June 20, 2014

One Is The Loneliest Number: Frederick Knight

The Analog Kid’s iTunes music folder contains over 93,000 songs, so you may think that I own everything by everybody. Not so fast, my friends– even a collection that large is bound to have some true one-hit wonders and/or obscurities mixed in with the 1,207 R.E.M. songs. In this continuing series, I will feature an artist that has exactly one song in my entire digital library.

Soul singer Frederick Knight recorded four albums during the ’70s, but only had one real hit to show for it. Knight’s 1972 single  “I’ve Been Lonely For So Long”  reached #27 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was also a Top 10 hit on the R&B chart. Good luck getting the song’s distinctive “Won’t somebody help me please” breakdown out of your brain at any point during the next few days!

After Knight’s follow-up singles failed to dent the charts, he turned his attention to writing and producing for his own Juana Records label. In 1979, Knight hit the jackpot as writer and producer of Anita Ward’s #1 smash “Ring My Bell.” Knight had originally written the song for Stacy Lattisaw in an attempt to woo her to his label, but eleven-year-old Stacy signed elsewhere and Ward recorded the song instead. The rest is disco history.

Frederick Knight is often described as a one-hit wonder thanks to “I’ve Been Lonely For So Long,” but that description really does require a very large asterisk…

I've Been Lonely For So Long

Frederick Knight: “I’ve Been Lonely For So Long” (Knight/Weaver)

From the album I’ve Been Lonely For So Long

Stax Records, 1973

I’ve Been Lonely For So Long

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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.

Songs Of Love

Anita Ward: “Ring My Bell” (Knight)

From the album Songs Of Love

Juana/TK Records, 1979

Ring My Bell

With You 1

Stacy Lattisaw: “Love On A Two-Way Street” (Robinson/Keyes)

From the album With You

Cotillion Records, 1981

Love On A Two Way Street

Wandering Spirit

Mick Jagger: “I’ve Been Lonely For So Long” (Knight/Weaver)

From the album Wandering Spirit

Atlantic Records, 1993

I’ve Been Lonely For So Long

Posted by on June 20, 2014 in Disco, One-Hit Wonders, Rock, Soul/R&B and tagged , , , , , , , .

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June 19, 2014

The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums (“Shuttered Room” By The Fixx)

“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!

The Fixx didn’t sell the same amount of records as Duran Duran or Men At Work, but their atmospheric videos were always among my favorites in the early days of MTV. 1982’s Shuttered Room was the first album from The Fixx, and MTV immediately placed the videos for “Red Skies” and “Stand Or Fall” into constant rotation. Both songs were huge hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts, and “Stand Or Fall” even cracked the Hot 100 (it peaked at #76).

The band’s popularity would continue to grow with 1983’s Reach The Beach album, which happens to feature my favorite Fixx song (that would be “Saved By Zero,” in case you were curious). Reach The Beach is usually thought of as the quintessential Fixx album, but Shuttered Room has always been my favorite. The Fixx came out of the gate with their sound already crafted to perfection (thanks in great part to Rupert Hine’s superb production), and the Analog Kid is happy to share this out-of-print classic with you as a part of The Lost Boys series.

Shuttered Room

The Fixx: Shuttered Room [U.S. Version]

MCA Records, 1982

 

1. “I Found You” (Barrett/Curnin/Greenall/West-Oram)

I Found You

2. “Some People” (Barrett/Curnin/Greenall/West-Oram)

Some People

3. “Stand Or Fall” (Barrett/Curnin/Greenall/West-Oram)

Stand Or Fall

4. “The Strain” (Barrett/Curnin/Greenall/West-Oram/Woods)

The Strain

5. “Red Skies” (Barrett/Curnin/Greenall/West-Oram)

Red Skies

6. “Lost Planes” (Barrett/Curnin/Greenall/West-Oram)

Lost Planes

7. “Cameras In Paris” (Barrett/Curnin/Greenall/West-Oram)

Cameras In Paris

8. “I Live” (Barrett/Curnin/Greenall/West-Oram/Woods)

I Live

9. “Shuttered Room” (Barrett/Curnin/Greenall/West-Oram/Woods)

Shuttered Room

10. “The Fool” (Barrett/Curnin/Greenall/West-Oram)

The Fool

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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.

Hungry Like The Wolf [U.K. 12_]

Duran Duran: “Hungry Like The Wolf [Night Version]” (Duran Duran)

From the U.K. 12″ Hungry Like The Wolf

EMI Records, 1982

Hungry Like The Wolf [Night Version]

Cargo

Men At Work: “It’s A Mistake” (Hay)

From the album Cargo

Columbia Records, 1983

It’s A Mistake

Reach The Beach

The Fixx: “Saved By Zero” (Agius/Curnin/Greenall/West-Oram/Woods)

From the album Reach The Beach

MCA Records, 1983

Saved By Zero

 

 

Posted by on June 19, 2014 in Alternative, New Wave, Rock and tagged , , , , , , , .

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June 18, 2014

EP-iphanies: Material Issue’s “What Girls Want” [U.S. Promo CD Single]

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  or 33⅓ or 45!

Material Issue were one of my favorite bands in the early ’90s. They were a true power-pop band in the age of grunge, but their live shows were every bit as intense as anything Nirvana or Pearl Jam had to offer. Jim Ellison knew how to work a crowd, and he really knew how to write songs– great songs, with killer hooks and huge choruses.

