romance for mama

"The Love Boat", "Love, American Style" and "Love Story". The 70s was full of romance on television. But radio is where love flourished like a blooming bed of flowers!

In this fourth installment of "music for mothers", I decided to focus on the romantic music of the 70s which is neatly complied in one comprehensive collection. The folks at TL HQ are proud of all their endeavors. But it seems to be the ones that tug the heartstrings that get people talking the most. Love is the universal language.

Every drop of love has been squeezed into "Romancing The 70s", the runaway smash collection of love songs that keeps selling better than ice in July. At least, in the northern hemisphere. And a little bird from TL HQ tells me they're taking 15% off on it and the other collections we've been featuring on The Rewind this week. Let them know we told you about it.



So many classic love songs. In fact, artists in the 70s honed their craft on creating the ultimate love anthem. And "Romancing The 70s" has over 150 of them across 10 CDs. And, like most Time Life products, it comes in an exclusive, collector's box.

And the infomercial is hosted by this handsome devil.



Control yourself, ladies.

In 1970, Tony Orlando had retired from singing. He had two Top 40 hits in 1961 and a third in 1969 as the lead singer for the studio group Wind, but he didn't have any further success for the rest of the decade. He stopped singing entirely and took a job publishing music for April-Blackwood Music, a division of Columbia Records, instead.

The story goes that Tony discovered a song, "Candida", which he decided to pass on recording. After insistence by the producer, Hank Medress, that he dub his voice over the male vocals on the original track, the single was released on Bell Records as performed by Dawn. This way, if the record didn't succeed, he wouldn't be known as the lead vocalist.

The background singers were Sharon Greane, Jay Siegel, and Toni Wine, who co-wrote the song. After the single hit #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Tony decided to give a singing career another shot. They then recorded the follow-up song "Knock Three Times" with Linda November joining on background vocals.



I found that clip just surfing the YouTube continuum. Someone is either a very big Tony Orlando fan or has a lot of time (and talent) on their hands. I got a good giggle out of it.

Anyway, "Romancing The 70s" features all biggest love songs of the decade. One of my favorites is "Laughter In The Rain" by Neil Sedaka.



It doesn't get much better that that unless it's a song Neil wrote for another artist like "Love Will Keep Us Together" which was a #1 hit for Captain And Tennille. Here's a great clip of them with Neil performing the song.



And the original.



"Romancing The 70s" is 10 CDs of timeless classics from artists like Elton John, Dionne Warwick, John Denver, Glen Campbell, Bee Gees, Carly Simon, Chicago, Kenny Rogers and more. And no collection of love songs from the 70s would be complete with one of the greatest romantic hits of all time, "I Honestly Love You" by Olivia Newton-John.



I still shed a little tear at the end of that. Pass the Kleenex, please.

mothers and the power of flowers

Can you imagine Mother's Day in the throes of the peace and love movement in 1968? Flowers everywhere! For every occasion. Florists must have made out like bandits!

If your mother was one part of the peace generation and celebrated the summer of love, then why not give her a different kind of flower? Time Life has the perfect gift. It's the 10 CD "Flower Power" collection and it even comes in a groovy collector's box. My sales pitch is flawless, don't you think?

Anyway, where would we be with the trippy rock n' roll hedonism of Jefferson Airplane, the blissed out, sun kissed pop of The Mamas And The Papas, and the jaunty, jingle jangle of guitars of The Byrds? 

The late 60s and early 70s were watershed moments in popular music. All of it was inspiration of one kind or another for singers, musicians and groups in the years and decades that followed.



They were tumultuous times. The artists were troubadours and they sang about the peace, love and spread the word about issues that mattered to the people. And then there were the notable few that made people forget the serious stuff for a moment and allowed them to indulge in a bit of fun.

Some of my favorites from the "Flower Power" collection include:

"Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)" by The 5th Dimension,

"San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)" by Scott McKenzie,

"Reflections" by The Supremes with its trippy, psychedelic intro,

and one of the first singles I ever bought with my own money, "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas And The Papas.



So give mom some flowers and the power of music. It'll give her the good kind of flashbacks that can only be induced by a good dose of nostalgia.

pump up the jam

We've got eclectic tastes in music over at The Rewind. But one thing we all love is a barn storming, arms akimbo, summer dance jammy jam.

Take Kelly Rowland from Destiny's Child, give her lead vocal duties on the new single from dance guru, David Guetta, and you've got yourself a smash!

