Rosie Vela - Zazu (1986) - €10,00

Roseanne “Rosie” Vela (born December 18, 1952) is an American model and singer-songwriter.
Vela was born in Galveston, Texas. Her family later moved to Arkansas, where she attended the University of Arkansas. While studying art and music, Vela also began modeling. She married the Arkansas born musician, Jimmy Roberts, but he died of cancer shortly after. Following this, Vela moved to New York where her modeling career took off and she graced the covers of magazines including Vogue and Newsweek from 1975 onwards, and appeared in numerous television commercials and films such as Michael Cimino’s ‘Heaven’s Gate’ and Jack Nicholson’s ‘Two Jakes’ and another with Michael Madsen.
Turning her attention to music, Vela built a home recording studio for herself and signed a recording contract with A&M Records. She released her debut album Zazu in 1986. The entire album was written or co-written by Vela and was produced by Gary Katz. It is also notable for the fact that it included contributions from both Donald Fagen and Walter Becker (two of Vela’s musical heroes) – almost 10 years after they had disbanded their group Steely Dan. Though the album was critically acclaimed, it went largely unnoticed in the U.S. It fared better in Europe and a single from the album Magic Smile was a Top 30 hit in the UK Singles Chart. The album itself peaked at #20 in the UK Albums Chart and was certified silver by the BPI in March 1987. Further singles “Interlude” and “Fool’s Paradise” met with less success.
It has been reported that Vela recorded a second album entitled Sun Upon the Altar, but the album remains unreleased.
Following Zazu, Vela did not release any further recordings, but has since become a backing vocalist for other musicians including Electric Light Orchestra on their 2001 album Zoom. Vela also performed a few shows with the band and was (for 7 years) in a relationship with ELO’s lead singer Jeff Lynne. Vela co-wrote “A Woman Like That” with Lynne for a 1998 British movie called Still Crazy.
Vela has also appeared in several films including Heaven’s Gate (as the “beautiful girl” who makes Kris Kristofferson‘s character fall in love during Harvard‘s graduation ceremony scene), The Two Jakes and Inside Edge opposite Michael Madsen.


Side A
A1.  Fool’s Paradise  (4:00)
A2.  Magic Smile  (4:24)
A3.  Interlude  (3:55)
A4.  Tonto  (5:38)

Side B
B1.  Sunday  (4:31)
B2.  Taxi  (3:25)
B3.  2nd Emotion  (4:46)
B4.  Boxs  (3:52)
B5.  Zazu  (4:46)


Notes
Release:  1986
Format:  LP
Genre:  Pop
Label:  A&M Records
Catalog#  395016-1

Vinyl:  VG+
Cover:  VG+

Prijs: €10,00

Val Young - Seduction (1985) - €10,00

Val Young (born Valaria Marie Young; June 13, 1958) also known as "Lady V", is an American recording artist from Detroit, Michigan, who achieved success during the 1980s. She is now based in Los Angeles.

1985 was a memorable year for Rick James; that year, he recorded Glow (one of his more adventurous albums of the 1980s), produced and wrote the Mary Jane Girls' All Four You, and did some work with former Brides of Funkenstein member Val Young (who Motown signed on James' recommendation). James' influence is strong on Young's first solo album, Seduction -- he wrote and produced two of the songs ("Piece of My Heart" and the intoxicating title track), while the rest of the LP was produced by Fred Jenkins and Stone City Band keyboardist Levi Ruffin Jr. Some of the Mary Jane Girls contribute background vocals, and Young's accompaniment includes members of James' Stone City Band.
But Young is certainly her own person -- in fact, she wrote or co-wrote the lyrics for six of the nine songs. Though parts of Seduction are very James-influenced, "Let's Fall in Love" and "Tellin' Me Lies" are closer to the type of material that Kashif would have produced for Evelyn "Champagne" King in the 1980s. And while Young is an R&B singer first and foremost, she incorporates pop/rock elements with pleasing results on "Mind Games" and the playful, slightly new wave-ish "Come Hang Out."
This good to excellent album did moderately well, but not as well as it should have -- and regrettably, Young never made it to the next level commercially.


Side A
A1.  Mind Games - 4:01 
A2.  If You Should Ever Be Lonely - 3:52 
A3.  Let’s Fall In Love - 3:30 
A4.  Tellin’ Me Lies - 3:36 
A5.  Come Hang Out - 4:32 

Side B
B1.  Seduction (Vocals: Rick James) - 6:40 
B2.  Piece Of My Heart - 4:45 
B3.  Waiting For You - 3:48 
B4.  Make Up Your Mind - 4:46


Notes
Release:  1985
Format:  LP
Genre:  Soul / Funk
Label:  Gordy Records
Catalog#  ZL 72387

Vinyl:  VG+
Cover: VG+

Prijs: €10,00

Matt Bianco - Whose Side Are You On (1984) - €10,00

Whose Side Are You On? is the debut album by British band Matt Bianco, released in 1984. For this album, Matt Bianco was a trio of Basia Trzetrzelewska (vocals), Mark Reilly (vocals), and Danny White (keyboards).

