As you probably know by now, The Analog Kid lives for b-sides and non-album cuts. In this continuing series, I will share some of my favorite EPs and 12″ singles from over the years in their entirety. And since it’s digital, you don’t have to worry about correctly setting the turntable speed to 33⅓ or 45!
The Who began their 50th anniversary tour last week, and of course I had to take a peek at the set list– after all, I won’t be seeing them until late April when they come to Texas for three shows. I’m not going to give anything anyway, but trust me when I say that it might just be the best set list in the history of set lists. I’ve been on a major Who kick lately as a result, and yesterday I spent a large chunk of the day converting my Roger Daltrey 12″ singles to digital.
It may surprise you to know that Roger has released some great solo stuff in his career. A lot of Daltrey’s solo material has a very different sound than The Who, but he fully embraced his band’s legacy on 1985’s Under A Raging Moon. The album was released right around the time I became a Who fanatic, and it is still a favorite of mine. Pete Townshend’s White City: A Novel came out right about the same time, and you can check out one of my older blogs about these two albums here:
The title track from Under A Raging Moon is a tribute to the late Keith Moon, and it features seven different drummers during the extended break: Martin Chambers, Roger Taylor, Cozy Powell, Stewart Copeland, Zak Starkey, Carl Palmer, and Mark Brzezicki. Keith Moon was actually Zak Starkey’s godfather, and gave Zak his first drum kit when he was only eight years old. Zak was twenty when he played on “Under A Raging Moon,” and of course he would eventually get behind the kit full-time for The Who. Zak was absent the last time I saw The Who a few years ago due to illness, but he’s back now and I can’t wait to see him play again on this tour. He’s not Keith Moon– who is?– but he’s not Kenney Jones, either, and he’s easily the best replacement The Who have ever used.
I ripped the 12″ single for “Under A Raging Moon” last night, and I was amazed at how good it sounded. Both “Under A Raging Moon” and “Move Better In The Night” sound infinitely better than they do on my CD copy of the album, and the live Who songs (recorded during a very brief solo tour by Daltrey in late 1985) are a nice treat as well.
I leave you with one last thought: how in the hell am I going to make it until April to see The Who? They encored with “Naked Eye” the other night. “Naked Eye!” This is going to be a LONG five months…
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 Village People on your ass at any given moment, so just be ready!
Regular readers of the Analog Kid Blog are likely already familiar with my love for Cornelius Brothers And Sister Rose. I’ve featured the band at least three times on Groovy Tuesdays in the past, but I have never included an entire album before. The reason? Well, it’s a good one: my well-worn vinyl copy of their classic 1972 debut album has a couple of skips, and I wasn’t going to share a second-rate rip with you– even if it is one of my favorite records!
My small (but incredibly loyal) group of dedicated followers may also remember that I recently upgraded my entire vinyl ripping process: new pre-amp, new software, new turntable…and, most importantly, a new stylus. And guess what? The skips are gone! Sure, there are a couple of pops here and there but overall, it sounds great– and that means that it is finally time to share the 1972 classic Cornelius Brothers AndSister Rose with you. This R&B/soul masterpiece has never been released on CD, but now you can experience its grooviness in full right here on the Analog Kid blog. Enjoy!!
Technical note: in order to provide you with the best possible listening experience, 8 of the 11 tracks have been taken directly from digital sources. The remaining three were ripped just this morning from my original copy of the LP. Pops and crackles have been removed to the best of my ability without compromising sound quality. It’s gonna be sweet for you.
Cornelius Brothers And Sister Rose: Cornelius Brothers And Sister Rose
This continuing series on the Analog Kid blog takes a look back at some of the best AOR songs from the ’70s and ’80s. All of these songs were radio favorites from my teenage years in Texas, but for some reason you just don’t seem to hear them much any more. I hope to change that.
Texas Radio & The Big Beat: 1982 (Part 2)
I usually only feature five songs per post on my Texas Radio & The Big Beat series, but I made an exception last January when I featured the classic rock of 1982. 1982 is my favorite year ever for music, so I doubled down and featured ten songs because I just couldn’t choose five. You can check out that post here:
Well, now it’s time to visit 1982 a second time– and once again, I’m going big. Here are ten more classic AOR tracks from 1982 that you may have forgotten about!
