Lou Rawls - All Things In Time (1976)

“All Things In Time” by Lou Rawls (1976)

Release Date: June 7, 1976
Produced by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, Bunny Sigler, Dexter Wansel, Jack Faith, Bobby Martin
Genre: Philadelphia Soul, Jazz, Adult Contemporary, R&B
Label: Philadelphia International Records
Chart Positions: #7 (US)
Certifications: Platinum (US), Gold (Canada)

Singles: “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” #1 (South Africa), #2 (US, Canada), #8 (Netherlands), #10 (UK, Belgium), #16 (New Zealand), #22 (Australia), #1 (US R&B, US Dance, US Adult Contemporary), “Groovy People” #64 (US), #19 (US R&B), #19 (US Adult Contemporary), "From Now On" #53 (UK)
Other Charting Songs: "this Song Will Last Forever" #74 (US R&B)
Singles Certifications: You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" (US Gold, Canada)

All Things in Time is an album by American R&B singer Lou Rawls, released in June 1976 on the Philadelphia International Records (PIR) label. It was his 27th studio album. Coming after a career lull in the years immediately preceding, All Things in Time was Rawls' first album for PIR; at the time he was the first artist to sign with PIR after having already enjoyed a substantial recording career and chart success with other record labels.

“All Things In Time” by Lou Rawls (Click Here) 

“All Things in Time” became an immediate success on the back of its celebrated lead single "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine", which gave Rawls the biggest hit of his career. The album was Rawls' third R&B chart topper (the first since 1966), and reached #7 on the pop chart. It was certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA for sales in excess of 1 million.

“All Things in Time” was highly rated by critics on its original release for the quality and variety of its material, faultless production standards and Rawls' vocal performances.

Rawls was one of the few acts on the label that could do great work with a variety of producers and arrangers. The biggest track was the bravado-filled "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine." With its subtle Latin rhythms and Rawls' tongue-in-cheek intonations.

"Time" written by Jack Faith and Allan Felder has Rawls doing a pitch-perfect vocal that makes the song sound like a standard. Despite not being released as a single “Time” with Rawls’ rich crooning vocal, reached #8 on the US Dance chart.

On this album, Rawls also got a chance to do work with the quixotic Bunny Sigler. Both "Need You Forever" and "From Now On" have Sigler accentuating Rawls' rougher edges. Unfortunately, all of the tracks aren't great here. All Things in Time ends on a great note, on "Let's Fall in Love All Over Again," a song previously done by Billy Paul and Nancy Wilson, Rawls' take is arguably the best version.

The lead single “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” ensured the success of this album. The legendary songwriting team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff wrote the song. They were the powerhouse producers behind most of the Philadelphia Sound, and they wrote this song specifically for Rawls. The track helped lure Rawls to Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label, as he was impressed that they took the time to understand his voice and write something to suit it. The song was not only a huge pop hit but was an even bigger crossover hit reaching #1 on the US R&B chart, US Dance chart and the US Adult Contemporary chart. The song was a popular favorite in roller skate rinks across the US during 1976 and 1977. “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” was a chart topper in South Africa and reached #2 in both the US and Canada. In the UK it charted a tad bit lower reaching #10. “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” was certified Gold in the US for sales of more than 500,000. The song was also nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance category but lost out to Stevie Wonder's "Songs In The Key Of Life."

"You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" (1976)

“Groovy People, with its electric guitar chord opening, was the second single from the album. Though it did receive airplay it charted low at US #64 and made it into the Top 20 on both the US R&B and Adult Contemporary charts. Fans were thrilled by the songs optimistic nature and Rawls’ carefree vocal performance.  The song received a Grammy Nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance but lost out to Stevie Wonder's "I Wish." The song’s b-side “This Song Will Last Forever” made it to #74 on the US R&B charts.

