juni 30, 2021

Joan Armatrading - Show Some Emotion (LP) (1977) - €4,99

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Show Some Emotion is the fourth studio album by British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading, released in 1977 on A&M. It reached No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart, No. 52 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart.

Retaining producer Glyn Johns and some of the same session players from her last record, Show Some Emotion repeated that album's chart success and included two more terrific singles in the same vein: "Show Some Emotion" and "Willow." 
However, the rest of the album sounds like outtakes from that effort. Gone is the smooth, honeyfied flow of Joan Armatrading; the lyrics seem to lack a sense of meter, the songs occasionally rely on pedestrian R&B arrangements to move them along, and the buoyant melodies are few and far between. 
Part of the problem stems from poor track placement; the vulnerable "Woncha Come on Home," which would have worked well at the end of side one or two, is an awful choice as the opening track. 
Placing the similar-sounding "Mama Mercy" and "Get in the Sun" next to each other suggests that Armatrading even had trouble coming up with filler, and waiting until the end of the album to unleash the energetic "Kissin' and a Huggin'" leaves the listener all charged up for nothing. 
While the title track and "Willow" are good enough to justify the album purchase alone, they're available on any number of compilations. Without them, Show Some Emotion lacks any must-own material, although the aptly titled "Warm Love," "Kissin' and a Huggin'," and the compelling "Opportunity" are worth hearing. Overall, this feels like a step back after her last effort. 
The fine voice and smattering of rock, jazz, and island melodies place it as vintage Joan Armatrading, but the material is a cut below her better work.


Side one
1.  Woncha Come On Home - 2:40 
2.  Show Me Some Emotion - 3:31 
3.  Warm Love - 3:03 
4.  Never Is Too Late - 5:32 
5.  Peace In Mind - 3:20 

Side two
1.  Opportunity - 3:23 
2.  Mama Mercy - 2:48 
3.  Get In The Sun - 3:20 
4.  Willow - 4:50 
5.  Kissin' And A Huggin' - 4:42 


Personnel

Technical

Notes
Release:  1977
Format:  LP
Genre:  Pop
Label:  A&M Records
Catalog#  AMLH 68433

Vinyl:  Lichte Gebruikerssporen
Cover:  Lichte Gebruikerssporen

Prijs: €4,99

juni 29, 2021

Matthew Wilder - I Don't Speak The Language (1983) - €7,99

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Matthew Wilder (Weiner; January 24, 1953) is an American singer, musician, and record producer. In early 1984, his single "Break My Stride" hit No. 2 on the Cash Box chart and No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

He was one-half of the Greenwich Village folk rock group Matthew & Peter in the 1970s. In 1978 he moved to Los Angeles, California, and sang for television commercials and as a backing vocalist for Rickie Lee Jones and Bette Midler.

Wilder's debut album, I Don't Speak the Language (1983), reached No. 49 on the Billboard 200, fueled by "Break My Stride". Wilder had some continued success with the single "The Kid's American", which reached No. 33 in 1984, but the single failed to match the success of "Break My Stride". 

As with many people I knew Matthew Wilder only from his 1983 smash hit "Break My Stride",a song I loved from that era. But I knew nothing about this accompanying album. Upon hearing it I became aware that Matthew Wilder was definately one of the 80's pop dynamos that got away. 
He ended up releasing only two albums,the second of which didn't far as well and written off as a bit of a one hit wonder. But all you have to do is take one listen to this album and you'll find out that this man was more then capable of delivering a high quality album of catchy,original pop songs. 
In a world of white R&B,jazz,funk and caribbean/reggae influenced artists of the same era such as Teena Marie,Paul Simon and Robert Palmer Wilder fit right in-even bringing in some great musicians such as Paulinho DaCosta and bassists Reggie McBride and Alphonso Johnson along for the ride. Many of the songs have a light island flavor but each has it's own flavor. 
After hearing the classic "Break My Stride" again we're treated to Wilder's other hit which is almost forgotton-the modernized Motown hand clap session of "The Kids American". One of the favorite song here is the title song,a soft mixture of electronica and calypso that really brings out the best in Wilder's wondeful falsetto. 
"Love Above The Ground Floor" is the one song on the album that has the strongest reggae influence but also turns out to be a pleasant pop/R&B song as well. On "Worlds Of The Rich And Famous" Wilder tries his hand at a heavy funk jam and more then holds his own. "I Was There" is the only tune here that easily fits into the new wave rock sound of the era while the spacy ballads "Ladder Of Lovers" and "Dreams Keep Bringing You Back" both are similar,and followed by a reprise of the title song to conclude the album. 
The R&B/caribbean style of the music here even follows a very loose concept,which lyrically explores an escape from the taudry realities of everyday life through dreams,travelling and personal experience. So you didn't think anything this complex or artistically satisfying could come from a one hit wonder?


