Disco Delivery #49: Grand Tour - On Such A Winter's Day (1977, Butterfly/RCA)

Grand Tour - The Grand Tour
Grand Tour - Let's Go Boating
Grand Tour - Still I'm Sad
Grand Tour - Flight From Versailles
Grand Tour - Late November
Grand Tour - California Dreamin'

Updated and re-uploaded 1/15/09

I had originally gotten a few requests to cover this back in June, when I had posted about Guenther/Morrison's excellent Southern Exposure LP. Given the feel and the title of the album, plus the fact that it was the beginning of summer at the time, not to mention also that I didn't really have a decent copy of it then, it never really became a priority at the time. Now that it's December and close to Christmas, with the season much more in tune with the mood and the music of this album, I figured now would be a much better moment for this..

The disco off of this album, in so far as one could classify it as typically so, is perhaps the sort of disco that's unlikely to be trendy these days.. For one thing, it's a fairly moody record; no heavy, driving four-on-the-floor beats at the top of the mix; the orchestration, while extensive, isn't in the dramatic, collossal style of Costandinos nor of it's sister production THP Orchestra; there are no heavy electronics à la Moroder or Soccio, nor are there any extended bass or percussion breaks funked up and ready for harvesting.. There's just a kind of gentle, low-key approach to everything on here, with parts of the album sounding perhaps slightly MOR in that old time pop orchestra kind of way (not that that's a bad thing), and given the background of one of it's producers, perhaps slightly arty/folk-influenced in others (not that that's a bad thing, either).. Even if calling some of these tracks folksy might be stretching things a bit, this is anything but a typical disco album.

Regardless of how one approaches it, there's a sheer artistry and musical beauty to this record that's absolutely undeniable. It's just another reason why I've come to respect the work of it's producers, Toronto-based duo Ian Guenther and Willi Morrison (AKA Three Hats Productions/THP) so much.. The cover, looking like the front of a Christmas postcard paired with the overall winter mood and theme of the songs make this one of the most, if not the most conceptual disco record ever produced by Guenther and Morrison.

Given the theme and the fact that Guenther and Morrison are, at least in my mind, one of the most celebrated Can-Con Disco producers, it's no small irony that an album like this one was not recorded in Canada, but for their American label, Butterfly (as opposed to their Canadian one, RCA) in Hollywood, California (at Rinder & Lewis' home-base, Producer's Workshop), no less. It's somewhat lamentable in a way, that this wasn't recorded in Canada, since it would have made such a great mythology.. An exquisite piece of orchestral disco, recorded in the middle of a cold, grey Canadian winter, evoking the hopes, dreams, wishes and moods that such a season brings. Fantastic dreams of escape, faraway travel, and ultimately resignation and surrender to it's inevitable realities. A perfect winter soundtrack. Perhaps their working jaunt to California gave them a unique perspective on those things.. Regardless of the circumstances behind it's recording or whether my own imagined mythology doesn't quite fit, musically, as a perfect winter soundtrack, the album is faultless.

The opening track, "The Grand Tour," appropriately sets the stage for things, as perhaps one of the most exquisite things Guenther & Morrison ever did. With a beautiful, understated string section opening what would be one of the most memorable, dreamlike melodies I've heard from them, with a heavenly vocal (unfortunately anonymous and uncredited) so light and airy, it makes the perfect compliment to the strings and lyrics. The sweet, gentle interpretation in those vocals - like the lyrics, evoking love and pain and ecstasy and sun, rain and mystery, it's enough to seduce even the coldest of hearts to her beautiful, romantic fantasies ...

"The Grand Tour" was also released as a 12'', however the 12'' version identical to the album version, in this case (thanks to commenter Erik Kuyl for the confirmation).

Between the horns and castanets, the instrumental richness of "..Grand Tour" is elevated to new heights on "Let's Go Boating." An absolutely sublime instrumental, it's melody is so beautifully memorable, you'd swear you could have heard it somewhere else.

