Smalltown Boy...Jimmy Somerville & Bronski Beat.

Wow we are now traveling forward in time to 1991 !!...with a 45 rpm EP on a 12 inch Disc...I guess that when the recordings were over 3 mins long they would not fit onto a regular 7 inch disc and of course the singer  and arrangements can let the music flow without the restriction of about 3 mins !!

1. Smalltown Boy

1. To Love Somebody

2. There's More To Love Than Boy Meets Girl

In 1983, Somerville co-founded the synth-pop group Bronski Beat, which had several hits in the British charts. Their biggest hit was "Smalltown Boy", which peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart. In the music video Somerville plays the song's titular character, who leaves his hostile hometown for the friendlier city, reflecting Somerville's own experiences when he moved to London.

     1. To Love Somebody

The Innocents...Erasure.

We are moving forward in time to the 80's with this one and maybe a few more... contributions from some other friends !!...so my comments will be a bit scarce..so folks have a go and feel free to make a comment about this and other L/P's.

Erasure... are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell and songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, the latter previously a co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and synth-pop duo Yazoo. From their fourth single, "Sometimes" (1986), Erasure established themselves on the UK Singles Chart, becoming one of the most successful acts of the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. From 1986 to 2007, the pair achieved 24 consecutive top 40 entries in the UK singles chart. By 2009, 34 of their 37 chart-eligible singles and EPs had made the UK top 40, including 17 climbing into the top 10. At the 1989 Brit Awards, Erasure won the Brit Award for Best British Group.

        7. Yahoo.

Electronically Tested...Mungo Jerry.

Mungo Jerry (formerly known as Mungo Jerry Blues Band) are a British Folk, folk rock, blues, rock, and country music band formed by Ray Dorset in Ashford, Middlesex, in 1970. Experiencing their greatest success in the early 1970s, with a changing line-up always fronted by Dorset, the group's biggest hit was "In the Summertime", which sold 8–16 million copies worldwide. They had nine charting singles in the UK, including two number ones, five top-20 hits in South Africa, and four in the Top 100 in Canada.

Including The Great Hit In The Summertime !

1. She Rowed

2. I Just Wanna Make love To You

3. In The Summertime

4. Somebody Stole My Wife

1. Baby Jump

2. Follow Me Down

3. Memoirs Of a Stockbroker

4. You Better Leave That Whiskey Alone

5. Coming Back To You

       2. I Just Wanna Make Love to You

Rhapsody In Blue...Liberace.

Although the title is Rhapsody In Blue it is only an excerpt and the rest is made up of light classical pieces which most of you should be familiar with !!... memory's of the 1950's 

         4. Chopsticks.

The Great Years...Frankie Laine

Some early recordings of Frankie's From The 50's

        5. That's My Desire

Songs Of Kristofferson...Kris Kristofferson.

Kristoffer Kristofferson (June 22, 1936 – September 28, 2024) was an American musician, songwriter, and actor. He was a pioneering figure in the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, moving away from the polished Nashville sound and toward a more raw, introspective style. Some of his most famous songs include "Me and Bobby McGee" (1970), "For the Good Times" (1968), "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" (1969), and "Help Me Make It Through the Night" (1970), which were also recorded by and became hits for other artists.

      5. For The Good Times

New York Revue Orchestra & Singers...Gigi.

This is not from the soundtrack of the Film....

Something different from NZ once again...Thanks John !

       3. The Parisians

The Best Of ABBA

A great Nostalgic Cover of ABBA !.....and of course all their Early Hits !

       6. Nina Pretty Ballerina

Frost And Fire...The Watersons.

Another one from John in NZ that I have never heard of !....be great to hear what the fans of English Folk & Ritual & Magic songs think of this one !

The Watersons were an English folk group from Hull, Yorkshire. They performed mainly traditional songs with little or no accompaniment. Their distinctive sound came from their closely woven harmonies. They have been called the "most famous family in English folk music".

Their style is a unique blend of originality and tradition. The Watersons never learned to read music. They began by singing hunting songs, hymns and carols with their grandmother, ones that she probably sang with her parents. One family member would sing the melody, and the rest would join in, choosing a harmony note if the melody was out of their range.

Their first album was Frost and Fire 1965, followed by The Watersons and A Yorkshire Garland in 1966. The Watersons split up in 1968. 

      7. Hal- An- Tow

Songs From The Western Screen...Tex Ritter.

I wonder if the first track on this L/P could be the Origin of the "Yee Ha"...that we always seem to think about shouting when a CW track get's played ?

Woodward Maurice "Tex" Ritter (January 12, 1905 – January 2, 1974) was an American country music singer and actor. In 1936, Ritter moved to Los Angeles. His motion picture debut was in Song of the Gringo (1936) for Grand National Pictures. He went on to appear in 70 movies as an actor, and 76 on movie soundtracks. He attracted special attention in 1952 for his rendition of "The Ballad of High Noon" over the opening credits of the celebrated film High Noon, and later sang it at that year's Academy Awards ceremony, where it won Best Original Song.

Ritter's recording career was his most successful period. He was the first artist signed with the newly formed Capitol Records in 1942.

Ritter became one of the founding members of the Country Music Association in Nashville, Tennessee, and spearheaded the effort to build the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum into which he was inducted in 1964.

       1. The Bandit.

Giant Step & De Old Folks At Home...Taj Mahal.

Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr. (born May 17, 1942), better known by his stage name Taj Mahal, is an American blues musician. He plays the guitar, piano, banjo, harmonica, and many other instruments along with singing and whistling, often incorporating elements of world music into his work. Mahal has done much to reshape the definition and scope of blues music over the course of his more than 50-year career by fusing it with nontraditional forms, including sounds from the Caribbean, Africa, India, Hawaii, and the South Pacific.

Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home is the third studio album by American blues musician Taj Mahal. A double album, the first disc (Giant Step) is electric, while the second (De Ole Folks at Home) is acoustic. Esquire included the album at number 27 on its list of "The 75 Albums Every Man Should Own".

This is a great 22 track L/P(album)...For anybody like me, who never had much an interest in Blues Music...I recommend it 100%...give it a listen to and maybe like me you will find it as good as I did....The acoustic sides is much more interesting than the electric sides...This will definitely be listen to a lot by me !!

    1. Aint' Gwinne Whistle Dixie Anymo'

    10. Linin' Track

    14. A Little Soulful Tune

It Amazes Me...Liza Minnelli.

It amazes me is the title of this album and it certainly does amaze me...because Liza sounds like Barbra Streisand in her very early days...Particularly the albums  called "The Barbra Streisand Album" and "The Second Barbra Streisand Album"....Maybe the fact that the arrangements and both Barbra's and the above were produced by the same man"Peter Matz"....But now at this moment in time Barbra and Liza sound very different...I think that both singers where trying to find there own "Sound".....This L/P was recorded well before Liza's "Cabaret" film...

1. Wait Till You See Him
2. My Shinning Hour
3. I Like The Likes Of You
4. It Amazes Me
5. Looking At You
6. I Never Have Seen Snow

1. Plenty Of Time
2. For Every Man There's A Woman 
3. Lorelei
4. Shouldn't There Be Lightning
5. Nobody Knows You When Your Down And Out

   3. I Like The Likes Of You.

Where Love has Gone...Jack Jones.

 

Jack sings a selection of standards flawlessly with lush arrangements !

1. Where Love Has Gone
2. Willow Weep For Me
3. It Never Entered My Mind
4. Here's That Rainy Day
5. Lush Life
6. To Love And Be loved

1. People
2. Every Time We Say Goodbye
3. Whats New
4. The Lorelei
5. Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry
6. By Myself

      6. To Love And Be Loved

Guilty...Barbra Streisand.

Here's Barbra produced and accompanied by "Barry Gibb" that includes their hit single and Barbra's hit "Woman In Love"....Both of these singers where at the top of their tree in 1980. !!
So this is a good slice of popular music from that era !!.....No detriment to the singers or this L/P but I wonder why on all the tracks but one the producers decided to do a fade at the end of the songs and not let us listen to an ending !!!!.....It seems that that could be the norm from the 80's and even to today !!!

1. Guilty....with Barry Gibb
2. Woman In Love
3. Run Wild
4. Promises
5. The Love Inside

1. What Kind Of Fool....with Barry Gibb
2. Life Story
3. Never Give Up
4. Make It Like A Memory

           1. Guilty

Manilow Magic...Barry Manilow.

 All the well known hits are on this L/P as well as some of Barry's Power Ballads....I always thought that he wrote all his own songs and recorded them...BUT looking at the information only about half of them on this L/P were written by him....Well you learn something new every day !!!..."Mandy" his first big hit was originally called "Brandy" and I did have the single of it...But I can't remember who it was by !!!...not got it now so I can't look !!!....Just got a flash I think it was also by a Barry.... Something !!!...BUT could be wrong....

 1. Mandy
2. New York City Rhythm
3. Looks Like We Made It
4. Can't Smile Without You
5. Ready To Take The Chance Again
6. Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again

1. Could It Be Magic 
2. Copacabana
3. Weekend In New England
4. It's A Miracle
5. All The Time
6. I Write The Songs

          12. I Write The Songs          

A History Of T-REX.

T. Rex, originally Tyrannosaurus Rex, were an English rock band formed in London in 1967 by singer-songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan, who was their leader, frontman and only consistent member. Originally an acoustic psychedelic folk band, Bolan began to change the band's style towards electric rock with their fourth album, 1970's A Beard of Stars, and shortened their name to T. Rex by the time their self-titled fifth album was released later that same year. This development culminated with their first significant hit single "Ride a White Swan", and the group soon became pioneers of the glam rock movement.

1. Get It On.

2. Ride A White Swan.

3. Hot Love.

4. Jeepster.

5. Deborah

6. I Love To Boogie.

1. Telegram Sam.

2. Metal Guru.

3. Solid Gold Easy Action.

4. Born to Boogie.

5. The Groover.

6. Rock On.

        6. I Love To Boogie

My Crying Hour...Cora Lee Day.

Here's a forgotten singer who only made this L/P

Cora Lee Day (1914-1996) was virtually unknown when she recorded "My Crying Hour" in 1960, the only album in her brief singing career, before becoming an actress.

She bore a striking vocal resemblance to another legendary “Day,” the immortal “Lady Day” —Billie Holiday— but her voice still has that certain intangible quality that singles her out as a rare-find on the jazz scene and is sure to catch your ear. Under the direction of pianist Jimmy Jones and with a number of skillful arrangements, Cora Lee gained the drive and confidence to sing an engaging repertoire of fragile, moving songs in the manner that came most natural to her —soft and intimate.

1. My Crying Hour

2. When Your Lover Has Gone

3. Trouble Is A Man

4. The Very Thought Of You

5. I See A Million People

6. Ain't No Use

1. It Isn't Fair

2. You Taught Me How To Cry

3. Weeping Willow

4. Try I Little Tenderness

5. I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life

6. The Masquerade is Over

          11. I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life