Gerard Joling – No More Boleros + December In July (1989)

I have to reduce my singles collection:

Gerard Jan Joling (born 29 April 1960) is a Dutch singer and television presenter. Known for his high tenor voice, he rose to fame in the late 1980s and released a string of singles including “Ticket to the Tropics” and “Love Is in Your Eyes”. He also achieved success in Asia[citation needed] and received more than 20 gold and platinum records.

In 1988, he was the Dutch participant in the Eurovision Song Contest 1988, with the song “Shangri-La”.

His biggest hit was “No More Boleros” that reached the top 10 in several countries in mainland Europe. The song was recorded by different artists such as Clemente (Portugal), Sula Mazurenga and As Marcianas (both in Brazil), Karel Gott (in German and Czech), Demis Roussos, Semino Rossi, Oliver Thomas and George Meiring (in 2011 in South Africa).

Joling & Gordon Over de Vloer is a television program Gerard Joling made with singer Gordon in 2005. There were 3 seasons of the series which featured the duo during work and having a laugh.

In 2007, he was the host of Sterren dansen op het ijs and So You Wanna Be a Popstar for the television channel SBS 6. 2007 was also the year that sparked Joling’s renewed success, with two number 1 songs, a number 1 album, and 11 gold and platinum awards.

In 2008, Joling became team captain on the Dutch TV show Wie ben ik? (“Who am I?”), in which the team captains, together with both two guests, have to guess who they are, based on hints and questions they can ask. The other team captain was Patty Brard.

Joling was scheduled to represent The Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow as a member of De Toppers, but temporarily left the group after a conflict with Gordon. Joling was replaced in The Toppers with Jeroen van der Boom. In December 2009, De Toppers manager Benno de Leeuw announced in Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that Gerard Joling and Gordon were to rejoin the group, turning the trio into a foursome once more.

Joling can also regularly be seen as a member of juries on a myriad of Dutch television programs. In 2018 he was seen in The Voice Senior and since 2019 in the Dutch version of the program The Masked Singer. (wikipedia)

And here´s his biggest hit.

Two songs that might appeal to very romantic young girls.
I can’t say much more about this single, except that such songs are also part of music history and therefore have a place in this blog.

Personnel:
Gerard Joling
+
bunch of unknown studio musicians

Tracklist:
01. No More Bolero’s  4.12
02. December In July 3.08
+
03. No More Boleros (Spanish Guitar Version) 4.12
04. December In July 4.36

Music & lyrics: Peter de Wijn

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The official website:

Smokie – Living Next Door To Alice + Run To You (1976)

I have to reduce my singles collection:

Smokie (originally spelt Smokey) are an English rock band from Bradford, Yorkshire. The band found success at home and abroad after teaming up with Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn. They have had a number of line-up changes and were still actively touring in 2023. Their most pop
ular hit single, “Living Next Door to Alice”, peaked at No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart and, in March 1977, reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as going to No. 1 on the Australian singles chart. Other hit singles include “If You Think You Know How to Love Me”, “Oh Carol”, “Lay Back in the Arms of Someone”, and “I’ll Meet You at Midnight”.

“Living Next Door to Alice” is a song co-written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. Originally released by Australian pop band New World in 1972, the song charted at No. 35 on the Australian chart. The song later became a worldwide hit for British band Smokie.

The song is about a man’s long-standing unrequited and unadmitted love toward Alice, his next door neighbour of 24 years. The protagonist learned through mutual friend Sally that Alice is moving away, and begins to reflect on childhood memories and his friendship with Alice, and becomes heartbroken as he sees Alice drive away in a limousine. In the final verse, Sally reveals that all the time she has been waiting 24 years for her opportunity with him (“Alice is gone, but I’m still here”).

Later versions of the song insert an interjection during a pause in the chorus (from the audience during live performances or from a guest separate from the lead singer): “Alice! Who the fuck is Alice?” (guests will sometimes say “hell” or “heck”). These performances may also change a line in the chorus so that the singer’s affections are as much sexual as they are romantic, and that the singer had hoped to “get inside her pants” instead of “get a second glance.”

On the American Top 40 broadcast of 26 May 1979, Casey Kasem reported that Chapman stated that his source of inspiration for “Living Next Door to Alice” was “Sylvia’s Mother” by Dr. Hook.

In November 1976, the British band Smokie released their version of “Living Next Door to Alice”. The single peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart[5] and, in March 1977, reached 25 in the United States. It was a number one hit in Austria, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland and a number 2 hit in Australia staying in the charts for 23 weeks. (wikipedia)

Ok, it´s a nice pop song … But that’s definitely not my kind of stuff.

