Lee Towers - In Concert (1983)

Lee Towers maakte aanvankelijk deel uit van het showorkest Len Hauser & The Drifting Five en brak in 1975 door toen hij door Willem Duys werd gepresenteerd als de zingende kraanmachinist uit Rotterdam (hij werkte echter bij Boele Bolnes als onderhoudsbankwerker).

Zijn eerste plaatje (Louisa, met op de achterkant Niemand) maakte hij onder de naam Leen Huizer. Later, rond 1971, is er nog de Nederlandstalige single Nina Nina Nina, die hij uitbrengt onder de naam Len Hauser. Willem Duys brengt de eerste single onder de naam Lee Towers ten gehore in het radioprogramma Muziekmozaïek.

Het is It's raining in my heart, een nummer gecomponeerd door de zanger van The Outsiders, Wally Tax. It's raining in my heart belandt in de top-40. De volgende single, You'll Never Walk Alone, wordt Towers' grootste hit en staat wekenlang hoog in de top-10.

 

Lee Towers gaf in 1980 zijn eerste grote concert in De Doelen te Rotterdam, een unieke prestatie voor die tijd. In 1981 volgde een concert in een uitverkocht Carré. Daarna waagde hij de stap naar Ahoy in 1984 waar hij zelfs tweemaal de zaal vol kreeg.

In latere jaren volgden er nog vele concerten en shows in Ahoy, waarbij hij ook duetten zong met onder andere Anita Meyer.

In 1983 brengt hij het album "In Concert" uit. Het album, was opgenomen live gedurende zijn concert tour 1982 vanuit: Het Congresgebouw, Den Haag, De Doelen, Rotterdam en Carre, Amsterdam. Het album bereikt de 16e plaats in de album Top 50 van dat jaar.

Side A
A1  Introduction - Temptation   
A2  It's Raining In My Heart   
A3  I Want To Be Happy   
A4  With These Hands   
A5  Bless You   
A6  Frankie   

Side B
B1  Nobody's Child   
B2  Once Upon A Time In The West   
B3  Laura   
B4  Bad Bad Leroy Brown
      Written-By – Jim Croce
B5  Bridge Over Troubled Water
      Written-By – Paul Simon

Side C  
C1  Love Potion No.9
      Written-By – Leiber & Stoller
C2  You've Got A Friend
      Written-By – Carole King
C3  Morningside   
C4  Sweet Caroline
      Written-By – Neil Diamond
C5  I Can See Clearly Now   

Side D
D1  You Can Have Her   
D2  The Air That I Breathe   
D3  You Never Walk Alone   
D4  My Way
      Written-By – Paul Anka
D5  New York, New York

Credits
Musical Arrangements - The Freddy Golden Orchestra
Vocal Group - Wanda Birkhoff, Jody Pijper, Lisa Boray. Titia Dekker, Pim Roose
Ballet Group - Penney De Jager

Notes
Genre: Pop
Label: Ariola Records
Catalog# 302198
© 1983

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Spargo - Good Time Spirit (1980)

In 1975  wordt Spargo opgericht in Amsterdam, in eerste instantie onder de naam Funkliefhebber Lammertink.


De band (met ondermeer ex-leden uit de band SPACE 7) begint met gewone popliedjes à la Steve Miller en is in haar beginfase nog zonder zangeres. De band evolueert langzaam naar meer funky muziek.

Met vocalisten Ellert Driessen en Lilian D. Jackson, scoort men 1 reusachtige hit met de single “You And Me”

Spargo werd in 1975 opgericht door de Amsterdammers Ruud Mulder (gitaar, zang), Hans Elbersen (gitaar, zang), Ellert Driessen (toetsen, zang, componist, 1958), Jef Nassenstein (bas, zang) en Leander Lammertink (drums). Eind jaren '70, ruim na het vertrek van Elbersen, kreeg de groep versterking van de van oorsprong Amerikaanse zangeres Lilian Day Jackson. (geb.3 maart 1960 in New York). Zij is de dochter van Art Blakey en heeft onder andere bij Hans Dulfer gezongen.

Met Jackson als leadzangeres en Driessen als zanger kreeg de groep zijn kenmerkende geluid en brak door. De single “You and Me” werd de bestverkochte plaat van 1980 in Nederland en bereikte daar de nummer 1-positie. Ook buiten Nederland werd deze plaat een grote hit (onder andere nummer 1 in Italië, België, Peru en Suriname).

 

In 1981 komt het album “Good Time Spirit” uit: na “You And Me” stelt het album een beetje teleur. De reikwijdte van de hit wordt niet geëvenaard op het album en de nummers zijn een stuk minder swingend. Wel scoort de band een tweede hit met “One Night Affair”.

Lilian Day Jackson en Leander Lammertink vertrokken eind 1983. Met ex-Doe Maar drummer René van Collem en een nieuwe zangeres werd een nieuw album opgenomen, maar zonder success, en in 1985 hield Spargo het voor gezien

 

 

.