Lou Rawls (1976)

Link to “All Things In Time” (Click Here)

LOU RAWLS

Kate Bush - The Kick Inside (1978)

“The Kick Inside” by Kate Bush (1978)

Release Date: February 17, 1978
Produced by Andrew Powell
Genre: Art-Rock, Art-Pop, Baroque Pop
Label: EMI (UK), Harvest (US and Canada)
Chart Positions: #1 (Netherlands), #2 (New Zealand, Belgium), #3 (UK, Australia, France), #4 (Norway), #8 (Sweden), #21 (Germany), #37 (Japan), #95 (Canada)
Certifications: 3xPlatinum (Canada), Platinum (UK, Netherlands, Australia), Gold (New Zealand)

Singles: “Wuthering Heights” #1 (New Zealand, UK, France, Italy, Ireland, Australia, Holland), #3 (Netherlands, South Africa, Brazil), #4 (Belgium), #6 (Sweden), #7 (Norway, Poland), #8 (Switzerland), #11 (Germany), #17 (Austria), #108 (US), “The Man With The Child In His Eyes” #1 (France), #3 (Ireland), #6 (UK), #22 (Australia), #23 (Netherlands), #36 (New Zealand), #85 (US)
Singles Certifications: "Wuthering Heights" Platinum (New Zealand), Gold (UK, Australia)

While attending a Catholic girls' school in South East London, in the mid-1970s, Kate’s family produced a demo tape with over 50 of her compositions, which was turned down by record labels. David Gilmour of Pink Floyd received the demo from Ricky Hopper, a mutual friend of Gilmour and the Bush family. Impressed with what he heard, Gilmour helped the sixteen-year-old Bush get a more professional-sounding demo tape recorded that would be more saleable to the record companies. Three tracks in total were recorded and paid for by Gilmour. The tape was produced by Gilmour's friend Andrew Powell (who would go on to produce Bush's first two albums) and sound engineer Geoff Emerick. The tape was sent to EMI executive Terry Slater. Slater was impressed by the tape and signed her.

Bush released her debut album, “The Kick Inside,” on February 17, 1978 when she was 19 years old, but some of the songs had been written when she was as young as 13. The production included efforts by several progressive rock veterans, including Duncan Mackay, Ian Bairnson, David Paton, Andrew Powell, and Stuart Elliott both of The Alan Parsons Project, and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.

“The Kick Inside” by Kate Bush (Click Here)

Six different varieties of the album's cover are known and is Bush's only album to have a different cover in the UK, the U.S., Canada, Yugoslavia, Japan and Uruguay (the Uruguay cover being the rarest and most expensive - an example sold on eBay for over $400).

The Kick Inside Original British Album Cover

“The Kick Inside” was an immediate hit throughout the world reaching the Top 10 in several countries in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, including #1 in Netherlands and #2 in New Zealand. Despite this success the album failed to chart in the US.

EMI originally wanted the more rock-oriented track "James and the Cold Gun" to be her début single, but Bush insisted that it should be "Wuthering Heights". Even at this early stage of her career, she had gained a reputation for her determination to have a say in decisions affecting her work. Kate stated, "I felt that to actually get your name anywhere, you've got to do something that is unusual." The song was not initially inspired by Emily Brontë's novel but by a television adaptation, although Bush read the novel later in order to (in her own words) "get the research right." Bush reportedly wrote the song within the space of just a few hours late at night. The guitar solo is by Ian Bairnson, formerly of Pilot. In the mid-'70s, they had a #5 hit in the US with "Magic" and a chart topper in the UK with "January." Two music videos were created to accompany "Wuthering Heights". In one version, Bush can be seen performing the song in a dark room filled with white mist while wearing a white dress (which was the UK release); in the other, the singer dances in an outdoor environment while wearing a red dress (which was done for the American release). "Wuthering Heights" was officially released in early 1978 and entered the top forty in the official singles chart in the United Kingdom at number twenty-seven on 18 February, and quickly rose to number one three weeks later dethroning ABBA's "Take a Chance on Me" from the top spot. Bush became the first female artist to have a self-penned number one hit in the UK. The single release unwittingly pitted Bush against another female vocalist also charting with her first UK hit: Debbie Harry with her band Blondie and their single "Denis". Amid much public discussion about the two singers' merits, Bush came out on top, while Blondie stalled at number two. Success was not limited to the UK and became a huge hit throughout the world having reached #1 in Italy, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It also reached the top ten in many other countries including South Africa, Brazil, Poland and others. Despite it’s universal popularity the song only made it to #108 in the US. The single was certified Gold by the BPI for sales of 500,000 in the UK. Pat Benatar covered “Wuthering Heights” for her 1980 album “Crimes of Passion.”