If one is to be charitable, they were part of a contrary and artistically, almost quite interesting reaction against punk and, more accurately, post-punk. Of that, there is no doubt. The distinctly coffee-table vibe was pretty novel at the time. For that, they should be lauded, along with other first-footers like Sade and even Swing Out Sister. On the other hand, that very aesthetic lends their music a distinct wine bar vibe. Aspirational and, though the band themselves may not be, a rather pointed, almost Thatcherite reaction against the drudgery of the ’70s and early ’80s. Plus the end game for this particular movement was bands like Curiosity Killed the Cat, and that can never be excused.
It is, however, a piece of music and on that, it must be judged, however hard it is to escape seeing it as a historical artefact in a wider context. An artefact that forms a bridge from the grimly worthy guitar scene at the time to the even grimmer modern reality of All Bar One and the Prosecco Years.
So what does this expanded reissue of the debut album sound like? It’s slick, jazz-inflected with jittery Latin rhythms, polished to within an inch of its life. It’s pleasant and there’s no doubt that the songwriting duo, Mark Reilly and Danny White know their way around a glistening pop hook. Some almost bossa nova rhythms drag tunes like ‘More Than I Can Bear‘ along with fellow band member Basia Trzetrzelewska also providing vocals. It’s considered and in many ways so terribly, terribly polite. It certainly reflects a feeling from the time which was beginning to look outwards. Outwards towards espadrilles, cheap foreign holidays and a rather tamer take on the new romantic look. Revolution it was not trying to be, and it isn’t.
The effect over the double CD is simultaneously enlightening and alarming. Enlightening as it shows the relatively anarchic state of the music industry at the time that relative chart success came their way and, alarming as it really is just pleasant. It’s not overtly offensive, it’s not thrilling, it’s…nice. Whether that’s what Robert Johnson flogged his soul for is a moot point. It probably is what caused a few ageing new romantics to take off their eyeliner and discover the joys of a dry white wine on the way home from work – weather dependent. This is music for sunny days or a fortnight in Malaga. Perhaps it even encouraged more investigation into Latin music. Certainly intrigued Emilio Estefan (husband and producer of Gloria Estefan) enough to get involved on later singles. Tracks like ‘Matt’s Mood‘, with its rattling cowbell, make it easy to see why a dancefloor producer may take an interest. In fact stripping it back even further would make a pretty solid club track. More is more, as was too often the way at the time, however.
Matt Bianco are still an ongoing concern, with at least one reunion of the original lineup, barring the unfortunately deceased Kito Poncioni. A nicely carved out career involving taking control of their own recording processes and releasing on an ad hoc basis, it must be said.
In addition to the original album, there are a host of b-sides and alternate mixes. As usual some fare better than others. An extended mix of the parping jollity of ‘Get Out Of Your Lazy Bed‘ may prove a little too much to bear but the five-minute take of the aforementioned ‘Matt’s Mood‘ is actually rather good. Plenty in there for the fans anyway, with demos and whatnot. Indeed the rougher, less produced version of ‘Half A Minute‘ is considerably superior to that tossed out the studio machine. There’s a life in its more organic take.
Pick and choose and there’s some decent stuff here. If all that fails head to YouTube and examine their infamous appearance on Saturday Superstore. A true classic of ’80s youth culture.


Side A
A1. Whose Side Are You On? - 4:32
A2. More Than I Can Bear - 4:15
A3. No No Never - 3:43
A4. Half a Minute - 3:49
A5. Matt’s Mood - 5:19

Side B
B1. Get Out of Your Lazy Bed - 3:28
B2. It’s Getting Late - 3:29
B3. Sneaking Out the Back Door - 3:46
B4. Riding With the Wind - 3:22
B5. Matt’s Mood II - 5:15


Notes
Release:  1984
Format:  LP
Genre:  Sophisti-pop
Label:  WEA Records
Catalog#  WX 7 240472-1

Vinyl:  VG+
Cover:  VG+

Prijs: €10,00

Level 42 - Standing In The Light (1983) - €10,00

Standing in the Light is the fourth studio album released by the British jazz-funk band Level 42. The album, released in 1983.
Standing in the Light was Level 42's first major success in the U.K., hitting the top ten in 1983 and beginning a string of successful recordings that would continue throughout the band's career. The band's previous releases were pleasant but somewhat tepid exercises in jazz-lite; Standing in the Light not only marked a significant change of direction, but proved Level 42 could truly be an ace pop band.

Level 42's first three releases Level 42 (1981), The Pursuit of Accidents (1982), and The Early Tapes (a compilation of material recorded in 1980, prior to the band's signing to Polydor) revealed a promising young band with undeniable talent and melodic instincts. Despite modest success with strong singles such as "Turn it On" and "The Chinese Way," pointless instrumentals and slick production added unnecessary weight to these albums.
Standing in the Light was different for two main reasons : the songs were shorter and more accessible, and for the first time, all the songs included vocals. The group began as an all-instrumental jazz outfit; in order for Level 42 to become more commercially viable, bassist Mark King and keyboardist Mike Lindup eventually began to open their mouths and sing.
Never a strong vocalist, King nevertheless was an engaging frontman, becoming more relaxed and self assured as the band's career progressed, while Lindup's falsetto backing vocals added a distinctive touch. "Micro Kid," the opening cut here, is a good example of their approach; the synth-heavy track also prominently features Lindup's brilliant keyboard work.
Produced by Larry Dunn and Verdine White of Earth, Wind and Fire (one of Level 42's obvious influences), Standing in the Light contains a number of strong tracks; the funky British top-ten hit "The Sun Goes Down" and the midtempo ballad "People" are highlights, and the band's amazing musicianship is always a pleasure to hear. Only the goofy "A Pharaoh's Dream (of Endless Time)" bogs down the album, and Mark King's trademark thumb-slapping bass playing technique makes even that tune worth hearing.
Like most early-to-mid 80's albums, Standing in the Light also suffers from a somewhat dated sound, but it is one of the most impressive offerings in Level 42's strong body of work.


