It Ain't Easy is the fifth studio album by British musician Long John Baldry, released in June 1971 on Warner Music. It marked his return to the edgier blues sound that he performed in the mid-1960s.

The 1971 release also features "Black Girl", an American folk song most associated with Lead Belly, though covered by the likes of Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, Dolly Parton and Nirvana. Baldry recorded a version featuring Maggie Bell, who also appeared on Every Picture Tells a Story.

It Ain't Easy also includes Willie Dixon's song "I'm Ready" and an Elton John-Bernie Taupin song, "Rock Me When He's Gone".

Baldry and Stewart put a band together to promote the album on Baldry's first tour of the US, consisting of mostly musicians from Stewart's Every Picture Tells a Story album: Sam Mitchell (blues guitar), Micky Waller (drums), Pete Sears (bass) and Ian Armit (piano). They were called "The Long John Baldry Blues Band", and played two tours of the US.

Track listing

  1. "Intro: Conditional Discharge" (John Baldry, Ian Armit) – 3:15
  2. "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie-Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll" (Jeff Thomas) – 3:26
  3. "Black Girl" (Traditional, Lead Belly) – 2:50
  4. "It Ain't Easy" (Ron Davies) – 4:52
  5. "Morning, Morning" (Tuli Kupferberg) – 2:38
  6. "I'm Ready" (Willie Dixon) – 4:15
  7. "Let's Burn Down the Cornfield" (Randy Newman) – 4:12
  8. "Mr. Rubin" (Lesley Duncan) – 4:00
  9. "Rock Me When He's Gone" (Elton John, Bernie Taupin) – 5:01
  10. "Flying" (Ronnie Wood, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Lane) – 6:50
  • Tracks 1–6 recorded at Morgan Studios; January 15, 17, 27 and 29; February 4, 1971
  • Tracks 7–10 recorded at IBC Studios; February 1, 3, 4, 10 and 11, 1971

2005 re-issue bonus tracks:

  1. "Goin' Down Slow"
  2. "Blues (Corn Bread, Meat and Molasses)"
  3. "Love In Vain"
  4. "Midnight Hour Blues"
  5. "Black Girl" (alternate take)
  6. "It Ain't Easy" (alternate take)
  7. "I'm Ready" (alternate take)

Personnel

  • Long John Baldry – vocals, 12-string guitar (track 3)
  • Maggie Bell – vocals (tracks 3, 4)
  • Elton John – organ, piano (tracks 7–10)
  • Ron Wood – guitar (tracks 2, 4, 6), 12-string guitar (track 5)
  • Alan Skidmore – tenor saxophone (track 2)
  • Lesley Duncan, Tony Hazzard, Doris Troy, Tony Burrows, Roger Cook, Madeline Bell, Kay Garner, Liza Strike – backing vocals (tracks 2, 9–10)
  • Sam Mitchell – dobro, (tracks 3–4) guitar, (tracks 2, 5–6) slide guitar (track 6)
  • Ian Armit – piano (tracks 1–6)
  • Ricky Brown – bass guitar (tracks 2–6)
  • David Glover – bass guitar (tracks 7–10)
  • Mick Waller – drums (tracks 2–6)
  • Roger Pope – drums (tracks 7–10)
  • Caleb Quaye – guitar (tracks 7–10)
  • Ray Jackson – mandolin (tracks 3, 5)
  • Joshua M'Bopo – guitar (tracks 7–10)
  • Madeline Bell – tambourine (track 9)
  • Lesley Duncan – chorus caster [choirmistress] (tracks 2, 9–10)

Technical

  • Rod Stewart – producer (tracks 1–6)
  • Elton John – producer (tracks 7–10)
  • Jimmy Horowitz – executive producer
  • Ed Thrasher – art director
  • Judith Sims – liner notes

Charts

{| class="wikitable"

! Chart (1971)

! Peak<br />position

|-

| US Billboard Top LPs

| align="center"|83

|-

|}

References