"Withering Heights" (1978)

The album's second single, "The Man with the Child in His Eyes", was released and reached number six in the UK charts. Though not quite as big a hit as “Wuthering Heights,” the song was fairly successful making it to #1 in France and #3 in Ireland. The song tells of a relationship between a young girl and an older man. She sees him as an all-consuming figure; he's wise yet retains a certain innocent quality. He's a very real character to the girl, but nobody else knows if he really exists. Kate wrote the song because of a quality she saw in most of the men that she knew, how they are all little boys inside and how wonderful it is that they managed to retain this magic. Although the song was first released on her debut album The Kick Inside, it was actually recorded in 1975 when Kate was only 16 years old. It was recorded at David Gilmour's expense at London's Air Studios. The song was Kate’s first to make it into the Billboard’s US Top 100 reaching #85. Along with this song David Gilmour was also listed as the Executive Producer of "The Saxophone Song."

Three other singles were released over the world during next two years: "Them Heavy People", "Moving" (which reached number one in Japan) and "Strange Phenomena." “Them Heavy People” was released as a single in only the UK and Japan (under the title “Rolling the Ball” and reached #3 in Japan). “Moving” was released only in Japan while “Strange Phenomena” released only in Brazil.

Bush wrote, “Moving” for her dance teacher Lindsay Kemp. It's about how a person discovers free expression. "Strange Phenomena" speaks about déjà vu, synchronicity and how coincidences sometimes cluster together in seemingly meaningful ways.

“Kite” one of the most popular tracks from the album was used as the b-side to “Wuthering Heights.”

Fan favorite, “Oh To Be In Love” opens gently but soon gives way to diverse style which manages to blend sixties Britpop, robotic Japanese and the British brass band feel into the musical accompaniment as Kate delivers sublime vocal melodies and exquisite displays of range and tone. Kate's brother Paddy Bush played mandolin on this song as well as doing backing vocals on "Them Heavy People."

Kate Bush (1978)

Link to “The Kick Inside” (Click Here)

KATE BUSH

Bar-Kays - Flying High On Your Love (1977)

“Flying High On Your Love” by The Bar-Kays (1977)

Release Date: November 1977
Produced by Allen Jones
Genre: Soul/Funk
Label: Mercury Records
Chart Positions: #47 (US). #7 (US R&B)
Certifications: Gold (US)

Singles: “Let’s Have Some Fun” #102 (US), #11 (US R&B), “Attitudes” #22 (US R&B)

“Flying High On Your Love” is the seventh studio album released by The Bar-Kays in November 1977. It was the first album by the band to be certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of more than 500,000 copies in the United States. Song for song, it is considered by many fans to be the Bar-Kays' best album overall.

“Flying High On Your Love" by Bar-Kays (Click Here)

The Bar-Kays delivered a juicy set of funk movers accented by disco beats along with a splash of smooth groove quiet storm ballads. “Flying High On Your Love” offered a tremendous mix of R&B.

The Bar-Kays were fully committed to their funk forbears while never taking their eyes off the shifting musical climate. Thus, they were able to make the leap from funk to disco in a way that almost no other bands could match. The Bar-Kays' late-'70s sounds, then, were not one or the other, but a seamless blend of both. A fine mix and a glorious achievement.

The first single from the album, “Let’s Have Some Fun,” stomps the disco beat down with some pretty heavy funk riffing garnered the band a good amount of airplay on funk, soul and R&B radio stations around the US. The song reached #11 on the US R&B charts and bubbled under the Billboard Top 100 making it to #102. The song is still played on funk and disco station on a regular basis.

"Let's Have Some Fun" (1977)

“Attitudes,” the second single was less popular reaching #22 on the US R&B charts and missing the pop charts all together. “Attitudes” is one of those cozy warm funk-filled slow jam ballads that should have charted much higher and belongs alongside songs such as the Commodores’ “Just To Be Close To You.” The song grooves smoothly with a nice funk bass line and a touch of brass that makes the song the perfect blend to spend some time sipping wine in front of a warm fireplace with the one you love.

