samedi 31 août 2024
vendredi 30 août 2024
Disco Giants 19 now available order today!
Disco Giants Volume 19 (PTG 2CD)
Artist: Various
Title: Disco Giants Volume 19
Subtitle: 20 Full Length disco classics of the 80’s
Label: PTG Records
Cat. nr: PTG 34261€19,90 | €15,90
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The Impressions - Its About Time 1976
The Impressions were one of the great groups of the '60s who had to deal with the familiar woes of facing the next decade. After Curtis Mayfield's early-‘70s departure, the group became a grinding wheel having to deal with diminishing sales, exits, and lack of direction. Mid-‘70s efforts First Impressions and Loving Power both had slack production values that eroded their fan base. In contrast, the skill of It's About Time is a complete surprise. For this effort, baritone Nate Evans replaces 1973-1976 lead singer Ralph Johnson. Evans, who has a more earthy and mellifluous tone, worked well with members Sam Gooden, Fred Cash, and Reggie Torian. "In the Palm of My Hands" and "You'll Never Find" are potent though anonymous tracks. After a while It's About Time does start to kick in. "Same Old Heartaches," written by Mervin and Melvin Steals is a smooth and melodic track with a great vocal from Evans. The hooky ballad "I Need You" has Torian giving a nice understated solo with help from Evans on the bridge. The smoldering and drama-filled "I'm a Fool for Love" has Evans desperately trying to "break-a-loose" from a bad woman. The majority of It's About Time has a confident L.A./R&B sound produced by McKinley Jackson and features string and horn arrangements by Gene Page, Gil Askey, and H.B. Barnum. It's About Time doesn't sound like an Impressions album, but the production and the tracks makes this surprisingly good and better than most of their post-Mayfield work.
The Impressions - Loving power 1976
Original Impressions Sam Gooden and Fred Cash united with newcomers Ralph Johnson and Reggie Torian on Loving Power. The charting title track was written by Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy of Natalie Cole and Independents fame. A fine rendition of the O'Jays' "Sunshine" has Ralph Johnson sounding like Eddie Levert, and received play on many R&B stations. Fred Cash leads the soulful, comical "I Wish I'd Stayed In Bed," written by Ed Townsend of "Let's Get It On" fame. However, if you're looking for that Curtis Mayfield sound, look elsewhere.
The Impressions - Finally Got Myself Together 1974
Finally Got Myself Together is the fifteenth studio album by American soul music group the Impressions. The album peaked at No. 176 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and No. 16 on the Top Soul LPs chart in 1974.
The Impressions - Preacher Man 1973
This is an unexpectedly fine album, particularly in light of the circumstances under which it was recorded. The Impressions had just finished a European tour in late 1972 when Leroy Hutson, who had been Curtis Mayfield's successor in lineup, left them to pursue a solo career. So it was two-man version of the Impressions -- consisting of Sam Gooden and Fred Cash -- who went into the studio in early 1973 with producer Rich Tufo, with Cash handling the lead vocals. Tufo as producer and arranger, as well as songwriter for a good chunk of the album, surrounded the pair with some of the best music and overdubbed background vocals of the group's history; and the result, instead of a threadbare effort by a reduced lineup version of the Impressions, was something new and amazingly bold, never more so than on the ten-minute "Thin Line," which opened side two of the LP -- this was getting into the same realms of conceptual soul that Marvin Gaye had remade his career with on What's Going On. Preacher Man, which could have been an effort to buy time for a group in disarray, ended up being a strong artistic statement in its own right, and a record that was well worth owning, and opened a new era for the group.
