David Lindley And El Rayo-X – Win This Record (1982)

David Perry Lindley (March 21, 1944 – March 3, 2023) was an American musician who founded the band El Rayo-X, and worked with many other performers including Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Ry Cooder, Bonnie Raitt, Warren Zevon, Curtis Mayfield and Dolly Parton. He mastered such a wide variety of instruments that Acoustic Guitar magazine referred to him not as a multi-instrumentalist, but instead as a “maxi-instrumentalist.”

The majority of the instruments that Lindley played are string instruments, including violin, acoustic and electric guitar, upright and electric bass, banjo, lap steel guitar, mandolin, hardingfele, bouzouki, cittern, bağlama, gumbus, charango, cümbüş, oud, and zither.

Lindley was a founding member of the 1960s band Kaleidoscope, and worked as musical director for several touring artists. In addition, he occasionally scored and composed music for film.

Lindley died on March 3, 2023, at the age of 78, of an undisclosed illness. (wikipedia)

And here´s his second solo album:

David Lindley is the consummate musician’s musician. A much-respected session player, Lindley has added his melodic string playing to albums by a lengthy list of artists, including Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Linda Ronstadt, Rory Block, Ry Cooder, Warren Zevon, Terry Reid, David Blue, James Taylor, David Crosby, and Graham Nash. From 1971 until 1981, Lindley played a guiding role on Jackson Browne’s recordings and concert performances. Lindley’s eclectic approach provided the foundation for his own bands, Kaleidoscope (1967 — 1970) and El Rayo X (1981 — 1990). (by Craig Harris)

Following up their excellent debut and a season of intense touring, David Lindley and his crack band (now named El Rayo-X) recorded their second Elektra album. It turns out that they actually bettered the near perfection of the first. Opening with an excellent version of Etta James classic “Something’s Got a Hold on Me,” this track proves how tight the band had became. Lindley’s slide guitar work is impressive as always. As an added bonus, the band’s vocal harmonies are extremely tight and a welcome addition. A version of the Cajun classic “Brother John” held great significance at the time shortly after John Lennon’s death — and again contains some of Lindley’s best slide work to date. A rambling, fun record, Win This Record is one of the finest rock records of the ’80s. (by Matthew Greenwald)

By far my favorite of the two studio El Rayo X albums. There is an energy and lyrical path to this album that captures the fun, the lame and the whacky of that time (yet timeless). But beguilingly the lame and getting lamer political forest we had entered as a nation (along with Britain). I’m sure much of that positioning was David’s on his own but it helps to have longtime friendships with Jackson Brown and David Crosby – two men who never backed down from a poli-fight.

I saw El Rayo X in Sacramento around the time of Win This Record’s release and like all unfair things in life, most start with a lack of respect or response. The club was barely a 1/3 full. Everybody loved it but c’mon, 1/3 full? Ouch. For a legend no less. Jackson should have thrown David more shoutouts during the crowd banter on the Running On Empty album, because that’s nearly a Lindley sonic landscape as much as a JB one.

But back to El Rayo, every genre they take on on WTR produces a great song. The treatments are all of a similar cloth but one that keeps getting ripped up to add a new texture.

Fun Record. Thoughtful record. I would Win this record if I were you. Listen to this record and you’ll WIN! I know, dorky, but true. (Roger F.)

Personnel:
Jorge Calderón (bass, percussion, background vocals)
Bernie Larsen (guitar, percussion, background vocals)
David Lindley (guitar, slide-guitar, vocals, baglama, guitorgan)
Ian Wallace (drums, percussion, guitar, background vocals)
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Booker T. Jones (organ on 02.)
William Smith (organ on 06.)

Tracklist:
01. Something’s Got A Hold On Me (Woods/James/Kirkland) 2.48
02. Turning Point (Graham, Jr.) 4.47
03. Spodie (Lindley) 5.01
04. Brother John (Neville) 5.50
05. Premature (Hibbert) 4.05
06. Talk To The Lawyer (Lindley) 5.01
07. Make It On Time (Lindley) 3.23
08. Rock It With I (Brevitt/Dowe) 5.08
09. Ram-A-Lamb-A Man (Lindley) 4.19
10. Look So Good (Lindley) 1.38

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More from David Lindley:

The official website:

Radka Toneff – Live In Hamburg 1992 (2016)

Ellen Radka Toneff (25 June 1952 – 21 October 1982) was a Norwegian jazz singer, daughter of the Bulgarian folk singer, pilot and radio technician Toni Toneff, she was born in Oslo and grew up in Lambertseter and Kolbotn. She is still considered one of Norway’s greatest jazz singers.

Toneff holds a very special position in the Norwegian jazz history. With her moderate, but intense expression and her discerning musicianship, she made a deep impression on many people. Her highly personal and original qualities, where she combined influences from her father’s musical heritage in Bulgaria with a range of influences from, among others, jazz and rock, led her to become a beacon for singers both in Norway and internationally.

She studied music at Oslo Musikkonservatorium (1971–75), combined with playing in the jazz rock band “Unis”. She also had her own Radka Toneff Quintet (1975–80), with changing lineup. including musicians like Arild Andersen, Jon Balke, Jon Eberson and Jon Christensen, among others. From 1979 she cooperated with Steve Dobrogosz. In 1980 she participated in the Norwegian national final of the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Parken by Ole Paus.

Toneff was awarded the Spellemannsprisen 1977 in the category best vocal for the album Winter Poem, and she posthumously received the Norwegian Jazz Association’s Buddypris in 1982. The Radka Toneff Memorial Award is based on a fund created with royalties from the albums Fairytales and Live in Hamburg.

She lived with bassist Arild Andersen for some years, though she was involved with jazz drummer Audun Kleive at the time of her death. A biography of Toneff was published in 2008.

