Syreeta - Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta (LP)

Syreeta Wright (August 3, 1946 – July 6, 2004), who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was an American singer-songwriter, best known for her music during the early 1970s through the early 1980s. 

Wright's career heights were songs in collaboration with her ex-husband Stevie Wonder and musical artist Billy Preston.

Stevie Wonder Presents: Syreeta is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Syreeta Wright, released by Motown on June 19, 1974.

After a promising but uneven debut, Syreeta summoned her creative strengths and worked in tandem with creative partner Stevie Wonder to produce another album in 1974. 

The result was Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta, the most delightful and consistent album of her career. As with Syreeta, this album pursues a combination of smooth soul tracks ideally suited to Syreeta's silky vocal range and more experimental outings that are creatively in line with Wonder's then-current solo work. 

However, the eclecticism that weighed down Syreeta is transformed into a strength on Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta: the tracks pursue a dazzling array of different pop-soul styles, but everything is kept in check by solid performances from everyone involved and tight arrangements that keep the album's hook-filled songs on track. 

Highlights on the first side include "Spinnin' and Spinnin'," a clever tune that uses a spiraling, carnival-styled keyboard motif to bring its tale of an unwieldy relationship to life, and "Come And Get This Stuff," a funky pop number built on an infectious sing-along chorus. 

Another notable track is "Cause We've Ended As Lovers," a delicate breakup ballad with a stunning, ethereal vocal from Syreeta. 

On the second side, a majority of the running time is devoted to an Abbey Road-style medley of short tracks. Everything here is catchy and well-arranged, but the highlight is "I Wanna Be By Your Side," a heart-melting romantic duet between Syreeta and fellow Motown solo artist G.C. Cameron. 

All in all, Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta is the shining moment of Syreeta's solo career and a lost highlight of 1970's soul in general. 

Any fans of Stevie Wonder owe it to themselve to track this album down because it makes a worthy companion to albums like Talking Book and Innervisions. 

Side A

A1. I'm Goin' Left - 3:33  

A2. Spinnin' And Spinnin' - 4:22  

A3. Come And Get This Stuff - 4:32  

A4. Your Kiss Is Sweet - 3:37  

A5. Heavy Day - 4:01  

Side B

B1. Cause We've Ended As Lovers - 4:28  

B2. Just A Little Piece Of You - 4:00  

B3. Waitin' For The Postman - 1:52  

B4. When Your Daddy's Not Around (Vocals – Dennis Morrison) - 1:11  

B5. I Wanna Be By Your Side (Lead Vocals [Co-lead] – G.C. Cameron) - 4:01  

B6. Universal Sound Of The World (Your Kiss Is Sweet) - 3:57  

Personnel

• Produced by Stevie Wonder for Black Bull Productions
• Lead vocals by Syreeta Wright, Stevie Wonder, Dennis Morrison and G.C. Cameron
• Background vocals by Wonderlove (Anita Sherman, Lani Groves, Deniece Williams and Shirley Brewer), Minnie Riperton, Stevie Wonder, G.C. Cameron and Syreeta Wright
• Instrumentation by Stevie Wonder, Reggie McBride, Ollie E. Brown, Marlo Henderson, Michael Sembello, Dennis Morouse and Steve Madaio

Notes

Release:  1974

Format:  LP

Genre:  Soul

Label:  Tamla Motown Records

Catalog#   5C 062-95584

Prijs : €7,99

Vinyl:  Goed

Cover:  Goed

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Terence Trent D´Arby - Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby (1987) - €7,99

Sananda Francesco Maitreya (born Terence Trent Howard, March 15, 1962), better known by his former stage name Terence Trent D'Arby, is an American singer and songwriter who came to fame with his debut studio album, Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby (1987). 

The album included the singles "If You Let Me Stay", "Sign Your Name", "Dance Little Sister", and the number one hit "Wishing Well". 

The best album since Sgt. Pepper is how Terence Trent D'Arby would describe his 1987 retro-soul arrival on the music scene. His arrogance would ultimately overshadow his accomplishments, but truth be told, Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby's only flaw is the ego of its composer. While his declaration may have been an overstatement that would play a major part in his undoing – TTD's debut is a near bullet-proof arrival, so strong, the arrogance of its creator need not be taken into consideration when appraising its merit. This album is air tight. (DIG!)

With his feet still firmly on the ground, D'Arby put together one of the greatest soul albums since the peak of classic Motown – Perhaps even stronger than the majority of albums released upon the single-focused Motown catalog. Eleven tracks in length, TTD doesn't miss a beat in accomplishing a milestone of the soul genre. From the opening, gospel-tinged, “If You All Get To Heaven”, through the closing cover of the legendary Smokey & The Miracles' “Who's Lovin' You”, D'Arby composed a record strong enough to warrant comparisons to the all time soul legends. Top-notch songwriting, complimented by a voice with enough grit to cut glass, TTD accomplishes an album worthy of the praise that he is so eager to heap upon it. (HA!)

