Tag: Private Sale
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Various Artists, Fame: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture, 1980 on RSO
Whether you were around in 1980 or not, you know the title track from this soundtrack: “I’m gonna live forever / I’m gonna learn how to fly.” You may not remember the movie (I barely do) but you can’t avoid the song. It’s mostly Irene Cara, with one track each from Linda Clifford and Michael…
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Living Colour, Vivid, 1988 on Epic
The debut album from Vernon Reid, Corey Glover, Will Calhoun, and Muzz Skillings, better known as Living Colour. “Cult of Personality” raged all over in the late 80s – I loved their sound (metal and funk) and their presence. There are many great songs here – “Memories Can’t Wait,” “Open Letter (To a Landlord),” and…
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Duke Ellington, Ellington 65, 1964 on Reprise
Ellington did a couple of these in the mid-sixties: popular songs as arranged by Duke and Billy Strayhorn. It was recorded April 1964 at Fine Studios in NYC. The curiosity here is probably “Blowin’ In the Wind” by Dylan, but there’s also a “Fly Me To The Moon” and “Danke Schoen” for good measure. My…
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Pixies, Surfer Rosa, 1988 on 4AD / Rough Trade
Pixies were a Boston band, formed in the late 80s – Surfer Rosa was their debut full-length, following an EP (Come On Pilgrim). Pretty sure I saw them at Great Woods (now the XFinity Center) in 1989 opening for Love and Rockets. It was recorded at Q Division Studios in Somerville (in the Highland avenue…
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Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Live at the Fillmore East, 2007 on Reprise
Look at that line up on the Fillmore marquee: Miles Davis and Neil Young & Crazy Horse, followed by John Mayall, the Moody Blues, and Joe Cocker. I didn’t know Brian Auger, apparently he’s a hammond organist / jazz pianist. This was during the tour to support Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, with Danny Whitten…
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Natalie Cole, Inseparable, 1975 on Capitol
Debut album from Natalie Cole, with “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love” and “Inseparable,” her two big breakout hits. Songs written mostly by Chuck jackson and Marvin Yancy who also produced. (Cole married Yancy in 1976). She was the first African American woman (and first R&B act) to win a Grammy for Best New Artist,…
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Carly Simon, Boys in the Trees, 1978 on Elektra
Simon’s seventh studio album, with “You Belong To Me” (co-written by Simon with Michael McDonald) and a duet with then-hubbie James Taylor (who also wrote “One Woman Man”) on “Devoted to You” (an Everly Brothers cover). Steve Gadd on drums, Tony Levin / Gordon Edwards / Will Lee on bass, various guitarists plus a horn…
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The Trammps, The Best Of The Trammps, 1978 on Atlantic
Disco at its height: the Trammps, with two ems. There are actually two different “Best of The Trammps” albums – an earlier one on Philadelphia International Records and this one on Atlantic. Opener “Disco Inferno” is worth the price of admission (and you likely know it from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack) but they are…
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Chaka Khan, I Feel For You, 1984 on Warner Bros.
I suspect this is where I first heard Chaka Khan and knew I was hearing Chaka Khan. The title track was a massive hit, with Grandmaster Melle Mel (of the Furious Five) rapping “Ch-ch-ch-chaka-chaka-chaka Khan” on the intro. Of course Khan also had made many albums with Rufus (some styled as Rufus featuring Chaka Khan)…
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James Taylor, JT, 1977 on Columbia
This was Taylor’s eighth studio LP and his first on Columbia after years on Warner Bros. It was produced by Peter Asher and recorded in Los Angeles. Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, and Russ Kunkel appear, with guest backing vocals from Linda Rondstadt and his then wife Carly Simon on specific tracks. One of his best…
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Scritti Politti, Cupid & Pysche 85, 1985 on Warner Bros
Second album from UK band Scritti Politti, with their breakout single “Perfect Way.” Originally a lefty punk band (the name being a reference to the writings of Gramsci) they’d gone quite pop by 1985. (The LP came out on Virgin in the UK). One of the other major singles / hits was “Wood Beez (Pray…
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David Gray, Mutineers, 2014 on IHT Records
Not sure when I first discovered David Gray—it sort of feels like he’s always been there, but I know there must have been a moment I first heard him. Might have been “Babylon” of off 1998’s “White Ladder.” This was his tenth full-length album, produced by Andy Barlow who also handled programming. Wonderful collection representing…
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Aretha Franklin, Who’s Zoomin’ Who?, 1985 on Arista
From the 90s (Mazzy Star) back to the 80s: Aretha Franklin’s very eighties Who’s Zoomin’ Who?. She actually put out a number of albums in the 80s, but this is the only one I remember. Look at the glorious 80s neon fashion on that cover. The man on the inner sleeve is Franklin’s father, The…
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Bonnie Raitt, Nick of Time, 1989 on Capitol
Although this was Bonnie Raitt’s big commercial breakthrough—and maybe where I first heard her?—it was actually her tenth studio album. (Later I’d find her back catalogue which has much to recommend in it). It was also her first on Capitol, having been dropped by Warner Bros. It was produced by Don Was (future Blue Note…
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Steve Winwood, Back In The High Life, 1986 on Island
This was Winwood’s fourth solo LP and the most commercially successful. Guests include Chaka Khan (on “Higher Love”), James Ingram (on “Finer Things”) and James Taylor (on “Back In The High Life Again”). That’s quite a set of backing vocalists. Nile Rodgers also adds guitar on “Wake Me Up On Judgement Day.” You couldn’t avoid…
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Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Sporting Life Blues, 1987 on JSP Records
These recordings were made at a private party in Glasgow Scotland in 1958, and released on JSP records in 1987 (a year after Sonny Terry passed). It can be hard to find, though it seems to now be on spotify: Sporting Life Blues. (John Stedman is listed as producer on the 2025 digital release, and…
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Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago, 2008 on Jagjaguwar
This was self-released in 2007, but came out on Jagjaguwar in 2008. It would have been hard to imagine back then just how much impact Justin Vernon (as Bon Iver and under his own name) would have as a producer and collaborator. But it is just an excellent album all around: famously recorded by himself…
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Arcade Fire, Reflektor, 2013 on Merge
Fourth studio LP from Montreal Quebec’s Arcade Fire: a double album put out in 2013 by Sonovox and Merge in the US. James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem produced along with the band and Markus Dravs. I’ve also got the 12″ single claiming to be by The Reflektors, which has a full fake track list and…