Roy Ayers Ubiquity (2024)

UK import

2024 box set of five albums by vibraphonist Roy Ayers - sometimes known as the "Godfather of Acid Jazz" - released in the years 1975-1977. I almost didn't buy this set because I already had two of the five albums, but I wanted to hear Vibrations and this set was the cheapest way to pick up a (legitimate) copy. At $30 ($6 per album), it's a hard to pass up this shining set. I mean, everybody loves the sunshine, right?

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A TEAR TO A SMILE (1975)
10 tracks, 40 minutes

In which Ayers moves from his early '70s funky jazz to a funk-jazz-soul-R&B-disco mix while maintaining his bona fides as one of the best vibraphone players in the land. There's a new focus on vocal tracks that sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. There's some great grooves and performances to be had throughout. With this album, Ayers begins his slow transition from jazz player to conductor/producer/arranger as he inches toward the smoother, more commercial sound of his late '70s peak.

I love how he adds descriptors for each performer in the credits.

Reviews/ratings:

• Record World: "The feel flows throughout"
• CashBox: "a low keyed approach to funk, sprinkled ever so lightly with the essential life juices of jazz and rhythm and blues."
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Jazz: #8
• CashBox: #181
• Record World Jazz: #11

Tracks: I enjoy 2000 Black, Show Us A Feeling, The Old One Two (Move To Groove), and A Tear To A Smile. My current favorite cut is the ethereal ballad, Miles (Love's Silent Dawn). The only track that plays it safe is a cover of Earth, Wind & Fire's The Way Of The World, but just because it's safe doesn't mean it's not extrememly enjoyable. (And quite frankly, that song is just begging for jazz covers.) Ayers hits the vibes more on this album than a few of the subsiquent releases, especially on tracks like Ebony Blaze, Time And Space, That's The Way Of The World, Miles (Love's Silent Dawn), and the title track.

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MYSTIC VOYAGE (1975)
10 tracks, 43 minutes

Previously appeared on The CD Project. Note: the 7" version of Evolution is included in this box set as a bonus track.

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EVERYBODY LOVES THE SUNSHINE (1976)
10 tracks, 40 minutes

Previously appeared on The CD Project.

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VIBRATIONS (1976)
11 tracks, 42 minutes

Following up the success of Everybody Loves The Sunshine, so we've got more of the same. I'm not complaining. Rather than trying to reinvent himself, Ayers doubled down on the formula he had been refining all decade: warm vocals, sophisticated jazz harmonies, and irresistible funk grooves. This album also marks the beginning of a shift to utlizing disco/dance grooves on a few tracks. While not having the commercial success of Everybody Loves The Sunshine, Vibrations did quite well on a variety of charts.

Reviews/ratings:

• DownBeat (★½): "I've been known to walk out of restaurants for no other reason that stuff like this coming over the loudspeaker."
• Billboard: "elements of jazz and soul that fuse together for a varied array of mellow and upbeat compositions."
• CashBox: "Roy Ayers Ubiquity is a classy jazz/rock/funk aggregation that, on each album, gets better and better."
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #74
• Billboard R&B: #11
• Billboard Jazz: #8
• CashBox: #94
• CashBox Jazz: #4
• Record World Jazz: #4

Tracks that could have fit on Everybody Loves The Sunshine: Baby I Need Your Love, The Memory, Better Days, Searching, Vibrations, and Baby You Give Me A Feeling.

Tracks embracing the disco trends of the time: Domelo (Give It To Me), Come Out And Play, and Moving Grooving.

Too funky to fit neatly in either of the above categories: Higher and One Sweet Love To Remember.

Bonus track: 7" version of Domelo (Give It To Me)

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LIFELINE (1977)
10 tracks, 43 minutes

I bought this box set because I dig the albums Mystic Voyage and Everybody Loves The Sunshine and wanted more of the same. That's just what we're treated to here. (I also recommend the 2003 compilation, Virgin Ubiquity: Unreleased Recordings 1976-1981, which I recently discovered at my local library). To say I am pleased with this box set is an understatement.

Reviews/ratings:

• Billboard: "There are some subtly cooking gems on this set"
• CashBox: "shines with fresh vitality and as much variety as you'll hear pressed in vinyl"
• Record World: "Ayers has disco-fied his sound as never before and the results should reach a much wider audience."
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★
• The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide (1985): ★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #72
• Billboard R&B: #9
• Billboard Jazz: #8
• CashBox: #74
• CashBox Jazz: #3
• Record World Jazz: #1

Tracks: my favorites are This Side Of Sunshine, Gotta Find A Lover, Lifeline, and Sanctified Feeling.

Bonus track: 12" version of Running Away, which peaked at #19 on Billboard's R&B chart and #14 on Billboard's dance chart

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Previously revisited for the blog:
Everybody Loves The Sunshine (1976)
Mystic Voyage (1975)

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Live/1975-85 (1986)

In late 1986 and early 1987, I often went to the music/electronics section of the Walmart in Commerce, Texas and eyeballed the 5 LP box set of this release, wondering if it was worth the money and would it properly feed my music addiction. I hadn't yet purchased a CD player - that would happen about a year later. The price for the set at the time was around $23 which was $30 more than this poor college student had on hand. The set was never purchased, but many years later, I inherited this CD set from one of my wife's cousins and here we are.

The release on Monday, November 10, 1986 (just in time for Christmas shopping!) was an event, with many stores selling out immediately. The box set debuted at #1 on Billboard's album chart - a rare occurrence at the time. Springsteen is great performer and if you like all his music, this was a prize. However, since I'm admittedly not a hard core fan, I'm of the opinion that listening to the whole thing is a slog (disc 2 in particular) and could have easily been pared down into an epic single disc release. It's taken me three days to get through the set this time. But I guess the words "brevity" and "Springsteen Live" don't belong together so I'll just be moving along now.