Toneff had roots in Bulgaria, she grew up on Lambertseter (in Oslo) and Kolbotn (in a neighboring former municipality), and left deep traces in Norwegian jazz. In a poll of Norwegian musicians conducted by the newspaper Morgenbladet in November 2011, her 1982 album Fairytales was voted the best Norwegian album of all time.[6] Toneff was found dead in the woods of Bygdøy outside Oslo on 21 October 1982. She had committed suicide with an overdose of sleeping pills (wikipedia)

Two chords from the piano, two little chords only, and then finally, finally this voice: Radka Toneff dives deep into “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most” and sets the standard for a moving, wonderful, dreamlike recording, of course her best. Recorded in 1981, but only released 10 years after her mysterious death, this live CD presents not only the singer in top form: with Alex Riel (dr) and her two long-term accompanists Steve Dobrogosz on piano and the grandiose Arild Andersen on bass here, she has a congenial trio around her.

Only with Arild Andersen’s bass she crowns Ornette Coleman’s “Lonely Woman”, immediately followed by the bassist’s fast bossa “A Certain Piece”, in which Alex Riel and Andersen have brilliant solos. Also “Antonio’s Song”: great. Bob Dylan’s “Just Like A Woman” sounds so beautiful that it brings tears to your eyes. “Rest Enough” proves her blues talent, and she does justice to her Bulgarian descent with a folk song – that is completely out of the ordinary, requires completely different vocal qualities! Radka Toneff masters that too, leading into “Havana Candy”, a fast parade number for Dobrogosz and Andersen – another highlight of a CD that rightly received the Norwegian Spellemanspris and a Grammy.
[Re-released in 2016 in the “Jazz Out Of Norway Since 1981” series on the Odin Records label]. (nordische-musik.de)

Personnel:
Arild Andersen (bass)
Steve Dobrogosz (piano)
Alex Riel (drums)
Radka Toneff (vocals)

Tracklist.
01. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most (Wolf/Landesman) 8.07
02. Never Letting Go (Bishop) 5.20
03. Lonely Woman (Coleman) 7.32
04. A Certain Peace (Anderson/Giovanni) 6.01
05. Antonio’s Song (Franks) 5.00
06. Set It Free (Loggins) 4.34
07. Just Like A Woman (Dylan) 5.29
08. Rest Enough (Shepp) 5.13
09. Bulgarian Folksong (Traitional) / Fire (Anderson/Giovanni) 9.35
10. Havana Candy (Austin) 3.33
11. We’ll Be Together (Osborne) 5.12

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Luciano Pavarotti – Gala Concert At The Royal Albert Hall (1982)

Luciano Pavarotti (12 October 1935 – 6 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed and loved tenors of all time.

He made numerous recordings of complete operas and individual arias, gaining worldwide fame for his tone, and achieving the honorific title “King of the High Cs”.

As one of the Three Tenors, who performed their first concert during the 1990 FIFA World Cup before a global audience, Pavarotti became well known for his televised concerts and media appearances. From the beginning of his professional career as a tenor in 1961 in Italy to his final performance of “Nessun dorma” at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Pavarotti was at his best in bel canto operas, pre-Aida Verdi roles, and Puccini works such as La bohème, Tosca, Turandot and Madama Butterfly. He sold over 100 million records, and the first Three Tenors recording became the best-selling classical album of all time. Pavarotti was also noted for his charity work on behalf of refugees and the Red Cross, amongst others. He died from pancreatic cancer on 6 September 2007. (wikipedia)

This recording was made in April 1982 during a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London. I’ve bought many Pavarotti concert recordings, but this concert is definitely one of my favourites, with a very nice atmosphere. Pavarotti sings (inter alia) ‘Il Lamento di Federico’, ‘Torna a Surriento’, ‘Nessun Dorma’, ‘Recondita Armonia’ and ‘E lucevan le Stelle’. I especially like ‘Il Lamento di Federico’, because Pavarotti succeeds extremely well in expressing Federico’s extreme desire. The interpretation of ‘E lucevan le Stelle’ is extraordinary. It’s very macabre, even for the great tenor himself. Unfortunately the orchestra doesn’t always play with the same compassion as Pavarotti sings, but that’s not a serious disadvantage for a Pavarotti-fan! (Bjorn)

This is not my kind of music … but: An impressive performance !

Personnel:
Luciano Pavarotti (vocals)
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Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Kurt Herbert Adler

Tracklist:
01. Recondita Armonia (from “Tosca) (Puccini) 2.44
02, Ah, La Paterna Mano (from “Macbeth” (Verdi) 3.52
03. Un Giorno Di Regno Overture (Verdi) 5.43
04. La Mia Letizia Indondere (from “I Lombardi”) (Verdi) 2.48
05. Quando Le Sere Al Placido (from “Luisa Miller”) (Verdi) 6.01
06. Fra Poco A Me Recovero (from “Lucia Di Lammermoor”) (Donizetti) 7.41
07. E La Solita Storia (Lamendo Di Federico) (from “L’Arlesiana”) (Cilea) 4.44
08. Royal Hunt And Storm (from “Les Troyens”) (Berlioz) 10.27
09. E Lucevan Le Stelle (from “Tosca”) (Puccini) 3.22
10. Nessun Dorma (from “Turandot”) (Puccini) 3.45
11. Torna A Surriento (De Curtis) 3.41

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More from Luciano Pavarotti:

The official website:

Kurt Herbert Adler (2 April 1905 – 9 February 1988) was an Austrian-born American conductor and opera house director.

Adler was born in Vienna, Austria, to a Jewish family; his mother, Ida Bauer, was one of the first patients of Sigmund Freud. His work in the field of music led him to become the assistant to Arturo Toscanini at the Salzburg Festival in 1936 and he also worked in Italy. Following the Nazi occupation of Austria in 1938, as a Jew he was forced to leave and went to the Chicago City Opera Company as assistant chorus director where he worked for five years.

