Barry White - Can't Get Enough (1974)

“Can’t Get Enough” by Barry White (1974)

Release Date: August 6, 1974
Produced by Barry White
Genre: R&B, Disco, Soul, Pop, Quiet Storm
Label: 20th Century

Chart Positions: #1 (US, Italy), #2 (Canada, France), #4 (UK, Austria), #5 (Germany), #9 (Norway), #28 (Australia), #1 (US R&B)
Certifications: Gold (US, UK)
Awards: N/A

Singles and Chart Positions:
“Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love Babe” #1 (US), #2 (Canada, France), #3 (Italy), #8 (UK),  #12 (Netherlands, South Africa), #13 (Belgium), #23 (Australia), #25 (Germany), #1 (US R&B), #26 (US Adult Contemporary)
“You’re The First, The Last, My Everything” #1 (UK, Italy), #2 (US, South Africa), #3 (Brazil), #4 (France), #5 (Canada), #6 (Ireland, Belgium), #7 (Australia, Austria, Switzerland), #9 (Germany), #13 (Netherlands), #1 (US R&B), #2 (US Dance)
 Singles Certifications: “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love Babe”  (US Gold), “You’re The First, The Last, My Everything”  (US Gold, UK Silver)
Other Charting Tracks: N/A
Best Tracks: All Tracks – Solid Album from start to finish

“Can’t Get Enough” by Barry White (Click Here)

“Can’t Get Enough” is Barry White’s third album and his first to crack the top five in the US and in many other parts of the world. This was Barry’s breakout, the one that launched him to worldwide superstardom.

The album topped the R&B albums chart, his third to do so. It also topped the US Billboard 200 and peaked at #4 on the UK Albums Chart as well as #1 in Italy and #2 in Canada and France.

Barry White wrote all the songs on the album as well as producing, arranging and engineering the album. White was a super talent well worth the recognition he received throughout the 70s and into the 90s.

Despite featuring two of his biggest career hits the album is a solid work with every song worthy of having been a single release.

“Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe” was released as the first single from his album Can't Get Enough in 1974, the song topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts and was a big hit throughout much of Europe. It was his second U.S. chart-topper, after "Love's Theme". The song is a pop-soul track with lush string arrangements and a disco-influenced beat behind it.

Barry White fell in love in 1973 with Glodean James, who was one of the members of his Love Unlimited backing trio of singers. He wrote, “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love Babe” for her one night when he had troubles falling asleep. Barry and Glodean married in October 1974 and for a time were one of the best-known couples in showbiz. The pair separated in 1988 but never divorced and remained good friends for the remainder of White's life.

“You’re The First, The Last, My Everything” has gone on to become Barry’s biggest career hit and was the second single from the album. The song was White's fourth top ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, reaching #2; it spent a week at #1 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart. The early disco classic made it to number two on the disco/dance charts. In the UK Singles Chart, it fared even better, spending two weeks at the top in December 1974. It was also #1 in Italy, #2 in South Africa, #3 in Brazil, #4 in France and #5 in Canada and reached the Top 20 in another dozen countries around the world.

"You're The First, The Last, My Everything" (1974)

White's friend Peter Radcliffe started writing this as a Country song called "You're My First, You're My Last, My In-Between," but he couldn't get it recorded for 21 years. White recorded this as a Disco song, keeping most of the structure and two-thirds the title, but he rewrote the lyrics.

The album was a big winner at the 1974 NAACP Awards, which were presented in January 1975. White won Album of the Year ("Can't Get Enough), Male Vocalist of the Year and Producer of the Year. He attended the awards ceremony with his (then) wife Glodean.

The following review appeared in the July 20, 1974 issue of Billboard Magazine in the Top Single Picks section:
"Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe"
"Short talking intro leads into strongest vocal Barry has come up with in some time. Most uptempo thing he's done in a while, which includes his usual strong production work and distinctive beat which should be perfect for discos. Could cross easily into pop."

Link to “Can’t Get Enough” (Click Here)

Barry White 1974

BARRY WHITE

The Stylistics - Let’s Put It All Together (1974)

“Let’s Put It All Together” by The Stylistics (1974)

Release Date: May 1974
Produced by Hugo & Luigi, Thom Bell
Genre: R&B, Philadelphia Soul, Quiet Storm
Label: Avco

Chart Positions: #14 (US), #26 (UK), #4 (US R&B)
Certifications: Gold (US), Silver (UK)
Awards: N/A

Singles and Chart Positions: 
“You Make Me Feel Brand New” #1 (Canada, Brazil), #2 (US, UK), #3 (Australia), #6 (South Africa), #11 (Netherlands), #23 (Belgium), #5 (US R&B), #6 (US Adult Contemporary)
“Let’s Put It All Together” #4 (Brazil), #9 (UK), #18 (US), #8 (US R&B), #26 (US Adult Contemporary)
Singles Certifications: “You Make Me Feel Brand New” (US Gold, UK Silver)
Other Charting Tracks: N/A

Best Tracks: “You Make Me Feel Brand New,” “Let’s Put It All Together Again,” “I Got A Letter,” “We Can Make It Happen Again,” “Doin’ The Street”

“Let’s Put It All Together” by The Stylistics (Click Here) 

“Let's Put It All Together is the fourth studio album by The Stylistics and was their best selling album overall.

