Monday, December 30, 2019

Various Artists: Alligator Records 30th Anniversary Collection 2001



Alligator Records is an American, Chicago-based independent blues record label founded by Bruce Iglauer in 1971. Iglauer was also one of the founders of the Living Blues magazine in Chicago in 1970.

BRUCE IGLAUER
 
Bruce Iglauer started the label with his own savings to record and produce his favorite band Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers, whom his employer, Bob Koester of Delmark Records, declined to record.
Nine months after the release of the first album, he stopped working at Delmark Records to concentrate fully on the band and his label. Only 1,000 copies of the Taylor's debut album were made, whilst Iglauer also took over managing the group.


Other early releases for the fledgling label included recordings by Big Walter Horton with Carey Bell and Fenton Robinson. In 1976, Koko Taylor's I Got What It Takes was nominated for a Grammy Award, and Albert Collins soon signed to the label. Iglauer mainly acted as the label's executive producer.


In 1982, the label won its first Grammy Award for the album, I'm Here, by Clifton Chenier. The second Grammy came in 1985 for Showdown! by Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, and Robert Cray. In 1991, a 20th anniversary compilation album was issued.


Since its founding, Alligator Records has released over 250 blues and blues/rock albums, as well as a now-defunct reggae series. Present and past Alligator artists include Lonnie Mack, Marcia Ball, Koko Taylor, Lonnie Brooks, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Eddy Clearwater, Sam Lay, Smokin' Joe Kubek, Roomful of Blues, Eric Lindell, JJ Grey & MOFRO, Lee Rocker, Cephas & Wiggins, and Michael Burks. More recently, veterans Charlie Musselwhite and James Cotton have re-signed to the label.
Alligator celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2011 and noted that it returned a profit for the previous year.

Release Date August 21, 2001
Duration: 02:29:52 


CD 1. TRACKS

01. Shemekia Copeland: Turn The Heat Up    
02. Michael Burks: Got A Way With Women    
03. Marcia Ball: Louella    
04. Junior Wells: Keep Your Hands Out Of My Pocket    
05. Coco Montoya: Enough Is Enough    
06. Robert Cray, Albert Collins: She's Into Something    
07. Corey Harris, Henry Butler: If You Let A Man Kick You Once    
08. William Clarke: Broke And Hungry    
09. Koko Taylor: Bring Me Some Water    
10. Carey Bell: Hard Working Woman    
11. Rusty Zinn: The Chill    
12. Corey Harris: Basehead    
13. The Kinsey Report: Time Is Running Out    
14. John Cephas &amp: Phil Wiggins: Mamie    
15. The Holmes Brothers: Homeless Child    
16. Dave Hole: Jenny Lee    
17. Johnny Winter: My Time After Awhile    
18. Phillip Walker, Lonnie Brooks: Boogie Rambler



CD 2. TRACKS

01. Lonnie Brooks: Two Headed Man    
02. Luther Allison: Soul Fixin' Man    
03. C.J. Chenier And The Red Hot Louisiana Band: Jambalaya (On The Bayou)    
04. Albert Collins And The Icebreakers: Dyin' Flu    
05. James Cotton: When It Rains It Pours    
06. Elvin Bishop: Slow Down    
07. Saffire -The Uppity Blues Women: You Can Have My Husband    
08. Little Charlie And The Nightcats: I'll Take You Back    
09. Delbert McClinton: Maybe Someday Baby    
10. Lil' Ed And The Blues Imperials: Chicken, Gravy And Biscuits    
11. Son Seals, Elvin Bishop: Sadie    
12. Lonnie Mack: Stop    
13. Hound Dog Taylor & The House Rockers: It's Alright  

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

The Sound Explosion : The Explosive Sounds Of ... 2018

The Sound Explosion were formed in Athens, Greece, in May 1991 by four young gentlemen obsessed with all the great mid 60's garage and beat bands from all parts of the world. The line up was John (vocals, 6 and 12 string Vox guitar, harmonica), Jim (Eko bass, backing vocals), Stelios (Farfisa organ, maracas, backing vocals) and Stavros (drums, tambourine). The band started playing alone and together with other bands, such us the Fuzztones, Dead Moon, the Marshmallow Overcoat and the Others. Their wylde stage act attracted the attention of garage freaks from all over the globe.


