Judy Collins - True Stories and Other Dreams (1973)

“True Stories and Other Dreams” by Judy Collins (1973)

Release Date: January 1973
Produced by Mark Abramson and Judy Collins
Chart Positions: #27 (US)
Certifications: N/A
Singles: “Cook With Honey” (US #32), “Secret Gardens” (US #122)

“True Stories and Other Dreams” was Judy Collins’ ninth studio album. For the first half-dozen albums of her career, Judy Collins sang only traditional folk tunes and material by other songwriters. Even when she began to write songs in the late 1960s, her compositions were outnumbered by tunes from other sources on the records she issued during the next five years or so. The 1973 LP True Stories and Other Dreams, however, marked the first album on which her own songs comprised the majority of the material. As usual, though, the record also featured astutely selected tunes from a variety of other contemporary singer-songwriters, some of who had also been recording since the early days of the folk revival, and some of who were newcomers to the music scene.

“True Stories and Other Dreams” by Judy Collins (Click Here)

True Stories and Other Dreams also marked the first occasion on which she received a producer's credit, shared with Mark Abramson, who'd produced her recordings since the mid-1960s. As Judy elaborates, however, throughout their association, "we produced together, truly. I would never have denied him his production credit. But it was also my choices, my thinking, my determination, and then Mark backing me up, helping me get what I wanted to get done. And we knew all these wonderful people, of course." On True Stories and Other Dreams, that support cast included her longtime friend Eric Weissberg on acoustic guitar, banjo, and upright bass; Bill Keith, whose pedal steel lent an occasional country flavor; and even Latin jazzman Ray Barretto on congos and bongos.

The songs on the album showcased Judy’s varied musical interests. The single “Cook With Honey” was alight flavored pop song that reached #32 on the US singles chart. The protest song, “The Hostage” brought us back to Judy’s folk roots. “Secret Gardens,” the second single from the album is a beautiful orchestral ballad about her family. The song bubbled under the US singles chart making it to #122. Opening with Judy’s tender keyboard playing, the wistful “Holly Ann” is about Judy’s sister. Of course there are the fantastic story songs like “Fisherman Song,” where Judy excels. Judy recalls, "I took a little time off in 1972 and went out to Long Island just to do some songwriting," remembers Judy today. "At that point, I wrote 'Fishermen Song.' I was on the beach there and these fishermen sing; they bring in the fish, and they would hand me a fresh bluefish or something for me to cook. So 'Fishermen Song' is really about that experience of watching them fish."

"Song For Martin"

“Song For Martin” is a poignant album highlight about Martin Hoffman, a school teacher, who composed the music for a poem written by Woody Guthrie titled “Deportee.” Hoffman and Judy became friends in the 1960s. Collins remembers, "He was the first person I ever heard sing 'This Land Is Your Land,' up at Lookout Mountain in Colorado," says Judy. "He was a wonderful man, just a sweet man." Hoffman committed suicide prior to the recording of “True Stories and Other Dreams.”

The album closes with the dramatic politically charged “Che.” In an entirely different vein, the seven-and-a-half-minute "Ché"–inspired, of course, by the famous revolutionary Ché Guevara – is one of the most ambitious compositions Collins ever put on disc. She'd been thinking about "the people who betrayed him, and how they might feel, because they were probably Catholics, they were probably poor, they were probably peasants in South America," she reflects. "And I thought, I want to see if I can paint that picture of him. Because all these people get told by leaders what they should do, and how they should live, and it must get to be a burden."

Judy Collins (1973)

Link to “True Stories and Other Dreams” (Click Here)

JUDY COLLINS

Ornette Coleman - Science Fiction (1972)

“Science Fiction” by Ornette Coleman (1972)

Release Date: February 1972
Produced by James Jordan
Chart Positions: N/A
Certifications: N/A
Singles: N/A

Ornette Coleman's first album for Columbia followed a stint on Blue Note that found the saxophonist in something of a holding pattern. Science Fiction was his creative rebirth, a stunningly inventive and appropriately alien-sounding blast of manic energy. Coleman pulls out all the stops, working with a variety of different lineups and cramming the record full of fresh ideas and memorable themes. Bassist Charlie Haden and drummers Billy Higgins and/or Ed Blackwell are absolutely indispensable to the overall effect, playing with a frightening, whirlwind intensity throughout.