Aside from those, some of the most exceptional tracks on the record would have to be the two closing tracks, a cover of The Yardbirds' "Still I'm Sad" (thanks to the anonymous commenter for this info.) on Side A and yet another cover, their faithful, sublime version of the classic pop standard "California Dreamin' " on Side B. Nothing quite exemplifies the melancholy mood of this album quite like these two tracks.. "Still I'm Sad" is perhaps the most stirring of the two, as the track with the most sparse, moody, atmospheric arrangement on the album. It's an intriguing piece, elegantly complimented by it's wonderful lyrics and especially the haunting female vocals, which interpret the mood of the song with such graceful, ethereal feeling, that it even exceeds the original (not to mention Boney M's cover version, as well).

Having peaked on the Billboard Disco Charts at #9 in early '78 (along with the other two tracks on Side B), and having been the first to appear on CD, the Side B opener, "Flight From Versailles" is perhaps one of the better known tracks on here. Opening with a light popping synth and those exquisitely swirling strings, it's perhaps the closest thing on this album to the epic orchestral productions that likely come to mind when one thinks of THP's best known work. A kind of disco odyssey, there's a real fantastical, adventurous quality to this as well, with they way the track takes one through various changes, highs, lows, peaking with an exquisite string solo/break at the 4.30 mark.. Truly a standout on the record. Curiously, on both the Canadian and US pressings I have, it's mislabeled as "Flight To Versailles" on the sleeve, but entitled "Flight From Versailles" on the label. Since the latter seems to be the more common usage, I'll just go with that..

The track that follows it, "Late November" is perhaps one of the more unassuming, but ultimately one of the most rewarding on the record. Yet another instrumental, it starts off decievingly sparse and basic, all the while gently building, completely engaging the listener once the refrain kicks in.. The organ (?) and those understated, stirring strings totally carry this track, subtly weaving together an engaging, peaceful atmosphere...

The album is beautifully closed by their cover of "California Dreamin' ", the de-facto title track, which effectively recreates the longing of the original, complimenting it with some wonderful extended instrumental passages. With it's moody elegance, it's the perfect conclusion to an album like this, summing up the feelings, moods and sounds of the album in one single production..

Overall, this album is ultimately one of the finest things the THP duo ever put together. Even compared to their other work, there is a feeling, an atmosphere about this record that totally separates it from practically every other disco production they ever did. Perhaps the change of locale had something to do with it? Either way, it's unfortunate that the credits are rather economical, with no credits for musicians, vocalists or otherwise, which would most likely shed some light on the record's sound.. That said, a great deal of the credit for this record's sound would likely have to go to the album's prolific, award-winning arranger and conductor Jimmie Haskell, whom they apparently used in place of their usual arranger/conductor, Pete Pedersen. Having worked on records by the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, Etta James, The Moody Blues, Dusty Springfield and many many others, this seems to be the first and last time Haskell would work with Guenther and Morrison.

As well, Jim Taylor, who is somehow credited on the 12'' of "The Grand Tour," but nowhere on the album, is yet another person who likely deserves credit for the finished product here. A producer and mixer, Taylor was apparently a major contributor to many of Butterfly's releases. Taylor, according to his posting on Discomusic.com's interview with Butterfly Records' founder A.J. Cervantes, claims he worked on half of the product released by Butterfly in the late 70's. Evidently, in an unfortunate, but all too common music industry story, Taylor was left largely uncredited for some of his major contributions, such as the sixteen minute version of THP Orchestra's "Two Hot For Love," and as well, for the final mix of this very album.. Taylor later produced his own project for Butterfly entitled "Bernadette," as the J.T. Connection.

Although Grand Tour is rather earlier on in their canon of disco productions (one of the first outside of the THP Orchestra), it amazes me how Guenther and Morrison were able to go from orchestral disco like this, Southern Exposure and the early THP Orchestra, to club flooring fare like Sticky Fingers, rock disco like the Skatt Bros. all the way to cold, epic electro like The Immortals and beyond. Despite this record being anything but your typical four-on-the-floor disco album, it's quite nice to know that it wasn't passed over at the time, with a good half of the record charting quite well in the US discos. In my opinion, it's records like this which speak highly, not only of the talent involved, but of disco at it's best, as a genre of unparalleled diversity..