Opening up with a spoken word statement from TTD in which he pleads with his lover not to pack those bags and to give him just one more chance, “If You Let Me Stay” found early success in the northern soul-loving United Kingdom. The single shot up the charts, landing in the top 10, and ultimately led to a million copies of Introducing sold within three days of its release. His refined vocal soars over the background singers promises of change. “If you let me stay – I'll say what I should have said ... I should have said that I love you... And I should have said it from the heart.” D'Arby's gravely voice is unleashed during intermittent verse sections, which are peppered with spoken support statements between lyrical breaks. (GOOD GOD!)

Eight and a half minutes in, with two tracks knocked out of the park, D'Arby could justifiably take a step back and allow other records to catch up. Instead he sends one into the upper-deck with the hugely successful pop hit, “Wishing Well” (Billboard Hot 100 #1, 5/88). With an infectious dance beat, whistling hook and one of the most playful soul grooves since Smokey & The Miracles “Tears Of A Clown”, TTD backed up his boasts of grandeur with his biggest hit single. (PUT IT IN THE BANK, BOYS!)

“I'll Never Turn My Back On You (Father's Words)” opens up with the album's most memorable guitar riff, evocative of The Root's infectious 2002 single, “The Seed 2.0”. D'Arby drops in with a vocal smooth as melted butter. So soft, Smokey himself would be impressed with TTD's melodic flow. “This isn't living now – I think my father said to me. And get a haircut boy, if you want a chance in respectable society.” “Father's Words” is a track strong enough to be a single – but amongst the multitude of quality offerings, it's just another song on the heaping pile of quality compositions featured on D'Arby's extraordinary debut. (GET UP NOW!)

The album reaches a peak amongst peaks in the 1988 radio hit, “Sign Your Name” (#2 UK, #4 US). With a synth-line dripping with seduction and a minimalist soulful percussion, “Sign Your Name” is an alluring, poetic dedication to D'Arby's female object of desire. “We started out as friends but the thought of you just caves me in.” This is Terrence Trent D'Arby's greatest composition. Soulful, romantic and poetic – this track will forever be a staple of easy listening radio. An answer to the power of “Careless Whisper”, minus the Wham! and saxophone. The song reaches an apex in the balladry of it's post-chorus bridge, where D'Arby raises the intensity of his longing, complete with doo-wop inspired shoo-doo-op bops. With each lyric delivered like a self-contained poem of love, TTD holds nothing back to win the object of his affection. “All alone with you makes the butterflies in me arise.” D'Arby guarantees himself a lifetime supply of female admirers with this track alone. A hauntingly seductive single – 80's pop radio doesn't get much better than this.

Before closing the book on his glittering gem of a debut record, D'Arby treats us to a cover of Smokey & The Miracles “Who's Lovin' You.” Sang with all the grit and fervor you can squeeze into a four and a half minute ballad, TTD's interpretation, dare I say, trumps the original. And he knew it; which is why he saved it for last.

Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby would ultimately win him the Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male, in March of 1988. The album would be his creative and commercial peak, never again to be matched by his later efforts. Marred by the inevitable backlash over his controversial statements of self-praise, D'Arby's work, post Introducing, would be met with only marginal success. His pretentious tendencies becoming more transparent with each subsequent record, TTD's next offerings would never live up to the promise of his stellar debut – But for one glorious year in the late 1980's, Terence Trent D'Arby's potential had no ceiling. The stage was set for D'Arby to carry the soul flag into the 90's alongside his new peers: Stevie, Michael and Prince. Unfortunately, lighting would not be bottled a second time. TTD could only maintain his greatness for one flawless, timeless record of introduction.

Side A

A1.  If You All Get To Heaven - 5:17  

A2.  If You Let Me Stay - 3:13  

A3.  Wishing Well - 3:29  

A4.  I'll Never Turn My Back On You (Father's Words) - 3:36  

A5.  Dance Little Sister - 3:53  

A6.  Seven More Days - 4:33  

Side B

B1.  Let's Go Forward - 5:31  

B2.  Rain - 2:58  

B3.  Sign Your Name - 4:35  

B4.  As Yet Untitled - 5:33  

B5.  Who's Lovin' You - 4:33 

Personnel

• Terence Trent D'Arby – vocals, keyboards, piano, drums, percussion, baritone saxophone, all instruments on "Sign Your Name" and "As Yet Untitled"
• Bruce Smith, Preston Heyman, Clive Mngaza – drums, percussion
• Sean Oliver, Phil Spalding, Cass Lewis – bass
• Nick Plytas, Andy Whitmore – keyboards
• Pete Glenister, "Blast" Murray, Tim Cansfield – guitars
• Christian Marsac – guitar, saxophone
• Ivar Ybrad – sinubla
• Frank Ricotti – percussion
• Mel Collins – saxophone
• Glenn Gregory, Tony Jackson, Frank Collins, Ebo Ross, Lance Ellington, Michele Oldland – backing vocals
• Strings on "Sign Your Name" scored by Chris Cameron

Companies, etc.

