Solo albums

Fear

About this album

Released on October 1st in 1974. Island Records.

Tracks:

"The recording of Fear was interrupted by the June 1st concert. That concert was put together by Richard Williams and Island Records. They had all these cult people on the label. The idea was that if you put them all together you might sell enough to justify their presence.

Anyway we were all sitting in the studio, Brian Eno was running around the kitchen making coffee 'cause Chrissy (Hynde) said "somebody had to be domestic around here". I was downstairs working on arrangements when in jumps Doug McClure from the tv series The Virginian.

I couldn't figure out what he was doing. He said it was his birthday so he was running around London---running down alleyways, I guess, 'cause our studio was in a real cul de sac. Everything stopped again; nobody could figure out what the hell he was doing there!

Most of Fear was done with the band on June 1st 1974. Eno used to carry his synthesizer around in a little briefcase. For "Momamma Scuba" we had so many people in the studio that we were running out of mikes. The density on the track was so great that we had no power left. We had a ton of guitars, but you'd never know it because they are all so diffused."

Musicians:
John Cale: lead vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, viola
Phil Manzanera: guitar; slide guitar on "Momamma Scuba"
Fred Smith: drums
Brian Eno: synthesizer; effects
Archie Legget: bass guitar
Michael Desmarais: drums on "Momamma Scuba" and "Fear"
Richard Thompson: slide guitar on "Momamma Scuba"
Bryn Haworth: slide guitar on "Momamma Scuba"
Brian Turrington: bass guitar on "Momamma Scuba"
Doreen Chanter: backing vocals
Irene Chanter: backing vocals
Liza Strike: backing vocals, girls choir
Judy Nylon: lead vocals on "The Man Who Couldn't Afford to Orgy"

Other credits:
John Cale: producer
Brian Eno: executive producer
Phil Manzanera: executive producer
John Wood: engineer; mixing
George Peckham: mastering
Keith Morris: photography
Recorded at Sound Techniques & Olympic Studios, London

"The Man Who Couldn't Afford To Orgy" single

The Man Who Couldn't Afford To Orgy was released in November as a single to promote the album, with the non-album track Sylvia Said as the B-side.

The latter can be found on the compilation albums Guts, The Island Years, Gold and Ship Of Fools - The Island Albums.

Hear Fear

The record company sends out a special edition to the press: Hear Fear. It is basically an interview by Frank Vincent, interspersed with a couple of songs from the album. The album was produced by engineer Phillip Browning, who worked at Olympic Studios.