Spiral Staircase is the second album by British folk singer-guitarist Ralph McTell, recorded in December 1968 and released in January 1969 on Transatlantic Records (TRA 177). Produced by Gus Dudgeon at Regent Sound in London and engineered by Tom Allom, the album opens with "Streets of London"—a song McTell had kept off his debut but included at his producer's insistence—which became one of the most recognized songs in the British folk canon. McTell (acoustic guitar, vocals) is supported by Brian Brocklehurst on bass, with orchestral arrangements by Mike Vickers. The repertoire spans original compositions, a Robert Johnson cover ("Kindhearted Woman Blues"), and folk songs, placing McTell in the lineage of Davey Graham and Bert Jansch while anticipating the acoustic singer-songwriter movement of the early 1970s.
Tracklist
- 1 Streets of London alt version 4:09
- 2 Mrs Adlam's Angels 2:44
- 3 Wino and the Mouse 1:01
- 4 England 1914 3:05
- 5 Last Train and Ride 2:33
- 6 The Fairground 4:08
- 7 Spiral Staircase 3:32
- 8 Kindhearted Woman Blues 2:44
- 9 Bright and Beautiful Things 1:55
- 10 Daddy's Here 4:21
- 11 Rizraklaru (Anag.) 1:45
- 12 (My) Baby Keeps Staying Out All Night Long 1:53
- 13 Terminus 1:54
- 14 Spiral Staircase (Revisited Version) 3:09
- 15 Last Train and Ride (Revisited Version) 2:31
- 16 The Fairground (Revisited Version) 3:54
- 17 Terminus (Revisited Version) 1:54
