James Newton Howard & Friends (1984)

Subtitled "Rock Instrumentals for Synthesizers, Drums, and Percussion," it's below average music being performed by above average musicians using the newest audiophile technology available when this was recorded in December 1983:

Audiophilia isn't my bag, but if you consider yourself an audiophile, please click here for a more thorough analysis of things like surface noise, dynamic range, and the like. Produced by Bill Schnee (Pablo Cruise, Boz Scaggs, Huey Lewis, etc.) under the direction of Sheffield Lab founders Lincoln Mayorga and legendary mastering engineer Doug Sax. Sax's liner notes thoroughly explain the history of this recording so I won't go into it in this space. The latest in digital synth technology at the time from Yamaha was the DX7, DX9, and GS1 - all used on this album.

I first became aware of James Newton Howard by reading his name in the credits on the Toto IV album. While this music is a bit bland, Howard would go on to score over 100 motion pictures, receiving nominations for Oscars, Emmys, and Grammy awards in the process.

To be honest, this CD should have appeared during "Early CD Week," but I didn't own the disc back then so there ya go. For those interested, my copy appears to be a later reissue because of the ridged jewel case as well as the indication that the disc was made in the US. Also included in the jewel case was a Sheffield Lab catalog that included a lot of CDs with which I was previously unfamiliar. I'm not saying I need to collect them all, but never say never, right? In the catalog, this particular disc lists the following review:

Best sounding record (and CD!)? Probably Sheffield Lab's 'James Newton Howard & Friends.' Great playing - alive, daring, powerful - aided by a superbly clean and dynamic recording.

-Jimmy Hughes/Hi-Fi Answers

Likewise, I have no complaints about the sound or the playing. It's the writing. Also, I was previously unfamiliar with Hi-Fi Answers. It appears to have been an audiophile magazine from the UK published in the '80s, but now I'm down that rabbit hole, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

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

Tracks: 9 tracks, 26½ minutes. To my ears, it sounds like Toto demos for a prog rock album.  All tracks seem to be written/arranged to show off what the new digital Yamaha synths should do, confirming what Sax writes in the liner notes. The better of these nine are Gone Buttlefishin' and the simple ballad She. Track 4, L'Daddy, has a promising groove that desperately needs a melody. The others are forgotten as soon as the next track begins.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Various Artists - Hear The Light On Philips (1984)

EARLY CD WEEK* (APRIL 18-23, 2022)

An early demonstration/sampler disc for the classical crowd. Released by Philips from their 'Digital Classics' line.

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

Tracks:

Covering the years 1725-1981, the label tries to provide something for everybody - orchestral, chamber, guitar, piano, pipe organ - although the complete lack of vocal music is surprising. The Tárrega piece was new to me and highly enjoyable. Other favorites here include the Vivaldi, Grieg, Widor, and Beethoven.

Track 10 provides us with an example of the ever-popular Chopin/Liszt 'shopping list' pun.

I would have thought that every '80s classical demo CD opened with the first section (Sonnenaufgang) of Strauss's tone poem Also Sprach Zarathustra. And I would have been wrong, apparently.

All tracks recorded digitally in the early '80s and, of course, complete recordings of the works sampled here are available on other Philips CDs.

CD with "DDD" SPARS code

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

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*I recently compiled complete chart data for compact disc charts from both Billboard and CashBox magazines. While doing so, I saw the names of a number of very early sampler/demonstration discs with which I was completely unfamiliar. I found a few early CDs that charted, as well as similar discs from 1983-85, and am featuring those this week.

