Phil Ochs

Already an established artist, Phil Ochs was #27 on Billboard's Best Selling Folk Artists in April 1967. Signed with A&M Records by Jerry Moss in May 1967. Ochs received a $25,000 signing bonus plus artistic control. In the spring of 1967, Ochs went on tour. He played to full houses including 5,000 in New York's Central Park on July 7, 1967.

THE PLEASURES OF THE HARBOR (1967)

In August 1967, Phil began recording The Pleasures of the Harbor. It was released in September 1967. The album had one of the longest running times in pop album history. It ran about 50 minutes while the usual album ran 30 to 40 minutes. During the week of December 7, 1967, The Pleasures of the Harbor debuted on Billboard Top LP chart at #180. Four weeks later reached #168. The album sold about 20,000 copies--Ochs' best-selling album.

"With [The Pleasures of the Harbor] it's just that I had this lyrical stretch of writing and I wanted to put [the songs] together in a package and orchestrate them in a fairly classical manner. I like the use of orchestration in this album. I think it varies from song to song as to how effective orchestration can be. It's a matter 0f getting the right arrangements. The kind of chord structures that I use lend themselves to other instruments....

I didn't change my style at all. The arrangements were written around what I normally do, so even with the complexities of the 'Cruxifiction's' arrangement, I can still do a stage performance that sounds the same....I knew 'Cruxifiction" would be the last cut [on the album] because it is the heaviest number, and I also knew I wanted a surreal arrangement of it. 

People have likened the song 'Pleasures of the Harbor' to a movie. Actually, before I ever thought about doing an orchestrated album, I walked around talking about 'Pleasures of the Harbor' as a film. Then when we got to making a record of it, it was scored like a movie. That's one of the concepts of the album. 

[The album] is an attempt to create a total sound experience. It's not designed as a pop album; I wanted to reach all age groups....I had these songs over a year before I recorded them. I wanted to do a classical album, but not a straight classical album. I wanted to relieve it with humor and other musical instrument like a honky-tonk piano and dixieland. The cuts gather strength because of where they are placed.

What happened to folk music was that it reached its saturation point. It was aired and commercialized out of existance. 

--Phil Ochs, The Beat January 13, 1968

Billboard predicted he single "Cross My Heart" would reach its Hot 100 chart in November 1967.

There are three recorded versions of "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends." One is unedited, one removed the verse that contained the word "marijuana" and the third replaced the line of that verse. These versions were created in response to radio's objection to the drug reference. The promotional version of the single had the word "with" on one side and "without" on the other. By December 1967, the song was getting air play in Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Cleveland and Milwaukee. The song was a regional breakout in Seattle in February 1968. On February 24, the song was #129 , on March 2, 1968 the song was #119, on March 9 at #118 Bubbling Under the Hot 100.

In June 1968 the album was released on 4-track and 8-track tape.

Ochs made three television appearances in 1967.

TAPE FROM CALIFORNIA (1968)

Tape from California, released in July 1968, sold about 20,000 copies. In August it was one of Billboard's New Action LP's.

Ochs toured in Germany July 1968.

Phil Ochs: The War Is Over music book published in September 1968 sold over 8,000 copies in its first three weeks of release. It was a best selling collection in 1968.

REHEARSALS FOR RETIREMENT (1969)

Rehearsals for Retirement had a tombstone on its front cover that read "Died in Chicago, 1968." This was a reference to the Democratic Convention that was held there. The album was released in April 1969. In June 1969 the album was a Billboard New Action Album. It Entered the Billboard Top Album Chart the week of June 14, 1969 at #169 and peaked at #167. The album was pulled from sales a few months after its release after selling about 20,000 copies.

Phil Ochs was among the ASCAP writer-members to receive special recognition cash award.

GREATEST HITS (1970)

Phil Ochs Greatest Hits contained all new songs. Ochs wore a gold lame suit for the cover and also wore it in concert. Released in February 1970. this album was pulled from sales and sold the fewest copies of all of Ochs' albums. The album cracked the Billboard Top LPchart  in March 1970 debuting at #194

"In the normal show I do, which is both folk and political, I've added the 1950's Sun Records' rockabilly sound...plus some right-wing material...long with my regular song. It's a picture of America."

" Ultimately, my act can be taken as a political act since it is a use of American mythology and [Elvis] Presley is part of this. The show could be called 'The Phil Ochs Experience: Elvis Presley gets Che Guevara." --Phil Ochs, Billboard May 2, 1970

Phil Ochs: The War Is Over music book was still in print.

The 1972 documentary The Revolution Is In Your Head featured Phil Ochs. The film looked at the counter-inaugural actives in January 1969 as Richrd Nixon became the U.s. president.

In 1973, Ochs recorded a public service radio message for Get Off, a hard drugs awareness program. He also did an extensive tour of the east coast and midwest of the U.S.

GUNFIGHT AT CARNEGIE HALL (1974)

"It's the best thing I've ever done on record."--Phil Ochs, Billboard March 30, 1974

In March 1974, Gunfight At Carnegie Hall) was test marketed by A&M Records of Canada then went into full release there and in Japan. The album was one oc Canada's CHUM-FM radios pick albums. By May 1974, the album was a pick by WYVS-FM in Valdosta, GA.

Jerry Moss delayed the U.S. release of the label's first live recording until knowing the album was selling well enough abroad to be successful in the States.

OFFICIAL PROMOTION BY A&M RECORDS

Chords Of Fame New Music On A&M Records
20th Century Masters press release