Kenny Loggins & Steve Perry: “Don’t Fight It” (Pitchford/Loggins/Perry)
Hey look– Kenny Loggins had a hit in the ’80s that wasn’t from a movie soundtrack! “Don’t Fight It” reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100, due in no small part to the presence of Journey’s Steve Perry on vocals. For me, though, it’s Neil Giraldo’s blistering guitar that really makes “Don’t Fight It” an ’80s classic.
Chilliwack: “Whatcha Gonna Do (When I’m Gone)” (Henderson/MacLeod)
The Canadian band Chilliwack only had two Top 40 singles in the U.S., and “Whatcha Gonna Do (When I’m Gone)” wasn’t one of them– it peaked at #41 in 1982. Dallas station Q102 loved the band, though, and this song was in regular rotation throughout the year. Make no mistake: you’re going to be singing this chorus in your head for the rest of the day. Sorry about that.
The Motels were under a tremendous amount of pressure from their label to deliver a hit album in the States, and the situation only worsened when Capitol rejected the band’s first attempt at a new record. Unfazed, the revamped Motels re-recorded the songs from the shelved Apocalyso and released All Four One, one of my favorite albums of the ’80s. “Mission Of Mercy” wasn’t a huge hit on the pop charts, but it did reach #23 on the Album Rock chart.
Elton has rarely played “Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)” in concert over the years, as he says it’s just too emotional for him. I understand this completely, as Elton’s tribute to his dear friend John Lennon still chokes me up every time I hear it. “Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)” only reached #13 on the Hot 100, but in my eyes it is easily the best Elton John song of the ’80s.
No Fun Aloud was Glenn Frey’s first solo album, and it had a much more soulful swing than his work with The Eagles. “I Found Somebody” almost made the Top 30, but anyone with MTV in the summer of 1982 will remember the video:
I can assure you that the Analog Kid has very fond memories of the lovely young lady in the video!
“City’s Burning” was another MTV staple during that summer of ’82. Private Audition didn’t do very well on the charts, but it did re-awaken my love for Heart. I had “Magic Man” and “Barracuda” on 45 when I was a kid, and “City’s Burning” helped remind me just how much I loved Ann Wilson’s voice. I spent that summer in Irvine visiting my Dad, and I can still remember begging him to take me to see Heart and John Cougar at the nearby Irvine Meadows Amphitheater. I think we went to see The World AccordingTo Garp instead. I am still slightly traumatized from the incident.
I just finished reading Simple Dreams, the Linda Ronstadt autobiography that came out a few years ago. If you love music, it’s a must-read. Linda could have filled the book with crazy rock and roll stories, but instead she focuses on the music itself (what a novel concept!). She spends as much time talking about ThePirates Of Penzance and Nelson Riddle as she does on Heart Like A Wheel, and the book is all the better for it. Simple Dreams was released before Linda announced that Parkinson’s disease had robbed her of her beautiful voice, and that knowledge makes the book even more profound.
“Paperlate” was a Top 40 hit for Genesis in 1982, but I can’t remember the last time I heard it on the radio. “Paperlate” was initially released on the U.K. EP 3×3 in May of 1982, and was finally released in the U.S. on side four of the Three Sides Live album. Overseas, the Three Sides Live album actually had four full sides of live music. Isn’t that confusing? No more confusing, I suppose, than a middle-aged balding drummer becoming the biggest pop star in the world in the mid-’80s, right?
The Greg Kihn Band had been making great records for years before finally hitting the Top 20 with the 1981 classic “The Breakup Song.” 1982’s “Testify” didn’t even chart on the Hot 100, but it was a Top 5 single on the Mainstream Rock chart and an AOR staple. Add 1984’s “Reunited” to the list, and you have a power-pop trifecta that would make even the Raspberries and Big Star proud.
I had forgotten all about Eye To Eye until I stumbled upon a vinyl copy of their debut LP at a record shop in the late ’90s. The cover looked familiar to me, so I took a chance and bought it. If that happened today, I would have just googled it on my phone and realized, “Oh yeah, “Nice Girls” was a #37 hit in 1982.” But back then, I had to take a chance. And that chance was rewarded.
If “Nice Girls” reminds you of Steely Dan in any way, you’re not alone. The record was produced by Gary Katz, Steely Dan’s long-time producer.
