Mike Oldfield - The Songs Of Distant Earth (1994)

"The Songs of Distant Earth" is the 16th album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1994 by Warner Music. It is based on Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction novel "The Songs of Distant Earth".

"The Songs of Distant Earth" blend together two motifs crafted through Mike Oldfield's atmospheric music. (Both outer space and inner space under water) are the themes of this album, but Oldfield's synthesized artistry comes up short during the course of the 17 tracks, mainly because of the intermittent talking and unnecessary vocabulary that quickly becomes irksome and ineffective. About the music, it is usually Mike Oldfield's differentiation of rhythms or styles on a song to song basis that makes his music thought-provoking and fresh. On this album, the same rhythm lurks through half of the songs, with only smidgens of add-on instrumentation to elevate its flow. Absent is the freewheeling percussion pulses, or the onslaught of strings that so often shower his music. Instead, each track seems flat as his keyboard work comes off gray and bland. Even a few sudden bursts of tempo become short lived, as the pace always falls back to its straight-lined origin. Inspired by Arthur C. Clarke, Oldfield tries to capture the wonder and mystery of the stars and the sea through washes of synthesizer, but his attempt at capturing both themes could have benefited from a multitude of other instruments, as his work usually includes.

 

01.  "In the Beginning"  - 1:24

02.  "Let There Be Light"  - 4:52

03.  "Supernova"  - 3:29

04.  "Magellan"  - 4:41

05.  "First Landing"  - 1:16

06.  "Oceania"  - 3:27

07.  "Only Time Will Tell"  - 4:19

08.  "Prayer for the Earth"  - 2:10

09.  "Lament for Atlantis"  - 2:44

10.  "The Chamber"  - 1:49

11.  "Hibernaculum"  - 3:32

12.  "Tubular World"  - 3:23

13.  "The Shining Ones"  - 2:59

14.  "Crystal Clear"  - 5:42

15.  "The Sunken Forest"  - 2:39

16.  "Ascension"  - 5:48

17.  "A New Beginning"  - 1:33

Released:  14 November 1994

Recorded at:  Roughwood Studio, Buckinghamshire

Genre:  New Age, Space Music

Length:  55:51

Label:  Reprise / Warner Bros. Records

Producer:  Mike Oldfield

Personnel

Mike Oldfield

Mark Rutherford - Additional rhythm loops and programming

Sugar 'J' - Additional rhythm loops

Pandit Dinesh - Tablas

Molly Oldfield - Keyboards

Cori Josias - Vocalist

Ella Harper - Vocalist

Nils-Aslak Valkeapää - Vocalist

David Nickless - Vocalist

Roame - Vocalist

Members of 'Veulam Consort' - Vocalists

The Tallis Scholars - Vocalists

Mike Joseph - Self hypnosis tape

Vahine Taihara - Tubuai Choir

Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders reading from the Book of Genesis while orbiting the Moon on Christmas Eve, 1968

Various Artists - The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience (1993)

The Beavis and Butt-head Experience is a compilation album, released in 1993 by Geffen Records. The name is a reference to Jimi Hendrix's original band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience The album features a variety of musical genres, mostly hard rock and heavy metal bands. Many of the songs are intercut with commentary by Beavis and Butt-head.

The album also contains a hidden track. After a period of silence following "I've Got You Babe", there is a reprise of "Come to Butt-head" in which Beavis and Butt-head are joined by rapper Positive K.

MTV hit pay dirt in the mid-'90s with one of the freshest and funniest shows of the era, Beavis and Butt-Head. Because of the music-heavy format of the show, an album was one of the logical steps for creator Mike Judge. And The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience is one of the few cases where the hilarious formula of the show translates well to album. The skits in between songs are all very funny, featuring Judge's characters bumbling their way through run-ins with Anthrax, Run-D.M.C., and Cher, and rating the other songs. And Judge is fortunate that these skits work as well as they do because at times they are necessary to carry the listener's attention. Songs by Jackyl, Sir Mix-A-Lot, and even Run-D.M.C. are dull and drag the album down. Even an appearance by the Red Hot Chili Peppers only leads to a limp and hollow cover of the Stooges' classic "Search and Destroy." Still, the album features a fantastic track by Nirvana, one of the last songs released before Kurt Cobain's suicide. Anthrax, Primus, and White Zombie also add solid contributions that do the show's testosterone-worshipping vibe justice. But most interesting is Cher's duet with the cartoon pair, a reworking of "I Got You Babe." Throughout the song, the duo decide they need a "chick who's older, who's done it a bunch of times," then proposition Cher by making fun of her ex-husband Sonny Bono. Any fan of the series will probably enjoy the album, and most of the tracks are not the typical B-sides fare. Just be warned that the album has a few duds, and anyone not familiar with the show may be lost on some of the humor.

