When it comes to Archival releases, Light In The Attic are among the best out there. Over the years they have pulled together some great releases, including Tim Buckley, the French chanteuse of cool Françoise Hardy, Michael Chapman and a personal favourite: Native North America – Vol.1: Aboriginal Folk, Rock and Country 1966-1985 that introduced me to the music of the late Willie Dunn. So who is better placed than to pay tribute to the legendary Karen Dalton as we approach the 50th Anniversary of her 1971 classic album In My Own Time?
The release features a variety of special releases and previously-unreleased content. Set for release on March 25th, 2022, and available for preorder today, In My Own Time stands as a true masterpiece by one of music’s most mysterious, enigmatic and enduringly influential artists.
In My Own Time, which features Dalton’s interpretations of songs like “Are You Leaving for the Country,” “When a Man Loves a Woman,” “Katie Cruel,” and her posthumously recognized signature performance, “Something On Your Mind,” will be available in a variety of formats, including a bonus-filled, 50th anniversary Super Deluxe Edition, limited to 2000 numbered copies worldwide which expand exponentially upon Light in the Attic’s 2006 reissue of the album, co-produced by Nicholas Hill. Fans can also find the newly-remastered 10-track album on standard-weight vinyl and 8-track. Details on all the formats below.
ABOUT KAREN DALTON & IN MY OWN TIME
The Oklahoma-raised Dalton (1937-1993) brought a range of influences to her work. As Lenny Kaye writes in the liner notes, one can hear “the jazz of Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, the immersion of Nina Simone, the Appalachian keen of Jean Ritchie, [and] the R&B and country that had to seep in as she made her way to New York.”
Armed with a long-necked banjo and a 12-stringed guitar, Dalton set herself apart from her peers with her distinctive, world-weary vocals. In the early ‘60s, she became a fixture in the Greenwich Village folk scene, interpreting traditional material, blues standards, and the songs of her contemporaries, including Tim Hardin, Fred Neil, and Richard Tucker, whom she later married. Bob Dylan, meanwhile, was instantly taken with her artistry. “My favorite singer in the place was Karen Dalton,” he recalled in Chronicles: Volume One (Simon & Schuster, 2004). “Karen had a voice like Billie Holiday and played the guitar like Jimmy Reed.”
Those who knew Dalton understood that she was not interested in bowing to the whims of the record industry. On stage, she rarely interacted with audience members. In the studio, she was equally as uncomfortable with the recording process. Her 1969 debut, It’s So Hard to Tell Who’s Going To Love You The Best, reissued by Light in the Attic in 2009, was captured on the sly when Dalton assumed that she was rehearsing songs. When Woodstock co-promoter Michael Lang approached Dalton about recording a follow-up for his new imprint, Just Sunshine, she was dubious, to say the least. The album would have to be made on her own terms, in her own time. That turned out to be a six-month period at Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, NY.
Producing the album was bassist Harvey Brooks, who played alongside Dalton on It’s So Hard to Tell Who’s Going To Love You The Best. Brooks, who prided himself on being “simple, solid and supportive,” understood Dalton’s process, but was also willing to offer gentle encouragement, and challenge the artist to push her creative bounds. “I tried to present her with a flexible situation,” he told Kaye. “I left the decisions to her, to determine the tempo, feel. She was very quiet, and I brought all of it to her; if she needed more, I’d present options. Everyone was sensitive to her. She was the leader.”
Dalton, who rarely performed her own compositions, selected a range of material to interpret—from traditionals like “Katie Cruel” and “Same Old Man” to Paul Butterfield’s “In My Own Dream” and Richard Tucker’s “Are You Leaving For The Country.” She also expanded upon her typical repertoire, peppering in such R&B hits as “When a Man Loves a Woman” and “How Sweet It Is.” In a departure from her previous LP, Dalton’s new recording offered fuller, more pop-forward arrangements, featuring a slew of talented studio musicians.