"Science Fiction" is a free jazz classic.

“Science Fiction” by Ornette Coleman (Click Here)

In some respects, this is one of the last original statements of the musical approach Ornette had taken starting in the late 1950s.  Many of these songs open with a “head” with two performers playing a composed line in dissonant unison.  Then the songs open up with the performers playing in less coordinated ways.  But that approach only accounts for a portion of the album, mostly in the middle part.

The opener “What Reason Could I Give?” is something different from the traditional Coleman song structure.  Instead of a more structured head that gives way to less structured collective improvisation, the entire song is organized around unison playing.  Every one of the performers, with some slight exception for the two drummers who must accept the more limited tonal palettes of drum kits in exchange for unobtrusively skittering rhythmic attacks, seems to be guided by a close and commonly structured composition that tries to balance the tone, volume and overall intensity of performance.  A singer (Asha Puthli) provides an inherent focal point because of the lyrics, though really they are not “in front” of the other performers in any real way.  This type of song structure seems like a more fully realized version of things Ornette had hinted at in the late 1960s, when he started working with Dewey Redman, but never really mastered.  This song is fluid, engaging…convincing.  And the balance never falters.

The catchiest numbers -- including two songs with Indian vocalist Asha Puthli, which sound like pop hits from an alternate universe -- have spacy, long-toned melodies that are knocked out of orbit by the rhythm section's churning chaos, which often creates a totally different pulse. Two tracks reunite Coleman's classic quartet of Haden, Higgins, and Don Cherry; "Street Woman" just wails, and "Civilization Day" is a furious, mind-blowing up-tempo burner. With “Civilization Day,” Ornette is back to a kind of bop group combo formation that opens the song with a form of unison playing that leaves specific spaces in place.  After the initial statement of the songs theme, the drums drop out, and then solos are traded.  The bass (Charlie Haden) is very insistent throughout.  It provides the strong urging of a regular beat that undercuts what would otherwise be an oppressive intensity from the wailing of the wind instruments.  The next song “Street Woman” sort of combines the approaches of the first two.  The bass takes more liberal departures from a steady beat, both in a rubbery statement in the head (plus a similar closing to the song), and in a prominent mid-song solo. "Law Years" and "The Jungle Is a Skyscraper" feature a quintet with Haden, Blackwell, tenorist Dewey Redman, and trumpeter Bobby Bradford; both have racing, stop-start themes, and "Jungle"'s solos have some downright weird groaning effects. "Rock the Clock" foreshadows Coleman's '70s preoccupations, with Redman playing the musette (an Arabic double-reed instrument) and Haden amplifying his bass through a wah-wah pedal to produce sheets of distorted growls. “Rock the Clock” again opens right into a bunch of skronking from the wind instruments, but with Ornette on violin playing scratchy, abrasive and high-pitched bowed sounds, then an electric bass gives the song a touch of the sound of the jazz-rock fusion movement — very funky.  Between the bass and the violin, two extremes sit together, taking opposite approaches (pulsed beats on bass, extended tones on violin)  yet kind of create a meaning through their juxtaposition.  This proves to be a great performance of a song that would become standard in the Coleman repertoire. The title track is a free septet blowout overlaid with David Henderson's echoed poetry recitations, plus snippets of a crying baby; it could sound awkward today, but in context it's perfectly suited to the high-octane craziness all around it.

"Street Woman"

An open secret to Ornette’s music is the way he integrates composition and improvisation.  Performers are not simply cut loose to play whatever they want.  Ornette was a composer above all.  Yet his way of composing presented the opportunity for his compositions to seem to dissolve away amid the improvisation.  Paradoxically, the only way the improvisation can structure itself to overcome the compositional elements is through the compositions themselves. Science Fiction is a meeting ground between Coleman's past and future; it combines the fire and edge of his Atlantic years with strong hints of the electrified, globally conscious experiments that were soon to come. And, it's overflowing with brilliance.

