Track Listing

1. Run Run Run
2. Shake That Fat
3. Babylon
4. I Make Love
5. Barstow Blue Eyes
6. 99 Days
7. Academy Award
8. Take It Easy
9. Flying Home

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #57450 in Music
• Released on: 2008-08-04
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Album Description
Their 1972 debut album is as good as any rock 'n' roll album released that year in our humble opinion. Includes the hit "Run Run Run," "Shake That Fat," "Babylon," "I Make Love," "Barstow Blue Eyes," "99 Days," "Academy Award," "Take It Easy," and "Flying Home." A Collectors' Choice Music exclusive!

Customer Reviews

"Jo Jo Gunne" - their 1972 debut - Gets Remastered for the RHINO ENCORE series
JO JO GUNNE were:
JAY FERGUSON on Keyboards and Vocals [ex SPIRIT, later went Solo]
MARK ANDES on Guitars [ex SPIRIT, later in FIREFALL and HEART]
MATTHEW ANDES on Bass [Mark's Brother]
CURLY SMITH on Drums

Like most people I was drawn to the American boogie rock of JO JO GUNNE by their fantastic debut single "Run Run Run" in early 1972 - it was a huge radio hit on both sides of the pond and has remained so ever sing - Mark Andes' zippy guitar work up and down the frets thrilling to this day.

Taking their name from a 1958 Chuck Berry song on Chess Records, their debut album "Jo Jo Gunne" was released in April 1972 on Asylum SYLA 8572 in the UK and February 1972 on Asylum SD 5053 in the U.S.A. All 10 of the songs were written by either FERGUSON or FERGUSON and ANDES combined. "Run Run Run" made number 5 on the UK singles charts in March 1972 (Asylum AYM 501), while "Shake That Fat" b/w "I Make Love" was issued on Asylum AYM 507 as a follow-up, but it did no business.

Musically you'd describe JO JO GUNNE as early LYNYRD SKYNYRD meets mid 70's LITTLE FEAT and THE OUTLAWS with the drivin' boogie blues of early 70's FOGHAT somewhere in between - a very tasty combination indeed! But despite making 3 other albums for Asylum "Bite Down Hard" (1973), "Jumpin' The Gun" (1974) and "So...Where's The Show" (1974) - they remained something of a one-hit wonder here in the UK and the British pressings of the last 3 albums are not that easy to find.

The packaging on this CD is all but non-existent. Rhino have re-issued this album on their new "Encore" label imprint (see below) and while the remastered sound is great, the trade off for the £5 price tag is a gatefold inlay, which lists only the tracks and no other info of any kind - not even who played on what. A bit of a shame that. The label on the disc, however, reflects its US vinyl original - the Asylum `Cage In The Sky' logo.

Still, I've loved this album across the years and it's a blast to hear it again, especially sounding this good. Hopefully the excellent introductory price will entice others to buy - recommended.

PS: The RHINO ENCORE SERIES:
For info purposes, this CD is part of Rhino's "ENCORE" series - reissues of classic albums from the huge WEA catalogue. All 37 titles listed below were issued Monday 11 August 2008 and are based on the US versions of the albums; there's more promised in the forthcoming months. The label on each CD reflects the original American LP release, the Warner Brothers Tan label design for Curved Air in 1970, while the Burbank Avenue Of Trees label is on the McGarrigle disc of 1975, the pink Bearsville on Bobby Charles and so on. I've provided year of release and label for reference - and as you can see, some are re-releases, but there's also plenty of great titles seeing the light of day for the first time...