Side A
1. Good Time Spirit  (4:16)  
2. Inside Your Heart  (6:39)  
3. Sometimes  (4:25)  
4. Back In My Arms Again  (5:20)

Side B
1. Take A Break  (3:34)  
2. Head Up To The Sky  (4:35)  
3. You And Me (Live)  (7:06)  
4. I Found The Sister Of Ali Baba (Live)  (12:19)

Credits
Ellert Driessen - toetsen, vocals
Lilian Day Jackson - vocals
Ruud Mulder - gitaar, vocals
Hans Elbersen - gitaar, vocals
Jef Nassenstein - bas, zang
Leander Lammertink - drums
Artwork [Logo] – Ad Werner
Artwork By [Inside Cover] – Mause Productions
Engineer – John Nowland
Engineer [Second] – Frank Koppelmans
Mastered By – Aaron Chakraverty*
Percussion – Eddy Conard*, Harm Stoel
Photography By [Front Cover] – Anne Beeke
Photography By [Inside Cover] – Govert de Roos
Producer – Steve Yelick
Written-By – Ellert Driessen (tracks: A1, A3 to B4)

Notes
"You And Me" and "I Found The Sister Of Ali Baba" were recorded live by the Eurosound Mobile at Nijmegen - Conc. Hall 17th May '80 during the Veronica CountDown Special.
Catalog#  ISML-2604
© 1980 I-Scream Records

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Peter, Paul And Mary - Peter, Paul And Mommy (1969)

“Peter, Paul and Mommy”, released on Warner Bros. in 1969, is the trio Peter, Paul and Mary's first children's album.

It has hits like "Puff the Magic Dragon" among others. The single, "Day is Done", reached number 7 on the Adult Contemporary chart and number 21 on the Pop Singles chart.

 At the Grammy Awards of 1970, Peter, Paul and Mommy won the Grammy Award for Best Album for Children.

This particular reissue gets a lower audio rating because of a general music mix that comes across as far too busy, between the usual guitars (picked with folky enthusiasm), the vocal arrangements (often with children incorporated), and the addition of not only acoustic bass (heard before on the group's albums), but banjo, autoharp, hammer dulcimer, etc. The tape hiss is more evident on this album, too. Peter, Paul and Mary had the essential appeal of seeming like a family Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey looked as though they could have been brothers, and it really wasn't a stretch to see Mary as their sister.

It's this picture that informs Peter, Paul and Mommy, an album of songs for children (as played by people accommodating to adults) and prevents it from becoming a lump of sugar. As a result you get Tom Paxton's "The Marvelous Toy" with its charming imagery, Yarrow's "Day Is Done," a melancholy paean to the truth of passing the flame to a new generation, and the outright goofiness of Shel Silverstein's "Boa Constrictor." As a fillip you also get "Puff (The Magic Dragon)."

While short at 35 minutes (it would have been nice to have as a two-fer) it's a charming, well-done album that's as delightful for grown-ups as for kids and as vital for kids as it ever was. If you have children, you can sit with them and enjoy this album.

Side A - Toy Side
1.  The Marvelous Toy  (3:06)
2.  Day Is Done  (3:12)
3.  Leatherwing Bat  (2:28)
4.  I Have A Song To Sing, O!  (4:05)
5.  All Through The Night  (2:33)
6.  It's Raining  (3:52)

Side B - Zoo Side
1.  Going To The Zoo  (3:09)
2.  Boa Constrictor  (0:46)
3.  Make-Believe Town  (3:45)
4.  Mockingbird  (1:19)
5.  Christmas Dinner  (3:00)
6.  Puff (The Magic Dragon)  (3:38)



Credits
Peter Yarrow – vocals, guitar
Noel "Paul" Stookey – vocals, guitar
Mary Travers – vocals
Richard Kniss – bass
Paul Prestopino - guitar, banjo, mandolin, dobro
Engineer – Don Hahn, Phil Ramone
Performer [Assisting Instrumentalist] – Paul Prestopino, Russell Savakus
Photography [Front Cover] – Allen Vogel
Producer: Milton Okun
Producer [Associate] – Phil Ramone

Notes
Genre: Children, Folk
Length: 34:56
© 1969 Warner Bros. Records

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Everything But The Girl - Love Not Money (1985)

“Love Not Money” is the second album by Everything but the Girl, released in 1985.

Originating at the turn of the 1980s as a leader of the lite-jazz movement, Everything but the Girl became an unlikely success story more than a decade later, emerging at the vanguard of the fusion between pop and electronica. Founded in 1982 by Hull University students Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt, the duo took their name from a sign placed in the window of a local furniture shop, which claimed "for your bedroom needs, we sell everything but the girl." At the time of their formation, both vocalist Thorn and songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Watt were already signed independently to the Cherry Red label; Thorn was a member of the sublime Marine Girls, while Watt had issued several solo singles and also collaborated with Robert Wyatt. Everything but the Girl debuted in 1982 with a samba interpretation of Cole Porter's "Night and Day"; the single was a success on the U.K. independent charts, but the duo nonetheless went on hiatus as Thorn recorded a solo EP, A Distant Shore, while Watt checked in with the full-length North Marine Drive in 1983. EBTG soon reunited to record a cover of the Jam's "English Rose" for an NME sampler; the track so impressed former Jam frontman Paul Weller that he invited the duo to contribute to the 1984 LP Cafe Bleu, the debut from his new project, the Style Council.

Everything but the Girl's own beguiling 1984 debut, “Eden”, followed on the heels of the single "Each and Every One," a U.K. Top 40 hit. The jazz-pop confections of the group's early work gave way to shimmering jangle rock on their 1985's second album “Love Not Money”.

Everything But the Girl took a more contemporary pop approach while retaining the spareness of their debut. They also upped the ante in their songwriting, tackling a range of issues from the Irish troubles to the troubles of movie star Frances Farmer, with lots of criticism of the stratification and sexism of the current social and economic system thrown in. Tracey Thorn's careworn voice proved an excellent vehicle for such essentially pessimistic sentiments, and even if “Love Not Money” made for a dour listening experience, it was nevertheless compelling.

