A Tale Untold: Robin Trower’s “For Earth Below” Gets 50th Anniversary Expansion
Last year, Chrysalis reissued Bridge of Sighs, Robin Trower’s second album following his departure from Procol Harum, in an expanded edition timed to its 50th anniversary. Now, the label is turning its attention to the guitar hero’s third solo set and highest-charting album in the U.S., 1975’s For Earth Below.
The upcoming expanded edition, due on June 27 in 4CD, 2LP, and digital formats, is built around the newly remastered original album. Produced by Trower’s old Procol Harum bandmate Matthew Fisher, For Earth Below featured eight original songs all written or co-written by Trower. His power trio was filled out by bassist/singer James Dewar and drummer Bill Lordan; the latter filled the considerable shoes of Reg Isadore who had departed the group after Bridge of Sighs. American-born Lordan had played with the likes of Bobby Womack, Ike and Tina Turner, and Sly and the Family Stone before coming into Trower’s orbit. He brought a sure sense of funk to the guitarist’s blues-rock milieu, and stayed in Trower’s band until 1981.
No singles were released from For Earth Below, but its songs remained in the artist’s repertoire for years; Trower comments in the press release, “You make albums hoping that somebody’s going to think it’s great. And I do think there’s some great tracks on it: ‘Gonna Be More Suspicious,’ ‘Shame the Devil,’ and the track ‘For Earth Below’ I really love. It’s a song that I did live for many years that I used to love playing.”
Bill Lordan is also quoted as reflecting, “Robin, James, and I had a magical chemistry instantly. It was like we had always played together and the music just flowed naturally. I always wanted to play with a blues-rock three-piece band. It gave me the opportunity to play more like a rock drummer than my previous career with R&B and soul bands. I got to play all the drum licks that I would have played with Jimi Hendrix.” The Gold-certified album reached No. 26 in Trower’s native U.K., but soared to No. 5 in the U.S. and No. 9 in Canada.
The 50th anniversary CD box set, in addition to the original album as remastered at AIR Studios, adds a previously unreleased alternative stereo mix (described as an “extended mix”) on CD 2; alternate takes, rehearsals, and BBC live performances on CD 3; and selections from the band’s L.A. Shrine Auditorium concert of March 16, 1975 on CD 4. David Sinclair has penned the liner notes for the package, which will be in a hardcover book-style format.
Robin Trower remained on Chrysalis through 1983’s Back It Up, also his final album to feature James Dewar as bassist. He’s continued to write, record, and perform through the present day, with his most recent LP, Joyful Sky, having arrived in 2023. Reach back with Trower on June 27 for the expanded For Earth Below on 4 CDs or 2 LPs (containing the original album remaster and remix only). You’ll find pre-order links and the track listing below. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Robin Trower, For Earth Below: 50th Anniversary Edition (Chrysalis CHR 1073, 1975 – reissued 2025)
4CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
CD 1: Original 1975 Mix (2025 Remaster)
- Shame The Devil
- It’s Only Money
- Confessin’ Midnight
- Fine Day
- Alethea
- A Tale Untold
- Gonna Be More Suspicious
- For Earth Below
CD 2: 2025 Stereo Mix (*)
- Shame The Devil
- It’s Only Money
- Confessin’ Midnight
- Fine Day
- Alethea
- A Tale Untold
- Gonna Be More Suspicious
- For Earth Below
CD 3: Outtakes & Rarities
- It’s Only Money (Vocal Take 1) *
- Fine Day (Vocal Take Jam 1) *
- Alethea (Vocal Take 2) *
- Happy (Vocal Take 1) *
- The Moody One (Instrumental Take 2) *
- Interview (BBC Radio Top of The Pops with Brian Matthew, 28th Jan 1975)
- Fine Day (BBC Radio Top of The Pops with Brian Matthew, 28th Jan 1975)
- Interview 2 (BBC Radio Top of The Pops with Brian Matthew, 28th Jan 1975)
- Confessin’ Midnight (BBC Radio Top of The Pops with Brian Matthew, 28th Jan 1975)
- It’s Only Money (BBC Radio Top of The Pops with Brian Matthew, 28th Jan 1975)
- Gonna Be More Suspicious (BBC Radio Top of The Pops with Brian Matthew, 28th Jan 1975)
- Fine Day (BBC Live in Concert, 29th Jan 1975)
- Alethea (BBC Live in Concert, 29th Jan 1975)
- Gonna Be More Suspicious (BBC Live in Concert, 29th Jan 1975)
- Rehearsal Instrumental Jam (Sept 1974)
CD 4: Live at The Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall, LA, 16th March 1975 (*)
- Day Of the Eagle
- Bridge Of Sighs
- Gonna Be More Suspicious
- Fine Day
- Lady Love
- Daydream
- Too Rolling Stoned
- I Can’t Wait Much Longer
- Alethea
- Little Bit of Sympathy
- Confessin’ Midnight
- Rock Me Baby
- The Fool and Me
(*) previously unreleased
CD 3, Tracks 6-14 from Robin Trower at the BBC, Chrysalis 50999 070713-2-4, 2011
