Joan Armatrading - Joan Armatrading (1976)

“Joan Armatrading” by Joan Armatrading (1976)

Release Date: September 1976
Produced by Glyn Johns
Genre: Rock, Pop, Folk-Rock, Blues
Label: A&M

Chart Positions: #11 (New Zealand), #12 (UK), #52 (Australia), #67 (US)
Certifications: Gold (UK, Canada)
Awards: N/A

Singles and Chart Positions: 
“Love And Affection” #10 (UK), #16 (Ireland)
“Down To Zero” (no chart data)
 Singles Certifications: N/A
Other Charting Tracks: N/A

Best Tracks: “Love and Affection,” “Water With The Wine,” “People,” “Join The Boys,” “Like Fire,” “Tall In The Saddle”

“Joan Armatrading” by Joan Armatrading (Click Here)

Trivia: “Joan Armatrading” is Joan’s third studio album and her first to chart anywhere in the world. This is the album that put Joan on the map. The album mixes acoustic work with jazz-influenced material and displays Joan’s range of interest in music. The album was a big hit in the UK reaching #12 accompanied with a Top 10 UK hit “Love and Affection.”

"Love and Affection" 1976

In 1976, Robin Denselow wrote in The Guardian that the album "showed that we now have a black artist in Britain with the same sort of vocal range, originality (in fact even greater originality in terms of musical influences) and lyrical sensitivity" as Joni Mitchell.

Producer Glyn Johns has produced albums for many greats including Steve Miller Band, Eagles, Humble Pie, The Who, Boz Scaggs, Eric Clapton and more. He helped launch Joan Armatrading’s career when he was hired on to produce this album. He remained with her on her next three albums.

Joan signed to A&M Records is 1972 but it wasn't until after A&M gained worldwide rights to Joan's music that they decided to pour a good amount of money and effort into promoting Joan. A 3 1/2 minute film clip of the singer/guitarist performing "Love and Affection." A&M spent an unprecedented nine months promoting Armatrading's self-titled album, which included magazine ads, television spots (such as an appearance on Saturday Night Live) and promo copies of the album sent to every music critic and concert promoter throughout the world as well as a few film clips one of which shows comments from reviews. A&M spent near $300,000 promoting the album before it was even released.

Up to this point, Armatrading had shown that she had a lovely voice and an ear for interesting arrangements, but her work had been steeped in the folk idiom of the early '70s. Her third album changed all that, with producer Glyn Johns bringing in members of Gallagher & Lyle, Fairport Convention, and the Faces to punch up her folksy sound with elements of rock, country, and disco. The result is her most muscular music to date, with Armatrading adopting a swagger that showed her tales of unluckiness in love didn't have to have dire consequences ("Tall in the Saddle," "Water With the Wine"). Of course, it helped that the record featured her best material delivered in a wonderfully expressive voice that can capture the shades between song and speech like a sweeter version of Ian Anderson. "Down to Zero" (which features pedal steel guitarist B.J. Cole) and "Love and Affection" are the album's most memorable tracks, the latter breaking into the U.K.'s Top Ten (the album itself made the U.K. Top 20). But what endears this record to fans is the quality of each song; it wouldn't be fair to call anything here filler. The artsy and eclectic "Like Fire," the beautiful ballad "Save Me," and the ingratiating melodies of "Somebody Who Loves You" are just as likely to strike a chord with listeners as the better-known cuts. While Glyn Johns deserves credit for bringing Joan Armatrading's songs into a more flattering setting -- it's not coincidental that the record feels like a polished version of The Who by Numbers -- his real stroke of genius was letting the artist flower to her full potential. For many, this album remains the high point in her catalog.

Joan Armatrading 

Link to “Joan Armatrading” (Click Here)

JOAN ARMATRADING

Crystal Gayle - When I Dream (1978)

“When I Dream” by Crystal Gayle (1978)

Release Date: June 2, 1978

Produced by Allen Reynolds

Genre: Country, pop, blues, jazz

Label: United Artists

Chart Positions: #52 (US), #25 (UK), #50 (Canada)

Album Certifications: Platinum (US), Gold (Canada), Silver (UK)

Singles: “Talking In Your Sleep” #11 (UK, Canada), #18 (US), #1 (US Country, Canada Country), #3 (US Adult Contemporary, Canada Adult Contemporary), “Why Have You Left The One You Left Me For” #1 (US Country, Canada Country), #16 (Canada Adult Contemporary), #22 (US Adult Contemporary), “When I Dream” #84 (US), #3 (US Country), #20 (US Adult Contemporary), “Heart Mender” #58 (US Country), “Hello I Love You” #4 (South Africa)

Singles Certification: “Talking In Your Sleep” (UK Silver)

Best Tracks: ALL TRACKS – Solid from start to finish

When I Dream is the fifth studio album by American country and pop music singer Crystal Gayle. It was released on June 2, 1978, at the height of her career. It was her second consecutive album to reach #2 on the US Billboard Country Music charts. Two singles from the album reached #1 on the Country Singles chart: "Talking in Your Sleep" (also a Top 20 Pop hit) and "Why Have You Left the One You Left Me For".  