Something tells me this started out with a sample of "Clocks" by Coldplay and then they couldn't clear the license. I'm sure they replayed the piano bits in a such a way that it reminds you of "Clocks" but is not identical to it. Then they threw a dance beat under it and served it up HOT!

Turn it up LOUD!

malt shop mama

Enough 80s rehash. Let's go back to the 50s and early 60s. Poodle skirts, bobby socks, drive-ins, malt shops and Ford Thunderbirds with tail fins. You know what I'm talking about. 

Since I've been tasked with digging around for the perfect Mother's Day gifts by the boss upstairs at TL HQ, I thought I'd go through some of the iconic eras of popular music and see what I could come up with. I decided to go with something simple. One box set every day for each decade from the 40s through the 80s. I like continuity. Ties things up in a nice, neat bow. 

Yesterday, we explored the golden age of song with the "Great American Songbook" collection. Today, we're focusing on the era when all was right with America. We were post war. We entered the atomic age. We let the good times roll. All of that and more is represented in "Malt Shop Memories", the 10 CD set that collects 150 jukebox classics in a fabulous malt shop collector's box.

It was the birth of rock n' roll that put many of this collection's legendary performers on the map. Whether they burst on the scene through the radio or on television shows like "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "American Bandstand".

Everyone from The Everly Brothers to The Four Seasons, The Supremes, Neil Sedaka, Bobby Darin, Connie Francis, Elvis Presley, Chubby Checker, The Beach Boys and many other groundbreaking artists are together in one, comprehensive collection that will fill your mind, or perhaps that of your mother's, with the memories of a simpler, gentler time.

There's even a bonus disc of Doo Wop favorites. Who could forget the four part harmony that started on the streets of New York City and captivated the world? It features The Drifters, Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers, The Five Satins, The Del-Vikings, Dion And The Belmonts and a host of others.

"Malt Shop Memories" makes the perfect gift for any mom that lived through those times of the birth of the bouffant and beehive hairstyles, black and white television, doorstop milk deliveries and the jitterbug.

Great balls of fire! It's an amazing collection!

utter madness

They're all crawling out of the woodwork these days, aren't they? Seemingly every band in pop history that ever split is reforming.

Right on the back of a reunion for The Specials, their ska influenced contemporaries, Madness, make a return with their first new album of original material in ten years.

"The Liberty Of Norton Folgate" is being talked-up as their best album in over 25 years, and it's being launched by new single "Dust Devil", the video for which stars actress Jamie Winstone and Lily Allen's brother, Alfie, with Jamie cavorting through the Soho section of London with a camera attached to her face. It captures a drunk, foul-mouthed and emotional Winstone staggering about town, aided by numerous people, including Madness. It's quite a rollercoaster, viewers.

Let's watch.



Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who have worked with Madness on all but one of their previous albums, have produced "The Liberty Of Norton Folgate". The album is scheduled to be released on May 18.

Although they are considered one hit wonders in the US, Madness had a staggering 29 top 40 hit singles in the UK. The one they are most remembered for on these shores is "Our House", a moment in time that is quintessentially 80s.

What's great about the beginning of the clip we chose to feature for "Our House" is that the intro was recently shot in rainy London as a funny introduction to the video. The guy stopping people on the sidewalk is none other than Suggs, lead singer of Madness.

Technically, Madness aren't one hit wonders in the US for the simple reason that they had a second top 40 hit. While "Our House" reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982, the follow up, "It Must Be Love", peaked at a very respectable #33.

put on your red shoes and dance the blues

Totally shaking my booty to "DJ", the brand new single from Benassi Vs. Bowie. It's the production genius of Benny Benassi, a world renowned, Grammy award winning DJ, as chance would have it. The track is based around a sample of the David Bowie song of the same name.



Seems like they've re-edited the original video to fit with it. 

"DJ" was never one of Bowie's biggest hits. It peaked at #29 on the UK singles chart in 1979 and didn't even manage to make a dent on the Billboard Hot 100. The song had a resurgence in the early 80s when it was one of the regular videos MTV played when it launched in 1981.

Put on your shoes and dance the blues, indeed!

heavy fragrance

Yesterday, I blathered on about one of our favorite collections, "Great American Songbook". The luxury. The elegance. The sophistication. The romance. Ooh la la!