Gaetano Merola, then General Director of the San Francisco Opera, heard of him and, over the telephone, invited him to the San Francisco Opera in 1943 as chorus director.

In the following ten years, he took on more and more administrative details as Merola’s health and energy diminished. While Adler was not the Board’s natural choice to replace Merola at the time of his death in 1953, after three months of acting as Artistic Director and with the help of its president, Robert Watt Miller, Adler was confirmed as General Director.

Adler’s aims in taking over the company were several. One was to expand the season and, by the 1969 season, eleven operas were given five or six performances each on average while the season ran to late November. He was tireless in seeking out up-and-coming new singers, whether American or European, by attending performances in both major and minor opera houses. Thirdly, his interest in developing stronger connections to opera stage directors in an attempt to strengthen the dramatic and theatrical elements of the works, led to a long relationship with Jean-Pierre Ponnelle.

Other innovations included the Merola Opera Program named after the founder of the San Francisco Opera, and “Opera in the Park”, which, from 1971, has been an annual free concert in Golden Gate Park on the Sunday following opening night of the fall season.

He was not always regarded as an easy person to work for, but his principal achievements in San Francisco were to greatly raise the standards of the opera company and “to attract a stunning galaxy of European stars, some at the beginning of their careers, to a small city at the other end of the world, often at significantly lower salaries than New York or Chicago would offer”.

He retired in late December 1981 and continued to conduct and be involved with music until his death in Ross, California in 1988.

The Adler Fellowship program was started in his name by Terence A. McEwen to support young singers managed by the San Francisco Opera.

His son Ronald H. Adler is an opera director and has been artistic director at the Bavarian State Opera (2001–08) and the Berlin State Opera (2008–11). (wikipedia)

Clannad – Fuaim (1982)

Clannad  is an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including folk, folk rock, traditional Irish, Celtic and new-age music, often incorporating elements of smooth jazz and Gregorian chant.

Initially known as Clann as Dobhar, they shortened their name to Clannad in 1973 after winning the Letterkenny Folk Festival with the song “Liza”. By 1979, they had released three albums and completed a successful US tour. From 1980 to 1982, they operated as a six-piece with their sister/niece Enya Brennan on additional keyboards and vocals, before she left the group to pursue a solo career. Later in 1982, Clannad gained international attention with their single “Theme from Harry’s Game” which became a top-five hit in Ireland and the UK. The song was featured on Magical Ring (1983), which was met with much acclaim.

They experimented with more new-age and pop-influenced sounds in the 1980s and 1990s, as evident on Macalla (1985), and Anam (1990). This transition would ultimately go on to define their sound as almost purely ‘Celtic’, making them innovators of that genre. After Landmarks (1997), the band went on a hiatus in order to pursue solo projects. They regrouped in 2007 as a four piece again, with Moya, Ciarán, Noel, and Pádraig completing a world tour in 2008. In 2013, Pól rejoined and they released Nádúr, their first studio album in fifteen years. Pádraig Duggan died in 2016, leaving the group to embark on their 2020 farewell tour as a quartet.

Clannad have won numerous awards throughout their career, including a Grammy Award, a BAFTA, an Ivor Novello Award, and a Billboard Music Award. They have recorded in six different languages and scored eight UK top 10 albums. They are widely regarded as a band that have brought Irish music and the Irish language to a wider audience, often experiencing more popularity abroad than in their native Ireland.

The current line-up: Ciarán Brennan, Moya Brennan, Noel Duggan, Pól Brennan:

Fuaim (Irish for “sound”) is the sixth album by Irish folk group Clannad. It was released in 1982. It was produced by Nicky Ryan and was the last Clannad album to feature younger sister Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, later known as Enya. It is also the only Clannad album to credit her; while she performed keyboard and backing vocals on the previous album “Crann Úll”, she was not credited for this. She departed, along with Nicky Ryan, shortly thereafter to begin a solo career.

The album was remastered and reissued on 7 August 2020 in both compact disc and vinyl formats. (wikipedia)

A re-issue from 1990:

Combining traditional Irish folk with touches of contemporary pop, Clannad has acquired a small but loyal following with its distinctive music. One thing that makes Fuaim so effective is its use of simplicity. Whether interpreting Irish songs that go back centuries or embracing songs written in recent years, Clannad (whose members sing in both English and Gaelic) is a band that knows how to use subtlety and understatement to great artistic advantage. Fuaim offers a striking blend of acoustic and electric instruments.

Synthesizers and electric guitar successfully interact with the harp, the flute and the mandola on this consistently enriching celebration of Irish culture. (by Alex Henderson)

And … what wonderful saxophone additions (listen to “Ní Lá na Gaoithe Lá na Scoilb?”).!

Personnel:
Eithne Ní Bhraonáin (Enya) (percussion, keyboards, vocals)
Máire Ní Bhraonáin (vocals, harp)
Ciarán Ó Braonáin (bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals)
Pól Ó Braonáin (flute, guitar, percussion, vocals)
Noel Ó Dúgáin (guitar, vocals)
Pádraig Ó Dúgáin (guitar, mandolin, vocals)
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Noel Bridgeman (percussion)
Neil Buckley (clarinet, saxophone)
Pat O’Farrell (guitar)

Tracklist:
01. Na Buachaillí Álainn (Traditional) 2.59
02. Mheall Sí Lena Glórthaí Mé (Traditional) 4.18
03. Bruach na Carraige Báine (Traditional) 2.37
04. Lá Breá Fán dTuath (C.Braonáin) 0.46
05. An tÚll (Traditional) 3.07
06. Strayed Away (Traditional/Moore) 2.46
07. Ní Lá na Gaoithe Lá na Scoilb? (P.Braonáin) 6.11
08. Lish Young Buy-A-Broom (Traditional) 3.30
09. Mhórag ‘s na Horo Gheallaidh (C.Braonáin/P..Braonáin/Traditional) 1.43
10. The Green Fields of Gaothdobhair (Traditional) 4.08
11. Buaireadh an Phósta (Traditional) 2.56

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CD edition from 1993:

More from Clannad:

The official website:

The Kinks – Rockpalast Essen (1982)

The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. #

The band emerged during the height of British rhythm and blues and Merseybeat, and were briefly part of the British Invasion of the United States until their touring ban in 1965.