Press of the time:

• Stereo Review: "Exhausting, exhilarating, moving, funny, raunchy, majestic"
• Rolling Stone: "the ultimate rock-concert experience of the past decade finally packaged for living-room consumption."
• High Fidelity: "represents as ambitious and fully realized a vision of what has become the American Dream as has been witnessed over the last ten years."
• Smash Hits (7½ out of 10): "Is it worth £25? For the Springsteen fan, yes - it's a wonderful present to give yourself."
• CashBox: "An unparalleled event."
• Billboard: "Superior in every respect"
• Robert Christgau (A-): "There isn't one of its ten sides that excites me end to end, and there isn't one I couldn't play with active pleasure now or five years from now. If anything, it isn't long enough."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #1
• Billboard Pop CD: #1
• CashBox: #1
• CashBox CD: #1
• Rolling Stone: #1

Tracks: Here's my suggested track listing for the aforementioned "epic single disc release"

Side A:

• Thunder Road
• Hungry Heart
• Two Hearts
• Fire
• Cadillac Ranch

Side B:

• War (gotta get the single on there. It peaked at #8 pop, #4 rock)
• Born in the USA
• Born To Run
• Tenth Avenue Freeze Out

CD/cassette bonus track:

• Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)

Which isn't too far removed from the promo-only LP issued by Columbia: https://www.discogs.com/release/4853200-Bruce-Springsteen-The-E-Street-Band-Live1975-85. Now if that album had been released commercially, I wouldn't have hesitated in buying the LP or cassette in 1986.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: see above

Previously revisited for the blog:
The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2003)
Greatest Hits (1995)
Tunnel Of Love (1987)

Blog post #2050

Roberta Flack - Original Album Series (2012)

A repackaged reissue that includes five of Flack's first seven albums released on the Atlantic label, 1969-1977. The two albums not included in this set are Chapter Two (1970) and Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway (1972). Despite those omissions, getting five great albums for $18.87 makes for a fantastic deal and at least one happy customer. Probably more than one, actually - these albums were at home on the R&B, pop, and jazz charts. Beautiful music from a beautiful soul.

The box set takes the listener through the evolution of Flack's sound during the decade. Headphones recommended. Also recommended, the episode of American Masters dedicated to Flack's career.

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FIRST TAKE (1969)
8 tracks, 46 minutes

A wonderful introduction to a wonderful talent. The album is a compilation of slow-burning tracks - most are about 6 minutes in length. The music is intentionally sparse and unrushed. There's space to hear all the notes. Lots of perfectly arranged ballads performed by Flack alongside names like Ron Carter on bass and John Pizzarelli on guitar.

Liner notes by Les McCann.

Press of the time:

• Record World: "a new great taking her bittersweet time"
• High Fidelity: "For lonely winter's eves"
• Billboard: "Her soft, sustained vocal style gently skirts the lyrics and hypnotizes with its creamy evenness."
• Rolling Stone: "You feel the world differently after listening to it"
• Stereo Review: "Run to your nearest record outlet and buy not one, but two, maybe three"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #1
• Billboard R&B: #1
• Billboard Jazz: #3
• CashBox: #1
• Record World Jazz: #15

In 2017, it was ranked at #148 on Pitchfork's list of the 200 Best Albums of the 1960s.

Tracks: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face was a massive hit in 1972 once Clint Eastwood used it in his movie Play Misty For Me. That spurred the single to Grammy Awards for Record of the Year as well as Song of the Year. Billboard ranked it as the number one Hot 100 single of the year for 1972. To be honest, I didn't think much of it when I was a tot - too boring! I wanna dance! - but I started warming up to it in the '80s when I bought Volume 6 of the Atlantic Rhythm and Blues 1947-1974 set. Now I'm all in. It's the best tune on the album, followed closely by the other 7 tracks.

The single released in 1969 was the album opener, an upbeat take on Compared To What, which, oddly, is unlike any other track on the album (but I still dig!). As far as the other tracks, I'm hard-pressed to decide which is the most powerful: Angelitos Negros, I Told Jesus, Tryin' Times (that acoustic bass line!), or Ballad Of The Sad Young Men.

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QUIET FIRE (1971)
8 tracks, 42 minutes

More of the same. And that's a good thing. Mostly carefully selected covers plus one Flack original, all performed by a great supporting cast (full playing and writing credits here).

Press of the time:

• Billboard: "The title spells out the flavor and feel of this easy and yet sometimes penetrating commercial package."
• Record World: "ever-quiet, ever-exciting"
• Rolling Stone: "an exercise in lifeless sophistication and dramatic understatement carried to its unfortunate extreme: emptiness"
• Stereo Review: "Roberta Flack is a special kind of multi-talented musician, but her appeal is wide"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #18
• Billboard R&B: #4
• Billboard Jazz: #5
• CashBox: #20
• Record World Jazz: #1

Tracks: The single released from this album was a cover of Will You Love Me Tomorrow which only managed to peak at #76 pop and #38 R&B. As one might expect, the tempo is slowed considerably and is performed by only Flack on piano and Ron Carter on bass floating above the occasional string arrangement. The better pieces to my ear are the original Go Up Moses and Flack's take on Bridge Over Troubled Water.

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KILLING ME SOFTLY (1973)
8 tracks, 41 minutes

In which Roberta Flack becomes a full-fledged soft rock icon. Heck, with this release, CashBox magazine declared Flack "THE top female artist of the decade." And this album certainly helps that argument. For the most part, Flack's arrangements are slightly more uptempo and fuller than the earlier two albums in this set.

The album's title track won three 1974 Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female. The album itself was nominated for the Album of the Year award, losing to Innervisions. 

Press of the time:

• CashBox: "a total masterpiece"
• Record World: "Ms. Flack's finest recording to date."
• Billboard: "delicate, introspective work."
• Rolling Stone: "It's too calculated, too restrained for my taste...but god knows it has its appeal."
• High Fidelity: "my favorite Roberta Flack so far."
• Stereo Review: "the Ella Fitzgerald of the Seventies."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #3
• Billboard R&B: #2
• CashBox: #1
• Record World Jazz: #1

Tracks: While the title cut is an undeniable classic, my favorite tunes here are the upbeat No Tears (In The End) and gospelish track, River. Leonard Cohen's Suzanne is mesmerizing with an almost sadistic, driving high-hat figure. The cover of Janis Ian's Jesse (#30 pop, #19 R&B) is quite tasteful.

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FEEL LIKE MAKIN' LOVE (1975)
9 tracks, 47 minutes

Flack starts producing her own records and things just get better and better. I'll simply say this is my favorite album included in this box set.