By now it was evident that Crystal Gayle was a powerhouse all of her own. She did not need to ride on the coattails of her sister, the legendary Loretta Lynn. Crystal had the talent and the style to make even if she did not come from country music royalty.

“When I Dream” by Crystal Gayle (Click Here) 

See more on Crystal Gayle @ The Crystal Gayle Resource Center: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1449577508682080/

The album achieved a gold disc the year it was released but was certified platinum by the RIAA in 1982. It was also Gayle's second album to chart in the UK, where it reached #25, and was awarded a silver disc by the BPI. In Canada, the album was a huge hit being certified Gold and made it to #1 on Canada’s country music album chart. The album was #2 on the US country music chart.

As a result of the album’s success Crystal Gayle in January 1979 Crystal was given an American Music Award for Favorite Country Female Artist and the Top Female Vocalist Award by the Academy of Country Music. She also received two Grammy Award nominations for the song “Talking in Your Sleep” in the Best Country and Western Vocal Performance by a Female. As well she received two Country Music Association (CMA) Awards nominations for Entertainer of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year and the song “Talking In Your Sleep” received a nomination for Song of the Year by the CMA.

The lead single “Talking In Your Sleep” was written by Bobby Woods and British songwriter Roger Cook. Roger Cook had been well known in the UK as one of the lead vocalists with the group Blue Mink who achieved four Top Ten hits in the UK. Cook also co-wrote “Hello I Love You,” “Let Your Feelings Flow,” “Hollywood,” “Livin’ In These Troubled Times” and “Tennessee” all of which were recorded by Crystal Gayle. Roger Cook was a renowned songwriter that co-wrote the million-selling hits “You Got Your Troubles” (The Fortunes), “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing” (The Hillside Singers, The New Seekers) and “Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress (The Hollies). Songwriter Bobby Woods co-wrote hits for country music artists Billy “Crash” Craddock and Billie Jo Spears. One of his best-known compositions is “What’s Your Name, What's Your Number” which was a 1977 hit for the Andrea True Connection. Cook also co-wrote the songs “Half The Way” and “He Is Beautiful To Me” both recorded by Crystal. The teams of Bobby Woods and Roger Cook wrote the song “Keepin’ Power” which showed up on Crystal’s 1981 album “Hollywood Tennessee.”

The song “Talking In Your Sleep” was a huge hit shortly after “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.” It was a sophisticated pop ballad sung beautifully by Crystal. It made it to #18 in the US and #11 in both the UK and Canada. On the country music charts, it was #1 in both the US and Canada and reached #3 on the Adult Contemporary charts in both the US and Canada. It was awarded a Silver certification in the UK for sales of more than 200,000 copies.

"Talking In Your Sleep" (1978)

The handclapping “Why Have You Left The One You Left Me For” was the album’s second single. The song did not make it to the pop charts but continued Crystal Gayle’s run of #1 hits on the country music charts reaching the top in the UK and Canada. The upbeat song adorned with a great session of handclaps and electric guitar chords received a fair amount of play in country and western bars across the US throughout the later 70s and 80s.

The third single “When I Dream” brought Crystal back to the lower reaches of the pop charts peaking at #84 on the US Billboard chart. It also made it to #3 on both the US and Canadian country music charts. This song is considered a classic amongst Crystal Gayle fans.

The fourth and last single “Heart Mender” made it to #58 on the US country music chart.

Crystal’s rendition of the classic torch song “Cry Me A River” (a hit in 1955 for Julie London) is an album highlight and was used as the b-side for the single “Why Have You Left The One You Left me For.” Many fans have felt the song could have been a great a-side single for Crystal.

“The Wayward Wind” a hit in 1956 for Gogi Grant (in the US) and Tex Ritter (in the UK). Crystal took the song and gave it her own twist an album highlight popular with fans.

“Paintin’ This Old Town Blue” a blues jazz-influenced tune stands out on the album.

The album closes with Crystal’s intimate recording of Johnny Cash’s “I Still Miss Someone.” Johnny first recorded this song back in 1958 with his nephew Roy Cash, Jr.  Crystal Gayle’s tender rendition features a glistening doubled tracking of her lead vocals.

Crystal Gayle (When I Dream open album gatefold cover) 1978

Crystal Gayle July 1978 Billboard Magazine Article

Link to “When I Dream” (Click Here) 

CRYSTAL GAYLE