 

01.  "Nirvana - I Hate Myself And I Want To Die"  (Kurt Cobain)  - 4:02  

02.  "Anthrax - Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun"  (Horovitz, Yauch, King, Dike, Diamond, Simpson  - 7:43  

03.  "Beavis And Butt-Head - Come To Butt-Head"  (Mike Judge)  - 3:51  

04.  "Megadeth - 99 Ways To Die"  (Dave Mustaine)  - 4:11  

05.  "Run DMC - Bounce"  (Darryl McDaniels, Jason Mizell, Joseph Simmons)  - 6:40  

06.  "Aerosmith - Deuces Are Wild"  (Jim Vallance, Steven Tyler)  - 3:50  

07.  "White Zombie - I Am Hell"  (Rob Zombie, White Zombie)  - 5:00  

08.  "Primus - Poetry And Prose"  (Claypool)  - 3:48  

09.  "Sir Mix-A-Lot - Monsta Mack"   (Sir Mix-A-Lot)  - 4:22  

10.  "Red Hot Chili Peppers - Search And Destroy"  (Iggy Pop)  - 4:12  

11.  "Jackyl - Mental *@%#!"  (Jesse James Dupree)  - 2:38  

12.  "Cher With Beavis And Butt-Head - I Got You Babe"  (Sonny Bono)  - 4:51  

13.  "Beavis And Butt-Head - Come To Butt-Head" (Remix) Vocals [Uncredited] – Positive K   - 4:12 

Released:  November 3, 1993

Genre:  Alternative Rock, Heavy Metal, Hip-Hop, Funk

Label:  Geffen Records

Length:  60.00

Depeche Mode - Songs Of Faith And Devotion Live (1993)

"Songs of Faith and Devotion Live" is Depeche Mode's live album recorded during their worldwide Devotional tour and was released on 6 December 1993.

The album, which featured performances mainly recorded in Liévin (France) with two other tracks recorded in Copenhagen (Denmark) and New Orleans, was a track by track live duplicate of the Songs of Faith and Devotion album, which was released earlier in 1993.

On the face of it the oddest release of Depeche Mode's career, and one of the oddest in rock ever a mere six months after the release of the original "Songs of Faith and Devotion", a track-for-track duplication of the album from the accompanying tour, culled from a variety of dates in Europe and America. Beyond the souvenir value, though, it's a question whether there's enough going on to warrant further investigation. Admittedly, the general strength of the album obviously matches the original, with top-flight songs for the most part, though falling apart a bit near the end. When it comes to the live presentation adding or taking away anything, it's a mixed bag. David Gahan, it later transpired, did this tour completely out of his head on life-threatening combinations of alcohol and illegal drugs while the various performances don't sound totally flawed, his voice feels distinctly more ragged throughout in comparison to the album "101", losing the more careful subtleties of the studio versions. Musically, while nearly everything matches the originals, various changes appear at points to counteract accusations of simply serving up preprogrammed songs without deviation, perhaps? Regardless, the striking, sweeping introduction to "Walking in My Shoes," with a ragged but right orchestral sample, and the wordless soul/gospel wails concluding "Condemnation" add to the songs' effect, while other songs like "I Feel You" and "In Your Room" have an extra oomph live.