Side A
A1. Micro-kid - 4:44
A2. The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up) - 4:15
A3. Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind - 5:12
A4. Dance On Heavy Weather - 4:27

Side B
B1. A Pharaoh’s Dream (Of Endless Time) - 4:21
B2. Standing In The Light - 3:42
B3. I Want Eyes - 4:59
B4. People - 4:55
B5. The Machine Stops - 4:15


Notes
Release:  1983
Format:  LP
Genre:  Jazz-Funk
Label:  Polydor Records
Catalog#  813865-1

Vinyl:   VG+
Cover:  VG+

Prijs: €10,00

Ultravox - Rage In Eden (1981) - €10,00

Rage in Eden is the fifth album by the British new wave band Ultravox. It was released in 1981 on Chrysalis.
Like the band's previous two albums, Rage in Eden was co-produced by Conny Plank. It was recorded at his studio in Cologne, West Germany.
Following on from the success of Vienna, Ultravox cemented their position as a New Romantic phenomenon with their follow-up, 1981's Rage in Eden. The martial beats and political undertones of "The Thin Wall" single acted as a potent taster for the album, to be joined in the U.K. Top 20 by the even more powerful message of "The Voice."
The latter song opened the album, but nothing that followed equaled its strength, its sequencing a flaw in an otherwise excellent set.
That said, propulsive numbers like "We Stand Alone" and "I Remember (Death in the Afternoon)," the rebellious angst of "Accent on Youth," the exotic strains of "Stranger Within," and the haunting "Your Name Has Slipped My Mind Again" all contained their own power. And even if the instrumental "The Ascent" harkened back to "Vienna," it was obvious that with Eden, Ultravox was climbing to grand new heights.
The abstract album artwork was designed by Peter Saville, known for his collaborations with New Order. All re-issues of the album since 1981, however, have different artwork, due to licensing problems concerning the original cover.


Side A
A1.  The Voice - 6:00
A2.  We Stand Alone - 5:37
A3.  Rage In Eden - 4:11
A4.  I Remember (Death In The Afternoon) - 4:56

Side B
B1.  The Thin Wall - 5:38
B2.  Stranger Within - 7:26
B3.  Accent On Youth - 5:57
B4.  The Ascent - 1:10
B5.  Your Name (Has Slipped My Mind Again) - 4:28


Notes
Release: 1981
Format:  LP
Genre:  New Wave, Synthpop
Label:  Chrysalis Records
Catalog#  203958

Vinyl:  VG+
Cover:  VG+

Prijs: €10,00

Supertramp - Paris (2LP) (1980) - €20,00

Paris is a live album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in 1980. It was recorded on Supertramp's Breakfast in America tour in Paris, France, with most of the tracks taken from a 29 November 1979 show at the Pavillon de Paris, a venue which was once a slaughterhouse. The album was originally going to be called Roadworks. Paris reached number 8 on the Billboard 200 in late 1980 and went Gold immediately, while the live version of "Dreamer" hit the US Top 20.
According to Roger Hodgson, Supertramp had several reasons to record a live album at the time, including a desire to introduce their pre-Breakfast in America works to USA listeners and a mutual sentiment that some of their songs were pulled off better live than in the studio.
However, he admits that the chief purpose of the album was to buy time; the band was under pressure to produce a suitable follow-up to the immense success of Breakfast in America, and needed to get off the treadmill of touring and recording for a while in order to consider their direction for such an album.
Taking such a breather meant the next studio album wouldn't be finished until 1981 at the earliest, and so something was needed "to fill the gap."
Using the band's mobile studio, a number of shows in Canada and throughout Europe were recorded. However, when Pete Henderson and Russel Pope presented the band with unlabeled cassettes containing rough mixes of these recordings, and the members voted on their favourite tracks, the majority of votes coincidentally fell on recordings from the 29 November show at the Pavilion.
A few tracks were taken from other concerts during the band's stay in Paris, and studio overdubs were also added, chiefly for the vocals and John Helliwell's organ.
However, Helliwell contended that the amount of overdubbing was minimal compared to most live albums of the time: "A lot of people, when they make a live album, just keep the drums and bass and redo everything else." Filmmaker Derek Burbidge shot the concerts in 16 mm film, missing only five songs ("A Soapbox Opera", "You Started Laughing", "From Now On", "Ain't Nobody But Me" and "Downstream") to lower expenses and give the camera crew some rest. A&M Records requested music videos out of three songs, “Dreamer”, “The Logical Song” and “Asylum”. Peter Clifton edited them along with Sarah Legon, and even extended his work to ten songs. However, the studio never sent an approval, so Clifton retreated back to his Sydney home and brought the negatives along to Australia.
The album's set list contains almost all of the 1974 Crime of the Century (except for "If Everyone Was Listening"), three songs from Crisis? What Crisis? (1975), two from Even in the Quietest Moments (1977), three from Breakfast in America (1979) plus "You Started Laughing", the B-side to the track "Lady" from Crisis? What Crisis?.


Side A
A1.   School  (Lead vocals: Roger Hodgson with Rick Davies)   (5:41)
A2.   Ain’t Nobody But Me  (Lead vocals: Rick Davies)   (5:24)
A3.   The Logical Song  (Lead vocals: Roger Hodgson)   (3:56)
A4.   Bloody Well Right  (Lead vocals: Rick Davies)   (7:23)

Side B
B1.   Breakfast In America  (Lead vocals: Roger Hodgson)   (3:57)
B2.   You Started Laughing  (Lead vocals: Rick Davies)   (4:02)
B3.   Hide In Your Shell  (Lead vocals: Roger Hodgson)   (6:54)
B4.   From Now On  (Lead vocals: Rick Davies with Roger Hodgson)   (7:05)

Side C
C1.   Dreamer  (Lead vocals: Roger Hodgson with Rick Davies)   (3:44)
C2.   Rudy  (Lead vocals: Rick Davies plus Roger Hodgson)   (7:08)
C3.   A Soapbox Opera  (Lead vocals: Roger Hodgson)   (4:51)
C4.   Asylum  (Lead vocals: Rick Davies plus Roger Hodgson)   (6:51)