One of the most enduring songwriters featured in the collection is Cole Porter. Artists are constantly reinterpreting his classics from the 30s and 40s. New spins on old favorites are always appearing. A new production of a Cole Porter tune by one of our favorite bands came to our attention yesterday. 

The Brand New Heavies, featuring the vocal prowess of the lovely N'Dea Davenport, recently recorded their take on "C'est Magnifique" which is featured in a new television ad for Lancôme's new fragrance, aptly named Magnifique. The commercial features actress, Anne Hathaway. And it gave TBNH a great excuse to shoot their video for the song in Paris. Have a look.



Short and sweet. It has a bit of Barry White vibe about it, don't you think?

The Brand New Heavies, an R&B act rooted in the acid jazz movement of the early 90s, have had a clutch of classic singles like "Never Stop", "Dream On Dreamer" and "Sometimes", as well as their own unique takes on evergreens like the Carole King penned "You've Got A Friend" which was originally made famous by James Taylor, Stevie Wonder's "I Don't Know Why (I Love You)" and "Midnight At The Oasis" which was a hit for Maria Muldaur in 1974.

If you want to explore more of the group's funky vibe, pick up a copy of their 18 track, greatest hits collection, "Trunk Funk - The Best Of The Brand New Heavies", which was released in 2000.

music for mothers and others

With Mother's Day swiftly approaching, thoughts turn to how to best tell your female parental unit that you love her in spite of all the ridiculous things you've done and the heartache you've caused.

As the old cliché goes, "Give the gift of music." So I'm going through some of the stuff we've got laying around the office at The Rewind to see what your mom might like best.

Let's start with the loveliest looking package first. You can never go wrong with the luxury and elegance of red velvet. And "Great American Songbook" is a super classy collection of songs from the golden age of songwriting. No one wrote more clever and romantic songs than Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and Burt Bacharach. From the 40s through the late 60s, their songs were covered more times than I can count.

Artists like Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Nat "King" Cole, Tony Bennett, Elvis Presley, Dusty Springfield, Andy Williams and Ella Fitzgerald epitomize the pre-Beatles era with timeless songs of elegance and distinction.

Who doesn't love "Moon River" by Andy Williams, "Fever" by Peggy Lee, "When I Fall In Love" by Nat "King" Cole and "Alfie" by Dionne Warwick, "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" by Elvis Presley and countless others? "Great American Songbook" is a 10 CD box set full of wonderful, magical memories. Those crazy cats at Time Life even managed to include a lyric booklet so you or your mother can sing along to your favorite tunes!

While you're at it, spring for the accompanying DVD from The Manhattan Transfer. They perform a few songs from the pages of the Great American Songbook in their unique vocal style with nothing more than a piano accompaniment. 

We recorded Man Tran in the legendary Henson Studios in Los Angeles and they blew everyone away with their amazing arrrangements and vocal capabilities. Check them out performing "Route 66", the Nat "King" Cole standard which has become one of their signature tunes.

It was a real thrill to work with them not just because they are consummate professionals and fun to be around but because they were the first concert I ever attended. My parents took me to see them when I was twelve years old. They played at the PNC Bank Center, formerly known as the Garden State Arts Center, in Belmar, New Jersey. Exit 117 on the Garden State Parkway, fact fans! 

Follow The Rewind all this week as we pay tribute to mothers around the globe. There's something for every mother at Time Life. And since we're partial to some of their products, we'll give you the inside scoop on the best ones for mothers and others. We'll even throw in a few curve balls just for fun. 

Some people might wonder why The Rewind is talking about gifts for mom two weeks before Mother's Day. Simple. If you order something from Time Life, you want it to get to its destination before May 10, right? 

something special

I just came across these performances of The Specials who recently reunited for a tour of the UK. They busted out three blistering songs on "Later With Jools Holland" which airs on the BBC. I have to share these with all of you. Check out "Gangsters", "A Message To You Rudy" and "Man At C&A".



They aren't as scrappy as they were way back when, but they've turned into an even better live band now that all these years have passed. Has it really been 30 years since the release of "Gangsters"? It's the single that turned me on to the 2 Tone movement.



There is nothing quite like their home brewed concoction of ska, reggae and dub. The music is joyous while the lyrics have a strong message which was deeply tied to the UK's class culture. Their music was highly influential for groups like Green Day and No Doubt.