The Impressions - Times Have Changed 1972
Times had, indeed, changed by the time this Impressions album was released in 1972, the group's first new album in two years. Curtis Mayfield was gone from the fold, but to ease the transition, his presence was still felt with half a dozen compositions and a production credit as well. Leroy Hutson, Fred Cash, and Sam Gooden were the singers, and the results were...impressive, to say the least. Cash takes the lead vocal on the topical and urgent "Stop the War," which is also a phenomenal (and eloquently understated) guitar showcase. The smooth, lyrical title track presents an almost elegant sound, dominated by harmonies and a reed arrangement -- and then comes the group's rendition of "Inner City Blues," arranged by Hutson with a slight shift in tempo and a somewhat more exposed string accompaniment than the Marvin Gaye original. "Our Love Goes on and On," which Mayfield later used in a rendition by Gladys Knight on the soundtrack to Claudine, is also produced on a surprisingly lush scale, considering its solid, in-your-face rhythm section and soaring harmonies. And then comes the superbly sung "Potent Love," a "lost" single off the album, with a string-driven hook that never seems to resolve or end (nor does one want it to). As Mayfield's successor, both as a singer and working behind the music, Hutson is showcased perhaps a little more heavily than the other members -- and, ironically enough, he would leave the following year for a solo career -- but this was still a fine beginning for a new era of the Impressions' history.
The Impressions - Check Out Your Mind! 1970
Just before he departed the Impressions for a solo career, Curtis Mayfield performed on one last album with the group. Check out Your Mind! saw Mayfield departing with class, driven by big, brassy nuggets of psychedelic soul like "Check out Your Mind," "You're Really Something, Sadie," and "(Baby) Turn on to Me." Despite the raised consciousness of the title, Check out Your Mind! also featured quite a few fine examples of traditional sweet soul, like the hit "Can't You See" (which hearkened back to the group's early days), "You'll Always Be Mine," and "Only You." Mayfield wasn't quite the workhorse he seemed to be; though Check out Your Mind! was released around the same time as his solo debut, a few of the songs here weren't really new: he'd originally written both "Madame Mary" and "We Must Be in Love" for the Five Stairsteps, while "Do You Want to Win?" takes elements from both "You're Really Something Sadie" and "(Baby) Turn on Me." Still, there was much more great material than average, and the trio ended with style an eight-year reign as one of the most talented, intelligent, and successful of all soul groups.
jeudi 29 août 2024
War - Evolutionary 2014
War - Peace Sign 1994
☮ is an album by War, released on Avenue Records (distributed by Rhino Records) in 1994. Its title is a graphic of the peace symbol. It is often referred to as Peace Sign, the title of the first track, though arguably it could also be called Peace, the antonym of the group's name. It was released as a CD and also as a double LP, the latter containing an extra track titled "Africa", and a shorter version of "Peace Sign".
This was their first non-compilation album in over a decade, during which time the group had toured sporadically. Most living original members appeared on the album, B.B. Dickerson (bass) being the only exception; but Lee Oskar (harmonica) is not credited as a group member, and only makes a guest appearance on two songs. Another former member Pat Rizzo (saxophone) also makes a guest appearance on the same songs where Oskar appears. Some of the official members of this album's nine-person lineup made somewhat minimal contributions: Ron Hammon is only credited with providing "drum fills" on two songs, while Rae Valentine is mainly credited with "music programming". Only five group members contributed to more than half of the songs, and Lonnie Jordan (keyboards) is the only one who plays on every song (Valentine contributing music programming to all but one). The album carries a dedication to War's deceased members, Papa Dee Allen (congas) and Charles Miller (saxophone).
This album's lineup toured to promote the album, then broke up in 1996 when most of the original members wished to gain independence from producer Jerry Goldstein, who owned the group's name, and created a new group called Lowrider Band. Goldstein then created a new version of War with Lonnie Jordan as the only remaining original member.[1]
A 12-inch single was released with four versions of "Peace Sign". Another track, "I'm the One (Who Understands)", is a re-recording of a song from The Music Band (1979). José Feliciano makes a guest appearance on "East L.A.".
