Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Rose Royce - Rose Royce II: In Full Bloom (1977)

“Rose Royce II: In Full Bloom” by Rose Royce (1977)

Release Date: July 29, 1977
Produced by Norman Whitfield
Genre: R&B, Soul, Quiet Storm, Disco, Pop, Ballad
Label: Whitfield

Chart Positions: #9 (US), #16 (Canada), #18 (UK), #1 (US R&B)
Certifications: Platinum (US), Gold (UK)
Awards: N/A

Singles and Chart Positions: 
“Do Your Dance” #39 (US), #30 (UK), #66 (Canada), #20 (US Dance)
“It Makes You Feel Like Dancin’” #16 (UK), #20 (US Dance)
“Ooh Boy” #35 (Canada), #46 (UK), #72 (US), #3 (US R&B)
“Wishing On A Star” #1 (France), #3 (UK), #14 (Belgium), #15 (Netherlands), #101 (US), #52 (US R&B)
 Singles Certifications: “Wishin’ On A Star” Silver (UK)
Other Charting Tracks: N/A
Best Tracks: All Tracks – “Wishing On A Star,” “Ooh Boy,” “Do Your Dance,” “Fun Factory”


Trivia: “Rose Royce II: In Full Bloom” is the 1st true studio album by Rose Royce. Their first actual album was the Original Soundtrack album for the film “Car Wash” from which they achieved two major hit singles “Car Wash” and “I Wanna Get Next To You.” “In Full Bloom,” though it did not have any major hits in the US was a bigger hit than “Car Wash” in the US and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. This was their only platinum in the US.

The album is solid and is full of dance and quiet storm hits. “Ooh Boy” one of the albums rhythmic ballads gives us a Michael Jackson sort of feel.

“You’re My World, Girl” not released as a single is very similar to “I Wanna Get Next To You.” Most of the songs on the album feature the lead vocals of the incomparable Gwen Dickey but “You’re My World, Girl” features the vocals of Kenny Copeland as does “I Wanna Get Next To You.

“Do Your Dance” and “It Makes You Feel Like Dancin’” both follow in the same vein as “Car Wash” both made it to #20 on the US Dance/Disco charts. “Do Your Dance” made it to US #39, becoming Rose Royce’s 3rd US top 40 hit out of four total.

The album highlight “Wishing On A Star” ironically was not a hit in the US. It only made it to #101 on the US singles chart and #52 on the US R&B chart. As time has gone by the song though has become a classic in the US. In other parts of the world, the song was a huge hit reaching #1 in France and #3 in the UK. The song was certified Silver in the UK.

"Wishing on a Star" was written by former Undisputed Truth member Billie Rae Calvin. The song was covered by several artists and was finally a hit in the US in 1992 by the Cover Girls but it is the original version by Rose Royce that is now most recognized in the US and around the world.

Wishing On A Star (1977)








ROSE ROYCE

Saturday, September 15, 2018

Tanya Tucker - TNT (1978)

“TNT” by Tanya Tucker (1978)

Release Date: November 1978
Produced by Jeff Goldstein
Genre: Country, Country Rock, Rock, Pop
Label: MCA

Chart Positions: #54 (US), #52 (Canada), #2 (US Country, Canada Country)
Certifications: Gold (US, Canada)
Awards: Nominated for the “Best Female Rock Performance” Grammy Award (Donna Summer won the award that year)

Singles and Chart Positions: “Texas (When I Die)” #3 (Canada Country), #5 (US Country), “I’m The Singer, You’re The Song #6 (Canada Country), #18 (US Country), #25 (Canada Adult Contemporary)
 Singles Certifications: N/A
Other Charting Tracks: “Not Fade Away” #70 (US)
Best Tracks: “Not Fade Away,” “Lover Goodbye,” “Angel From Montgomery,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Bown Eyed Handsome Man,” “Texas (When I Die)”



“TNT” was Tanya Tucker’s 9th studio album and was her first to be certified Gold in both the US and Canada. The album also received a Grammy nomination in the category of "Best Female Rock Performance." This was Tanya's third of 10 Grammy nominations. She has yet to win a Grammy.

With “TNT” Tucker made a bold departure from her classic country music style to do a more rock-flavored album – but for good measure kept a slight hint of that country there for her longtime fans. The departure proved to be extremely successful for Tucker as the album is her second highest charting on the US Country chart and her highest charting on the Canadian Country chart. The album was also her highest charting on the US Billboard Top 200 albums chart reaching #54. Only 1991’s “What Do I Do With Me” and 1992’s “Can’t Run From Yourself” have charted higher reaching #48 and #51 respectively. IN Canada “TNT” is Tucker’s highest charting album on the pop charts reaching #52. It was also her first album to make it onto the Canadian Country charts.

Because of the success of “TNT” Tucker followed the album with 1979’s “Tear Me Apart,” another rock-influenced album but captured much less success and by 1980 returned to her country music roots.

Featuring a playful somewhat flirtatious exuberant attitude from Tanya, "TNT was in many ways her coming of age album. She had just turned 20 a month before it's release and was ready to prove she was more than just a cute country music sweetheart.

The album opens with Phil Everly’s synth drum rocker “Lover Goodbye” and sets the mood for the album. Her remake of John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery” is a beautiful southern rock ballad. Prine wrote and recorded this song for his 1971 debut album “John Prine.” Seals and Crofts helped on backing vocals on the ballad “The River and The Wind.”

The album’s first single “Texas (When I Die)” was the only true country number on the album. The song peaked at #5 on the US country chart and with time has become one of Tucker’s signature songs.

Tucker’s rendition of Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away” is a real scorching treat. The song was released as the b-side to “Texas (When I Die).” Receiving a fair amount of radio airplay and fan requests it ended up charting on Billboard’s Top 100 Singles chart reaching #70, making it the third highest charting pop single of her career.

Not Fade Away (1978)

Easily one of the album highlights is her rockin’ rendition of Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel,” why they did not release this as a single is a mystery to me. Tucker puts in a flavorful rockabilly rendition of Chuck Berry’s “Brown Eyed Handsome Man.” The song was originally released on Chuck Berry’s 1957 debut album “After School Session” and was used as the b-side to his 1956 single “Too Much Monkey Business.”

Often "TNT" sounds as if Tanya's aim was to crack the AOR radio format and would have done well alongside the queens of AOR such as Pat Benatar, Linda Ronstadt and Anne & Nancy Wilson (Heart).



TANYA TUCKER (1978)








TANYA TUCKER