Personnel:
Chris Norman (vocals, guitar)
Alan Silson (guitar, background vocals)
Pete Spencer (drums, percussion, background vocals)
Terry Uttley (bass, background vocals)

Tracklist:
01. Living Next Door To Alice (Chinn/Chpman) 3.35
02. Run To You (Silson/Uttley) 3.44

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The official website:

Tom Jones – Delilah + Smile (1968)

I have to reduce my singles collection::

Tom Jones is one of the most popular vocalists to emerge from the British Invasion. From the mid-’60s on, Jones has sung nearly every form of popular music — from pop, rock, show tunes, and country to dance, techno, and more — while his vocal style, a full-throated, robust baritone with little regard for nuance or subtlety, remained a swaggering constant. Mid-’60s songs like “It’s Not Unusual” and “What’s New Pussycat” registered on the charts, as did inimitable readings of country classics such as “Green, Green Grass of Home” later in the decade.

As his career rolled along, Jones became a favorite in Las Vegas, had a hit with an Art of Noise-produced cover of Prince’s “Kiss” in 1988, and released albums that ranged from the slick dance-pop of 1994’s The Lead and How to Swing It to 2010’s Praise & Blame, a collection of covers that paved the way for a string of releases that found Jones digging into the modern American Songbook. His taste for exploration led him to cover songs by relatively obscure artists like Billy Joe Shaver and the Milk Carton Kids, while 2021’s Surrounded by Time showed the influence of Radiohead. No matter the style or song, Jones’ powerful, one-of-a-kind voice is instantly recognizable and his passion for performing has never dimmed. (by Stephen Thomas Erlewine)

And here is one of his biggest hit singles, the song “Delilah” became his trademark:

A “Delilah” is a song recorded by Welsh singer Tom Jones in December 1967. The lyrics were written by Barry Mason, and the music by Les Reed, who also contributed the title and theme of the song. It earned Reed and Mason the 1968 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.

Although the song is a soulful number set in triple metre, the underlying genre may be considered to be a power ballad, rising to a pitch of A4 on the final note. Produced by Peter Sullivan, Jones’ version features a big-band accompaniment set to a flamenco rhythm. Flamenco was a surprising choice, since there is no reference to Spain anywhere in the song. There are similarities to the plot of the opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet, in which the soldier, Don José, stabs gypsy girl, Carmen, to death when she tells him she is leaving him for another man.

The Spain single:

The song tells the story of a man who passes his girlfriend’s window and sees her inside making love to another man. He waits outside all night, and then confronts her in the morning, only to have her laugh in his face. He stabs her to death, and then waits for the police to come break down the door and arrest him. The lyrics unfold from the killer’s point of view, and are filled with his, often contradictory, emotions. He speaks of Delilah in possessive terms, but also refers to himself as her “slave.” He asks his dead girlfriend to “forgive” him, but still clearly sees himself as having been wronged by her.

When Jones performed the song on The Ed Sullivan Show, in 1968 the censors (unsuccessfully) attempted to insist that the line “At break of day when the man drove away” be changed to “At break of day I was still ‘cross the way”, as the original version implied he had spent the night with Delilah. Jones later described the proposed change as “such bullshit”.

In a two-year court case in the High Court of Justice, 1983 -M- No.1566, Barry Mason’s ex-wife Sylvan Whittingham, the daughter of Bond film Thunderball screenwriter, Jack Whittingham, claimed she had written half the lyrics of “Delilah” and several other songs. The legal battle was settled out of court in 1986.

Tom Jones’ recording reached No. 1 in the charts of several countries, including Germany and Switzerland. It reached No 2 in the British charts in March 1968 and was the sixth-best selling single of that year. The US Billboard chart records its highest position as 15. (wikipedia)

The B-side (not as good as “Delilah”) was a non-LP track at the time.

The single from Belgium:

Personnel:
Tom Jones (vocals)
+
unknown orchestra conducted by Les Reed

The single from Italy:

Tracklist:
01. Delilah (Mason/Reed) 3.24
02. Smile (Mills) 2.19

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I saw the light on the night that I passed by her window
I saw the flickering shadows of love on her blind
She was my woman
As she deceived me, I watched and went out of my mind

My, my, my, Delilah
Why, why, why, Delilah

I could see, that girl was no good for me
But I was lost like a slave that no man could free
At break of day when that man drove away, I was waiting
I crossed the street to her house and she opened the door
She stood there laughing
I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more

My, my, my, Delilah
Why, why, why, Delilah

So before they come to break down the door
Forgive me Delilah, I just couldn’t take anymore
She stood there laughing
I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more

My, my, my, Delilah
Why, why, why, Delilah
So before they come to break down the door
Forgive me, Delilah, I just couldn’t take anymore

More from Tom Jones:

The official website:

Chris de Burgh – Into The Light (1986)

Christopher John Davison (born 15 October 1948), known professionally as Chris de Burgh, is a British-Irish singer-songwriter and instrumentalist. He started out as an art rock performer but subsequently started writing more pop-oriented material. He has had several top 40 hits in the UK and two in the US, but he is more popular in other countries, particularly Norway and Brazil. His 1986 love song “The Lady in Red” reached number one in several countries. De Burgh has sold over 45 million albums worldwide. (wikipedia)

An art rocker who occasionally writes pop-oriented material, Chris de Burgh has never been as popular in his native Britain or the United States as he is in other areas of the world. He’s had several songs make the Top 40, including 1983’s “Don’t Pay the Ferryman” (number 34) and the number three ballad “The Lady in Red” (1986). In Britain, he’s had several Top 40 singles — “The Lady in Red” was a number one hit and “Missing You” peaked at number three — and he’s had a number of minor hits. Nevertheless, he has gained astounding popularity in other countries, particularly Norway and Brazil. (by Stephen Thomas Erlewine)

Into the Light is the eighth studio album by British-Irish singer Chris de Burgh, released in 1986 by A&M Records. The album is notable for featuring de Burgh’s biggest hit, “The Lady in Red”.