Their third single, the Ray Davies-penned “You Really Got Me”, became an international hit, topping the charts in the United Kingdom and reaching the Top 10 in the United States.

The Kinks’ music drew from a wide range of influences, including American R&B and rock and roll initially, and later adopting British music hall, folk, and country. The band gained a reputation for reflecting English culture and lifestyle, fuelled by Ray Davies’ wittily observational writing style, and made apparent in albums such as Face to Face (1966), Something Else (1967), The Village Green Preservation Society (1968), Arthur (1969), Lola Versus Powerman (1970), and Muswell Hillbillies (1971), along with their accompanying singles including the transatlantic hit “Lola” (1970). After a fallow period in the mid-1970s, the band experienced a revival during the late 1970s and early 1980s with their albums Sleepwalker (1977), Misfits (1978), Low Budget (1979), Give the People What They Want (1981) and State of Confusion (1983), the last of which produced one of the band’s most successful US hits, “Come Dancing”. In addition, groups such as Van Halen, the Jam, the Knack, the Pretenders and the Romantics covered their songs, helping to boost the Kinks’ record sales. In the 1990s, Britpop acts such as Blur and Oasis cited the band as a major influence.

Ray Davies (rhythm guitar, lead vocals, keyboards) and Dave Davies (lead guitar, vocals) remained members throughout the band’s 33-year run. Longest-serving member Mick Avory (drums and percussion) was replaced by Bob Henrit, formerly of Argent, in 1984. Original bass guitarist Pete Quaife was replaced by John Dalton in 1969. After Dalton’s 1976 departure, Andy Pyle briefly served as the band’s bassist before being replaced by Argent bassist Jim Rodford in 1978. Session keyboardist Nicky Hopkins accompanied the band in the studio for many of their recordings in the mid-to-late 1960s. The band became an official five-piece in 1970, when keyboardist John Gosling joined them. Gosling quit in 1978; he was first replaced by ex-Pretty Things member Gordon Edwards, then more permanently by Ian Gibbons in 1979. The band gave its last public performance in 1996 and broke up in 1997 as a result of creative tension between the Davies brothers.

The Kinks have had five Top 10 singles on the US Billboard chart. Nine of their albums charted in the Top 40. In the UK, they have had seventeen Top 20 singles and five Top 10 albums. Four Kinks albums have been certified gold by the RIAA and the band have sold 50 million records worldwide. Among numerous honours, they received the Ivor Novello Award for “Outstanding Service to British Music”. In 1990, the original four members of the Kinks were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as the UK Music Hall of Fame in November 2005. In 2018, after years of ruling out a reunion due to the brothers’ animosity and the difficult relationship between longtime drummer Mick Avory and Dave, Ray and Dave Davies finally announced they were working to reform the Kinks, with Avory also on board. However, comments made by each of the Davies brothers in 2020 and 2021 would indicate that in the years since the initial announcement, little (if any) progress has been made towards an actual Kinks reunion for a new studio band album. (wikipedia)

And here´s their legendary concert, recorded live at the Rockpalast, Essen/Germany:

There are lots of Kinks concert bootlegs out there, but few and far between that have excellent sound quality. Here’s one of those rare stellar sounding ones. It sounds so good because it was professionally recorded for the German TV show “Rockpalast.”

Alternate frontcovers:

In 1980, the Kinks released the live album “One for the Road.” This comes two years later, and one album later, the 1981 “Give the People What They Want” studio album. So there’s some overlap between the songs on “One for the Road” and here, but the Kinks have such a deep catalog of popular songs that there are lots of differences as well. Seven of the songs played come from the “Give the People What They Want” album, and one song, “Bernadette,” came from their soon-to-come 1983 album, “State of Confusion.” (http://albumsthatshouldexist.blogspot.com)

In other words: Long live The Kinks !

Recorded live at the 10th Rockpalast Rockfestival,
Grugahalle Essen/Germany, April 3, 1982
(broadcast recording)

Personnel:
Mick Avery (drums)
Dave Davies (guitar, vocals)
Ray Davies (vocals, guitar)
Ian Gibbons (keyboards)
Jim Rodford (bass)

Another alternate front + backcover:

Tracklist:
01. Introduction / Around The Dial 8.02
02. The Hard Way 2.34
03. Where Have All The Good Times Gone 2.27
04. (Catch Me Now) I’m Falling 3.38
05. Come On Now 2.41
06. Destroyer 4.53
07. Yo, Yo 7.09
08. Lola 7.06
09. Dead End Street 2.25
10. Add It Up 3.34
11. Low Budget 7.03
12. Art Lover 4.03
13. Back To Front 4.35
14. A Gallon Of Gas 4.15
15. Celluloid Heroes 8.25
16. Till The End Of The Day 2.41
17. Bernadette 4.51
18. All Day And All Of The Night 5.56
19. Give The People What The Want 4.45
20. Pressure 2.28
21. You Really Got Me 4.50
22. Stop Your Sobbing 1.21
23. David Watts 2.55

All songs written by Ray Davies

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The official website:

More from The Kinks:

Chris Hinze – Mirror Of Dreams (1982)

Christiaan Herbert “Chris” Hinze (born June 30, 1938, Hilversum, Netherlands) is a Dutch jazz and New age flautist.