The opening track “Shut The Funk Up,” despite not being released as a single achieved a good amount of airplay in nightclubs as well as R&B radio stations. Many feel this should have been a single. The song grooves with a funk slide that moves with the disco sounds of the day. A near perfect disco song accented with the funk horn trio of Charles "Scoop" Allen, Harvey "Joe" Henderson, and Frank "Captain Disaster" Thompson and dominated by vocalist Larry "D" Dodson's call to "get on up or just shut the funk up," it's immediately apparent that disco never sounded so good -- or so funky.

The album closes with a compelling quiet storm of funk and horns wrapped with a slow dance disco rhythm. “”Flying High On Your Love” burned up the dance floor during the slow dance section of the night. A favorite not only in dance clubs but also R&B radio. This is another song many fans felt would have been a great single and definitely a strong way to close an album full of gems.

The following is a review from Billboard Magazine's November 19, 1977 issue. The album was one of Billboard's Recommended LPs of the week:
This group seems to have mellowed both vocally and instrumentally. At the same time it maintains it's strong energetic force with horns still the dominating instrument. Vocals and instruments are also clearer and more identifiable. Tunes range from ballads to uptempo numbers. Best Cuts: "Standing On The Outside," "Can't Keep My Hands Off Of You," "Let's Have Some Fun," "Flying High On Your Love" 

Bar-Kays (1977)

Link to “Flying High On Your Love” (Click Here)

BAR-KAYS

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

Carol Douglas - The Carol Douglas Album (1975)

“The Carol Douglas Album” by Carol Douglas (1975)

Release Date: 1975
Produced by Roger Greenaway, Meco Monardo
Genre: Disco, R&B, Soul
Label: Midland International Records
Chart Positions: #177 (US), #49 (Sweden)
Certifications: N/A

Singles: “Doctor’s Orders” #1 (Canada), #2 (Spain), #4 (Ireland, France), #5 (Italy), #6 (New Zealand) #7 (UK), #10 (Belgium), #11 (US), #16 (South Africa), #31 (Australia), #37 (Germany), #80 (Japan), A Hurricane Is Coming Tonite” #81 (US), #79 (Canada), “Will We Make It Tonight” (No chart data)

Carol Douglas was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1948. She is the daughter of Minnie Newsome, a jazz performer who has been cited as the inspiration for the Cab Calloway classic "Minnie the Moocher." The late, great R&B singer, Sam Cooke, was Carol’s cousin.

“The Carol Douglas Album” was her debut album released in early 1975 shortly after the release of her smash hit “Doctor’s Orders.” The album was an impressive pre-disco effort which helped pave the way for many subsequent albums by dance-driven R&B acts.

“The Carol Douglas Album” bu Carol Douglas (Click Here)

Carol’s debut album hit the scene with much anticipation of becoming a big hit on the power of the single “Doctor’s Orders,” that did not happen as it only reached #177 in the US and #49 in Sweden. However the lack of commercial success for the album does not take away from the well-produced gem of pleasant listening.

The liner notes on the album list Ed O’Loughlin as the producer of the song (and the album). But it was actually Meco Menardo that produced the hit song (and it’s album). The story is a bit confusing as to the erroneous listing of production credit. Meco had developed a music production company called Disco Corporation of America (DCA), the company took off pretty quick. They produced several disco hits including the cross over hit “Never Can Say Goodbye” by Gloria Gaynor. With all the work DCA was doing it turns out that one of Meco's business associates failed to handle certain business obligations in proper fashion. This caused unnecessary problems with artists and others and although not serious resulted in Meco being barred from producing for one year. This became evident when Meco produced Carol Douglas' hit Doctor's Order's, but was not allowed to be given credit as producer. The only credit he received was for arranging "Baby, Don't Let This Good Love Die." Of course we remember Meco for his 1977 disco rendition of the Star Wars theme, which reached #1 around the world. Famed disco producer, arranger and conductor arranged three songs for the album. John Davis had a few minor disco hits in the late 70s including “Ain’t That Enough For You” and “Love Magic.”