The album peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart, becoming de Burgh’s first studio album to enter the top ten.

“Fatal Hesitation” was a UK number 44 hit, spending four weeks on the chart. “Say Goodbye to It All” was a continuation of the song “Borderline” from 1982’s The Getaway. Both songs frequently appear in de Burgh’s concerts and compilation albums. The song “For Rosanna” is dedicated to de Burgh’s then-2-year-old daughter Rosanna. (wikipedia)

Into the Light contains Chris de Burgh’s highest-charting single with the ballroom elegance of “Lady in Red,” peaking at number three in 1987 and remaining on the Billboard charts for 14 weeks. This song, with its sweeping romantic tempo and classy feel, is reminiscent of Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” as de Burgh’s sincere flattery for his lover is exquisitely sung. Even his voice seems more pronounced, as it resonates and then lowers into a softer tone. Besides the hit single, much of the album remains lush and mellow in the style of de Burgh’s usual ballads.

On songs like “Last Night” and “Spirit of Man,” his seriousness and honesty break through to showcase his passion for his work. Although the music on the album is slow paced, this doesn’t take away from de Burgh’s appealing blend of dignified lyrics and late-night sound. The flyaway chorus in “Saying Goodbye to It All” makes this song the second best on the album. Here, de Burgh sparks some energy with a slightly quicker stride than most of the album’s material.

Even “Fire in the Water” contains an attractive hitch of its own kind. While Into the Light may not be his best work, its lavish, posh feel sets it apart from much of his other slower recordings. (by Mike DeGagne)

Personnel:
Gary Barnacle (saxophone)
Tony Beard (drums)
Chris de Burgh (vocals, guitar, drum machine)
John Giblin (bass)
Peter van Hooke (drums)
Carol Kenyon (background vocals)
Ian Kojima (saxophone)
Al Marnie (bass)
Danny McBride (guitar)
Patrick Miles (lead guitar)
Glenn Morrow (keyboards)
Phil Palmer (guitar)
Pino Palladino (bass)
Jeff Phillips (drums, percussion)
Andy Richards (keyboards)
Nick Glennie-Smith (keyboards)

Tracklist:
01. Last Night 6.08
02. Fire On The Water 4.29
03. The Ballroom Of Romance 4.26
04. The Lady In Red 4.05
05. Say Goodbye To It All 5.23
06. The Spirit Of Man 4.41
07. Fatal Hesitation 4.17
08. One Word (Straight To The Heart) 4.31
09. For Rosanna 3.40
10. The Leader 2.16
11. The Vision 3.14
12. What About Me? 3.06

All songs written by Chris de Burgh

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More from Chris de Burgh:

The official website:

Dana Gillespie – Move Your Body Close To Me (1986)

Dana Gillespie (born Richenda Antoinette de Winterstein Gillespie, 30 March 1949) is an English actress, singer and songwriter. Originally performing and recording in her teens, over the years Gillespie has been involved in the recording of over 45 albums and appeared in stage productions, such as Jesus Christ Superstar, and several films. Her musical output has progressed from teen pop and folk in the early part of her career, to rock in the 1970s and, more latterly, the blues.

Gillespie was born in Woking, Surrey, the second daughter of Anne Francis Roden (née Buxton) Winterstein Gillespie (1920–2007) and Hans Henry Winterstein Gillespie (1910–1994), a London-based radiologist of Austrian nobility. Her older sister, Nicola Henrietta St. John Gillespie, was born in 1946. Dana Gillespie was the British Junior Water Skiing Champion in 1962.

She recorded initially in the folk genre in the mid-1960s. Some of her recordings as a teenager fell into the teen pop category, such as her 1965 single “Thank You Boy”, written by John Carter and Ken Lewis and produced by Jimmy Page. Page also played, uncredited, on Gillespie’s debut LP, Foolish Seasons. Her acting career got under way shortly afterwards, and it overshadowed her musical career in the late 1960s and 1970s.

The song “Andy Warhol” was originally written by David Bowie for Gillespie, who recorded it in 1971, but her version of the song was not released until 1973 on her album Weren’t Born a Man. Her version also featured Mick Ronson on guitar. After performing backing vocals on the track “It Ain’t Easy” from Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, she recorded an album produced by Bowie and Mick Ronson in 1973, Weren’t Born a Man. Subsequent recordings have been in the blues genre, appearing with the London Blues Band. She is also notable for being the original Mary Magdalene in the first London production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar, which opened at the Palace Theatre in 1972. She also appeared on the Original London Cast album. During the 1980s Gillespie was a member of the Austrian Mojo Blues Band.
Left to right: Dana Gillespie, Tony Defries and David Bowie at Andy Warhol’s Pork at London’s Roundhouse in 1971.

