Liner notes from the Japanese Rare Tracks CD

I’m very honored to release my songs as an album, some of which have not been released yet, some of which are different versions from the original; some of which were released as singles. I chose fifteen songs for this CD and this is the first time I carefully listened to them since they were released. That is my policy to music. I spend a few weeks, sometimes a few months in composing a song, and spend several weeks in recording and mixing, and that’s all. That’s the end. Sometimes I listen to my songs on the radio but I never play my songs on the stereo. I also don’t want my daughters to listen to my songs. I hide my cassettes and records not to allow them to listen to them. When my daughters tried to play my recordings, I tell me to stop. I don’t like listening to my songs myself either. I also hate watching my TV appearances. I like making progress. I don’t want to look back. What I want to do is to spend many hours recording that’s all. When I finish my recording, I want to work out another song. Because when I think of my old songs, I can’t go ahead. I don’t put my old stuff in my music room at all. I’m very proud of the gold records but I put them all in my mother’s house. TO EACH HIS OWN This was a single in 1976. I like the lyrics. OUR OWN BABY This song was recorded in the U.S. in 1974 or 1975 because my former manager, Gordon Mills was living there. So I recorded my fourth album "Stranger In My Own Back Yard" in the U.S. This song was also recorded at that time. Disco music was popular then and the beat still makes me feel new. Gordon played harmonica just like on "Clair." The song was recorded as a single B side. WHAT’S IN A KISS Gordon lived in America and I couldn’t go to him every time I wanted to record a song. I like going to a studio to record. So I produced and played all the instruments. I played the role of engineer as well. I recorded this song when I recorded "Doing What I Know.” AS LONG AS I CAN This song was a B side. It sound likes a Fats Domino song. I like his piano playing very much. I’m an enthusiastic Fats Domino fan since he released "Fat Man" in 1949. He has an enormous effect on my musical style. CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOU I tried to record this song many times, first in 1975 with Johnny Spence who arranged "Alone Again (naturally)" and "Clair." However, we couldn’t get it right. So I stopped and tried again in 1978. I released "Stranger In My Own Back Yard” in 1974 but I didn’t release an album in 1975. Toward the end of ’75 and the beginning of 1976, I tried to prepare for the next album. Gordon told me to come to America again and told me to record with H.B. Barnum who is a black arranger. Tom Jones also worked with him. H.B. Barnum is good at soul music, and he arranged the Osmond Brothers songs. Anyway, he was very popular at the time. When I recorded some songs of mine songs with him, I was very satisfied with the outcome. He is a very talented arranger. I was making my new album after "Stranger In My Own Back Yard" and I was recording "Can’t Get Enough Of You," " Too Long", "The Niceness Of It All," That’s A Fact" and "I’ll Believe It When I See It." I’LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT I like this song a lot. H.B. Barnum arranged it very well. It sounds like "he did go too far." I used to sing this song in concert with my piano. The like the lyrics because it seems the lyric content fits everyone. I observe people and some of them were not happy. Some women didn’t get along with their husbands. Some women had a husband who liked another. I want to sing about those kinds of situations or their breaking hearts in this song. I released the song as UK single but it was a hit in Europe. It was not a UK hit because the song was a completely different style from my own music. That kind of thing would happen in the UK. THAT’S A FACT This song was also arranged by B.H. Barnum as a B side. I like the brass section arrangement. THE NICENESS OF IT ALL I like this song especially the chord changes, bridge and the ending. The ending sounds like a Paul McCartney song. I’LL NEVER LET YOUR GO TOO LONG I recorded them but left the behind because Gordon and I started to disagree with each other after the recording of "Stranger In my Own Back Yard." I told him that I wanted to record with other producers but Gordon objected. Gordon worked with and managed other artists. I was frustrated. So I stopped recording some song for the next album with Gordon and decided to record by myself. So I went back to England and started to record my fifth album "Southpaw." This is the first album I produced. With respect to the production, it was not sophisticated. Anyway, I enjoyed recording very much and I’m satisfied with the outcome. After the release of "Southpaw", however, the relationship between Gordon and I worsened and ended. Unfortunately, complicated things happened such as the rights to my songs. I had to go to court and seek a resolution. That’s why I stopped releasing my albums each year. The problem between Gordon and I didn’t involve money. I’m just a songwriter, so I wanted Gordon to let me write and record my songs smoothly. We shared different opinions. I composed my songs not because I wanted to make money or live in a huge house. I know some people make music because they want money. But I don’t want to be around such people. I would tell them "get out of here." I wanted to work with many producers such as Tom Dowd who produced Eric Clapton and Rod Steward. I wanted to work with him because he seemed to show me a new music direction. So I was depressed around 1974 to 1979. But I could try so many things myself. When I got frustrated, I concentrated on making a log house in my garden. I’m sure I could make myself stronger. I devoted myself to making music. However, a lot of people might have thought I had retired or they might have almost forgot me. Anyway, around 1979 or 1980 some problems settled down. I could release my new album for CBS. The recording was very enjoyable. "Off Centre” includes "Can’t Get Enough Of You", "Niceness Of It all" and "What’s in a Kiss." But I couldn’t include the versions of H.B. Barnum on the album. So I re-recorded them. I like the "Off Centre" versions of them, but finally I’m very glad to release these versions, which I think are the best. JUST AS YOU ARE This was for a B side and an early work I produced. I used to record an A side song with Gordon and a B side by myself. Some people told me to use an album cut as a B side but I like B side songs. The B sides by the Beatles are great. In many cases, the Beatle B side are by John Lennon and the A sides are by Paul McCartney. John as frustrated, but I like their B sides very much, such as "Love Me Do." "Just As You Are" has a northern taste of England. CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF MY MIND I used a drum machine in the studio and make this song with a guitarist friend. The lyrics are also happy, aren’t they? WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET I tried to make an album with just a piano in 1984 and 1985. This song was one of them. FOREVER WONDERING This was recorded during the sessions for "In The Key Of G" in 1988. This album was intended to be released worldwide by Teldec. However, Warner Brothers bought Teldec and after all this was released only in Germany. After that I negotiated with the company and got the album rights in order to release it in other counties such as England, Japan and Belgium. Then I decided not to include this song on the album because I liked very much and wanted to remix it. These are the songs I can enjoy listening to. I’m sure this precious CD release in Japan will be the best present for my family and friends. Kitty Records released Rare Tracks [KTCR -1152] in Japan on April 24th 1992. *Special thanks to my Japanese Friend Isao! He translated the booklet into English. I've changed just a few words!