Ornette Coleman (1972)

Link to “Science Fiction” (Click Here)

ORNETTE COLEMAN

The Who - Who's Next (1971)

“Who’s Next” (album) by The Who (1971)

Release Date: August 14, 1971
Produced by The Who
Associate Producer: Glyn Johns
Chart Positions: #4 (US), #1 (UK), #2 (Finland, Netherlands, France), #3 (Australia, Denmark), #5 (Canada), #6 (Norway), #14 (Ireland), #18 (Germany), #100 (Italy)
Certifications: 3xPlatinum (US), Gold (UK, Italy)

Singles: “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (#15 US, #9 UK, France, #1 Singapore, #2 Malaysia, #3 Poland, #5 Israel, #6 Portugal, #7 Canada, #8, Netherlands, #11 Holland, #14 Australia, #27 Germany and Denmark)
"Behind Blue Eyes” (#1 France, #34 US and Holland)
“Baba O’Reilly” (#11 Netherlands, #13 Holland, #26 Belgium, #80 Australia, #200 France)

Who's Next is the fifth studio album by English rock band The Who. It developed from the aborted Lifehouse project, a multi-media rock opera written by the group's Pete Townshend as a follow-up to the band's 1969 album Tommy. The project was cancelled due to its complexity and conflicts with Kit Lambert, the band's manager, but Townshend was persuaded to record the songs as a straightforward studio album. The album was a major hit around the world and spawned three hit singles.

“Who’s Next” by The Who (Click Here)

The Who recorded Who's Next with assistance from recording engineer Glyn Johns. After producing the song "Won't Get Fooled Again" in the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, they relocated to Olympic Studios to record and mix most of the album's remaining songs. They made prominent use of the synthesizer on the album, particularly on "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Baba O'Riley", which were both released as singles. The cover photo was shot by Ethan Russell and made reference to the monolith in the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, as it featured group members having urinated against a concrete piling protruding from a slag heap.

Who's Next was an immediate success when it was released on August 14, 1971. It has since been viewed by critics as the Who's best record and one of the greatest albums of all time.

In 1970 The Who set out to record their science fiction rock opera “Lifehouse.” After a series of concerts to promote their upcoming “Lifehouse” project Pete Townshend became disillusioned with it and the group dropped the project and rapidly began work on their next album “Who’s Next.” Several of the tracks on “Who’s Next” were birthed from ideas from the “Lifehouse” project.

The first single “Won’t Get Fooled Again” was released on June 25, 1971 a month and a half before the album and was an immediate smash hit reaching the Top 10 all around the world. The album version runs 8:30. The single was shortened to 3:35 so radio stations would play it. The song, which closes the album “Who’s Next,” was written by Pete Townshend as a closing number of the Lifehouse project, the lyrics are a critique of revolution and power. To symbolize the spiritual connection he had found in music via the works of Meher Baba and Inayat Khan, he programmed a blend of human traits into a synthesizer and used it as a back track throughout the song. Townshend interviewed several people with general practitioner-style questions, and captured their heartbeat, brainwaves and astrological charts, converting the result into a series of audio pulses. The Who first recorded the song in New York in March 1971, but re-recorded it at Stargroves (Home of Mick Jagger and a recording venue for Rolling Stones and other rock artists) the next month using the synthesizer track from Townshend's original demo. Roger Daltrey's scream is considered one of the best on any rock song. It was quite a convincing wail - so convincing that the rest of the band, lunching nearby, thought Daltrey was brawling with the engineer. Townshend described the song as one "that screams defiance at those who feel any cause is better than no cause.”

The second single, “Behind Blue Eyes,” was originally set to be the album’s first single release, but the group decided to release “Won’t Get Fooled Again” as they felt that song better represented the band’s overall mood at the time. The song is another that was written by Pete Townshend for his Lifehouse project. "Behind Blue Eyes" originated after a Who concert in Denver on June 9th, 1970. Following the performance, Townshend became tempted by a female groupie, but he instead went back to his room alone, possibly as a result of the teachings of his spiritual leader, Meher Baba. Upon reaching his room, he began writing a prayer, the first words being "When my fist clenches, crack it open..." These words later appeared as lyrics in the "climactic rocking section" of "Behind Blue Eyes." The version of "Behind Blue Eyes" on the original Who's Next album was the second version the band recorded; the first was recorded at the Record Plant in New York on 18 March 1971 and features Al Kooper on Hammond organ.