She is a follower of the late Indian spiritual guru Sri Sathya Sai Baba.[8] She performed at his Indian ashram on various occasions and has also recorded thirteen bhajan-based albums in Sanskrit.

Gillespie is the organiser of the annual Blues festival at Basil’s Bar on Mustique in the Caribbean, for fifteen days at the end of January and it is now in its eighteenth year. The house band is the London Blues Band, which consists of Dino Baptiste (piano), Jake Zaitz (guitar), Mike Paice (saxophone), Jeff Walker (bass), and Evan Jenkins (drums) but there are also many other acts. In 2005, Mick Jagger appeared as a guest and sang songs such as: “Honky Tonk Women”, “Dust My Broom” and “Goin’ Down” but also many other Blues artists have appeared there through the years, such as Big Joe Louis, Joe Louis Walker, Billy Branch, Ronnie Wood and Donald Fagen.

From March 2021 on, she had a successful Interview & Music Podcast series Globetrotting with Gillespie from TAM TV – Temple of Art & Music in London. (wikipedia)

And here´s their 11th solo album:

Dana Gillespie was also very active in Austria during this time and that’s why she released many singles there. Her biggest hit was in 1983 with the single Move Your Body Close to Me, which reached number three in the Austrian charts.

But her music at that time was much too pop oriented and that was not Dana Gillespie´s real strength.

That’s why this album is one of her weaker albums.

Their blues albums are much better … but her voice is also good on this album.

Personnel:
Dana Gillespie (vocals)
+
a bunch of unknown stidio musicians

Tracklist:
01. Move Your Body Close To Me (Gillespie) 5.05
02. The Good Thing (Byrne) 3.52
03. Don’t Touch Me There (Nagle/Doornacker) 4.45
04. In Danger Tonight (Gillespie) 4.40
05. Good And Direct (Gillespie) 3.08
06. Know My Love (Gillespie) 4.38
07. The Air That I Breathe (Hammond/Hazlewood) 3.50
08. Living In Reverse (Cross) 2.46
09. Haunted By You (Gillespie) 3.21

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And… she never had a problem to be photographed sexy …:

Taken from dailymail.co.uk:
More from Dana Gillespie:
The official website:

Linda Ronstadt – Simple Dreams (1977)

Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American Music Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, and an ALMA Award. Many of her albums have been certified gold, platinum or multiplatinum in the United States and internationally. She has also earned nominations for a Tony Award and a Golden Globe award. She was awarded the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award by the Latin Recording Academy in 2011 and also awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award by the Recording Academy in 2016.

She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2014. On July 28, 2014, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts and Humanities. In 2019, she received a star jointly with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their work as the group Trio. Ronstadt was among five honorees who received the 2019 Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements.

Ronstadt has released 24 studio albums and 15 compilation or greatest hits albums. She charted 38 US Billboard Hot 100 singles. Twenty-one of those singles reached the top 40, ten reached the top 10, and one reached number one (“You’re No Good”). Ronstadt also charted in UK as two of her duets, “Somewhere Out There” with James Ingram and “Don’t Know Much” with Aaron Neville, peaked at numbers 8 and 2 respectively and the single “Blue Bayou” reached number 35 on the UK Singles charts. She has charted 36 albums, ten top-10 albums, and three number 1 albums on the US Billboard Pop Album Chart.

Ronstadt has collaborated with artists in diverse genres, including: Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Bette Midler, Billy Eckstine, Frank Zappa, Carla Bley (Escalator Over the Hill), Rosemary Clooney, Flaco Jiménez, Philip Glass, Warren Zevon, Gram Parsons, Neil Young, Paul Simon, Earl Scruggs, Johnny Cash, and Nelson Riddle. She has lent her voice to over 120 albums and has sold more than 100 million records, making her one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time. Christopher Loudon, of Jazz Times, wrote in 2004 that Ronstadt is “blessed with arguably the most sterling set of pipes of her generation.”

Ronstadt reduced her activity after 2000 when she felt her singing voice deteriorating, releasing her last full-length album in 2004 and performing her last live concert in 2009. She announced her retirement in 2011 and revealed shortly afterwards that she is no longer able to sing as a result of a degenerative condition later determined to be progressive supranuclear palsy. Since then, Ronstadt has continued to make public appearances, going on a number of public speaking tours in the 2010s. She published an autobiography, Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir, in September 2013. A documentary based on her memoirs, Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, was released in 2019. (wikipedia)

Simple Dreams is the eighth studio album by the American singer Linda Ronstadt, released in 1977 by Asylum Records. It includes several of her best-known songs, including her cover of the Rolling Stones song “Tumbling Dice” (featured in the film FM) and her version of the Roy Orbison song “Blue Bayou”, which earned her a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year. The album also contains covers of the Buddy Holly song “It’s So Easy!” (a top-5 hit) and the Warren Zevon songs “Poor Poor Pitiful Me” (another top-40 hit) and “Carmelita”. The album was the best-selling studio album of her career, and at the time was the second best-selling album by a female artist (behind only Carole King’s Tapestry). It was her first album since Don’t Cry Now without long-time musical collaborator Andrew Gold, though it features several of the other Laurel Canyon-based session musicians who appeared on her prior albums, including guitarists Dan Dugmore and Waddy Wachtel, bassist Kenny Edwards, and producer and multi-instrumentalist Peter Asher.