• Phonographic Copyright (p) – CBS Records
• Copyright (c) – CBS Records
• Distributed By – CBS Records
• Distributed By – CBS Disques S.A.
• Published By – Young Terence Music
• Published By – Virgin Music (Publishing) Ltd.
• Published By – Chrysalis Music
• Published By – Ardmore & Beechwood Ltd.
• Published By – EMI Music
• Pressed By – CBS, Haarlem – 01-450911
• Printed By – CBS, Haarlem

Credits

• Management [London] – P.A.R.C. (2)
• Photography By – Sheila Rock
• Producer – Martyn 'Teddy Bear' Ware (tracks: A1, A3 to A5, B1 to B5), Terence Trent D'Arby (tracks: A1, A3 to A5, B1 to B5)
• Recorded By [Sonically Captured], Engineer [Psycho-Acoustically Assaulted By] – Phil 'Foghorn' Legg
• Remix, Other [Additional Overdubs] – Michael H. Brauer (tracks: A2)
• Sleeve [Assisted By] – Andrew Biscomb
• Sleeve [Sleeve Design] – Peter Barrett (3)
• Written-By, Arranged By – Terence Trent D'Arby (tracks: A1 to B4) 

Notes

Release:  1987

Format:  LP

Genre:  Soul

Label:  CBS Records

Catalog#  CBS 450911 1

Prijs:  €7,99

Vinyl:  G

Cover:  VG

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Al Stewart - Live Indian Summer (2LP) (1981) - €14,99

Live/Indian Summer is the first live album by Al Stewart, released in 1981. It was originally released as a double LP, with sides 2, 3 & 4 featuring live material while side 1 featured five new studio recordings. 

The side 1 tracks were recorded at Evergreen Studios, Los Angeles between June–August 1981, while the three live sides were recorded at The Roxy Theatre, Los Angeles in April 1981.

Although all musicians were credited, the band itself Shot in the Dark were uncredited on the album sleeve and label, which was the second and last album Stewart performed with them as his backing band. They are however introduced with Stewart before the first song of the live-set. 

There is excellent variety on this album and the fact it all very well executed shows the competence of the musicians: they are top notch players. For example, a number of slower tracks feature really outstanding acoustic guitar work from Peter White. Elsewhere, the up tempo tracks are perfectly executed: the rhythm section chuggs along nicely right through this concert.

Some of the highlights are “Here in Angola,” “Pandora,” and “Princess Olivia.” Those three tracks are the best of the studio releases. They are traditional Stewart compilations and are done quite well. 

The live set begins with “Running Man.” Again here the quality of the mix is very good, as is the sound. “Time Passages,” which is not one of Stewart’s favorites, is much better than the version on Rhymes in Rooms. “Merlin’s Time” is a pleasant tune. 

They kick it up with “If it Doesn’t Come Naturally,” and some of the sax part is what makes it work. “Roads to Moscow” is performed with power, and the Russian theme flowing throughout gives it its atmosphere. “Nostradamus” is also much more dynamic than on the Rhymes in Rooms album and comes across really well. The remaining tracks all live up to a quality live recording as well. 

Al Stewart wrote a lot of excellent, diverse, material in this era. Some were huge hits, others just good album material. Indian Summer brings it all together and it will make a great addition to your collection.

Side A

A1. Here In Angola - 4:37  

A2. Pandora - 4:33  

A3. Indian Summer  (Backing Vocals – Flo & Eddie) - 3:33  

A4. Delia's Gone - 2:47  

A5. Princess Olivia  - 3:21  

Side B

B1. Running Man - 4:43  

B2. Time Passages - 6:26  

B3. Merlin's Time - 2:56  

B4. If It Doesn't Come Naturally, Leave It - 4:27  

Side C

C1. Roads To Moscow - 8:13  

C2. Nostradamus - 13:01  

      (a) Nostradamus - Part One   

      (b) World Goes To Riyadh   

      (c) Nostradamus - Part Two   

Side D

D1. Soho (Needless To Say) - 3:43  

D2. On The Border - 4:46  

D3. Valentina Way - 4:17  

D4. Clarence Frogman Henry - 1:43  

D5. Year Of The Cat - 7:07 

Personnel

• Al Stewart - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Synthesizer

Shot in the Dark

• Peter White - Keyboards, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Synthesizer
• Adam Yurman - Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals
• Robin Lamble - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion
• Krysia Kristianne - Keyboards, Backing Vocals
• James SK Wān - French Horn
• Bryan Savage - Alto and Tenor Saxophones, Flute

Additional Musicians

• Harry Stinson - Drums, Backing Vocals
• Robert Alpert - Keyboards

Notes

Release:  1981

Format:  2LP (Gatefold)

Genre:  Soft Rock

Label:  Arista Records

Catalog#  A2L 8607

Prijs:  €14,99

Vinyl:  VG

Cover  G

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Paul Young - The Secret Of Association (1985) - €10,00

The Secret of Association is the second studio album by the English singer Paul Young. Released in 1985, it reached number one on the UK album charts and the Top 20 in the US. The album spawned the hit singles "Every Time You Go Away" (a #1 hit in the US and #4 in the UK), "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" (#9 UK, #13 US), "Everything Must Change" (#9 UK, #56 US), and "Tomb of Memories" (UK #16). 