Terry Hall went on to front many other bands after The Specials self destructed. First it was The Fun Boy Three. Then he moved on to form The Colourfield. After that it was the short lived, long named Terry, Blair And Anouchka. Then Terry teamed up with Dave Stewart from Eurythmics to form Vegas who delivered one fantastic album. And finally, Terry went solo. It has all come full circle for him in 2009! And he's one of the UK most cherished songwriters.

About fifteen years ago, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to produce a 2 Tone box set and a singles retrospective for Terry Hall. Both are out of print now. But I urge you to try to get your hands on both. There's some mighty potent stuff in those zeroes and ones.



Makes me want to break out my old black, pork pie hat. I'm a pack rat. I bet I still have it after all these years. Let's hope they play some US dates soon!

sweet toxic love

Here's part three of our exclusive interview with David Bryan of Bon Jovi and his partner in toxic crime, Joe DiPietro. Listen to the guys talk about the connection between Bon Jovi and Broadway. Plus they give us a sneak peek into what's next for the duo and crack jokes about New Jersey where being green has many different meanings!



At the very heart of the "The Toxic Avenger" is a love story. It's one that shows true love is able to overcome any obstacles. And there's a lot of great, hard rockin' music woven into it.

Stay tuned for the next and final part of The Rewind's exclusive interview with the toxic team where they take us backstage during rehearsals. You won't want to miss it!

stars on 45

Unfortunately, I got hit with a terrible cold during this trip to LA. But nothing is going to dampen my spirit! LA is my lady!

Between meetings and fabulous dinners, there is a lot to see that has a particular attachment to all things in entertainment. One of the most remarkable buildings in LA is the Capitol Records building. 

As a kid, I used to have a photo of it on my wall. As I got older, many of my favorite artists turned up on Capitol and its sister company, EMI. Then it became my employer many years later.

On Thursday, I was able to get a great shot of the circular structure just as I was exiting the highway onto Vine Street where it rises majestically out of the Hollywood madness.



It's supposed to represent a stack of records with the spire as a spindle. And right out front is where the stars are under foot. Literally! Anyone who's anybody in entertainment is forever immortalized in pavement. Who better to feature outside the front door of Capitol Records than one of their biggest bands, Duran Duran.



Later in the day, we all piled into a car and got to see Depeche Mode play a free, mini concert right on Hollywood Boulevard for "Jimmy Kimmel Live". They performed two songs live - "Wrong", the first single from their brand new album, "Sounds Of The Universe", and "Personal Jesus" which is always a crowd pleaser.



Check out the rock star swagger!



Now it's time for another bowl of hot, garlic soup and some tea with honey and lemon. I'm determined to banish this cold from my system before the weekend is through.

I'll be back 15 minutes when they've made me a superstar

Undoubtedly, this will be one of my favorite singles of the year.



It's the debut single by The Yeah You's. I mentioned them here a couple of months ago.

The best parts of the video are the sound of the AM radio around the 1.29 mark, the awkwardly cute dance routine at 1.40 and the talk show introduction at 2.34. It's quite a big budget video considering how labels are pretty much running on fumes these days.

"15 Minutes" pushes all of my buttons. It has shades of Queen, ELO and 10cc splashed all over it. You can even make out bits of Squeeze and XTC in there. It's steeped in stacked harmonies and 70s influences. The Yeah You's deserve to have a giant hit with this. We'll be playing this around the offices at The Rewind over and over for weeks and weeks. Be warned!

hot shopping

A few days ago, The Rewind did a bit of time zone hydroplaning in a westerly direction. Ladies and gents, we are in the city of Los Angeles!

It's a busy week, but no trip to LA is complete without a visit to the record mecca of Amoeba Music on Sunset Boulevard in the heart of Hollywood!

For a music geek like me, Ameoba is a place I can easily get lost in. It's a bit like being in a casino. No windows. No clocks. Hours go by and money gets siphoned out of my wallet.

Once I step through the front doors, it's pretty certain that I'll be walking out with something. Today's purchase included something old and British...

It's the UK 12" single of "Atomic Lullaby" by The Blow Monkeys. It's the one single of theirs I didn't own. Now my collection is complete! For those who only know The Blow Monkeys from their solitary US hit, "Digging Your Scene", I encourage you to dig a little deeper.

