Robert Palmer - Double Fun (1978)

He's at it again - I really like that we can expect a great story type cover from these releases.

Now, if you were going to buy just one RP album this is the one I would recommend.  It has all the funk playing and soulful singing of the earlier three (see below) and the strings and arrangements learnt from playing and recording with the best.  The story goes that these tracks were recorded mostly then remixed by Tom Moulton (who would around this time remix a lot of Philly soul for the dance crowd, also see Gloria Gaynor) - so much was his influence that Tom ended up with the producer credit on many of these final cuts.  I'd like to hear the originals as they would show just how far Palmer had got with his mission to deliver US funk (is there any other kind) in a British way.

No end of great racks here, Andy Fraser's "Every Kinda People" and title track "Best Of Both Worlds" continues the theme with the rockier "You're Gonna Get What's Coming" and a fine version of the Kink's "You Really Got Me ".  "You Overwhelm Me" brings on strings in the Gene Page vein.  One of those albums I have to play in it's entirety - not just a recommend on this one - just go and get it - now!

footnote: Much of Palmer's career, certainly the early albums in this run of posts, features in the book - Are We Still Rolling? by Engineer and Palmer's friend, Phill Brown

Robert Palmer - Some People Can Do What They Like (1976)

Makes great music and gives great covers - this one features strip poker win with Playboy gril Denise Michele.  Third in the trio of southern soul funk influenced albums that broke the mould for british soul boys - no one from these shores had done this sort of work before.  Little Feat were there again alongside stUnfortunately under appreciated in the face of later sounds of "Clues" (electronics) and "Secrets" (soft rock) and "Riptide" (80s power pop) - all good but working through the history of RPs releases is a quality journey worth embarking upon.  Of the three this was the point where he needed to change - it's good but the songs aren't so immediate.  The change was good as next came "Double Fun"....

Robert Palmer - Pressure Drop (1975)

Here's Robert Palmer in early cool.  Another of his LP covers with some aspect of sex in it - this  would be a feature of his sets for Island.  This, his second, album continues on the same vein as "Sneakin'" and takes it a bit further.  The basic tracks were recorded around during the same period as that excellent first album.  Thi has the benefit of Gene Page arranged strings (known for his work with Barry White).  My favourites here are "Work To Make It Work"; Give Me An Inch"; "Back In My Arms" and; "Which Of Us Is The Fool?" engineered by Phill Brown and produced by Steve Smith.  Lowell George and Little Feat feature again. I came across this in a library in Camden along with an early Vinegar Joe album which of course featured RP and Elkie Brooks on vocals.  Highly recommended.  Give Me An Inch has been covered but never surpassed.

Robert Palmer - Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley (1974)

My first knowledge of Robert Palmer the solo artist was from hearing a great band play the first three tunes from this in the Green Man pub in Leytonstone.  It was a favourite place at weekends in the 70s and the quality was very high.  In "74 the house band played "Sailing Shoes", "Sneaking Sally" and "Hey Julia" as one long sequed medley in their set - just as it can be found here.  I thank them for the introduction as this and subsequent albums from Mr Palmer are amongst my favourites.  The base tracks were recorded at Muscle Shoals, in Alabama, in New Orleans with members of the Meters and, with Lowell George of Little Feat - what a way to start.  The feel of this is soundly a British white soul album and with the class of musicians involved and Palmer (and producer Steve Smith's) vision of how it should be - the results are amazing.  The original tracks are from an initial list of songs which also bacame the base for the follow-up  "Pressure Drop" - another gem.  Phill Brown's Book - "Are We Still Rolling?" - narrates the recording of these two albums and informs the idea of a quest for the right feel and sound for this Yorkshire boy making fabulous american music in his own way.  This was actually quite ground breaking in it's straightforward approach - I was a soul fan who did think that white men could sing the blues - if ever i needed evidence this was there waiting.

Seek this and his others out in their original forms - as albums - and forget all those compilations of Palmer's work.

