Thank God It's Friday (1978)

This seems to have got better with age - a poor movie strung together with a few hits, some no hope tracks and some decent stuff.  A Casablanca double album with an additional 12" single of Donna Summer doing J'Taime (Moi Non Plus)  produced by her aces Moroder and Bellotte.  Other highlights are Natural Juices Floyd's Theme, Summer's stand alone hit "Last Dance" and Paul Jabara's pop hit "Trapped In A Stairway".  I have to say the billing for the movie as the next "Fever" was overdone but Casablanca still shifted van loads of this - swelling their ever draining funds (a complete other story - well documented in Larry Harris' label history "And Party Everyday").  Canny label heads got together with Gordy's Motown to co-produce the film, licensing hit tracks from Diana Ross, Thelma Houston and the Commodores to boost the set but basically the two and a half LPs were a stretch and a shorter highlights could have been a better seller.  The film is dire - watch it when wide awake or wanting of sleep!

Donna Summer RIP

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

Boomtown Rats - She's So Modern (1978)

From The Lost Record Covers Club

The Rats had a deal with Ensign Records run by Nigel Grainge.  He had a deal with Phonogram who licensed his products worldwide.  The Rats were certainly his biggest artist but the label had Light Of The World and Beggar And Co; Flash and The Pan and a few others.  The Rats had had a good run of singles and in the early 80's decided to reissue all the hits in their original picture bags (which would have been limited on original release).  They utilsed the same numbers and label art etc so it was a really economic way of repromoting the band's catalogue.  I think a few of them charted again in the lower reaches of the Top 40.  This is one of my favourites.  The art is very stylised like fashion sketches.

Ensign - ENY13 (7" Single)

City Boy - Book Early (1978)

From The Lost Record Covers Club

The second City Boy album which followed the success of 5705 as a single.  The release of this was really messed up from a marketing point of view as it should  have been ready as 5705 hit the charts but Phonogram delayed awaiting a follow-up hit which didn't come. Then production problems, by which time the buyers had moved on.  I saw this band at a showcase at Ronnie Scotts as the first album was released - the great track "Hap-Ki-Do Kid" was amazing and sadly didn't get the airplay it deserved.  They were a real live band putting on a great show.  Sadly they couldn't maintain their momentum and Phonogram lost interest.  Fact - 5705 was originally pressed as a single called "Turn To Jesus" but it was pulled prior to release in favour of a new set of lyrics (were they mindful of a potential radio problem in the US?).

Vertigo - 9102 026

Chris Rainbow - Looking Over My Shoulder (1978)

Whatever happened to..  This guy made two wonderful albums (this one and "Home of the Brave" posted previously) for Polydor in the 70's.  He was particularly loved by Kenny Everett and the late Roger Scott on Capital Radio (London) which is where I first heard him.  He used multi layered/tracked harmonies of his own voice to create a real Beach Boys-like sound (his tribute to Brian Wilson "Dear Brian" is perfect).  Turntable hits of "Solid State Brain" "Give Me What I Cry For" and "All Night" are also included on this very worthwhile immaculate pop album.  But what did Chris do next...?

As far as I know you can't get any CR stuff on CD not even in compilation

Polydor - 2383 467

Pacific Eardrum - Beyond Panic (1978)

Charisma - CAS 1136