Side D
D1.   Take the Long Way Home  (Lead vocals: Roger Hodgson)   (4:57)
D2.   Fool’s Overture  (Lead vocals: Roger Hodgson)   (10:57)
D3.   Two of Us  (Lead vocals: Roger Hodgson)   (1:25)
D4.   Crime Of The Century  (Lead vocals: Rick Davies)   (6:31)


Notes
Release:  1980
Format:  2LP (Gatefold)
Genre:  Progressive Rock
Label:  A&M Records
Catalog#  AMLM 66702

Vinyl:  VG+
Cover:  VG+

Prijs: €20,00

The Alan Parsons Project - Eve (1979) - €10,00

Eve is the fourth studio album by British rock band The Alan Parsons Project, released on 27 August 1979 by Arista Records. The album's focus is on the strengths and characteristics of women, and the problems they face in the world of men. It had originally been intended to focus on "great women in history", but evolved into a wider concept.
Eve is The Alan Parsons Project's first album with singer Chris Rainbow. The album's opening instrumental "Lucifer" was a major hit in Europe, and "Damned If I Do" reached the US Top 40, peaking at No. 27. "Lucifer" also is used as title track for the German political TV show Monitor.
For the most part, 1979's Eve is somewhat overlooked as being one of the Alan Parsons Project's finest work, when in fact it involves some of this group's most intricate songs.
The album's concept deals with the female's overpowering effect on man. Each song touches on her ability to dissect the male ego, especially through sexual means, originating with Eve's tempting Adam in the beginning of time. Not only does this idea gain strength as the album progresses, but a musical battle of the sexes begins to arise through each song.
The gorgeous "You Won't Be There" spotlights man's insecurity. Sung by Dave Townsend, its melodramatic feel sets a perfect tone. The classically enhanced "Winding Me Up" follows suit, based on a woman's ability to dominate her mate and opening up with sound of a wind-up doll being cranked.
Other gems include the bitter but forceful "Damned If I Do" sung by Lenny Zakatek, and the dominating fury of "Lucifer," a powerful instrumental. Even the loutish "You Lie Down with Dogs" bears wit with its gender inclined mud-slinging.
The female vocalists, Lesley Duncan and Clare Torry do a splendid job of representing the females point of view throughout the album. Not only does Eve solidify its main idea, but the songs are highly entertaining with catchy rhythms and intelligent lyrics.
Musically, the tempo appealingly switches back and forth from slow to quick, as does the temperament of the album. Somehow, Eve is dismissed as one of this band's greatest efforts, when in fact it's one of their finest marriages of both concept and music.
The album's artwork features three apparently beautiful women wearing veils. On closer examination, it can be seen that each has large sores, moles and other disfigurements hidden beneath the veils.


Side A
A1. Lucifer (Instrumental) - 5:06
A2. You Lie Down with Dogs  (lead vocal: Lenny Zakatek) - 3:47
A3. I’d Rather Be a Man  (lead vocal: David Paton) - 3:53
A4. You Won’t Be There  (lead vocal: Dave Townsend) - 3:34
A5. Winding Me Up  (lead vocal: Chris Rainbow) - 4:04

Side B
B1. Damned If I Do  (lead vocal: Lenny Zakatek) - 4:48
B2. Don’t Hold Back  (lead vocal: Clare Torry) - 3:37
B3. Secret Garden (Instrumental) - 4:41
B4. If I Could Change Your Mind  (lead vocal: Lesley Duncan) - 5:43


Notes
Release:  1979
Format:  LP  (Gatefold)
Genre:  Progressive Rock
Label:  Arista Records
Catalog#  1A 062-63063

Vinyl:  VG+
Cover:  VG+

Prijs: €10,00

Boston - Don´t Look Back (1978) - €10,00

Don't Look Back is the second studio album by American rock band Boston, released in 1978 on Epic Records.
Don't Look Back was originally to be titled Arrival, but Boston members discovered that ABBA had already released an album by that name, so Don't Look Back was chosen instead. The album was listed erroneously as Arrival in the cassette inserts of some other CBS releases at the time promoting albums available from the record company and its associated labels.
Don't Look Back was recorded during 1977 and 1978 at Scholz's Hideaway Studio, except for the piano on "A Man I'll Never Be", which was recorded by engineer Dave Butler at Northern Studio in Maynard, Massachusetts.