"Behind Blue Eyes"

“Baba O’Riley” (aka “Teenage Wasteland”) was the third and last single from “Who’s Next,” like the other singles from the album, was written by Pete Townshend for his “Lifehouse” project. Roger Daltrey sings most of the song, with Pete Townshend singing the middle eight: "Don't cry/don't raise your eye/it's only teenage wasteland". The song's title is a combination of the names of two of Townshend's philosophical and musical influences, Meher Baba and Terry Riley. Townshend stated in an interview that "'Baba O'Riley' is about the absolute desolation of teenagers at Woodstock, where the patrons were smacked out on acid and 20 people had brain damage. The irony was that some listeners took the song to be a teenage celebration: 'Teenage Wasteland, yes! We're all wasted!'" The song is often mistakenly called "Teenage Wasteland", after the phrase repeated in the song. "Teenage Wasteland" was in fact a working title for the song in its early incarnations as part of the Lifehouse project, but eventually became the title for a different but related song by Townshend, which is slower and features more lyrics.[6] A demo of "Teenage Wasteland" is featured on Lifehouse Chronicles, a six disc set of music related to the Lifehouse project, and on several Townshend compilations and videos.

Other album highlights include the song “Bargain” a love song in which the subject of love is not defined. Townshend has stated the song was influenced by Indian mystic Meher Baba and that the subject of the song is God. Another highlight is “Going Mobile” a song that many felt was strong enough to be released as a single. The song was originally written for Townshend's abandoned Lifehouse project, with lyrics celebrating the joy of having a mobile home and being able to travel the open road. The Who's lead singer Roger Daltrey did not take part in the recording of the song, leaving the rest of the band to record it as a power trio; Townshend handles the lead vocals, guitars, and synthesizers, with John Entwistle on bass and Keith Moon on drums.

"Baba O'Reilly" was used as the TV Theme song for the series "CSI: NY" from 2004 - 2013. "Won't Get Fooled Again" was the TV theme for "CSI Miami."

Link to “Who’s Next” (Click Here)

THE WHO 

Donna Summer - Once Upon A Time (1977)

“Once Upon A Time” (album) by Donna Summer (1977)

Release Date: October 31, 1977
Produced by Girogio Moroder and Pete Bellotte
Chart Positions: #26 (US), #24 UK, #9 Norway, #10 Spain, #27 Canada, #31 Japan, #44 Australia
Certifications: Gold (US, UK, Canada)

Singles: “I Love You”(#37 US, #10 UK and Norway, #6 Netherlands, #16 Italy, #21 Spain, #27 Canada, #47 Australia)
“Fairy Tale High” (N/A)
“Once Upon A Time” (#14 Italy)
“Rumour Has It” (#53 US, #19 UK, #21 Denmark and Germany, #20 Netherlands, #64 Canada)

Once Upon a Time is Donna Summer’s sixth studio album and is the album released just before her pinnacle with “Bad Girls.” It was released on October 31, 1977, and peaked at #26 on the US Billboard 200, #13 US R&B chart and #24 on the UK Albums Chart. The entire album charted as one entry at #1 on the US Hot Dance/Disco chart. Once Upon a Time includes the singles "I Love You", "Fairy Tale High", "Once Upon a Time" and "Rumour Has It".

“Once Upon A Time” by Donna Summer (Click Here)

The concept album was Summer's first double album, telling a modern-day Cinderella-themed story through means of disco music. The album's story concept was conceived by Joyce Bogart, Susan Munao and Donna Summer based on an idea by Al Bogatz. The songs were written in collaboration between Summer, Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. The album was recorded at Musicland Studios, Munich. Arrangements were handled by Bob Esty while electronic arrangements were the work of Moroder. The artwork was designed by Stephen Lumel and Gribbitt! with photography by Francesco Scavullo.

Summer's previous two records were musical concept albums: 1976's Four Seasons of Love told the story of a love affair by relating it to the four seasons, while 1977's I Remember Yesterday presented a musical catalogue of musical styles and lyrical themes from the past, present and an imagined future “I Feel Love” was the imagined future). Once Upon A Time is another concept album—the first "disco opera" per Robert Christgau *—developed by Joyce Bogart, Susan Munao and Donna Summer as a modern-day Cinderella narrative.

Throughout the album and as described in the liner notes storyline, the songs tell the story of a young woman who lives in a fantasy world of make-believe in which she is seemingly trapped, but thanks to her belief in her dreams she embarks on an adventure that ends with the man she loves entering her life. The "rags to riches" story is brought into the modern day via the use of the electronic disco sound. * Robert Christgau is a music critic that has covered music for Esquire, Cream, Playboy, Billboard, Rolling Stone Magazine, NPR and other popular music and entertainment periodicals.