War - Life (Is So Strange) 1983
Life (Is So Strange) is an album by War, was released on RCA Victor Records in 1983. The band's lineup is not stated on the cover, but composer credits suggest they had been reduced from eight members (on the previous album) to five.
The pop art cover references concerns about nuclear war in Los Angeles, the group's home. The Hollywood Sign appears in the upper right corner, and mushroom clouds are reflected in the woman's sunglasses. The back cover depicts office towers (identifiable as New York City buildings) being toppled by a nuclear explosion. Producer Jerry Goldstein also produced the album Nuclear Blues by Blood, Sweat and Tears a few years earlier, which had a cover depicting a post-nuclear urban street scene.
One single from the album was issued: "Life (is So Strange)" backed with "W.W. III".
War - The Music Band Jazz 1983 (Recorded 1979)
The Music Band – Jazz is an album by War, the fifth and final entry in their "Music Band" series, released on MCA Records in 1983. It consists of outtakes from sessions for their 1979 albums The Music Band and The Music Band 2, and features several lineups of the band which existed that year. War were no longer recording for MCA when this album was released, and no singles from the album were issued. Track one was probably recorded/written in 1979 when B. B. Dickerson was still in band and before Charles Miller was murdered. Track two could have been recorded/written anytime up to 1979.
The non-pictorial covers used in the Music Band series continued on this, and the previous volume, The Best of the Music Band (1982) which has a blue cover. Unlike earlier volumes, the last two were not made with elaborate printing methods, but were manufactured using normal four colour printing, without metallic print, embossing, gatefolds or innersleeves.
War - Outlaw 1982
Outlaw is an album by the American band War, released in 1982.[1][2] The band supported the album with a North American tour.[3] "Cinco de Mayo" became a popular seasonal standard.[4]
This was War's first album for RCA. Between this and the previous album on MCA, War released a single on LA Records, a company owned by their producer Jerry Goldstein: "Cinco de Mayo", which also appears on Outlaw, backed with "Don't Let No One Get You Down", an older track from Why Can't We Be Friends? (1975).
Alice Tweed Smith (vocals) had left the band since their previous album, reducing the group to eight members, although the cover only shows seven. Pat Rizzo isn't on the cover picture.
Three more singles from the album were issued on RCA Victor: "You Got the Power" backed with "Cinco de Mayo", "Outlaw" backed with "I'm About Somebody", and "Just Because" backed with "The Jungle (medley)". Also, "Baby It's Cold Outside" (not the popular 1940s song by Frank Loesser) was issued as a promotional single for seasonal music radio programming.
The album was re-released on CD in 1995 with a different running order and the extended version of "Cinco de Mayo" added as a bonus track.
War - The Music Band, Vol. 1 & 2 / 1979
The Music Band is an album by the American band War, released on MCA Records in 1979.[2][3] It peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard 200.[4]
In 1979, War considered changing its name to The Music Band, possibly regarding its old name as too aggressive for modern times. (They had formed in 1969 during the Vietnam War.) But by the time this album was released, they decided to keep the name War, and make "The Music Band" the title of a series of albums, of which this is the first.
The album marked the group's first personnel changes since lead vocalist Eric Burdon's departure in 1971. B.B. Dickerson (bass) left during the sessions, but appears on some tracks, while others feature his replacement, Luther Rabb. Composer credits can be used to determine which bassist played on which tracks. Another new member was Alice Tweed Smith (credited as just Tweed Smith on this album), the group's first female vocalist, and also the first member not to be included in composition credits, which had always included the entire group previously.
The cover art appears rather plain at first glance, but the printing method was somewhat elaborate. Instead of normal four-colour printing, it used cardboard painted solid red, with metallic silver print. (Black print also appears on the back.) Embossing was also used, especially on the back cover where ink-free embossing illustrates a tall marching bandleader's shako hat, the logo for the Music Band series. (The next album's inner sleeve photo would show the band posing with a cardboard cut-out man wearing this hat, and the cartoon face that had appeared on the cover of Why Can't We Be Friends? in 1975.) The inner gate fold for this album has a full colour photo of the group (without either Dickerson or Rabb, but with new member Smith), and the album also came with a lyric and credits inner sleeve. The track listing on the back cover shows songs in a different order from their actual appearance.