Side A
1. When All's Well  (3:00)
2. Ugly Little Dreams  (2:54)
3. Shoot Me Down  (4:12)
4. Are You Trying to Be Funny?  (3:16)
5. Sean  (3:30)

Side B
1. Ballad of the Times  (3:27)
2. Anytown  (3:26)
3. This Love (Not For Sale) (3:05)
4. Trouble And Strife  (3:07)
5. Angel  (5:35)

Credits
Acoustic Guitar – Ben Watt
Arranged By [Horns] – Ben Watt
Backing Vocals – Ben Watt, June Miles-Kingston
Banjo – Chris Thompson (3)
Bass – Philip Moxham
Design [Cover] – Caryn Gough
Drums – June Miles-Kingston
Electric Guitar – Ben Watt, Neil Scott
Engineer – Ben Rogan, Mike Pela
Flugelhorn, Trumpet – Dick Pearce
Mastered By – Tim Young
Photography – Humbrey Spender
Piano – Robin Millar (tracks: B5)
Piano, Organ – Ben Watt
Producer – Robin Millar
Saxophone [Alto] – Peter King (2)
Saxophone [Tenor] – Nigel Nash
Steel Guitar [Pedal] – BJ Cole
Vocals – Tracey Thorn
Whistle [Tin] – Dave Golding
Written-by [Horns] – Ben Watt

Notes
Recorded at Powerplant Studios, London
Mastered at CBS
Cover photo taken from "Worktown People: Photographs From Northern England 1937-38"
© 1985 WEA Records Ltd.

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Shakatak - Invitations (1982)

Shakatak is an English jazz-funk band, who had founded in 1980.

It was the release of "Easier Said Than Done" that gave the band the radio exposure needed for their first top-twenty hit.

This record introduced their instrumental-unison vocal sound to a much wider audience, and the track stayed in the UK Singles Chart for seventeen weeks.

In 1982 they released their third album “Invitations. The album cover may look sort of spooky & mysterious but as the saying goes, you can never judge a book by its cover. This 1982 Polydor/PolyGram release by Shakatak was one of the group's best R&B/Jazz recordings at that time.

 Most of you may remember the songs, "Lose Myself", and "Lonely Afternoon", which features the sultry, sexy vocals of Tracie Ackerman (some thought it was Jill Saward singing on the track, but she is with the group at this time of recording). They are the actual tracks on this album, so you can stop worrying about this album being another fabrication of "Night Birds" replacing the actual song that was supposed to be there. In fact, "Night Birds & "Invitations" did come out the same year in 1982. That's primarily the reason why some Shakatak fans felt confused on what year these two albums came out.

Side A
A1  Invitations    (3:14) 
A2  Lose Myself    (5:20) 
A3  Lonely Afternoon  (Lead Vocals: Tracie Ackerman)   (4:43) 
A4  Steppin' Out    (4:47) 

Side B
B1  Stranger    (5:25) 
B2  Usual Situation    (5:04) 
B3  Sol Fuego    (4:38) 
B4  In Shadows    (2:05) 

Credits
Vocals – Jackie Rawe, Jill Saward, Tracie Ackerman
Bass – George Anderson Jnr
Drums – Roger Odell
Engineer – John Buckley
Guitar – Keith Winter
Keyboards – Nigel Wright, Roger Odell
Lyrics By – R. Odell
Music By – W. Sharpe
Other [Creative Assistance] – Green Ink
Design [Sleeve] – Alwyn Clayden
Photography By – Tony Latham
Producer – Nigel Wright
Executive Producer – Les McCutcheon

Notes
Original sound recording made by Polydor Ltd. (London)
Marketed By – Polydor B.V.
Genre: Jazz-Funk, Soul
© 1981 Polydor Ltd. (London)

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Emmylou Harris - Evangeline (1981)

“Evangeline” was a 1981 album by Emmylou Harris that was composed mostly of leftover material from past recording sessions and which did not fit into any of her other albums.

Long considered a substandard effort due to its oddly brief running time (it's just barely half an hour long) and scattershot feel like its sister album, “Cimarron”, also released in 1981.

 

 

"Evangeline" is not as bad as its detractors claim. It's true that the album has more than a couple of clunkers; the synthesizers and California rock guitars of Rodney Crowell's "I Don't Have to Crawl" and "Ashes By Now" do neither singer nor songs any favors, the version of John Fogerty's "Bad Moon Rising" adds nothing new to the song, and James Taylor's "Millworker" simply isn't very good. On the other hand, two recordings from the then-unreleased Trio sessions with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, a perky "Mr. Sandman" that was a minor pop hit and a reworking of Robbie Robertson's haunting "Evangeline" featuring some outstanding harmonies from Parton, are outstanding, as are "Spanish Johnny," a Springsteen-ish ballad sung with Waylon Jennings, and a dazzling version of the standard "How High the Moon" that uses the same pre-rock arrangement style as "Mr. Sandman." So, “Evangeline” is certainly uneven, but it's not at all worthless.