The excellent use of strings brings a lush quality to both the disco numbers ("Faster And Faster To Nowhere") and the ballads ("Happily Ever After"). With this album Summer, Moroder and Bellotte focused on writing full flshed out songs as opposed to minimal lyrics of the previous albums each song tells a complete story. That’s not to say the previous albums were not good – they were great it’s just with this album the songwriting, most precisely the lyrics improved tenfold.

"I Love You"

The first single release “I Love You” became Donna Summer’s third US top 40 hit reaching #37 on the US singles chart. The song was a big hit in Europe making it into the Top 10 in the UK, Norway and Netherlands. “I Love You” is a dreamy disco song that brings about a wonderfully optimistic feel as you listen to it. The second single “Fairy Tale High” came and went pretty quick. It received airplay in dance clubs across the US but did not make it on to the charts. “Once Upon A Time,” the album’s third single also did not chart but received extensive dance club play. The fiurth and final single “Rumour Has It” is a cult classic that became one of the album favorites and was one of the most played songs in the night clubs from the album. “Rumour Has It” charted at #53 in the US and made it into the Top 20 in the UK and Netherlands. Album highlight “Working The Midnight Shift” is a song that many fans feel was a missed opportunity for single release. The song received major club play, was a working-class anthem predating "She Works Hard For The Money,” “Midnight Shift” told the story of a waitress who worked the late shift but still made it out to see her friends before the clubs closed. The song sports a dark disco flavor that was very popular in the underground discos and in the later 70s worked it’s way into the mainstream discos.

Donna Summer 1977

Donna Summer 1977

Link to “Once Upon A Time” (Click Here)

DONNA SUMMER

Blondie - Plastic Letters (1978)

“Plastic Letters” by Blondie (1978)

Release Date: February 1978
Produced by Richard Gottehrer
Chart Positions: #72 (US), #10 (UK), #32 (Netherlands), #33 (Sweden), #38 (New Zealand), #64 (Australia)
Certifications: Platinum (UK)
Singles: “Kidnapper (Japanese only release)
“Denis” (#1 Europe, Belgium, Netherlands, #2 UK, #3 Ireland, #8 France, #9 Germany, #10 Austria, #12 Australia, #19 Sweden, #30 New Zealand)
“(I’m Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear” (#8 Netherlands, #10 UK, #14 Belgium)

“Plastic Letters” was the second studio album recorded by new wave/punk band, Blondie. It was their first album to chart in the US as well as being the album released just before their major breakthrough “Parallel Lines.”

“Plastic Letters” by Blondie (Click Here) 

Less than a year after their self-titled 1976 debut, Blondie returned with the stronger, punkier `Plastic Letters', complete with their pop trash culture influences solidly intact. Again produced by 60s pop composer Richard Gottehrer, the songs on this second album have more drive, more attitude and, with the general increase in song-writing sophistication of everyone involved, must have indicated that the band were likely to deliver even better things in the near future.

The prowess of the band members became more evident as songwriters. Keyboardist Jimmy Destri's predilection for mod- infused new wave pop-rock was becoming increasingly clear with some absolute gems among his six contributions on the 13 tracks. `Fan Mail', `Contact in Red Square', `No Imagination', `Kidnapper' and the awesome rocker `Detroit 442' (with Chris Stein) all serve to anchor the harder, faster approach on this release. Stein's six are slightly less consistent, but `Youth Nabbed by Sniper' is a perfect companion piece to Destri's style while the awesome, giddy, acid-rock infused semi ballad, `Bermuda Triangle Blues', about a mysterious plane disappearance in said zone, is the album's super nova moment. Bassist Gary Valentine's `(I'm Always) Touched By Your Presence Dear' is also a high point. Debbie Harry and her partner (at the time) Chris Stein wrote the very and quirky “I’m On E.” The fast moving album highlight “Love At The Pier” was written by Deborah Harry and sports a strong percussive rhythm accented with moving surf guitar parts. The dark and melancholic “Cautious Lip” brings the album to a dramatic close.

Destri's keyboards soar into their own on this record while Deborah Harry's trademark sneer and coquettish phrasing become fully formed, stamping her as far more than just a good looking lead singer. There is something happening on `Plastic Letters' and, even not knowing back in 1977 what was to come, it must have pointed to a band that was not likely to fade away (and radiate) any time soon.