Side one
1.  Break My Stride - 3:00 
2.  The Kid's American - 4:36 
3.  I Don't Speak The Language - 4:45 
4.  Love Above The Ground Floor - 4:13 

Side two
1.  World Of The Rich And Famous - 4:43 
2.  Ladder Of Lovers - 4:04 
3.  I Was There - 3:01 
4.  Dreams Keep Bringing You Back - 4:36 
5.  I Don't Speak The Language (Reprise)- 1:20 


Personnel
  • Matthew Wilder – lead vocals (1-9), backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8), Prophet-5 (1), Prophet-10 (2, 3, 5, 6, 9), acoustic piano, (4, 7, 8), horn arrangements (4), Rhodes Chroma (5)
  • Bill Elliott – Prophet-5 (1), acoustic piano (2), Prophet-10 (3, 4, 6, 7, 9), horn arrangements (4)
  • Bill Cuomo – Prophet-5 (3, 6, 8, 9), Rhodes Chroma (3, 5, 6, 8, 9)
  • Paul Fox – E-mu Emulator (5, 7)
  • Dennis Herring – guitar (1, 2, 7)
  • Donald Griffin – guitar (4, 5)
  • Tim Winston – guitar solo (5)
  • John McFee – mandolin (8)
  • Reggie McBride – bass (2)
  • Rick Chudacoff – bass (4, 6, 7)
  • Alphonso Johnson – bass (8)
  • Peter Bunetta – drums (1-9), percussion (1), Oberheim DMX (1)
  • John Gilston – Simmons drum programming (1-9)
  • Paulinho da Costa – percussion (3, 6, 8, 9)
  • Jerry Peterson – baritone saxophone (2)
  • Lon Price – tenor saxophone (2)
  • Bill Armstrong – trumpet (4)
  • Gary Grant – trumpet (4)
  • Greg Prestopino – backing vocals (1, 2, 8)
  • Joe Turano – backing vocals (1, 2, 7, 8)
  • Arno Lucas – backing vocals (2, 5)
  • Leslie Smith – backing vocals (2, 5)
  • Dee Dee Bellson – backing vocals (3, 4, 9)
  • Mary Hylan – backing vocals (3, 4, 9)
  • Edie Lehmann – backing vocals (3, 4, 9)
  • Amy Weston – backing vocals (3, 4, 9)
  • Anna Pagan – backing vocals (5)
  • Anita Sherman – backing vocals (5)

Production
  • Producers – Peter Bunetta, Rick Chudacoff and Bill Elliott.
  • Executive Producers – Al Bunetta and Shingo Take
  • Engineers – Csaba Pectoz (Track 1); Steve Zaretsky (All tracks).
  • Assistant Engineers – Britt Bacon and Michael Franke (Track 1); Paul Ericksen, Mitch Gibson and Csaba Pectoz (Tracks 2-9).
  • Mixed by Steve Zaretsky
  • Design – Tommy Steele and Art Hotel
  • Photography – William Warner

Notes
Release: 1983
Format:  LP
Genre:  Pop
Label:  Epic Records
Catalog#  EPC 25785

Vinyl:  VG
Cover:  VG

Prijs: €7,99

juni 27, 2021

Alex Harvey-The New Band - The Mafia Stole My Guitar (LP) (1979) - €10,00

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The Mafia Stole My Guitar is the second album by Alex Harvey. The earlier Alex Harvey Presents: The Loch Ness Monster was made while the rest of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were recording Fourplay. 
The Mafia Stole My Guitar was the last album Harvey released during his lifetime; he died in 1982.