An edited version of "Good, Good Feelin'" was released as a single (and thus the longer album version is subtitled "original un-cut disco mix"), backed with "Baby Face (She Said Do Do Do Do)" from the earlier Galaxy album (1977). "I'm the One Who Understands" was later re-recorded for the album, ☮ (Peace Sign) (1994).
The Music Band 2 is an album by the American band War, released on MCA Records in 1979.[2][3] It peaked at No. 111 on the Billboard 200.[4]
War had more personnel changes since the previous album in the series, earlier in 1979. Charles Miller (saxophone) left after recording one song, replaced by Pat Rizzo (ex Sly and the Family Stone) who is credited with playing "horns". The following year, Miller became the victim of an unsolved murder. Another new member was Ron Hammon on drums; the group now had three drummers, the others being Harold Brown and Papa Dee Allen (on congas). Alice Tweed Smith, who was credited as Tweed Smith on the previous album, is Alice Tweed Smyth on this one; she is included in the composer credits for the first time (with spelling of Smith), but only on one track. The album was produced by Jerry Goldstein, Lonnie Jordan, and Howard Scott.[5] Songwriter credits can be used to determine who played on which tracks (producer Jerry Goldstein is often credited as well), although Smith may be singing background vocals on tracks for which she is not credited, Rizzo and Luther Rabb are not included in the credits for one song (and possibly doesn't play on it), and one track is a new version of an old song with its original songwriting credits. The song "I'll take care of you" is used in film Youngblood as an instrumental and isn't on the soundtrack.
The cover was printed using elaborate methods as used on the previous album in the series: a background painted solid green (instead of using a four-colour printing press), with metallic gold print (plus black print on the back), and embossing. An inner sleeve has colour photos of the group, two from the same photo shoot session, each with eight of nine group members: Papa Dee Allen is absent from one, and Alice Tweed Smith from the other. As was the case in the previous album, the back cover shows songs in a different order from their actual appearance. The plain but elaborate cover art concept continued with the next album in the series, The Music Band Live (1980) which has a black cover.
Two singles were issued from the album: "Don't Take It Away" in 1979, and "I'll Be Around" in 1980. Both have the same B-side, "The Music Band 2 (We are the Music Band)".
War - Youngblood (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) 1978
Youngblood (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is an album by the American band War, released in 1978.[2][3] It is the soundtrack to the film of the same name.[4]
The album peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard 200.[5] The title track peaked at No. 21 on Billboard's Best Selling Soul Singles chart.
The album was produced primarily by Jerry Goldstein.[7] It was War's final album with B.B. Dickerson as a full member of the band; discounting Eric Burdon, it was also the band's final album with its original lineup.[8][9] War and the film's studio used a multi-track synchronizing system, as did many soundtracks of the period.[10] "Youngblood (Livin' in the Streets)" begins with a conga introduction.
War - Galaxy 1977
Galaxy is the tenth studio album by American band War. It was their first album released on MCA Records. The album was certified gold.
War - Platinum Jazz 1977 (Recorded 1971/77)
Platinum Jazz is a double album, the ninth studio album by War, released on Blue Note Records in July 1977.[3]
The album is an unusual entry in War's discography in several aspects. Its first half is new material, while its second half is a compilation of tracks from previous albums. It is also the only record they made for Blue Note, a jazz label, which was then owned and controlled by their current label at the time, United Artists Records, so it was not a matter of changing labels or going outside of contract. And it is their first album to put an emphasis on instrumental jazz-based music, although some tracks have vocals. This album was apparently Blue Note's first Platinum Disc selling album.