Press of the time:

• CashBox: "No doubt that this is top 10 material"
• Record World: "The Flack feel flows as it mellows the soul through her flawless synthesis of sounds."
• Rolling Stone: "Flack's least satisfactory album to date"
• Billboard: "this set should mark her as one of the landmark performers of the '70s"
• Stereo Review: "the combined effect of her lustrous technique and superior material is downright stunning"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #24
• Billboard R&B: #5
• Billboard Jazz: #11
• CashBox: #17

Tracks: I can't decide if the title track is my all-time Flack cut (the only other single in the running is Where Is The Love with Donny Hathaway), but needless to say, it's the best thing on this album. Also good is the lead track, Feelin' That Glow (#76 pop, #25 R&B). In fact, there's not a stinker to be found and that includes a Stevie Wonder tune which morphs into fusionish instrumental piece, I Can See The Sun In Late September.

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BLUE LIGHTS IN THE BASEMENT (1977)
10 tracks, 41 minutes

By 1977, Flack's sound had changed quite about since her 1969 debut and the style that once got her attention from the jazz crowd had developed into 3 or 4 minute pop stylings aimed at the adult contemporary folks. As someone who considers himself a member of both populations, that sort of movement is fine with me. The problem here isn't Flack or the other performers, it's a lack of quality material, which is often uninteresting or oddly arranged. I like it fine; it just doesn't hold up to its predecessor.

Press of the time:

• Stereo Review: "very disappointing"
• CashBox: "Flack is in her element here and sounds as good as ever."
• Billboard: "lacking the drama of her previous hits"
• Record World: "she has lost none of her vocal magic"
• Rolling Stone: "contains no surprises, but it's a very satisfying record."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #8
• Billboard R&B: #5
• CashBox: #11

Tracks: The lead track, Why Don't You Move In With Me, is a straight-up disco tune and a dang catchy one, at that. But then comes the hit duet with Donny Hathaway, The Closer I Get To You (#1 R&B, #2 pop, #3 AC) and I'm immediately swept back to 6th grade trying to come to terms with suddenly wanting to be around girls. That song is the best cut on this album, but I also dig This Time I'll Be Sweeter, 25th of Last December, and After You, presented as a well-sequenced three-fer in the middle of the disc.

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Personal Memory Associated with these CDs: None apart from hearing the singles on the radio during my youth.

The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations: Thirty Years Of The Beach Boys (1993)

Nothing says summer like some Beach Boys music. Definitely the best US pop/rock group in the 1960s and they certainly make a good argument for being the best American group of all-time: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1988), 100+ million records sold, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2001), and on and on. Rolling Stone ranked them at #12 on their list of 100 Greatest Artists in 2010 and no US groups were listed above them so, for once, Rolling Stone and I are in agreement (as is the Ultimate Classic Rock website).

Here we have a 134 track, five-disc box set that collects 33 of the band's 35 top 40 hits from Surfin' Safari (1962) through Kokomo (1988) plus some album cuts, radio jingles, live cuts, demos, and other previously unreleased tracks. The two top 40 hits missing here? The 1981 Beach Boys Medley (#12) and the group's collaboration with The Fat Boys on a remake of Wipeout (#12, 1987). The former would have been a welcome addition to this set; nothing need be said of the latter. Back in '93, the box set was priced around $60 (around $125 in 2023 dollars). As pictured above, the contents were packaged in a 6-by-12 inch box to fit in store displays alongside longboxes (did somebody say "Beach Boys longbox?").

As stated in a Billboard article from May 1993, Capitol attempted to design a package that attracted 1) casual fans "who may only want to have one Beach Boys package in their collection," 2) people who already own the music but who, "given the opportunity, might want to hear a wider selection," and 3) the "core fan" who is looking for the aforementioned unreleased tracks, particularly 20 minutes of music from the scrapped 1967 album, Smile. As you can probably guess from that description, the set is a mixed bag, at best, and doesn't beg for top-to-bottom sequential listening. But the good stuff (particularly on the first two discs) is oh-so-good and includes God Only Knows which I kinda like, to wit:

That song! It gives me goosebumps or has me bawling like a child lost in the supermarket. Sometimes both. All in under 3 minutes. What a masterpiece. But, remarkably, only one of many masterpieces on these discs. Had I owned this set around the turn of the century, I would have burned a helluva two disc set of my favorite cuts of these 5 CDs and played them loudly in my truck for all to hear. Heck, I still might just for shits and giggles.

I'm not wild that the accompanying 60 page booklet is in a hard-to-handle 6-by-12 inch format, but whacha gonna do? It contains a brief intro from Brian Wilson and an extensive historical essay from Rolling Stone writer David Leaf. The essay is good, if not predictable, but it's the many photos that make the booklet worth the effort.

Press of the time:

• Rolling Stone (★★★★★): "a collection of essential and enduring music"
• Stereo Review: "For sheer gorgeousness, there's precious little in pop or rock that can touch this stuff"
• Billboard: "the perfect package for neophytes and fans alike"

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

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DISC ONE
35 tracks, 77 minutes

This discs sputters a bit at the beginning, but by the time you get to track 5, cancel any plans for the remainder of the hour. Of the 35 tracks on this disc, 8 are listed as "previously unreleased" - demos, radio station jingles/promos, rehearsals and the like. But most of the remaining 27 tracks are bona fide winners. Except for a sweet a capella version of Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring, those previously unreleased tracks are not of much interest to me, but what is of interest to me are these great Top 40 tunes:

Song	Year	Hot 100
Surfin' Safari	1962	14
Surfin' U.S.A.	1963	3
	1974	36
Shut Down	1963	23
Surfer Girl	1963	7
Little Deuce Coupe	1963	15
Be True To Your School	1963	6
In My Room	1963	23
Fun, Fun, Fun	1964	5
I Get Around	1964	1
Don't Worry Baby	1964	24
When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)	1964	9
Dance, Dance, Dance	1963	8
Do You Wanna Dance?	1965	12

Plus, there's just as fun but less successful singles and album cuts/b-sides like 409 (#76, 1962), Wendy (#44, 1964), Little Honda (#65, 1964), Please Let Me Wonder (#52, 1965), Catch A Wave, The Surfer Moon, The Warmth Of The Sun, All Summer Long, Little Honda, plus the 45 version of Little Saint Nick. There's also a "hidden track" at the end of the disc, a young Brian Wilson singing "Happy Birthday Four Freshmen" to his favorite vocal group into his tape recorder in 1960.

It's hard to pick favorites, but today I'll go with Surfer Girl, In My Room, Don't Worry Baby, and I Get Around.