As a result, the band started recording and releasing various 45's and a full length LP/CD, which got rave reviews from fanzines and magazines and considerable airplay from radio stations worldwide. While things started looking promising for the band, studies, day jobs, army obligations, some "internal frictions" ("we hate each other in the band" was a common phrase in the Sound Explosion ranks!), alien abductions etc, sadly put a sudden end to the band in early 1997. It looked like The Sound Explosion were gone for good! Yet, some things never change... So, you're right kids... THE SOUND EXPLOSION ARE BACK!!!


Its line up is John Alexopoulos (vocals, 6 and 12 string Vox guitar, harmonica), Dimitrios Dimopoulos (Bass guitar, backing vocals), Stelios Askoxylakis (Farfisa organ, backing vocals) and Stavros Daktylas (drums, tambourine). The band has played several concerts in Greece with bands like The Fuzztones, Dead Moon, Sick Rose, Cynics, the Others The Marshmallow Overcoat and co and in Beat Festival in Italy 2005.


It split up in 1997, but reunited during the early 2000s . In the end of 2017 they started to record a new 14 song album after 24 years with general title The explosive sounds of...The Sound Explosion and it will be released in April 2018 in the label Lost in tyme records.


After 24 years since their first classic album, this legendary Greek garage band entered the studio again to record this album! 'The Explosive Sounds Of... The Sound Explosion' contains 14 songs and time seems to have stopped.


Taking their inspiration from all the classic and the most obscure American garage bands of the '60s, they have created a statement of how a true garage band should sound! A record that's gonna melt on the turntable of each fan. They're back to turn on the fuzz!


The Sound Explosion ‎– The Explosive Sounds Of......
Genre: Rock
Style: Garage Rock
Year: 2018
Notes: All songs by The Sound Explosion
Recorded and mixed November 2017 - January 2018 at "Best Of Studio"
Produced by The Sound Explosion
Engineering by Nikos Trigkas
Artwork by George Paraskevopoulos


JOHN ALEXOPOULOS - 12 & 6 string guitars, lead vocals,
DIMITRIS DIMOPOULOS - Bass, backing vocals
STAVROS DAKTYLAS - Drums tambourine
STELIOS ASKOXYLAKIS - Farfisa organ, backing vocals

Tracklist

01. In My Grave    
02. Don't Shoot Me Down    
03. I Wanna Be Mine    
04. I'm Lost And I'm Found    
05. You Better Run    
06. Girl Of My Dreams, Girl Of My Life    
07. Cause You Lie    
08. Bring Back Your Love    
09. No Matter What You Do    
10. Don't Try My Love    
11. In Your Eyes    
12. Baby Baby Bye Bye    
13. For A Girl Like You    
14. Through Space And Tyme   







 

Friday, December 20, 2019

Various Artists - Pebbles, Vol. 10 Subtitled: Original '60s Punk & Psych Classics 1996




Various Artists - Pebbles, Vol. 10
Subtitled: Original '60s Punk & Psych Classics
1996 Archive International Productions (AIP)
CD cat. #: AIP CD 5027


Leather Boy, Bruthers, Others etc. The original series of 28 LPs contained obscure '60s recordings from all over the world. In preparing the series for CD release, we have taken a somewhat different approach. The first five volumes, always the popular favorites, have been kept largely the same, only omitting tracks more definitively reissued elsewhere, and adding several new bonus tracks to each album.


Subsequent volumes have begun to take a more regional approach, drawing not just from the original Pebbles and Highs albums, but also from other compilations that have since gone out of print, as well as from our large archive of previously unreissued tracks. Some of the new Pebbles CDs include tracks never before issued, and all have been completely remastered, with all-new liner notes reflecting the latest info available to us.


Twenty-four mid-'60s garage favorites, none available on CD before. It's above the median standard of such compilations, including numerous better cuts from the original vinyl Pebbles series: the Leather Boy's truly strange "I'm a Leather Boy," and the Clockwork Orange's Electric Prunes-influenced "Your Golden Touch," the Uncalled For's "Do Like Me," and the Others' "I Can't Stand This Love." There are also a number of tracks that are relatively unfamiliar, the most interesting of these being "Leave Me Alone" by the Canadian Squires, who would turn into the Band (yes, the Band) a few years later.