 

01. "I Feel You"  - 7:11

02. "Walking in My Shoes"  - 6:41

03. "Condemnation"  - 3:56

04. "Mercy in You"  - 4:20

05. "Judas"  - 5:01

06. "In Your Room"  - 6:47

07. "Get Right with Me"  - 3:11

08. "Rush"  - 4:35

09. "One Caress"  - 3:35

10. "Higher Love"  - 7:30

Released:  6 December 1993

Recorded:  Live from: Copenhagen, Liévin, New Orleans

Genre:  Alternative Dance, Synthpop, Live

Length:  52:47

Label:  Mute Records

Producer:  Alan Wilder, Steve Lyon

Personnel

Martin Gore - vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, keyboards, synthesizer

David Gahan - vocals

Alan Wilder - keyboards, synthesizer, programming

Andrew Fletcher - keyboards, synthesizer

Hildia Campbell, Samantha Smith - background vocals

Samantha Smith, Basil Meade, Hildia Cambell - vocals

Steafan Hannigan - Uilleann pipe

The Jayhawks - Hollywood Town Hall (1992)

The Jayhawks are an American alternative country and country rock band that emerged from the Twin Cities music scene during the mid-1980s.
Their country rock sound was influential on many bands who played the Twin Cities circuit during the 1980s and 1990s like Uncle Tupelo, The Gear Daddies and The Honeydogs. They have released several studio albums, including five on the American Recordings label.
"Hollywood Town Hall" is their 1992 album.

It was one of the more unlikely major label releases of 1992 nothing to do with grunge, certainly not a last holdout from '80s mainstream sludge. On the flip side, it wasn't really the incipient alternative country/No Depression sound either, for all that there was a clear influence from the likes of Gram Parsons and fellow travelers throughout the grooves. This wasn't a sepia-toned collection of murder ballads or the similarly minded efforts that were almost overreactions to Nashville's triumphalism throughout the '90s. At base, "Hollywood Town Hall" found a finely balanced point accessible enough for should-have-been success (sclerotic classic rock station programmers were fools to ignore this while still playing the Eagles into the ground) but bowing to no trends. Its lack of variety tells against a bit while there are certainly stronger moments than others, most of the songs do have a tendency to blend into each other but the core strengths of the group come through. George Drakoulias fleshed out the sound just enough, with the side help of performers like Benmont Tench and Nicky Hopkins adding fine extra touches without swamping the identity of the group. Piano and organ may be prevalent, but it's really Olson and Louris' great harmonies that are the core of things, giving songs like "Crowded in the Wings" and "Settled Down Like Rain" a high-and-lonesome sparkle. Callahan's a good drummer, if not particularly noteworthy, but he keeps the pace steady without dominating the tracks, Drakoulias keeping him back in the mix a bit. Olson's eventual departure isn't really explained by this disc he might have been tired of the attempt to aim for commercial success, but this sounds more like something made for the group's own satisfaction that connects beyond it as well.

Track listing

01.  "Waiting for the Sun"  (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 4:19

02.  "Crowded in the Wings"  (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 4:55

03.  "Clouds"  (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 4:51

04.  "Two Angels"  (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 4:04

05.  "Take Me with You  (When You Go)"  (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 4:50

06.  "Sister Cry"  (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 4:08

07.  "Settled Down Like Rain"  (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 3:00

08.  "Wichita"  (Olson, Louris and Marc Perlman)  - 5:26

09.  "Nevada, California"  (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 4:05

10.  "Martin's Song"  (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 2:58

11.  "Leave No Gold"  (bonus track) (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)  - 5:46 

The Jayhawks
Mark Olson – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica, vocals
Marc Perlman – bass
Ken Callahan – drums on "Two Angels" and "Martin's Song"
Gary Louris – electric guitar, fuzz guitar, guitar, vocals

Additional musicians
Charley Drayton – drums
Nicky Hopkins – piano on "Two Angels" and "Martin's Song"
Benmont Tench – piano, organ

Production
George Drakoulias – producer
Howie Weinberg – mastering
Tom Herbers – engineer
Brian Jenkins – engineer
Brendan O'Brien – engineer
Jim Rondinelli – engineer
Dale Lavi – photographer
Joe Henry – liner notes
Martyn Atkins – art direction

Notes
Recorded at:  Hollywood Sound and Pachyderm Studio
Genre:  Country Rock
Length:  42:36
© 1992 

Label - American Recordings

Tommy Tutone - National Emotion (1983)

Tommy Tutone is a power pop band, usually referred to as a San Francisco band, it was actually based in Willits, California.

A common misconception is that Tommy Tutone is the name of the lead singer; it is actually the name of the band. Tommy Heath is the lead singer. The name of the band developed from its original name, Tommy and the Tu-tones, to merely Tommy Tutone.