Gentle and emotional, yet exquisite and intricate with it's winter disco theme, this album is nothing less than a truly sublime record.. Looking at my Canadian pressing here, I remember being intrigued by the writing on the cover when I had picked it up.. I usually hate seeing writing scrawled on the cover like that; in this case however, it couldn't have described things more perfectly.. Night Magic, indeed..

Note: This album was evidently released on CD in Italy (which I don't have yet) by a label called Vintage Classics. That label also did a CD reissue of another Can-Con Disco album, the John L. Usry, Jr. production Stratavarious, which, from what I recall, was of somewhat marginal sound quality. So no telling how good the quality of this reissue was, however it is out there (albeit somewhat hard to find) should you ever decide to track it down.

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
DISCO DELIVERY #42: SOUTHERN EXPOSURE - HEADIN' SOUTH (1979, RCA) (MONDAY JUNE 4, 2007)
DISCO DELIVERY #25: RINDER & LEWIS - WARRIORS (1979, AVI/QUALITY) (SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2006)
DISCO DELIVERY #23: DUNCAN SISTERS (1979, RCA) (SUNDAY JUNE 25, 2006)

LINKS:
GRAND TOUR - ON SUCH A WINTER'S DAY LP @ DISCOMUSIC.COM
GRAND TOUR - THE GRAND TOUR 12'' @ DISCOMUSIC.COM
GRAND TOUR @ DISCOGS
IAN GUENTHER @ ALL MUSIC GUIDE
IAN GUENTHER @ DISCOGS
WILLI MORRISON @ ALL MUSIC GUIDE
WILLI MORRISON @ DISCOGS
WILLI MORRISON & IAN GUENTHER @ DISCOGS
JIMMIE HASKELL @ ALL MUSIC GUIDE
JIMMIE (JIMMY) HASKELL @ DISCOGS
JIMMIE HASKELL - OFFICIAL WEBSITE
JIM TAYLOR @ DISCOGS
INTERVIEW WITH BUTTERFLY RECORDS' A.J. CERVANTES @ DISCOMUSIC.COM

CATEGORIES: DISCO DELIVERIES, CAN-CON DISCO

Strange Passion

Strange Passion - Desire (1976, RCA)

It's been just a little over two weeks since my last posting, and quite frankly I've been so exhausted from work that lately I haven't had the energy to write about disco records or really do much of anything else, to be honest. With the Stampede fast approaching here, things have gotten insanely busy at work in the past couple of weeks, it's got me pretty much all used up.. In past years, I've had the luxury of passing it all by for the most part, but since they're the ones paying me again this year, I don't exactly have that choice anymore.. Last year this was the time when I took a bit of a hiatus for pretty much the same reasons, but so far this year hasn't been nearly as stressful as last so I'll try to keep up with the postings as much as I can in the coming weeks..

Anyway, with that out of the way, I figure since today, July 1st, is (or perhaps was, by the time anyone reads this) Canada Day, I might as well put on some Can-Con disco on here.. This particular single is a little something I picked up back in October when I went on something of a 12'' shopping spree at a local used record shop.. I remember I bought it based on, first of all: the fact that it was cheap, and second: the fact that it was produced by Montreal disco producer Tony Green, best known for his success with France Joli and her biggest disco hits. Also, aside from all that I was somewhat intrigued by the Side B label which had the name and address of a long defunct local discotheque called 'Bianca's Disco' stamped on it, making it something of a local historical artifact as well..

