Nigel Olsson - Nigel (1979)

Nigel Olsson (born 10 February 1949) is an English rock drummer, who is best known for his affiliation with Elton John.

Best-known as the drummer in Elton John's early-'70s backing band, Nigel Olsson was born February 10, 1949, in the small Cheshire (now Merseyside) town of Wallasey, England. As a teenager, he lived in Sunderland, where he sang lead in a group called the Fireflies and took up the drums when their regular drummer quit. At 17, he and good friend Mick Grabham successfully auditioned for the psychedelic pop band Plastic Penny, which released two albums from 1968-1969 and scored a hit with "Everything I Am" before disbanding. Olsson subsequently joined the Spencer Davis Group, which was reeling from the defection of frontman Stevie Winwood; the gig was short-lived as Davis broke up the band before the end of 1969, but Olsson met bassist Dee Murray, who would become his favorite rhythm section partner. Looking for work, Olsson filled the drum slot in Uriah Heep for part of the 1970 debut album Very 'eavy, Very 'umble, but soon left to concentrate on session work. He and Murray had been playing with Elton John on the young singer/songwriter's demos and they both joined his touring group in the spring of 1970. Olsson played on most of John's early-'70s classics, including Honky Chateau, Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and Captain Fantastic & the Brown Dirt Cowboy. After the latter was released in the spring of 1975, John sought to shake up his backing band by replacing both Olsson and Murray. When not working with John, Olsson has taken up the role of a session musician. Olsson has composed, recorded, and produced albums for his own solo career.
In 1979, he released the album "Nigel" and enjoyed some mild success as a solo artist, scoring a pair of Top 40 hits on the U.S. pop chart with "A Little Bit of Soap" and "Dancin' Shoes" which was originally written by Carl Storie, and first recorded by his Faith Band.

01.  Little Bit Of Soap  (Nigel Olsson) - 3:25   

02.  You Know I'll Always Love You  (Nigel Olsson) - 3:13   
03.  Dancin' Shoes  (Nigel Olsson) - 3:45   
04.  Part Of The Chosen Few  (Nigel Olsson) - 3:12   
05.  Say Goodbye To Hollywood  (Nigel Olsson) - 3:26   
06.  All It Takes  (Nigel Olsson) - 4:21   
07.  Thinking Of You  (Nigel Olsson) - 3:40   
08.  Living In A Fantasy  (Nigel Olsson) - 3:12   
09.  Cassey Blue / Au Revoir  (Nigel Olsson) - 6:24 

Label:  Bang Records
Genre:  Soft Rock
Length:  34:38
 

Credits

Guitars: Tom Fowler, Jay Graydon, Eddie Patterson, Ronn Price, Richie Rising, Richie Zito
Bass: Don Barrett, Joe Chemay, Ray Sansom, David Wintour
Keyboards: Michael Boddicker, Paul Davis, Alan Feingold, David Foster, Paul Schaffer
Drums: Michael Baird, Nigel Olsson, James Stroud
Percussion: Ray Cooper, Nigel Olsson, James Stroud
Background vocals: Curt Becher, Paul Davis, Jim Haas, Bruce Johnston, Jon Joyce, Nigel Olsson, Ronda Riviera, Brenda Russell, Marilyn Scott & Stephanie Spruill
Produced-By:  Nigel Olsson, Paul Davis

American Flyer - Spirit Of A Woman (1977)

American Flyer was an American folk rock supergroup.

They formed in 1976 and released two successful albums on United Artists before disbanding in 1978. American Flyer was a '70s folk-rock quartet made up of former members of other groups: Craig Fuller was from Pure Prairie League, Eric Kaz had been a member of Blues Magoos, Steve Katz was in Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Doug Yule had played in the Velvet Underground. Together they charted with two albums on United Artists in the mid-'70s. Maybe there was only room for one really successful country-folk-rock group with good songs and strong harmonies in the mid-'70s, and the job had already been taken by The Eagles. Who knows? American Flyer's second and final album didn't have as many great songs as the debut, and some of them were swamped by strings, but it was a pleasant work, notably featuring a version of Eric Kaz's "I'm Blowin' Away," which Bonnie Raitt had covered a couple of years earlier.
"Spirit Of A Woman" is a wonderful album. Fuller sounds great as usual, and the music is soft country-rock played by professionals at the height of their powers. The record is reminiscent of the Eagles’ first album, though the production is not quite as slick and the songs not quite as hooky. If you like country-infused rock or pop but are tired of the overexposed Eagles or you overdosed on country rock during the alt-country craze, this is for you. The album is evocative of a time and a place Southern California in the late 1970s. But it sounds fresh, primarily because the songwriting is so good. The up-tempo “Spirit of a Woman” sounds like a great lost Poco track. Linda Ronstadt is a backup singer on the album, and I think that’s her singing harmony with Fuller on the chorus of the latter song. I think you can hear James Taylor in the background as well. There’s no filler here. The gentle country-rock vibe can get old really fast, but on this album the quality songwriting, the sweet harmonies, and the sheer craftsmanship overwhelm any impulse.


01. Spirit Of A Woman  (Eric Kaz & Craig Fuller)  - 2:31
02. Gamblin' Man  (Eric Kaz)  - 3:57
03. My Love Comes Alive  (Eric Kaz)  - 2:36
04. Victoria  (Steve Katz)  - 3:15
05. Dear Carmen  (Eric Kaz & Craig Fuller)  - 4:04
06. I'm Blowin' Away  (Eric Kaz)  - 2:31
07. Flyer (Doug Yule)  - 4:18
08. The Good Years  (Steve Katz)  - 4:15
09. Keep On Tryin'  (Eric Kaz)  - 3:14

Release: 1977

Recorded at:  Eastern Sound Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Label:   United Artists Records
Genre:   Country Rock, Pop
Length:   30:40
Produced by:  American Flyer & Ken Friesen
Engineer:  Ken Friesen
Tape Operator:  Doug Neil
Strings Arranged & Conducted by:  Alan McMillan & Recorded at Electric Lady Studios, New York City, New York

Credits

Craig Fuller - Vocals
Eric Kaz - Vocals
Steve Katz - Vocals
Doug Yule - Vocals
Whitey Glan - Drums
Prakash John - Bass
Jerry Scheff - Bass
John Capek - Keyboards
Bobby Keyes - Tenor Sax
Ben Mink - Fiddle
Tracy Nelson - Backing vocals
Sylvia Tyson - Backing vocals
Linda Ronstadt - Backing vocals
J.D. Souther - Backing vocals