Eric Burdon And War - Love Is All Around (1976)

When War debuted as Eric Burdon's backing band in the late '60s, they were on ABC-Paramount. The group was still hot in 1976, and ABC reissued vault material from their early days in a deceptive package trying to coast on the band's hitmaker status. The album deservedly flopped, and ABC's clumsy attempt failed.

“Love Is All Around” is an album by Eric Burdon and War (credited as "War featuring Eric Burdon" on the original edition). Released in 1976 on ABC Records, it contains tracks recorded during the band's brief existence from 1969 to 1971, but not found on their two albums from 1970. Many years later it was reissued on CD by Avenue Records; this edition restores the original group name, Eric Burdon and War. Only two tracks had been released previously: "Magic Mountain" was the B-side to "Spill the Wine"; and "Home Dream", though performed by Eric Burdon and War, appeared in 1971 on the album Guilty by Eric Burdon and Jimmy Witherspoon. Of the remaining tracks, the title track had not been previously released in any form; "Tobacco Road" is an alternate and shorter version of the John D. Loudermilk song which appeared on Eric Burdon and War's first album, Eric Burdon Declares "War"; "A Day in the Life" is a previously unreleased cover version of the song by The Beatles; and "Paint It Black" is a live version (Whiskey, Los Angeles, September 8, 1969) of the group's suite arrangement of the song by The Rolling Stones which appeared in a studio version on Eric Burdon and War's second album, The Black-Man's Burdon. In 1977, "Magic Mountain" and an edited version of "Home Dream" were issued as a single.

Track listing

1. "Love Is All Around"  (War)  - 4:12
2. "Tobacco Road"  (John D. Loudermilk)  - 6:30
3. "Home Dream"  (Burdon)  - 7:15
4. "Magic Mountain"  (War, Jerry Goldstein)  - 4:18
5. "A Day in the Life"  (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)  - 11:05
6. "Paint It Black Medley"  (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards)  - 10:09

Credits
Eric Burdon – vocals, percussion
Papa Dee Allen – conga, bongos, percussion, vocals
Harold Brown – drums, percussion, vocals
B.B. Dickerson – bass, vocals
Lonnie Jordan – organ, piano, vocals
Charles Miller – tenor, baritone, and alto saxes, percussion, vocals, flute
Lee Oskar – harmonica, percussion, vocals
Howard Scott – guitar, vocals
Jerry Goldstein, Lonnie Jordan, Howard Scott – producer

Notes
Recorded: 1969–70
Genre:  Psychedelic Soul, Funk Rock
Length:  47:19
Label:  ABC Records

© 1976