After listening to it and looking for some info on it (and finding next to nothing), I can only say that track, "Desire" under the guise Strange Passion is another one of Tony Green's many disco obscurities. For every one of his well, or better known productions for the likes of France Joli, Carolyne Bernier, Cindy Valentine, Geraldine Hunt and her son Freddie James, along with the act Kebekelektrik; it appears there were also a good number of obscure efforts like this one and others from the 70s and into the 1980s under guises such as Colorblind, Metal Weeds, U.N., Black Star and for artists like Goldie Alexander, Sharon etc. in his discography. Although there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of information out there about Green himself, with the number of things he's been associated with, both well and not so well known, he's definitely another one to add to the list of highly prolific, exceptional Canadian disco producers based out of Montreal..

Overall, while this particular single may not be his very best work, it's still got a pleasant, mid-tempo, sexy little groove to it. As well, it's also one of the earliest Tony Green disco productions I've come across. Entirely instrumental, the track starts off with a sly, sensual bassline backed with some great percussion which is complimented further with some wonderful gliding, elegant orchestration. The strings eventually move into a nice melodic climax after going through a few rounds of engaging instrumental tension/interplay..

Although Green himself wrote and produced this single, interestingly enough the record was also mixed by Michel Daigle (the only other name on this record), who along with Dominic Sciscente would later produce some great disco records under guises such as Space Project, The Black Light Orchestra and for Montreal singer Alma-Faye Brooks, to name a few..

As a producer, Tony Green evidently remained active well into the late 90's and even into the early part of this decade. Although it doesn't seem to have been updated in a while, the website for his own record company, Tony Green Organization, is still up and running. Although aside from some of the more well-known ones, there isn't really much info there on his disco projects, although there is quite a bit on his later projects.

Hopefully later on in the week, I'll be able to make some much needed updates on some past postings (ie. Midnight Rhythm) and maybe post a re-upload as well..

LINKS:
TONY GREEN @ DISCOGS
TONY GREEN @ DISCOMUSIC.COM
TONY GREEN ORGANIZATION/TGO RECORDS
MICHEL DAIGLE @ DISCOGS

CATEGORIES: MINI DELIVERIES, CAN-CON DISCO

Disco Delivery #42: Southern Exposure - Headin' South (1979, RCA)

Southern Exposure - Love Is
Southern Exposure - On Our Way
Southern Exposure - Headin' South
Southern Exposure - Tight Pants

I got this album a little over a year ago now, and if that cheesy, porny (of the cheap vintage variety, judging from that lighting) cover shot with that Amanda LePore-esque model and peeping-tom in the background didn't make me buy it, the producers behind this record - namely Toronto-based production team Three Hats Productions/THP (producers Ian Guenther, Willi Morrison and arranger Pete Pedersen) and DJ/Disco Mixer and "production associate" John Luongo certainly did. From the THP Orchestra epic "Two Hot For Love," to other productions like Grand Tour, Sticky Fingers, the Duncan Sisters (which I had covered around a year ago.. see Disco Delivery #23) and the more rock-oriented Skatt Bros.; Guenther, Morrison and Pedersen were behind some of my favourite Can-Con disco productions and really, some of my favourite disco, period. Although this project doesn't seem to come up quite as often as, say, THP Orchestra, Sticky Fingers or Grand Tour; this record, at least in my opinion, is one of their best.. From lush, orchestral disco manoeuvres to sublime sleaze and cheeky titillation, it manages to cover a good amount of ground despite being only four tracks long..

Although the album is excellent from start to finish, the one track which really stood out at the beginning was the Side Two opener, "Love Is".. Like a sister composition to "Two Hot For Love," it has a lighter touch, yet has those same trademark THP arrangements and that same epic orchestral feeling.. At around eleven minutes, it's also the longest track on the album, but with that layered production and brilliant melody, none of those eleven minutes goes to waste.. With a mix so rich and so dynamic, it's another one of those tracks where there's always something going on to engage the listeners' attention. If those strings don't grab hold of you, that airy floating synth refrain, the hard-hitting horn/percussion solo, or those bold basslines likely will. Put that together with the effect of the soft, yet minimal vocals of Jimmie Jamison and Elvin Bishop backup singer Debbie Cathey, which don't get in the way of the musical backing, yet perfectly colour the track's smooth airy sensuality; it's nothing short of a grand disco-style groove seduction.