The album reached #14 on the Billboard 200, their highest ever position on that chart, and #4 on the R&B albums chart. "You Make Me Feel Brand New", which originally appeared in a five-minute version on their previous album, Rockin' Roll Baby, was included in an edited version. This version was released as a single and became a huge hit, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. It also peaked at #5 on R&B singles chart and #6 on the Easy Listening chart. “You Make Me Feel Brand New” ended up being The Stylistics biggest hit worldwide and was their last to reach the Top 15 in the US. This was written by the Philadelphia songwriters Linda Creed and Thom Bell. Both songwriters made huge contributions to the Philadelphia Soul sound, writing many hits for The Stylistics and The Spinners. Bell also produced this track.

You Make Me Feel Brand New (1974)

The title track, “Let’s Put It All Together,” was also successful, peaking at number #18 on the Billboard Hot 100, their last big hit on that chart, #8 on the R&B singles chart, and #9 on the UK Singles chart. The Hugo & Luigi tracks were arranged and conducted by Van McCoy.

The following review appeared in the May 11, 1974 issue of Billboard Magazine in the Top Album Picks section:
"One of today's finer soul congregations, able to offer a variety of styles both vocally and instrumentally. The falsetto vocals so popular in soul is prominent, but the group is also able to offer lead singers with more traditional sounding vocalizing as well as serving up a healthy dish of harmonizing. Production of Hugo & Luigi is as outstanding as it was 15 years ago. Sure to get Pop and MOR play as well as soul play. Best Cuts: Let's Put It All Together," "You Make Me Feel Brand New," "I Got Time On My Hands." Dealers: Group has been around and is well known. Use step down display if possible."

The Stylistics 1974

Link to “Let’s Put It All Together” 

THE STYLISTICS

Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco - Celia and Johnny (1974)

“Celia & Johnny” by Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco (1974)

Release Date: March 26, 1975
Produced by Jerry Masucci
Genre: Salsa, Guaracha, Bolero
Label: Vaya Records, Fania

Chart Positions: N/A
Certifications: N/A

Singles and Chart Positions: “Quimbara,” “Toro Mata,” El Pasa Del Mullo”
Singles Certifications: N/A
Other Charting Tracks: N/A/
Best Tracks: “Quimbara,” “Toro Mata,” “El Paso,” “Lo Tuyo Es Mental,” “No Mercedes”

“Celia & Johnny” by Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco (Click Here) 

“Celia y Johnny,” undoubtedly the most important album in Celia Cruz’s career, opened the doors of success for the famous Cuban singer with the force of a raging bull.

The singer had been fighting to break out onto the salsa scene since her arrival to the United States in 1962. Her career had been lethargic during the era of the boogaloo. In the early 1970s, a series of commercial flights were hijacked to Cuba, becoming a weekly event. Fearing she might board a flight that was hijacked to Cuba, Cruz decided to stop flying altogether. This, combined with disagreements with the Tico label over the direction of her career, kept her isolated from the beginnings of the salsa movement that took shape under the Fania label.

After Celia’s participation in the Carnegie Hall stage concert of “Hommy”,  with the Fania All Stars, it was time for Cruz to record a full-length album that would showcase her interpretive skills. “Celia y Johnny” proved just the trick. Pacheco wasn’t the first to use the term salsa to describe music, but Fania Records made it nationally popular, and Celia & Johnny was its first breakout hit.

Johnny Pacheco had been enjoying a long and successful music career. Since his early days as a percussionist in the Xavier Cougat Orchestra, the Dominican had learned a lot about style and rhythm. His unique sound known as the “Pacheco Groove” had turned him into a favorite, particularly among New York dancers, and among lovers of Afro-Caribbean music in general.

Pacheco, a founding member of the Fania label, had noticed that Cruz’s early recordings on the Tico label with the Tito Puente Orchestra tended to limit her impressive voice, which he felt was not reaching its potential against the enormous sound of Puentes big band. Pacheco sad, “Let me put it to you this way: Celia sounds good with a stick banging against a can, she didn’t need all those instruments.”

Singers such as Melón, Pete El Conde Rodríguez, and later, Héctor Casanova, achieved great success and acceptance in combination with the Pachecho sound. Pacheco understood that his resounding style would help to highlight Cruz’s incomparable voice.

Paired with the Pacheco groove, the Queen of Rumba evolved, unleashing two of her greatest hits: “Toro Mata” and “Quimbara.” Both received wild acclaim among dancers, who immediately accepted her as the favorite on the growing salsa market, which was about to take the world by storm.

The first single to make a splash was “Quimbara”, a high energy rumba song which immediately showcased Celia’s vocal talent and stage energy immediately became an enormous and explosive hit.

“Quimbara,” written by Junior Cepeda (a talented young Boricua was killed by his live-in girlfriend at the age of 22), became Celia’s new signature song, and “Celia & Johnny” still had a lot more to offer. The “guaracha” “Lo Tuyo es Mental” became another hit, along with a Salsa version of the Peruvian folk song “Toro Mata”.

The Johnny Pacheco groove and the charming essence of Celia Cruz forged a bond that took control of the most important period in the history of salsa. This period has now gone down in history as The Golden Age of Salsa. This album is an intensely important one within the historical, political, and social context that marked the time.