The lead single “Doctor’s Orders” was Carol’s first and only legitimate hit. She had other singles reach the lower regions of the charts but none that were actually hits. Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway and Geoff Stephens wrote the song. Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway are best known for songwriting collaborations on classic hits such as "You've Got Your Troubles", the transatlantic million selling songs, "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" and "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" Geoff Stephens is also a co-writer of the hit “There’s A Kind Of Hush (All Over The World).”

“Doctor’s Orders” was first recorded by a singer named Sunny, whom with her singing partner Sue, was hired to sing with the group Brotherhood of Man in 1969. Brotherhood of Man had a huge hit in 1970 with the song “United We Stand.” Sue and Sunny left the group in early 1973 and they pursued a career as a singing duo and respectively as solo artists. Sunny was the first person to record “Doctor’s Orders” as she had maintained a friendship with the song’s writer Roger Greenaway, who was also a member of Brotherhood of Man. Sunny’s version, was a bit faster and had a country twist to it. The song was a sizeable hit for her in the UK and Ireland, but it was not until seven months later that the song finally became a worldwide smash hit. It was Carol Douglas’ discofied version that sent the song up the charts all around the world. It charted in Canada (#1), US, UK, Japan, South Africa and almost everywhere else in the world. Not only was it a pop hit but Carol Douglas crossed over to other genres taking the song to #2 on the US Disco chart, #9 on the US Hot Soul Songs chart and #42 on the US Easy Listening chart.

"Doctor's Orders"

The second single from Carol Douglas “A Hurricane Is Coming Tonite” charted in the US and Canada but did not make it much higher than #80. The song was written by Allan Kenneth Bernstein and Ed O’Loughlin. Bernstein wrote the songs “This Girl Is a Woman Now” (a hit for Gary Puckett and the Union Gap) and “After The Lovin’” (Made popular by Engelburt Humperdinck. O’Loughlin was listed as the album’s producer but was actually a songwriter and arranger on the album.

The third single “Will We Make It Tonight” did not chart and was written by Mark Barkan (who wrote several hits for Petula Clark, Leslie Gore and Little Peggy Marsh) and Rajah Heyworth (who also co-wrote the song “A Friend In Need” with Mark Barkan for Carol Douglas).

Carol Douglas (1975)

Link to “The Carol Douglas Album” (1975)

CAROL DOUGLAS

Heart - Little Queen (1977)

“Little Queen” by Heart (1977)

Release Date: May 14, 1977
Produced by Mike Flicker
Genre: Hard Rock, Folk Rock, Classic Rock
Label: Portrait
Chart Positions: #9 (US, Netherlands), #22 (Australia), #34 (UK, Germany), #44 (Sweden)
Certifications: 3xPlatinum (US), 2xPlatinum (Canada)

Singles: “Barracuda” #1 (France, South Africa), #2 (Canada), #8 (Germany), #11 (US), #14 (Sweden), #15 (Australia), #16 (Austria), #29 (Netherlands), #30 (Belgium), 334 (New Zealand), “Little Queen” #58 (Canada), #62 (US), “Kick It Out” #67 (Canada), #79 (US), “Love Alive (No chart data)

Little Queen is the second studio album released by the American rock band Heart. It was released in May 1977 on Portrait Records.

“Little Queen” by Heart (Click Here) 

Heart intended Magazine to be the official follow-up album to the debut Dreamboat Annie. However a contract dispute with their label Mushroom Records, resulted in the group signing with the newly formed Portrait Records, a division of CBS Records (now Sony/BMG).

The Mushroom contract called for two albums and the label took the position that they were owed a second one. On that basis, Mushroom attempted to prevent the release of Little Queen and any other work by Heart. The dispute dragged on and ended with the court deciding that Heart was free to sign with a new label but added that Mushroom was indeed owed a second album.

Little Queen was released 14 May 1977 and Magazine was re-released 22 April 1978. With the hit single "Barracuda", Little Queen outsold Magazine handily, eventually achieving 3x Platinum status.