The first single release “Kidnapper” was only released in Japan but failed to chart. The second single “Denis” was a huge hit in Europe charting in many countries as well as charting #1 on the Eurochart Hot 100. Neil Levenson wrote “Denise”, his childhood friend, Denise Lefrak, inspired the song. In 1963, the song became a popular top ten hit in the US, when recorded by the American doo-wop group Randy & the Rainbows. The cover version by Blondie, re-titled "Denis", reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart in 1978 and charted all throughout Europe. The third single “(I’m Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear” was written by Blondie bass player Gary Valentine, a/k/a Gary Lachman, for his then-girlfriend Lisa Jane Persky before his departure from the band. Valentine left Blondie prior to the recording of “Plastic Letters” to pursue a solo career.

"Denis"

Link to “Plastic Letters” (Click Here)

BLONDIE 

Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly (1973)

“Killing Me Softly” by Roberta Flack (1973)

Release Date: August 1, 1973
Produced by Joel Dorn
Chart Positions: #3 (US), #40 (UK), #6 (Norway), #9 (Netherlands), #11 (Australia), #13 (Canada), #47 (Germany)
Certifications: 2xPlatinum (US), Gold (Canada)
Singles: “Killing Me Softly With His Song” (#1 US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, #3 Holland, #4 Netherlands, Norway, #5 France, #6 UK, Brazil, #8 South Africa, #17 Belgium, #19 Austria, #30 Germany, #32 Switzerland)
“Jesse” (#23 Canada, #24 Australia, #30 US)

Killing Me Softly reached US #3 and #2 on the US Soul chart. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album GOLD on August 27, 1973, and double platinum on January 30, 2006. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year, which it lost to Stevie Wonder's 1973 album Innervisions. The album's title track was released as a single and topped the Billboard Hot 100 and won the 1974 Grammy Award for Record of the Year.

“Killing Me Softly” by Roberta Flack (Click Here)

“Killing Me Softly” is Roberta Flack’s fourth studio album (her fifth if you include the collaboration albums with Donny Hathaway). She spent 18 months recording the album with producer Joel Dorn. Dorn, a jazz and R&B producer, has produced albums for Max Roach, Herbie Mann, the Neville Brothers and others. Dorn and Flack took a less is more approach in producing an album full of soulful heartfelt tunes. They left out all the catchy pop hooks that were popular in the 70s and went for a straightforward smooth soulful sound that has paid off as time has past. The album is still as fresh and heart felt as it was in 1973.

The first single “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel, became a huge hit single and received major airplay all over AM and FM radio being played on Top 40 Pop, Easy Listening, R&B and Jazz radio stations. Gimbel and Fox also wrote the theme songs to the TV shows Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley. Lori Lieberman was the first to record the song in late 1971, releasing it in early 1972. Helen Reddy has said she was sent the song, but "the demo sat on my turntable for months without being played because I didn't like the title." Roberta Flack first heard the song on an airline, when the Lieberman original was featured on the in-flight audio program. After scanning the listing of available audio selections, Flack would recall: "The title, of course, smacked me in the face. I immediately pulled out some scratch paper, made musical staves then played the song at least eight to ten times jotting down the melody that I heard. When I landed, I immediately called Quincy Jones at his house and asked him how to meet Charles Fox. Two days later I had the music." Shortly afterwards Flack rehearsed the song with her band in the Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston, Jamaica but did not then record it.

In September 1972, Flack was opening for Marvin Gaye at the Greek Theater; after performing her prepared encore song, Flack was advised by Gaye to sing an additional song. Flack – "I said well, I got this song I've been working on called "Killing Me Softly..." and he said "Do it, baby." And I did it and the audience went crazy, and he walked over to me and put his arm around me and said, "Baby, don't ever do that song again live until you record it." Released in January 1973, Flack's version spent a total of five non-consecutive weeks, more weeks than any other record in 1973 at #1. Billboard ranked it as the #3 song for 1973. Charles Fox suggested that Flack's version was more successful than Lieberman's because Flack's "version was faster and she gave it a strong backbeat that wasn't in the original."[7] According to Flack: "My classical background made it possible for me to try a number of things with [the song's arrangement]. I changed parts of the chord structure and chose to end on a major chord. [The song] wasn't written that way."[14] Flack plays electric piano on the track. Several well known jazz musicians performed on the song including bass is by Ron Carter, guitar by Hugh McCracken and drums by Ray Lucas. Flack won the 1973 Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, for the single, with Gimbel and Fox earning the Song of the Year Grammy. According to Lori Lieberman, who performed the original recording in 1972, the song was born of a poem she wrote after experiencing a strong reaction to the Don McLean song "Empty Chairs." She then related this information to Gimbel, who took her feelings and put them into words. Then Gimbel passed the words to Fox, who set them to music.