"Quimbara" (1974)

Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco (1974)

Link to “Celia & Johnny” (Click Here)

Celia and Johnny

Supertramp - Crime Of The Century (1974)

“Crime of the Century” by Supertramp (1974)

Release Date: September 1974
Produced by Ken Scott, Supertramp
Genre: Art-Rock, Progressive Rock, Symphonic Rock, Classic Rock
Label: A&M

Chart Positions: #4 (UK, Canada), #5 (Germany), #12 (New Zealand), #15 (Australia), #19 (France), #21 (Spain), #25 (Netherlands), #38 (US)
Certifications: Diamond (Canada), Platinum (France), Gold (US, UK, Germany, Switzerland)

Singles and Chart Positions: 
“Dreamer” (#10 France, #13 UK, #34 New Zealand, #47 Australia)
“Bloody Well Right” #34 New Zealand, 335 US, #49 Canada)
“School” (#27 Netherlands, #1 France)
Singles Certifications: N/A
Other Charting Tracks: N/A
Best Tracks: All tracks – Entire album excels

“Crime Of The Century” by Supertramp (Click Here)

“Crime of the Century” is the third studio album released by Supertramp. It spawned three hit singles “Dreamer,” “Bloody Well Right” and “School.” “School” was released as a single ten years after the album’s release in 1984 throughout Europe. “Crime of the Century” was Supertramp's commercial breakthrough in both the US and UK, aided by the UK hit "Dreamer" and the U.S. hit "Bloody Well Right."

Crime of the Century is a concept album that tells the story of Rudy. In "School," Rudy has lamented that the education system in England is teaching conformity above education (boy, Rudy, you should see America).

The album's dedication reads "To Sam", which is a nickname for Stanley August Miesegaes, the Dutch millionaire who supported the band financially from 1969–72.

After the failure of their first two albums and an unsuccessful tour, the band broke up, and Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson recruited new members, drummer Bob C. Benberg, woodwinds player John Helliwell, and bassist Dougie Thomson. This new line-up were sent by their record label, A&M, in particular A&R man Dave Margereson (who would become their manager for the next ten years) to a seventeenth-century farm in West Dorset in order to rehearse together and prepare the album. While recording the album, Davies and Hodgson recorded approximately 42 demo songs, from which only 8 were chosen to appear on the album. Several other tracks appeared on later albums (Crisis? What Crisis?, ...Famous Last Words...).

This new lineup recorded "Crime of the Century" with in a three and a half month period. Upon it's release the album became Supertramp's breakthrough album giving them their first hit singles and their first album to reach the Top 40 (and higher) throughout the world.

"Bloody Well Right" was Supertramp's first charting hit in the US, while it failed to chart in the UK. One theory on why the song didn't chart in their UK homeland has it that Brits were still offended by the adjective "bloody" in 1975. These days it is considered a mild expletive throughout the UK. Written by Supertramp leaders Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson, Davies sings lead on this one. The song deals with youthful confusion, class warfare, and forced conformity in the British school system (kind of like Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall (part II)"). This anti-establishment take was a theme of the album. "Bloody Well Right" is actually an answer song to the previous song on the album, "School."

“Dreamer” is about a guy with big dreams who is incapable of acting on them, so they never come true. As was custom with Supertramp, it was credited to their founding members Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson, who wrote separately but shared composer credits. "Dreamer" was written by Hodgson, who also sang lead.

The following is a review which appeared in the December 7, 1974 issue of Billboard Magazine:
Rather old mix of rock in the more traditional vein, strong electronic and horn sounds and some humorous moments from British quintet who can rock with the best or move through quiet harmonies. Best material seems to be the up-tempo things that allow the band a chance to rock, but it all works well. Not really an AM group in the "singles" sense of the word, but one that should find a quick home on any station willing to play some LP cuts. One would also imagine that this kind of band would benefit greatly from a tour. Fairly unique in material and sound, which is worth a listen to itself these days. 
Best Cuts: "Bloody Well Right," "Hide In Your Shell," "Dreamer," "Crime of the Century"

Bloody Well Right (1974)

Supertramp (1975)

Link to “Crime Of The Century” (Click Here)

SUPERTRAMP

Anne Murray - Love Song (1974)

“Love Song” by Anne Murray (1974)

Release Date: February 1974
Produced by Brian Ahern
Genre: Country, Pop
Label: Capitol

Chart Positions: #5 (Canada), #24 (US)
Certifications: N/A

Singles: “Send A Little Love My Way” #25 (Canada), #72 (US), #10 (Canada Country), #6 (Canada Adult Contemporary), #79 (US Country), #10 (US Adult Contemporary), “A Love Song” #1 (Canada), #12 (US), #88 (Australia), #1 (Canada Country), #1 (Canada Adult Contemporary), #5 (US Country), #1 (US Adult Contemporary), “You Won’t See Me” #5 (Canada), #8 (US), #49 (Australia), #4 (Canada Adult Contemporary), #1 (US Adult Contemporary), “Just One Look” #11 (Canada), #86 (US), #50 (US Adult Contemporary)
Singles Certifications: N/A
Other Charting Tracks: “Son Of A Rotten Gambler” #1 (Canada Adult
Contemporary), #3 (Canada Country), #5 (US Country)

Best Tracks: “A Love Song,” “Just One Look,” “Real Emotion,” “You Won’t See Me,” “Son of a Rotten Gambler”

“Love Song” by Anne Murray (Click Here)

"Love Song" is the ninth studio album by Anne Murray issued in 1974 on Capitol Records. It peaked at #24 on the US Billboard Pop Albums chart and won a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and was nominated in the "Best Selling Album" category in the 1975 Juno Awards. Anne Murray’s rendition of the song "Send a Little Love My Way" was featured in the Stanley Cramer film, “Oklahoma Crude,” and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in 1973.

