January 8, 2015

Billboard Top 5: August 23, 1975

All of the songs in the Billboard Top 5 for the week of August 23, 1975 actually reached #1 at some point. Four of the five also appeared in “Mr. Jaws,” Dickie Goodman’s classic novelty song. I’m not sure which achievement is more impressive…

Billboard Top 5: August 9, 1975

#5:

Rhinestone Cowboy

Glen Campbell: “Rhinestone Cowboy” (Larry Weiss)

From the album Rhinestone Cowboy

Capitol Records, 1975

Rhinestone Cowboy

My band often plays at a bar called The Barley House here in Dallas. The Barley has a great beer selection, good food, and a giant picture of Glen Campbell right next to the stage. Would it shock you to know that we learned “Rhinestone Cowboy” just so that we could pay homage to the homage of Glen at our Barley shows? I didn’t think so…

#4:

Main Course

Bee Gees: “Jive Talkin'” (Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb)

From the album Main Course

R.S.O. Records, 1975

Jive Talkin’

“Jive Talkin'” was the Bee Gees’ big comeback single. It had been four years since “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” hit the Top 10, an eternity in ’70s pop music. To say that “Jive Talkin'” spawned an empire would not be an understatement, but I still think “Nights On Broadway” is a better song.

#3:

K.C. & The Sunshine Band_ Singles & B-Sides

K.C. & The Sunshine Band: “Get Down Tonight” [7″ Version] (Casey/Finch)

T.K. Records, 1975

Get Down Tonight [7″ Version]

Sometime in the summer of 1975, I remember my mother taking me to a mall somewhere in the San Fernando Valley for an afternoon of fun. We had lunch at Kaplan’s Deli (I always had a hamburger), and then she took me into Licorice Pizza and told me to pick out one album. It must have been in July around my birthday, as albums were a luxury for a poor family like mine. An actual LP was a very special gift for me, and I knew I had to choose just the right one. After much deliberation, I finally settled on the self-titled album from K.C. & The Sunshine Band. I was only eight years old, but I can remember this day like it was yesterday. Thanks, Mom!

#2:

One Of These Nights

Eagles: “One Of These Nights” (Glenn Frey/Don Henley)

From the album One Of These Nights

Asylum Records, 1975

One Of These Nights

“One Of These Nights” had reached #1 three weeks earlier on August 2nd, and then it lost the top spot to “Jive Talkin'”the next week and fell to #3. “One Of These Nights” then moved back up to #2 on August 23rd, and I can tell you why the song had such staying power: it really is a perfectly-crafted pop song. That falsetto chorus still gets me every time.

#1:

Fallin' In Love

Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds: “Fallin’ In Love” (Dan Hamilton/Ann Hamilton)

From the album Fallin’ In Love

Playboy Records, 1975

Fallin’ In Love

Like the Bee Gees, the trio of Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds hadn’t hit the Top 10 since 1971 (“Don’t Pull Your Love” reached #4 on July 24, 1971). Unlike the Bee Gees, Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds would never have another Top 10 hit.

Bizarre but true: Tommy Reynolds wasn’t even in the band when “Fallin’ In Love” went to #1. Reynolds had left the group in 1972 and was replaced by Alan Dennison, but the band decided to keep its original name.

More bizarre but true: “Fallin’ In Love” was released on Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Records label. I didn’t know that until today, and now I’m pretty sure I’ll never hear the song the same way again. Until today, I always heard a sweet love song with beautiful harmonies– now, I picture Hugh Hefner and Barbi Benton (another Playboy Records artist) doing bad things. Now if I can just get rid of the image of Hugh, I might end up liking this trade-off…

Barbi

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Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

Trafalgar

Bee Gees: “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” (Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb)

From the album Trafalgar

Polydor Records, 1971

How Can You Mend A Broken Heart

 

Main Course

Bee Gees: “Nights On Broadway” (Barry. Robin & Maurie Gibb)

From the album Main Course

R.S.O. Records, 1975

Nights On Broadway

 

K.C. & The Sunshine Band

K.C. & The Sunshine Band: “Get Down Tonight” (Casey/Finch)