The album was originally released by Asylum in the LP format in September 1977 (catalogue number 104 or 6E-104). Later, in 1986, Asylum released the album in the Cassette format (TCS-104) and in the CD format (2-104). The album has never been out of print.

One of the most successful albums of Ronstadt’s career, Simple Dreams spent five successive weeks at number 1 on the Billboard album chart in late 1977, displacing Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours after it had held that position for a record-breaking 29 weeks. It also knocked Elvis Presley out of the number 1 position on the Billboard Country Albums chart after “The King” had held it for fifteen consecutive weeks following his death in August. Simple Dreams was Ronstadt’s fifth consecutive million-selling platinum album and sold over 3½ million copies in less than a year in the United States alone—a record for a female artist. Among female recording artists at that time, only Carole King, with her album Tapestry, had sold more copies of one album.

The album was such a success that Ronstadt became the first female artist—and the first act overall since The Beatles—to have two singles in the top five at the same time: the Platinum-certified “Blue Bayou” (#3 Pop, #3 Adult Contemporary, and #2 Country) and “It’s So Easy” (#5 Pop). “It’s So Easy” was originally recorded by Buddy Holly and The Crickets in 1958 but had failed to chart in its original version. It was Ronstadt’s second cover of a Holly song to become a hit in as many years; she had taken a rousing cover of “That’ll Be the Day” to #11 Pop in 1976, using a similar arrangement.

The album includes songs by Warren Zevon, Eric Kaz, and J.D. Souther, as well as The Rolling Stones’ “Tumbling Dice”. Ronstadt was joined by Dolly Parton on the traditional ballad “I Never Will Marry”, which became a Top 10 Country hit during the summer of 1978. (Ronstadt, Parton, and Emmylou Harris were also working on an ill-fated collaborative project around this same time, but nine years would pass before the release of their first Trio album.)

Ronstadt also recorded a Spanish-language version of “Blue Bayou” entitled “Lago Azul” only released as a single in 1978 (Asylum E-45464). The album’s 40th anniversary reissue in 2017, augmented by the addition of four live tracks, likewise omits this recording.

Originally, the cover photograph was to show Ronstadt dressed in a mini-slip and seated in front of multiple mirrors. Uncomfortable with the physical exposure, she changed into a robe, and the picture was made artificially grainy. A retouched photo from the original photo sessions was included on the inner sleeve of her platinum-plus album Greatest Hits, Volume 2, released in 1980. At the 20th Grammy Awards, John Kosh won the Grammy Award for Best Recording Package for Simple Dreams.

Reviewing in Christgau’s Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau wrote:

“In which Andrew Gold goes off and Pursues His Solo Career, enabling Ronstadt to hire herself a rock and roll band. She’s still too predictable—imagine how terse and eloquent ‘Blue Bayou’ would seem if instead of turning up the volume midway through she just hit one high note at the end—but she’s also a pop eclectic for our time, as comfortable with Mick Jagger as with Dolly Parton, interpreting Roy Orbison as easily as Buddy Holly. Even her portrayal of a junkie seeking succor from Warren Zevon’s ‘Carmelita; isn’t totally ridiculous. And I admit it—she looks great in a Dodger jacket.”

“Blue Bayou” was nominated for the Record of the Year Grammy award in early 1978. It also earned Ronstadt a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance Female, alongside Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Carly Simon, and Debby Boone. (wikipedia)

Featuring a broader array of styles than any previous Linda Ronstadt record, Simple Dreams reconfirms her substantial talents as an interpretive singer. Ronstadt sings Dolly Parton (“I Never Will Marry”) with the same conviction as the Rolling Stones (“Tumbling Dice”), and she manages to update Roy Orbison (“Blue Bayou”) and direct attention to the caustic, fledgling singer/songwriter Warren Zevon (“Poor Poor Pitiful Me” and “Carmelita”). The consistently adventurous material and Ronstadt’s powerful performance makes the record rival Heart Like a Wheel in sheer overall quality. (by Stephen Thomas Erlewine)

Personnel:
Mike Auldridge (dobro on 05. + 10.)
David Campbell (viola on 03.)
Dan Dugmore (guitar on 01.,02.,07. + 09., pedal steel guitar on 03. + 06.)
Kenny Edwards (bass on 01., 02. 03.,06. – 09., mandolin on 06., background vocals)
Richard Feves (bass on 03.)
Steve Forman (marimba on 06.)
Don Grolnick (clavinet on 01. + 07., organ on 02., piano on 03. 04., 06. + 09.)
Dennis Karmazyn (cello on 03.)
Rick Marotta (drums. syndrums, percussion)
Linda Ronstadt (vocals, guitar on 05. + 10.)
Charles Veal (violin on 03)
Waddy Wachtel (guitar, slide guitar on 09.) (1, 2, 7, 8, 9)
+
background vocals:
Dolly Parton – Don Henley – Larry Hagler – JD Souther – Herb Pedersen – Peter Asher