In 1984, Paul Young scored a couple of medium-sized U.S. hits with "Come Back and Stay" and "Love of the Common People" from his album No Parlez. In 1985, however, with his stellar album The Secret of Association, the British singer gained his highest level of commercial success with several hit singles, most notably his chart-topping cover of Daryl Hall's "Every Time You Go Away," which was miles better than the original. Featuring lush orchestration and Young's signature, soulful vocals, this album remains the singer's best, and one of the better albums of the 1980s. Other notable tracks include his wicked take on "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down," the gorgeous "Everything Must Change" (which almost sounds like a country song), and the popular album tracks "Soldier's Things" and "Tomb of Memories." Note, however, that the radio versions of all three singles released from this album are not the versions included here. 

No matter how Young may be perceived (mainly as a producer's puppet that couldn't write his own songs and ergo had to rely on a substantial amount of cover versions to keep his career afloat), he's always had a fantastic set of pipes and seems to be singing from the heart, and in the case of the slightly sappy yet self-penned "Everything Must Change", managed to come up with a bona-fide classic. Augmented by Pino Palladino's flashy yet imaginative basslines and Laurie Latham's kitchen sink production, this is a record that was fully deserving of its no. 1 status.

Though the second half is less exciting than the first and Young isn't much of a songwriter (much of side two was co-written by him), this is still a very enjoyable, emotional rollercoaster ride of an album. Variety abounds, every song is different, meticulously arranged, overproduced to the extreme, but certainly never boring. "Secrets" updates "No Parlez"'s winning formula with some grit and menace, which pays off particularly well on the opening track and "Playhouse".  

Side A

A1. Bite The Hand That Feeds - 4:31  

A2. Every Time You Go Away - 5:23  

A3. I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down - 5:05  

A4. Standing On The Edge - 4:38  

A5. Soldier's Things - 6:21  

Side B

B1. Everything Must Change - 5:35  

B2. Tomb Of Memories - 3:53  

B3. One Step Forward - 3:42  

B4. Hot Fun - 4:26  

B5. This Means Anything - 3:13  

B6. I Was In Chains - 5:42 

Personnel

• Paul Young – vocals, arrangements
• Mark Pinder - drums, electronic drums, percussion
• Marc Chantereau – percussion
• Pino Palladino – bass guitar
• Steve Bolton, John Turnbull – guitar
• B. J. Cole – pedal steel guitar
• Ian Kewley – keyboards, programming, Hammond organ, piano, arrangements
• Matt Irving – bass guitar
• Laurie Latham – effects, arrangements
• Paul Nieman – trombone 
• Nick Payn – saxophone 
• "Big" Jim Paterson – trombone 
• Graham Preskett – violin 
• Mark Feltham – harmonica 
• Jimmy Chambers, George Chandler, Chris Difford, Ged Doherty, Tony Jackson, Kim Lesley, Maz Roberts, Glenn Tilbrook – backing vocals

Production

• Producer: Laurie Latham
• Engineers: Stewart Barry, James Illes and Laurie Latham.
• Mastered by Tim Young
• Art Direction and Design: Rob O'Conner
• Sleeve Photography: Simon Fowler
• Inner Sleeve Photos: "Everyone

Notes

Release: 1985

Format:  LP

Genre:  Blue-Eyed Pop

Label:  CBS Records

Catalog#  CBS 26234

Prijs:  €10,00

Vinyl:  VG

Cover:  VG

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Quincy Jones - You've Got It Bad Girl (1973) - €10,00

You've Got It Bad Girl is a 1973 album by the American jazz musician/producer Quincy Jones.

The title track is a song written by Yvonne Wright and was originally released on Stevie Wonder's 1972 album Talking Book. Here Jones himself is performing the lead vocals. The album features another Stevie Wonder song: "Superstition", featuring vocals from Bill Withers, Billy Preston and Wonder himself, billed as 'Three Beautiful Brothers'

Also included are an instrumental interpretation of the Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer in the City"; and "Sanford and Son Theme (The Streetbeater)", which was used for the opening and closing credits themes for the NBC situation comedy Sanford and Son.

The final track on the album, "Chump Change", was first used as the main theme to 1972's The New Bill Cosby Show on CBS, where Jones's orchestra provided music. The CBS game show Now You See It used "Chump Change" as its main theme as well, both in 1974 and on its revival in 1989. It is also used as the main theme to the Dutch radio programme Langs de lijn, as well as the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation´s programme Ukeslutt.

Quincy Jones followed up Smackwater Jack and his supervision of Donny Hathaway's Come Back Charleston Blue soundtrack with this, a mixed bag that saw him inching a little closer toward the R&B-dominated approach that reached full stride on the following Body Heat and peaked commercially with The Dude. 

That said, the album's most notorious cut is "The Streetbeater" -- better known as the Sanford & Son theme, a novelty for most but also one of the greasiest, grimiest instrumental fusions of jazz and funk ever laid down -- while its second most noteworthy component is a drastic recasting of "Summer in the City," as heard in the Pharcyde's "Passin' Me By," where the frantic, bug-eyed energy of the Lovin' Spoonful original is turned into a magnetically lazy drift driven by Eddie Louis' organ, Dave Grusin's electric piano, and Valerie Simpson's voice. 

(Simpson gives the song a "Summertime"-like treatment.) Between that, the title song (a faithfully mellow version, with Jones' limited but subdued vocal lead), a medley of Aretha Franklin's "Daydreaming" and Ewan MacColl's "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," and a light instrumental, roughly half the album is mood music, and it's offset with not just "The Streetbeater" but a large-scale take on "Manteca," a spooky-then-overstuffed "Superstition" (where the uncredited Billy Preston, Bill Withers, and Stevie Wonder are billed as "three beautiful brothers"), and the "Streetbeater" companion "Chump Change" (co-written with Bill Cosby). 

Side A

A1. Summer In The City - 4:05  

A2. Eyes Of Love - 3:28  

A3. Tribute To A.F. - RO - 7:11  

       (a) Daydreaming - 3:36  

       (b) First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - 3:35  

A4. Love Theme From "The Getaway" - 2:35  

A5. You've Got It Bad Girl - 5:45  

Side B

B1. Superstition - 4:40  

B2. Manteca - 8:40  

B3. "Sanford & Son Theme" -NBC-TV (The Streetbeater) - 3:05  

B4. Chump Change - 3:19 

Personnel

• Dave Grusin – electric piano
• Valerie Simpson – vocals
• Phil Woods – alto saxophone
• Tom Junior Morgan – Harmonica soloist
• Toots Thielemans – Guitar, Whistle, Harmonica
• Ernie Watts – Saxophone
• Bobbye Porter – Percussion
• Quincy Duke – Vocals
• Bob James & Creations – Keyboards
• Ray Brown – Bass guitar, Producer, Mixing
• Carole Kaye - Bass guitar
• Chuck Rainey - Bass guitar
• Eddie Louis – Soloist
• George Duke – Piano
• Quincy Jones – Trumpet, Arranger, Conductor, Vocals, Producer, Mixing, Soloist
• Phil Ramone – Engineer
• Kevin Reeves – Mastering
• Phil (Boogie) Schier – Mixing
• Cat Anderson - soloist
• Grady Tate - Drums

Credits

• Arranged By – Quincy Jones
• Art Direction – Roland Young
• Engineer [Assistant] – Gary Ladinsky, John Henning
• Liner Notes – Roberta Flack
• Mixed By – Phil Schier, Quincy Jones, Ray Brown
• Photography By – Al Kramer, Jim McCreary
• Producer – Quincy Jones, Ray Brown
• Recorded By [Engineer] – Larry Levine, Phil Ramone, Phil Schier

Notes

Release:  1973

Format:  LP

Genre:  Soul / Jazz-Funk

Label:  A&M Records

Catalog#  SP-3041

Prijs:  €10,00

Vinyl:  VG

Cover:  VG

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Gerard Kenny - Made It Thru The Rain (1979) - €7,99

Gerard W. Kenny (born July 8, 1947, New York City, United States) is an American singer-songwriter, based in London, England. In 1981, he received the Ivor Novello Award for Best Television Theme Music for his song "I Could Be So Good for You", the theme tune of the ITV series Minder. 

Kenny formed his first band whilst in high school and between then and the early 1970s, he toured the club circuit. 

In 1968, he landed his first recording contract with Warner Bros. Records, and from that point until 1977 issued a number of singles that failed to break the charts. 

He also recorded for Buddah and Laurie; one of the singles on the latter titled "Happiest Man" is now collectable, selling for up to £200.

Kenny relocated to London in 1977 and it was not until the following year that he scored his first hit single with "New York, New York (So Good They Named It Twice)" (an ode to his hometown), which spent two months on the UK Singles Chart, with its parent album Made It Through the Rain going top 20 the following year.

Side A

A1. Fit To Be Tied - 3:56

A2. Music And Words - 4:33

A3. Son Of A Song And Dance Man - 2:54

A4. D-D-D-Dancin' -3:37

A5. Love - 3:56

Side B

B1. New York, New York - 3:05

B2. Pavement Princess - 3:55

B3. Drinking - 5:01

B4. Nickels And Dimes - 2:45

B5. Made It Thru The Rain - 4:59

Credits

• Producer – Christopher Neil

Notes

Release:  1979

Format:  LP (Gatefold)

Genre:  Pop

Label:  RCA Victor Records

Catalog#  PL 25218

Prijs:  €7,99

Vinyl:  VG

Cover:  VG (Gatefold)

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Billy Joel - 52nd Street (1978) - €10,00

52nd Street is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on October 11, 1978. The follow-up to his breakthrough success album, The Stranger, Joel tried to give the album a fresh sound, hiring various jazz musicians to differentiate it from his previous albums.