Side A
1. I Don't Have to Crawl  (3:46)
2. How High the Moon  (3:21)
3. Spanish Johnny [with Waylon Jennings]  (3:50)
4. Bad Moon Rising  (2:40)
5. Evangeline  (3:09)

Side B
1. Hot Burrito #2  (3:04)
2. Millworker  (4:03)
3. Oh Atlanta  (2:58)
4. Mr. Sandman" [harmony by Dolly Parton & Linda Ronstadt]  (2:20)
5. Ashes by Now  (4:24)

Credits
Acoustic Guitar – Brian Ahern, Emmylou Harris, Frank Reckard, Ricky Skaggs, Rodney Crowell
Steel Guitar [Pedal] – Hank DeVito
Piano – Albert Lee, Bill Payne, David Briggs, Don Johnson, Mac Rebbenack, Tony Brown
Fiddle [Fiddles] – Ricky Skaggs
Guitar [Lead] – Albert Lee, Amos Garrett, Frank Reckard, James Burton
Harmonica [Harmonicas] – Mickey Raphael
Mandolin – Ricky Skaggs
Percussion – John Ware
Bass – Emory Gordy, Mike Bowden
Drums – Dave Lewis, Hal Blain, John Ware, Larrie Londin
Electric Piano – Bill Payne, Glen D. Hardin
Engineer – Bradley Hartman, Brian Ahern, Donivan Cowart, Stuart Taylor
Producer, Arranged By – Brian Ahern

Notes
Photography – Olivier Ferrand
Artwork By [Art Direction & Design] – Tim Ritchie
Made in Germany by WEA Musik GmbH.
Genre - Country
Recorded at Enactron Studios.
Mixed at Magnolia Sound.
© 1981 Warner Bros. Records Inc.

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The Shadows - At The Movies (1978)

The Shadows are a British pop/rock group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 of which are credited as The Shadows and 34 as Cliff Richard and the Shadows, from the 1950s to the 2000s. The group, who were in the forefront of the UK's beat-group boom, were the first backing band to emerge as stars in their own right. As pioneers of the four-member rock-group format, the band consisted of lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass guitar and drums.

 The Shadows' core members are Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch and Brian Bennett; though there have been numerous changes in the line up throughout its history. The band's unique sound was originally produced by a combination of American Fender guitars, British amplifiers made by Vox and echo units Meazzi Echomatic tape and Binson magnetic disc. The Shadows, with singer Cliff Richard, dominated the British popular music scene in the late 1950s and early 1960s in the five years before The Beatles. Although they lost ground in the late sixties, the band enjoyed a second spell of success and interest from the late seventies until the present day.

 

The Shadows are the third most successful UK charted hit-singles act behind Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard. The Shadows and Cliff Richard & the Shadows each have had four No.1 selling EPs.

This album pretty much does what it says on the tin and culls tracks from films The Shadows contributed to back in the 1960s. Opening with their 1963 Number one hit Foot Tapper from Summer Holiday we are then taken back to 1962 to sample music from the film The Boys of which The Shadows were assigned to compose music for. Side one then concludes with two instrumentals from the film Wonderful Life.

 Side two kicks off with the theme from the 1961 feature film The Frightened City before a rare vocal performance from the 1966 film Finders Keepers and then tracks from the rarely seen Shadows screen venture Rhythm N Greens.

Side A
A1.  Foot Tapper
A2.  Sweet Dreams
A3.  The Boys
A4.  The Girls
A5.  Theme From "The Boys"
A6.  Walkin'
A7.  Theme For Young Lovers

Side B
B1.  Frightened City
B2.  My Way
B3.  Main Theme
B4.  The Drum Number
B5.  Ranka-Chank
B6.  The Lute Number
B7.  Rhythm And Greens

Credits
Performer(s) – Bruce Welch, Hank Marvin, Jet Harris, Tony Meehan

Notes
A1 from film "Summer Holiday"
A2 to A5 from film "The Boys"
A6, A7 from film "Wonderful Life"
B1 from film "Frightened City"
B2 from film "Finders Keepers"
B3 to B7 from film "Rhythm And Greens"
Genre: Rock & Roll, Instrumental
© 1978 MFP Records

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Soundtrack - More Dirty Dancing (1988)

“More Dirty Dancing” (full title: More Dirty Dancing: More Original Music from the Hit Motion Picture) is a 1988 follow-up album released after the huge commercial success of the 1987 motion picture “Dirty Dancing” and 1987 its soundtrack.

 Unless you're from Brain(less)tree, Mass.you'll probably like most of the tunes on this package, the ones with real feeling. For one who was there when these songs were originally popular, I can tell you they evoke real memories of the time.

They catch the early 60s' mindset. Forty years after "Cry to Me", Solomon Burke was still recording and making appearances. Why they left this song out on the initial album is beyond me.

It played as Johnny and Baby first made love, a significant turn in the movie. "Some Kind of Wonderful" (not to be confused with a song by Grank Funk Railroad of the same name) was popular a couple of years before the movie's timeframe. "Wipeout" was a new song that summer, liked by all the teens. "Do you Love Me?" was a recent hit and upon its use in the movie inspired the aging Contours to go on tour again. If they had included "Hey, Baby" from 1962 (with Texas bluesman Delbert McClinton on the background blues harp)and the song apparently written for the movie and done by Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers and Jennifer Warnes, the other songs could have been done away with.

