Box Of Surprises (RSD25): Vinyl LP

Dana Gillespie’s second long player and first UK album Box of Surprises is being reissued on vinyl for the first time.

Tracklist:

Side A

1. Box Of Surprises
   
2. Like I'm A Clown
   
3. Taffy
   
4. When Darkness Fell
   
5. For David, The Next Day
   
6. If You're Dreaming

Side B

1. Foolish Seasons
   
2. Grecian Ode
   
3. By Chasing Dreams
   
4. I Was A Book
   
5. Describing You
   
6. I Would Cry

Dana was at the vanguard of the immerging female singer-songwriter scene and Box of Surprises is notable for being the first entirely self-penned album by a British female artist to be released in the UK on a major label. There were other distinguished British women publishing and singing their own songs at this point including fellow Decca labelmates Twinkle and Marianne Faithfull and in the wider folk / rock scene Sandy Denny and Christine McVie, but none of these artists had as yet released an album of entirely self-penned material. On the indie scene Bridget St John released her self penned debut ‘Ask Me No Questions’ around the same time.