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DISC TWO
29 tracks, 76 minutes

A full 12 of 29 cuts are previously unreleased as Brian Wilson's writing and production style continued become more and more sophisticated (and drug-influenced) moving into Pet Sounds. Here's the top 40 cuts on this disc:

Song	Year	Hot 100
Help Me, Rhonda	1965	1
California Girls	1965	3
The Little Girl I Once Knew	1965	20
Barbara Ann	1966	2
Sloop John B	1966	3
Caroline, No	1966	32
Wouldn't It Be Nice	1966	8
God Only Knows	1966	39
Good Vibrations	1966	1

Also included are the gorgeous And Your Dream Comes True, You Still Believe In Me, I Just Wasn't Made For These Times, Pet Sounds, Our Prayer, and With Me Tonight. Tracks 18-39 come from the aforementioned Smile sessions, a few those tracks subsequently released on the Smiley Smile, 20/20, and Surf's Up albums.

My favorite is God Only Knows, but my other top picks include Wouldn't It Be Nice and the always wondrous Good Vibrations. I think I could listen to that thing 100 times in a row and never fully hear everything going on in the arrangement.

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DISC THREE
29 tracks, 77 minutes

Now things really slow up as the group tries its hand at R&B/soul music with a lo-fi feel and less involvement from Brian Wilson. I don't think I'm the first the call this late 1960's era a 'slump.' There are "only" five top 40 hits on this disc:

Song	Year	Hot 100
Heroes And Villains	1967	12
Wild Honey	1967	31
Darlin'	1968	19
Do It Again	1968	20
I Can Hear Music	1969	24

Also included are a few less successful singles that cracked the Billboard Hot 100 without making the top 40: Friends (#47, 1968), Break Away (#63, 1969), Long Promised Road (#89, 1971), and Add Some Music To Your Day (#54, 1970). Missing from the compilation is Bluebirds Over The Mountain (#61, 1968) . Of the previously unreleased tracks, I Just Got My Pay is a nice throwback to the group's earlier sound.

This CD also includes tracks from the the band's first album on the Reprise label, 1970's Sunflower, regarded by some as the group's best post-Pet Sounds album. As noted in Rolling Stone, the Sunflower album contains "their most optimistic and uplifting music ever, in mellow-gold soft-rock mode. It’s their Abbey Road." Also included are tracks from Sunflower's popular follow-up album, Surf's Up, making the end of the disc better than the beginning.

Nothing bad, but not much memorable until we get near the end. My top cuts on this disc are This Whole World, Forever, Long Promised Road, Disney Girls, and Surf's Up.

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DISC FOUR
25 tracks, 76 minutes

This final disc of the set covers the years 1973-86, a period when the band went through a number of troubles that won't be discussed in this space. However, it became a time when the band embraced its past and evolved into a nostalgia act that continues to this day. Three quick memories: 1) falling in love with the return to form that was Good Timin' and being disappointed at its lack of chart success, 2) the band appearing in ballparks after major league games - it seemed they played at least once a month at Arlington Ballpark when I was in college, and 3) wondering why Kokomo not only became popular but developed the staying power that it has. Puzzling to this guy.

The band's final top 40 hits:

Song	Year	Hot 100
Rock And Roll Music	1976	5
It's OK	1976	29
Good Timin'	1979	40
Come Go With Me	1981	18
Getcha Back	1985	26
Kokomo	1988	1

Also included are minor hits Sail On Sailor (#79, 1973; #49, 1975), California (#84, 1973), and Goin' On (#83, 80). There's also some odd tracks taken from The Beach Boys Love You synth-pop album and the scrapped Adult/Child album.

I've read that Brian Wilson doesn't care much for Sail On Sailor, but I dig the thing. Other favorites here are It's OK, Good Timin', and Getcha Back.

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DISC FIVE
24 tracks, 77 minutes

This disc was a CD-only bonus disc, not included in the 4 cassette version of this box set; it comes in a cardboard sleeve whereas the other four discs are each stored in jewel cases. Demos, live versions, radio station promos, etc. Not much for me here other than tracks 7 & 13-18, which are amazing.

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Personal Memory Associated with this CD: During a summer break (maybe 1979-ish?), I would ride my blue Sears 10 speed bike to the nearby house of some family friends. Long before we moved to town, this family had converted their two car garage into a rec room, complete with pool table and stereo. I don't remember if there was shag carpet, but I would give pretty good odds that there was. The family had 4 daughters, but they were all in college or married by this time, so when I visited, I was by myself and would spend hours playing pool and listening to the stereo. The only music I remember playing is a Beach Boys 8 track. It was fantastic: solitude, air conditioning, games of 8 ball against myself, timeless tunes, and the occasional bowl of Blue Bell ice cream. Talk about your carefree days. The only reason that family put up with me and that juvenile, invasive nonsense is because they loved my parents.

Previously revisited for the blog:
The SMiLE Sessions (1967/2011)
That's Why God Made The Radio (2012)
20 Good Vibrations: The Greatest Hits (1995)
Pet Sounds (1966)

Haircut 100 - Pelican West 40: The 4-CD Celebration Edition (1982/2023)

Following my original purchase of the LP in the summer of 1982, I subsequently bought Pelican West Plus (1992) then the Deluxe Edition (2016). There's also a 2011 live recording on CD as well as a 1982 live recording from The Roxy in New York City available for download. Yeah, I'm a fan of the thing - some of us still put it in the running for "the happiest album that ever existed." Since I've already gushed about this album on the above mentioned posts, I'll just deal with specifics new to this reissue. I've always considered this one to be a "summer album" so it arrived just in the Nick of time.

Everything has been packaged into a 7" square hardcover book which includes sleeves for each CD along with the 44 page book mentioned in the pictured hype sticker. For more information, check out this handy unpacking video:

The hype sticker also mentions a "limited edition signed print." I'm underwhelmed with that:

More like a "limited edition initialed card." Ah well, let's check out the book. Much better! We're treated to a well-edited oral history of the band from 1977-83, lots of great photos, and detailed credits. All offered up in the pinstriped artistic feel of the original album.