They came from the 80s and in the middle of the Cold War and a Thatcher run United Kingdom, their singles didn't receive as much airplay at the time. Like many of their contemporaries, they were very big fans of T. Rex and David Bowie. But enough of the history lesson. Let's watch more video goodness. Unfortunately, I can't find a video for "Atomic Lullaby". However, a fan uploaded the song with some random photos. That'll have to do.



And then I purchased something new and American...



Lady Gaga had a recent #1 single on both sides of the Atlantic with "Poker Face".



Looks like our Lady has been rummaging through the 80s 12" singles laying around the offices at The Rewind! The best of the remixes is the one produced by Dave Aude. It's great for a little boogie around the office with the door closed. But there's nothing better than the original single version.

And speaking of dancing, our friends over at Popjustice alerted us to "Raindrops", the brand new single from Basement Jaxx. Obviously, they're continuing to mine the electro retro sound of classic dance records from the 80s.



Just in time for the warm weather. In fact, LA has a jump on summer with temps close to 100 degrees during the afternoon. It's a scorcher!

another day in New Jersey

As promised, here is part 2 of our exclusive interview with David Bryan from Bon Jovi and his partner in toxic crime fighting, Joe DiPietro. Listen to the guys as they discuss New Jersey and the musical about the Garden State's first superhero.

Check out the audio player in the upper right hand corner of The Rewind. Get a sneak peak at one of the songs from "The Toxic Avenger" musical. It's another exclusive! 

Pitney, Williams and Simone

It has been a week and I'm still glowing from the trip to London. When I'm there, one of my favorite things to do is shop for music! Sometimes the online experience just doesn't do it for me. And people of "a certain age" still get a charge out of browsing the record racks and CD bins.

The British are serious about music. There's no place in the world that quite captures the listening experience more than the UK. In fact, the only company that incorporates great sounding music with extraordinary packaging is the one located a few floors upstairs from The Rewind. That's Time Life. Yeah, we're a little biased. But if you're looking for great music from the 50s and 60s there are very few companies that treat the music with such care and finesse.

Plus, there's something about the sound of the recordings from that era that's so refreshing after the listening to the bloops and digital bleeps of most modern music.

Anyway, on a recent shopping sojourn in London, I popped into one of the few music retailers left standing and picked up three fantastic compilations. All three are two CD sets with each covering most of the key songs from three legendary performers - Gene Pitney, Andy Williams and Nina Simone. Cue iPhone photo...

These collections are only available in the UK which makes them a little special. Thankfully, many of these tracks are found across a number of Time Life sets. Let's dig a little deeper into the work of these amazing vocalists.

Firstly, there's Gene Pitney. One of my dad's faves. I didn't really know too much about Gene Pitney until he sang a duet with Marc Almond on "Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart", which Mr. Pitney originally had a #5 hit with in 1967. The duet recording raced all the way to #1.

Here's the original video clip of the duet. Larger than life with lots of Las Vegas glitz.

And the original version from the swinging Sixties.



It's the latter version that appears on the new hits collection I picked up in London.

It also features other classics like "Town Without Pity", "I'm Gonna Be Strong" and my dad's favorite, "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance". Two of Gene's biggest hits, "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa" and "Only Love Can Break A Heart", complete with his signature vibrato and bravado, are featured, as well. Both can be heard alongside Andy Williams and Nina Simone on Time Life's 10 CD "Great American Songbook" collection.

And speaking of Andy Williams...

Gotta love my homemade, makeshift product shots. Andy was always on television when I was a kid. Reruns of his variety show were essential viewing. So three generations of our family embraced him and his charm. I've got a bit of a soft spot for Andy's velvety tenor.

This new collection features many of the hits he had with Cadence Records, the label he called home before he moved to Columbia Records in 1961. One of my favorite Andy Williams songs, which is not included on the new collection, is "Music To Watch Girls By" a minor hit from 1967 which saw a huge resurgence in the UK in 1999 when it beat its original peak of #33 by reaching #9 after being featured in a commercial. 

Its campy and quintessentially 60s arrangement and production seem to stand the test of time. Dig it!

Another artist that saw a resurgence in their repertoire due to the placement of a song in a commercial is Nina Simone. Ever since "My Baby Just Cares For Me" hit #5 in the UK in 1987 on the back of its use in an ad for Channel No. 5, Nina's long history has been chronicled in numerous collections. I couldn't resist picking up this new two CD set. 

