https://youtu.be/DJPQLn2XBsk
From Chinacat Sunflower on YouTube:
This documents the recently surfaced studio recordings Robert Hunter did with the band Comfort, along with live recordings of select songs that aren’t available in Studio form (“Jesse James”, “She Gives Me Love”) for his still-unreleased album called “Alligator Moon”, supposed to be released around 1978.
The suite of songs, known as the “Alligator Moon Suite”: “Mesa Linda”; Domino, Cigarette and Melina; Domino; Blue Note; New East St. Louis Blues; and “Cigarette” (not in circulation/ not part of the suite although it seems as though it was written for it.) were all recorded (as from well as the full album most likely) was recorded on 10/18/1977 at Front Street Recording studio. These songs are in their Rough Mix form.
“Drunkard’s Carol(e)” (sometimes spelled and sung as the name “Carole”, along with “Promontory Rider”, and “Hooker’s Ball” were all released on the career retrospective “Promontory Rider” Compilation in 1984.
The only live song is “Jesse James”, as there is currently no studio version of it.
“She Gives Me Love” is the only song where it has both no studio version, nor a live version, so it is omitted. It would have been the lead-off track to start the album.
This portrays what the album sounded like mostly studio, and some of their live output. Hunter had stated that it worked better as a live recording (to which, i agree.)
Although deaddisc.com points out that it would be listed in reverse order (alligator Moon Suite on side 1/ Side 2 (Drunkards Carole etc..), i’ve reverted the order back to which was common in the days of vinyl.
1. Drunkard’s Carol – 0:00 (from “Promontory Rider” LP)
2. Hooker’s Ball (Walking The Block) – 1:14 (from “Promontory Rider” LP)
3. Jesse James – 4:00 (from Live SBD recording 1978.)
4. Promontory Rider – 11:05 (from “Promontory Rider” LP)
Alligator Moon Suite:
A) Mesa Linda – 15:18 (from “Studio Rough Mix” of Album, 10/18/1977 Front Street)
B) Domino, Cigarette and Melina – 19:43 (from “Studio Rough Mix” of Album, 10/18/1977 Front Street)
C) Domino – 21:13 (from “Studio Rough Mix” of Album, 10/18/1977 Front Street)
D) Blue Note – 25:15 (from “Studio Rough Mix” of Album, 10/18/1977 Front Street)
E) New East St. Louis Blues/Cigarette – 29:36 (from “Studio Rough Mix” of Album, 10/18/1977 Front Street)
Personnel are as follows:
Robert Hunter – guitar, vocals
Marleen Molle – vocals
Kathleen Klein – vocals
Kevin Morgenstern – electric guitar
Richard McNees – keyboards
Larry Klein – electric 6-string bass
Rodney Albin – Vina, violin, mandolin?
Pat Lorenzano – drums.
Credits:
• Producer – Bob Matthews
• Engineer – Betty Cantor-Jackson
• Produced at Front Street, California.
TCGDD tells me that:
Alligator Moon – Robert Hunter (1978) This is an unreleased solo album by Robert Hunter. The songs slated for this album were: “Mesa Linda”, “Domino”, “Cigarette and Melina” (co-written with Kevin Morgenstern), “Domino” (co-written with Kevin Morgenstern), “Blue Note” (co-written with Richard McNees), “New East St. Louis Blue” (co-written with Richard McNees), “Cigarette” (co-written with Richard McNees), “She Gives Me Love”, “Drunkard’s Carol”, “Hooker’s Ball”, “Jesse James” (co-written with Barry Melton), and “Promontory Rider”. Some of the tracks feature Robert Hunter with the group Comfort; others are solo tracks. “Promontory Rider”, “Hooker’s Ball”, and “Drunkard’s Carol” were released in 1984 on the “Promontory Rider” album.