Tracks:
CD 1: Pelican West (52 minutes)

1. Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) - 3:07
2. Love Plus One - 3:34
3. Lemon Firebrigade - 3:56
4. Marine Boy - 3:30
5. Milk Film - 2:58
6. Kingsize (You're My Little Steam Whistle) - 4:25
7. Fantastic Day - 3:15
8. Baked Beans - 4:04
9. Snow Girl - 2:57
10. Love's Got Me In Triangles - 3:38
11. Surprise Me Again - 3:20
12. Calling Captain Autumn - 4:05
13. Nobody's Fool - 4:14
14. October Is Orange (Day 1 & 2) - 4:19

The first 12 tracks are the original Pelican West tracks from 1982. Nobody's Fool b/w October Is Orange (Day 1 & 2) was a single-only release in late '82 which peaked at #9 on the UK charts.


CD 2: Pelican Plus (78 minutes)

1. Boat Party (7” version) - 3:51
2. Ski Club - 3:36
3. Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) (12” version) - 6:29
4. Love Plus One (12” version) - 5:39
5. Fantastic Day (12” version) - 4:18
6. Calling Captain Autumn (Special Extended Version) - 4:36
7. Boat Party (12” version) - 5:34
8. Marine Boy (12” Version) - 4:51
9. Ski Club Of Great Britain - 5:54
10. Love's Got Me In Triangles (Extended Version) - 5:11
11. Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) (Extended Remix) - 7:09
12. Fantastic Day (Live) - 4:18
13. Calling Captain Autumn (Extended Remix) - 6:03
14. Nobody's Fool (12” Version) - 4:59
15. October Is Orange (Day 1 & 2) (12” Version) - 5:10

All tracks on the above two CDs are available on the 2016 Deluxe Edition from Cherry Pop.


CD 3: Junction Box – The Unfinished Tracks (40 minutes)

1. I Believe In Sundays - 3:43
2. Maytime Moments (Instrumental) - 3:36
3. Cheek to Cheek (Instrumental) - 3:46
4. Hayley's Heart (Guide Vocal) - 2:09
5. A Blue Hat for a Blue Day (Instrumental) - 3:40
6. Coming Home (Instrumental) - 3:10
7. Brookfield Girl - 3:09
8. Sunny Boy, Sunny Girl - 4:04
9. Club Boy at Sea - 3:41
10. Steam Bus Junction (Instrumental) - 4:42
11. Whistle Down the Wind - 3:39

Bootleg files of these tracks have long circulated among fans (including myself) under the title of "Half-Baked: The Lost Album." It's nice to see them have an official release and to own a physical copy. (Note: there was once a physical CD-R copy of the bootleg for sale, but by the time I found out about it, that mess had rightfully been shut down by the powers that be.) Nevertheless, they are mostly incomplete demos and not very interesting beyond a few listens. The exception is track 7, Brookfield Girl, which is a fully-formed, fantastic piece of pop music. Several tracks (5, 9, 11, and parts of 6) would end up on Nick Heyward's 1983 Arista release, North Of A Miracle.


CD 4: Haircut 100% Live! Hammersmith Odeon Spring 1982 (Recorded March 31 & April 1, 1982. 61 minutes)

1. Low Rider - 5:56
2. Baked Beans - 4:00
3. Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) - 2:56
4. Calling Captain Autumn - 4:01
5. Milk Film - 2:40
6. Snow Girl - 3:15
7. Lemon Fire Brigade - 3:44
8. Fantastic Day - 4:04
9. Love's Got Me In Triangles - 3:14
10. Love Plus One - 4:47
11. Kingsize (You're My Little Steam Whistle) - 4:40
12. Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) (Long) - 6:58
13. Calling Captain Autumn - 3:38
14. Love Plus One (Encore) - 6:54

Yes, they open with a War cover and it ain't bad. And three songs are so good, they played 'em twice! Track 8, Fantastic Day, seems to be the same live recording as track 12 from the second disc. Other than that one track, I don't believe the other tracks have ever been released or bootlegged. If they have, I've not seen them.


Looking forward to the 50th Anniversary Edition in 2032!

Previously revisited for the blog:
Live At The IndigO2 28th Jan 2011 (2011)
The Greatest Hits of Nick Heyward & Haircut 100 (1996)
The Best of Nick Heyward & Haircut 100 (1989)
Paint and Paint (1984)
Pelican West (1982)

Spandau Ballet - The Albums 1980-84 (2012)

EU Import

An imported box set featuring Spandau Ballet's four studio albums released during the years 1981 - 84, when they recorded for the Chrysalis label. No liner notes, no bonus tracks, just cardboard sleeve replicas of the original vinyl releases, but for $13.41 I ain't complaining.

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JOURNEYS TO GLORY (1981)
8 tracks, 37 minutes

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #209
• Billboard Rock: #41

Reviewers called out this debut for its artsy pretentiousness, even quoting the band's own lyrics: "The art is pretending it's Art." The ad below includes a descriptive list of the band: 1) art, 2) fashion, 3) music. Music is listed third! Still, it's got a few worthy synthpop tunes (I think the best thing here is track 7, Confused), but the rest is the band trying to find its sound through Gary Kemp, a 21 year old songwriter learning how to write songs plus some out of tune vocals from Tony Hadley. Not the soulful sound they'd later become known for; this music shows more post-punk influences than blue-eyed soul. Overall, there's nothing really objectionable about this lackluster album of tunes consisting of only 2 or 3 chords, but there's nothing to get excited about, either.

It's art. It's fashion.

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DIAMOND (1982)
8 tracks, 40 minutes

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Notedly different from Journeys To Glory. Giving it a score of 3 out of 10, Smash Hits called it "boring contrived rubbish." Ouch. Sounds more like contemporaries Haircut 100 or ABC than predecessors Numan or Bowie, but by my count, there's only two decent tracks here: Instinction and She Loved Like Diamond, the latter of which gives us some foreshadowing of what would come next for the band. However, tracks 6-8 are completely unlistenable.

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TRUE (1983)
8 tracks, 36 minutes

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #19
• Billboard Rock: #42
• CashBox: #20
• Rolling Stone: #20

Ahhh, that's more like it. It all comes together here. Maturity and new producers can go a long way. Smash Hits called the album less interesting but more enjoyable and that's just fine with me. Fortunately, this was my first exposure to the band. When my buddy Jim loaned me this LP in '83, I took to it immediately and quickly dubbed myself a cassette copy. As I mentioned in an earlier post regarding the title track:

I love the thing, I always have, and I don't care who knows it. I know all the lyrics and will also vocalize the sax solo. These days, I don't have need for the "I heard this song first so I'm a better person than you" condescension, but insufferable teenage me played that card whenever I could. I'd been a fan of the True album for a good six months before this single hit the local radio waves and I had no reservations about sharing that fact with everybody I knew. Like I said, insufferable.