From the album K.C. & The Sunshine Band

T.K. Records, 1975

Get Down Tonight

 

Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds

Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds: “Don’t Pull Your Love” (Dennis Lambert/Brian Potter)

From the album Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds

Dunhill Records, 1971

Don’t Pull Your Love

 

Mr. Jaws & Other Fables

Dickie Goodman: “Mr. Jaws” (Dickie Goodman)

From the album Mr. Jaws And Other Fables

Cash Records, 1975

Mr. Jaws

 

Posted by on January 8, 2015 in Disco, Pop, Rock, Soul/R&B and tagged , , , , , , , , , .

3 Comments

January 7, 2015

The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums (Pink Floyd’s “Works”)

“The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums” gives you exactly what the title implies: a rare or out-of-print album from the ’80s in its entirety. Some will be from CD, but most will have been lovingly transferred from pristine vinyl culled directly from the Analog Kid’s vast collection. Whatever album I choose, it will be one that you can’t easily find a physical copy for sale on Amazon or in your local record store (if you even have one anymore). Death…by stereo!

 

1983’s Works was an important Pink Floyd album for the Analog Kid. In reality, Works was just a compilation thrown together by Capitol Records (the band’s former label) to compete with The Final Cut— but for me, it came along at the exact time that I was really getting into Pink Floyd. I knew The Wall and all of the big classic rock radio songs from Wish You Were Here and Dark Side Of The Moon, but Works opened my ears to the music of Syd Barrett for the first time. Works introduced me to songs from Meddle, the Floyd album that I still call my favorite (on most days, at least). Works also taught me what a pict was, a fact that I shared with just about every kid in school.

In addition to the deep album cuts and singles from Pink Floyd’s early years, Works also featured the rare cut “Embryo.” “Embryo” had previously been available only on an obscure 1968 Harvest Records compilation, and an extended version of the song would eventually become a regular concert favorite for the band in the early ’70s.

Works has been out of print for years now, and used copies of the CD are getting harder and harder to find. If you see one at your local used shop, be sure to snap it up. Until then, here’s a 320 kbps rip for your enjoyment. Set the controls for the heart of the sun!

 

Works [320 kbps] 1

Pink Floyd: Works

Capitol Records, 1983

 

1. “One Of These Days” (Wright/Mason/Waters/Gilmour)

One Of These Days

2. “Arnold Layne” (Barrett)

Arnold Layne

3. “Fearless (Interpolating “You’ll Never Walk Alone”)” (Rodgers/Hammerstein/Waters/Gilmour)

Fearless (Interpolating “You’ll Never Walk Alone”)

4. “Brain Damage” (Waters)

Brain Damage

5. “Eclipse” (Waters)

Eclipse

6. “Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun” (Waters)

Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun

7. “See Emily Play” (Barrett)

See Emily Play

8. “Several Species Of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With A Pict” (Waters)

Several Species Of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With A Pict

9. “Free Four” (Waters)

Free Four

10. “Embryo” (Waters)

Embryo

______________________________________________________

Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

The Final Cut

Pink Floyd: “Paranoid Eyes” (Waters)

From the album The Final Cut

Columbia Records, 1983

Paranoid Eyes

 

Meddle 2

Pink Floyd: “Echoes” (Waters/Wright/Mason/Gilmour)

From the album Meddle

Harvest Records, 1971

Echoes

 

Posted by on January 7, 2015 in Rock and tagged , , , , , , , , , .

1 Comment

January 6, 2015

Groovy Tuesday: Alicia Bridges’ “I Love The Nightlife (Disco ‘Round)”

Every Tuesday, the Analog Kid blog goes back in time and features some of the best groovy R&B/soul songs from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. Sometimes you’ll hear songs from individual artists or from a specific year, and other times you’ll get an entire full-length classic LP ripped directly from the Analog Kid’s vast vinyl vault. Warning: by R&B/soul, I also mean disco. I could go all Patrick Hernandez on your ass at any given moment, so just be ready!