Hinze initially performed publicly as a pianist until the mid-1960s, when he began studying flute at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague and then at Berklee College of Music. As a pianist, he played with Boy Edgar until 1966, but by 1967 was playing flute professionally with the bassist Dick van der Capellen. His first releases as a leader were issued in 1969, and in 1970, Hinze was awarded the Best Soloist prize at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In the 1970s, he formed his own ensemble, the Chris Hinze Combination, which included players such as Gerry Brown and John Lee, and which saw some success with arrangements of Baroque music in a jazz setting. He also founded the record label Keytone Records in the mid-1970s.

In the 1980s, Hinze played for several years in a duo with Sigi Schwab and continued touring with a new version of his Combination. He began studying the music of Tibet and South Asia in the middle of the decade, forming a world music ensemble which shifted toward more New age and electronic music styles rather than jazz. (wikipedia)

And here´one of his real beautiful albums:

A wonderful album … music for mediation and relaxation !

Personnel:
Chris Hinze (flute)
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Louis van Dijk (piano)
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The London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Dick Bakker
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Wanda Stellaard & Friends (background vocals)

Tracklist:
01. Mirror Of Dreams Part I (Hinze/Bakker) 2.29
02. A Little Romance Part I (Delerue) 3.01
03. Largo Di Vivaldi (Hinze/Bakker) 3.03
04. A Little Romance Part II (Delerue) 3.42
05. Per Le Antiche Scale (Morricone) 3.25
06. Dressed To Kill (Donaggio) 5.18
07. Clair De Femme (Musy) 3.04
08. She’s Out Of My Life (Bahler) 3.45
09. Allemande De Bach (v.Dijk) 5.26
10. Allonsanfan (Morricone) 3.44
11. Close Enough For Love (Mandel) 3.53
12. Mirror Of Dreams Part II (Hinze/Bakker) 3.23

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More from Chris Hinze:

The officials websites:

Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson – W W II (1982)

WWII is a duet album by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, released on RCA Victor in 1982.

By 1982, the outlaw country movement was past its peak but Jennings and Nelson, the movement’s primary artists, remained two of country music’s biggest superstars. Jennings had scored nine Top 5 solo albums in a row, with five going to #1, between 1974 and 1982. Nelson was also enjoying his commercial prime, with his 1982 album Always on My Mind not only topping the Billboard country albums chart but also peaking at #2 on the pop albums chart. By the early 1980s, Nelson’s appeal had transcended country music; his affable personae, as well as his increasing presence in films, had made him a crossover star. Jennings, who was struggling to rebuild his finances and in the throes of a crippling cocaine addiction, had seen his most recent album Black on Black receive lukewarm reviews, even though it had been produced by Chips Moman, who had also produced Nelson’s Always on My Mind.

Jennings and Nelson had enjoyed some of their greatest success together. The 1976 compilation Wanted! The Outlaws became the first million selling country album and their 1978 album Waylon and Willie, released at the height of the outlaw country movement, produced the chart-topping hit “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.” By all accounts, Jennings and Nelson were kindred spirits and close friends, but their egos did clash occasionally; in his memoir Willie Nelson, biographer Joe Nick Patoski quotes Nelson’s ex-wife Connie: “They had such a mutual respect for each other and their music, it was like a brother bond, literally. There was always a little bit of – not jealousy – but Willie would make him [Jennings] feel inferior in some ways, and I think it was because of the cocaine.” Asleep at the Wheel pianist Floyd Domino, who played with Jennings’ band in 1983, also noticed the tension between the two legends, telling Patoski, “You could tell Waylon was bothered by Willie’s success, although he said he didn’t care. He’d tell audiences, ‘I don’t care if I’m not number one. I’ll be number two.’ The crowd didn’t even know what he was talking about. I saw Willie on some cooking show on TV and the host said Waylon was mad at him. Willie laughed and said, ‘What’s he mad about today?’ Waylon cared. Willie didn’t.”

Although Chips Moman had produced both singers’ previous albums, the sessions that comprise WWII date from before those records; most are from December 1981. The songs were recorded at Moman’s Nashville studio and mastered at Woodland Studios with David Cherry serving as co-engineer with Moman. Whereas 1978’s Waylon and Willie contained several previously released backing tracks upon which Nelson had overdubbed his vocals, WWII bears all the hallmarks of Moman’s slick production. Despite being more of a “complete thought” than its predecessor, the vitality evident on Waylon and Willie is not as apparent on this LP; in his review of the album that can be found on AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine observes:

“In 1982, Waylon and Willie were still riding high on the country charts, but the quality of Jennings’ work was beginning to slip and his sales were responding accordingly, as 1982’s Black on Black reflected. Nelson had his biggest hit ever that year with Always on My Mind, but it also was his worst album to date, the first time he sounded like he couldn’t be bothered…even at its best, WWII is nowhere near as good as Waylon and Willie are at their best, since they’re coasting on reputation through most of this, a fact that’s only enhanced by Moman’s glossy showcase production.”

Although billed as a collaborative effort, WWII is more of a vehicle for Jennings; Willie sings on only five of the eleven tracks – all duets – while Waylon takes the lead on the remaining six songs. The album spawned one hit, a cover of Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” which peaked at #13 on the country singles charts. Despite its modest success compared to some of the duo’s previous singles like “Good Hearted Woman” and “Mammas Don’t Let your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” the song is brilliantly interpreted and remains as good an example as any of the fellow Texans’ chemistry as artists. Another highlight is “Write Your Own Songs,” Nelson’s diatribe of the music business and music executives in particular (“We’re making you rich and you were already lazy/So lay on your asses and get richer or write your own songs”), whom he and Jennings had battled for years to gain control of their own records. Jennings had a hand in writing two songs: the inspirational “Roman Candles,” which he composed with Michael Smotherman, and the narration “The Old Mother’s Locket Trick,” written with fellow outlaw Guy Clark.