Tommy Heath and Jim Keller founded the band in 1978, with Heath acting as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, also playing keyboards on occasion; Keller playing lead guitar and supporting vocals. Bassist Jon Lyons (original name Jonathan Lyons Terlep) who replaced original bassist Terry Nails (Steve Jones, Ozzy Osbourne) was later replaced by Greg Sutton, Pete Costello, and Jimmy James. Mona Gnader, a member of Sammy Hagar's Waborita band, played with the band as well. Original drummer Mickey Shine (Clover and drummer on the first Elvis Costello album) was replaced by Victor Carberry who in turn was replaced with Jerry Angel. Joe Lamond played drums in the mid to late eighties. John Cowsill of The Cowsills played drums. Tommy Heath became a computer analyst and moved to Portland, Oregon where he worked for a startup called Cornerstone Revolutions, though he currently resides in Santa Rosa, California. In 2007, the band signed a recording contract with Spectra Records. In 2009, Tommy played Nashville and met with Phil Summers. As of 2010, Tommy has relocated to Tennessee. He is working on new music and his new band Drummer Garfield Redden & Bass player David Geiger continues to tour.

Jim Keller went on to become the director of Philip Glass's publishing company, Dunvagen Music Publishers. He still performs in New York City.

"National Emotion" was Tommy Tutone's third studio album. It was released in 1983 on Columbia Records. The track "Get Around Girl" was released as a single.

 

01. "Dumb But Pretty"  - 3:34

02. "Someday Will Come"  - 3:54

03. "Laverne"  - 3:26

04. "National Emotion"  - 4:02

05. "Get Around Girl"  - 3:20

06. "I Believe"  - 3:32

07. "Money Talks"  - 3:14

08. "Imaginary Heart"  - 3:02

09. "Sticks And Stones"  - 4:54

10. "I Wanna Touch Her"  - 3:32

Released:  1983

Genre:  Rock

Label:  Columbia

Length:  35:53

Producer:  Ed Thacker, Bill Drescher, David Paich, Terry Powell

Personnel

Tommy Heath - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, piano

Greg Georgeson - Guitar

Andy Gauthier - Drums

John Cowsill - Drums, Vocals

Jim Keller - Lead Guitar

Jimmy James - Bass

Radiohead - I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings (2001)

I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings is a 2001 live album by English rock band Radiohead. It consists of live performances of eight songs recorded on a tour of Europe and North America, including seven songs from their albums "Kid A" and "Amnesiac". The final track, "True Love Waits", was never released on a studio album and is performed on acoustic guitar by Thom Yorke.

The live arrangements differ somewhat from the studio versions. For instance, "The National Anthem" opens with radio transmissions, has a harder "fuzz bass" guitar sound and lacks the horns and free jazz ending of the studio version; "I Might Be Wrong" emphasizes the rhythm section and is more of a rock tune; "Morning Bell" is driven by Phil Selway's live drums rather than a drum machine; "Idioteque" builds into a frenzied audience singalong; "Dollars and Cents" replaces strings with synthesisers and ends with a guitar coda not heard on the album; while "Everything in Its Right Place" is about three-and-a-half minutes longer, and makes use of improvised effects on a Korg Kaoss Pad.

Most drastically altered for live performance is "Like Spinning Plates". The studio-recorded Amnesiac version featured backwards singing over a pulsing electronic backdrop, while the live version is a piano ballad accompanied by sparse bass notes and a string synth. This recording also marks the first time "Like Spinning Plates" was performed live, at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio in August 2001.

 

01. "The National Anthem"  (Radiohead)  - 4:57

02. "I Might Be Wrong"  (Radiohead)  - 4:52

03. "Morning Bell"   (Radiohead)  - 4:14

04. "Like Spinning Plates"  (Radiohead)  - 3:47

05. "Idioteque"   (Radiohead, Paul Lansky)  - 4:24

06. "Everything in Its Right Place"  (Radiohead)  - 7:42

07. "Dollars and Cents" (Radiohead)  - 5:13

08. "True Love Waits"  (Radiohead)  - 5:02

Released:  12 November 2001

Recorded At:  Berlin, Germany; Oslo, Norway; Oxford, England; Vaison La Romaine

Genre:  Electronica, Experimental Rock

Length:  40:11

Label:  Parlophone/Capitol

Producer:  Nigel Godrich, Radiohead

Personnel

Thom Yorke - vocals, guitar

Jonny Greenwood - guitar, piano, electronics

Phil Selway - drums

Roger Waters - In The Flesh - Live (2000)

"In The Flesh - Live" is a two-disc live album that captures performances from Roger Waters' three-year In the Flesh tour.

