The Wichita Train Whistle Sings

Infobox Album
Name = The Wichita Train Whistle Sings
Type = studio
Artist = Michael Nesmith


Released = 1968
Genre = Rock
Length = 36:54
Label = Dot
Producer = Michael Nesmith
Reviews =* Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gvfrxqu5ldke link]
Last album =
This album = "The Wichita Train Whistle Sings"
(1968)
Next album = "Magnetic South"
(1970)

"The Wichita Train Whistle Sings" was the first solo album by Michael Nesmith and was recorded while he was still a member of the Monkees. It peaked at No. 144 on the Billboard Pop Albums charts.

The album comprises instrumentals performed by a full orchestra. All but one of the songs were recorded by the Monkees (a couple of them weren't released until the "Missing Link" albums).

The album was made over a two-day session on November 18 and 19 1967 and featured the best musicians in Hollywood, including ten trumpets, ten trombones, ten saxophones, 2 drummers, five percussionists, four pianos, eight basses, seven guitars. As it was the weekend, all musicians were paid double time and the session was catered by Chasens, the finest restaurant in Hollywood. It all cost $50,000. Nesmith explained that he was about to pay a similar sum in tax and he would rather spend it on the sessions and write it off than give it to the IRS.

CD Release

When Nesmith released "Witcha Train" on CD, he recorded the album onto digital from a phonograph. As he explained in the liner notes, the album was intended to be played on vinyl, and therefore, attempted to capture the album's true essence.

The album was also remastered and re-released along with "Timerider" in 2008 on the Edsel label. [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3ifexz8jldte The Wichita Train Whistle Sings and Timerider re-release review on Allmusic.] ]

Track listing

All songs by Michael Nesmith except where noted.
# "Nine Times Blue"
# "Carlisle Wheeling"
# "Tapioca Tundra"
# "Don't Call on Me"
# "Don't Cry Now"
# "While I Cried"
# "Papa Gene's Blues"
# "You Just May Be the One"
# "Sweet Young Thing" (Nesmith, Gerry Goffin, Carole King)
# "You Told Me"

Personnel

*Michael Nesmith – guitar, arranger
*Don Randi – piano
*Red Rhodes – pedal steel guitar
*Larry Knechtel – piano
*Earl Palmer – drums
*Doug Dillard – banjo
*Chuck Berghofer – bass
*Hal Blaine – drums
*James Burton – guitar
*Tommy Tedesco – guitar
*Frank Capp - percussion
*Gary Coleman - percussion
*Victor Feldman - percussion
*VIOLINS: Israel Baker (concertmaster), Robert Barene, Arnold Belnick, Jimmy Getzoff, Leonard Malarsky, Ralph Schaeffer, Sidney Sharp (concertmaster), Tibor Zelig
*VIOLAS: Joe DiFiore, Harry Hyams, Alexander Neiman
*CELLI: Jesse Ehrlich, Ray Kramer, Edgar Lustgarten
*SAXOPHONES AND OTHER WOODWINDS: Gene Cipriano, Justin Gordon, Jim Horn, Jules Jacob, John E. Lowe, Jack Nimitz
*TRUMPETS: John Audino, Bud Brisbois, Jules Chaikin, Buddy Childers, Manny Klein, Oliver Mitchell, Tony Terran, Jimmy Zito
*TROMBONES: Milt Bernhardt, Lou Blackburn, Joe Howard, Richard "Slyde" Hyde, Lou McCreary, Barrett O'Hara, Kenny Shroyer
*FRENCH HORNS: Jim Decker, Vincent DeRosa, Bill Hinshaw, Richard Perissi
*TUBAS: Sam Rice, John Kitzmiller

Production notes

*Michael Nesmith – producer
*Hank Cicalo – engineer
*Israel Baker – concert master
*Shorty Rogers – arranger, conductor
*Sid Sharp – concert master

References