A single from the album was issued, also on Blue Note: "L.A. Sunshine" backed with "Slowly We Walk Together"; both are edited versions. The Album was released as re-issue in UK, on Island Records, as Platinum Funk and as a single album with tracks as Side 1 - War is Coming War is Coming, I got you, L.A.Sunshine (Shortened to 8.40 from original 11.52) Side 2 River Niger, Slowly We Walk Together, Platinum Jazz
Eric Burdon & War - Love Is All Around 1976 (recorded 1969/70)
Love Is All Around is a studio album by Eric Burdon and War (credited as "War featuring Eric Burdon" on the original edition). Released in 1976 on ABC Records, it contains tracks recorded during the band's brief existence from 1969 to 1971, but not found on their two albums from 1970. Many years later it was reissued on CD by Avenue Records; this edition restores the original group name, Eric Burdon and War.
Only two tracks had been released previously: "Magic Mountain" was the B-side to "Spill the Wine"; and "Home Dream", though performed by Eric Burdon and War, appeared in 1971 on the album Guilty by Eric Burdon and Jimmy Witherspoon.
Of the remaining tracks, the title track had not been previously released in any form; "Tobacco Road" is an alternate and shorter version of the John D. Loudermilk song which appeared on Eric Burdon and War's first album, Eric Burdon Declares "War"; "A Day in the Life" is a previously unreleased cover version of the song by The Beatles; and "Paint It Black" is a live version (Whiskey, Los Angeles, September 8, 1969) of the group's suite arrangement of the song by The Rolling Stones which appeared in a studio version on Eric Burdon and War's second album, The Black-Man's Burdon.
In 1977, "Magic Mountain" and an edited version of "Home Dream" were issued as a single.
War - Why Can't We Be Friends 1975
Why Can't We Be Friends? is the seventh studio album by American band War, released on June 16, 1975 by United Artists Records. Two singles from the album were released: the title track backed with "In Mazatlan", and "Low Rider" backed with "So". Both A-sides were nominated for the Grammy Awards of 1976.
Of the songs on this album, an interpolation of the first part of the song "Smile Happy" was used in the song "It Wasn't Me" by Shaggy featuring RikRok. Versions of the album's titular song has been used in several film productions, notably Bridge to Terabithia and Wild Things.
War - Deliver the Word 1973
Deliver the Word is the sixth album by War, released in 1973 on United Artists Records.
The album featured two singles, "Gypsy Man" (severely truncated from the 11 minute album version) backed with "Deliver the Word" (US #8), and "Me and Baby Brother" backed with "In Your Eyes" (US #15). A live version of "Me and Baby Brother" had been released previously on All Day Music (1971). The title "H2Overture" is a pun on H2O, the chemical formula for water.
A 4-channel surround sound (quadraphonic) mix was also released for the album in the 8-track tape format (United Artists UA-DA128-H),[3] featuring a different track order, a reprise of "H2Overture" with early fade-out, and an early fade-out of "Gypsy Man".
War - The World is a Ghetto 1972
The World Is a Ghetto is the fifth album by American band War, released in late 1972 on United Artists Records. The album attained the number one spot on Billboard, and was Billboard magazine's Album of the Year as the best-selling album of 1973.[2] In addition to being Billboard's #1 album of 1973, the album was ranked number 444 on Rolling Stone magazine's original list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[3] The title track became a gold record.
War - All Day Music 1971
All Day Music is the fourth album by American band War, released November 1971 on United Artists Records.