The track that got me hooked, however, was Communication, particularly the chorus, so I'm partial to that tune. But it's a solid album; the only track I'll occasionally skip among the eight here is Foundation.

According to Gary Kemp via the wonderful Tim's Twitter Listening Party, this album was originally going to be produced by Trevor Horn and I would have loved to have heard that.

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PARADE (1984)
8 tracks, 41 minutes

Note: this release was originally purchased as an LP, later replaced by this CD.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #50
• Billboard Rock: #35
• CashBox: #35
• Rolling Stone: #45

Not quite as good as its predecessor, but the singles are every bit as tasty. There's no first-rate ballad like True, but I listened to the heck out of this album when it was released. It's the exact same sound as the True album and that was just what I was looking for in 1984. Stereo Review called the Parade album "a sort of modern-day dance-club Noël Coward with a beat" and since I can't match that description I won't even try.

My top picks are Only When You Leave (which was called "almost too good a start to the LP"), I'll Fly For You, and Round And Round.

Oddly, when the group moved from Chrysalis to Epic, I didn't follow them. I've never heard any of SB's post-Parade music. Easy enough to remedy that oversight.

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Personal Memory Associated with these CDs: I remember I was listening to the True album and dancing around my house in '83 when it finally occurred to me that disco music was still around and had simply been rechristened as "dance music."

The Parade album reminds me of my dorm room during my freshman year at university, fall 1984, when I was full-on music snob and thought I was so very sophisticated because I was listening to Spandau Ballet while my dorm companions were listening to REO Journeywagon or some such. I had to save the rabble from themselves, obviously. Sheesh. With an attitude like that, it's amazing I was able to make any new friends. Of course, it was those very same people who would eventually turn me on to music from Jean-Michel Jarre, Dancing Hoods, and King Crimson; I quickly realized how narrow-minded I was. More on that first semester here and here.

Previously revisited for the blog:
The Twelve Inch Mixes (1986)
The Singles Collection (1985)

Various Artists - Billboard Top Hits 1980 - 1984 (1992)

For a CD blogger who started high school in August 1980 and graduated in May 1984 (i.e., me), this 5 disc box set from Rhino is the perfect little time capsule. I have all these songs on other compilation CDs or digital files so I almost left this box sitting in the used bin recently, but I simply couldn't abandon it because when it comes to Rhino compilations, I always say, "Buy 'em when you see 'em because they weren't in print for long." Also, when given the option of physical product or digital files, ONJ and I like to belt out "Let's get 'Physical'" (which happens to be track 5 on the 1981 disc).

I was then informed by a faithful reader that these particular CDs are known for their quality mastering and include some single/promo edits that I might not yet have, so win-win.

The quality of selections is stronger on some discs than others, so here's my ranking of these compilations:

1. 1981
2. 1980
3. 1982
4. 1984
5. 1983

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BILLBOARD TOP HITS -1980
10 tracks, 40 minutes

Tracks:

1. Blondie - Call Me (3:36, edit of LP mix to mimic 45 version).
   One of four #1 hits for the group. Rumor has it that writer Giorgio Moroder originally offered this driving shuffle to Stevie Nicks which woulda been a completely different tune. Although it was #1 for 6 straight weeks, I never hear it much anymore; radio stations usually opt for "Heart of Glass" instead. Shame. As of this writing, I still haven't seen American Gigolo.
2. Irene Cara - Fame (3:52, 45 version).
   And we start off with two consecutive soundtrack tunes. This one hasn't aged well, but it's so iconic I don't think that matters. As a teen, I loved the movie, its soundtrack, and the subsequent TV show about 23 year old actors who were still in high school. This song won both the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song in 1980. I always preferred Hot Lunch Jam.
3. Spinners - Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl (4:05, 45 version).
   A great disco cover of a 1966 Four Seasons tune. There really wasn't any need to add a second song for a medley, but they didn't consult me. The song would spend 16 weeks in the Top 40 spending two weeks in the #2 spot. I always liked The Spinners and enjoyed seeing them hang around into the '80s.
4. Lipps, Inc. - Funkytown (4:08, 45 version).
   As a kid, I never caught on that the "band" name was homophonic with lip synch, probably because I was a kid. At the time, there was nothing like this synth-driven disco song with no chorus being played on the radio and I have particular 8th grade memories tied to the song. So many synths with a catchy bass line, synth voice, and strings punctuated by guitar. I wouldn't want to live in Funkytown, but it's a fun place to visit.
5. Elton John - Little Jeannie (5:15, album version).
   I prefer earlier Elton, but this uptempo ballad has enough soft rock elements to get my attention, particularly the electric piano line and Jim Horn's sax solo. The kind of song that doesn't make me change the radio station, but I don't seek it out to play. And I've always confused this one with John's later tune, Nikita - my brain gets more jumbled as I age.
6. Diana Ross - Upside Down (3:42, 45 version).
   A fantastic hit that exists simply because someone had the brilliant idea of having Ross team up with Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic. A match made in NYC disco/funk heaven - Chic grooving hard with Ross floating above it all. On this hit-filled compilation, Upside Down is the best cut.
7. The Pointer Sisters - He's So Shy (3:40, album version also used as 45 version).
   More pop than R&B, there's not much to the verses but then it builds to the a chorus with hooks for days and a tasty synth solo. I'll confess that 14-year-old me would often change the lyrics to "I'm So Fine" but self-confidence has never been a problem for this humble blogger.
8. KC & The Sunshine Band - Please Don't Go (3:52, album version also used as 45 version).
   Over spring break in March 1980, me and about 30 classmates went on a field trip that took us from our coastal Texas homes to an educational center near Keystone, Colorado. As you can guess, that's a lot of time on a school bus. As happens, a few couples formed from the close proximity that probably wouldn't have happened under normal circumstances. By the time we were headed home, one of these couples had already split and I can remember the dumped fella looking in the direction of the girl who had just dumped him as this song played on the radio and he plaintively mouthed the words to her. Alas, his efforts were in vain. These days, for better or worse, I can't hear this song without that image in my head. Another tune that reminds me of that trip is 99 by Toto which would have been a welcome addition to this compilation but probably didn't chart high enough for consideration.
9. Captain & Tennille - Do That To Me One More Time (3:56, 45 version).
   My sister was a huge C&T fan and, because she was older than me, she got to choose what LPs we listened to. As a result, I know the words to every C&T song released between 1975-1980, including this one. I'm not wild about this particular song, but man-oh-man did Toni T. have some golden pipes.
10. S.O.S. Band - Take Your Time (Do It Right) (3:32, promo 45 version but 15 seconds longer).
    I always liked this dance tune maybe because I was entering my "dancing fool" phase of life around 1980 (I'll be sure to let you know should that phase ever pass). With the Nile Rodgers-esque guitar part over a funky synth & bass line, this will now be an earworm in my head for the rest of the day.