Papa Doo Run Run - California Project (1985)

EARLY CD WEEK* (APRIL 18-23, 2022)

Musically, this disc ain't nothin' to write home about: a group of obviously talented musicians performing faithful, rote covers of Beach Boys tunes. I don't think the term "tribute band" was around in '85, but that's what we've got here. The Internet tells me the group was the house band at Disneyland from 1975-90 and might still be a touring group (their website hasn't been updated since 2012 so I have my doubts). Tribute bands aren't typically my thing; however, this disc has a bit of historical significance:

Billboard, August 10, 1985, p. 21

Guest artists on the CD include Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean, Mike Love of The Beach Boys, and John Stamos of Full House. I've seen promo materials/websites stating this album earned the group a Grammy nomination, but I can't find anything official that would confirm that claim.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200:: Did not chart
• Billboard CD: #22
• CashBox CD: #22

Tracks:

Wow - that Wilson guy could freakin' write, huh? As with every Telarc release I own, it's all very well done. But I'll stick with the Beach Boys originals.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

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*I recently compiled complete chart data for compact disc charts from both Billboard and CashBox magazines. While doing so, I saw the names of a number of very early sampler/demonstration discs with which I was completely unfamiliar. I found a few early CDs that charted, as well as similar discs from 1983-85, and am featuring those this week.

Various Artists - Arista's Perfect 10 (1984)

EARLY CD WEEK* (APRIL 18-23, 2022)

Similar to the Hear The Light compilations, but from the Arista label instead of PolyGram. Sure, there's ten tracks, but don't think for a minute that the packaging here wasn't influenced by the 1979 movie 10. Spoiler alert: while there may be ten tracks, this compilation is hardly perfect.

For what it's worth, the portable CD player on the cover is the Sony D-5, which notably didn't include headphones with purchase.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart
Peak on the CashBox Top CD chart: #22

Tracks:

1. Making Love Out Of Nothing At All - Air Supply, released 1983, #2 pop, #2 AC
   Also on the Billboard Top Hits 1980 - 1984 box set.
2. Eye In The Sky - The Alan Parsons Project, released 1982, #3 pop, #3 AC, #11 rock
   Also on the Billboard Top Hits 1980 - 1984 box set.
3. You Should Hear How She Talks About You - Melissa Manchester, released 1982, #5 pop, #10 AC, #8 dance
   Glad to finally have this one on CD. A longtime favorite, this was one of my first legitimate, paid downloads (via iTunes) back around 2005. That syncopated chorus never fails to put me in a better mood.
4. Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin' (Too Good To Be True) - Jermaine Jackson, released 1984, #1 dance
   I don't remember this duet between Jermaine and brother Michael. Not properly released as a single because of the Arista (Jermaine) and Epic (Michael) labels, but later covered by Robert Palmer who charted with it in 1989. A good dance tune, written by names I normally associate with soft rock/adult-oriented rock: Michael Omartian, Bruce Sudano, & Jay Gruska.
5. Living Inside Myself - Gino Vannelli, released 1981, #6 pop, #5 AC, #45 R&B
   Also on a greatest hits compilation and Radio Daze: Pop Hits of the '80s, Vol. 5. Sweet mama, that's good stuff. You damn right I had the 45 with picture sleeve, purchased at the local Radio Shack on Avenue G. The highlight of this compilation.
6. Heartbreaker - Dionne Warwick, released 1982, #10 pop, #1 AC, #14 R&B
   Background vocals by the BeeGees, who wrote the thing. A great soft rocker that sounds strongly resembles a later Gibb duet, Islands In The Stream. This became Warwick's 28th of her 31(!) Top 40 hits.
7. Baby Don't Break Your Baby's Heart - Kashif, released 1984, #108 pop, #6 R&B, #40 dance
   New to me, but a solid dance tune - great groove, but no real hook.
8. Games People Play - The Alan Parsons Project, released 1980, #16 pop
   Also on Rock of the 80's, Vol. 12.
9. Hi, How Ya Doin'? - Kenny G, released 1984, #23 R&B
   Also on ftg Presents The Vaults, Vol. 2.
10. Hold Me Now - Thompson Twins, released 1983, #3 pop, #8 AC, #1 dance, #9 rock
    The seventh time this hit song has appeared on the blog (ninth if you include cover versions). Also on a greatest hits compilation, Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 13, Casey Kasem presents America's Top Ten Through The Years: The 80s, Rock of the 80's, Vol. 2, Rock On 1984, the Billboard Top Hits 1980 - 1984 box set, and the Original Album Classics box set. When I saw Tom Bailey in concert back in 2018, he closed the show with this tune and we were all pleased with that choice, including the two ladies in front of me who drunkenly danced and sang along at the top of their lungs. Normally, that kind of thing would bother me, but these women seemed so genuinely elated that I couldn't hold their behavior against them. They probably don't remember it, anyway.