A note on the artwork - aparently the cover shot was taken in the middle of the night in the Heathrow airport tunnel with the photographer hanging out of the back of a pick up.  Palmer fans would see him wearing that rocket/bullet belt in various shots and get used to the Robert with beautiful woman covers - this was long before the image projected by the "Addicted To Love" video.

Island Records

Sandy McLelland And The Backline (1979)

From The Lost Record Covers Club

This terrible cover belies the fact that it contains a gem of an album (the inner sleeve is no better).  Wonderful soul sounds from a tight band, thoughtful and soulful songs with a singer in fine voice.  Very much a radio gem at the time on Capital and nightime Radio 1 although not enough to make them stars. The song "Mediocrity" (Media ocrity - geddit?) talks about the tame playlisting policy of radio stations in the UK.  As the song says "I don't need no part of your mediocrity" - 'fraid he did to sell any of these and he didn't succeed.  This is a real shame as this sits right up there with the British soul bands of the day.  The band are supplemented by The Rumour Brass section and the Kokomo/Voice Squad of Frank Collins, Dyan Birch and Paddy McHugh and features guest appearances from Mark Knopfler (way before the big big time) and the ace guitarist Jim Mullen.  They toured a great deal on the uni circuit.  Shame the Phonogram art department really let them down!

A lot of high ponts but this is the album that introduced me to the Tod Rungren classic song "Can We Still Be Friends?" - this is a smooth version punctuated by relaxed brass.  The Robert Palmer version on "Secrets" followed the arrangement but without the horn section.  This is my favourite version. "Sure Sounds Good To Me" "Heat On The Street" and "Bad Situation" are uptight workouts honed on the live setlist - here they are tight and precise - great sounds. "So So Satisfied" is a Ashford and Simpson song sympatheticaly treated. 
Highly recommended - lots of features on YouTube.  Searches there show that the man has been busy with soundtrack work.
Mercury - 9109 620

Rhead Brothers - Dedicate (1977)

From The Lost Record Covers Club

I bought this from a wonderful record shop in Newquay in Cornwall in 1977.  The owner was clearly a music lover and he'd added comments to each sleeve in the racks.  This one referred to British Soul, comparisons with Hall and Oates, Kokomo, Average Whites etc.  Anyone reading this blog would know that sold me.  Although there aren't many of us that actually were sold and have this in our collections this has excellent songs and harmonies and boasts an EMI who's who of session players - Charlie McCracken, Charlie Whitney, Mel Collins, Frank Ricotti, Bobby Tench, Max Middleton.  Another lost soul band with a British twist - Worth seeking out.

EMI - EMC 3180

 

No CD issues on this band

Supercharge - Local Lads Make Good (1976)

From The Lost Record Covers Club

Music and laughter - couldn't be better.  These guys must have had a ball.  They had a number of releases on Virgin (This was their first).  Whilst some of the tracks here seemed at the time to parody the extremes of what was going on in rock and RnB, the passing of time means that it just now seems very real(!) I first heard them on the lead single "Lonely And In Love" a very pop/soul track.  Someone then pointed out the joke song "She Moved The Dishes First" surely the only song ever written about pissing in the sink.  That (not very funny) track aside there is lots to attract you to this.  Produced by "Mutt" Lange the musicianship is great and the full-on arrangements deliver. 


Virgin - V2053

Lewis Taylor - Stoned part II (2004)

From The Lost Record Covers Club

The fourth solo album from the brilliant Lewis Taylor.  see my comments on his career at In Appreciation Of...Lewis Taylor

Cado Belle - Cado Belle (1976)

From The Lost Record Covers Club

Only one album from another soulful British band of the 70's.  I seem to be developing a theme here.  This band were signed to the Anchor label which didn't last in the UK very long and perhaps this is why they disappeared off the radar so quickly after showing so much promise.  The band were - Maggie Reilly (vcls);Alan Darby (Gtr);Gavin Hodgson (bs); Stuart Mackillop (keys); Davy Roy (drm/perc) and; Colin Tully (sax/flt).  The backing vocals were augmented by two from Kokomo - Frank Collins and Paddy McHugh.  Ace Sax/arranger - Mel Collins also features along with Paul Buckmaster arranging strings.  Difficult to get hold of this on CD although you do see the vinyl every now and then at fairs and ebay. Nice packaging job.  Wonderful Soul Album from Brits again.