Personnel on the live tracks:
Peter Asher (backround vocals)
Dan Dugmore (guitar)
Kenny Edwards (bass, background vocals)
Rick Marotta (drums)
Linda Ronstadt (vocals)
Waddy Wachtel (guitar, background vocals)

Tracklist:
01. It’s So Easy (Holly/Petty) 2.26
02. Carmelita (Zevon) 3.02
03. Simple Man, Simple Dream (Souther) 3.07
04. Sorrow Lives Here (Kaz) 2.42
05. I Never Will Marry (Traditional) 3.08
06. Blue Bayou (Orbison/Melson) 3.55
07. Poor Poor Pitiful Me (Zevon) 3.44
08. Maybe I’m Right (Wachtel) 2.55
09. Tumbling Dice (Jagger/Richards) 3.06
10. Old Paint (Traditional) 2.59
+
11. It’s So Easy (live) (Holly/Petty) 3.16
12. Blue Bayou (live) (Orbison/Melson) 4.30
13. Poor Poor Pitiful Me (live) (Zevon) 4.22
14. Lago Azul (Blue Bayou) (Single A side) (Orbison/Melson/G.Ronstadt) 3.55
15. Lo Siento Mi Vida (Single B side) (L.Ronstadt/Edwards/G.Ronstadt) 3.55

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More from Linda Ronstadt:

The official website:

Dusty Springfield – The Ultimate Collection (1988)

Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien OBE (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), better known by her stage name Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, pop and dramatic ballads, with French chanson, country, and jazz also in her repertoire. During her 1960s peak, she ranked among the most successful British female performers on both sides of the Atlantic. Her image – marked by a peroxide blonde bouffant/beehive hairstyle, heavy makeup (thick black eyeliner and eye shadow) and evening gowns, as well as stylised, gestural performances – made her an icon of the Swinging Sixties.

Born in West Hampstead in London into a family that enjoyed music, Springfield learned to sing at home. In 1958, she joined her first professional group, The Lana Sisters. Two years later, with her brother Tom Springfield and Tim Feild, Springfield formed the folk-pop vocal trio The Springfields. Two of their five 1961–63 Top 40 UK hits – “Island of Dreams” and “Say I Won’t Be There” – reached no. 5 in the charts, both in the spring of 1963. In 1962 they also hit big in the United States with their cover of “Silver Threads and Golden Needles”.

Springfield’s solo career began in late 1963 with the upbeat pop record “I Only Want to Be with You” — a UK no. 4 hit, and the first of her six transatlantic Top 40 hits in the 1960s, along with “Stay Awhile” (1964), “All I See Is You” (1966), “I’ll Try Anything” (1967) and the two releases now considered her signature songs: “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” (1966 UK no. 1/US no. 4) and “Son of a Preacher Man” (1968/69 UK no. 9/US no. 10). The latter features on the 1968 pop and soul album Dusty in Memphis, one of Springfield’s defining works. In March 2020, the US Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry, which preserves audio recordings considered to be “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”.

Between 1964 and 1969, Springfield hit big in her native Britain with several singles which in America either failed to chart or were not released, among them “I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself” (the biggest of her many Bacharach/David covers), “In the Middle of Nowhere”, “Some of Your Lovin'”, “Goin’ Back” and “I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten”. Conversely, she charted in the US (but not in the UK) with hits including “Wishin’ and Hopin’ ”, “The Look of Love” and “The Windmills of Your Mind”.

From 1971 to 1986, Springfield failed to register a hit from five album releases (aside from a minor 1979 UK chart appearance), but her 1987 collaboration with UK synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys, “What Have I Done to Deserve This?”, took her back to the top of the charts, reaching no. 2 on both the UK singles chart and Billboard’s Hot 100. The collaboration also yielded two 1989 UK Top 20 hits: “Nothing Has Been Proved” and “In Private”. In 1990, Springfield charted with “Reputation” – the last of 25 Top 40 UK hits in which she features.

A fixture on British television, Springfield presented many episodes of the hip 1963–66 British TV music series Ready Steady Go! and, between 1966 and 69, hosted her own series on the BBC and ITV. In 1966, Springfield topped the popularity polls, including Melody Maker’s Best International Vocalist, and was the first UK singer to top the New Musical Express readers’ poll for Female Singer. She is a member of both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame. International polls have lauded Springfield as one of the finest female popular singers of all time.

n January 1994, while recording her penultimate album, A Very Fine Love, in Nashville, Tennessee, Springfield began feeling ill. When she returned to England a few months later, her physicians diagnosed her with breast cancer. She received months of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, and the cancer was found to be in remission. In 1995, in apparent good health, Springfield set about promoting the album, which was released that year. By mid-1996, the cancer had returned, and despite vigorous treatments, she died in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, on 2 March 1999, a month before her 60th birthday.