A highlight from the album is the Lennon-McCartney Beatles tune “You Won’t See Me,” which went on to be a big hit for Murray reching #8 in the US and #5 in Canada. Lennon is said to have told Murray that her version of "You Won't See Me" was his favorite Beatles cover ever. Murray herself is a confessed Beatles fanatic and has covered several other Beatles songs, including "Day Tripper" and "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You".

“A Love Song” was written specifically by Kenny Loggins (and Donna Lyn George) for Anne Murray. The song was a major crossover hit for Murray. In her native Canada, it topped all three singles charts: the overall Top Singles chart, the Country Tracks chart and the Adult Contemporary chart. In the United States, the song peaked at No. 5 on Billboard magazine's Hot Country Singles chart and just missed the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 12. The song fared even better there in the adult contemporary market — it became Murray's third chart-topper on Billboard's American Hot Adult Contemporary Singles chart. This was the second time Anne charted with a Loggins & Messina song, having reached the Top 10 with her version of "Danny's Song" in 1973.

"A Love Song" (1974)

Anne was obviously a Kenny Loggins fan as she included a cover of the Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina penned "Watching The River Run" on this album. Murray's rendition is very similar to Loggins and Messina's with a homegrown feel to it.

Both "A Love Song" and "Watching The River Run" appeared on the Loggins and Messina album "Full Sail" which was released in October 1973.

The album's fourth single "Just One Look," a cover of Doris Troy's 1963 Top Ten was fairly popular in Canada but barely made a mark in the US. Though it's b-side "Son of a Rotten Gambler" gained quite a bit of traction on the country music charts in both the US and Canada. "Son of a Rotten Gambler" was written by Chip Taylor who is known for having written the mega-hit "Angel In The Morning" and the Troggs' 1966 classic "Wild Thing."

Murray gives us a great bluesy cover of Alan O’Day’s “Real Emotion.” We know Alan O’Day from his 1977 million selling chart topping hit “Undercover Angel” and Helen Reddy’s #1 hit in 1974 “Angie Baby,” which O’Day wrote. Anne Murray covered Alan O’Day’s “Caress Me Pretty Music” for her 1976 album “Keeping In Touch.”

In their review of this album Rolling Stone magazine commented, "if 1974 is to be the year for female pop, Anne Murray may prove to be it's most talented proponent.

Anne Murray (1974)

Link to “Love Song” (Click Here)

ANNE MURRAY

Camel - Mirage (1974)

“Mirage” by Camel (1974)

Release Date: March 1, 1974
Produced by David Hitchcock
Genre: Progressive Rock
Label: Deram, Gamma, Janus
Chart Positions: #149 (US)
Singles: No single releases

“Mirage” is the second studio album for the British progressive rock band Camel and was their first to make it on the charts anywhere in the world. The album made it to #149 in the US. Oddly enough the album did not chart in the UK. Despite it’s low charting in the US and lack of chart action in any other part of the world “Mirage” has gone on to be a Camel classic.

“Mirage” by Camel (Click Here)

With the album “Mirage,” Camel begin to develop their own distinctive sound, highlighted by the group's liquid, intricate rhythms and the wonderful, unpredictable instrumental exchanges by keyboardist Pete Bardens and guitarist Andy Latimer. Camel also distinguish themselves from their prog rock peers with the multi-part suite "Lady Fantasy," which suggests the more complex directions they would take a few albums down the line. Also, Latimer's graceful flute playing distinguishes several songs on the record, including "Supertwister," and it's clear that he has a more supple technique than such contemporaries as Ian Anderson.

"Mirage" established Bardens and Latimer as the band's main songwriters, showing off their solid musicianship with a leaning toward a tricky and complex time signature.

The classic Camel lineup occupied a unique niche in progressive rock, specializing in fluid, spacey ensemble workouts – rarely as flashy as Genesis, never as bombastic as Emerson Lake and Palmer. "We're considered a progressive band, by default, really," guitarist-flautist Andy Latimer told Will Romano for his 2010 book Mountains Come Out of the Sky: The Illustrated History of Prog Rock. "I always thought that people like Yes and King Crimson and ELP were much more obscure than Camel. They were probably better players and consequently got into much more complicated material, which made it even. . . less accessible." The quartet's second album, Mirage, fulfills their debut’s scattered promise, with Latimer and keyboardist Pete Bardens leading the rhythm section through breezy instrumentals (the contemplative "Supertwister") and expansive multi-part suites (the Lord of the Rings–themed "Nimrodel/The Procession/The White Rider").

Mirage is a well rounded, jazz, folk, metal fantasy-themed progressive rock album of the highest order yet it failed to enter the UK album charts and only just crawled into the US billboard 200. Perhaps its to do with the bands endorsements of cigarettes that had something to do with its lack of publicity and therefore lack of sales?

Right from the start the album was problematic. You see the band didn’t get their name from the humped, spitting creature that roams the deserts but from the cigarettes they smoked and there lies the problem because not everyone shared their love of the cancerous weed, particularly the American music industry.  The bands website has the full details but from a marketing point of view, cigarette endorsements, even in the 70s were a disaster. What was even worse was the iconic camel cigarette logo cover on the USA version of album had to be scrapped and replaced with a ridiculous cover of a muscle flexing camel with wings.