It was the first of four Joel albums to top the Billboard charts, and it earned him two Grammys. 

Three songs reached the Top 40 in the United States, contributing to the album's success: "My Life" (number 3), "Big Shot" (number 14), and "Honesty" (number 24). 

It was similarly well received by critics, earning the 1980 Grammy for Album of the Year. 

The title is a reference to 52nd Street, one of New York City's jazz centers in the middle of the century. Joel's label was headquartered on 52nd Street (in the CBS Building) at the time of the album's release. The studio where recording took place was also on 52nd Street, one block away from the CBS Building.

Once The Stranger became a hit, Billy Joel quickly re-entered the studio with producer Phil Ramone to record the follow-up, 52nd Street. Instead of breaking from the sound of The Stranger, Joel chose to expand it, making it more sophisticated and somewhat jazzy. 

Often, his moves sounded as if they were responses to Steely Dan -- indeed, his phrasing and melody for "Zanzibar" is a direct homage to Donald Fagen circa The Royal Scam, and it also boasts a solo from jazz great Freddie Hubbard à la Steely Dan -- but since Joel is a working-class populist, not an elitist college boy, he never shies away from big gestures and melodies. Consequently, 52nd Street unintentionally embellishes the Broadway overtones of its predecessor, not only on a centerpiece like "Stiletto," but when he's rocking out on "Big Shot." 

That isn't necessarily bad, since Joel's strong suit turns out to be showmanship -- he dazzles with his melodic skills and his enthusiastic performances. 

He also knows how to make a record. Song for song, 52nd Street might not be as strong as The Stranger, but there are no weak songs -- indeed, "Honesty," "My Life," "Until the Night," and the three mentioned above are among his best -- and they all flow together smoothly, thanks to Ramone's seamless production and Joel's melodic craftsmanship. 

It's remarkable to think that in a matter of three records, Joel had hit upon a workable, marketable formula -- one that not only made him one of the biggest-selling artists of his era, but one of the most enjoyable mainstream hitmakers. 52nd Street is a testament to that achievement. 

In 2003, 52nd Street was ranked number 352 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and at 354 on a 2012 revised list.

Side A

A1. Big Shot - 4:01  

A2. Honesty - 3:50  

A3. My Life  (Backing Vocals – Donnie Dacus, Peter Cetera) - 4:43  

A4. Zanzibar - 5:10  

Side B

B1. Stiletto - 4:39  

B2. Rosalinda's Eyes - 4:40  

B3. Half A Mile Away  (Backing Vocals – Babi Floyd, Frank Floyd, Milt Grayson, Ray Simpson, Zack Sanders) - 4:06  

B4. Until The Night - 6:35  

B5. 52nd Street - 2:27  

Companies, etc.

• Phonographic Copyright (p) – CBS Inc.
• Copyright (c) – CBS Inc.
• Copyright (c) – Impulsive Music
• Copyright (c) – April Music Inc.
• Recorded At – A & R Recording, Inc.
• Mixed At – A & R Recording, Inc.
• Mastered At – Sterling Sound
• Pressed By – CBS, Haarlem – 01-83181

Credits

• Bass, Backing Vocals – Doug Stegmeyer
• Co-producer [Production Associate] – Carol Peters, Kathy Kurs
• Concertmaster – David Nadien
• Cover [Design] – John Berg
• Drums – Liberty DeVitto
• Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Steve Khan
• Engineer – Jim Boyer
• Engineer [Assistant] – David Martone
• Mastered By – Ted Jensen
• Photography By – Jim Houghton
• Piano, Vocals – Billy Joel
• Producer – Phil Ramone
• Remix – Jim Boyer, Phil Ramone
• Saxophone, Organ, Clarinet – Richie Cannata
• Words By, Music By – Billy Joel

Notes

Release:  1978

Format:  LP

Genre:  Pop, Rock

Label:  CBS

Catalog#  CBS 83181

Prijs:  €10,00

Vinyl:  VG

Cover:  VG

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Musical - Chess (Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Tim Rice (2LP)

Chess is a musical with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of the pop group ABBA, lyrics by Ulvaeus and Tim Rice, and a book by Rice. 

The story involves a politically driven, Cold War–era chess tournament between two grandmasters, one American and the other Soviet Russian, and their fight over a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other. 

Although the protagonists were not intended to represent any real individuals, the character of the American grandmaster (named Freddie Trumper in the stage version) was loosely based on Bobby Fischer, while elements of the story may have been inspired by the chess careers of Russian grandmasters Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov.