Side A

1.  The John Morris Orchestra - Baby´s Walk (Instrumental)  (0:37)

2.  The Four Seasons - Big Girls Don't Cry  (2:25)

3.  Michael Lloyd & Le Disc - Merengue  (2:16)

4.  The Drifters - Some Kind of Wonderful  (2:33)

5.  Michael Lloyd & Le Disc - Johnny's Mambo  (3:02)

6.  The Contours - Do You Love Me  (2:49)

7.  Otis Redding - Love Man  (2:14)

Side B

1.  The Surfaris - Wipe Out  (2:12)

2.  Otis Redding - These Arms of Mine  (2:26)

3.  Michael Lloyd & Le Disc - De Todo un Poco  (2:27)

4.  Solomon Burke - Cry to Me  (2:23)

5.  Michael Lloyd & Le Disc - Trot The Fox  (2:04)

6.  The Shirelles - Will You Love Me Tomorrow  (2:39)

7.  The Emile Bergsteign Chorale - Kellerman's Anthem  (3:17)

8.  The John Morris Orchestra - Lifts In The Lake Theme (Finale) (Instrumental)  (0.55)

Credits

Executive Producer – Jimmy Ienner

Mastered By – Spiry

Notes

Soundtrack Executive Director: Jimmy Ienner

A&R Direction: Bob Feiden

Mastered by: Mike Fuller, Fullersound, Miami, Florida

© 1988 RCA Records

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Shirley Bassey - Burn My Candle (1976)

Twenty Years have passed since the earliest recording on this album, “Burn My Candle”, and those years have probaly seen more honours bestowed on Shirley Bassey than any other female singer in British show business history.

The hitrecords have been mere milestones in the lady´s well-documented career.

 
Here´s a reminder of the early Bassey, a great talent even in those formative years, 20 years ago. The tracks on this album, such as: ("Burn My Candle" b/w "Stormy Weather", The Birth of the Blues", "My Funny Valentine" and "The Banana Boat Song") were the results of her first recording sessions with highly-respected producer John Franz (who was later to be responsible for the success of such names as Dusty Springfield, The Walker Brothers and Peters and Lee).  

And there´s an added bonus “My  Body Is More Important Than My Mind” which was recorded live before an audience at the late lamented Café de Paris in Piccadilly.

Side A
A1.  Burn My Candle
A2.  Stormy Weather
A3.  How About You
A4.  Birth Of The Blues
A5.  There's Never Been A Night
A6.  My Funny Valentine
   
Side B
B1.  St. Louis Blues
B2.  The Gypsy In My Soul    
B3.  Beale Street Blues
B4.  My Body's More Important Than My Mind
B5.  You, You Romeo
B6.  The Banana Boat Song
 
Credits
Producer – John Franz

Notes
"Electronically Created Stereo"
"My Body's More Important Than My Mind" is recorded live at the Cafe de Paris, London.
Genre: Pop / Jazz / Easy Listening
© 1976 Contour Records, Manufactured & Distributed By Pickwick International Inc.

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Janis Ian - My Favourites (1980)

Janis Ian (born Janis Eddy Fink, April 7, 1951) is an American songwriter, singer, musician, columnist and science fiction author. Ian first entered the folk music scene while still a teenager in the mid-1960s. Most active musically in that decade and the 1970s, she has continued recording into the 21st century.

This LP anthology contains songs that were purportedly as the moniker would infer chosen by Janis Ian from her string of superior mid-'70s albums Stars (1974), Between the Lines (1975), Aftertones (1976), Miracle Row (1977), Janis Ian (1978) and Night Rains (1979).

As Ian was catering to a specific market, her choices may be a reflection of those songs that were hits and favorite deep cuts of the European audiences. The mesmerizing title composition "Stars" begins the sojourn of offering Ian's at time uncomfortably intimate illuminations in a fresh context.


The post-Vietnam experienced "Jesse”, or the almost disturbing minor chord progressions on "In the Winter" as they evoke palpable feelings of impending isolation.

Of course no accurate assessment would be possible without "At Seventeen", which was not only Ian's biggest hit Stateside, but it garnered her a spot during the October 11, 1975 debut episode of NBC-TV's Saturday Night a revolutionary variety program featuring comedy and live music. There are numerous nuggets from several of the often overlooked mid- to late '70s. Among those found on “My Favourites” are Ian's collaboration with Albert Hammond on "The Other Side of the Sun" and with producer Giorgio Moroder on "Fly to High" both from “Night Rains”.  “This is a collection of the songs from former albums, that i think you´ll like best. I hope you enjoy it!” Janis Ian.

Side A
A1.  Fly Too High   (5:07)  
A2.  Between The Lines  (4:03)  
A3.  Stars  (7:10)  
A4.  Love Is Blind  (2:14)  
A5.  In The Winter  (2:13)  
A6.  At Seventeen  (4:41) 

Side B
B1.  Jesse  (4:06)  
B2.  Afternoons  (3:14)  
B3.  Miracle Row / Maria  (7:24)  
B4.  That Grand Illusion  (2:48)  
B5.  The Other Side Of The Sun  (3:58)  
B6.  When The Party's Over  (2:57)

Credits
Art Direction – Henk De Jong 
Design – Studio Graficentra B.V.
Photography By [Background Photo] – De Koepel
Producer – Brooks Arthur, Giorgio Moroder, Janis Ian, Joe Wissert, R. Frangipane
Written-By – Janis Ian

Notes
Genre: Singer/Sonhwriter
© 1980 CBS Grammofoonplaten B.V.

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David Gates - Goodbye Girl (1978)

David Ashworth Gates (born December 11, 1940) is an American singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the group Bread,

On the heels of the success of the 1977 film The Goodbye Girl and the popularity of the theme song, former Bread vocalist David Gates released this 1978 album. Featuring his hit song, “Goodbye Girl” included material culled from his previous solo albums, 1973's “First” and 1975's “Never Let Her Go”.