Side one opens with Freefall (5mins 55sec) featuring Andy Latimer's stunning guitar and some super fast drumming from Andy Ward. The lyrics and the vocals are a little tame in this track but it’s all backed up with an ensemble of rock/jazz guitar and organ work creating a genuinely bright and interesting start to the album. The quality of Latimer's playing is a significant strength to the album either on flute or guitar. His skills were recognized at the prog rock music awards in 2014 when he was awarded for his lifetime achievement.

Up next is one of the highlights of prog rock "Supertwister "(3mins 20 sec)

This kicks off with Latimer on flute and an exciting percussion back drop with ground breaking use of bottles and aerosols providing the rhythm and ends with probably the greatest ending to a record in the world (I should have used a Carlsberg for this picture but we only had Tetley)

"Supertwister" (1974)

We’re now into the last track, three part 9 mins 18sec of Nimrodel, Procession and The White Rider which all combine to form one song.  A slow intro leads onto church bells ringing and crowds cheering before leading to the JR Tolkien Lord of the Rings inspired “White Rider” , featuring echoing guitar solos similar or better than Dire Straits Mark Knopfler coupled with Peter Bardens mini moog, organ, and celeste . There’s even sections where the mini moog takes centre stage very similar to Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells and also sections where the Mellotron gets an airing. Don’t know what a Mellotron is? "It’s the instrument used in the introduction of Beatles Strawberry Fields Forever," Paul McCartney has explained.

Earthrise (6mins 50secs) starts with some howling wind sound effects to set the scene and the mini moog is providing the “vocals” for an instrumental that just doesn’t need lyrics to tell the story. A real belter of a rock song for you to let your hair down to, Doug Ferguson laying a base with his bass (what else!)

Track two side two is Lady Fantasy at a very healthy 12mins and 59 seconds – not quite 13 minutes (which would be unlucky I guess) “Listen very carefully my words are about to unfold”

This is pure prog, all over the place, up and down, varied and magical with a large helping of full heavy metal mixed with elegant guitar, organ and Celeste solos (a Celeste is a small keyboard instrument). The track builds and builds before finally heading for a mellow “Dire Straits” finale.

Mirage is pure poetry, I can play it again and again and never get bored of it.

Camel (1974)

Link to “Mirage” (Click Here)

CAMEL

Kraftwerk - Autobahn (1974)

“Autobahn” by Kraftwerk (1974)

Release Date: November 1, 1974

Produced by Ralf Hütter, Conny Plank, Florian Schneider

Genre: Electronic, Avant-Garde,  Krautrock

Label: Phillips, Vertigo

Chart Positions: #4 (UK), #5 (US, Canada), #7 (Germany, New Zealand), #9 (Australia), #11 (Netherlands), #27 (Sweden)

Certifications: Gold (France), Silver (UK)

Singles: “Mitternacht,” “Kometenmelodie 2,” “Autobahn” #3 (France), #4 (New Zealand), #9 (Germany), #11 (UK), #12 (Holland, Canada), #15 (South Africa), #16 (Netherlands), #20 (Ireland), #22 (Belgium), #25 (US), #27 (Belgium), #30 (Australia)

Autobahn is the fourth studio album by German electronic band Kraftwerk, released in November 1974. The 22-minute title track "Autobahn" was edited to 3:27 for single release and reached number 25 in the US, number 9 in Australia and performed even higher around Europe, reaching number 4 in the UK and number 7 in Germany. This commercial success came after the band had released three experimental and purely instrumental albums.

The album possesses many ironies in it music. The arrangements are precise to the point of suggesting mechanism yet able to showcase the group's gift for simple, wistful melodies. Kraftwerk is able to capture and make beautiful the sensations of everyday activity - such as going for a drive along the highway (or autobahn if you may).  The album is based on the very first road opened in Germany in 1932, a year before Hitler's ascension to Chancellorship. The album however has nothing to do with Hitler and everything to do with an enjoyable trip on the autobahn.

“Autobahn” by Kraftwerk (Click Here)

Autobahn is an electronic album that includes violin, flute, piano and guitar used along with synthesizers. Autobahn is where the group's hypnotic electronic pulse genuinely came into its own. The main difference between Autobahn and its predecessors is how it develops an insistent, propulsive pulse that makes the repeated rhythms and riffs of the shimmering electronic keyboards and trance-like guitars all the more hypnotizing. Within Autobahn, the roots of electro-funk, ambient, and synth pop are all evident -- it's a pioneering album. The album brought Kraftwerk into the spotlight charting in high positions throughout the world with its highest peak positions in the UK (#4) and US (#5). he album cover, which features a colorful drawing of a motorway on a summer day, was painted by Emil Schult, who also co-wrote the lyrics to the title song.

Autobahn (Single Edit 1974)

There were three singles released from the album the first “Mitternacht” (Midnight) went almost unnoticed and failed to chart. The second single, an instrumental track, “Kometenmelodie” (Comet Melody 2) also failed to chart. Finally it was the third single “Autobahn” that burned up the charts around the world. “Autobahn” is a 22 minute long that was crafted to reproduce a journey on the German motorway. Band member Ralf Hutter recorded the passing cars in the background by dangling a microphone out of the window of his old grey Volkswagen, as it traveled down the autobahn. However, these recordings were not suitable for the song, so they recreated the car sounds using synthesizers. The song was was edited to a more modest 3 minute and 28 seconds running time and was released to the US market while a differently edited version of 3 minutes and 8 seconds was released in the UK. There has been confusion as to what Kraftwerk sings in the vocals. Some people have thought they were saying “fun, fun, fun on the autobahn,” but they were actually singing, "wir fahren, fahren, fahren auf der Autobahn" which means "we drive, drive, drive on the Autobahn.” The song was a huge hit reaching the Top 30 in more than a dozen countries around the world including its highest peak positions in France (#3), New Zealand (#4) and Germany (#9).