 

Does anyone else still think of George Hamilton whenever you hear Alicia Bridges’ “I Love The Nightlife (Disco ‘Round)?” I was eleven when I first saw Love At First Bite, and George’s vampiric disco moves apparently made quite an impression on me.

love-at-first-bite

Of course, I also owned “I Love The Nightlife” on 45 and it remains one of my favorite disco songs to this day. I’ve actually been searching for the Alicia Bridges album on vinyl for years, but every copy I find always seems to be in horrible shape. The album contains the full-length version of “I Love The Nightlife,” a version so rare that I’ve never even heard it…until today, that is!

No, I still haven’t found a decent copy of the LP. But I did locate the full-length version of “I Love The Nightlife” on a disco compilation CD, and now I am happy to share this classic with you. The full-length version starts with the chorus, and I can’t say that I really like that arrangement– but just wait until the instrumental breakdown near the end of the song. It’s disco gold, Jerry! And it only took me 37 years to strike the mother lode…

“I Love The Nightlife” peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 6, 1979.

 

Alicia Bridges

Alicia Bridges: “I Love The Nightlife (Disco ‘Round)” (Alicia Bridges/Susan Hutcheson)

From the album Alicia Bridges

Polydor Records, 1978

I Love The Nightlife (Disco ‘Round)

__________________________________________________

Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

Alicia Bridges_ Singles & B-Sides

Alicia Bridges: “I Love The Nightlife (Disco ‘Round)” [7″ Version] (Alicia Bridges/Susan Hutcheson)

Polydor Records, 1978

I Love The Nightlife (Disco ‘Round) [7″ Version]

Posted by on January 6, 2015 in Disco, Pop, Soul/R&B and tagged , , , , , .

2 Comments

January 5, 2015

The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums (“Live! For Life”)

“The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums” gives you exactly what the title implies: a rare or out-of-print album from the ’80s in its entirety. Some will be from CD, but most will have been lovingly transferred from pristine vinyl culled directly from the Analog Kid’s vast collection. Whatever album I choose, it will be one that you can’t easily find a physical copy for sale on Amazon or in your local record store (if you even have one anymore). Death…by stereo!

 

Welcome to 2015! The Analog Kid Blog took a little time off for the holidays (and the flu, unfortunately!), but now it’s time to get back on track. Let’s start out 2015 with a really rare album: the 1986 I.R.S. Records release Live! For Life. This great compilation contains (mostly) live cuts from a slew of big-time ’80s artists, and to my knowledge has never been released on CD.

I played this album to death back in the ’80s, and unfortunately that might be apparent when you listen to the mp3s below. I did my best to remove the crackles and pops, but you might notice a few flaws inherent in the source material. You’ll also hear some great live tracks, including a killer version of “I Been Down So Long” from Sting’s 1985 The Dream Of The Blue Turtles tour (and featuring Jeff Beck on guest guitar). I also really love this version of The Alarm’s “Howling Wind,” and Squeeze’s “Tempted” sounds great even with Glen Tilbrook taking over lead vocal duties from the departed Paul Carrack. And as an R.E.M. fanatic, the unique not-so-live remixed version of “Ages Of You” (originally the b-side of “Wendell Gee”) makes Live! For Life a must-hear.

The Live! For Life album was originally released to benefit the AMC Cancer Research Center. As a two-time cancer survivor, I’m happy to add this album to my download library with the hope that some of you might donate a few dollars to the cancer charity of your choice. Remember: every little bit helps. I’d also like to send out a “Boo-yah!” in memory of Stuart Scott, the ESPN anchor who sadly passed away yesterday. I wasn’t always a fan of his style, but I will always remember his courage and his fight.