The Chips Moman/Bobby Emmons composition “May I Borrow Some Sugar from You” had appeared on Jennings’ previous album Black on Black, while “The Last Cowboy Song” would resurface three years later on the first Highwaymen album. Jennings and Nelson also cover the Tom T. Hall classic story song “The Year Clayton Delaney Died.”

Ultimately, WWII failed to have as major an impact as Waylon & Willie, although it peaked at #3 on the Billboard country albums chart and #57 on the pop albums chart. (wikipedia)

Personnel:
J. I. Allison (drums)
Jerry Bridges (bass)
Gene Chrisman (drums, percussion)
Johnny Christopher (guitar)
Bobby Emmons (keyboards)
Waylon Jennings (vocals, guitar)
Mike Leech (bass)
Chips Moman (guitar)
Willie Nelson (vocals, guitar)
Bobby Wood (piano)
Reggie Young (guitar)
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background vocals:
Johnny Christopher – Toni Wine,

Tracklist:
01. Mr. Shuck And Jive (Waylon & Willie) (Webb) 3.46
02. Roman Candles (Waylon) (Smotherman) 3.01
03. (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay (Waylon & Willie) (Redding/Cropper) 3.19
04. The Year That Clayton Delaney Died (Waylon & Willie) (Hall) 3.03
05. Lady In The Harbor (Waylon) (Gilmore/Allison/Curtis) 3.13
06. May I Borrow Some Sugar From You (Waylon) (Emmons/Moman) 3.16
07. Last Cowboy Song (Waylon) (Bruce/Peterson) 2.14
08. Heroes (Waylon & Willie) (Emmons/Moman) 2.43
09. The Teddy Bear Song (Waylon) (Earl/Nixon) 3.03
10. Write Your Own Songs (Waylon & Willie) (Nelson) 3.13
11. The Old Mother’s Locket Trick (Waylon) (Clark) 3.03

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More from Willie Nelson:

Christmas 2021 (07): George Winston – December (1982)

George Winston (born December 26, 1949) is an American pianist. He was born in Michigan and raised mainly in Montana (Miles City and Billings), as well as Mississippi and Florida. He is best known for his solo piano recordings. Each of several of his albums from the early 1980s have sold millions of copies. He plays in three styles: the melodic approach he developed that he calls “rural folk piano”; stride piano, primarily inspired by Thomas “Fats” Waller and Teddy Wilson; and his primary interest, New Orleans R&B piano, influenced by James Booker, Professor Longhair, and Henry Butler.

December is the fourth solo piano album from George Winston. It was recorded during the fall of 1982 and was released at the end of the year. It is a Christmas album, and more generally a tribute to the winter season. The album is a follow up to Autumn.

December is Winston’s highest-selling album, having been certified triple Platinum by the RIAA, signifying 3 million copies in shipment. The success of the album, along with several of Winston’s other albums from the early 1980s, enabled the record label, Windham Hill, to get international distribution and a higher profile. The album also spent 136 weeks on the Billboard 200, reaching a peak of No. 54 in January 1984, over a year after its original release. In 1987, five years after its release, it reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Holiday Albums chart.

A 20th Anniversary Edition of the album, with two bonus tracks, was released in 2001. The album was again reissued in 2013 by Valley Entertainment with Dancing Cat Records, Winston’s own label. This reissue was packaged in a Digipak and features revised cover art.

Amazon’s editorial staff noted “the album is a classic for a reason—few capture the soft, pensive nature of the season quite like Winston’s magnum opus.” (wikipedia)

The mother of all solo istrumental albums, and with good reason. Mixing traditional carols with Pachelbel’s Canon and a few originals, Winston produces a solo piano album of unparalleled — and undeniable — beauty. How can music be simultaneously stirring and soothing, relaxed yet exalted? Millions have found the answer here, and an industry has spent decades trying to duplicate it. (by William Ruhlmann)

Personnel:
George Winston (piano)

Tracklist:
01. Thanksgiving (Winston) 4.03
02. Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head (Traditional) 2.34
03. Joy (Traditional) 3.11
04. Prelude (Winston) 1.17
05. Carol Of The Bells (Traditional) 3.52
06. Night: Part One – Snow (Winston) 1.51
07. Night: Part Two – Midnight (Winston) 1.22
08. Night: Part Three – Minstrels (Traditional) 2.33
09. Variations On The Kanon By Johann Pachelbel (Pachelbel) 5.19
10. The Holy And The Ivy (Traditional) 4.47
11. Some Children See Him (Burt) 3.43
12. Peace (Winston) 4.09

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More from George Winston:

Freddie Salem & The Wildcats – Cat Dance (1982)

Freddie Salem has been a touring & recording artist, session musician and producer for over 30 years! Freddie started performing professionally at the age of 16 as he played with various bands from the Midwest before joining The Chambers Brothers Band as their lead guitar player.In 1977, Freddie joined the popular southern rock-n-roll band, The Outlaws. For six years Freddie played lead guitar for ‘The Florida Guitar Army’ and wrote many songs on their albums which sold over 10 million copies worldwide, earning Freddie platinum and gold albums with Arista Records. The incredible guitar work and producer credits of Freddie Salem can also be heard on recordings with The Godz, The Zippers, Raging Slab, Snatches Of Pink, Michael Rank and more!His latest album, Freddie Salem & Lonewolf; “Black Cloud Rising”, will soon be released as Freddie continues to be one of today’s strongest and hardest working guitarists!