Roger Waters' tours of the U.S. during the summers of 1999 and 2000 were a pleasant surprise, since the reclusive rocker had not toured since 1987. In his liner notes to this two-CD set drawn from those performances, Waters does not shy away from discussing his antipathy to big concert venues. But he makes a distinction between stadiums and arenas, and he also notes that he found himself becoming more comfortable in the role of a frontman. This more personable Roger Waters isn't what comes across on the album, but the closer relationship he perceives to his audience is nevertheless palpable. As the man who wrote Pink Floyd's lyrics, he is far more concerned with their meaning than his old bandmates, and his singing is emphasized without robbing the music of its magisterial power. In fact, with a band boasting several guitarists to make up for the lack of David Gilmour, Waters effectively re-creates the sound of his Pink Floyd work, which dominates the set list. The album contains only five selections out of 24 from Waters' solo albums: one track from "The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking" and four from "Amused to Death", with "Radio K.A.O.S." left out completely. He does not choose the most obvious solo material, but he makes his selections work, especially "Perfect Sense (Pts. I & 2)" and "It's a Miracle," from "Amused to Death". A new song, "Each Small Candle," finds him still obsessed with world problems, but seemingly more optimistic. Waters had seemed to allow his anger about Pink Floyd's continuance without him to keep him from claiming his own part of their legacy. His 1999-2000 touring changed that, and "In the Flesh - Live" makes the point for those who couldn't get to the shows.

 

Disc one

01.  "In the Flesh"  - 4:41

02.  "The Happiest Days of Our Lives"  - 1:34

03.  "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II"  - 5:53

04.  "Mother" (feat. Katie Kissoon)  - 5:37

05.  "Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert"  - 0:56

06.  "Southampton Dock"  - 2:15

07.  "Pigs on the Wing, Part 1"  - 1:18

08.  "Dogs" (Waters, Gilmour)  - 16:26

09.  "Welcome to the Machine"  - 6:57

10.  "Wish You Were Here" (Gilmour, Waters)  - 4:54

11.  "Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Pts. I–VIII" (Gilmour, Waters, Wright)  - 14:42

12.  "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun"  - 7:15

Disc two

01.  "Breathe (In the Air)" (Gilmour, Waters, Wright)  - 3:22

02.  "Time" (Gilmour, Mason, Waters, Wright)  - 6:24

03.  "Money"  - 6:11

04.  "Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking, Part 11", Aka "Every Strangers' Eyes"  - 5:19

05.  "Perfect Sense (Parts 1 and 2)"  - 7:26

06.  "The Bravery of Being Out of Range"  - 5:05

07.  "It's a Miracle"  - 8:12

08.  "Amused to Death"  - 9:24

09.  "Brain Damage"  - 4:07

10.  "Eclipse"  - 2:18

11.  "Comfortably Numb" (Gilmour, Waters)  - 8:10

12.  "Each Small Candle"  - 9:18

Released:  5 December 2000

Genre:  Progressive rock

Length:  147:35

Label:  Columbia

Producer:  James Guthrie

All songs written, composed and sung by:  Roger Waters

Personnel

Roger Waters - Bass guitar, acoustic & electric guitar, lead vocals

Doyle Bramhall II - Guitars, vocals

Andy Fairweather Low - Guitars, bass guitar, vocals

Snowy White - Guitars

Andy Wallace - Keyboards, Hammond organ

Jon Carin - Keyboards, lap steel, programming, acoustic guitar, vocals

Katie Kissoon - Vocals

Susannah Melvoin - Vocals

P. P. Arnold - Vocals

Graham Broad - Drums, percussion

Norbert Stachel - Saxophones

Willy Deville - Victory Mixture (1990)