Far from being a letdown, volume ten of the oh-so-awesome Pebbles series is a supremely rockin' disc, packed with some of the swinginest garage rock classics ever to roar their way outta the 60s. As a matter of fact, I may go so far as to say thatthis is one of the two or three best CD volumes in the entire series (!!!) The songs exemplify garage rock at its best and rawest, with plenty of attitude, electric organs, fuzz guitars, and teenage rage. I mean, seriously, listen to those tunes! "The Leather Boy" and "On the Go" (both by the elusive Leather Boy, a.k.a. Milan) are whaked-out weirdo biker anthems, greasy rockers with thuggish backup vocals, slashing guitars, and tough-guy lyrics. The Bold's "Gotta Get Some" is a leering, saliva-dripping stomper that makes the 'Stones seem tame. This set also features the group's cover of "Train Kept A-Rollin'," which rocks with exactly the kind of untamed ferocity that makes garage rock so much fun. The Bruthers snarl their way through an awesome raver entitled "Bad Way to Go," before the Canadian Squires burst onto the scene with a lean, mean pounder entitled "Leave Me Alone" (Canadian Squires, by the way, would later find fame as the Band).


The Clockwork Orange turn in two tremolo laden classics by the name of "Your Golden Touch" and "Do Me Right Now," and the Breakers' "Don't Send Me No Flowers (I Ain't Dead Yet)" is a gritty, cocky, and strutting rocker with a monstrous fuzz guitar attack. And then there's Spirite's tense, the
Loved Ones' "Surprise Surprise," and the Mach V's catchy anti-drug anthem, "If I Could." Am I done yet? Of course not! There's still the Others' jet-propelled "I Can't Stand this Love, Goodbye," and the Prophets' infectious, low key three-chord jangler, "Yes I Know." Ravin' Blue turn in a stormin' little blues-punker entitled "Love," before the Rooks' "A Girl Like You" comes roaring out of your speakers, with its wonderfully distorted guitars and all-around catchiness. The RPM keep things short and sweet with the brief, but undeniably powerful, snarler known as "White Lightening." The Silver Fleet's "Look Out World" is, admittedly, a ripoff of "Gloria." Still, it's an incredibly good one.

Who We Are mix sapced-out psychedelia with fuzz-blastin' garage punk quite effectively on "Last Trip," and the Teddy Boys are just plain insane on their cover of Bo Diddley's "Mona." The Uncalled For's "Do Like Me" is subtle, sarcastic, and quietly intense, and the Kidds' "Nature's Children" is a fuzzy punk pounder with lotsa bite. The Regiments' "My Soap Won't Float" is a wonderfully bizzare psych-punk-popper which may or may not be an excellent parody of the whole concept of hippie mystecism.


It's also really, really, really catchy. And then there's "Doin' Me In." A garage-punk-rock-n-roll-proto-metal masterpiece in every sense of the word, the Gonn's "Doin' Me In" is a two-chord monster that combines every single adjective I've used so far in this review (except for "subtle." It isn't subtle), and throws in a few more (for example, "brutal"). Just plain awesome. Garage fans, get this disc right now. NOW!

TRACK LISTING


01. The Leather Boy / I'm A Leather Boy - 02:08
02. The Bold / Gotta Get Some - 02:32
03. The Bruthers / Bad Way To Go - 02:53
04. Canadian Squires / Leave Me Alone - 02:38
05. Clockwork Orange / Your Golden Touch - 02:14
06. Clockwork Orange / Do Me Right Now - 01:30
07. The Breakers / Don't Send Me No Flowers (I Ain't Dead Yet) - 02:08
08. The Spirit / No Time To Rhyme - 02:37
09. The Leather Boy / On The Go - 02:13
10. The Loved Ones / Surprise Surprise - 01:59
11. Mach V / If I Could - 02:23
12. The Others / I Can't Stand This Love - 02:10
13. The Prophets / Yes I Know - 02:45
14. Ravin' Blue / Love - 02:09
15. The Rooks / A Girl Like You - 02:10
16. The RPM's / White Lightnin' - 01:47
17. Silver Fleet / Look Out World - 03:17
18. We Who Are / Last Trip - 02:30
19. Steve Walker and the Bold / Train Kept A Rollin' - 02:31
20. The Teddy Boys / Mona - 02:59
21. The Uncalled For / Do Like Me - 02:46
22. The Kidds / Nature's Children - 02:16
23. The Regiment / My Soap Won't Float - 02:17
24. Gonn / Doin' Me In - 02:45

Playing time...57:37

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Steve Forbert : Alive On Arrival 1978



Samuel Stephen "Steve" Forbert (born December 13, 1954) is an American pop music singer-songwriter. Bob Harris of BBC Radio 2 said Forbert has "One of the most distinctive voices anywhere.”