The title single, issued in July 1971, was backed with "Get Down".[3][4]
"Slipping Into Darkness", issued in November 1971 (backed with "Nappy Head"), War's first big hit since their name change from Eric Burdon and War, was on the Billboard Hot 100 for 22 weeks and so tied with Gallery's "Nice to Be With You" for most weeks on that chart all within the calendar year 1972. (The spelling was changed slightly to "Slippin' into Darkness" for the single, and is also used on a CD edition of the album.)[3][4] It became a gold record, and Billboard ranked it as the No. 23 song for 1972.[5] A subtitle for "Nappy Head" claims it is the theme from Ghetto Man, but there does not appear to be any notable film or television series with this title. "Baby Brother" is a live track recorded at the Hollywood Bowl, June 30, 1971, at an event called the United Artists 99 Cent Spectacular; a studio version of this song retitled "Me and Baby Brother" appeared on a later album, Deliver the Word (1973).
The original cover art was printed with a metallic silver background, and features a group photo by Bob Gordon.
Eric Burdon & War - The Black-Man's Burdon 1970
The Black-Man's Burdon is a double album by American band Eric Burdon and War, released in December 1970 on MGM Records. It was the last album by the group before Burdon left and the remaining band continued as War.
The title is a pun on The Black Man's Burden, an expression which refers to black slavery, used as the title of a book by E. D. Morel (1920) in response to the poem, "The White Man's Burden" (1899) by Rudyard Kipling, which refers to (and champions) western imperialism (including its history of slavery).
The album includes two suites based on songs by other artists: "Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones, and "Nights in White Satin" by The Moody Blues, augmented by additional sections composed by the group. (Two similar suites appeared on the group's first album.) The extra material is mostly instrumental, except for "P.C. 3" (P.C. referring to Police Constable, a common abbreviation used in the United Kingdom), a risqué poem recited (and probably written) by Burdon over the music. Two other songs include a gospel-style chorus credited as Sharon Scott and the Beautiful New Born Children of Southern California. Richie Unterberger of Allmusic says the album is "Composed mostly of sprawling psychedelic funk jams" and "it does find War mapping out much of the jazz/Latin/soul grooves...".
One single from the album was released: "They Can't Take Away Our Music" backed with "Home Cookin'".
Eric Burdon Declares "War" 1970
Eric Burdon Declares "War" is the first of two original albums by American band Eric Burdon and War, released on MGM Records in April 1970. It peaked at number 18 on record charts in the USA, number 50 in the UK, and number 7 in Australia.[citation needed] The back cover includes this declaration: "We the People, have declared War against the People, for the right to love each other". The album received a gold record award.[citation needed]
In 1981, LA Records (producer Jerry Goldstein's own label) reissued the album under the title Spill the Wine.[6] It has also been reissued under its original title on CD by Avenue / Rhino Records.
mercredi 28 août 2024
Wilson Pickett - Its Harder Now 1999
Wilson Pickett's final album on the Bullseye Blues label in 1999.
Most modern-day soul albums, especially those of the comeback variety, usually fall several steps short of their goal; the production is some sort of mummified "this-is-how-the-old-records-sounded" rehash, the band (while playing very competently) just lays there flat and lifeless, and the singers always sound about ten squares past their prime. A nice little trip down nostalgia lane, perhaps, but if you're going to compare this to their best work from the late '50s to mid-'60s, the new recordings just don't stack up, no way. But here's the album that proves to be a major league exception to the rule. It took Wilson Pickett something like 12 years to get around to making another record, but it definitely was worth the wait. Pickett is in top form on It's Harder Now, with a brand new batch of tunes, almost all of them co-written by producer-guitarist-bandleader Jon Tiven, with the Wicked One contributing to five of the 11 tunes onboard. His sore-throated howl is still mightily intact, even in the falsetto regions (yep, he can still hit those high screeches that fueled his best work on Atlantic), and his energy and instincts are as finely tuned as ever.
Modern-day soul albums are seldom very rewarding, but this one is and then some. It's a comeback album that exceeds all expectations and acts as proof that Pickett is still wicked heading into the 21st century. Lovers of real soul music should add this one to their shopping list; it'll make you dance.
Wilson Pickett - American Soul Man 1987
twenty-first and penultimate album from Pickett On Label Motown .
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