This 1979 outing saw Alex Harvey returning to the rock music world for what would be his final album. It's no big surprise that The Mafia Stole My Guitar sounds a lot like the Sensational Alex Harvey Band: the music remains the same unusual but intriguing blend of prog ambition and punk energy and it also contains a few of Harvey's trademark oddball cover versions (example: his surprisingly straight-faced cabaret version of "Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody"). 
What is a surprise is how consistent The Mafia Stole My Guitar is, especially in light of the uneven final albums of his last band. While the album never coheres the way classic Alex Harvey outings like Next did, each of the songs feels inspired and benefits from a carefully-crafted sound:"Wait For Me Mama" contrasts a wailing, impassioned vocal from Harvey with a tightly-controlled, gypsy-flavored groove from the band while "Oh, Spartacus" is a Roman adventure tale that takes the story of its title character and gives it a glam rock beat. The Mafia Stole My Guitar also adds finds Harvey shifting his sound in a new direction, with the saxophone taking an upfront role in the arrangements and adding a jazzy flair to the proceedings. 
A good example of this new jazziness is the cover of "Shakin' All Over," which alters this classic Johnny Kidd and the Pirates hard-rock nugget by raising the tempo to an amphetamine level and adding all sorts of jazz-fusion inspired riffing over the top. This album also contains one of the loveliest songs in the Harvey canon in "The Whalers (Thar She Blows)," a surprisingly gentle and lyrical song layered with plenty of gentle synthesizer and saxophone shadings. 
The end result is a rocking yet stately-sounding slab of music that is unmistakably the work of Alex Harvey. While it's tragic that Harvey would never record again after this album (he died of health problems in 1981), the Mafia Stole My Guitar remains a fine addition to his legacy. 


Side one
1.  Don's Delight - 1:28 
2.  Back In The Depot - 6:28 
3.  Wait For Me Mama - 6:59 
4.  The Mafia Stole My Guitar - 5:09 

Side two
1.  Shaking All Over - 4:46 
2.  The Whalers (Thar She Blows) - 7:03 
3.  Oh Spartacus! - 3:53 
4.  Just A Gigolo / Ain't Got Nobody - 5:16


Personnel
  • Alex Harvey - lead vocals, lead guitar
The New Band
  • Matthew Cang - lead guitar, keyboards, vocals
  • Simon Charterton - drums, percussion, vocals
  • Tommy Eyre - keyboards (main), vocals
  • Gordon Sellar - bass guitar, vocals
  • Don Weller - saxophone, horns on "Oh Spartacus!"
Technical
  • Mike Hedges - engineer
  • Mark Freegard - assistant engineer

Notes
Release:  1979
Format:  LP
Genre:  Rock
Label:  RCA Records
Catalog#  PL 25257

Vinyl:  VG
Cover:   VG

Prijs: 10,00

juni 24, 2021

Soundtrack - Convoy (LP) (1978) - €6,99

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Convoy is a 1978 American road action-comedy film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Kris Kristofferson, Ali MacGraw, Ernest Borgnine, Burt Young, Madge Sinclair and Franklyn Ajaye. 
 The film is based on the 1975 country and western novelty song "Convoy" by C. W. McCall. 
The film was made when the CB radio/trucking craze was at its peak in the United States, and followed the similarly themed films White Line Fever (1975) and Smokey and the Bandit (1977). It was the most commercially successful film of Peckinpah's career. 

Artists on this soundtrack are:  C.W. McCall, Kenny Rogers, Gene Watson, Crystal Gayle, Billy ´Crash´ Craddock, Merfle Haggard, Glen Campbell, Billie Jo Spears, Doc Watson and Anne Murray.


Side one
1. C.W. McCall - Convoy - 3:57
2. Kenny Rogers - Lucille - 3:38
3. Gene Watson - Cowboys Don't Get Lucky All The Time - 2:36 
4. Crystal Gayle - Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue - 2:35
5. Billy 'Crash' Craddock - I Cheated On A Good Woman's Love - 2:38 

Side two
1. Merle Haggard - Okie From Muskogee - 2:41
2. Glen Campbell - Southern Nights - 2:57
3. Billie Jo Spears - Blanket On The Ground - 3:#3 
4. Doc Watson - Keep On The Sunny Side - 2:06
5. Anne Murray - Walk Right Back - 2:40


Companies, etc.

Credits

Notes
Release: 1978
Format:  LP
Genre:  Country
Label:  Capitol Records
Catalog#  E-ST 24590

Vinyl: Good
Cover:  Good

Prijs: €6,99

juni 22, 2021

Pattie Brooks And The Simon Orchestra - Love Shook (1977) - €5,00

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Pattie Brooks (sometimes credited as Patti Brooks and Patty Brooks) is an American singer most frequently associated with the disco era. She was born in Fort Riley, Kansas to a military family. Her first break came in 1968 when she auditioned for the chorus on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. 
In the next decade she became a sought-after backing singer, appearing on the Bobby Darin Show and touring with, among others Helen Reddy. She sang backing vocals on Donna Summer's album I Remember Yesterday. 

