Tales of Mystery and Imagination

Tales of Mystery and Imagination is a progressive rock album by the Alan Parsons Project, released in 1976 (see 1976 in music). The album's avant-garde soundscapes kept it from being a blockbuster, but the interesting lyrical and musical themes -- retellings of horror stories by Edgar Allan Poe -- attracted a small audience.

Tales of Mystery and Imagination peaked at #38 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart. "(The System Of) Doctor Tarr And Professor Fether" peaked at #37 on the Pop Singles chart.

In 1987 Parsons completely remixed the album for CD with some new instrumentation, and restored the narration by Orson Welles that had been recorded for the original album but not used. Consequently the original vinyl mix has never been heard in a digital format.

Track listing

1. A Dream Within a Dream [instrumental] - 3:43
2. The Raven - 4:01
3. The Tell-Tale Heart - 4:40
4. The Cask of Amontillado - 4:29
5. (The System of) Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether - 4:15
6. The Fall of the House of Usher: Prelude [instrumental] - 5:51
7. The Fall of the House of Usher: Arrival [instrumental] - 2:36
8. The Fall of the House of Usher: Intermezzo [instrumental] - 1:06
9. The Fall of the House of Usher: Pavane [instrumental] - 4:44
10. The Fall of the House of Usher: Fall [instrumental] - 1:07
11. To One in Paradise - 4:14

Personnel

• Orson Welles - Narrator (1987 version only)
• Arthur Brown - Vocals
• The Alan Parsons Project - Performer
• William Lyall - Keyboards
• John Miles - Guitar, Vocals
• Francis Monkman - Organ, Keyboards
• Kevin Peek - Guitar (Acoustic)
• Terry Sylvester - Vocals
• Laurence Juber - Guitar (Acoustic)
• Andrew Powell - Keyboards
• David Paton - Guitar (Acoustic), Bass, Guitar, Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
• Ian Bairnson - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Guitar (Electric)
• Chris Blair - Assistant Engineer
• Peter Christopherson - Photography
• David Katz - Violin, Leader, Orchestra Contractor
• Burleigh Drummond - Drums
• English Chorale - Vocals
• Jack Harris - Vocals
• Bob Howes - Choir, Chorus
• John Leach - Percussion, Vocals, Cimbalom, Kantele
• David Pack - Guitar
• Smokey Parsons - Vocals
• Joe Puerta - Bass
• Tony Richards - Assistant Engineer
• Jack Rothstein - Leader
• Darryl Runswick - Bass, String Bass
• David Snell - Harp
• The English Chorale and Played Ti - Choir, Chorus
• Stuart Tosh - Cymbals, Drums, Vocals, Tympani [Timpani]
• Tom Trefethen - Assistant Engineer
• Leonard Whiting - Vocals, Narrator
• Eric Woolfson - Synthesizer, Harpsichord, Keyboards, Vocals, Vocals (bckgr), Executive Producer
• Pat Stapley - Assistant Engineer
• Alan Parsons - Organ, Synthesizer, Guitar, Keyboards, Recorder, Vocals, *Producer, Engineer, Projection
• Aubrey Powell - Photography
• Storm Thorgerson - Photography
• Hipgnosis - Design, Cover Art
• Sam Emerson - Photography
• Colin Elgie - Artwork, Graphic Design, Layout Design
• Billy Lyall - Piano, Drums, Glockenspiel, Keyboards, Recorder, Fender Rhodes
• Gordon Parry - Engineer
• Jane Powell - Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
• Andrew Hurdle - Bass
• Christopher North - Keyboards