Personnel includes: Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (vocals, guitar, violin); Henry Vestine, James Shane, Joe Wright (guitar); Andre Herve (piano, organ); Ed Beyer (keyboards); Richard Hite, Michael Herve, Joe Turner (bass); Adolfo "Fito" De La Parra, Christian Deveaux, Calep Emphery, Jr. (drums); The London Strings Orchestra.

The Memphis Horns: Andrew Love, Ed Logan (tenor saxophone); James Mitchell (baritone saxophone); Wayne Jackson (trumpet).

Principally recorded at Michel Magne Studio, Herouville, France. Includes liner notes by Mike Leadbitter.

Personnel: Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (vocals, guitar, electric guitar, violin, electric violin, harmonica); Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown; Joe "Jammer" Wright (guitar); Ed Logan (tenor saxophone); Andre Herve (piano, organ, Hammond b-3 organ); Richard Hite (bass instrument, bass guitar, drum); Michel Herve (bass instrument, bass guitar); Big Joe Turner (bass guitar); Christian Devaux (drums, drum); Calep Emphery, Jr., Adolfo de la Parra (drums); The Memphis Horns (background vocals); Henry Vestine, Joe Jammer, James Shane (guitar, electric guitar); Ed Beyer (tenor saxophone, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards); Andrew Love (tenor saxophone); James Mitchell (baritone saxophone); Wayne Jackson (trumpet).

Audio Mixers: Keith Harwood; Terry Manning; Warren Dewey.

Liner Note Authors: Philippe Rault; Mike Leadbitter.

Recording information: Ardent Studio (02/1972-11/1973); Betty-Lou Studio (02/1972-11/1973); Michel Magne Studio, Chateau D'Herouville, France (02/1972-11/1973); Olympic Sounds Studio, London, England (02/1972-11/1973); Studio Davout, Paris, France (02/1972-11/1973).

Author: Mike Leadbitter.

Photographers: Christian Rose; Alain Marouani; Valerie Justome.

Unknown Contributor Role: Calep Emphery, Jr.

Arranger: McHouston "Mickey" Baker.

If it wasn't for the rock-drenched rhythm guitarist, this 1972 set would rate higher. ~ Bill Dahl

The worst Brown album currently on the shelves. Cut back in the '70s with a band that wouldn't know how to swing if it were permanently marooned on a playground (the rhythm guitarist is particularly abominable), this one's a must to avoid. ~ Bill Dahl

GATE'S ON THE HEAT is the Verve reissue of the original French release of Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown's 1973 performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The album has the distinction of featuring more of Brown's impressive violin work than is often heard in his extensive discography; the opener showcases a fierce fiddle solo that condenses blues, country, and traces of classical music in one extended soulful jam. The rest of the album provides an excellent taste of Brown's ever-surprising stylistic variability. He leaps from deep blues ("The Drifter") to straight-up Nashville country ("Never Ending Love For You") to inventive treatments of standards (Handy's "St. Louis Blues").

The band's close knit chemistry gives each number a powerful energy and the blend, even with the addition of brassy, rhythmic punctuation from The Memphis Horns (overdubbed in the studio after the concert), is smooth and airtight. More than usual, Brown's music is informed by contemporary soul and funk flavors here, as Percy Mayfield's "River's Invitation" and the loping "Funky Mama" indicate. Even the inclusion of explicitly political material ("Man and His Environment," "Please Mr. Nixon") doesn't dampen the good time atmosphere, and Brown's bluesy vocals and blistering guitar leads are as meaty as ever.

Living Blues (p.62) - "GATE'S ON THE HEAT remains the most ambitious album of Brown's long career."