The Association | Are You Ready | (Warner Bros) 1969

“Are You Ready” taken from the LP ‘The Association’’ | (Warner Bros WS 1800) August 1969

The Association | Are You Ready | (Warner Bros) 1969 | Conditioned by the sales of their own Greatest Hits album, we hadn’t an excuse when they came to us asking for ultra-deluxe packaging for their newest (four colour book jacket, plus poster, plus lyric sheet).

So, we gave ’em the works, despite nervous mumblings from W7’s treasurer. Our Mr West stumped for an adequate title, we summed it all up eloquently.

The Association’s spacey new LP’s called The Association. Look for ads on it on billboards, college blotters, all kinds of radio (except “Polka Party”), and like that.

Like we said, the Warner’s version of “the works”. (Billboard 08/69)

Goodbye, Columbus

The Association is the Association‘s fifth studio album. In the US charts, the album peaked at number 32 in the last week of October 1969. In Canada the album reached number 12. 

None of the singles broke into Billboard’s charts, but in Canada “Dubuque Blues” did reach number 76. 

The single “Goodbye Forever” was reworked from the previous album project, Goodbye, Columbus, as is heard in its lyrics about the relationship between the characters played by Richard Benjamin and Ali MacGraw in the film Goodbye, Columbus.

The album’s musical style pushes the boundaries of pop rock. It was the first studio album to feature all seven members of the 1960s line-up (Terry Kirkman, Russ Giguere, Jules Alexander, Jim Yester, Larry Ramos, Brian Cole, Ted Bluechel Jr) and the last studio album featuring member Russ Giguere, who left for a solo career in 1971. (Wikipedia)