This is Freddie Salem & The Wildcats first and last album ”Cat Dance” from 1982. While Freddie Salem is most famous for replacing Henry Paul in The Outlaws in 1977 and being part of metal icons The Godz, the man is one of the most impressive American rock guitarists to have emerged in the late ’70s / early ’80s, and should have been a contender for ‘arena guitar hero’ alongside the Ted Nugent, Joe Walsh, Todd Rundgren, etc.Signed by major label Epic, in 1982 Salem got a chance to record his own album and the result is a really good mix of classic rock, melodic hard rock, and southern fried rock stadium-ready rock n’ roll. Salem rips some awesome solos, it’s a solid vocalist, and his band it top notch.A pretty unknown album, but you’ll surprised by its quality.As a member of The Outlaws, Freddie injected feisty guitar pyrotechnics into the band’s most commercially successful albums like ‘Ghost Riders’ and ‘Los Hombres Malos’, before cutting loose to record a solo album.This was his debut, and so far only, solo album. Produced by himself it showcased Freddie in valedictory mood, looking to spread his wings with various shades of guitar-fueled mayhem.

Recorded in New York City, the album captured a healthy mixture of Manhattan’s manic pace whilst still boasting a Southern rock tinge, proving that you can take the man out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the man. ‘Cat Dance’ is a fine album indeed, boasting a healthy selection of solid and memorable hard rock tracks and blessed with lashings of Freddie’s blistering guitar work, including hip thrusting riffs and lightning fast solos.Freddie had the goods to make it big, but unfortunately at time of the album’s release Epic was under re-structure and didn’t deliver promotion as hoped and was left to find its own audience. (metal-jukebox.net)

In other words: The heavy side of Southern Rock !

Personnel:
Myron Grombacher (drums)
David Jackson (piano, synthesizer, vocals)
Freddie Salem (guitar, vocals)
Fernando Saunders (bass, background vocals)
Peter Wood (organ, synthesizer)
+
John Peltz (vocals on 05.)

Tracklist:
01. Dark Horizon (Jackson/Salem) (1.30) / London Town (Rundgren) (6.53) 8.19
02. Open My Eyes (Salem) 3.32
03. Long Gone (Salem) 3.42
04. Sunset (Second Chance) (Salem) 4.02
05. Got The Feelin’ (Salem) 4.12
06. Evil For Evil (Salem) 4.25
07. Rock ‘N’ Roll Woman (Stills) 4.37
08. Monica (Saunders/Salem/Grombacher/Wood) 3.45

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Screaming Lord Sutch – Rock And Horror (1982)

David Edward Sutch (10 November 1940 – 16 June 1999), also known as 3rd Earl of Harrow, or Screaming Lord Sutch, was an English musician and serial parliamentary candidate. He was the founder of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party and served as its leader from 1983 to 1999, during which time he stood in numerous parliamentary elections. He holds the record for losing more than 40 elections in which he stood from 1963 to 1997. As a singer he variously worked with Keith Moon, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, Charlie Watts and Nicky Hopkins.

Sutch was born at New End Hospital, Hampstead, London. In the 1960s, inspired by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, he changed his stage name to “Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow”, despite having no connection with the peerage. His legal name remained David Edward Sutch.

After his career as an early 1960s rock and roll attraction, it became customary for the UK press to refer to him as “Screaming Lord Sutch”, or simply “Lord Sutch”. Early works included recordings produced by audio pioneer Joe Meek.

During the 1960s Screaming Lord Sutch was known for his horror-themed stage show, dressing as Jack the Ripper, pre-dating the shock rock antics of Alice Cooper. Accompanied by his band, the Savages, he started by coming out of a black coffin (once being trapped inside of it, an incident parodied in the film Slade in Flame). Other props included knives and daggers, skulls and “bodies”. Sutch booked themed tours, such as ‘Sutch and the Roman Empire’, where Sutch and the band members would be dressed up as Roman soldiers.

Despite a self-confessed lack of vocal talent, he released horror-themed singles during the early to mid 1960s, the most popular “Jack the Ripper”, covered live and on record by garage rock bands including the White Stripes, the Gruesomes, the Black Lips and the Horrors, the latter for their debut album.

In 1963 Sutch and his manager, Reginald Calvert, took over Shivering Sands Army Fort, a Maunsell Fort off Southend, and in 1964 started Radio Sutch, intending to compete with other pirate radio stations such as Radio Caroline. Broadcasts consisted of music and Mandy Rice-Davies reading Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Sutch tired of the station, and sold it to Calvert, after which it was renamed Radio City, and lasted until 1967. In 1966 Calvert was shot dead by Oliver Smedley over a financial dispute. Smedley was acquitted on grounds of self-defence. About this time Ritchie Blackmore left the band. Roger Warwick left to set up an R&B big band for Freddie Mack.

Sutch’s album Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends was named in a 1998 BBC poll as the worst album of all time, a status it also held in Colin Larkin’s book The Top 1000 Albums of All Time,[citation needed] despite the fact that Jimmy Page, John Bonham, Jeff Beck, Noel Redding and Nicky Hopkins performed on it and helped write it. On the other hand, for fans of the musicians involved, their work is considered well-worth listening to the album, and especially for the recently formed New Yardbirds/Led Zeppelin, offers a first take of the rolling funk-blues riffs and grooves that would define the classic Led Zeppelin sound.

For his follow-up, Hands of Jack the Ripper, Sutch assembled British rock celebrities for a concert at the Carshalton Park Rock ‘n’ Roll Festival. The show was recorded (though only Sutch knew), and it was released to the surprise of the musicians. Musicians on the record included Ritchie Blackmore (guitar); Matthew Fisher (keyboard); Carlo Little (drums); Keith Moon (drums); Noel Redding (bass) and Nick Simper (bass).

In 2017 his song “Flashing Lights” was featured in Logan Lucky, directed by Steven Soderbergh.

In the 1960s Sutch stood in parliamentary elections, often as representative of the National Teenage Party. His first was in 1963, when he contested the by-election in Stratford-upon-Avon caused by the resignation of John Profumo. He gained 208 votes. His next was at the 1966 general election when he stood in Harold Wilson’s Huyton constituency. Here he received 585 votes.