"Don't Look Back", "A Man I'll Never Be" and "Feelin' Satisfied" were all released as singles, reaching No. 4, 31 and 46 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100.
"The Journey" is a short instrumental track that links the opening title track and the third track, "It's Easy". In 1987, Scholz cited it as his favorite song on any of Boston's first three albums, but wished that it were longer. He described it as, "I'm floating through space, cruising in an airplane over the clouds". Billboard writer Paul Grein cited "The Journey" as an example of science fiction-like music on Don't Look Back that is consistent with the guitar-spaceship cover art of the album (and single). Grein referred to it as having an "almost religious" tone, anticipating that some listeners would find it "pretentious" but stating that he found it an effective interlude between the harder rocking songs "Don't Look Back" and "It's Easy". Emerson said that the organ sounds church-like and that the guitars sound "ghostly", making the track sound "eerie and alienated". He compared "The Journey" to David Bowie's work during the late 1970s. According to Scholz, the song had being lying around for years before he found "the right theme to match the music". It took him just three days to record. The song was the only one on the album without a drum track, and so it was the only song on which drummer Sib Hashian did not appear. Barry Goudreau, who played rhythm guitar, was the only musician on the track besides Scholz. "The Journey" was released as the B-side of the "Don't Look Back" single.
Grein described the transition from "The Journey" to "It's Easy" as "appropriately jarring" due to the latter song's fast boogie guitar introduction. "It's Easy" contains the line "I believe what we achieve will soon be left behind", which Emerson points out appears to be sung to a girl with whom the singer is having a one-night stand, but may also be a self-reference to Boston's own music, similar to the band's approach on their earlier hit "More Than a Feeling" Emerson also noted a similar theme of nostalgia between "More Than a Feeling" and "It's Easy". Writer Derek Oliver included the song as one of several on the album that retained Boston's "signature sound" of "pristine production, humongous orchestral guitars and stupendous vocals" from the debut album.
"Party" was co-written by Delp and Scholz. It begins with a short, slow introduction before a surprising change of pace to the fast, harder sound that persists throughout the rest of the song, in much the same way as "Something About You" from the debut. The dual themes of "Party" are loud parties and teenage sex. Grein compared the "raucous bar band climax" ending of the song to Aerosmith.Sendra found the song to be a "storming rocker" in the mold of "Smokin'" from the debut. "Party" is another song cited by Oliver as retaining the band's signature sound. Billboard rated "Party" to be one of the best songs on the album. It is one of four songs from the album that were included on Boston's Greatest Hits album, along with the three singles.
"Used to Bad News" was written by Delp, making it the only song on the album on which Scholz did not receive a writing credit. Emerson described "Used to Bad News" as "a charming, rather Beatles-like song" Greil Marcus rated it as one of the three "masterpieces" on the album, along with the title track and "A Man I'll Never Be". As with "It's Easy", Sendra considered the song to be more reflective than anything on the debut. "Used to Bad News" is the only song on the album on which Goudreau is the sole lead guitarist. Scholz played all the other instruments except drums. It was released as the B-side of the "Feelin' Satisfied" single.
"Don't Be Afraid" closes the album. The song had an earlier genesis than other songs on the album, as it was originally one of the demos Scholz worked on before getting a record contract. Grein stated that it "comes to a crashing, concert-like crescendo", specifically citing Hashian's drumming. It was also released as the B-side of the "A Man I'll Never Be" single.


Side A
A1.   Don’t Look Back   (5:57)
A2.   The Journey   (1:46)
A3.   It’s Easy   (4:26)
A4.   A Man I’ll Never Be   (6:37)

Side B
B1.   Feelin’ Satisfied   (4:11)
B2.   Party   (4:07)
B3.   Used to Bad News   (2:56)
B4.   Don’t Be Afraid   (3:48)


Notes
Release:  1978
Format.  LP (Gatefold)
Genre:  Hardrock
Label:  Epic Records
Catalog#  EPC 86057

Vinyl:  VG+
Cover:  VG+

Prijs: €10,00

Santa Esmeralda - Don´t Let Me Be Miss Understood (1977) - €10,00

Santa Esmeralda was formed in 1977 by French producers Nicolas Skorsky and Jean Manuel de Scarano, songwriters who had launched their own label with the aim of producing artists who would record their compositions. Upon meeting singer Leroy Gómez in Paris, the duo recruited him for the group's first record, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," which debuted on the independent French label, Fauves Puma. A sudden success in Europe, the record was picked up for worldwide distribution by Casablanca Records.
Although the disc had originally been titled Santa Esmeralda Featuring Leroy Gomez, Casablanca renamed it to capitalize on the hit single "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood." The old Animals classic covered an entire side of the original vinyl album; "Esmeralda Suite" was simply a reworking of the hit. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood contains three other tracks: the dull ballad "You're My Everything"; an elongated remake of "Gloria" that's borderline disco; and the refreshing "Black Pot," a soulful number that uses Spanish guitars, flamenco percussion, and lead guitars to good effect.


Side A
A1.   Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood + Esmeralda Suite   (16:05)

Side B
B1.   Gloria   (3:36)
B2.   You’re My Everything   (5:40)
B3.   Black Pot   (7:12)


Notes
Release: 1977
Format:  LP
Genre:   Disco
Label:  Philips Records
Catalog#  9101149

Vinyl:  V+
Cover:  V+

Prijs: €10,00

Bryan Ferry - Let´s Stick Together (1976) - €10,00

Let's Stick Together is a 1976 album by Bryan Ferry. His third solo release, it was his first following the disbanding of Roxy Music earlier in the year. Unlike Ferry's two previous solo recordings, Let’s Stick Together was not a dedicated album project, instead being made up of material released as singles, B-sides and an EP.
Five of the tracks on the album were remakes of Bryan Ferry songs previously recorded with Roxy Music. "Re-Make/Re-Model", "2HB", "Chance Meeting" and "Sea Breezes" were from the band's eponymously titled debut album (1972), while "Casanova" was taken from Country Life (1974). In most cases the re-recordings were smoother and more oriented to jazz and R&B than the original Roxy Music versions.
The other six tracks on the album were covers. The sax-driven "Let's Stick Together" was written and originally recorded by Wilbert Harrison. It was remixed in 1988 for the compilation The Ultimate Collection. Other up-tempo numbers were The Everly Brothers' "The Price of Love" and Jimmy Reed's "Shame, Shame, Shame" (which includes a counter-vocal by the backing singers which quotes Marvin Gaye's "Can I Get A Witness"). The remaining covers, which included The Beatles' "It's Only Love", were performed in a mellow cabaret style.
"2HB" (a tribute to Humphrey Bogart) had been released as the B-side of Ferry's single "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" in September 1973. "Chance Meeting" was the B-side of "The 'In' Crowd" in May 1974. "You Go to My Head" b/w "Re-Make/Re-Model" had been released as a single in June 1975, making #33 in the UK charts. "Let’s Stick Together" b/w "Sea Breezes" was released in June 1976, making #4. The Extended Play EP, featuring "The Price of Love" and "Shame, Shame, Shame" b/w "Heart on My Sleeve" and "It’s Only Love", was released in August 1976, making #7. "Casanova" - a version of which appeared on Roxy Music's 1974 album "Country Life" - was recorded in the "Another Time, Another Place" sessions in 1974 and eventually issued as the B-side of Ferry's cover of The Velvet Underground's "What Goes On" in May 1978. The song "Let's Stick Together" was re-released in 1988 as "Let's Stick Together '88", making #12.
Various Roxy Music members were involved in the recordings, including Paul Thompson on drums, Eddie Jobson on violin and synthesizer, John Gustafson and John Porter on bass, and Phil Manzanera and David O'List on guitar. Although Ferry's fiancée Jerry Hall made an appearance in tiger skin costume, complete with tail, on the title track's video clip, the song's yelps were performed by an unnamed member of the backing chorus.