The influence of "Autobahn" only continued to grow with influence as each year has gone by. Hints of the Kraftwerk sound began to show up in the music of the artists such as David Bowie, Africa Bambaataa and Depeche Mode. 

Kraftwerk (1974)

Link to “Autobahn” (Click Here)

KRAFTWERK

Robin Trower - Bridge of Sighs (1974)

“Bridge Of Sighs” by Robin Trower (1974)
Release Date: April 20, 1974
Produced by Matthew Fisher
Chart Positions: #1 (UK, Australia, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, Sweden), #2 (US), #5 (Netherlands), #23 (Japan), #29 (Germany)
Certifications: Gold (US) Silver (UK)
Singles: “Too Rolling Stoned”
Label: Chrysalis

Bridge of Sighs is the second solo album by the English guitarist and songwriter Robin Trower. It was released in 1974. Bridge of Sighs, his second album after leaving Procol Harum, was a breakthrough album for Trower. Songs from this album, such as "Bridge of Sighs", "Too Rolling Stoned", "Day of the Eagle", and "Little Bit of Sympathy", have become live concert staples for Trower.
The album was produced by organist Matthew Fisher, formerly Trower's bandmate in Procol Harum. Acclaimed Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick was this album's sound engineer.

“Bridge Of Sighs” by Robin Trower (Click Here)

In an interview with Guitar World, Robin Trower explained how the album got its title. Robin said that he had had the first line of the song for years and then one day he saw some sport pages which listed a racehorse called Bridge of Sighs and thought that would be a great title.

Bridge of Sighs (Chrysalis 1057) reached #7 in the UK during a chart stay of 31 weeks. It was certified Gold on 10 September 1974. Early printings of the original album cover had the front image upside-down, and were more greenish in colour.

“Bridge of Sighs” is Robin Trower’s career watermark. It is his highest charting UK album. “Bridge of Sighs” was a throwback to the ’60s. Even if it was behind the times, the Cream and Jimi Hendrix inspiration resonates, particularly on the LP bookends, “Day of the Eagle” and “Little Bit of Sympathy,” and “Lady Love,” which is reminiscent of Free.

Even the liquid dreamscapes conveyed by the brilliantly languid title track and “In this Place” seem to hearken back to the previous decade, which quite possibly explained why they connected deeply with listeners still mourning for the quickly fading, unfulfilled promises of the Summer of Love. As such, just as the real Bridge of Sighs, located in Venice, Italy, had once transported medieval convicts from court to gallows, Trower’s masterwork carried the musical ghosts of the ‘60s into the new decade, before paying them a teary goodbye forever.

“Too Rolling Stoned” was the only single release from the album. The song failed to chart but has become a favorite of Trower fans.

"Too Rolling Stoned"

Robin Trower (1974)

Link to “Bridge of Sighs” (Click Here)

ROBIN TROWER

Cher - Dark Lady (1974)

“Dark Lady” by Cher (1974)

Release Date: May 1974
Produced by Snuff Garrett
Chart Positions: #69 (US), #33 (Canada), #86 (Australia)
Certifications: N/A

Singles: “Dark Lady” #1 (US, Canada, Sweden), #4 (France, South Africa), #10 (Norway), #15 (Netherlands), #17 (Australia, Holland), #22 (Belgium), #36 (UK)
“Train Of Thought” #27 (US), #10 (France), #18 (Canada), #84 (Australia)
“I Saw A Man And He Danced With His Wife” #42 (US), #31 (Canada)
“Rescue Me” #82 (Canada)

“Dark Lady” is Cher’s eleventh studio album and her fifth (and final) for MCA Records (the first two were on Kapp-MCA). Released the year following “Half Breed”, “Dark Lady” is very similar, like an extension of that album with an inclusion of a rock edge and a dark edge that did not exist on “Half Breed.” The album was produced by Snuff Garrett. He produced four albums for Cher in the 1970s and also produced a few Sonny & Cher albums as well as Bobby Vee, Gary Lewis and the Playboys. One of the biggest hits he produced is Vickie Lawrence’s “The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia.”

“Dark Lady” by Cher (Click Here)

After the success of “Half-Breed,” Cher once again chose Snuff Garrett and Al Capps to produce “Dark Lady, her final album for MCA. During that same year, she divorced Sonny Bono, this ended their professional musical ties and television show for a while. Due to the success of previous albums produced by Garrett, “Dark Lady” followed the same narrative ballad style.