Picking two cuts from Alan Parsons is a little lazy, even though I like both tracks. How about some Barry Manilow, Heaven 17, Haircut 100, or Nick Heyward, Arista? Bah!

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

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*I recently compiled complete chart data for compact disc charts from both Billboard and CashBox magazines. While doing so, I saw the names of a number of very early sampler/demonstration discs with which I was completely unfamiliar. I found a few early CDs that charted, as well as similar discs from 1983-85, and am featuring those this week.

Various Artists - Hear The Light, Vol. 2 (1984)

EARLY CD WEEK* (APRIL 18-23, 2022)

From the same people that brought you volume one, this one's got more variety and probably more useful as a demo disc as the salesperson could quickly find a piece that matched the listening habits of the prospective customer.

6 of the 13 tracks were new to my CD collection, including two I really enjoy. As this was produced prior to the loudness wars and the main goal of the disc was to sound great and drive sales, most tracks sound fantastic.

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

Tracks:

1. Maniac - Michael Sembello, released 1983, #1 pop, #34 AC, #6 dance, #34 rock
   Also on the Flashdance soundtrack, 12 Inch Disco Originals Vol. 1, and the Billboard Top Hits 1980 - 1984 box set.
2. Fade To Grey - Visage, released 1980
   Also on the Now That's What I Call Music! 1981 compilation, the Here and Now: The Very Best of the 80s compilation, and Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 3.
3. Star Wars (Main Title) - John Williams And The London Symphony Orchestra, released 1977, #10 pop, #4 AC
   Also on John Williams - By Request.
4. Fame - Irene Cara, released 1980, #4 pop, #1 dance
   Also on the Billboard Top Hits 1980 - 1984 box set. This song won the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Original Song, but I remember it more as the theme song for the Fame tv show. On this compilation we're treated to the five minute album version.
5. Lay Down Sally - Eric Clapton, released 1977, #3 pop, #25 AC, #26 country
   Also on Timepieces and The Best Of Eric Clapton. I can take it or leave it, but I just discovered that the wonderful Yvonne Elliman sings backing vocals on this one. Thanks, internet!
6. Joanna - Kool And The Gang, released 1983, #2 pop, #1 R&B, #2 AC
   Hey! Wait just a minute! Wasn't this track also on Volume 1?!? What gives, PolyGram?
7. Atlanta Blue - Statler Bros., released 1984, #3 country
   I'm sure this is a great country song if you like that sort of thing.
8. Greensleeves - Mantovani, released 1952
   This is the sort of Muzak-type stuff that reminds me of my maternal grandmother. She would keep the tv in her house tuned to the local cable station that played easy listening music while the community bulletin board ran.
   
   Funny how something that drives you bonkers in high school eventually becomes a cherished memory.
9. E.T. Flying Theme - John Williams And The Boston Pops, released 1982
   Also on John Williams - By Request. From 1984-88, I attended college at what was then known as East Texas State University. Most people just called it "ET" and we had a band director who thought it was clever to play this theme. I distinctly remember playing it in the fall of 1984, after that, who the hell knows.
10. Solitude (Theme From Missing) - Zamfir, released 1984
    Ye gods. Perhaps the less said about this thing, the better.
11. Caravan - Wes Montgomery, released 1964
    Now we're talking! A driving, upbeat, big band version of this 1936 standard with dazzling fretwork from Montgomery.
12. Desafinado - Stan Getz/Charlie Byrd, released 1962, #15 pop
    I have other versions of this classic, but this take - from the Jazz Samba album - is new to my shelves. Note to self: buy Jazz Samba album.
13. Darlin - Tom Jones, released 1981, #103 pop, #45 AC, #19 country
    It's not unusual for an artist to pivot to another genre later in a recording career, but this one's not for me.  Like I mentioned earlier, looks like there's something for everybody on this disc.

