april 30, 2025

Published april 30, 2025 by ad-vinylrecords with 0 comment

Judie Tzuke - Welcome To The Cruise (1979) LP - €5,00

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Welcome to the Cruise is the debut album by British singer-songwriter Judie Tzuke, released in 1979. The album peaked at No. 14 on the UK Albums Chart.
Recorded and mixed at AIR Studios in London, the album includes the hit single "Stay with Me till Dawn", which peaked at No. 16 in the UK and remains Tzuke's only top 40 hit to date (the album was also titled Stay with Me till Dawn in the US). In 2002, "Stay with Me Till Dawn" was chosen by the British public as one of the fifty best British songs 1952–2002 (ranking number 39). In 2004, the song was sampled by Mylo for the track "Need You Tonite", which is taken from his album Destroy Rock & Roll.

The tracks "For You" and "Sukarita" were originally produced by Lem Lubin. "These Are the Laws" was originally a 7" single released under the name of "Tzuke and Paxo" ("Paxo" being Mike Paxman, Tzuke's long-time musical collaborator). 

Judie Tzuke was one of the earliest signings to Elton John's Rocket label and I think that should have been a warning in itself. By the time Elton had managed to extricate himself from the shackles of his contract at DJM, his partnership with Bernie Taupin was long past its best. 
Therefore, his concept of what constituted popular music must have been suspect.
Tzuke has an absolutely beautiful voice. Replete with emotion and capable of wringing expression out of the most insipid of chord changes, she cannot be faulted. However, her songwriting lets her down badly. 
In fact, from my viewpoint, it's a terminal condition. I was first attracted to Welcome To The Cruise by the single "Stay With Me Till Dawn"; still a poignant, moving ballad. 
If Tzuke had managed to maintain the same emotional depth on this album I may have been more receptive, but there are few lyrical insights, little melody and not much else which grabs the attention.
I've been trying to think of modern day equivalents to Tzuke and can only come up with the likes of Katie Melua. It's the same sort of pristine, yet anodyne, approach to music. You can tell an awful lot of effort has gone into the making of this album. 
The musicianship is note perfect – co-writer Mike Paxman's guitar solo on the title track being the perfect case in point. The production and mixing – mainly by John Punter – is flawless. 
The musical contribution by all concerned is clean and fresh and clearly delineated. Tzuke's voice is crystalline perfection throughout. Even the quality of the packaging (sleeve design by Hipgnosis) and the superiority of the vinyl itself can't be faulted. But it all comes to naught if the songs themselves fail to engage.
Besides "Stay With Me Till Dawn", only the lovely, mainly a cappella, "For You" and the bouncy "Southern Smiles" provide any sort of interest. 
The rest is a mix of sanitised jazz, sterile pop and sleepy ballads that wash over the listener without leaving the vestige of a memory.


Side A
A1. Welcome To The Cruise - 4:58
A2. Sukarita - 3:26
A3. For You - 2:40
A4. These Are The Laws - 4:41
A5. Bring The Rain - 5:05

Side B
B1. Southern Smiles - 3:51
B2. Katiera Island - 5:12
B3. Ladies Night - 4:02
B4. New Friends Again - 2:42
B5. Stay With Me Till Dawn - 3:55

All tracks composed by Judie Tzuke and Mike Paxman.
 
Musicians

Production
  • John Punter – producer, engineer (vocal parts), mixing
  • Lem Lubin – producer on "Sukarita and "For You"
  • Steve Nye, Colin Fairley – engineers
  • Tim Cuthberson – assistant engineer
  • Hipgnosis - sleeve design
  • Richard Draper - photography

Notes
Release:  1979
Format:  LP, Vinyl
Genre:  Pop
Label:  The Rocket Record Company ‎
Catalog#  9103 507

Vinyl:  Goed (G)
Cover:  Lichte Gebruikerssporen (G)

Prijs: €5,00

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