Green Plaque at the entrance of Ealing Fields School, Ealing, London,
which Springfield, as Mary O’Brien, attended:

Springfield’s funeral service was attended by hundreds of fans and people from the music business, including Elvis Costello, Lulu and Pet Shop Boys. It was a Catholic funeral, which took place at the church of St Mary the Virgin in Henley-on-Thames, where Springfield had lived during her last years. A marker dedicated to her memory was placed in the church graveyard. In accordance with Springfield’s wishes, she was cremated and some of her ashes were buried at Henley, while the rest were scattered by her brother, Tom Springfield, at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. (wikipedia)

And here´s a nice compilation album:

Dusty Springfield recorded so much good material that it’s hard to summarize her very best recordings in the space of a 24-track collection. Nevertheless, Philips/Phonogram does a good job of squeezing several of her biggest songs.

Enjoy it !

Personnel:
Dusty Springfield (vocals)
+
many, many studio musicans

Tracklist:
01. I Only Want To Be With You (Raymonde/Hawker) 2.35
02. Stay Awhile (Raymonde/Hawker) 1.57
03. I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself(Bacharach/David) 3.05
04. Wishin’ And Hopin’ (Bacharach/David) 2.56
05. Losing You (Westlake/T.Springfield) 3.01
06. Give Me Time (Atmo/Melfa/Callender) 3.05
07. 24 Hours From Tulsa (Bacharach/David) 3.05
08. If You Go Away (Brel/McKuen) 3.50
09. Just One Smile (Newman) 2.43
10. Son Of A Preacher Man (Hurley/Wilkins) 2.29
11. All I See Is You (Weisman/Westlake) 3.22
12. You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me (Donaggio/Napier-Bell/Wickham) 2.50
13. I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten (Westlake) 3.11
14. Some Of Your Lovin’ (Goffin/King) 3.03
15. In The Middle Of Nowhere (Verdi/Kaye) 2.51
16. Little By Little (Verdi/Kaye/Gin) 2.24
17. How Can I Be Sure? (Brigati/Cavaliere) 2.47
18. The Look Of Love (Bacharach/David) 3.31
19. My Colouring Book (Kander/Ebb) 3.01
20. A Brand New Me (Butler/Gamble/Bell) 2.26
21. I’ll Try Anything (Barkan/Millrose) 2.29
22. Anyone Who Had A Heart (Bacharach/David) 3.11
23. Am I The Same Girl? (Record/Saunders) 3.01
24. Goin’ Back (Goffin/King) 3.32

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The vinyl edition, called “Dusty – The Silver Collection:

Roy Orbinson – Golden Days (The Collection Of 20 All-Time Greats)

Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as operatic, earning him the nicknames “The Caruso of Rock” and “The Big O.” Many of Orbison’s songs conveyed vulnerability at a time when most male rock-and-roll performers chose to project machismo. He performed while standing motionless and wearing black clothes to match his dyed black hair and dark sunglasses.

Born in Texas, Orbison began singing in a rockabilly and country-and-western band as a teenager. He was signed by Sam Phillips of Sun Records in 1956, but enjoyed his greatest success with Monument Records. From 1960 to 1966, 22 of Orbison’s singles reached the Billboard Top 40. He wrote or co-wrote almost all of his own Top 10 hits, including “Only the Lonely” (1960), “Running Scared” (1961), “Crying” (1961), “In Dreams” (1963), and “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964).

After the mid-1960s, Orbison suffered a number of personal tragedies and his career faltered. He experienced a resurgence in popularity in the 1980s following the success of several cover versions of his songs. In 1988, he co-founded the Traveling Wilburys (a rock supergroup) with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne. Orbison died of a heart attack in December 1988 at age 52. One month later, his song “You Got It” (1989) was released as a solo single, becoming his first hit to reach the US and UK Top 10 in nearly 25 years.

Orbison’s honors include inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989, and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2014. He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and five other Grammy Awards. Rolling Stone placed him at number 37 on its list of the “Greatest Artists of All Time” and number 13 on its list of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time”. In 2002, Billboard magazine listed him at number 74 on its list of the Top 600 recording artists. (wikipedia)

And here´s a nice compilation with some of his best songs.

A add my favourite Roy Orbinson song “I Got It”.