Chess allegorically reflected the Cold War tensions present in the 1980s. The musical has been referred to as a metaphor for the whole Cold War, with the insinuation being made that the Cold War is itself a manipulative game. Released and staged at the height of the strong anti-communist agenda that came to be known as the "Reagan Doctrine", Chess addressed and satirized the hostility of the international political atmosphere of the 1980s. 

The double LP, often referred to as a concept album or album musical, was released worldwide in the autumn of 1984. Liner notes included with the album featured a basic synopsis of the story in multiple languages along with song lyrics and numerous photos. 

The music on the album was described by The New York Times as "a sumptuously recorded... grandiose pastiche that touches half a dozen bases, from Gilbert and Sullivan to late Rodgers and Hammerstein, from Italian opera to trendy synthesizer-based pop, all of it lavishly arranged for the London Symphony Orchestra with splashy electronic embellishments". 

The album featured Murray Head, Tommy Körberg, Elaine Paige, and noted actor Denis Quilley in the role of Molokov. 

A single from the album, "One Night in Bangkok", with verses performed by Murray Head and choruses performed by Anders Glenmark, became a worldwide smash, reaching #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100. 

The duet "I Know Him So Well" by Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson held the #1 spot on the UK singles charts for four weeks, winning the Ivor Novello Award in the process as the Best Selling Single ('A' Side).

Side A

A1. Merano - 6:59  

A2. The Russian And Molokov/Where I Want To Be - 6:19  

A3. Opening Ceremony - 9:18  

A4. Quartet (A Model Of Decorum And Tranquility) - 2:17  

Side B

B1. The American And Florence/Nobody's Side - 5:25  

B2. Chess - 5:44  

B3. Mountain Duet - 4:42  

B4. Florence Quits - 2:52  

B5. Embassy Lament (Vocals – Alan Byers, Leslie Fyson, Peter Bambo, Vernon Midgley) - 4:31  

B6 Anthem - 3:05

Side C

C1. Bangkok/One Night In Bangkok (Vocals [Chorus, One Night In Bangkok] – Anders Glenmark) - 5:00  

C2. Heaven Help My Heart - 3:29  

C3. Argument - 6:02  

C4. I Know Him So Well - 4:15 

C5. The Deal (No Deal) - 9:21  

C6. Pity The Child - 5:31

Side D

D1. Endgame - 10:46  

D2. Epilogue: You And I/The Story Of Chess - 10:24  

Principal cast

• The American – Murray Head
• The Russian – Tommy Körberg
• Florence – Elaine Paige
• Molokov – Denis Quilley
• The Arbiter – Björn Skifs
• Svetlana – Barbara Dickson

Companies, etc.

• Phonographic Copyright (p) – 3 Knights Ltd
• Copyright (c) – 3 Knights Ltd
• Published By – Union Songs AB

Credits

• Arranged By, Keyboards, Synthesizer – Anders Eljas, Benny Andersson
• Backing Vocals – Anders Glenmark, Karin Glenmark
• Backing Vocals [Additional] – Liza Öhman
• Bass – Rutger Gunnarsson
• Choir – The Ambrosian Singers
• Drums, Percussion – Per Lindvall
• Engineer, Mixed By – Michael B. Tretow
• Guitar – Lasse Wellander
• Orchestra – London Symphony Orchestra
• Orchestrated By, Conductor – Anders Eljas
• Producer, Liner Notes – Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Tim Rice
• Text By – W.R. Hartston
• Vocals – Barbara Dickson, Björn Skifs, Denis Quilley, Elaine Paige, Murray Head, Tommy Körberg

Notes

Release:  1984

Format:  2LP (Gatefold)

Genre:  Musical

Label:  RCA Records

Catalog#  PL70500(2)

Prijs:  €20,00

Vinyl:  VG

Cover:  VG

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Robbie Dupree - Robbie Dupree (1980) - €4,99

Robert Dupuis (born December 23, 1946), known professionally as Robbie Dupree, is an American singer best known for his hit songs "Steal Away" (No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100) and "Hot Rod Hearts" (No. 15).

Robbie Dupree was born on December 23, 1946 in Brooklyn, as Robert Dupuis. While growing up, his biggest influences were R&B musicians Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke.

Robbie Dupree's self-titled debut from 1980 features the hit "Steal Away." Dupree was heavily influenced by Michael McDonald-era Doobie Brothers.

The songs on his debut were written by him (credited under his birth surname of Dupois), either alone or with partners such as co-producer Rick Chudacoff (the other producer was Peter Bunetta). They're vignettes of sun-kissed, romantic yearning, amorous adventurous in convertibles, cocktail bar heartbreak, and elopement.

If you like "Steal Away", then there's more where that came from. "Thin Line", written with the album's keyboard player, Bill Elliott, is slick, sincere, expertly constructed, arranged and recorded, marrying soul with pop to immensely likable effect. "It's a Feeling" is the kind of thing that still gets airplay on smooth jazz radio stations. Dupree's melody lines and phrasing are searching and intelligent although the lyrics are boilerplate romance. "Hot Rod Hearts", Dupree's other high-charting single, comes from an external songwriting team and seems overtly calculated for radio appeal. 