His 1979 song "Romeo's Tune" reached No. 11 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 13 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart. It also spent two weeks at No. 8 in Canada. His other singles have all charted on Billboard. Forbert's first four albums all charted on the Billboard 200 chart, with Jack Rabbit Slim certified gold. In 2003, his Any Old Time album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Traditional Folk category. Forbert has released nineteen studio and three live albums. 

 [By Mike DeGagne 

Steve Forbert's youthful features and boyish voice certainly become misleading once his lyrics are heard. His folk-rock styled songs are usually centered around life's ups and downs and the problems of adulthood, portraying him as an artist who's just trying to get by.


Alive on Arrival is an album full of earnest tunes about loneliness, self-worth, aspirations, and disappointments. Forbert's wispy, innocent sounding voice floats gently (and cuts roughly) over his acoustic guitar to homespun ditties with a down-to-earth feel.
This album represents Forbert's music perfectly, and even though his latter albums sound less subtle, it is Alive on Arrival that so aptly personifies him. "Going Down to Laurel" has his voice aching about the dirtiness of the city and the beauty of his true love, and "Steve Forbert's Midsummer Night's Toast" is an interesting musical jaunt through the bittersweet world of growing up. Forbert really comes to life on "What Kinda Guy?," humorously explaining what a simplified, easygoing chap he is.
The kick-back aura of Alive on Arrival puts the emphasis on the down and out Forbert while feelings of sentiment and adolescence slowly emerge with each passing song. This album makes for a great late-night listen.]

Released on CBS Records in 1978, “Alive On Arrival” was heralded by fans and critics alike. Rolling Stone raved that on the album Forbert “attacked his acoustic guitar fiercely, took raw, careening harmonica solos, and sang in a manner nobody had heard before--hoarse, almost whispering at times, but with a sure command of texture and nuance and a sense of high drama.” Paul Nelson, in the Rolling Stone review of the record, said that “Nothing in this world is going to stop Steve Forbert, and on that I’d bet anything you’d care to wager.”
Was there ever a debut album more fittingly titled than Steve Forbert‘s astonishing 1978 release Alive on Arrival? From the opening harmonica intro for the folk rocker leadoff track, ‘Goin’ Down to Laurel’, to the closing notes of the powerful, bluesy, ‘You Cannot Win If You Do Not Play’, what music fans heard was a fresh and vital singer/songwriter who was infectious, intelligent, and musically inventive. Forbert was immediately saddled with the moniker “The New Dylan”, an evaluation that has cursed a hundred talents.

Alive On Arrival was an auspicious debut. He had traveled from his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi to New York City, playing in small clubs and in front of any open mic that was available. His first release reflects those learning experiences as the music and lyrics have a raw and gritty feel despite the gentle nature of his approach.

His early songs explored pain, humor, regret, his philosophy of life, and the world around him. “It Isn’t Gonna Be That Way” is a catchy folk tune that remains in your mind long after the song ends. “Big City Cat” is an emotional ride through his life at the time. “Goin’ Down to Laurel” remains a fine introduction to his music.