Happy Bicentennial, everybody! 1976 was a great time to be nine years old. There were fireworks year-round, and a genius at the popsicle family came up with this tasty (and highly patriotic) treat:
I think I ate at least one Bomb Pop per day in 1976. I also bought a shitload of 45s, because there was some amazing music on the pop charts. Was it my imagination, or did every song seem to have the word “boogie” in the title in 1976?
Billboard Top 5: May 22,1976
#5:
Silver Convention: “Get Up And Boogie” (Sylvester Levay/Stephan Prager)
The Sylvers were perhaps the ultimate family group: there were nine (count ’em!) brothers and sisters in the band, all born within an eleven year span. “Boogie Fever” went to #1 on May 15, 1976, and the band followed up that success with the Top 5 single “Hot Line” later that year. I can vividly recall The Sylvers performing “Hot Line” on a live TV special that aired the night before the Oakland-Minnesota Super Bowl in January of 1977. Wait…let me look…
Damn, I love you, YouTube!
#3:
Elvin Bishop: “Fooled Around And Fell In Boogie” (Elvin Bishop/Phil Aaberg)
Elvin Bishop was a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and a fantastic guitarist in his own right, but he is perhaps best remembered for “Fooled Around And Fell In Love.” That’s not Elvis on vocals, though– that’s Mickey Thomas, who of course would go on to join Jefferson Starship and eventually teach all of us about Marconi and his playing of the mamba. 29 years later, and I still have no idea what the hell that means…
I’m not much of a dancer, and my wife knows this all too well. I’m especially horrible at slow-dancing, so I was more than a little worried about the first dance at our wedding. All of my fears melted away, though, when she suggested that we take the floor to Diana Ross’ “Love Hangover.” We only had to slow-dance for a few moments during the song’s simmering intro, and then the entire wedding party joined us for a glorious disco explosion. My wife may have won $40,000 on Jeopardy!, but it’s in little moments like this where her true genius shines through…
“What is the best wedding dance ever, Alex.”
#1:
Paul McCartney & Wings: “Silly Love Boogie” (Paul & Linda McCartney)
I stumbled upon Wings Over America on Palladia while channel-surfing this morning. I worship Sir Paul, but for some reason I’ve never actually seen the film. What’s wrong with that? I’d like to know– ’cause here I go again, down to the record store to buy Wings Over America on blu-ray. The new remaster is amazing, and the band’s performance is flawless.
“Silly Love Songs” will always hold a special place in my heart, as the 45 was the first piece of McCartney music that I ever purchased on my own. Even in 1976, I knew a stone groove when I heard it. Every bass player on Earth wishes that they could bottle the bass sound on this track.
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 KC & The Sunshine Band on your ass at any given moment, so just be ready!
Maxine Nightingale went as high as #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April of 1976 with “Right Back Where We Started From,” and she was probably just as surprised as anyone. After the initial recording sessions, she hated the track and wanted it released under a pseudonym. Maxine eventually relented and allowed the use of her real name, and her reward was a Top 5 hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
When “Right Back Where We Started From” began its climb up the UK charts in 1975, Nightingale quickly started work on an entire album. The resulting record was a great showcase for her powerful voice, developed during years of stage performances in musicals like Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar. I am especially fond of her soulful take on John Lennon’s “Bless You,” a deep cut from his 1974 album WallsAnd Bridges.
Of course, Nightingale would return to the Top 10 in 1979 with the classic ballad “Lead Me On.” I featured that album on a Groovy Tuesday last November, and you can check it out here:
Trivia time: two different songs occupied the Billboard #1 slot while “Right Back Where We Started From” sat at #2 in April of 1976. What were those two songs? Check out the bonus tracks for the answer!
And yes, I owned all 3 45’s!
Maxine Nightingale: Right Back Where We Started From
![Under A Raging Moon [U.K. 12_] 1](https://theanalogkidblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/under-a-raging-moon-u-k-12_-1.png)
![Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose [320 kbps]](https://theanalogkidblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/cornelius-brothers-sister-rose-320-kbps.png)
![Three Sides Live [Disc 2]](https://theanalogkidblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/three-sides-live-disc-2.png)
![Wings Over America [Disc 2]](https://theanalogkidblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/wings-over-america-disc-2.png)
The Analog Kid 