This compilation has quite a few soundtrack pieces, huh? Immediately recognizable to people of all ages, I imagine track 3 was quite popular when showing off the sonic capabilities of CDs to prospective buyers.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

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*I recently compiled complete chart data for compact disc charts from both Billboard and CashBox magazines. While doing so, I saw the names of a number of very early sampler/demonstration discs with which I was completely unfamiliar. I found a few early CDs that charted, as well as similar discs from 1983-85, and am featuring those this week.

Various Artists - Hear The Light, Vol. 1 (1984)

EARLY CD WEEK* (APRIL 18-23, 2022)

A 13 track (mostly) rock sampler from PolyGram, perfect for demonstrating the new CD players to young, rockin' yuppie-types.

Billboard, October 20, 1984, p. 76

Title of the disc comes from the fact that a laser was reading the disc instead of a stylus. 9 of the 13 tracks were new to my CD collection.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart
Peak on the CashBox Top CD chart: #20

Tracks:

1. Jack And Diane - John Cougar, released 1982, #1 pop, #3 rock
   When this song hit, it was an immediate sensation with me and all my friends. We'd listen to it over and over and were particularly fascinated with the simplistic drum solo lifted almost directly from Phil Collins's In the Air Tonight. We didn't care - just give us some hooks! The song is still fairly ubiquitous on classic rock stations so I've grown a little tired of it, but it took 40 years for that to happen.
2. Far From Over - Frank Stallone, released 1983, #10 pop, #43 dance
   A little nepotizz. I've only seen the movie Stayin' Alive once and that was in late July 1983. I remember it as a completely ridiculous film about the staging of a production of a Broadway musical that this writer found to be a hilarious romp through fantasyland. This top ten tune captures the feeling of that musical perfectly, but is far more enjoyable than the movie itself.
3. No One Like You - Scorpions, released 1982, #65 pop, #1 rock
   I like this tune and everybody seems to know it even though it didn't crack the top 40. I'm guessing the video was on heavy MTV rotation? A friend of mine bought the Blackout album with the great album cover art. I asked him if he liked it and he sort of shrugged and said, "If you like screamin' solo guitar..."
   
   And then 35 years later I saw this typo in my favorite diner's jukebox:
   
