A Tab in the Ocean

1972 studio album by Nektar

A Tab in the Ocean

Studio album by

Nektar

Released

November 1972

Recorded

2–13 October 1972
August 1976 (remixed 1976 US version)

Studio

Dierks Studios at Pulheim-Stommeln, Germany
The House of Music, West Orange, N.J. (remixed 1976 US version) & Sterling Sound, New York, N.Y (mastered 1976 US version)

Genre

Progressive rock^[1]

Length

35:39
69:53 (2004 reissue)

Label

Bacillus
Passport Records (remixed 1976 US version)

Producer

Peter Hauke

Nektar chronology

Journey to the Centre of the Eye
(1971)

A Tab in the Ocean
(1972)

...Sounds Like This
(1973)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]

A Tab in the Ocean is the second album from German-based English progressive rock band Nektar.

English heavy metal band Iron Maiden covered the song "King of Twilight", also mixing in parts of "Crying in the Dark" creating somewhat of a medley, and released as a b-side to the 1984 single "Aces High".

Track listing

All songs written and arranged by Nektar.

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"A Tab in the Ocean"	16:43

Side two
No.	Title	Length
2.	"Desolation Valley"	5:42
3.	"Waves"	2:30
4.	"Crying in the Dark"	6:17
5.	"King of Twilight"	4:27

2004 reissue

The original German mix 1972
No.	Title	Length
1.	"A Tab in the Ocean"	16:53
2.	"Desolation Valley / Waves"	8:13
3.	"Crying in the Dark"	6:29
4.	"King of Twilight"	4:22

1976 US Mix
No.	Title	Length
5.	"A Tab in the Ocean"	16:04
6.	"Desolation Valley / Waves"	8:33
7.	"Crying in the Dark"	5:14
8.	"King of Twilight"	4:05

2013 reissue

Double CD reissue. Disc one as 2004 reissue above, with both 1972 and 1976 album mixes. The bonus disc two includes more songs from the same "Official Bootleg" 1971 show released on the bonus disc of the 2013 reissue of Journey to the Centre of the Eye, plus a live in the studio track from 1973.

Official Bootleg, Recorded live November 13, 1971 at Bessunger Turnhalle, Darmstadt, Germany
No.	Title	Length
1.	"A Tab in the Ocean"	17:46
2.	"Porecelain Valley (later called "Desolation Valley")"	11:33
3.	"Crying in the Dark"	9:17

Live in the studio 1973
No.	Title	Length
4.	"Desolation Valley / Waves"	8:25

Personnel

Nektar

Roye Albrighton – guitars, lead vocals
Mick Brockett – lighting, projections and visual effects
Allan Freeman – keyboards, backing vocals, Mellotron
Derek "Mo" Moore – bass, backing vocals
Ron Howden – drums, percussion

Production

Peter Hauke – production
Dieter Dierks – engineering

Charts

Chart (1973)	Peak position
US Billboard 200^[2]	141

References

^ ^a ^b DeGagne, Mike. "A Tab in the Ocean Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
^ "Nektar Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2024.