After acquiring a substantial following with Dreamboat Annie, Heart solidified its niche in the hard rock and arena rock worlds with the equally impressive Little Queen. Once again, loud-and-proud, Led Zeppelin-influenced hard rock was the thing that brought Heart the most attention. Two sisters – Ann and Nancy Wilson – take over hard rock, led by Ann's supreme pipes and Nancy's ax-picking finesse. While "Barracuda" and "Kick It Out" are the type of sweaty rockers one thought of first when Heart's name was mentioned, hard rock by no means dominates this album. In fact, much of Little Queen consists of such folk-influenced, acoustic-oriented fare as "Treat Me Well" and "Cry to Me."

Led Zeppelin influences abound, from Wilson's "Summer-of-My-Smiles" phrasing on "Dream of the Archer" down to guitarist Roger Fisher's Page-ish intro on "Go On Cry" and his ferocious riffing on "Barracuda" and the title track. The latter are the roughest and best tracks on record.

Written by Ann and Nancy Wilson together with guitarist Roger Fisher and drummer Michael DeRosier the lead single “Barracuda” is an aggressive early try at heavy metal, but some refer to it as a heavy hard rock number notable for a galloping guitar riff and its use of natural harmonics. Upon its release "Barracuda" became Heart's second top-20 hit in the U.S., peaking at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has become the band's signature song and is a staple on American classic rock radio playlists. In other parts of the world it was a much bigger hit reaching #1 in South Africa, #2 in Canada and #8 in Germany.

Barracuda (1977)

Ann Wilson revealed in interviews that the song was about Heart's anger towards Mushroom Records' attempted publicity stunt involving her and her sister Nancy Wilson in a made-up incestuous affair. The song particularly focuses on Ann's rage towards a man who came up to her after a concert asking how her "lover" was. She initially thought he was talking about her boyfriend, band manager Michael Fisher. After he revealed he was talking about her sister Nancy, Ann became angry and went back to her hotel room to write the original lyrics of the song. Producer Mike Flicker added that Mushroom was so obtuse in the contract negotiations that Heart decided to discard the album they were working on, Magazine - which the label still released in an unfinished form - and instead sign with the newly formed Portrait Records to make another record, Little Queen. As Flicker put it, "'Barracuda' was created conceptually out of a lot of this record business drama. Barracuda could be anyone from the local promotion man to the president of a record company. That is the barracuda. It was born out of that whole experience."

“Little Queen” was released as the second single from the band's second album Little Queen in 1977. The song is a midtempo rock and roll number similar in style to Heart's past hit "Magic Man." Though the song has become a classic tune for Heart fans it did not fare well as a single charting at #62 in the US and #58 in Canada.

“Kick It Out” another hard rocker was the band’s third single from the album charted even lower than “Little Queen” while the smooth rocking folk-tinged fourth single “Love Alive” missed the charts completely.

Album highlight “Dream of the Archer” displays the band’s versatility with a medieval sort of mood.

In it's May 21, 1977 issue Billboard Magazine featured "Little Queen" as one of four Spotlight Albums in their new release section. The following is the review that appeared:
Following it's phenomenal debut album and single success on the small Mushroom label, Heart's switch to the small-roster CBS Portrait label finds the Northwestern sextet irrefutably proving that sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson can sing, write and play rock with all the hard drive and mystically lush overtones Fleetwood Mac is renowned for. Heart's music has complex textures and turbulent energy. The Wilson ladies are complete rockers without putting on any fake pseudo-macho butchiness. The Mike Flicker production brings lavish to the string-picking and synthesizer virtuosity of this brilliant group. 
Best Cuts: Barracuda, Little Queen, Dream Archer

Heart (1977)

Link to “Little Queen” (Click Here)

HEART

Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel (Car)(1977)

“Peter Gabriel” by Peter Gabriel (1977)

Release Date: February 25, 1977
Produced by Bob Ezrin
Genre: Progressive Rock, Art Rock, Prog Rock
Label: Charisma, Atco
Chart Positions: #1 (Holland), #5 (Norway, France, Italy), #7 (UK), #8 (Sweden), #9 (Germany, Netherlands), #10 (Austria), #25 (Australia), #30 (Canada), #38 (New Zealand, US)
Certifications: Gold (UK, France, Germany)