What's not to love about Nina Simone's smokey vocals and gutsy performance style? Blurring the lines between Soul, R&B and Blues, Nina has delivered her fair share of classic tracks like "I Put A Spell On You", "See-Line Woman" and many more. I dig listening to Nina on rainy Sunday afternoons. The perfect soundtrack for those moody, overcast weekends when a down comforter and a big cup of hot tea are your best friends.

Originally released in 1958 on Nina's debut album, "Little Girl Blue", "My Baby Just Cares For Me" became a classic much later in its life than most songs. In fact, both George Michael and Cyndi Lauper recorded their own renditions of it for their albums "Songs From The Last Century" in 1999 and "At Last" in 2003, respectively. Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole each took a crack at the tune in the 60s. And it's one of my ringtones which makes the song just a touch more fabulous. Such a jaunty little number and a worth addition to any music collection.

toxic interview

As promised, we've uploaded the first part of our exclusive interview with David Bryan from Bon Jovi and Joe DiPietro, the producers of "The Toxic Avenger" musical. The show just premiered to wildly enthusiastic audiences on Broadway. Check it out at the New World Stages in NYC.

We managed to sneak backstage and corner David and Joe on a lime green chaise lounge. Watch the guys give you the inside scoop on how the musical came together. And there are plenty of jokes about New Jersey, too.



There's plenty more of that exclusive interview just waiting to be unleashed! Keep checking back for more. The Rewind gives you the good stuff.

toxic tunes

Well, we're back in New York City and there's nothing more representative of the Big Apple than the Great White Way. Just over the river from the hustle and bustle of Broadway is New Jersey. And there are few things that typify the great Garden State than hometown favorites, Bon Jovi.

What's all this about, then? Glad you asked. David Bryan, founding member of and keyboard player for Bon Jovi has teamed up with veteran Broadway playwright, Joe DiPietro, to produce "The Toxic Avenger", a new musical based on Lloyd Kaufman's 1984, cult classic, comedy horror film of the same name.

On April 6, the New York City debut of "The Toxic Avenger" musical opened to wildly ecstatic audiences. The New York Post called it “hysterically funny” and “a monstrously funny play”. The New York Times declared it “exuberantly silly”. No word yet from "The Today Show"'s mustachioed film critic, Gene Shalit.

In "The Toxic Avenger", the outlandish “Toxie” is armed with superhuman strength, a look not like any superhero ever seen before and a heart as big as Newark as he sets out to save New Jersey from polluters, end global warming and woo the prettiest, blindest librarian in town.

After an introductory run in New Jersey, naturally, the musical made its way to New York and resides at the New World Stages located at 340 West 50th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues. You can't miss it. It's right next door to a Starbucks.

The original cast recording of the musical will be available from our good friends at Time Life on May 5. And if you check out our fabulous, new audio player in the upper right hand corner of this page, you can listen to "A Brand New Day In New Jersey", one of 16 tunes from the show.

Plus, we're going to have exclusive interviews with David Bryan from Bon Jovi and Joe DiPietro every week up until the release of the CD. Keep checking back for them!

alphabetical evening

And we're back! The trip to London was a rousing success. However, my wireless connection at the hotel was marginal, at best. Hence the reason we all went quiet at The Rewind for a few days.

I can't even begin to tell you how MAGNIFICENT Martin Fry and co. were last Tuesday evening. Absolutely stunning! The "Lexicon Of Love" sounded brilliant as a live extravaganza at the legendary Royal Albert Hall in front of a sold out crowd.

Of course, the original album was only about half an hour long. How did they fill up the remainder of their time on stage? ABC played a lot of stuff they never performed live before this special show.



Here's the full set list...

ACT 1

1. Overture ("The Lexicon Of Love")
2. When Smokey Sings
3. S.O.S.
4. The Very First Time
5. The Night You Murdered Love
6. One Better World
7. Ocean Blue
8. (How To Be A) Millionaire
9. Be Near Me

INTERMISSION (20 MINUTES)

ACT 2

1. Introduction: The Lexicon Of Love - Trevor Horn
2. Show Me

3. Many Happy Returns

4. Tears Are Not Enough
5. Poison Arrow
6. Valentine's Day
7. The Look Of Love
8. Date Stamp
9. 4ever 2gether
10. All Of My Heart

ENCORE

1. The Look Of Love (Part IV)
2. The Look Of Love

For an ABC fan, of which I am one, it was incredible to hear songs they hadn't previously performed live. Songs like the plaintive "S.O.S.", the Chic inspired strains of "The Night You Murdered Love", and the luxurious "Ocean Blue" were welcomed by adoring fans. These songs, although released as singles, were never big hits but they are highly regarded classics by those that stood by ABC through eight fantastic albums over the last 27 years.

Act 2 of the evening began with a beautiful speech from Trevor Horn who produced "The Lexicon Of Love" way back in 1982. Trevor's first success came in the UK when he produced a handful of singles for duo, Dollar, in 1981. He was also a member of The Buggles who had a giant hit with "Video Killed The Radio Star" which is famous for being the very first video MTV broadcast when the music channel launched in late 1981. 

Trevor was also a member of Art Of Noise. From there he went on to produce "Welcome To The Pleasuredome", the debut album from Frankie Goes To Hollywood, in 1984. That album featured "Relax", an iconic, worldwide smash that defined the sound of the 80s. He twiddled the knobs for the album "90215" by Yes which included the hit, "Owner Of A Lonely Heart"; several tracks for Pet Shop Boys in the late 80s as well as their 2006 album, "Fundamental"; Grace Jones' album "Slave To The Rhythm" in 1985; Seal's debut album in 1991 and much, much more.

Anne Dudley, who was a member of Art Of Noise with Trevor, scored all the string arrangements for "The Lexicon Of Love". She conducted the BBC Concert Orchestra which provided the orchestral backdrop for the Royal Albert Hall performance.

Since I was sitting in the third row right next to the stage, I went up to the baby grand piano and snapped a photo of the set list for the second act. I got a great shot of it complete with misspellings.



And here's the view of the venue from behind me during intermission.



I even managed to smuggle my mini video recorded into the event. Shhhhh! I won't tell if you don't. Here's how the evening began right after they dimmed the house lights.

I might upload a few more performances over the next few days while I'm recovering from some pretty serious jet lag.

The excitement of the evening didn't end when the show did. I was invited to the after party and I got to hang with some old friends.

Here's yours truly having a laugh with Peter Cox and Richard Drummie from Go West!



Tony Hadley from Spandau Ballet was there! Got to chat with him about the forthcoming reunion tour. We got a chance to catch up with each other. Can't wait to see him and the guys in London in October.



Met Tessa Niles. She sang all the backing vocals on the album, "The Lexicon Of Love", all those years ago. She came out of retirement to sing with ABC for this very special event. She is one of the loveliest people I've ever met. We had a wonderful discussion about music. I wanted to squeeze her to pieces!



And then I got to meet the man of the hour, Mr. Martin Fry! It was a truly magical evening from beginning to end.



I even managed to meet Trevor Horn and Anne Dudley. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to snap a photo with either of them. David Palmer, the original drummer with ABC, played with Martin this evening. He was very warm, charming and chatty. He had to get on a plane to head back being in Rod Stewart's touring band.

All in all, the musicians were fantastic. The audience was fabulous. Hands down, this had to be one of the most memorable shows I ever attended. Although it was a nostalgic trip back to the 80s, it felt very fresh and new. It was also an incredible evening where we paid tribute to a landmark album that changed the way the world viewed pop music. It was simultaneously grand and simple. It combined the luxury of orchestral arrangements with the raw emotions about love and loss, so beautifully sung by Martin Fry. And it gave us an evening to remember.

I hold in my hands three letters

Ah yes. Obscure b-side lyric references. The title of this entry is a line from "Alphabet Soup", the b-side of ABC's debut, UK single, "Tears Are Not Enough". That single launched the landmark album, "The Lexicon Of Love", and spawned three further hits - "The Look Of Love", "Poison Arrow" and "All Of My Heart". 

Only two of the four singles became hits in the US. But they spearheaded the then fledgling music video channel, MTV. Thus, a generation of image obsessed youths were unleashed on an unsuspecting public in the early 80s. Yours truly, was one of them.

Now, as it always happens, the 20 year cycle of nostalgia rears its ugly head. "The Lexicon Of Love" was released 27 years ago. Can you feel me cringing from there? Even so, it's still a stunning example of pop music at its best.

Tonight, I will get to experience the luxury, glamour and sophistication of "The Lexicon Of Love" in a live setting at the Royal Albert Hall. Yes, folks! The Rewind is in London for this special occasion. 

I flew into London this morning on the red eye. I'm super jet lagged but that isn't going to stop me from seeing Martin Fry and co. put on one helluva show.