Some of the material is not dissimilar to that which Leon Ware, also on Elektra at this point in time, was creating. "We Both Tried", from the combined pens of David Foster and Chicago's Bill Champlin and recorded two years earlier for Champlin's own solo debut, slips by pleasantly enough. The problem is that there's a fine line between smooth and sterile and yacht rock straddles it. "Love Is a Mystery" is a case in point. It's beautifully recorded, with keyboards and percussion sounding particularly crisp and fresh. But it teeters dangerously close to muzak. Fortunately, "Lonely Runner", which closes the album, packs a much-needed punch, unfolding with a compelling sense of drama and melancholy. The album now comes repackaged with four bonus tracks - Spanish versions of "Steal Away", "Nobody Else", "Hot Rod Hearts" and "Lonely Runner".

Dupree got back together with the same team the following year for Street Corner Heroes (Elektra, 1981) but this time with a greater reliance on outside writers, and electric guitar made more prominent in the mix. As with the debut, these are songs of teen yearning, callow bravado, lust, and heartbreak. Although every last detail was in place to appeal to contemporary radio, the album failed to replicate the success of the debut. Perhaps that's because Dupree's voice doesn't always muster enough character to carry an album. It's a very able instrument, but sometimes it lacks a distinctive personality. Or perhaps it's because the formula was wearing thin, coming off bland and sanitized. Maybe it's because there was less of Dupree's own writing and so we're left with the cookie-cutter poetry of "Brooklyn Girls": "She spins the wheel of fortune on the boardwalk...she dreams about the lights across the river / Dances in the dark while the radio plays / She knows that someone out there must be waiting / To take her in his arms." Cue the obligatory sax solo.

The doo-wop cover, “All Night Long", is rendered too antiseptic for words. On “Free Fallin'" ("Do you remember nights on Bleeker Street / All The old places where we used to meet / Back in the schoolyard playing Romeo / We were the only ones afraid to let go"'), the tell-tale, plinky-plonky keyboard shuffle from “Steal Away" recurs, but now it sounds a little rinky-dink and anaemic. It's left to the title track (written by a committee of six; a sign of things to come) to inject a bit of vigor and élan into the proceedings. "I'll Be the Fool Again', with its processed keyboard sound, is shrink-wrapped, disposable pop of a particularly wearying variety.

Side A

A1. Steal Away - 3:31  

A2. I'm No Stranger - 4:25  

A3. Thin Line - 4:01  

A4. It's A Feeling - 4:01  

A5. Hot Rod Hearts - 3:41  

Side B

B1. Nobody Else - 3:46  

B2. We Both Tried - 4:50  

B3. Love Is A Mystery - 3:28  

B4. Lonely Runner - 4:36  

Companies, etc.

• Recorded At – Alpha Studios, Burbank
• Mixed At – Alpha Studios, Burbank
• Mastered At – A&M Studios
• Pressed By – Allied Record Company
• Manufactured By – Elektra/Asylum/Nonesuch Records
• Published By – Big Ears Music
• Published By – Chrome Willie Music
• Published By – Gouda Music
• Published By – Oozlefinch Music
• Published By – Captain Crystal Music
• Published By – Blackwood Music Inc.
• Published By – Dar-Jen Music Inc.
• Published By – Camex Music, Inc.
• Phonographic Copyright (p) – Elektra Records
• Phonographic Copyright (p) – Elektra/Asylum Records
• Copyright (c) – Elektra/Asylum Records

Credits

• Arranged By – Bill Elliott (tracks: A3, B2)
• Art Direction, Design – Ron Coro
• Backing Vocals – Arno Lucas, Bill LaBounty, Joe Turano, Kal David, Leslie Smith, Matthew Weiner
• Bass – Rick Chudacoff
• Congas, Percussion – Miguel Rivera
• Drums, Percussion – Peter Bunetta
• Engineer – Gary Brandt
• Guitar – Robert Palmer
• Guitar [Additional] – Bob Bordy, Brian Ray, Dennis Herring
• Harmonica, Percussion – Robbie Dupree
• Keyboards – Bill Elliott
• Keyboards [Additional] – Bill LaBounty, Rick Chudacoff
• Management – Al Bunetta Management
• Marimba, Percussion – Alan Estes
• Mastered By – Bernie Grundman
• Photography By – Jim Shea
• Producer – Peter Bunetta, Rick Chudacoff
• Saxophone – Jerry Peterson
• Sitar [Electric] – Kal David
• Synthesizer – Michael Boddicker

Notes

Release:  1980

Format:  LP

Genre:  Soft Rock

Label:  Elektra Records

Catalog#  6E-273

Prijs:  €4,99

Vinyl:  VG

Cover:  G+

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