   
4. Steppin' Out - John Mayall/Eric Clapton, released 1966
   A brief cover of a blues originally released by Memphis Slim in 1959. From the album Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, an LP which has received multiple honors over the years, including Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums. I prefer more authentic blues.
5. Joanna - Kool And The Gang, released 1983, #2 pop, #1 R&B, #2 AC
   In the late fall/early winter of 1983, I was briefly interested in a girl named JoAnn. She was a couple of years younger than me and, in her father's opinion, too young to go on a "car date" so that relationship never got off the ground. Other than the similar names, the girl and the song have nothing to do with each other. However, I'm always reminded of JoAnn when I hear this tune. (A couple of years later, DeBarge did something similar with Who's Holding Donna Now). I can't think of any K&TG song I dislike. The trombone solo, the sappy lyrics, the constant eight note electric piano motif - it all works for me.
6. She's Strange - Cameo, released 1984, #47 pop, #1 R&B
   Not only is this new my CD collection, I don't think I ever heard it prior to purchasing this CD. It's all about groove, not melody. I don't care much for the rapped verse, but I dig the chorus. The version included here is the 7 minute album version, which goes on a bit long for me.
7. Flashdance...What A Feeling - Irene Cara, released 1983, #1 pop, #4 AC, #1 dance, #2 R&B
   Also on the Flashdance soundtrack and the Pure Disco 2 compilation.
8. Runaway - Bon Jovi, released 1984, #39 pop, #5 rock
   I've never been much for Bon Jovi although I understand the appeal. In any case, this generic rocker flew under my radar in April '84. 
9. Stone Cold - Rainbow, released 1982, #40 pop, #1 rock
   The intro feels like a Doors tune to me with the organ licks sounding like something Ray Manzarek would come up with. The chorus is good, but I need the whole thing to rock a little harder. Another rock album with great cover art.
10. Twilight Zone - Golden Earring, released 1982, #10 pop, #1 rock
    Also on Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 6.
11. Lick It Up - Kiss, released 1983, #66 pop, #19 rock
    It's a landmark day here at blog headquarters as this is the very first Kiss tune to appear in this space. I usually completely dismiss them as a novelty act, but this one ain't too bad, if not repetitive. At the very least, the chorus riff was good enough for Ratt to steal.
12. Cocaine - Eric Clapton, released 1977
    Also on Timepieces and The Best Of Eric Clapton
13. Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees, released 1977, #1 pop, #28 AC, #3 dance, #4 R&B
    Also on a Bee Gees hits compilation, the Grumpier Old Men soundtrack, and, of course, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

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*I recently compiled complete chart data for compact disc charts from both Billboard and CashBox magazines. While doing so, I saw the names of a number of very early sampler/demonstration discs with which I was completely unfamiliar. I found a few early CDs that charted, as well as similar discs from 1983-85, and am featuring those this week.

The Digital Domain: A Demonstration (1983)

EARLY CD WEEK* (APRIL 18-23, 2022)

According to this article from the June 1984 issue of Stereo Review, this disc was "the first test/demo Compact Disc available in this country." Even with a target audience of hardcore audiophiles, this CD appeared on the first Compact Discs chart published by CashBox on September 15, 1984:

Two discs in one! The first half is various recorded sounds - both natural and synthesized - made during the '70s and '80s at the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics at Stanford University while the latter half is a test section with pink noise, sine waves and whatnot. It's not much good to me except as a curiosity as I really don't have the high end equipment needed to fine tune my modest audio system. But I can just imagine what it must have sounded like to someone who had never heard a CD before when it was played in a home electronics store at full blast.

 An excerpt from the extensive liner notes

My copy must be a later pressing as the disc itself reads "Made in U.S.A. by Sanyo" and CDs weren't yet being pressed in the US in 1983. Complete liner notes are available here, including descriptions of each piece by the composers and the following warning: "CAUTION: There are some sounds on this disc that if played too loudly will seriously affect the dispusion [sic] of your sound system." It's fun to hear what was considered cutting edge back in '83, but probably not a CD I'll listen to again unless there's people who won't leave the party so I'll loudly play the latter half so they'll get out of my house. For what it's worth, I listened on headphones.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart
Peak on the CashBox Top CD chart: #17

Tracks:

It's best heard while reading the liner notes so you know what the hell is going on. Lots of experimental compositions in the first half. The first track includes the old THX logo chord that we heard before movies in the theatres for years. Track 3, The Lions Are Growing, sounds like an Art of Noise demo, so that's a fun change of pace. With tracks like Specific Racquetball, Generic Racquetball, Venice Beach, Foothill Park and Helicopter, you get what is advertised by the title. The test section, as you might imagine, is not for your listening enjoyment, but it is brief. The final track is one minute of silence.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

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*I recently compiled complete chart data for compact disc charts from both Billboard and CashBox magazines. While doing so, I saw the names of a number of very early sampler/demonstration discs with which I was completely unfamiliar. I found a few early CDs that charted, as well as similar discs from 1983-85, and am featuring those this week.