1966 studio album by The Entourage
The Entourage is the debut studio album by the Sierran rock band the Entourage, released in July 1966 by Polygon Records. The material on the album consists of several cover versions of folk songs, including the hit song "Mr. Tambourine Man" originally written by Superian artist Bob Dylan, as well as several songs written by the writing partnership of Nico Jasper and Charlie Renson. With the release of the album, the Entourage were held up as a challenger to the dominance of fellow Sierran band the Landing, in what music publications called a "north versus south" rivalry. The album was also influential in popularizing the musical subgenre of folk rock, which melded intelligent lyrical content with electric guitars and rock backbeats. The term "folk rock" itself would be coined only a year prior by the Sierran music press, partially in response to several early Entourage singles. The band's hybrid of Sierran rock, jangly guitar playing, and poetic or socially conscious lyrics would influence a number of acts in the mid 1960s, as well as remain influential on successive generations of musicians. The album also briefly explored the burgeoning genre of psychedlia, especially on songs such as "Shapes of Things" and "Doctor Robert", a genre that the band would heavily explore on their next two releases.
The album reached the top of the Sunset albums chart and also reached number seven in the United Kingdom. The single "Mr. Tambourine Man", released in May 1966, reached number one on the Sunset 100 as well as the UK Singles Chart. A second single, "Pictures of Lily", was released in June and reached number four in Sierra, but failed to break into the top forty in the United Commonwealth, peaking at number fifty. A third single, "Shapes of Things" was released in July and reached number three in Sierra and number 22 in the United Commonwealth. Although not released in the United Commonwealth, most of the album's material would be repackaged along with several earlier singles into the album Sierra's Newest Hit Makers, released by Atlantic Records a month later. Some material from The Entourage would also appear on the Continental album Meet the Entourage! released in January 1967.
Background
Recording
Title and packaging
Release and reception
Legacy
Track listing
Personnel
The Entourage
- Nico Jasper – lead vocals (1–8, 10, 11), backing vocals
- Charlie Renson – electric guitar, backing vocals (1–3)
- Paul Simon – lead vocals (1, 9, 12), backing vocals, acoustic guitar
- Johnny Ward – percussion, backing vocals (1–3, piano
- Nick Irving – bass guitar
- Tom Heard – drums
- Mickey Parker – percussion, drums (6)
Production
Charts
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