This is an ongoing project by Claude Lemaire of Soundevaluations
246. ABC, "The Look of Love (USA remix-dub version)"/ "The Look of Love (part 3 dance version)". Mercury MDS-4023, Mercury 6400 751 (1982), 12" 45 rpm. Genre: synth-pop, dance-pop, new romantic, alternative.
Hailing from Sheffield, England, minimalist electro-new wave outfit Vice Versa started back in 1977. The quartet featured Ian Garth, David Sydenham, Stephen Singleton, and Mark White, the latter two going on to form ABC in autumn 1980. Lead singer Martin Fry, bassist Mark Lickley, and drummers David Palmer and David Robinson would join on board. Their first single, "Tears Are Not Enough" (Neutron Records NTX 101 promo), was quite a departure from Vice Versa's cold experimental style; instead it leaned more towards funky disco synth-pop stylings. So was their second single "Poison Arrow" (Mercury 811 329-1) from February 1982. In May the band would deliver its biggest hit with "The Look of Love." All three songs would appear on their debut album The Lexicon of Love (Neutron Records NTRS 1) in June. "The Look of Love" exist in many versions or "parts," as the album contains "part one" and "part four," while this US twelve-inch in question, features the "part 3 dance" on side B, as well as the longer "USA remix-dub" version on side A. The latter shows a heavy hand production by Trevor Horn, skillfully and artistically pushing sound boundaries in all directions. This creates one of the most impressive soundstage illusions I have experienced coming from standard stereo two-channel vinyl. I haven't heard the original UK pressing, but this US copy is simply perfect in all aspects; with very punchy articulate kick drum from the get-go, beautiful vocal textures, appropriate mild dynamic compression, and flawless tone balance, making it one of the top-sounding twelve-inch singles from the 1980s. Pressed by Hauppauge Record Manufacturing Ltd. in Long Island, New York. Truly demo-worthy material.
247. Ann C. Sheridan, "Sing It Low"/ "Sing It Low" (instr. version). RCA Victor PC 8109 (France), 12" 45 rpm, RCA JD-11049 (promo) (1977), RCA Victor PD-11049, 12", 33 1/3 rpm. Genre: disco.
There is scarce info on singer Ann C. Sheridan aka Ann Calvert, other than she was born in Portugal and later moved to France where she recorded two singles: the first, a forgettable disco cover of The Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)," and the second, "Sing It Low," released around autumn 1977 which went unnoticed unfortunately. Who knows why it stayed under the radar all these years, for it is a truly great disco song with outstanding full-bodied sound. The bass line alone is really killer, and all the rest—drums, percussions, hard-panned guitars, and sweet vocals—are guaranteed to put a smile on you or any audiophile friend you play it to. Side B carries the nice instrumental version. Co-composed by Calvert, and produced by French singer and songwriter Lucien Voulzy. Executive produced by Marc Exiga. Flawless production. I have not heard the original 45 rpm French pressing so all my comments above are based on the 33 1/3 rpm US pressing. There is also a US white label promo copy that I have not heard. Another blockbuster demo track.
248. Nightfall, "Keep It Up"/ "Keep It Up" (instr. version). RCA Victor – RCA JD-11084 (promo) (1977), RCA Victor PD-11084, 12", 33 1/3 rpm. Genre: disco.
Keeping in a similar style as Sheridan's "Sing It Low" is the single "Keep It Up" by an even more obscure disco formation called Nightfall released around the same time frame. Stephanie Richards was the lead vocalist while the track was produced by Eric Matthew and Cory Robbins. Barely twenty years old, Robbins left Midland International Records—the label behind famous disco acts such as Carol Douglas and Silver Convention—to sign with RCA. He would go on to produce Bettye LaVette's "Doin' the Best That I Can" (West End Records WES 22113-X) in 1978, as well as Front Page's "Love Insurance" (Panorama Records YD-11677) the following year, fronted by singer Sharon Redd. Sound quality is fantastic with punchy percussive breaks and kick drum, along side warm tonal balance, beautiful silky strings, and light joyful female vocals to an uptempo track. Side B sports the instrumental version.
249. Lightnin' Hopkins, Goin' Away. Prestige Bluesville BVLP 1073 (mono) (1963), Prestige PR 1073 (stereo) (1964), Analogue Productions, The Prestige Stereo series – APRJ 1073 (2021), 180g, 33 1/3 rpm. Genre: Texas blues, country blues.
Recorded June 1963, Goin' Away appears to be Hopkins' nineteenth album or so, and the eight for the Bluesville label, a subsidiary of Prestige. Born in Centerville, Texas in 1912, the country blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist, is adept at playing solo by simulating percussive accompaniment to his instrument with his remarkable fingerstyle approach, and had major influence on many Texas blues players, including Stevie Ray Vaughan. On this session, he's accompanied by Leonard Gaskin on bass, and Herbie Lovelle on drums, both in-demand studio musicians for that period. All four tracks per side are Hopkins' original compositions. Rudy recorded the trio at his Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs in New Jersey, and it is perhaps one of his best recordings—including his vast 'vault' for Blue Note and Prestige—period. Every nuance, be it the guitar strings, slaps and taps, the bass plucking, the delicate drum brushwork, the song's strong dynamics, and the perfect reverb ratio level on the vocals is to die for. No wonder this album was reissued in audiophile circles so many times; especially so through Analogue Productions past catalogue, going way back to 1991 when Doug Sax did the first serious remastering (APB 014) on their ubiquitous silver and black label. Then in 2003, Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman cut it as a double-45rpm (AJAZ 1073), which was followed by the single 200g 33 1/3 rpm by Kevin Gray alone in 2016 (APRJ 1073). Unfortunately I have none from this long list to compare with, but suffice to say that this 2021 reissue by Gray cut at Cohearent Audio in North Hills, California, and pressed on 180g at QRP in Salina, Kansas, is shockingly realistic, as though the musicians share the same room as we the listener. Needless to repeat myself... but yes, one again, demo reference record!
250- Oscar Peterson + Stephane Grappelli + Joe Pass + Mickey Roker + Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Skol. Pablo Live 2308-232 (1982), 33 1/3 rpm. Genre: jazz, swing, jazz manouche.
Skol is "cheers" or "a toast" in Danish, Swedish or Norwegian parlance—is like a fine wine, aging better over time. The album convenes Canadian pianist Oscar Peterson, French violinist Stephane Grappelli, American guitarist Joe Pass, drummer Mickey Roker, and Danish double bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, for a live concert in July 1979 at Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark. Reaching back to the mid-1930s, accompanied by guitarist Django Reinhardt, and his famous Quintette du Hot Club de France, Grappelli always possessed a special rich string tone from his violin, what could be interpreted as a mild magic manouche touch. Engineers Stig Kreutzfeldt, Angel Balestier, and Dennis Stands, recorded, and remixed respectively the album at Group IV Recording Studios in Hollywood, California. With superb sound throughout, truly realistic-sounding piano, excellent live dynamics, and the typical Pablo wide, warm-sounding tonal balance, Skol practically assures for some very accessible jazz and swing food on the menu.
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