Willy DeVille (August 25, 1950 – August 6, 2009) was an American singer and songwriter. 
During his thirty-five-year career, first with his band Mink DeVille (1974–1986) and later on his own, Deville created original songs rooted in traditional American musical styles. He worked with collaborators from across the spectrum of contemporary music, including Jack Nitzsche, Doc Pomus, Dr. John, Mark Knopfler, Allen Toussaint, and Eddie Bo. Latin rhythms, blues riffs, doo-wop, Cajun music, strains of French cabaret, and echoes of early-1960s uptown soul can be heard in DeVille's work.
Victory Mixture is a 1990 album by Willy DeVille. The album consists of cover versions of New Orleans R&B and soul classics by DeVille’s musical idols. Trouser Press said about the album, “A rootsy covers collection, Victory Mixture provides a welcome antidote to Miracle's misguided modernity, making the most of the singer's relocation to New Orleans with backup from such local legends as Allen Toussaint, Eddie Bo and Dr. John.” Victory Mixture is unusual in that it was recorded without the use of overdubbing or sound editing, the idea being to record the songs in the same manner as they were recorded originally in the 1950s and early 1960s without soundboard technology.
The album was released in Europe on the French Sky Ranch label; it was released a year later in the United States on the Orleans Records label, that label's second offering. The success of Victory Mixture in Europe ensured the label's continuing operation.

Track listing

01.  “Hello My Lover”  (Clarence Toussaint)  - 3:33

02.  “It Do Me Good”  (Huey Smith, Brenda Brandon)  - 3:06

03.  ”Key to My Heart”  (Edwin Bocage)  - 3:38

04.  ”Beating Like a Tom-Tom”  (Ernest Kador)  - 4:21

05.  ”Every Dog Has Its Day”  (Edwin Bocage)  - 2:38

06.  ”Big Blue Diamonds”  (Earl "Kit" Carson)  - 2:51

07.  ”Teasin' You”  (Earl King)  - 3:07

08.  ”Ruler of My Heart”  (Naomi Neville)  - 2:42

09.  ”Who Shot the La-La”  (D. Burmak, Edwin Bocage, T. Terry)  - 2:57

10.  ”Junker's Blues”  (Willie Hall)  - 3:19

Credits

Wayne Bennett - guitar

Samuel Berfect - Hammond organ

Eddie Bo - piano

Isaac Bolden - piano

Ross Brady - background vocals

Kerry Brown - drums

Rene Coman - bass guitar, upright bass

Brian "Breeze" Coyolle - tenor sax, baritone sax

Willy DeVille - guitar, vocals

Keith Fazarde - vibraphone

Barbara George - background vocals

Bill Gregory - guitar

Porgy Jones - trumpet

Frèdèrick Koella - guitar

Allison Miner - background vocals

Leo Nocentelli - guitar

George Porter, Jr. - bass guitar

Mac Rebennack (Dr. John) - piano

Allen Toussaint - piano

Johnny Vidacovich - drums

Dorene Wise - background vocals

YaDonna Wise - background vocals
Produced-by -  Carlo Ditta

Notes

Release date:  January 1, 1990

Recorded at:  Sea Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans

Genre:  R&B, Blues, Soul

Length:  32:12

© 1990

Label:  Sky Ranch/Orleans Records

Quincy Jones - Back On The Block (1989)

"Back On The Block" is a 1989 studio album produced by Quincy Jones. It features many famous and important musicians and singers, including Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul, Ice-T, Big Daddy Kane, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, George Benson, Luther Vandross, Dionne Warwick, Barry White, Chaka Khan, Take 6, Bobby McFerrin, Al Jarreau and Ray Charles.