Label: Epic ‎– ZK 35538, Nemperor Records ‎– ZK 35538
Format: CD, Album, Reissue
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Rock
Style: Folk Rock

TRACKS

All songs written by Steve Forbert

01. Goin' Down to Laurel – 4:39
02. Steve Forbert's Midsummer Night's Toast – 2:49
03. Thinkin' – 3:25
04. What Kinda Guy? – 2:34
05. It Isn't Gonna Be That Way – 4:55
06. Big City Cat – 3:50
07. Grand Central Station, March 18, 1977 – 4:13
08. Tonight I Feel So Far Away from Home – 3:14
09. Settle Down – 3:46
10. You Cannot Win If You Do Not Play – 4:33


Personnel

Acoustic Bass – Brian Torff (tracks: 8)
Alto Saxophone – David Sanborn (tracks: 6)
Bass – Hugh McDonald
Design – Ed Lee
Drums, Tambourine – Barry Lazarowitz
Engineer – Glenn Berger
Engineer [Associate Engineer] – Charles Clifton
Guitar [Pedal Steel] – Harvey Shapiro
Lead Guitar – Steve Burgh
Other [Production Assistant] – Candice Smith
Photography By [Back Cover] – David Gahr
Photography By [Front Cover] – Danny Fields
Piano, Organ – Robbie Kondor
Producer – Steve Burgh
Technician [Technical Assistance] – Bruce Maddocks
Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica – Steve Forbert
Written-By – Steve Forbert

IT ISN'T GONNA BE THAT WAY LYRICS

You've traveled so far, the wind in your face
you're thinking you've found the one special place
where all your dreams will walk out in line,
and follow the course you've made in your mind

Well, it isn't gonna be that way
It isn't gonna be that way

I came on my own
and felt much like you
i thought i was king
and knew what to do
but everything burned
and fell from my hand
i had to turn back
and build a new plan

Cause It isn't gonna be that way
It isn't gonna be that way

If i were a god
id give you a clue
this minute would crack
and id go through
and id walk out in time
where no one has been
and come back to you
and tell what id seen

But It isn't gonna be that way
It isn't gonna be that way

youll just have to live
and see what you find
take it from there
and follow the signs
think you can live
and dream your own fate
you think you can wish
 and walk through the gate

It isn't gonna be that way
It isn't gonna be that way


Saturday, December 14, 2019

Etta James : The Definitive Collection 2006


She was born Jamesetta Hawkins to 14-year-old Dorothy Hawkins and an unknown white father, although James maintained he was the pool shark Rudolf "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone, and was raised at first in Los Angeles by adoptive parents. From the age of five, she sang gospel in the local church and later acknowledged the influence of the choirmaster, Professor James Earl Hines.



Etta James (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012) was an American singer who performed in various genres, including blues, R&B, soul, rock and roll, jazz and gospel. Starting her career in 1954, she gained fame with hits such as "The Wallflower", "At Last", "Tell Mama", "Something's Got a Hold on Me", and "I'd Rather Go Blind".



She faced a number of personal problems, including heroin addiction, severe physical abuse, and incarceration, before making a musical comeback in the late 1980s with the album Seven Year Itch.
James's powerful, deep, earthy voice bridged the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll. She won six Grammy Awards and 17 Blues Music Awards. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.


Rolling Stone magazine ranked James number 22 on its list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time; she was also ranked number 62 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. 


[Whoa. There are many Etta James collections out there. The standard-bearers thus far have been the Chess Box and the Essential Etta James. This set attempts to do something else and goes deep into her catalog to dig out the gems from her years with Modern, Argo, Cadet, Chess, Warner Brothers, Island, and Private Music/BMG, and presents the full spectrum of her five-decade career.



As such, there are many different kinds of songs here revealing the complexity of the vocalist herself, and as such, thus becomes a real portrait of the artist. Juxtapose, for instance, early sides like "The Wallflower Dance (Dance With Me Henry)," with its wild R&B bravado and the deep soul-blues of "All I Could Do Is Cry," the balladry of "The Man I Love," the bone-crushing blues of "The Sky Is Crying," and the torch song ballad technique on "My Dearest Darling," and the despairing soul inherent in songs such as "All the Way Down," and the listener begins to get an idea of just how vast and deep James talent really is.

These 23 cuts give a fine and full picture of all that diversity without sacrificing a note of quality. This is a fine introduction to James for those listeners who have become acquainted with her in recent years, and a decent look at the later material for those cynical purists who think it was over and done by 1970.
AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek]


Etta James, who has died aged 73 after suffering from leukaemia, was among the most critically acclaimed and influential female singers of the past 50 years, even if she never achieved huge popular success. From her first R&B hit, in 1955, the risqué Roll With Me Henry – cut when she was only 15 – through a series of classic 1960s soul sides (the lush ballad At Last, the raucous house rocker Tell Mama and the emotional agony of I'd Rather Go Blind), then a series of critically acclaimed 1970s and 1980s albums that won her a broad rock audience, to more recent albums of jazz vocals, James proved capable of developing and changing as an artist.