ABC are going to perform the entire album from beginning to end with the BBC Concert Orchestra under the direction of Anne Dudley. Anne is not only an original member of the Art Of Noise, she also wrote all the original string arrangements for "The Lexicon Of Love" way back when vinyl was still the audio configuration for every nation.
 

And there is no better venue for this special event than the Royal Albert Hall. Let's take another peek at its magnificent architecture and interior.





I hear that collective gasp. Doesn't the RAH just SCREAM super bad, poshy posh, red velvety amazement? If you're going to relive the 80s, you've got to do it right!

Now, I'm going to pop down the pub for a pint, have a bit of a chinwag with the locals, and then take the tube over to the concert. Stay tuned for reports from the show. This week, there just might be more 80s related stuff than you can shake a glow stick at.

Jim Brickman hit machine

Time Life is proud to announce Jim Brickman's return to the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart with his latest single, "Never Far Away", featuring Rush Of Fools.  This week it's teetering on the cusp of the top 10 at #11. 

Jim continues his staggeringly successful career with "Never Far Away" clocking in as his 25th top 40 hit on that chart. Of those chart appearances, 19 went top 20 and 10 of them have reached the top 10.

The track is one of four new songs recorded by Jim for his first, career-spanning, greatest hits collection, "Ultimate Love Songs - The Very Best Of Jim Brickman". Check it out. It's not romantic, new age, piano noodlings.  We promise!

royal announcement

This is the Royal Albert Hall.



It's one of the finest concert venues in London. Here's the poshy posh, red velvety interior!



Something fabulous is about to happen at The Rewind. Watch this space!

back in the driver's seat

Collin Raye is back! On April 28, he will celebrate the release of his tenth album, "Never Going Back".

"Mid-Life Chrysler" is the first single from the album. And he does a fun loving, rollicking rendition of Stealers Wheel's "Stuck In The Middle" - retitled "Stuck In The Middle With You" on Collin's album - where, to our ears, he sounds a little bit like Don Henley. 

Check out an interview we did with Collin where he gives a little insight into the recording of his first, new album in three years.

Collin had a staggering 21 top 10 Country hits between 1991 and 1999, four of which went all the way to #1. He even managed to lend his considerable vocal talents to two Jim Brickman songs, "Peace (Where The Heart Is)" and "The Gift", the latter of which he sang with Susan Ashton. In fact, Susan makes a return appearance with Collin on "Without You". That's track four on the Collin's new CD for those of you who can't remember song titles. Oooh...that's a pet peeve of mine. How hard is it to remember a title?

Since we're in the mood to plug stuff, you can catch Collin's collaborations with Jim Brickman on "Ultimate Love Songs - The Very Best Of Jim Brickman".  It's the only career spanning, greatest hits collection from America's romantic piano sensation!

While you're waiting for Collin's album to hit the streets, indulge your musical cravings and pick up the single, "Mid-Life Chrysler", from our good friends at iTunes.  

Well, look at that!  We've made it easy for you.  Just click on the convenient link.  Service with a smile!

Plus, we've introduced a nifty addition to The Rewind.  Take a gander at the upper right hand corner.  You'll notice we've implemented a brand new audio device.  Every week we will showcase a song from one of Time Life's many projects.  This week, certainly by no coincidence, we're launching the player with the lead off single from Collin Raye's album.  Ah, the joys of marketing.

And now on to a little watercooler trivia for you.  Did you know Gerry Rafferty, the man behind soft rock classics like "Baker Street" and "Right Down The Line", was a member of Stealers Wheel?  Now you do.  Impress your family, friends and co-workers!

favorite fool

Happy April Fools Day!  What better way to celebrate than with a song?  

One of my all time favorites is "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" by Chris Rea. Shall we take a look and a listen?

Don't be fooled! This is the original 1978, hit single version of the song. It peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and featured on his debut album, "Whatever Happened To Benny Santini?". It was produced by Gus Dudgeon who worked with Elton John on many of his early albums.

"Fool (If You Think It's Over)" is a tough one to find and has become a bit of a rarity.  Chris re-recorded the song in 1988 for the album "New Light Through Old Windows".  It's this version that winds up being played on radio and featured on compilations.

Check out the hard-to-find, original, hit single version song and other mellow classics on the 11 CD "Classic Soft Rock" collection. It's no joke!