Having let eight years pass since his last A&M album, Quincy Jones made his debut on his own label with his most extravagant, most star-studded, most brilliantly sequenced pop album to date which could have only been assembled by the man who put together "We Are the World." Jones was one of the first establishment musicians to embrace rap, and one of the first to link rap with his jazz heritage; it's hard not to be moved by the likes of Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, James Moody, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Zawinul, Sarah Vaughan, and George Benson electronically appearing on "Birdland" and trading brief licks with the likes of Kool Moe Dee and Big Daddy Kane on "Jazz Corner of the World." Later, jazz buffs would vilify Jones for not taking fuller advantage of this one-time constellation of jazz stars, but at the time, it seemed like a marvelous dialogue between the old and the new. Of course, as he well knew, celebrating jazz history is not the surest route to a blockbuster hit record, so there are plenty of radio-friendly urban pop productions here, with Herbie Hancock and George Duke on keyboards, and Siedah Garrett and 12-year-old Tevin Campbell on vocals. Despite the presence of an enthused Ray Charles, Chaka Khan, and the Brothers Johnson, the overly busy techno remake of "I'll Be Good to You" doesn't cut the Johnsons' original nor does "Tomorrow." Ultimately the most popular track would be the most tedious for the jazz listener, "The Secret Garden," with a parade of smooth soul balladeers producing make-out music at length. Yet Back on the Block remains a strikingly durable piece of entertainment, and in hindsight, a poignant signpost of the changing of the guard.

 

01.  "Prologue (2Q's Rap)" (Lead Vocals: Quincy D. III)   - 1:04

02.  "Back on the Block"  (Lead Vocals by: Tevin Campbell)  - 6:34

03. "I Don't Go for That"  (Lead Vocals: Siedah Garrett)  - 5:11

04. "I'll Be Good to You"  (Lead Vocals: Chaka Khan, Ray Charles)  - 4:54

05. "The Verb To Be (Introduction to Wee B. Dooinit)"  (Mervyn Warren)  - 0:29

06. "Wee B. Dooinit (Acapella Party by the Human Bean Band)"  (Lead Vocals: Siedah Garrett)  - 3:34

07. "The Places You Find Love"  (ocals: Chaka Khan, Siedah Garrett)  - 6:25

08. "Jazz Corner of the World (Introduction to "Birdland")"  (Vocals: Big Daddy Kane, Kool Moe Dee)  - 2:54

09. "Birdland"  (Vocals: Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan)  - 5:33

10. "Setembro (Brazilian Wedding Song)"  (Vocals: Sarah Vaughan, Take,  Mark Kibble, Mervyn Warren etc.)  - 5:05

11. "One Man Woman"  (Lead Vocals: Siedah Garrett)  - 3:44

12. "Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me)"  (Lead Vocals: Tevin Campbell)  - 4:46

13. "Prelude to the Garden"  (Jorge Calandrelli)  - 0:54

14. "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)"  (Vocals: Al B. Sure, Barry White, El DeBarge, James Ingram)  - 6:41

Released:  November 8, 1989

Recorded at:  Oceanway Record One, Lighthouse Studios, Westlake Audio (Los Angeles, California,)Digital Recorders (Nashville, Tennessee), Tarpan Studios (San Rafael, California)

Genre:  Hip hop, R&B, Jazz

Length:  57:54

Label:  Qwest

Producer:  Quincy Jones

Personnel

Quincy Jones - vocals, keyboards, programming

Bobby McFerrin - vocals, bass, percussion

Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Chaka Khan, Dionne Warrick, Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross, Barry White, Take 6, Tevin Campell, James Ingram, El DeBarge, Al B. Sure! - vocals

Ice-T, Big Daddy Kane, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel - rap vocals

James Moody, Gerald Albright - alto saxophone

Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis - trumpet

Herbie Hancock, George Duke - keyboards

George Benson, Steve Lukather, Paul Jackson, Jr., - guitar

Nathan East - bass

Harvey Mason - drums

Steve Porcaro, Josef Zawinul, Rod Temperton - programming

Paulinho Da Costa - percussion

Elvis Presley - Clambake (1967)

"Clambake" is the thirtieth album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, in October 1967. As Presley began the last decade of his life, he entered RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee on February 21, 1967 for Recording sessions for his twenty fifth film. By the end of 1966, Presley no longer commanded the same level of sales or artistic respect as he had during the first ten years of his career. But Elvis had little enthusiasm at this juncture for more soundtrack sessions, the project already in jeopardy before it started. The sessions turned out a fiasco; of the eight songs recorded, two had been edited out of the film, and even with "How Can You Lose What You Never Had" restored to the soundtrack, that left an album of merely seven songs. The album would prove to be a turning point in Presley's career. After many years of churning out forgettable songs for forgettable films, he was clearly past his prime. All realms of popular music had totally bypassed him during the 1960s while he had been 'lost in Hollywood'. So Presley decided to begin recording music written by accomplished songwriters. A session to record additional material in Hollywood was cancelled in August, rescheduled at RCA Studio B in September. Disregarding publishing control, Presley picked songs that appealed to him personally, including Eddy Arnold's country and western hit of 1956 "You Don't Know Me" and Jimmy Reed's 1960 rhythm and blues hit, "Big Boss Man." Both selections were issued as a single at the end of September before being added to the album, the A-side just barely making the Top 40. Presley also requested a song he had heard on the radio in Los Angeles by Jerry Reed, inviting Reed himself to duplicate the distinctive acoustic guitar part. They rousted Reed from a fishing-trip, who arrived to play on Presley's version of his own composition, "Guitar Man." After it was recorded, Reed refused to turn over the usual publishing percentages to Freddy Bienstock, another assault on the soundtrack formula that had been in place throughout the decade. Five songs were selected from this session to bring the album up to a total of twelve tracks.