Her approach to both singing and life was throughout one of wild, often desperate engagement that included violence, drug addiction, armed robbery and highly capricious behaviour. James sang with unmatched emotional hunger and a pain that can chill the listener. The ferocity of her voice documents a neglected child, a woman constantly entering into bad relationships and an artist raging against an industry and a society that had routinely discriminated against her.




In 1967 Leonard Chess, the founder of Chess Records, sent James to Alabama to record at Fame studios with the producer Rick Hall. The resulting sessions produced the roaring Tell Mama, which took her back to the R&B top 10. Tell Mama's B-side was I'd Rather Go Blind, a brooding, agonised ballad of loss and jealousy which now stands as James's most celebrated recording and one of the classic sides of soul music. James wrote or co-wrote several of her greatest songs.

James never again enjoyed a major US hit, although she continued to record strong material. Perhaps her voice, so raw and emotionally expressive, was too fierce for the general public. Indeed, hurt, anger and self-destructive behaviour boiled beneath the surface of her vocals. Once asked to describe her style, she responded that singing allowed her to vent "all this bitch shit inside of me".



Tracklist

01. The Wallflower (Dance With Me Henry)
Backing Vocals – Abbye Mitchell, Jean Mitchell
Baritone Saxophone – Big Jim Wynn
Drums – Johnny Otis
Trumpet – Don Johnson
Vocals [Male] – Richard Berry
Written-By – Etta James, Hank Ballard, Johnny Otis

02. Good Rockin' Daddy
Written-By – Joe Josea, Richard Berry

03. W-O-M-A-N
Written-By – Dorothy Hawkins, Etta James

04 .All I Could Do Is Cry
Written-By – Berry Gordy, Jr., Billy Davis , Gwen Gordy

05. If I Can't Have You
Vocals – Harvey Fuqua
Written-By – Etta James, Harvey Fuqua

06. My Dearest Darling
Written-By – Edwin Bocage, Paul Gayten

07. At Last
Written-By – Harry Warren , Mack Gordon

08. Don't Cry Baby
Written-By – Jimmy Johnson, Saul Bernie, Stella Unger

09. A Sunday Kind Of Love
Written-By – Anita Leonard, Barbara Belle, Louis Prima, Stan Rhodes

10. Trust In Me
Written-By – Jean Schwartz, Milton Ager, Ned Wever

11. Something's Got A Hold On Me
Bass – Reggie Boyd
Drums – Al Duncan
Guitar – Matt Murphy
Piano – John Young
Written-By – Etta James, Leroy Kirkland, Pearl Woods

12. Stop The Wedding
Producer – Ralph Bass
Written-By – Freddy Johnson, Leroy Kirkland, Pearl Woods

13. Pushover
Written-By – Tony Clarke
Written-By, Producer – Billy Davis

14. Tell Mama
Written-By – Clarence Carter, Marcus Daniel, Wilbur Terrell

15. I'd Rather Go Blind
Written-By – Billy Foster, Ellington Jordan

16. Security
Bass – David Hood
Organ – Barry Beckett
Piano – George Davis
Saxophone – James Mitchell
Written-By – Margaret Wesson, Otis Redding

17. All The Way Down

Congas – King Errison
Drums – Kenny Rice
Guitar – Ken Marco
Keyboards – William D. Smith
Written-By – Catherine C. Williamson, Trevor Lawrence
Written-By, Producer – Gabriel Mekler

18. Take It To The Limit
Arranged By [Strings & Horns] – Jimmy Haskell
Backing Vocals – Gilbert Ivey, Henry Jackson , Joyce Austin, Merry Clayton, Reuben Franklin
Drums – Jeff Porcaro
Electric Piano – Keith Johnson
Lead Guitar – Cornell Dupree
Leader [Backing Vocals], Arranged By [Vocals] – Alexander Hamilton
Percussion – Tom Roady
Piano, Organ – Richard Tee
Producer – Jerry Wexler
Rhythm Guitar – Larry Carlton
Slide Guitar – Brian Ray
Written-By – Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Randy Meisner