While ‘70s audiences may not have been ready for Dalton’s music, a new generation was about to discover her work. In the decades following her death, a slew of artists would name Karen Dalton as an influence, including Lucinda Williams, Joanna Newsom, Nick Cave, Angel Olsen, Devendra Banhart, Sharon Van Etten, Courtney Barnett, and Adele. In the film Karen Dalton: In My Own Time, Cave muses on Dalton’s unique appeal: “There’s a sort of demand made upon the listener,” he explains. “Whether you like it or not, you have to enter her world. And it’s a despairing world.” Peter Walker, who also appears in the film, elaborates on this idea: “If she can feel a certain way in her music and play it in such a way that you feel that way, then that’s really the most magical thing [one] can do.” He adds, “She had a deep and profound and loving soul…you can hear it in her music.”
THE DIFFERENT FORMATS
The In My Own Time 50th Anniversary Super-Deluxe Edition (which can also be found across digital platforms, CD and cassette) features the newly remastered (2021) In My Own Time album, presented on three sides of 45-RPM, 180-gram vinyl pressed at Record Technology Inc. (RTI), with the fourth side showcasing alternate takes from the album sessions. Perhaps the most enticing piece to longtime fans of Dalton is the previously unreleased audio from her rare, captivating performance, Live at The Montreux Golden Rose Pop Festival, May 1st, 1971, which is exclusive to the Super Deluxe package. This is the first time this audio has been made available in any physical format — presented on 180-gram 12-inch vinyl, pressed at Third Man Record Pressing, and featuringa stunning etching of Dalton by acclaimed artist Jess Rotter on the B-Side. Accompanying the bonus record is a replica playbill from The Montreux Golden Rose Pop Festival, 1971, meticulously arranged and compiled from vintage source material by Darryl Norsen. In addition to the bonus 12”, the set contains a CD of all tracks included in the package and two 7-inch singles, featuring previously-unreleased live recordings captured at Germany’s Beat Club in 1971, both pressed at Third Man Record Pressing and housed in tip-on jackets. All audio has been newly remastered by Dave Cooley, while lacquers were cut by Phil Rodriguez at Elysian Masters. A 20-page booklet—featuring rarely seen photos, liner notes from musician and writer Lenny Kaye, and contributions from Nick Cave and Devendra Banhart—rounds out the package, which comes housed in a special trifold jacket, individually foil stamped and numbered in a strictly limited worldwide edition of 2,000 copies. The set is available now for preorder at karen-dalton.com, and lightintheattic.net in an exclusive movie poster bundle offering.
Additionally, the In My Own Time (50th Anniversary Edition) will be available as an expanded 15-track Deluxe package, presented on three sides of 45-RPM, 180-gram vinyl pressed at Record Technology Inc. (RTI), with the fourth side showcasing alternate takes from the album sessions. The set contains two 7-inch singles, featuring previously-unreleased live recordings, captured at Germany’s Beat Club in 1971, both pressed at Third Man Record Pressing and housed in tip-on jackets. The set shares the same 20-page booklet as the Super Deluxe edition and comes housed in a special trifold jacket.
A clear vinyl variant of the single-LP edition of In My Own Time will be available exclusively at lightintheattic.net and karen-dalton.com in connection with Light in the Attic’s ongoing 20th Anniversary Celebration. This edition will also feature the newly remastered audio and vinyl pressed at Record Technology Inc. (RTI). The album will also be available on CD, cassette, and 8-track tape. All editions are available now for preorder.
In partnership with the Estate of Karen Dalton, limited edition merchandise is now available at karen-dalton.com and lightintheattic.net, including a cozy crewneck fleece by acclaimed illustrator Jess Rotter, a t-shirt by visual artist and performer Sofia Tormenta, and an 18”x24”limited edition screen printed poster by Brighton, U.K.-based illustrator and artist Sophy Hollington.