He founded the Official Monster Raving Loony Party in 1983 and fought the Bermondsey by-election. In his career he contested over 40 elections. He was recognisable at election counts by his flamboyant clothes and top hat. In 1968 he officially added “lord” to his name by deed poll.[4] In the mid 1980s, the deposit paid by candidates was raised from £150 to £500. This did little to deter Sutch, who increased the number of concerts he performed to pay for campaigns. He achieved his highest poll and vote share at Rotherham in 1994 with 1,114 votes and a 4.2 per cent vote share.

At the Bootle by-election in May 1990, he secured more votes than the candidate of the Continuing Social Democratic Party (SDP), led by former Foreign Secretary David Owen. Within days the SDP dissolved itself. In 1993, when the British National Party gained its first local councillor, Derek Beackon, Sutch pointed out that the Official Monster Raving Loony Party already had six. He holds the record for losing more than 40 elections in which he stood.

He appeared as himself in the first episode of ITV comedy The New Statesman, coming second ahead of the Labour and SDP, in the 1987 election which saw Alan B’Stard elected to Parliament.

Adverts in the 1990s for Heineken Pilsener boasted that “Only Heineken can do this”. One had Sutch at 10 Downing Street after becoming Prime Minister.

In 1999 Sutch starred in a Coco Pops advert as a returning officer announcing the results of its renaming competition.

Sutch was friends with, and at one time lived at the house of, Cynthia Payne.

Screaming Lord Sutch,Cynthia Payne & Jayne County.The Plough Kenton UK. 20/10/89:

He had a history of depression, and killed himself by hanging on 16 June 1999, at his mother’s house. At the inquest, his fiancée Yvonne Elwood said he had “manic depression”.

Sutch is buried beside his mother, who died on 30 April 1997, in the cemetery in Pinner, Middlesex. He was survived by a son, Tristan Lord Gwynne Sutch, born in 1975 to American model Thann Rendessy.

In 1991 his autobiography, Life as Sutch: The Official Autobiography of a Raving Loony (written with Peter Chippindale), was published. In 2005 Graham Sharpe, who had known him since the late 1960s, wrote the first biography, The Man Who Was Screaming Lord Sutch. (by wikipedia)

Taking a break from electioneering, his Screaming Lordship, or Dave to his friends, let loose on these early 80s recordings in his own genteel style. A who’s who of the UK rockin’ scene from the 60s back up Sutch on this ghoulish goulash of hair raising monster rockers, like ‘Screem, Screem’, ‘Murder In The Graveyard’, ‘Loonabilly’ and the inevitable ‘Jack The Ripper’. The leopardskin-clad Sutch recorded with the legendary cult producer of the 60s, Joe Meek and is the UK’s most eccentric rocker, king of bad taste and horror. He regrettably never realised his ambition to be prime minister with his Monster Raving Loony Party as he took his own life in 1999 – a great eccentric that will be gravely missed. (Promo text)

I’m not sure if this is the definitive Sutch CD, but it will certainly tell you what he was all about ! I gave it four stars because it really is a lot of fun to listen to–although I’m not sure if all the laughs are intentional !
First, the problem–sorry, but as a vocalist, Sutch was pretty bad–studio tricks and good musicians can’t hide the fact that this guy was no singer.
On the other hand, his energy and enthusiasm won me over. I bet if you had a party–and waited until everyone was “feeling no pain”–playing this disc at full volume would be a blast !
There are twelve tracks–the first six have a horror theme with “Jack the Ripper” and “Murder in the Graveyard” delivering the goods–the remaining songs are more conventional rockers, taken at a frantic pace. Warning–if you like deep, meaningful lyrics, forget about it ! This is not Bob Dylan !
Lord Sutch is no longer with us. Apparently, he was a great showman, and many big UK musicians got their start as one of his “Savages”. People who saw him in concert say that the world became a duller place when he left.
Dear Reader–I don’t know if you will like this CD, or hate it, but one thing for sure–like Sutch himself, it is not dull ! ! (by peterfromkanata)

Personnel:
Anji Antanori (guitar on 07., 10.)
Rod de’Ath (drums on 02., 03.
Bob Burgos (drums on 01., 04. – 06., 08., 09.,11., 12.)
Terry Clempson (guitar on 02., 03.
Tony Dangerfield (bass on 07., 10.)
Keith Evans (bass on 02., 03.)
Matthew Fisher (piano on 12.)
Tony Hall (saxophone on 02., 03., 07., 10.
Richard Hogan (piano on 08., 09., 11.
Brian Juniper (saxophone on 02., 03.
Darnell Kellerman (saxophone on 08., 09., 11.
Freddie “Fingers” Lee (piano on 01., 04.. 06.
Lou Martin (piano on 02., 03.
Rob Murly (bass on 01., 04., 05., 08., 09., 11., 12.)
Ray Neale (guitar on 01., 04. – 06., 08., 09., 11., 12.)
Sid Phillips (saxophone on 02., 03., 07.
Mac Poole (drums on 07., 10.)
Screaming Lord Sutch (vocals)
Ian Terry (leadguitar on 01., 04. – 06., 12.
Pete Thomas (saxophone on 01., 04. – 06.

Tracklist:

Horror Side:
01. Screem & Screem (Sutch) 1.54
02. All Black & Hairy (Sutch) 2.32
03. Jack The Ripper (Stacey/Simmonds/Haggin) 3.11
04. Monster Rock (Sutch) 2.24
05. Rock & Shock (Sutch) 2.01
06. Murder In The Graveyard (Surtch) 3.01

Rock Side:
07. London Rocker (Sutch) 2.16
08. Penny Penny (Sutch) 3.04
09. Rockabilly Madman (Sutch) 3.32
10. Oh Well (Sutch) 1.55
11. Loonabilly (Burgos/Neal/Sutch) 1.51
12. Go-Berry-Go (Sutch) 2.32

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David Edward Sutch (10 November 1940 – 16 June 1999)