The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP

Subject: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP
From: ABGman
Date: 08 Jul 99 - 09:54 PM

The full name of the composition was 'The Ship, A (something) Folk Music Journey '. A great theme album from a foursome in Urbana Il, I think the names were Reinwand, Hamby, Melshenker, Cowan. Did it ever make it to cassette, or better yet - - CD ?? Where would it be available ? Thanks.

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP
From: GUEST,chuck
Date: 26 Nov 05 - 06:02 PM

I don't believe this ever made it past the vinyl format.
I actually took my LP version of this and digitized it so I could play it on my cd player myself.

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP - from Urbana, Illinois?
From: Peace
Date: 27 Nov 05 - 01:51 AM

Ship: The Ship
Elektra EKS 75036 (Stereo) - Released: 1972

The Ship
The Order
Innocence
The Man
The Calm
The Storm
Lost
Island
The Reason
The Return
The Ship

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP - from Urbana, Illinois?
From: Peace
Date: 27 Nov 05 - 01:51 AM

'The Ship, A Contemporary Folk Music Journey"

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP - from Urbana, Illinois?
From: Peace
Date: 27 Nov 05 - 01:54 AM

Is this the cover?

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP - from Urbana, Illinois?
From: Peace
Date: 27 Nov 05 - 01:58 AM

Found this on another site.

"Date: Sat, 06 Nov 1999 21:10:12 PST
From: "John Low"
Subject: A Mystery Record - request for help! NJC

Do any of you have records / CDs in your collection that you like, but about
which you know almost nothing?

Last week, while I had a couple of days leave from work, I took the
opportunity to re-organize my LP (vinyl) collection and listen to a few
records I hadn't played for years. In doing so I resurrected one such
'mystery' album about which I have never been able to find any information.
I thought immediately of the vast resource of musical knowledge that is to
be found within the JMDL community and, thus, decided to make this request
for assistance.

The 'mystery' is an LP that, if I remember correctly, I picked up for next
to nothing at a sale in Sydney ca 1973/4. The details are:

TITLE:         "The Ship: A Contemporary Folk Music Journey".

ARTIST:        The Ship.
        Steve Melshenker: 6 string guitar, vocals.
        Steve Cowan: 12 string guitar, vocals.
        Steve Reinwand: lead guitar, dobro, mouth harp, vocals.
        Mark Hamby: piano, flute, vocals.
        Todd Bradshaw: 4 & 8 string bass.
        with Tim Scott: cello.
        [Melshenker and Cowan composed the music and lyrics.]

PRODUCER:Gary Usher.

ISSUED BY:Electra Records (EKS – 75036), 1972."

FYI

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP - from Urbana, Illin
From: GUEST,Dave Nevers
Date: 08 May 06 - 03:44 AM

'The Ship' was a country/folk music group from central Illinois,
specifically the twin towns of Champaign and Urbana, Illinois. They
were a local favorite among the students at the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Among the venues I saw them perform
in was the University's Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, and
the Channing-Murray Foundation, a Unitarian Church-based center
adjacent to the University's campus. Cowan and Reinwand were both conscientious objectors to the Vietnam War, and both did their 'alternative service' at the Channing-Murray Foundation in Urbana.

The album sold well enough around Central Illinois that 'The Ship'
recorded another album of folk/country music called, "Tornado". A
few songs from that album got some airplay on the campus radio
station (WPGU radio), but the album did not sell as well as their
first.

One other note, when 'The Ship' would perform live, they always
included a medley of the commercial music they had recorded. Because
of their unique vocal harmonies, a number of local businesses hired
them to provide background music for radio and television
commercials. I remember that in 1973-74, you couldn't hear or watch
a commercial for IGA (Independent Grocers Alliance) without hearing
'The Ship.'

In 1974 I graduated from the University of Illinois, and lost track of the musicians and the band. I don't think the group lasted too
long after 1974, since when I went back for a campus visit in 1979,
none of the students I talked to had ever heard of 'The Ship.'

I'm certain the album never made it to cassette or to CD. I've seen copies for sale on a UK Website for roughly $40 USD.

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP - from Urbana, Illinois?
From: GUEST,digbklyn
Date: 26 Aug 06 - 01:13 AM

The vinyl version of The Ship is often for sale on eBay. Search the full name The Ship A Contemporary Folk Music Journey. It usually goes for $10 - $30.
This site- http://my.opera.com/Mr%20X/blog/show.dml/293008 - has a link to a download of the entire album. Also a great shot of the cover.
The first search I did on the Internet, way back in the early 90's, was for The Ship. Took me years to find. I'd only heard the album twice - on college radio - and all I remembered was the title. I developed some excellent search skills trying to track it down.

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP
From: GUEST,Guest M. Bradshaw
Date: 21 Nov 06 - 10:46 PM

I am Todd Bradshaw's cousin. In fact the band did not last long after the 2nd album. I believe the was some discontent amongst the members of the band. I too saw them play at Krannert Center, but I was a kid, maybe 11 years old at the time and of course being of family, we had pretty good seats. I know that the band had auditioned for the Hunt's Ketchup jingle and was beaten out by Carly Simon's "Anticipation." Todd has gone on to bigger things and is an accomplished author and craftsman, building wooden boats and canoes. As for the rest of them who knows???

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 05:17 PM

I went to school in C-U from 1974-78.   We went to see them pretty frequently in 1974 and 1975. I think the last time I remember them playing was in Fall of 1976 (and I seem to remember that was after a long break). The Tornado album I think already shows the issues in the group with the number of different musical directions the songs were going in. Still a pretty good album.
Tom Harris

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP
From: EBarnacle
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 05:53 PM

I just tried the link for the download and got the dreaded "file not found."

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP
From: MARINER
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 10:13 AM

Didn't the producer of that album ,Gary Usher ,either go on to better things or perhaps come from "better" things ?. Now I remember ,was he not involved in the Surf Music and general Rock'n'Roll scene in the 60s ?

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP
From: GUEST,Mark Hamby
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 08:38 PM

Hi there. I was in The Ship from beginning to end: 1971-77. There was no acrimony in the break-up; one of the guys got a studio production engagement he simply couldn't pass up and exited for Oklahoma.
By the way, there's quite a little cyber reunion of Ship members and "fans" going on over at http://akashaman.blogspot.com/2007/01/ship-contemporary-folk-music-journey-71.html if you're really interested.   MH

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP
From: GUEST,akashaman
Date: 11 Feb 08 - 04:40 PM

ya : i have the whole lp for download at my blog.
just google , "the ship , akashamans kosmos" ..

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP
From: GUEST,The Mole Catcher's Apprentice
Date: 11 Feb 08 - 05:19 PM

The Ship

The Cover

Charlotte (all aboard that's goin' aboard)

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP
From: GUEST,Big Daddy Sun
Date: 11 Feb 08 - 10:17 PM

The band is getting back together at the Red Herring Coffeehouse on april 12th, 2008. go to www.channingmurray.org/interactive and look at the 2008 Reunion forum for details.

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Feb 08 - 08:16 AM

Sounds as if it will be a fine re-launching!

Some day it would be nice if anyone could post some lyrics, if they can remember any!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP
From: The Doctor
Date: 21 Feb 08 - 09:00 AM

There's a copy on eBay at the moment, in Canada. $6, no bids so far, 1 day left.

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP
From: GUEST,Jonny
Date: 24 Mar 08 - 03:56 PM

I worked for the Grinnell College radio station (KDIC)in the late-70's, and I swear I remember stumbling onto a reel-to-reel tape in the archive of a Ship concert performance there from a few years back. The only song I actually heard was a beautifully harmonized version of . . . get this . . . the "Snap Crackle Pop" rice krispies theme song.

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1972 vinyl LP
From: GUEST,Todd Bradshaw
Date: 19 May 08 - 02:12 AM

After better than 30 years, we proved last month that we may be a bit rusty as a group, but we still sound like The Ship and when it comes together after a few days of rehearsals, the music is still pretty darned good. In the not-too-distant future there will be music from The Ship available again. We are working to get a website set up at "theshipmusic.com" and once up, it will become the official source for information relating to the group. We are working to get the two original albums (The Ship and Tornado) re-released in CD form and have dug out enough other studio cuts to put together a couple more good CD's. These are songs that would only have been heard at our concerts as the studio versions of them were never released for sale and they span the entire history of the band - from it's rather folky beginnings, through various personnel changes and the eventual addition of electric instruments and more rock-oriented numbers. We also fully intend to do more live shows and some recording as time and schedules allow. We are currently spread all over the USA, so getting everybody together isn't easy, but it's likely to happen a few more times before they put us out to pasture. Once we get it up and running, our website will be the source for current information on any newly released or re-released CD's and live performances.

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP
From: GUEST,roger
Date: 07 Jan 09 - 10:24 AM

Is there a way to get this on CD?
email me at [e-mail]
it was one of my favorite LPs back in college!

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP
From: bobad
Date: 07 Jan 09 - 11:01 AM

You can download the album HERE

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP
From: GUEST,David B.
Date: 27 Jan 09 - 10:39 PM

Snap Crackle Pop was a Ship standard -- fan driven if I recall. Thanks for the memories, and I have been trying to locate both albums in digital format for years.

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP
From: GUEST,Mark Hamby
Date: 18 Feb 09 - 01:16 AM

It's all coming together: Four "new" CDs from THE SHIP, digitally remastered and coming out as follows:

1. The Ship: A Contemporary Folk Music Journey - the "concept" album originally released in 1972 on Elektra Records

2. Tornado - originally released in 1976 on Saturday Night Records

3. One More Night Like This - 15 original "Ship" tunes never before released, most done as studio demos in 1972-73

4. Left In the Wake - 15 more original "Ship" tunes never before releaseed, spanning all phases of The Ship; most done as studio demos, plus a couple live "bootlegged" concert cuts.

Check out CDbaby.com or (very soon) TheShipMusic.com

Subject: RE: The Ship, a 1970 vinyl LP
From: GUEST,Ron Mertz
Date: 12 Nov 09 - 07:17 PM

I noticed that in the past year "The Ship" played at the University of Illinois, however the newspaper that printed the article did not mention Steve Melshenker as one of the musical artists.

I knew Steve when he worked at the UofI student newpaper, the Daily Illini. My roommate was the Editor of the paper and was particularly close to Steve.

Doe anyone know the status of Steve Melshenker (e.g., is he alive?, where does he live?, did he continue on with his music?).

Any definitivie replies would be greatly appreciated.

Ron Mertz
[e-mail]