However, rather than simply an odds-and-sods collection, the album also included several newly recorded songs with "Took the Last Train," "Overnight Sensation," "California Lady," "Drifter," and "He Don't Know How to Love You." While the album certainly fit into Gates' melodic, laid-back soft rock oeuvre, the new songs found him branching out musically. Perhaps inspired by Labelle's 1974 disco hit "Lady Marmalade," Gates' similarly French-infused, St. Tropez-set "Took the Last Train" was a cutting-edge (for the time) synthesizer and drum machine-driven number featuring the chorus refrain "Viens chez moi/Ce soir va jamais terminer/On va rester toujours ensemble" which, loosely translated, means "Come to me/Tonight will never end/We will always be together." The song is a forgotten yacht rock-era anthem that deserves a place next to such classics of the genre as Rupert Holmes' "The Piña Colada Song" and Bertie Higgins' "Key Largo." Although Gates was largely responsible for the more mellow end of Bread's output with "California Lady," "Drifter," and "He Don't Know How to Love You," he dug into his Oklahoma roots and displayed his knack for Eagles-style country-rock. Ultimately, “Goodbye Girl” is a great example of mainstream '70s AOR and still works as a nice single-disc snapshot of Gates' post-Bread work up to that point.



Side A
A1.  Goodbye Girl  (2:45)
A2.  Took the Last Train  (4:32)
A3.  Overnight Sensation  (4:58)
A4.  California Lady  (3:52)
A5.  Ann  (3:50)
A6.  Drifter  (3:37)

Side B
B1.  He Don't Know How to Love You  (2:43)
B2.  Suite: Clouds, Rain  (8:52)
B3.  Lorilee  (4:42)
B4.  Part-Time Love  (2:23)
B5.  Sunday Rider  (3:21)
B6.  Never Let Her Go  (2:58)

Credits
Co-producer – Larry Knechtel
Design – Mary Francis
Design, Art Direction – Ron Coro
Engineer – Bruce Morgan, Roger Mayer
Photography [Cover] – David Alexander
Photography [Sleeve] – Richard Cramer
Written-By, Arranged By, Producer – David Gates

Notes
Made in UK
Came with lyric insert
Genre: Soft Rock
© 1978 Elektra Records / Wounded Bird Records

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Harry Sacksioni - Harry Sacksioni: Gitaar (1975)

Harry Sacksioni (Amsterdam, 23 oktober 1950) is een Gitaarfenomeen, die eerst als begeleider van Herman van Veen en later als soloartiest al drie decennia lang een trouwe groep fans kent.

Sacksioni werd in de jaren zeventig bekend om zijn akoestisch gitaarspel, dat hij vooral door zijn samenwerking met Herman van Veen onder de publieke aandacht kon brengen. Zijn composities spreken, bij gitaristen en anderen, zeer tot de verbeelding. Beroemde stukken zijn bijvoorbeeld Meta Sequoia, Vensters, Elixer, Thee bij tante Josephine, Bello en Paddentrek. Verreweg het meeste van zijn oeuvre bestaat uit eigen composities, van een hoofdzakelijk instrumentaal karakter.

 

Reeds vanaf zijn eerste plaat (1975) liet hij zich bij zijn gitaarcomposities door andere instrumenten begeleiden, variërend van een banjo, viool of tuba tot een band, orkest of menigte autoclaxons.

 Als in 1968 een voetbalcarrière bij Ajax niet van de grond komt kiest Sacksioni voor de muziek. Na in verschillende beatgroepjes te hebben gezeten wordt de pas 17-jarige Sacksioni studiomuzikant. Hij schrijft in deze tijd bovendien voor artiesten zoals Sandra en Ronny Tober. Op de podia is hij te zien als begeleider van de cabaretier Sieto Hoving.

 

In Een televisieoptreden in de Van Speyk Show in 1975 wordt enthousiast ontvangen. Ditzelfde jaar wordt Sacksioni's eerste plaat “Gitaar” uitgebracht. Hij toont zich hierop een veelzijdig en virtuoos gitarist, die door een combinatie van diverse stijlen (klassiek, flamengo, finger picking) een eigen geluid weet neer te zetten.

 Sacksioni werkte jaren samen met Herman van Veen en Erik van der Wurff. Ook werkt hij af en toe samen met Raymond van het Groenewoud, Frank Boeijen en vele anderen uit de Nederlandse muziekscène.

Gitaristen gebruiken zijn composities voor gitaarsolo graag als studiemateriaal. Sacksioni treedt al 40 jaar op in Nederlandse theaters, maar is ook geregeld in het buitenland te vinden als uitvoerend artiest.

Side one
A1.  Flixer  (1:43) 
A2.  Scarborough Fair (3:38)  
A3.  Meta Sequoia  (3:19) 
A4.  Lappenballerina  (1:11) 
A5.  Hagelslag  (2:21) 
A6.  Goofy (2:29) 

Side two
B1.  Thee Bij Tante Josephine  (2:42) 
B2.  Huiswaarts  (1:43) 
B3.  Tranen  (3:44) 
B4.  De Vlechters (1:49) 
B5.  Kleedkamer (0:41)  
B6.  Breekbaar (2:21)

Credits
Arranged By [Strings] – Erik Van Der Wurff
Compiled By – Harry Sacksioni
Design – Anja Kiekens
Photography – Gerard Jongerius, Rob Chrispijn
Producer – Rob Chrispijn
Technician – Pieter Nieboer
Written-by - Harry Sacksioni (except; "Scarborough Fair" written-by - Paul Simon)
Genre - Acoustic Gitaar, Instrumental

