St. Cecilia: The Elektra Recordings

#Blue_Öyster_Cult_albums
#2001_compilation_albums
#Elektra_Records_compilation_albums
#Rhino_Records_compilation_albums
St.
Cecilia: The Elektra Recordings is a compilation album consisting of recordings by the American rock band Stalk–Forrest Group, who would later be known as Blue Öyster Cult.
It is a combination of two albums recorded by the group for Elektra Records – one in 1969 and the other in 1970 – as well as the promotional single "What is Quicksand?" released in 1970.
Except for the single, the tracks were not officially released until 2001, although bootlegs had existed and individual tracks had been released as bonus tracks to other albums.
The band （originally known as 'Soft White Underbelly'） had recorded demos for Elektra Records in 1969 with original vocalist Les Braunstein.
Elektra signed the group based on the demos with a $100,000 advance.
When vocalist Braunstein left the band, the group re-recorded the songs in New York with new vocalist, former roadie Eric Bloom.
The 10-song album was turned in to Elektra completed, mixed and mastered, ready for release.
For reasons unclear, Elektra decided not to put out the recordings and ended their recording contract.
Back to square one, the band then recorded new demos of several of the songs for Columbia Records in hopes of scoring a record deal.
Some of these Columbia demos eventually surfaced as bonus tracks on the re-mastered version of the first Blue Öyster Cult album in 2001.
After being rejected by Columbia as well, manager Sandy Pearlman convinced Elektra Records to give the band another shot, and the group traveled to California in February 1970 to begin reworking and re-recording the songs for a full-length album release.
Meanwhile, the band had changed its name to Oaxaca, and would soon change it again to Stalk-Forrest Group.
Ultimately, after being presented with the two different ver...