Side A
A1.  Let’s Stick Together - 3:00 
A2.  Casanova - 2:45 
A3.  Sea Breezes - 6:10 
A4.  Shame, Shame, Shame - 3:15 
A5.  2HB - 3:50 

Side B
B1.  The Price Of Love - 3:25 
B2.  Chance Meeting - 3:35 
B3.  It’s Only Love - 3:45 
B4.  You Go To My Head - 2:50 
B5.  Re-Make/Re-Model - 2:40 
B6.  Heart On My Sleeve - 3:30


Notes
Release:  1976
Format:  LP
Genre:  Art Rock
Label:  Island Records
Catalog#  27953 XOT

Vinyl:  VG
Cover:  VG

Prijs: €10,00

Mike Oldfield - Hergest Ridge (1974) - €10,00

Hergest Ridge is the second studio album by English musician and songwriter Mike Oldfield, released on 28 August 1974 by Virgin Records. The unexpected commercial and critical success of his debut album Tubular Bells (1973) affected Oldfield, who decided against touring and avoided the press with his newfound fame. Instead, he retreated to Hergest Ridge on the England–Wales border and wrote the follow-up, which he recorded in 1974 at The Manor in Oxfordshire, with Tom Newman returning as co-producer.
Similar to Oldfield's first, the album is a single composition split into two parts covering different moods and musical styles.
Released as another lengthy composition, Hergest Ridge was the album that followed Mike Oldfield's momentous Tubular Bells release, with many of the same instrumental elements and methods employed throughout its two sections.
Because of the time of its release, Hergest Ridge was overshadowed by the effects of Oldfield's first album for Virgin, but even so he manages to invoke some interesting patches of music by using instruments like the glockenspiel, sleigh bells, the Lowrey organ, oboes, and a variety of mandolins and guitars to maintain the same type of diversity as Tubular Bells.
Symphonic throughout most of the album's two parts, the highlight of Hergest Ridge is Oldfield's use of 90 multi-tracked guitars clustered together to create one of the most unique sounds ever to surface on his albums. Actually, Hergest Ridge entered the British charts in the number one spot in the fall of 1974, but Tubular Bells finally took its place only three weeks later.
The album was highly regarded in the U.K. upon its release and it continued Oldfield's creative pace, proving that the genius put forth on his claim-to-fame album would indeed have some effect on works to come.


Side A
A1.  Hergest Ridge, Part 1 - 21:29

Side B
B1.  Hergest Ridge, Part 2 - 18:45


Notes
Release:  1974
Format:  LP
Genre:  Progressive Rock
Label:  Virgin Records
Catalog#  VR 13109

Vinyl:  VG
Cover:  VG

Prijs: €10,00

Saga - In Transit (1982) - €10,00

In Transit is a live album by Canadian progressive rock band Saga. The album was recorded at the Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle in Munich on February 5, 1982 and at the Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen on February 22, 23, & 24, 1982.
In Transit is one of this Canadian band's best albums, which is not often said about a live release. Saga's progressive edge is toned down by Michael Sadler's serious vocal style, which is both highly energetic and pleasantly soft.
Like Marillion, their songs involve short keyboard stints followed by gracious electric guitar work, with intricate themes being unraveled in the lyrics all the while. This album radiates with the band's electrifying fervor, and by not being too progressive or pretentious, each song ends up being immensely entertaining.
"Humble Stance," with the precision of Ian Crichton's guitar playing, is stunning, as is the drumming on "Wind Him Up." The synthesizer is used wisely on "How Long," faintly shimmering in and out amongst the clarity of Sadler's voice.
Ending with the spirited bombast of "On the Loose," the album as a whole has no weak moments, and not a lot of crowd interference either, which can sometimes tarnish a live album. Saga produces a comfortable balance of progressive elements and straight-ahead rock, so that their music can be appreciated by fans of both styles. In Transit is solid evidence of this.


Side A
A1.  Careful Where You Step - 4:20 
A2.  Don’t Be Late - 6:52 
A3.  Humble Stance - 5:50 
A4.  Wind Him Up - 5:48 

Side B
B1.  How Long - 3:52 
B2.  No Regrets - 3:57 
B3.  A Brief Case - 2:19 
B4.  You’re Not Alone - 5:31 
B5.  On The Loose - 4:19

Recorded Live In Munich, West Germany & Copenhagen Denmark


Notes
Release:  1982
Format:  LP
Genre:  Neo-Progressive Rock
Label:  Polydor
Catalog#  2374200