In the mid-1970s Brooks came to the attention of disco producer Simon Soussain, and her solo recording career was born. Her first of four albums on the Casablanca label was 1977's Love Shook (credited as Pattie Brooks & The Simon Orchestra), the album peaked at #2 on the US Dance Chart.


Side one
1.  Girl Don't Make Me Wait - 10:55 
2.  Love Shook - 8:40 

Side two
1.  Let's Make Love To The Music - 8:50 
2.  Pop Collage Medley - 9:18 
     (1)  Popcorn
     (2)  Black Is Black
     (3)  Na Na Hey Kiss Him Goodbye 


Companies, etc.

Credits

Notes
Release: 1977
Format: LP
Genre: Disco / Soul
Label: Casablanca Records
Catalog# CBLA 71023

Vinyl:  Goed
Hoes:  Lichte Gebruikerssporen

Prijs: €5,00

juni 21, 2021

Rose Royce - Golden Touch (1980)

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Without question, Rose Royce suffered a major loss when lead vocalist Gwen "Rose" Dickey left the band in 1979. 
But as memorable as her contributions were -- as much as fans adored her -- 1980's Golden Touch proved that she wasn't indispensable. Rose Royce still had a gem of a lead singer in falsetto Kenny Copeland and Dickey's female replacement Richee Benson proved that she was no slouch either. Benson doesn't sound anything like her predecessor, as Dickey's vocals had a girlish sweetness and that isn't the case with the husky-voiced Benson. 
But the new replacement is charismatic in her own way, and she proves herself to be a deserving addition to the band on the dreamy title song as well as the lovely ballad "And You Wish For Yesterday." 
Copeland, meanwhile, has some memorable spots on the medium-tempo "Love Is in the Air," the Stylistics-like "Would You Please Be Mine," and the funky "I Wanna Make It With You" (not to be confused with the Bread hit). 
And all of the singers contribute to "Funkin' Around," a very fun slice of Parliament-influenced p-funk. Golden Touch isn't among Rose Royce's essential albums, but it's a solid, respectable effort that illustrates the band's ability to carry on without Dickey. 

The result of the whole "disco sucks" fiasco basically kept any uptempo R&B styles off of radio. I've heard it called by some "the freeze out". Interestingly enough this was when most bands tended to be at a certain creative height. For Royce Royce it was somewhat sad because they lost their original lead singer Gwen Dickey prior to this release. 
In the end they chose Richee Benson as a successor,because they knew they could never replace the apparently fame seeking Dickey. Benson is possessed of a more husky,typical female funk vocalist type of singing style. Luckily she also has a somewhat more jazzy approach to her singing. And that worked out fine because the band themselves were facing some of the biggest changes of their ever changing career.

As with their previous album and their second this album opens with a ballad "And You Wish For Yesterday". Honestly I've always had the unfortunate habit of skipping over the slow numbers on funk albums. Which is sometimes a mistake because,for example what would EWF's  That's the Way of the World  be without the stratospheric "Reasons"? 
However songs such as the title song "Love Is In The Air" and "Would You Please Be Mind" are the main reason for the four stars. None of these ballads has much character lyrically or musically beyond what the band had done. And NONE hold a CANDLE frankly to "I'm Going Down","I'm Wishing On A Star" and "Love Don't Live Here Anymore". 
All the same the uptempo numbers capture the transition much better. A good example is the boogie style of "I Wanna Make It You". The more synthesized style of boogie funk suits Rose Royce pretty well actually. "Funkin' Around",a witty story about smoking a joint in an airplane reflects producer Norman Whitfield's ever present love of the P-Funk sound,even as George Clinton's musical empire was crumbling at this point. 
"You're A Winner" of course not only sounds the most like the bands earlier funk but blends some of that boogie style in with the classic rhythmic crunch a well.
The album closes with the surprisingly retro (for 1980) funky soul of "Help Yourself",sounding somewhat more like 1970 than 1980. 


Side one
1.  And You Wish For Yesterday - 3:45
2.  I Wanna Make It With You - 3:35
3.  Funkin' Around - 4:45
4.  Golden Touch - 3:47

Side two
1.  Love Is In The Air - 3:34
2.  You're A Winner - 4:26
3.  Would You Please Be Mine - 3:47
4.  Help Yourself - 4:01 


Line-up/Musicians

Bass – Lequeint Jobe , Mark Kenoly
Congas – Terral Santiel
Drums – Henry Garner
Guitar – Earnest Reed, Jr. , Lafayette Stone, Melvin Watson, Walter McKinney
Horns – Chris Powell, Kenneth Scott, LaMorris Payne
Keyboards – Michael Nash, Walter Downing
Lead Vocals – Kenneth Copeland , Richee Benson
Percussion – Jack Ashford, Terral Santiel
Saxophone – Michael Moore
Trumpet – Freddie Dunn, Kenneth Copeland
Vocals – Henry Garner, Lequeint Jobe , Michael Moore


Companies, etc.