"Killing Me Softly"

The next single, the beautiful and somber, “Jesse” written by singer/songwriter Janis Ian. The song appeared on Ian’s 1974 album “Stars” of which its title track was inspired by Don McLean. Janis Ian began writing this song in the mid 1960s when she was around 14-15 years old. The song was going to be about a Vietnam vet coming home from the war. But then she thought that was too limiting. She ended up writing the song to have a more universal meaning, as the song could relate to anyone wondering when, or if, a loved one will return home. The song was a semi-hit reaching US #30, Australia #24 and Canada #23.

One of the album’s highlights is the upbeat and optimistic “When You Smile,” with Dixieland flavored guitars, banjo and horns the song has a universal groove that we don’t hear much from Flack. This would have made a great single. Written by jazz musician Ralph MacDonald, Roberta Flack was the first person to record the song. MacDonald also co-wrote “Where Is The Love” a Top 10 hit for Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway in 1972. MacDonald also co-wrote “Just The Two of Us” a song that has become a standard as released in 1981.

Roberta Flack (1973)

Link to “Killing Me Softly” (Click Here)

ROBERTA FLACK

Bee Gees - Spirits Having Flown (1979)

“Spirits Having Flown” by Bee Gees (1979)

Release Date: February 5, 1979
Produced by Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Williams
Chart Positions: #1 (US, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Germany), #2 (Austria, Japan) #3 (Netherlands)
Certifications: 5xPlatinum (Canada), Platinum (US, UK, Hong Kong), Gold (Finland, France)

Singles: “Too Much Heaven” (#1 US, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, #2 France, Ireland, Netherlands, #3 UK, #4 Finland, #5 Australia, China, #8 Belgium, #10 Germany, #13 Austria)
“Tragedy” (#1 US, UK, Brazil, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, #2 Australia, Austria, Chile, Germany, South Africa, Switzerland, #3 Belgium, #4 Netherlands, Norway, #6 Sweden, #7 Finland, #32 Japan)
“Love You Inside Out” (#1 US, Canada, #3 Chile, #6 Ireland, #13 UK, #17 Italy, New Zealand, #21 Germany, #22 Belgium, #35 Netherlands, #39 France, #77 Australia)
“Spirits (Having Flown)” (#14 Ireland, #16 UK, #36 Netherlands)

Spirits Having Flown is the fifteenth album released by the Bee Gees. It was the group's first album after their collaboration on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. The album's first three tracks were released as singles and all reached No. 1 in the US, giving the Bee Gees an unbroken run of six US chart-toppers and tying a record set by The Beatles. It was the first Bee Gees album to make the UK top 40 in ten years (not counting the soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever), as well as being their first and only UK No. 1 album. It has sold 20 million copies worldwide.

“Spirits Having Flown” by Bee Gees (Click Here) 

1979 was the year of Bee Gees they owned the radio airwaves. One of their songs was being played every 3 minutes everyday. It began in September 1977 when the single “How Deep Is Your Love (from the “Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack) was released. The song shot to #1 in an instant and set the stage for one of the most chart runs of consecutive #1 hits in the history of music. After “How Deep Is Your Love” the next five Bee Gees single releases all hit #1 including “Staying Alive,” “Night Fever,” “Too Much Heaven,” “Tragedy” and “Love You Inside Out.” Toward the end of 1979 the Bee Gees had become victims of over-saturation. They were everywhere – you just could not escape them. And then 1980 rolled around and the Bee Gees all of a sudden became passé. Their next five singles were only moderate hit with 1983’s “The Woman In You” being the highest charting reaching #24 in the US.

