Tag: 1981Page 1 of 2

Sly & Robbie; The Sixties, Seventies + Eighties = Taxi; 1981 on Mango

Great collection of songs produced by Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare, whose production company and label were both called Taxi, released on Mango which was an Island Records…

Prince, Controversy, 1981 on Warner Bros.

Prince’s fourth full-length album, which he wrote, produced, and played most the instruments on. (AndrĂ© Cymone gets co-writing credit on “Do Me Baby” on some later versions, but…

Daryl Hall and John Oates, Private Eyes, 1981 on RCA

I thought of this as an early Hall & Oates record, until I checked out their discography, which goes back to 1972’s Whole Oats. Turns out it is…

Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Almost Blue, 1981 on Columbia

Recorded in Nashville, this is Costello’s covers album of country greats – including Hank Williams and George Jones. I love Costello in his Americana / roots / country…

Depeche Mode, Speak & Spell: The 12″ Singles, 2018 on Mute

Reissued box of singles by Rhino / Sire / Mute. The singles: “Dreaming of Me,” “New Life,” and “Just Can’t Get Enough” all came out in 1981, the…

Depeche Mode, Live at Crocs Night Club Rayleigh Essex 27th June 1981, unlabelled bootleg, 2018

Per discogs, this seems to be a 2018 Spanish pressing of a bootleg that first appeared in the UK in 2006. Track A6 is listed just as “Boys”…

Stray Cats, Stray Cats / Pin Up, 1981 on Arista

This was their debut album – after forming in NY they moved to the UK and this was first released there in early 1981. It wasn’t released in…

James Blood Ulmer, Free Lancing, 1981 on Columbia.

A happy and accidental find at Academy Records in New York. Ulmer had played on several Ornette Coleman releases before going out on his own – this was…

The Replacements, Unsuitable for Airplay: The Lost KFAI Concert, 2022 on Twin/Tone.

Recorded live at the 7th St Entry on January 23rd, 1981 and released on vinyl as part of Record Store Day in April of 2022, this was also…

Eurythmics, In the Garden, 1981 on RCA

Many folks know Eurythmics only through a small set of hits – Sweet Dreams most notably, maybe a few others – but their output is really outstanding across…

Stephane Grappelli / David Grisman, Live, 1981 on Warner Brothers.

Great combo of two talented musicians: Grappelli on Violin and Grisman on Mandolin. Recorded at the Berkelee Center for the Performing Arts in Boston. Misty, Sweet Georgia Brown,…

Carly Simon, Torch, 1981 on Warner Bros.

Carly Simon, Torch, 1981 on Warner Bros. One of the earlier entries in the “contemporary singers do the American songbook” genre – very solid outing

Fiddle Fever, Fiddle Fever, 1981 on Flying Fish.

Fiddle Fever, Fiddle Fever, 1981 on Flying Fish. Is Fiddle Fever transmissable? That’s an awful lot of fiddles. They put out two LPs plus a Best Of CD

Pretenders, Extended Play, 1981 on Sire.

Pretenders, Extended Play, 1981 on Sire. Label’s a bit off center on this one (see photos). Extended Play came out six months before Pretenders II, but had Message…

The Blasters, The Blasters, 1981 on Slash.

The Blasters, The Blasters, 1981 on Slash. Their second album but first on Slash records- Border Radio, American Music, Marie Marie. via Residency Records, Salem MA

The Ohio Players, Tenderness, 1981 on The Boardwalk Entertainment.

The Ohio Players, Tenderness, 1981 on The Boardwalk Entertainment. Later Ohio Players, after some of the founders departed – but still a solid disco era funk/soul LP Via…

Ultravox, Rage In Eden, 1981 on Chrysalis

Ultravox, Rage In Eden, 1981 on Chrysalis Fifth full length from Ultravox with Midge Ure , Billy Currie, Chris Cross, and Warren Cann. Cover bleeding by Peter Saville…

Japan, Assemblage, 1981 on Hansa.

Japan, Assemblage, 1981 on Hansa. Collected tracks from their first three Hansa releases: Obscure Alternatives, Adolescent Sex, and Quiet Life, before the went to Virgin. Not necessarily the…

Psychedelic Furs, Talk Talk Talk, 1981 on Columbia

Psychedelic Furs, Talk Talk Talk, 1981 on Columbia Like many in the 80s I found the Psychedelic Furs via “Pretty in Pink” but there are so many great…

Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Trust, 1981 on Columbia

Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Trust, 1981 on Columbia Produced by Nick Lowe other than Big Sister’s Clothes One of the underrated Elvis Costello LPs – lots of…