Also available, as part of LITA’s ongoing Covers Series, is a 7-inch digital and physical single featuring Angel Olsen covering “Something on Your Mind,” with Dalton’s version on the B-side. The single is available now for preorder and streaming on January 13th. Previous singles in Light in the Attic’s Covers Series includes Bill Callahan & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy covering Johnnie Frierson’s beautiful and inspiring tune “Miracles,” BADBADNOTGOOD with Jonah Yano covering “Key To Love (Is Understanding)” by Milwaukee’s funk/soul pioneers Majestics, Charles Bradley & the Menahan Street Band covering Sixto Rodriguez, Mac DeMarco covering Haruomi Hosono’s “Honey Moon,” and Iggy Pop with the Zig Zags transforming Betty Davis’ dirty funk into a heavy Sabbath grind, amongst many others.
Additionally, on November 16th, the internationally acclaimed documentary film, Karen Dalton: In My Own Time,will be available digitally through Greenwich Entertainment. Directed by Robert Yapkowitz and Richard Peete and executive produced by Light in the Attic, Wim Wenders and Delmore Recording Society, the film chronicles the life, music, and legacy of Dalton and features interviews with family, friends, collaborators, and a variety of artists, including Peter Walker, Nick Cave, and country singer Lacy J. Dalton. Angel Olsen lends her voice to the film as the principle narrator, reading aloud from Dalton’s personal journal. As a special gift, all orders of the Super Deluxe edition of In My Own Time from lightintheattic.net and karen-dalton.com will include an 18”x24” fold-out movie poster of Karen Dalton: In My Own Time, illustrated by artist Matt McCormick.
Tracklist – Karen Dalton – In My Own Time (Super Deluxe Edition, Digital, CD, Cassette):
1. Something on Your Mind
2. When a Man Loves a Woman
3. In My Own Dream
4. Katie Cruel
5. How Sweet It Is
6. In a Station
7. Take Me
8. Same Old Man
9. One Night of Love
10. Are You Leaving for the Country
11. Something on Your Mind (Alternate Take)
12. In My Own Dream (Alternate Take)
13. Katie Cruel (Alternate Take)
14. One Night Of Love (Live at Beat Club, Germany, April 21, 1971)*
15. Take Me (Live at Beat Club, Germany, April 21, 1971)*
16. Something on Your Mind (Live at The Montreux Golden Rose Pop Festival, May 1, 1971)*
17. Blues on the Ceiling (Live at The Montreux Golden Rose Pop Festival, May 1, 1971)*
18. Are You Leaving for the Country (Live at The Montreux Golden Rose Pop Festival, May 1, 1971)*
19. One Night of Love (Live at The Montreux Golden Rose Pop Festival, May 1, 1971)*
1–10: Originally released as Just Sunshine – PAS 6008, 1971
11–13: Alternate Takes from album sessions, 1970/71
14–15: Recorded live at Beat Club, Germany, April 21, 1971
16–19: Recorded live at The Montreux Golden Rose Pop Festival, May 1, 1971
*Previously unreleased
Tracklist – Karen Dalton – In My Own Time (Deluxe Edition):
1. Something on Your Mind
2. When a Man Loves a Woman
3. In My Own Dream
4. Katie Cruel
5. How Sweet It Is
6. In a Station
7. Take Me
8. Same Old Man
9. One Night of Love
10. Are You Leaving for the Country
11. Something on Your Mind (Alternate Take)
12. In My Own Dream (Alternate Take)
13. Katie Cruel (Alternate Take)
14. One Night Of Love (Live at Beat Club, Germany, April 21, 1971)*
15. Take Me (Live at Beat Club, Germany, April 21, 1971)*
1–10: Originally released as Just Sunshine – PAS 6008, 1971
11–13: Alternate Takes from album sessions, 1970/71
14–15: Recorded live at Beat Club, Germany, April 21, 1971
*Previously unreleased
Tracklist – Karen Dalton – In My Own Time (Standard Edition Vinyl, 8-Track):
1. Something on Your Mind
2. When a Man Loves a Woman
3. In My Own Dream
4. Katie Cruel
5. How Sweet It Is
6. In a Station
7. Take Me
8. Same Old Man
9. One Night of Love
10. Are You Leaving for the Country
1–10: Originally released as Just Sunshine – PAS 6008, 1971
Pre-Order: https://link.lightintheattic.net/karen50