“Spirits Having Flown” signified the pinnacle of the Bee Gees’ career. Many fans of their earlier pop-rock sound with hits such as “Run To Me, “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart,” “Lonely Days” and “Words” had long given up Bee Gees when they became the Kings of Disco in 1975 with the release of “Jive Talkin’.” But all was not lost as they adopted an even larger legion of new fans with the new sound. Disco brought more success than ever to the Bee Gees and they were bound to move full steam ahead with their newfound success.

At the start of 1978, Barry Gibb produced the album Shadow Dancing by brother Andy Gibb. By February, Barry wrote the title song for the film Grease performed by Frankie Valli; also in February, another Barry Gibb composition from 1977 "Ain't Nothing Gonna Keep Me From You" was recorded by Teri DeSario. The Bee Gees penned “If I Can’t Have You” was a #1 hit in May 1978 as well Samantha Sang reached US #3 with the Barry Gibb-Robin Gibb penned “Emotion.” By March, the Bee Gees has started to record “Spirits Having Flown.

Co-producer Albhy Galuten recalls Spirits Having Flown as being created primarily by Barry Gibb, Karl Richardson and himself putting in long days and nights at Criteria Studios. In the recording phase, Robin and Maurice now mainly played the role of backing and harmony vocalists, and even in that capacity Barry did many of the vocal dubs himself as he went over and over the recorded work. Robin contributed one lead vocal ("Living Together"), which was sung in falsetto with Barry providing alternating lead vocals in his normal register. This was Robin's least amount of lead vocals on any Bee Gees album with the exception of 1970's Cucumber Castle, for which he was not part of the group at that time. As with the last four Bee Gees albums, Maurice did not have any lead vocals.

The first single to be released from the album, "Too Much Heaven" is a song, which was the band's contribution to the "Music for UNICEF" fund. They performed it at the Music for UNICEF Concert on 9 January 1979. It was released as a single on October 24, 1978, 3 ½ months before the album was released. It hit No. 1 in both the United States and Canada. It also rose to the top three in the United Kingdom. In the US, it would become the fourth of six consecutive No. 1s, tying the record set by the Beatles for most consecutive No. 1 songs. This record was eventually surpassed in 1988 by American singer Whitney Houston when her single "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" became her seventh consecutive number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

The second single release “Tragedy” was an all-out disco tune that burned up the dance floors and zoomed to #1 in the US, UK, Canada and several other countries around the world.

"Tragedy" (1979)

The Gibb brothers wrote both “Tragedy” and "Too Much Heaven" (another American #1), in an afternoon off from making the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band movie in which they were starring. Then in the evening they wrote another American #1 single, "Shadow Dancing" for their brother Andy Gibb.

Stuck for a convincing thunderclap sound, Barry Gibb cupped his hands over a microphone and made an exploding noise with his mouth. Several of these sounds were then mixed together creating the large boom heard on this song. The 1979, NBC television program, The Bee Gees Special, showed how this sound effect was created.

The third single “Love You Inside Out” is a slow funk ballad that had just enough of an R&B sway to it to make it to #53 on the US soul charts. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in June 1979, interrupting Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff". This was their sixth consecutive #1 US hit and their 9th #1 hit overall. It was the ninth and final number-one hit for the Bee Gees in the US. In the UK, the single peaked at no.13 for two weeks.

The fourth single “Spirits (Having Flown) was released in Europe in December 1979 to promote the newly released compilation “Bee Gees Greatest.” The song is a Caribbean flavored R&B track sung by Barry in natural voice during the verses and joined by Robin and Maurice on the chorus which is sung in falsetto. The count-in (1,2,3,4) heard on the album version was omitted from the single version and on the album “Bee Gees Greatest.” Herbie Mann’s flute work is heard at the end of the song.  The single peaked at UK #16, Ireland #14 and Netherlands #36.

A few interesting bits of trivia:
The horn section from Chicago (James Pankow, Walt Parazaider and Lee Loughnane) made a guest appearance on this album. At the time, they were next door working on the Chicago album Hot Streets. Thus the Bee Gees would return the favor as they appeared on Chicago's song "Little Miss Lovin'" and their keyboardist Blue Weaver appeared on "No Tell Lover". The Bee Gees also wrote and recorded the song "Desire" for the album but it was rejected and instead released as a solo single by their brother Andy. Andy released the “Desire” as a single in January 1980 and reached US #4 and Canada #10 with it.

Bee Gees (1979)

Link to “Spirits Having Flown” by Bee Gees (Click Here)

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