Credits

Notes
Release: 1980
Format:  LP
Genre:  Soul / Funk
Label:  Warner Bros. Records
Catalog#  WB 56881

Vinyl:  VG
Cover:  VG

Prijs: 10,00

juni 20, 2021

The Lover Speaks - The Lover Speaks (1986) - €10,00

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The Lover Speaks were an English new wave duo consisting of David Freeman (vocals) and Joseph Hughes (arranger, composer). They wrote and sang the original version of the song "No More "I Love You's"", covered by Annie Lennox in 1995 on her Medusa album, which she took to No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. 

The Lover Speaks is the self-titled debut studio album from British duo The Lover Speaks, released in 1986.

David Freeman and Joseph Hughes formed The Lover Speaks in 1985, having previously worked together in the punk outfit The Flys. Deriving their name from the Roland Barthes' book A Lover's Discourse: Fragments, the duo began writing material and also recruited keyboard player Barry Gilbert after advertising for a keyboardist. Although Gilbert was not an official member of the group, he would record and tour with the duo. Later in 1985, the band sent a demo tape to Dave Stewart of Eurythmics and soon signed with Stewart's Anxious Music Publishing. Meanwhile, Stewart had forwarded the demo tape to Chryssie Hynde, who sent it to producer Jimmy Iovine. Iovine was successful in getting the band a recording contract with A&M Records in early 1986.

Like a classic automobile, they simply don't make albums like the Lover Speaks' self-titled debut from 1986 anymore. At first, the Lover Speaks may seem like a knock-off of the Human League. Singer David Freeman's baritone resembles Philip Oakey's deep croon, and whenever the backup vocals of June Miles Kingstone appear, the male/female harmonies of the Human League is instantly recalled. Musically and lyrically, however, the Lover Speaks easily separate themselves. 
The soaring, heartbreaking chorus of "No More 'I Love You''s" must've mesmerized Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics; she covered it in the early '90s. 
The original version by the Lover Speaks is a stunner -- stylishly crafted, soulful pop elevated by Freeman's booming voice. Like "No More 'I Love You''s," "Absent One," and "Love Is: 'I Gave You Everything'" surge with bruised emotions. But the pain in Freeman's voice is exhilarating, not depressing, to listen to; sad and bitter words pour beautifully from his mouth. 
"Every Lover's Sign" and "Never to Forget You" offer respite from all the melancholy confessions; however, it's the stinging ache in tracks such as "Face Me and Smile," a tale of infidelity, that linger after the album has finished spinning. In "No More 'I Love You''s" Freeman sings, "I used to have demons in my room at night/desire, despair, desire, so many monsters." All of his monsters are illustrated in The Lover Speaks, and every one is sharply rendered. 

Work on the duo's debut album began in February 1986 at A&M Studios in Los Angeles. The Church in London was also used for recording, while Marcus Recording Studios was used to master the album. With Iovine as co-producer, the album took three months to complete. Originally, Freeman had put forward two possible titles for the album – The Politics of Roses and Seriously Purple Prose – but both were rejected by A&M in favour of being self-titled. Describing the album's theme, Freeman recalled in 2015:

"Each song on the album is a reference to a specific idea in Roland Barthes' book Fragments d'un discours amoureux. Our idea was to produce a musical cartoon of his book. The whole album is based on that book – an exercise in camp with a bouffant hairdo.


Side one
1.  Every Lover's Sign - 4:39 
2.  No More "I Love You's" - 4:04 
3.  Never To Forget You - 4:21 
4.  Face Me And Smile - 4:18 
5.  Absent One - 4:14 

Side two
1.  Love Is:"I Gave You Everything" - 4:28 
2.  "This Can't Go On" - 3:49 
3.  Still Faking This Art Of Love - 4:19 
4.  Tremble Dancing - 4:15 
5.  Of Tears - 3:37 


Personnel

Notes
Release: 1986
Format:  LP
Genre:  Synth-pop
Label:  A&M Records
Catalog#  LP395127-1

Vinyl:  VG
Hoes:  VG

Prijs: 10,00