Vinyl:  V+
Cover:  V+

Prijs: €10,00

The Isley Brothers - The Real Deal (1982) - €10,00

The Real Deal is the 21st album released by The Isley Brothers on August 7, 1982. The album is notable for the group's decision to alter their trademark funk rock sound in the 1970s with the then-current early 1980s electro funk scene dominated by Rick James, Prince, Zapp and The Gap Band.
Following the releases of two 1981 albums, the gold-selling Grand Slam and the lesser-successful Inside You, the Isley Brothers were finding themselves in a rut following a successful nine-year run of gold and platinum albums and a succession of hit singles that had made them one of the top-selling R&B/funk bands of the 1970s.
After hearing the sounds of the Gap Band and Rick James, The Isleys (Kelly, Rudy, Ron, Ernie and Marvin) and brother-in-law Chris Jasper, whose role in the Isleys had grown to the point where he was adding background vocals himself alongside longtime lead vocalist Ron Isley and also added in a vocoder co-lead while playing synthesizers, which sometimes was overdubbed atop Marvin Isley's bass guitar riffs
For their next album, 1982's The Real Deal, the group went for a more minimalist funk sound with the title track, which hit the top 20 of the R&B charts, Ron Isley, Ernie Isley and Chris Jasper showcase "Stone Cold Lover", the vocoderized "Are You With Me", the mid-tempo "It's Alright With Me" (with Chris Jasper being the only other vocalist beside Ron Isley singing on the song) with the smoother pop rock ballad "All in My Lover's Eyes", which peaked at number sixty-seven on the R&B chart in 1983, while Ron and Ernie are showcased heavy on the Jimi Hendrix-inspired "Under the Influence", which showcased a more bluesier approach than the group was used to.
Despite hopes that the album will bring the Isleys back to the top of the charts, it stalled at number 87 on the Billboard 200. A year later the group will bounce back with Between the Sheets, which became the last album to feature Chris Jasper.
Though younger brothers Ernie and Marvin would also depart, forming Isley-Jasper-Isley with Jasper, they eventually returned to the Isley Brothers fold in 1992 following the death of eldest brother Kelly Isley and the exit of Rudolph Isley. Ronald Isley has since remained the group's most consistent of the members.


Side A
A1.  The Real Deal (Part I And II)  (7:03)
A2.  Are You With Me?  (4:48)
A3.  Stone Cold Lover  (5:12)

Side B
B1.  It's Alright With Me (5:32)
B2.  All In My Lover's Eyes  (5:13)
B3.  I'll Do It All For You  (4:20)
B4.  Under The Influence  (5:42)


Notes
Release:  1982
Format:  LP
Genre:  Soul / Funk
Label:   Epic Records
Catalog#   85790
Prijs:  €10,00

Vinyl:  VG+
Cover:  VG+

Chaka Khan - Destiny (1986) - €10,00

Destiny is the sixth studio album by American R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan, released on Warner Bros. Records in 1986.
Destiny was Khan's follow-up to the platinum-selling I Feel for You and was as high tech as its predecessor—symptomatically and characteristically for its period with more producers and sound engineers credited in the liner notes than musicians—but was musically more geared towards rock and pop than soul and R&B, most prominently on tracks such as "So Close", the self-penned title track "My Destiny", "Who's It Gonna Be" and "Watching the World" featuring Phil Collins on drums and backing vocals.
The album spun off five single releases, the first being "Love of a Lifetime", co-written, co-produced and featuring backing vocals by Green Gartside of British band Scritti Politti (US Pop #53, US R&B #21, UK #52). The second single "Tight Fit" was a midtempo R&B ballad, just like "Eye to Eye" from I Feel for You produced by Russ Titelman, which reached #28 on the US R&B chart. The satirical "Earth to Mickey" (When are you going to land?), featuring Khan both singing and rapping (and keyboardist Reggie Griffin rapping in the role of 'Mickey'), was released as the third single in early 1987 and only just made the Top 100 of the R&B chart, peaking at #93. The dramatic ballad "The Other Side of the World", written by Mike Rutherford of Genesis and B. A. Robertson and which had first been released as part of the White Nights soundtrack album in late 1985, reached #81. The fifth single "Watching the World" never charted. The album itself fared slightly better, reaching #25 on Billboard's R&B albums chart, but stalling at #67 on Pop and #77 in the UK. Destiny however gave Khan another Grammy nomination in 1987 for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female. The track "My Destiny" was used as the theme song for Richard Pryor's motion picture Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling.
The closing track, the heavily edited one minute thirty-nine seconds "Coltrane Dreams", a tribute to John Coltrane, had a backing track mainly made up of samples of Khan's voice. The actual full-length version of the track (4:54) was only released as the B-side of the 12" single "Love of a Lifetime".
"Love of a Lifetime", "Tight Fit", "Earth to Mickey" and "Watching the World" were all released as 12" singles including extended remixes.
While the success of Khan's own single releases in 1986 was limited to the R&B charts, she appeared as featured vocalist/vocal arranger on two worldwide pop/rock chart hits that same year, Steve Winwood's "Higher Love" and Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love"; on the latter she was only credited for 'vocal arrangement' in the liner notes. The song was originally recorded with Khan sharing lead vocals with Palmer but due to contractual problems between Warner Bros. Records and Island Records her own vocals were removed from the final mix.


Side A
A1.  Love Of A Lifetime - 4:20
A2.  Earth To Mickey  - 5:37
A3.  Watching The World  - 4:42
A4.  The Other Side Of The World - 3:39
A5.  My Destiny - 4:38

Side B
B1.  I Can’t Be Loved - 4:30
B2.  It’s You - 4:17
B3.  So Close - 4:17
B4.  Tight Fit - 4:37
B5.  Who’s It Gonna Be - 4:35
B6.  Coltrane Dreams - 1:38


Notes
Release:  1986
Format:  LP
Genre:  Soul, Funk
Label:  Warner Bros. Records
Catalog#  925425-1
Prijs:  €10,00