"Dark Lady", the album's first single release, reached #1 in the US, Canada and Sweden. The song became Cher's third solo U.S. #1 hit on March 23, 1974, and her last until "Believe" twenty-five years later. It also reached #3 on the US Adult Contemporary chart. "Dark Lady" also charted at #36 in the UK, #4 in France and South Africa, #10 in Norway and the Top 40 in many countries around the world. "Dark Lady" was written and composed by The Ventures' keyboard player, Johnny Durrill. He recalled: "I spent a week in Snuff Garrett's office playing him songs, and Cher ended up recording “Carousel Man.” Later, when I was on tour in Japan with the Ventures, I was writing an interesting song. I telegraphed the unfinished lyrics to Garrett. He said to 'make sure the b#!ch kills him.' Hence, in the song both the lover and fortune teller were killed." Thus, "Dark Lady" may with some accuracy be described as a murder ballad, even though the narrator of its lyrics essentially commits a crime of passion. The "Dark Lady" of the song's title is a gypsy fortune teller in New Orleans with a history of disdain for men (the narrator of the song describes seeing scratches on the inside of the teller's limousine from her previous conquests). The narrator follows the fortune teller's limousine to her lair and pays money for a fortune; as a result of the fortune, she learns that her lover has been unfaithful to her with, "someone else who is very close to you". Advised to leave the fortune teller's shop, never to return, and to forget she has ever seen the fortune teller's face, the narrator returns home in a state of shock, unable to sleep, and then realizes to her horror that she had once smelled, in her own room, the very perfume the fortune teller had been wearing. Sneaking back to the fortune teller's shop with a gun, she catches her lover and the fortune teller "laughing and kissing", and shoots them both to death.

"Dark Lady"

The album’s opening track "Train of Thought," written by Alan O’Day (“Undercover Angel,” Helen Reddy’s “Angie Baby”), was the second single release. Though it was a sizeable hit through various parts of the world it was not quite the hit as “Dark Lady,” the album’s first single. The song is a raw and fast-moving rock track that reached #27 in the US and #9 on the US Adult Contemporary chart.

The third single chart was yet another story song of broken love to make a new love connection. “I Saw A Man and He Danced With His Wife,” a big band styled ballad touches on an emotion Cher was living after her recent divorce from her long-time husband Sonny Bono. The song was even less successful as a single than “Train Of Thought,” just missing the US top 40 making it to #42 and #31 in Canada.

A cover of Fontella Bass’ 1965 #1 hit “Rescue Me,” was a hint at what was ahead for Cher in the late 80s and early 90s.  The song contains a timeless vocal and musical arrangement that has aged very well. In the US the song was released as a promotional single and as a single throughout Europe but it did not chart. It did chart at #86 in Canada.

Bob Stone, who wrote her first success of the 1970s, “Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves,” wrote the albums closing track “Apples Don’t Fall Far From The Tree.” “What’ll I Do” is a cover of the theme song from the 1974 film “The Great Gatsby.” “Miss Subway of 1952” is a tribute to Bette Midler as she sings the lyric, “To my idol the divine.”

Cher (1974)

Link to “Dark Lady” (Click Here)

CHER

Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets (1974)

“Here Come The Warm Jets” (album) by Brian Eno (1974)

Release Date: January 1974
Produced by Brian Eno
Chart Positions: #151 (US), #26 (UK)
Certifications: N/A
Singles: N/A
Label: Island

Here Come the Warm Jets is the debut solo album by Brian Eno, credited only as "Eno". Produced by him, it was released on Island Records in January 1974. The musical style of Here Come the Warm Jets is a hybrid of glam rock and art rock, similar to Eno's previous album work with Roxy Music, although in a stronger experimental fashion. In developing the album's words and music, Eno used unusual methods such as dancing for his band members and having them play accordingly, and singing nonsense words to himself that would form the basis of subsequent lyrics. The album features various guest musicians, including members of Roxy Music (Phil Manzanera and Andy Mackay), Hawkwind, Matching Mole and Pink Fairies, as well as Chris Spedding, and Robert Fripp of King Crimson, who collaborated with Eno a year before with the album "No Pussyfooting."

“Here Come The Warm Jets” by Brian Eno 

"Here Come the Warm Jets" peaked at number 26 on the United Kingdom album charts and number 151 on the US Billboard charts, receiving mostly positive reviews.

Eno recorded “Here Come The Warm Jets” in just twelve days in September 1973. The album’s most popular track, "Baby's on Fire" is a bizarre fantasy about a photography session involving a burning infant and unthinking, laughing onlookers. Art-guitar guru Robert Fripp provides a jagged solo on “Baby’s On Fire” The sentimental "Some of Them Are Old" is constructed around harmonies highly reminiscent of the Four Freshmen giving it a melancholy feel. It is worthy of note that the “frippertronics” guitars of “The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch” were later used on another Eno production, U2′s “Where the Streets Have No Name.” “Dead Finks Don’t Talk” is the closest thing to a Bowie song musically, predating “Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)” by some six years. All the lyrics to "On Some Faraway Beach" came to Eno in a dream. He would wake up often throughout the night to write down his dreams and from those scribblings would be lyrics to songs.

Eno has said about the song "Baby's On Fire," "Vocal techniques. That's something I've never even thought about. Why, I propose the question to myself do people sing certain ways at certain times in history? Why should I want to sing through my nose? What I like is when you get a combination of something that's very turned-down and dark and sinister, but not dramatic – very underhand and almost inaudible, as opposed to the kind of aggression that people like The Floyd use, which is very obvious assault. Iggy Pop does it as well."

Eno's compositions are quirky, whimsical, and catchy, his lyrics bizarre and often free-associative, with a decidedly dark bent in their humor ("Baby's on Fire," "Dead Finks Don't Talk").

