Tony Visconti – Visconti's Inventory Plus Bonus Tracks

Inventory was recorded in 1977, so listeners beware! It was a collection of songs (mostly mine) and styles that I felt fluent in, dating back to the '50s. It is probably one of the first "vanity" albums ever recorded, since no one signed me to make it and I paid for it myself.

I am a producer with a strong and diverse musical background, and I felt compelled to show it off on my debut solo album. It didn't make a big impression when it was first released and I was subsequently hopeful that it would just fade away. In the '90s, with the advent of the Web, I have been ed by many who wondered if the album even existed, and others who actually wanted a copy. So here it is, digitally remastered and sounding less embarrassing than I ed.

Since this is a re-release I decided to include some bonus tracks to make it all worthwhile. Because I am primarily a producer there has been little opportunity to release the huge batch of songs I've written before and after Inventory. I've selected some Inventory outtakes that are tracks 14 through 17. The rest are mostly demos that I've made in my home studios over the years. The earliest demo here was recorded in 1966 with my first wife and cowriter, Siegrid. The latest, a song inspired by my son Sebastian, was recorded this year (his mom is May Pang, my third wife). My oldest child, Morgan, inspired "Delaney, My Son" when he was born - he changed his name to Morgan when he was 14 (his mother is singer Mary Hopkin, who was my second wife).

Tony Visconti, January 1998

The musicians on Inventory are:
Bruce Lynch - bass and orchestrations, Jean Roussell - keyboards, Andy
Newmark, drums, John Kongos - acoustic guitar, Richard Burgess - drums,
Mark Goodwin - drums, Chris Birkett and Ricky Gardiner - lead guitars, Stan
Sulzman and Phil Kenzie - sax, Chris Karan - percussion, Mary Hopkin and
Susie Lynch - backing vocals, Tony Visconti - guitars, bass, bouzouki,
orchestrations, recorders and keyboards.

Produced by Tony Visconti & Bruce Lynch
Engineered by Graeme Myhre, Bruce Lynch and T.V.
All compositions by Tony Visconti, except where indicated

1. What A Dilemma
2. Hello - This was the start of a tape letter to my parents. Daddy sang bass in a Brooklyn barbershop quartet.
3. Inventory
4. I Brooklyn - My favorite. Inspired by '50s rock.
5. Middle Of Your Heart
6. Let Me Cast Your Chart - A sort of love song.
7. Speak To Me Of Love - Inspired by one of Kahlil Gibran's books.
8. Dance Children Dance
9. Mope Itty Mope Stomp (Bosstones/Chatman) - This song was the B side of "Do The Continental" by the Dovells (1961).
10. I Can't Help It - Think of the Coasters singing reggae...
11. Field Of Heather - A love song that takes place in a dream.
12. The Cabaret Is Over - A Tom Jones parody.
13. Bodhi Tree - Dedicated to Chime Rinpoche, my Tibetan Buddhist teacher.
14. Let's Grow A Little Garden - A love song to Mary (the little flower from Pontardawe, South Wales).
Sweet Baby Suite - Parenthood hit me heavily.
15. Baby
16. Now That The Baby Is Coming
17. Delaney, My Son
18. Clorissa (1970) - This is Hype, the band formed by Mick Ronson (guitar) and Woody Woodmansey (drums) and me to back David Bowie in his pre-Spiders days. I'm singing lead and playing bass. Mick is also playing piano.
19. Skinny Rose (1969) - A love song to Liz, my skinny rose. Mick Ronson is on the electric guitar.
20. Conasuela (1972) - By Marc Bolan. He loved this demo, where I was trying to convince him that Fats Domino should cover this song.
21. Scenescoff (1992) - A midi fantasy, updating a Marc Bolan song from the first Tyrannosaurus Rex album.
22. Nothing Can Be Very Wrong (T. Vicsonti & S. Visconti, 1966) - Recorded in my New York apartment with my first wife, Siegrid. We bounced the overdubs between two tape recorders. I'm playing guitar and upright bass.
23. Hunger Sucks (1996) - Written for a project to raise funds for World Hunger Year.
24. Wholetone (1991) - An instrumental written for two classical guitars. This is a midi version.
25. It Feel Like Death (1998)
26. And You Go (1998)

CD Mastering by Morgan Visconti (on his spiffing Macintosh)
Graphics & Website by Catherine Visconti for Kitten's Playground
Liner notes edited by Cindy Morgan
Visit www.tonyvisconti.com (for the complete picture)

Publishers: 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, Carbert Music Inc. (BMI) for US and Canada; 10,
21 TRO - Essex Music International, Inc. (ASCAP) for US and Canada; 7, Onward Music Ltd.; 1, 5,
18, 19, 22 - 26, Pneumatic Music (BMI)

P. 1998 Tony Visconti Productions Inc.

DIDX
MADE IN USA