Vinyl:  Good
Cover:  Good

The Cure - 17 Seconds (1980) - €10,00

Seventeen Seconds is the second studio album by English rock band the Cure, released on 22 April 1980 by Fiction Records. The album marked the first time frontman Robert Smith co-produced with Mike Hedges. After the departure of original bassist Michael Dempsey, Simon Gallup became an official member along with keyboardist Matthieu Hartley. The single "A Forest" was the band's first entry in the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart.
Retrospectively, Seventeen Seconds has been considered an early example of gothic rock. Its "gloomscapes" are considered to be "a sonic touchstone" for the forthcoming movement. The track "The Final Sound" is "so positively gothic you could almost be fooled into believing that it was lifted from the soundtrack of some Hammer horror gorefest". The album has also been described as new wave.
It's hard to believe that the Cure could release an album even more sparse than Three Imaginary Boys, but here's the proof. The lineup change that saw funkstery bassist Michael Dempsey squeezed out in favor of the more specific playing of (eventually the longest serving member outside Robert Smith) Simon Gallup, and the addition of keyboardist Mathieu Hartley resulted in the band becoming more rigid in sound, and more disciplined in attitude.
While it is not the study in loss that Faith would become, or the descent into madness of Pornography, it is a perfect precursor to those collections. In a sense, Seventeen Seconds is the beginning of a trilogy of sorts, the emptiness that leads to the questioning and eventual madness of the subsequent work.
Mostly forgotten outside of the unforgettable single "A Forest," Seventeen Seconds is an even, subtle work that grows on the listener over time. Sure, the Cure did better work, but for a new lineup and a newfound sense of independence, Robert Smith already shows that he knows what he's doing.
From short instrumental pieces to robotic pop, Seventeen Seconds is where the Cure shed all the outside input and became their own band.


Side A
A1.  A Reflection - 2:12 
A2.  Play For Today - 3:41 
A3.  Secrets - 3:20 
A4.  In Your House - 4:08 
A5.  Three - 2:36 

Side B
B1.  The Final Sound - 0:52 
B2.  A Forest - 5:55 
B3.  M - 3:04 
B4.  At Night - 5:54 
B5.  Seventeen Seconds - 4:00


Notes
Release:  1980
Format:  LP
Genre:  New Wave
Label:  Polydor Records
Catalog#  2442174

Vinyl:  Good
Cover:  Good

Prijs: €10,00

Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974) - €10,00

461 Ocean Boulevard is the second studio album by Eric Clapton that marked his return to recording after recovering from a three-year addiction to heroin. The album was released in late July 1974 for RSO Records, shortly after the record company released the hit single "I Shot the Sheriff" in early July the same year. The album topped various international charts and sold more than two million copies.
The album title refers to the address on Ocean Boulevard in Golden Beach, Florida where Clapton lived while recording the album.
The street address of the house was changed after the album's release due to fans flocking to the property. The house has since been rebuilt and the street address restored.

By opening the first side with 'Motherless Children' and closing it with 'I Shot the Sheriff', Clapton puts the rural repose of his laid-back-with-Leon music into a context of deprivation and conflict, adding bite to soft-spoken professions of need and faith that might otherwise smell faintly of the most rural of laid-back commodities, bullshit. And his honesty has its reward: better sex.
The casual assurance you can hear now in his singing goes with the hip-twitching syncopation he brings to Robert Johnson's 'Steady Rolling Man' and Elmore James's 'I Can't Hold Out', and though the covers are what make this record memorable it's on 'Get Ready', written and sung with Yvonne Elliman, that his voice takes on a mellow, seductive intimacy he's never come close to before.

461 Ocean Boulevard is Eric Clapton's second studio solo album, arriving after his side project of Derek and the Dominos and a long struggle with heroin addiction.
Although there are some new reggae influences, the album doesn't sound all that different from the rock, pop, blues, country, and R&B amalgam of Eric Clapton. However, 461 Ocean Boulevard is a tighter, more focused outing that enables Clapton to stretch out instrumentally.
Furthermore, the pop concessions on the album -- the sleek production, the concise running times -- don't detract from the rootsy origins of the material, whether it's Johnny Otis' "Willie and the Hand Jive," the traditional blues "Motherless Children," Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff," or Clapton's emotional original "Let It Grow."
With its relaxed, friendly atmosphere and strong bluesy roots, 461 Ocean Boulevard set the template for Clapton's '70s albums.


Side A
A1.  Motherless Children  (4:55)
A2.  Give Me Strength  (2:51)
A3.  Willie and the Hand Jive  (3:31)
A4.  Get Ready  (3:50)
A5.  I Shot the Sheriff  (4:30)

Side B
B1.  I Can’t Hold Out  (4:10)
B2.  Please Be With Me  (3:25)
B3.  Let It Grow  (4:57)
B4.  Steady Rollin’ Man  (3:14)
B5.  Mainline Florida  (4:05)


Notes
Release:  1974
Format:  LP (Gatefold)
Genre:  Blues  Rock
Label:  RS0 Records
Catalog#  2394138

Vinyl:  Good
Cover:  Good

Prijs: €10,00

Elkie Brooks - Two Days Away (1977) - €10,00

Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder, 25 February 1945 is an English singer.
She was born in the UK in 1945 and spent most of the 1960s doing the cabaret circuit. She also worked with the Beatles, Small Faces and Animals. In 1971 she joined the group Vinegar Joe which included the vocals of Robert Palmer. Her husband Pete Gage was also a member.
When the group disbanded she went solo with A&M Records.
Brooks' breakthrough second album, released in 1977, propelled her into solo stardom in the UK and Europe. Including the top ten hits "Pearl's a Singer" and "Sunshine After the Rain", it had a distinct American sound largely due to the work of the legendary writers and producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It remains one of Brooks' finest albums.


Side A
A1.  Love Potion No. 9 - 3:42
A2.  Spiritland - 3:19
A3.  Honey, Can I Put On Your Clothes - 3:22
A4.  Sunshine After The Rain - 3:23
A5.  Pearl’s a Singer - 3:39

Side B
B1.  Mojo Hannah - 3:00
B2.  Do Right Woman, Do Right Man - 3:28
B3.  You Did Something For Me - 2:50
B4.  Nightbird - 3:06
B5.  Saved - 2:40


Notes
Release: 1977
Format: LP
Genre:
Label: A&M Records
Catalog# AMLH 68409

Vinyl: Good
Cover: Good

Prijs: €10,00