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BILLBOARD TOP HITS -1981
10 tracks, 37 minutes

Tracks:

1. Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes (3:50, album version also used as 45 version).
   This was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 for 9 weeks and was like nothing else on the radio at the time; me and my friends sang along with Kim every time we heard the thing. But lemme tell ya: this cover tune still sounds as good today as it did when it was released.
2. Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl (3:16, album version also used as 45 version).
   A great pop-rocker about a topic with which all teenagers are very familiar: unrequited love. Winner of the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. One of the girls I was crushing on around 1981 had a boyfriend with a two-syllable name and I would often sing along to this tune substituting his name for Jessie's.
3. Air Supply - The One That You Love (4:15, album version also used as 45 version).
   A soft rocker's dream. Sappy lyrics, big strings, and lots of vocal harmonies. And I quickly learned all the lyrics because the ladies loved Air Supply and this skinny geek desperately wanted to become a ladies man.
   
4. Blondie - The Tide Is High (3:54, 45 version).
   A fantastic cover of a 1967 rocksteady b-side. While Debbie Harry drolly delivers the goods, the real star for me is the arrangement - a cross between reggae and mariachi.
5. Olivia Newton-John - Physical (3:45, album version also used as 45 version)
   1981's biggest hit would lay claim to the #1 spot for ten consecutive weeks beginning November 21. Sweet, unabashed pop that bore no resemblance to disco or New Wave but includes a sweet Steve Lukather guitar solo, this thing was huge but doesn't get much any airplay anymore. When I saw ONJ in concert in 2018, she started this tune as a slower version with just an acoustic guitar accompaniment. Once the crowd recognized the song and what was happening, we were all deflated because we wanted to hear the version we're familiar with. After one verse, ONJ said, "just kidding" then the band broke into the single's arrangement. And all was forgiven (not that I could stay upset with Olivia).
6. Dolly Parton - 9 To 5 (2:48, album version also used as 45 version).
   Would you be surprised to discover that every CD in this box set contains at least one movie tune? Here's the entry for 1981. I didn't buy the single, but I'll sing along with the thing. It was all over the radio stations I listened to during the winter of 1981. #1 pop, #1 adult contemporary, #1 country - I'll bet I'm not the only one who can sing along with it. If you pay less attention to Dolly and more to the band, I think you'll be impressed with how great the piano and horn parts are. Tight band with members of the Wrecking Crew and other session greats.
7. Juice Newton - Queen Of Hearts (3:30, album version also used as 45 version).
   I'm indifferent to this one - I can take it or leave it, preferring Dave Edmunds' rockabilly version.
8. Daryl Hall & John Oates - Kiss On My List (3:51, 45 version).
   With its near-perfect guitar solo that chooses melody over technique, this is my favorite tune on a stacked Voices album.
9. Smokey Robinson - Being With You (4:01, 45 version)
   Ah, when Smokey sings. What a voice, what a tune. Great stuff.

   Now let me tell you about a coincidental relationship between Smokey at #2 and Kim Carnes who's at #1 again this week. Kim's last hit was "More Love", her remake of an old Smokey Robinson hit. Well, Smokey liked Kim's version so much that he wrote her another song, but when Smokey's producer heard the demo, he told Smokey, "You oughta record it yourself!" and that's the song we just heard in the #2 position. And how ironic it is that Smokey's recording of the song he'd written for Kim Carnes has been kept out of the #1 spot by a Kim Carnes hit for 3 weeks running. - Casey Kasem, American Top 40, June 6, 1981

10. Kool & The Gang - Celebration (3:43, 45 version).
    Yes, this former #1 smash has been overplayed from the get-go, but when you're at a wedding reception and the DJ starts playing this one (and the DJ will definitely play this one at some point), you can't help but immediately jump up and find your way to the dance floor because it just fits perfectly. This one's got undeniable staying power.

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BILLBOARD TOP HITS -1982
10 tracks, 38 minutes

Tracks:

1. Quarterflash - Harden My Heart (3:38, 45 version)
   I never had much need for this Pat Benatar wannabe. And don't get me started on the horrid saxophone work.
2. Toto - Rosanna (4:05, 45 version)
   Loved this shuffle from the first time I heard it. Peak Toto. One of the biggest hits of the year, it also won three Grammy awards for Record of the Year, Instrumental Arrangement, and Vocal Arrangement.
3. The Alan Parsons Project - Eye In The Sky (3:59, 45 version)
   A very enjoyable soft rocker. Eric Woolfson has a pleasant, understated voice and there's no denying Parsons' studio skills.
4. Laura Branigan - Gloria (3:54, promo 45 version)
   A cover of an Italian smash hit, I can take it or leave it. The tune isn't bad, but Gloria screams more than sings a good bit of it. Today, I'll leave it. My buddy Blake once told me the story of drunken Branigan showing up for one his high school pep rallies as part of a radio promotion. That would have taken place around '82, maybe a bit later. To be fair, if I had to go to a high school pep rally again, I'd probably enjoy a nip or three beforehand.
5. Men At Work - Who Can It Be Now? (3:25, album version also used as 45 version)
   This song captivated me from the get-go. The ominous lyrics flew right over me head - just give me that sax hook! A definitive New Wave single.
6. Journey - Open Arms (3:20, album version also used as 45 version)
   I had the Escape album on cassette but the attraction of this song was to softly sing this tune to girls as we slow danced. It was the only real move I had, so I used it all the time, admittedly weakening its effect.
7. Rick Springfield - Don't Talk To Strangers (3:01, album version also used as 45 version)
   I liked this tune enough to purchase the album Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet, which I enjoyed more than I thought I would. I should revisit that one.
8. Daryl Hall & John Oates - Maneater (4:34, album version also used as 45 version)
   It's the familiar Motown groove but it's not. I dig the echo on sax solo. Maneater remained in the #1 spot for four weeks, more than any of the duo's five other number-one hits. Oates claims the song is about NYC, not a woman, but I have my doubts.
9. Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes - Up Where We Belong (4:01, 45 version)
   Another "take it or leave it" tune for me. However, this chart-topping track won a Grammy, a Golden Globe, and an Oscar so what do I know? By 1983, I had decided to pursue a music degree once I left high school and, to that end, started taking piano lessons at age 17. My piano teacher gave me a book of pop tunes to keep me interested in daily practice. This song is the only one I remember from that book - I butchered it on a daily basis for weeks.
10. The J. Geils Band - Centerfold (3:38, album version also used as 45 version)
    The chorus is okay, the verse is decent enough and there's no solo or bridge, but that instrumental/wordless vocal hook hits you in the face in the intro and doesn't let go for 3½ minutes and it's so solid that none of my earlier slights matter. Not to mention the lyrics greatly appealed to me as an easily titillated teenage boy.