Personnel:
Roy Orbinson (vocals, guitar)
+
many, many studio musicians

Tracklist:
01. Oh Pretty Woman (Dees/Orbison) 2.57
02. Running Scared (Melson/Orbison) 2.10
03. Falling (Orbison) 2.22
04. Love Hurts (Bryant) 2.27
05. Mean Woman Blues (de Metrius) 2.25
06. I Can’t Stop Loving You (Gibson) 2.49
07. The Crowd (Melson/Orbison) 2.22
08. Blue Bayou (Melson/Orbison) 2.30
09. Borne On The Wind (Dees/Orbison) 2.52
10. Lana (Melson/Orbison) 2.52
11. Only The Lonely (Melson/Orbison) 2.30
12. It’s Over (Dees/Orbison) 2.49
13. Crying (Melson/Orbison) 2.47
14. Pretty Paper (Nelson) 2.44
15. All I Have To Do Is Dream (Bryant) 2.24
16. Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) (Walker) 2.34
17. Blue Angel (Melson/Orbison) 2.43
18. Working For The Man (Orbison) 2.27
19. Candy Man (Ross/Neil) 2.46
20. In Dreams (Orbison) 2.51
+
21. You Got It (Lynne/Orbison/Petty) 3.31

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More from Roy Orbinson:

Australia – Maiden Australia (1976)

And here is a really mysterious LP … I’ve never heard of Ban Australia, nor have I found any relevant information.
But yes, the band really existed and of course they came from Australia.
This album was recorded at Trafalgar Studios, Sydney (A once leading Australian studio located at 74B Trafalgar Street, Annandale, in Sydney now closed and demolished. Owned and operated by Charles Fisher. Designed and built from June 1973 to October 1974)

And we hear some good Pop-Rock and sometimes the album reminds me a bit of the Eagles (“Knowing That You’re There”)

It´s AOR with lot´s of keyboards, with great harmony vocals.

Hey guys…where ar you know ?

Does anybody knows more ?

Personnel:
Emile T’Boom (vocals, keyboards. synthesizer)
Rick Dakin (keyboards, synthesizer,  background vocals)
Ace Follington (drums, percussion)
Andy MacDonald (bass, background vocals)
Ross McInnes (guitar, background vocals)
+
Dave Scott (percussion)

Tracklist:
01. Captain Magic (McInnes/Theeboom) 3.28
02. Make Me Fly (McInnes/Dakin) 4.33
03. Knowing That You’re There (McInnes/Theeboom) 3.37
04. Questions (McInnes/Theeboom) 3.51
05. Rock And Roll (McInnes/Theeboom) 2.49
06. Going Up (McInnes/Theeboom) 2:42
07. Give Me A Sign (McInnes/Theeboom) 3.08
08. You Never Get An Answer (McInnes/Theeboom) 3.54
09. As Long As I’m Free (McInnes/Theeboom/Dakin) 3.18
10. Jupiter Starship (McInnes/Theeboom) 4.44

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Bee Gees – First Of May + Lamplight (1969)

I have to reduce my singles collection:

The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in the mid-to-late 1970s. The group sang recognisable three-part tight harmonies; Robin’s clear vibrato lead vocals were a hallmark of their earlier hits, while Barry’s R&B falsetto became their signature sound during the mid-to-late 1970s and 1980s. The group wrote all of their own original material, as well as writing and producing several major hits for other artists and have been regarded as one of the most important and influential acts in pop music history.[4] They have been referred to in the media as: The Disco Kings, Britain’s First Family of Harmony, and The Kings of Dance Music.

Born on the Isle of Man to English parents, the Gibb brothers lived in Chorlton, Manchester, England, until the late 1950s. There, in 1955, they formed the skiffle/rock and roll group the Rattlesnakes. The family then moved to Redcliffe, in the Moreton Bay Region, Queensland, Australia, later to Cribb Island. After achieving their first chart success in Australia as the Bee Gees with “Spicks and Specks” (their twelfth single), they returned to the UK in January 1967, when producer Robert Stigwood began promoting them to a worldwide audience. The Bee Gees’ Saturday Night Fever soundtrack (1977) was the turning point of their career, with both the film and soundtrack having a cultural impact throughout the world, enhancing the disco scene’s mainstream appeal. They won five Grammy Awards for Saturday Night Fever, including Album of the Year.

The Bee Gees have sold over 120 million records worldwide[8][9] (with estimates as high as over 225 million records sold worldwide), making them among the best-selling music artists of all time. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997; the Hall’s citation says, “Only Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks and Paul McCartney have outsold the Bee Gees.” With nine number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100, the Bee Gees are the third-most successful band in Billboard charts history behind only the Beatles and the Supremes.

Following Maurice’s sudden death in January 2003 at the age of 53, Barry and Robin retired the group’s name after 45 years of activity. In 2009, Robin announced that he and Barry had agreed that the Bee Gees would re-form and perform again.[15] Robin died in May 2012, aged 62, after a prolonged period of failing health, leaving Barry as the only original surviving member of the group. (wikipdia)

And here is one of their – from my point of view – superfluous singles … sorry … but I’m just not a Bee Gees fan.

Personnel:
Barry Gibb (guitar, vocals)
Maurice Gibb (vocals, bass)
Robin Gibb (keyboards, vocals)
Vince Melouney (guitar)
Colin Petersen (drums)

Alternate frontcover:

Tracklist:
01. First Of May 2.43
02. Lamplight 4.50
+
03. First Of May 4.50

All songs written by:
Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb & Maurice Gibb.

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More from The Bee Gees:

The now deleted website: