COLOSSEUM – THOSE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE SALUTE YOU LP – Nr MINT UK 1969 PROG JAZZ ROCK

Colosseum – Those Who Are About To Die Salute You
(Fontana Records  1969  STL5510)
Matrix No’s: 1Y1/2Y1 – UK Pressing

Vinyl in Nr MINT condition
(there are some surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality apart from the odd light pop/crackle)

Gatefold Sleeve in Nr MINT condition
 

Colosseum are an English jazz rock band, mixing blues, rock and jazz-based improvisation. Colin Larkin wrote that “the commercial acceptance of jazz rock in the UK” was mainly due to the band. Between 1975 and 1978 a separate band Colosseum II existed playing progressive rock.

Those Who Are About to Die Salute You – Morituri Te Salutant is the debut album by Colosseum, released in 1969 by Fontana. It is one of the pioneering albums of jazz fusion. The title is a translation of the Latin phrase morituri te salutant that according to popular belief (but not academic agreement), gladiators addressed to the emperor before the beginning of a gladiatorial match.

The original vinyl album had the title “Colosseum” on the record label and on the spine of the cover, but the album is better known as “Those Who Are About To Die Salute You”.

The album reached number 15 in the UK Albums Chart.

Track listing

1. “Walking in the Park” (Bond) – 3:51
2. “Plenty Hard Luck” (Greenslade, Heckstall-Smith, Hiseman, Litherland, Reeves) – 4:23
3. “Mandarin” (Reeves, Greenslade) – 4:27
4. “Debut” (Greenslade, Heckstall-Smith, Hiseman, Reeves) – 6:20
5. “Beware the Ides of March” (Greenslade, Heckstall-Smith, Hiseman, Reeves) – 5:34
6. “The Road She Walked Before” (Heckstall-Smith) – 2:39
7. “Backwater Blues” (Leadbelly) – 7:35
8. “Those About to Die” (Greenslade, Heckstall-Smith, Hiseman, Reeves) – 4:49

Personnel

• Dave Greenslade – organ, vibraphone, piano, backing vocal on “The Road She Walked Before”
• Dick Heckstall-Smith – saxophones
• Jon Hiseman – drums
• James Litherland – guitar (except on “Backwater “Blues”), lead vocals
• Tony Reeves – bass guitar
• Jim Roche – guitar on “Backwater Blues”

Additional personnel

• Henry Lowther – trumpet on “Walking in the Park”