1. Solid Bond by GRAHAM BOND [1970 on Warner Brothers, a 2LP set on 1CD)
2. Byrds by BYRDS (1973 on Asylum)
3. Bobby Charles by BOBBY CHARLES (1972 debut on Bearsville)
4. 3614 Jackson Highway by CHER (1969 on Atco)
5. Pretties For You by ALICE COOPER (1969 debut on Straight)
6. Easy Action by ALICE COOPER (1970 on Straight)
7. Air Conditioning by CURVED AIR (1970 debut on Warner Brothers)
8. Second Album by CURVED AIR (1971 on Warner Brothers)
9. Hand It Over by DINOSAUR JR. (1997 on Blanco Y Negro)
10. A Minute To Pray, A Second To Die by THE FLESH EATERS (1981 on Initial)
11. Aretha Arrives by ARETHA FRANKLIN (1967 on Atlantic)
12 Let Me In Your Life by ARETHA FRANKLIN (1974 on Atlantic)
13. The J. Geils Band by THE J. GEILS BAND (1971 debut on Atlantic)
14. All To Bring You Morning by JOHNNY HARRIS (1973 on Warner Brothers)
15. The Living End by HUSKER DU (Live, 1994 on Warner Brothers)
16. Jobriath by JOBRIATH (1973 debut on Elektra)
17. Jo Jo Gunne by JO JO GUNNE (1972 debut on Asylum)
18. Glorious Fool by JOHN MARTYN (1981 on WEA)
19. Well Kept Secret by JOHN MARTYN (1982 on WEA)
20. Kate & Anna McGarrigle by KATE & ANNA McGARRIGLE (1975 on Warner Brothers)
21. Graham Nash and David Crosby by GRAHAM NASH & DAVID CROSBY (1972 on Atlantic)
22. Innocent Eyes by GRAHAM NASH (1986 on Atlantic)
23. GP by GRAM PARSONS (1973 solo debut on Reprise)
24. Grievous Angel by GRAM PARSONS (1974 on Reprise)
25. Third Eye by REDD KROSS (1990 on Atlantic)
26. Love Man by OTIS REDDING (1969 on Atlantic)
27. Doug Sahm And Band by DOUG SAHM and BAND (1973 on Atlantic)
28. Tarzana Kid by JOHN SEBASTIAN [of The Lovin' Spoonful] (1974 on Reprise)
29. John David Souther by JOHN DAVID SOUTHER (1972 debut on Asylum) [See REVIEW]
30. Sparks by SPARKS
(This is their 1971 "Halfnelson" debut album - re-issued as "Sparks" in 1972 on Bearsville under their new name, Sparks)
31. A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing by SPARKS (1973 2nd LP on Bearsville)
32. God Bless Tiny Tim by TINY TIM (1968 on Reprise)
33. Zero Time by TONTO'S EXPANDING HEAD BAND (1971 on Atlantic)
34. Orange Crate Art by BRIAN WILSON and VAN DYKE PARKS (1995 on Warner Bros)
35. I've Got My Own Album To Do by RONNIE WOOD [Faces & The Rolling Stones]
(1974 on Warner Brothers)
36. Now Look by RONNIE WOOD (1975 on Warner Brothers)
37. Mr. Bad Example by WARREN ZEVON (1991 on Giant)

Oh my god! Dig out those flares.
Previous reviews have it spot on.

I bought this because of the Spirit connection. I swore blind that I had never heard anything by them but the second Run Run Run comes on it's obvious that this is one of those classics you here and never know who it's by. It's a stormer, worth buying for that track alone. But.....
every track is belting. Sort of power poppy simply because of the short tight songs. Tremendous production and slide guitar to die for.

Ironically enough if I had to compare It would be with the Spirit album "Feedback" the one without Randy California. That is an equally under-rated cd.

Buy on sight - especially at this price there is no excuse.

I commend this CD to the house.

A (somewhat) forgotten classic
Early seventies 'rock' music doesn't come much better than this. Actually, it was Jay Ferguson, the voice on early Spirit records, together with the bass player Mark Andes, and Mark's brother Matt. The sound is akin to what Spirit might have sounded like if they'd opted for a more straight-ahead rock sound than some of the arcane noodling which followed (for example, Potatoland, Spirit of 76). 'Run Run Run' is a classic in any day and age, and much of the rest of this album keeps up that momentum and quality. However, the album as a whole is more than a little short.