"Baby's On Fire" (1974)

Brian Eno (1974)

Link to “Here Come The Warm Jets” (Click Here)

BRIAN ENO

#brianeno #eno

Freddy Fender - Before The Next Teardrop Falls (1974)

“Before The Next Teardrop Falls” by Freddy Fender (1974)

Release Date: 1974
Produced by Huey P. Meaux
Chart Positions: #20 (US), #1 (New Zealand), #9 (Netherlands), #10 (Canada), #1 (US Country Music Chart)
Certifications: Gold (US, Canada)
Singles: “Before The Next Teradrop Falls” (US #1, New Zealand #2, Canada #6, Netherlands #6, Belgium #12), “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” (US #8, New Zealand #1, Canada #6, Belgium #7, Netherlands #14)

Freddy Fender, who was born Baldemar Garza Huerta first made it to the music scene in 1957 using the name El Bebop Kid and released two singles: Spanish versions of Elvis Presley’s “Don’t Be Cruel” (No Seas Cruel) and Harry Belafonte’s “Jamaica Farewell.” Both songs were hits in Mexico and parts of South America. In 1959 Fender wrote and recorded “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights,” the song was a hit but shortly after he was arrested for possession of marijuana and served 3 years times in jail. He was released from jail, in 1963, with the condition that he stay away from music and alcohol for the duration of his probation. Freddy recorded four singles between 1964-1969 but nothing came of them

In 1971 Freddy met producer Huey P. Meaux. Meaux had Fender focus more on country music while maintaining his Hispanic roots and by 1973 he was releasing music again on a regular basis.

“Before The Next Teardrop Falls” by Freddy Fender (Click Here) 

1974 was Freddy Fender’s banner year. It is the year he broke into the Top Ten. In the later part of ’74 Fender released his first album “Before The Next Teardrop Falls,” but nothing happened with it until January 1975 when he released the single of the same name. The song took off immediately with airplay across the US on AM pop radio.

“Before The Next Teardrop Falls” was written in the late 1960s and had been recorded more than two dozen times. The song had achieved modest success with recordings by various performers; the original version by Duane Dee reached #44 on the Billboard country chart in early 1968, and Linda Martell sent her version to #33 in early 1970. Jerry Lee Lewis recorded a version of the song on his 1969 album, Another Place Another Time.

In 1974, record producer Huey P. Meaux approached Fender about overdubbing vocals for an instrumental track. Fender agreed, performing the song bilingual style — singing the first verse in English, then repeating the verse in Spanish.
"The recording only took a few minutes," Fender once told an interviewer. "I was glad to get it over with and I thought that would be the last of it."

However, "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" immediately took off in popularity when released to country radio in January 1975. The song ascended to #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in March, spending two weeks atop the chart. Thereafter, the song caught on just as strongly at Top 40 radio stations and it was not long before Fender had a #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit as well. Billboard ranked it as the No. 4 song for 1975.

Riding on the success of “Before The Next Teardrop Falls” Fender released “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” as the next single. Fender wrote and recorded "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights", a blues ballad, for Duncan Records in 1959, during the early stages of his career. He was in the process of perfecting his mesh of rockabilly and Tejano, and the song showcased his new style. But he was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana, and in May 1960, he was convicted. The popularity of the song, along with his own popularity, plummeted.

Then, in 1975, "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" became a major hit, and Fender's career was rejuvenated. With the help of record producer Huey P. Meaux, Fender re-recorded "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights." This time, the song became a major pop and country hit, topping the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in August 1975. On other charts, "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" went to number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, and number nine on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.

"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights"

"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" was certified gold for sales of 1 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America. The song was a major hit in New Zealand. In 1975, it spent a total of 12 weeks in the number one position in the New Zealand singles charts, making it the longest running number-one single at the time and the third-longest running number-one single of all time.

Other highlights include a recording of “Roses Are Red (My Love)” a song made famous by Bobby Vinton and the Freddy Fender penned, mariachi influenced, “I Love My Rancho Grande.”

Freddy Fender (1975)

Link to “Before The Next Teardrop Falls” (Click Here)

FREDDY FENDER

Quincy Jones - Body Heat (1974)

“Body Heat” (album) by Quincy Jones (1974)

"Body Heat" by Quincy Jones (Click Here)

After a music career of twenty years Quincy Jones finally made it on the map as a solo musician. Previously he had enjoyed big success producing and composing arrangements for Leslie Gore, Count Basie, Ray Charles, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie and countless others. But it wasn’t until 1974 that he finally made it into the top ten with one of his own albums. “Body Heat,” his 24th studio album made it up to #6 on the US album charts as well as #1 on the Jazz charts and his first to reach #1 on the R&B charts. His highest charting album before that was 1969’s “Walking In Space” and 1971’s “Smackwater Jack” each reaching #56 on the US album chart.

"Boogie Joe The Grinder"

What was it that made “Body Heat” more successful than it’s preceding albums? Could it have been Quincy’s decided embrace of a more urban sound? Maybe it was the inclusion of Minnie Riperton and Al Jarreau performing “If I Ever Lose This Heaven.” Could it have been the momentum Q had been working up beginning in 1969 with his album “Walking In Space”? Whatever it was “Body Heat” struck a chord with the music listening public and rallied Q to that day when he joined with Michael Jackson to produce the super mega-hit “Thriller.”

Quincy Jones (1974)

QUINCY JONES