 

Live! For Life [320 kbps]

Live! For Life

I.R.S. Records, 1986

Vinyl rip courtesy of the Analog Kid

 

1. Stewart Copeland & Derek Holt: “Love Lessons” (Stewart Copeland)

Love Lessons

2. Bob Marley & The Wailers: “Lively Up Yourself” (Bob Marley)

Lively Up Yourself

3. R.E.M.: “Ages Of You” (Berry/Buck/Mills/Stipe)

Ages Of You

4. The Alarm: “Howling Wind” (Mike Peters/Eddie MacDonald)

Howling Wind

5. General Public: “Tenderness” (General Public)

Tenderness

6. Sting & Jeff Beck: “I Been Down So Long” (J.B. Lenoir/A. Atkins)

I Been Down So Long

7. The Bangles: “Here Takes A Fall” (Susanna Hoffs/Vicki Peterson)

Hero Takes A Fall

8. Oingo Boingo: “Take Your Medicine” (Danny Elfman)

Take Your Medicine

9. The Go-Go’s: “We Got The Beat” (Charlotte Caffey)

We Got The Beat

10. Squeeze: “Tempted” (Chris Difford/Glen Tilbrook)

Tempted

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Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

R.E.M._ Singles & B-Sides

R.E.M.: “Ages of You” (Berry/Buck/Mills/Stipe)

From the U.K. 12″ Wendell Gee

I.R.S. Records, 1985

Ages Of You

 

Bring On The Night [Disc 1]

Sting: “Down So Long” (J.B. Lenoir/A. Atkins)

From the album Bring On The Night

A&M Records, 1986

Down So Long

 

East Side Story

Squeeze: “Tempted” (Chris Difford/Glen Tilbrook)

From the album East Side Story

A&M Records, 1981

Tempted

Posted by on January 5, 2015 in Alternative, New Wave, Reggae, Rock and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

4 Comments

December 19, 2014

The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums (The Producers’ “You Make The Heat”)

“The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums” gives you exactly what the title implies: a rare or out-of-print album from the ’80s in its entirety. Some will be from CD, but most will have been lovingly transferred from pristine vinyl culled directly from the Analog Kid’s vast collection. Whatever album I choose, it will be one that you can’t easily find a physical copy for sale on Amazon or in your local record store (if you even have one anymore). Death…by stereo!

 

Earlier this week, I featured the classic 1981 debut album from The Producers on a “Lost Boys” entry. I also promised that I would post the band’s 1982 follow-up later this week, and here it is! Based on the number of views that Monday’s blog received, I am about to make many of my readers very happy. You all have tremendous taste, by the way!

Overall, I think The Producers is a better record than You Make The Heat– but only by a smidge. However, there’s no denying the fact that “She Sheila” may just be THE ultimate ’80s song. It’s perfect in every single solitary way, and the video even manages to feature both a keytar AND pink pants! It’s been 32 years since “She Sheila” was released, and it still gives me a huge adrenaline rush every time I hear it…

Sadly, The Producers were dropped by Portrait Records after the release of You Make The Heat. They did make another independent album in 1985 entitled Run For Your Life, and I own that one only on vinyl. I’ll get to work on a new 320 kbps rip of that one for you, and I promise to feature it on another “Lost Boys” post in the very near future!

 

You Make The Heat

The Producers: You Make The Heat

Portrait Records, 1982

 

1. “Back To Basics” (Van Temple/Kyle Henderson)

Back To Basics

2. “She Sheila” (Van Temple/Kyle Henderson/Wayne Famous/Bryan Holmes)

She Sheila

3. “Operation” (Van Temple/Kyle Henderson/Wayne Famous/Bryan Holmes)

Operation

4. “Dear John” (Van Temple/Kyle Henderson/Wayne Famous/Bryan Holmes)

Dear John

5. “Breakaway” (Van Temple/Kyle Henderson/Wayne Famous/Bryan Holmes)

Breakaway

6. “You Make The Heat” (Van Temple/Kyle Henderson/Wayne Famous/Bryan Holmes)

You Make The Heat

7. “Merry Go Round” (Van Temple/Kyle Henderson/Wayne Famous/Bryan Holmes)

Merry Go Round

8. “Chinatown” (Van Temple/Kyle Henderson/Wayne Famous)

Chinatown

9. “Domino” (Van Temple/Kyle Henderson/Wayne Famous/Bryan Holmes)

Domino

 

Posted by on December 19, 2014 in Alternative, New Wave, Power Pop, Rock and tagged , , , .

1 Comment