 

01.  "Guitar Man"  (Jerry Reed)  - 2:30

02.  "Clambake"  (Ben Weisman, Sid Wayne)  - 2:36

03.  "Who Needs Money"  (Randy Starr)   3:15

04.  "A House That Has Everything"  (Roy C. Bennett, Sid Tepper)  - 2:14

05.  "Confidence"  (Roy C. Bennett, Sid Tepper)  - 2:33

06.  "Hey, Hey, Hey"  (Joy Byers)  - 2:30

07.  "You Don't Know Me"  (Cindy Walker, Eddy Arnold)  - 2:27

08.  "The Girl I Never Loved"  (Randy Starr)  - 1:52

09.  "How Can You Lose What You Never Had"  (Ben Weisman, Sid Wayne)  - 2:27

10.  "Big Boss Man"  (Luther Dixon, Al Smith)  - 2:50

11.  "Singing Tree"  (A.L. Owens, A.C. Solberg)  - 2:17

12.  "Just Call Me Lonesome"  (Rex Griffin)  - 2:05

Released:  October 10, 1967

Genre:  Rock & Roll, Soundtrack

Length:  29:36

Label:  RCA Records

Producer:  Jeff Alexander, Felton Jarvis

Personnel

Elvis Presley - vocals

The Jordanaires - backing vocals

Millie Kirkham, Dolores Edgin, June Page, Priscilla Hubbard - backing vocals

Boots Randolph, Norm Ray - saxophone

Pete Drake - pedal steel guitar

Scotty Moore, Harold Bradley, Chip Young - electric guitar

Jerry Reed - guitar

Charlie McCoy - electric guitar, organ, harmonica

Floyd Cramer, Hoyt Hawkins - piano, organ

Bob Moore - bass

D.J. Fontana, Buddy Harman - drums

Rene Moore - Destination Love (1988)

René Moore is an American singer-songwriter and producer, and is more memorable musically for hits he produced with his soul co-singer Angela Winbush as part of René & Angela. Moore and singer Angela Winbush first met in 1979 in his hometown of Los Angeles, California and began performing together as Rene & Angela later that year, recording a self-titled debut album. They would eventually begin to cultivate hit songs for others, including Stephanie Mills and Kurtis Blow. Subsequently, they became one of the most successful writer/producer duos in R&B history. René & Angela released several albums and hit singles. The two stopped working professionally together in 1986. They pursued successful solo careers amid legal disputes over creative rights to their work together, and others with which they collaborated as composers, songwriters, and producers. In spite of this, both Winbush and Moore continue to enjoy substantial success in their respective solo careers, with Moore going on to compose and produce hits for many major artists, most notably Michael Jackson; and together they wrote and produced four songs for Janet Jackson's first, self-titled album. Moore released his first solo album in 1988 called "Destination Love" with the Club-hit " All Or Nothing".

 

01.  "All Or Nothing"  - 5:28  

02.  "Good Love"  - 5:07  

03.  "You're The One For Me"  - 4:39  

04.  "Never Say Goodbye To Love"  - 5:35  

05.  "Your Love Is Like No Other"  - 4:21  

06.  "I Count The Hours"  - 4:25  

07.  "Let Us Love Tonight"  - 5:56  

08.  "Celebrate"  - 4:56 

Released:  november 7, 1988

Label:  Polydor Records

Genre:  Funk, Soul

Length:  47:59

Producer:  Rene Moore