Notes
De Gitaren: na elkaar en niet verelkaar (dus niet gedubt)
1. Martin D28 (martin extra0light) A2, 3, 4, 6 B6
2. D. Hopf - handbouw (savarez geel + g snaar savarez rood) A1 A2, 4
3. 12-snarige Guild (martin light) A5 B1, 3
4. Framus tenor-banjo (st. david) B5

De Muzikanten:
G. Hautvast, H. van Veen,
B. Behr, S. Nijveen,
L. Vleeshouwer, M. van Staalen,
E. van der Wurf.
Techniek - Pieter Nieboer (Phonogram Studio)
℗ 1975 Harlekijn Holland Produkties

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Cory Daye - Cory And Me (1979)

As an original member of Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, vocalist Cory Daye became one of the most distinctive voices of the disco era. Fronting classics like "Cherchez La Femme" and "I'll Play the Fool," she helped earn the band a Grammy nomination for "Best New Artist" in 1976. Three years later, she released her first solo album, “Cory And Me”, on New York International Records.

A non-stop party and a fabulous disco album, with some swing, calypso, and pop thrown in.

The 2 big hits in the clubs were "Green Light" and "Pow Wow". Other highlights include
"Wiggle & A Giggle All Night", and "Rainy Day Boy".

 

After three albums with Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, Cory Daye enlisted the songwriting and production of Sandy Linzer to replicate her former band's sound on her solo debut, “Cory and Me”. Linzer was a particularly appropriate match for Daye, since he had already worked with Odyssey on their Dr. Buzzard-inspired disco classic "Native New Yorker." Perhaps hoping for similar Top 40 success, Daye seems more commercially motivated on Cory and Me, but that accessibility works wonders on the two opening cuts, "Green Light" and "Pow Wow." On both songs, Daye uses her playfully expressive voice to transform the potentially hokey lyrics into irresistible verses. Linzer combines propulsive beats with climactic orchestration and uses musical shifts and timely special effects to build momentum during extended instrumental breaks. Daye's charm and enthusiasm are contagious throughout, but the rest of the songs fail to match her energy level, and the scattered Dr. Buzzard touches often seem diluted by the album's mainstream ambitions. Nevertheless, most Dr. Buzzard followers will probably enjoy the familiarity of “Cory and Me”, and the album may also appeal to fans of late-'70s disco divas who are unfamiliar with Daye's considerable talents.

Side one
1. Green Light  (6:10)  
2. Pow Wow  (7:14)  
3. Wiggle & A Giggle All Night  (3:08)  
4. Rhythm Death  (1:20) 

Side two
1. Single Again/ What Time Does The Ballon Go Up  (5:39)  
2. Be Bop Betty A/K/A/Co Co Ree  (3:32)  
3. Rainy Day Boy  (4:06)  
4. Keep The Ball Rollin'  (5:20)

Credits
Vocals – Cory Daye
Keyboards – Joe Delia
Backing Vocals – The Morningside Kids
Bass – Alex Blake, Neil Jason
Drums – Abe Speller
Guitar – Binky Brice, Caleb Martin, Dave Snider, David Spinozza, Lance Quinn
Management [And Direction] – Tommy Mottola
Percussion – 'Crusher' Bennett
Saxophone – George Young 
Saxophone, Lyricon – Charles DeChant
Synthesizer – Ed Walsh
Producer – Sandy Linzer
Art Direction – Acy Lehman, Dick Smith
Concertmaster – Gene Orloff, Harry Lookofsky
Engineer – Bob Clearmountain, Ed Evans, Neil Dorfsman
Engineer [Additional] – Ed Sprigg, Lee Ann Unger, Michael Getlin
Engineer [Assistant] – Bob James, Bruce Buchalter, Raymond Willard
Engineer [Mix] – Joe Barbaria, Larry Alexander, Neil Dorfsman
Engineer [Remix] – Frankie D'Augusta
Mastered At – Masterdisk

Notes
Recorded at Power Station Studios, N.Y.
Additional recording at A&R Studios and The Hit Factory, N.Y.
Manufactured By – RCA Records
Distributed By – RCA Records
© 1979 New York International Records

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Gary U.S. Bonds - Dedication (1981)

“Dedication” is an album released by Gary U.S. Bonds in 1981, the first of two on which he collaborated with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. The musicians accompanying Bonds on the album include many members of the E Street Band and the Asbury Jukes. The album includes three songs written by Bruce Springsteen, one written by Steve Van Zandt, and several covers of songs from the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, and others. It also features a duet between Bonds and Springsteen on the Cajun traditional track "Jole Blon". Bonds' early 1960s sound had been a major influence on both Springsteen and Van Zandt.




The songs written by Springsteen, including the cover of "Jole Blon", were originally intended for his 1980 album, “The River”, but he felt they fitted better with Bonds and his versions of them have never been released although he has performed most of them live, often featuring Bonds as a special guest.

Bruce Springsteen played guitar, sang a duet, wrote three songs, and co-produced and co-arranged four on Gary U.S. Bonds' comeback album, recorded 20 years after his heyday. Springsteen also lent his backup group, The E Street Band, while E Street guitarist Miami Steve (Van Zandt) also contributed a song and produced the bulk of the record. The result, naturally, sounds like a Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band album with lead vocals by Gary U.S. Bonds. Bonds' elastic tenor, heard in much greater clarity than it ever was in his early years, has just enough grit to be soulful, and he puts across the pop-soul tunes Springsteen and Van Zandt have constructed for him effectively. He also tackles the Beatles' "It's Only Love" and Bob Dylan's "From a Buick 6," and sings Jackson Browne's "The Pretender" as if the lyric was devoid of irony. It's an enjoyable album that does nothing to change the notion that Bonds as a recording artist essentially conforms himself to the intentions of his producer, whether that's Frank Guida, Jerry Williams, Jr., or Bruce Springsteen.