“What Girls Want” was the lead single from Destination Universe, Material Issue’s second album. The U.S. promo CD for “What Girls Want” contained a cover of Grand Funk’s 1975 #4 single “Bad Time,” and also featured an acoustic version of “Next Big Thing.” I saw them live three different times on the long tour in support of Destination Universe, including an epic show in New York City (with the Mighty Lemon Drops and Too Much Joy) in October of 1992.

Less than four years later, Jim Ellison committed suicide. I still love listening to Material Issue’s music, but the songs sound a little different to me now. The longing and heartache evident in a great tune like “Everything” make me wonder how things might have been different if the band had found the success they so unquestionably deserved. Rest in peace, Jim.

What Girls Want [U.S. Promo CD Single]

Material Issue: What Girls Want [U.S. Promo CD Single]

Mercury/Polygram Records, 1992

1. “What Girls Want” (Ellison)

What Girls Want

2. “Bad Time” (Farner)

Bad Time

3. “Next Big Thing [Acoustic]” (Ellison)

Next Big Thing [Acoustic]

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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.

All The Girls In The World Beware!!! 1

Grand Funk: “Bad Time” (Farner)

From the album All The Girls in The World Beware!!!

Capitol Records, 1974

Bad Time

Destination Universe

Material Issue: “Everything” (Ellison)

From the album Destination Universe

Mercury/Polygram Records, 1992

Everything

Posted by on June 18, 2014 in Alternative, New Wave, Rock and tagged , , , , , .

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June 17, 2014

Groovy Tuesday: Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr’s “I Hope We Get To Love In Time”

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 Anita Ward on your ass at any given moment, so just be ready!

Certain songs take you right back to where you were when you first heard them, and that happens to me every time I hear “You Don’t Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show).” I played my 45 until it crumbled in 1976 and 1977, and I still feel like a nine-year-old whenever I listen to this soul classic. It reminds me of a time when all I cared about was shooting baskets, my baseball cards, and (of course) my records– and this record will always be one of my favorites.

Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. were married in 1969, when both were members of The Fifth Dimension. They left the band in 1975, and I Hope We Get To Love In Time was their first release as a duo. The title track was a minor hit when it was released as the album’s first single, but it was the second single from Marilyn and Billy that would immediately take over radio stations across the country. “You Don’t Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)”  went straight to the top of both the Billboard Hot 100 and Soul charts upon its release, and would go on to win a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

The duo would go onto record two more albums, and of course Marilyn became known to a new generation as the host of Solid Gold in the ’80s. Marilyn and Billy still occasionally perform together, and their show is still going strong after 44 years of marriage.

I Hope We Get To Love In Time was briefly issued on CD in the mid-’90s, but it has been long out of print. I had to unseal my mint vinyl copy to rip the songs featured below, but my sacrifice was totally worth it. I Hope We Get To Love In Time is a great record all the way through, and the Analog Kid hopes you enjoy this copy of  a true pop classic!

I Hope We Get To Love In Time

Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr: I Hope We Get To Love In Time

ABC Records, 1976

Vinyl rip courtesy of the Analog Kid

 

1. “You Don’t Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)” (Dean/Glover)

You Don’t Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)

2. “Your Love” (Barnum/Johnson)

Your Love

3. “I Still Will Be With You” (Toney)

I Still Will Be With You

4. “Never Gonna Let You Go” (Schotz)

Never Gonna Let You Go

5. “Nothing Can Stop Me” (Hester)

Nothing Can Stop Me

6. “You Can’t Change My Heart” (Cate/Cate)

You Can’t Change My Heart

7. “I Hope We Get To Love In Time” (Toney)

I Hope We Get To Love In Time

8. “My Love For You (Will Always Be The Same)” (Beal/MacKechine)

My Love For You (Will Always Be The Same)

9. “Easy Way Out” (Cate/Cate)

Easy Way Out

10. “We’ve Got To Get It On Again” (Addrisi/Addrisi)

We’ve Got To Get It On Again

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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.

The Age Of Aquarius

The 5th Dimension: “Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In” (Rado/Ragni/MacDermot)

From the album The Age Of Aquarius

Soul City Records, 1969

Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)

Indiviually & Collectively

The 5th Dimension: “(Last Night) I Didn’t Get To Sleep At All” (Macaulay)

From the album Individually & Collectively

Bell Records, 1972

(Last Night) I Didn’t Get To Sleep At All

Posted by on June 17, 2014 in Pop, Soul/R&B and tagged , , , .

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June 16, 2014

Two worlds collide…rival nations!

It’s finally here: the U.S.-Ghana match starts in about two hours. It’s time to pump myself up…Stallone style!

Rocky IV_ Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Survivor: “Burning Heart” (Peterik/Sullivan)

From the soundtrack album Rocky IV

Scotti Bros. Records, 1985

Burning Heart

U.S.A.!! U.S.A.!!

Also…GO HORNS GO!! GO HORNS GO!!

If I make it through the day without having a stroke, it will be a minor miracle.

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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.

Eye Of The Tiger

Survivor: “Eye Of The Tiger” (Peterik/Sullivan)

From the album Eye Of The Tiger

Scotti Bros. Records, 1982

Eye Of The Tiger

Posted by on June 16, 2014 in Rock, Soundtrack and tagged , , , , , .

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