First time ever official vinyl reissue, gatefold 140g vinyl, remastered from the original Vertigo master tapes. Be With Records proudly announces the highly anticipated reissue of The Keith Tippett Group's Dedicated to You, But You Weren't Listening, a landmark achievement in cutting-edge fusion and avant-jazz that stands as one of the most vital and profoundly adventurous jazz-rock records ever recorded. Originally released on Vertigo in 1971, this essential album has aged ridiculously well, with original copies now increasingly rare and highly sought after by collectors worldwide.
This definitive Be With Records reissue has been newly remastered from the original Vertigo master tapes, demonstrating precisely why this masterwork deserves to be back in press. The stunning gatefold jacket fully restores Roger and Martyn Dean's original, arresting album artwork to complete this must-have reissue for both longtime devotees and new listeners discovering this treasure. Alive and bursting with joyful energy that has to be heard to be believed, Dedicated to You, But You Weren't Listening flirts with perfection. It's truly magical and forever essential—a work that showcases why Keith Tippett was hailed by The Guardian as a brilliant jazz pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader "who could make the outlands of modern music feel like the most hospitable of places."
Often regarded as Tippett's Canterbury album, this second release draws heavily on Soft Machine members past, present and future, with the album title itself archly referencing a Soft Machine composition. The extraordinary ensemble features Ray Babbington on bass alongside Neville Whitehead, while drums are shared between Brian Spring (Nucleus), Robert Wyatt, and Phil Howard (who would later replace Wyatt in Soft Machine). Gary Boyle (Isotope) handles guitar, while the great percussionist Tony Uter contributes his conga and cow bell expertise. Elton Dean on alto saxello, cornetist Marc Charig, and Nick Evans on trombone complete this stunning assembly of talent. Dedicated to You, But You Weren't Listening presents a collective of superhuman musicians truly enjoying themselves in the studio. The sheer exuberance of the performance is totally infectious—wild, energetic, atmospheric and, at points, beautifully chaotic.
Robert Wyatt's drumming opens the record with a bang on the majestic "This Is What Happens," with some describing his work here as "easily the most inspired of his career on record." It's an ultra-funky conga-driven groove that sparks through the dueling interplay between the three horn players, anchored by Keith's insistent piano in conversation with those unignorable drums. The epic, energetic "Thoughts to Geoff" unfolds as a 10-minute journey that begins dissonant and improvisational before becoming more fluid, laconic and melodic. The interplay between soloists and ensembles proves particularly dazzling, featuring blazing solos by Evans, Charig and Tippett himself in a flourish of angular arpeggios interspersed with chordal eloquence. The urgent, Mingus-referencing "Green and Orange Night Park" soars as an ambitious example of jazz mixed with rock aggression, with Dean launching into a scorching solo that creates an absolutely jaw-dropping centerpiece—arguably the highlight of this album of massive highlights.
While much of the album falls on the raucous side ("Gridal Suite" approaches free-jazz at its most chaotic), there are more sedate, spacey numbers such as the deeply impressionistic "Five After Dawn." The rhythmically complex "Black Horse" serves as the most accessible track—a swinging big band number with tight grooves, soaring horn and reed melodies, a sizzling Boyle guitar solo and tasty electric piano riffs from Tippett, creating a hypnotic climax to this staggering record. This Be With Records edition has been remastered from the original Vertigo master tapes, with Simon Francis's mastering working alongside Cicely Balston's cut at Abbey Road Studios to weave their usual magic with these wonderful recordings. The stunning gatefold sleeve has been restored in all its original glory, ensuring this stands as the definitive reissue.
Dedicated to You, But You Weren't Listening remains a testament to the boundless creativity of early 1970s British jazz-rock, a work that continues to inspire and astound more than five decades after its creation. Now, are you listening?
