slightly for the sake of salability, to me, the album is a unique and powerful work of music that has stood up after countless listens and that must be heard, which is why I want to share it with you in its entirety. See below for full album audio and song lyrics, and enjoy the Jim Sullivan U.F.O. experience.

Personnel:
Jim Sullivan - Vocals, Guitar
Earl Palmer - Drums
Don Randi - Keyboards
Jimmy Bond - String Bass
Lyle and Max - Fender Bass
Jimmy Bond - Arrangements and Production
Jerry Dumas and Jim Pewter - Co-Producers
Peter Abbot and Richard - Engineers

Sample pic: Click