19. Damn Your Eyes
Arranged By [Sax and Horns] – Jim Horn
Bass – Bob Wray, Willie Weeks
Guitar – Kenny Greenberg, Reggie Young, Steve Cropper
Written-By – Barbara Wyrick, Steve Bogard

20. Whatever Gets You Through The Night
Backing Vocals – Ashley Cleveland, Carol Chase, Dobie Gray, Jonell Mosser, Thomas Cain
Keyboards – Jim Pugh
Lead Guitar [Overdubbed] – Arik Marshall
Producer [Additional] – Etta James, Kim Buie
Rhythm Guitar – Danny Rhodes, Gary Burnette, Mabon "Teenie" Hodges
Synthesizer – Mike Lawler
Written-By – Bucky Lindsey, Carson Whitsett, Dan Penn

21. The Man I Love
Bass – Tony Dumas
Drums – Ralph Penland
Piano, Arranged By – Cedar Walton
Producer – John Snyder
Saxophone – Red Holloway
Written-By – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin

22. I've Been Loving You Too Long
Acoustic Guitar – Don Potter
Backing Vocals – Curtis "Mr. Harmony" Young*, Dennis Wilson , Donna McElroy, John Wesley Ryles, Louis Nunley, Vicki Hamilton*, Yvonne Hodges
Drums – Eddie Bayers
Guitar – Brent Rowan, Dann Huff
Horns – The Southside Horns
Keyboards – Steve Nathan
Percussion – Terry McMillan
Steel Guitar – Paul Franklin
Written-By – Jerry Butler, Otis Redding

23. The Sky Is Crying
Guitar – Brian Ray
Producer – Donto James, Etta James, Josh Sklair, Sametto James
Written-By – Clarence Lewis, Elmore James, Morgan Robinson

Etta James ‎– The Definitive Collection
Label: Geffen Records ‎– B000401002, Chronicles ‎– B000401002, UMe ‎– B000401002
Series: The Definitive Collection
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: Canada
Released: 2006
Genre: Soul, Blues
Manufactured By – Universal Music Canada Inc.
Distributed By – Universal Music Canada Inc.
Remastered At – Universal Mastering Studios West
  
Credits

Arranged By [Orchestra], Conductor – Riley Hampton (tracks: 4 to 10)
Art Direction – Vartan
Backing Vocals – Jesse Belvin (tracks: 2, 3), Richard Berry (tracks: 2, 3), The Dreamers  (tracks: 2, 3)
Bass – Chuck Rainey (tracks: 17, 18), Michael Rhodes (tracks: 20, 22)
Compilation Producer – Andy McKaie
Computer [Fairlight III] – Carl Marsh  (tracks: 19, 20)
Design – t42design
Drums – Leard Bell (tracks: 2, 3), Roger Hawkins (tracks: 14 to 16, 19, 20)
Electric Bass – David Hood (tracks: 14, 15)
Executive Producer – Pat Lawrence
Guitar – Albert Lowe, Jr. (tracks: 14 to 16), Jimmy Ray Johnson (tracks: 14 to 16), Josh Sklair (tracks: 21, 22)
Horns – Jim Horn (tracks: 19, 20, 22), The Horn Section (tracks: 19, 20)
Liner Notes – Alice James, Etta James
Orchestra – Maxwell Davis Orchestra (tracks: 2, 3)
Organ – Carl Banks  (tracks: 14, 15)
Organ, Piano – Dewey Oldham (tracks: 14, 15)
Photography [Coordination] – Ryan Null
Photography By [Cover] – Jim McCrary
Piano – Devonia Williams (tracks: 1 to 3)
Producer – Maxwell Davis (tracks: 1 to 3), Rick Hall (tracks: 14 to 16)
Producer, Keyboards – Barry Beckett (tracks: 19, 20, 22)
Product Manager – Adam Starr
Production Manager – Beth Stempel
Remastered By [Digitally] – Erick Labson
Saxophone – Aaron Varnell (tracks: 14 to 16), Charles Chalmers (tracks: 14 to 16), Floyd Newman (tracks: 14, 15), Maxwell Davis (tracks: 2, 3)
Trumpet – Gene "Bowlegs" Miller (tracks: 14 to 16)

This Post is dedicated to my friend Konstantinos and his "Beatniks Road Bar" Exarhia-Athens.