From The Lost Record Covers Club

Anchor Records - (pictures scanned from CD ANCL 2015 - Japanese Import)

http://45cat.com/artist/cado-belle

Kokomo - Rise And Shine (1975)

From The Lost Record Covers Club

More Brit Soul from the Kokomo team with them perfecting their sound.  Some changes in line-up from the first album with John Sussewell arriving on drums in place of Terry Stannard and Jody Linscott (Congas) and Jim Mullen (Guitar) moving on.  CBS, taken by surprise  by the reaction to the debut, put more behind this.  Alan Spenner vocals "Use You Imagination"; Tony O'Malley's massive title track and the trio of Birch, Collins and the flamboyant Paddy McHugh providing wonderful vocals front and rear throughout. Recorded at Criteria in Miami with Brad Shapiro (who was responsible for many of Millie Jackson's great productions amongst others) Excellent!

They made one further album later with CBS and had a minor hit with "A Little Bit Further Away"

CBS - 69229

Kokomo - Kokomo (1975)

From The Lost Record Covers Club

Sixth form banter produced a record club where groups of us used to vie with each other to find the next big thing.  Discoveries included Supertramp (circa Crime Of The Century); Cockney Rebel; Moon and Kokomo. 


The seventies found a number of UK bands producing viable white soul music and Kokomo alongside the Average White Band Cado Belle, Pacific Eardrum, FBI and Moon leading the pack.
As this was released and gained airplay via John Peel and others they embarked on their first headlining tour.  I took my wife on a first date to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London.  They were supported by Upp (more of them in a later post).  They perfomed all of this album and much of the about to be released "Rise and Shine".  A must see live act.  This gig was the one.  One of the killer tracks is featured below, a driving version of Bobby Womack's "I Can Understand It".  We later saw them supporting AWB when they returned after their success stateside.  Kokomo came back on stage for a massive version of "Grapevine" which also features on the AWB's "Person To Person" live set.


Members of the band came from Joe Cocker's Grease Band so soul was in their pedigree.  The singers Dyan Birch, Frank Collins and Paddy McHugh together with singer/bass player Alan Spenner would go on to ee the chosen session players for a host of premier bands including Roxy Music.  There is a twofer CD of these first two albums and a compilation (go for the former)

Columbia - PC 334422 (this is a US White Label Promo)


http://45cat.com/artist/kokomo

This is an ad from UK Blues and Soul magazine

Average White Band - Show Your Hand (1973)

From The Lost Record Covers Club

This is the first issue of the debut album of the Average White Band.  It was made when they had their initial deal with MCA and this album was later supplemented with an additional track and reissued under the title "Put It Where You Want It" (see post for that release).  For a soul fan finding this prior to the success of the "White Album" I was stunned to find them white and scottish!
MCA - MUPS 486

Moon - Too Close For Comfort (1976)

From The Lost Record Covers Club

The Marquee, Wardour Street 1975.  The gig to see this band. A real must-see in their day.  They did get on and release two albums ("Turning the Tides" is featured in an earlier post) but this is the one.  That gig was this tracklist plus "Night By Night" and "Moondance" - bloody marvelous!


Epic - EPC 81456

Moon - Turning The Tides (1977)

From The Lost Record Covers Club

Moon were a band in the late 70's.  They toured constantly eventually supporting Joan Armatrading on her Love and Affection tour and the Average White Band when they returned to the UK after their initial success in the US.  They made two albums for Epic - This is the second. Noel McCalla, their lead singer went on to sing with various bands including GND who were mildly succesful in Italy.  He has a unique voice.  The band mixed rock sounds with brass, rock guitar and a strong set of original songs.  I remember seeing them a few times and they also did great covers of Steely Dan's "Night By Night"  and Van Morrison's "Moondance"  - always an entertaining gig.

Epic - EPC 82084