Side one
A1    Jole Blon   (Vocals: Bruce Springsteen)  3:25 
A2    This Little Girl   (Vocals: Bruce Springsteen)  (3:42) 
A3    Your Love   (Vocals: Ben E. King, Chuck Jackson)  (3:26) 
A4    Dedication  (3:11) 
A5    Daddy's Come Home   (6:22) 

Side two
B1    It's Only Love   (3:03) 
B2    The Pretender  (Vocals: Brenda Hilliard)  (6:12) 
B3    Way Back When   (4:03) 
B4    From A Buick 6   (4:24) 
B5    Just Like A Child   (3:40) 

Credits
Accordion – Danny Federici
Arranged By – Bruce Springsteen (tracks: A1 to A4), Miami Steve
Backing Vocals – Brenda Hilliard, Bruce Springsteen, Carol Williams, Carol Sylvan, Clarence Clemons, Ellie Greenwich, Miami Steve, Mikie Harris, Ula Hedwig
Baritone Saxophone – Joey Stann
Bass – Gary Tallent, John Clemente
Bass [Fuzz], Bongos – Miami Steve
Drums – Max Weinberg, Mike Micara
Engineer – Bill Scheniman, Bob Clearmountain, Larry Alexander, Neil Dorfsman, Randy Mason, Tony Bongiovi
Engineer [Assistant] – Dave Greenberg, Garry Rindfuss, Jason Corsaro, Jeffry Hendrickson, Ray Willhard
Guitar – Bruce Springsteen, Louie Conte, Miami Steve, Rob Parissi
Keyboards – Danny Federici, Roy Bittan, Rusty Cloud
Mastered By – Larry Emerine, Stephen Marcussen
Producer – Bruce Springsteen, Gary Bonds, Lanny Lambert, Miami Steve, Rob Parissi
Tenor Saxophone – Clarence Clemons, Ed Manion
Trombone – La Bamba
Trumpet – Michael Spengler, Rick Gazda 

Notes
Genre - Rock
Phonographic Copyright (p) – EMI America
Mastered At – Precision Lacquer
© 1981 EMI-America Copyright

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Fleetwood Mac - The Pious Bird Of Good Omen / The Best Of (1969)

"The Pious Bird of Good Omen” is a compilation album by Fleetwood Mac, released in 1969.

In the Netherlands the title on the album cover called “The Best Of”, but it´s the same album.

It consisted of the first four UK singles and their B-sides, two other tracks from their previous two albums, and two tracks by blues artist Eddie Boyd with backing by members of Fleetwood Mac. These two tracks came from Boyd's album 7936 South Rhodes.

The title of the album is a phrase found in an 1817 gloss (marginal note) to Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 1798 epic poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. The phrase refers to the albatross killed in the poem. ("The ancient Mariner inhospitably killeth the pious bird of good omen.") Its use as an album title as well as the album art is a sly wink to the featuring of the band's number 1 UK hit "Albatross."

With songs taken from “Fleetwood Mac” and “Mr. Wonderful”, “Pious Bird of Good Omen” serves as a worthy 12-track compilation of the band's early Peter Green days. Climbing to number 18 in the U.K., the album managed to catapult Fleetwood Mac's version of Little Willie John's "Need Your Love So Bad" into the English charts for the third time, resting at number 42.

The album itself was released by Blue Horizon after the group's contract with them had expired, making it one of the best routes in which to explore their mingling of Chicago and British blues. "Albatross," "Black Magic Woman," and "I Believe My Time Ain't Long" are timeless Fleetwood Mac standards, representing some of the band's best pre-Rumours work. Anyone who isn't familiar with Fleetwood Mac's origins should use Pious Bird of Good Omen as a starting point in investigating the first wave of the band, which will almost certainly lead to further interests into albums such as “English Rose”, “Then Play On”, and “Kiln House”, and then into later albums like “Bare Trees” and “Penguin”, which reveal subtle yet effective changes in the band's blues sound. But even aside from its purpose as a collection, “Pious Bird of Good Omen” makes for a terrific laid-back stroll through some of the best British blues music ever made.

Side one
A1    Need Your Love So Bad   (3:36) 
A2    Coming Home  (2:38) 
A3    Rambling Pony   (2:37) 
A4    The Big Boat   (Performer With: Eddy Boyd)   (2:35) 
A5    I Believe My Time Ain't Long   (2:55) 
A6    The Sun Is Shining  (3:10) 

Side two
B1    Albatross   (3:07) 
B2    Black Magic Woman   2:46 
B3    Just The Blues  (Performer With: Eddy Boyd) (5:35) 
B4    Jigsaw Puzzle Blues   (1:33) 
B5    Looking For Somebody   (2:50) 
B6    Stop Messin' Round   (2:17) 

Credits
Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica – Peter Green
Bass – John McVie
Drums – Mick Fleetwood
Slide Guitar – Danny Kirwen
Slide Guitar, Vocals, Piano – Jeremy Spencer
Vocals, Piano - Eddie Boyd (on tracks A4, B3)
Recorded By [Recording Engineer] – Mike Ross
Producer – Mike Vernon
Coordinator – Richard Vernon

Notes
Genre: Blues Rock
Title on labels: "The Pious Bird Of Good Omen"
Made in Holland
© 1969 Manufactured, Distributed By – CBS Records

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