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BILLBOARD TOP HITS -1983
10 tracks, 44 minutes

Tracks:

1. Men At Work - Down Under (3:45, album version also used as 45 version)
   In line with my contrarian nature, I thought this was the weakest cut on the Business As Usual album but of course it turned out to be the group's biggest hit.
2. Toto - Africa (4:22, 45 version)
   Once named the best song ever, Africa was a perfect place for this wannabe New Waver to go to get a soft rock fix.
3. Stray Cats - Stray Cat Strut (3:18, album version also used as 45 version)
   It took me longer than it should to finally hip to this rockabilly group, mainly because it was so different than what I was typically listening to. I caught up eventually. I really dig Setzer's guitar work on this cut
4. Michael Sembello - Maniac (4:13, Flashdance album version)
   Is it odd that I like this tune more every time I hear it? And what about Sembello's guitar solo? Stunning. 
   
5. Eddy Grant - Electric Avenue (3:51, album version also used as 45 version)
   I like this one well enough, but I never understood why some people insisted on grouping this funk tune in the reggae genre. Grant's accent certainly takes this one to another place, though.
6. Spandau Ballet - True (5:43, 45 version)
   I love the thing, I always have, and I don't care who knows it. I know all the lyrics and will also vocalize the sax solo. These days, I don't have need for the "I heard this song first so I'm a better person than you" condescension, but insufferable teenage me played that card whenever I could. I'd been a fan of the True album for a good six months before this single hit the local radio waves and I had no reservations about sharing that fact with everybody I knew. Like I said, insufferable.
7. Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse Of The Heart (5:37, 45 version)
   I don't care much for the songs of Jim Steinman. I'll leave it at that.
8. Greg Kihn Band - Jeopardy (3:49, album version also used as 45 version)
   Like it; don't love it. Can't hear it without thinking of Weird Al's parody.
9. Culture Club - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me (4:25, album version also used as long 45 version)
   I can't help but like this smooth pseudo-reggae-lite hit. As I've shared before, the first time we saw the video for this tune, my friend (who shall remain nameless) and I both thought Boy George was female and spent some time debating whether or not she was attractive. Being a very naïve teenager, I had little, if any, experience with androgyny. Of course, all that has more to do with image than music and I think George would get a kick out of that fact.
10. Air Supply - Making Love Out Of Nothing At All (5:00, incorrect edit in attempt to mimic 45)
    See track 7. Hell, it's practically the same song.

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BILLBOARD TOP HITS -1984
10 tracks, 41 minutes

Tracks:

1. Yes - Owner Of A Lonely Heart (3:53, 45 version)
   In which Trevor Horn's production prowess saves the careers of a prog-rock band and provides them a comfortable pension in the process. Hooks for days, but this single edit just doesn't do it justice.
2. Ray Parker, Jr. - Ghostbusters (4:07, album version also used as long 45 version)
   Parker is a fantastic guitarist and did more session work, songwriting, and production than he's usually given credit for. Unfortunately, his legacy will be this derivative #1 single. How do I know this? I saw Parker perform during halftime of a 2010 Memphis Grizzlies basketball game (it was "'80s Night") and the only song he performed was Ghostbusters. And he brought down the freakin' house.
   
   
   
   
3. The Romantics - Talking In Your Sleep (3:59, 45 album version also used as long 45 version)
   I owned the cassette of this album in my car in late '83/early '84 and it was in medium rotation there. Reminds me of leaving the high school campus for lunch with friends Brett and Roy. It's a catchy thing but it's far from being the best song on the In Heat album.
4. Pointer Sisters - Jump (For My Love) (4:02, 45 version)
   Love this upbeat synth-dance tune, particularly when the soaring bridge takes off. Why I never bought the Break Out album is beyond me.
5. Billy Ocean - Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run) (3:44, US 45 version)
   Other than the hook at the end of the chorus, this nothing attracting me to this hit. But since it was #1 for two weeks and won a Grammy so I'm obviously writing the minority opinion.
6. Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (3:54, album version also used as long 45 version)
   I associate this song with driving an over-packed Markmobile as I began my long drive to new adventures in college. It must have been playing on the radio as I left my hometown. George Michael's wonderful voice over a pop-meets-soul feel lifted directly from '60s, man-oh-man this thing is catchy.
7. Deniece Williams - Let's Hear It For The Boy (4:21, album version also used as 45 version)
   The Footloose soundtrack pretty much soundtracked the spring of my senior year in high school and this platinum-selling single was part of it all. I just discovered that George Duke produced and is pretty much the one man backing band on this cut, which makes me appreciate it even more. Good stuff.
8. Culture Club - Karma Chameleon (4:15, album version also used as 45 version)
   I didn't like it when it was released; still not a fan.
9. Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now (4:48, album version also used as long 45 version)
   Great song. As with The Romantics' tune mentioned above, this cut reminds me of driving in my car listening to the Into The Gap cassette during the spring of my senior year in high school. When I listen now, I still try (and usually fail) to hit the high falsetto notes during the last chorus - "Oh, will you stay with me?" - just like I did all those years ago. The spirit is willing but the vocal cords are weak. If you're keeping count, this is the sixth time this particular tune has appeared on the blog.
10. Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It (3:49, album version also used as long 45 version).
    I respect Tina's talents, but this song never did much for me. However, I'll use this song's inclusion here as an excuse to post a picture of this CD longbox:

Exclusive CD longbox photo courtesy of
Dirk Digglinator of the Hambonian Archives.