Monday, December 09, 2019

Lene Lovich : Stateless 1979



Lene Lovich (born March 30, 1949) is an English-American singer, songwriter and musician. She first gained attention in 1979 with the release of her hit single "Lucky Number", which peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart and made her a leading figure of the new wave music scene.


Lovich was born Lili-Marlene Premilovich in Detroit, Michigan, to an English mother and American father of Serbian descent. After her father had health problems, her mother took her and her three siblings to live in Hull, England. Lovich was 13 years old at the time. She met the guitarist/songwriter Les Chappell when they were teenagers, and he became her longtime collaborator and life partner.


In autumn 1968, they went to London to attend art school. It was there that Lovich first tied her hair into the plaits that later became a visual trademark, though at first she did it to keep her hair out of the clay when studying sculpture.
She developed an interest in art and theater, enrolling at the Central School of Art and Design where she took saxophone lessons.


[One of Stiff Records' most stable staples, the truly alternative Lene Lovich laid much of the groundwork for an entire generation of singers left to pick up the pieces in the wasteland of the post-punk era. Her stunning debut, 1979's Stateless, was so unique, so vibrant, and her vocal stylings so unusual that the LP not only put her right at the front of the pack of nascent new wavers, it also sounded a commercial death knell of sorts, relegating her to the realms of novelty acts -- at least as far as the mainstream was concerned. 


But that's not to say that the mainstream wasn't keeping an ear cocked. Re-recorded from the demo that landed her a deal in the first place, a unique rendering of the bubblegum puff piece "I Think We're Alone Now" provided such propulsion that its B-side, the now-classic "Lucky Number," was itself then re-recorded, to land Lovich a Number Three U.K. hit in early 1979.


Elsewhere, the darkly sinister "Home" played off the rumors concerning Lovich's exotic Eastern European background (she was actually from Detroit, but she could fake a great accent). The piano-led Patti Smith-y "Too Tender (Too Touch)" allowed Lovich to explore a quieter corner, as did a sexy, sensuous rehash of fellow Stiff-er Nick Lowe's "Tonight.


" The rambunctious squeak of "Say When," on the other hand, not only tempered that mood but also scored Lovich another hit. While Stateless is certainly very much of its era, and well-placed in its time, inspired and adventurous songwriting coupled with a truly pioneering intent ensure that this LP will always remain the lit roadside marker that whispered "this way" to the hundreds of bands who followed.
Review by Amy Hanson]


The album was first released outside the United Kingdom, then following the success of the lead single "Lucky Number". The UK version of the album was released with a slightly different track list. In the United States, the album was released in 1979.


The album was available in two very different variations. The more common release had most of the songs remixed from the original versions and now included the single version of Lucky Number. Some songs were slightly shortened and many had new vocals accentuating Lene's quirky singing style. The original vocals were often more straightforward. The running order was shuffled and the album cover also varied between countries.



Personnel

Lene Lovich: vocals, saxophone
Les Chappell: guitar, synthesizer, percussion, vocals
Jeff Smith: synthesizer
Nick Plytas: Hammond organ, piano
Ron Francois: bass, percussion, vocals
Bobby Irwin: drums, percussion, vocals
Don Snow: piano on "Too Tender (to Touch)"
Brian Griffin: photography

Tracklist

01. Lucky Number     2:47
02. Sleeping Beauty     2:58
03. Home     3:39
04. Too Tender (To Touch)     4:05
05. Say When   2:47
06. Tonight   4:30
07. Writing On The Wall     3:08
08. Telepathy   2:44
09. Momentary Breakdown     3:16
10. One In A Million     2:50
11. I Think We're Alone Now   2:44
12. Be Stiff   2:37
13. Big Bird     3:26
14. The Fall   3:38
15. I Think We're Alone Now (Japanese Version)   2:44


Credits

Remastered By: Bill Inglot, Ken Perry
Written-By: Lovich (tracks: 1 to 4, 7, 9, 10, 13), Chappell (tracks: 1 to 4, 7, 9, 10, 13)

Notes

Tracks 12 to 15 are identified as CD Bonus Tracks. Track order 1 to 11, and mixes, match the 1979 Stiff re-issue. No remixes are mentioned in the credits.