Singles: “Solsbury Hill” #3 (France), #9 (Poland), #11 (Holland), #13 (Austria, Netherlands, UK), #14 (Belgium), #16 (Germany), #45 (Australia), #68 (US), #92 (Canada), “Modern Love” (No chart data)

Peter Gabriel is the first studio album by English rock musician Peter Gabriel and the first of four with the same eponymous title. Released on 25 February 1977, it was produced by Bob Ezrin (Ezrin is best remembered for producing Alice Cooper’s classic albums through the 1970s and Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”). Gabriel and Ezrin assembled a team of musicians, including King Crimson main-man Robert Fripp, to record the album. Upon the album's release, Gabriel began touring with a seven-piece band under his own name.

The album was recorded in the wintertime in Toronto where Bob Ezrin was based at the time. Gabriel got to know the area by riding a bicycle from place to place.

This album is often called either Peter Gabriel 1 or Car, referring to the album cover by London artist Peter Christopherson when he was associated with the London artists group Hipgnosis. The car was a Lancia Flavia owned by Hipgnosis founder Storm Thorgerson. One of the first ideas Gabriel had for the cover was to use mirrored contact lenses. It took him a while to find someone that would make the lenses for him. Gabriel said, "They were painful to wear, but the effect was fantastic."

“Peter Gabriel 1 - Car” (Click Here)

Peter Gabriel's first self-titled album served as his creative exodus from Genesis (no pun intended ... OK, kinda). It's a purposefully eclectic, anything-flies approach to songcraft, venturing from hard-hitting rock ("Modern Love") to quirky art-rock (the vastly underrated "Moribund The Burgermeister") to pastoral folk-pop (the lovely "Solsbury Hill," which serves as a thinly veiled kiss-off to his former band) to, umm, barbershop quartet crooning ("Excuse Me"). No other Gabriel album is quite so diverse in stylistic content. Overall, Car is a fascinating first chapter.

Peter Gabriel commented on his website: “I really wanted the first record to be different from what I’d done with Genesis so we were trying to do things in different styles. A bit of barbershop, which Tony Levin helped with, there were more bluesy things, a variety of songs and arrangements that were consciously trying to provide something different than what I’d done before.”

Peter Gabriel’s debut solo single was “Solsbury Hill,” Gabriel has said of the song's meaning, "It's about being prepared to lose what you have for what you might get ... It's about letting go." Former bandmate Tony Banks acknowledges that the song reflects Gabriel's decision to break ties with Genesis, but it can be also applied in a broader sense. The song was a huge hit in Europe having reached the Top 20 in France, Poland, Holland, Netherlands, UK, Belgium and Germany. In the US the song only reached #68.

"Solsbury Hill" (1977)

Built around an acoustic guitar riff, this song is much more simple and toned-down from his extravagant work with Genesis. At one point Gabriel was going to leave the song off of the album but in the end decided to include it. Gabriel considers “Solsbury Hill one of his favorites. It's almost always included in his live shows. Solsbury Hill is located near Bath, England, where Gabriel would often walk or jog.

The second and final single, the surging rocker “Modern Love, ” failed to chart anywhere despite a music video that was made to promote the song. The video was shot in a shopping mall that was in the process of being built. Most of the video is filmed on a moving escalator (which Gabriel felt was very “in the future” at the time).

One of the album’s popular cuts “Slowburn” takes Peter Gabriel back to familiar ground with elements of his earlier orchestral work with Genesis.

In the song "Down The Dolce Vita" Gabriel introduces the characters Aeron and Gorham who set out on a journey across the sea. They would become part of Gabriel's story of Mozo, a mercurial stranger who would come and go, changing people's lives. Mozo would show up again in "On The Air," "Exposure," "Red Rain" and "That Voice Again."

One of the most interesting songs, lyrically, is "Here Comes The Flood." Gabriel is speaking about a mental flood, "a release, a wash over the mind." He presents an image of a society where people can read each other's minds. Gabriel says the song was inspired by a dream he had.

Peter Gabriel Advertisement (March 5, 1977)

Peter Gabriel (1977) Mirrored Contacts

Link to “Peter Gabriel 1” (Click Here)

PETER GABRIEL