One of my favourite things about this track is how those strings coupled with that gentle, airy synth carry the melody. The harmony of the two sounds, the synth and the floating elegance of those beautiful string arrangements; they way they gently weave through the all the changes and layers, emerging and re-emerging throughout the track; like subtle waves of discofied pleasure.. While melodically magnificent, there are also all the great breaks and dramatic changes throughout the track, namely those glorious buildups and climactic releases which keep an engaging, sort of dramatic tension throughout the whole thing. That intense guitar at 3.54 and the wonderful instrumental bridge at the five minute mark with the drums punctuating every blast of the horn section being a couple of my favourite peak points. The moment which tops it all off for me, however, is right at that final breakdown towards the end; right when that spare synth solo suddenly gives way to this grand, full orchestral sweep. It's a fairly subtle section, yet the result is absolutely brilliant.

That said, if anyone has heard this as well as THP Orchestra's "Two Hot For Love," the similarities between the two become almost inescapable. In fact, "Love Is" is practically a retread, not just stylistically, but musically speaking with some of same melodies in the string section and a very similar drum/horn driven instrumental bridge at the five minute mark. Still, however closely it may follow, with it's better vocals and dramatic changes, I actually tend to like this track just as much, if not more so sometimes than the 17 minute version of "Two Hot.." It's almost as if in doing this track, they were attempting a kind of new and improved interpretation of the same theme.. Either way, similarities notwithstanding, I'd still put this right up there as one of the grandest, most sublime THP compositions ever..

Another major standout on the record would be track two, "On Our Way." With that rich, glistening musical track, peppered with a bit of wah-wah, a sexy synth coloured with a full, though not overpowering harmonica (courtesy of arranger Pete Pedersen) and, of course, Debbie Cathey's superb vocal; this has to rank as another one of my favourite THP compositions.. With a brilliant opening verse: "dancing makes strangers friends..but what happens when the night ends.. " the song is further complimented by some truly excellent disco lyrics: "bodies can say so much.. language lies in a touch.. dancing uncovers two lovers by chance.. wanna dance?"

For me, the seductive, almost poignant elegance of this track with those great vocals, arrangements and lyrics make this not only one of their best efforts, but one of the best things they ever did in this slower style.. With it's easier pace; the romantic, slightly emotional lyric and delivery and overall seductive disco groove, it can probably be described as a great example of sleaze/morning music, that ever so intriguing of disco subgenres..

"On Our Way" and "Love Is" would appear on the lone 12" single off this record ("On Our Way" on the A-side and "Love Is" on the flip). As far as I know, neither got special mixes for the promo 12'', with both tracks appearing in their album versions..

As far as the rest of the album goes, one characteristic that ran through the other two album tracks as well as a lot (though by no means all) of Guenther/Morrison's other productions was this big, epic, almost bombastic Spector-esque pop sound to them, which was often paired with a definite orchestral and even big band influence. At least to me, it was those elements, often combined in a single track, which made many THP productions stand out so boldly. It's almost impossible to ignore a track like the Duncan Sisters' "Boys WIll Be Boys," or Sticky Fingers' "Wastin' My Love" calling out with those signature arrangements: horns blasting, propulsive percussion and just overall bigness bouncing out of the grooves. This album's title track, "Headin' South," opening with what I'm guessing is a multi-tracked guitar kicking into that gigantic, multi-layered hi-hat and orchestral intro, seemed to fit that stylistic element perfectly.. Not to mention those lyrics, well sung by Jamison and Cathey and laden with all sorts of coy double entendres, which just added another dimension of playful friskiness to the whole thing.

The other track in that same mould would be the album closer, "Hot Pants," which, as the title might suggest, is much less coy about it's subject matter. With verses like: "you starved to death and held your breath so you could dance in tight pants," it's definitely one of their more delightfully cheeky tracks. Although perhaps slightly cheesy as well, it's hard to resist a track as fun and playful as this one especially when complimented with such a full, irresistable arrangement to it, with that dynamite horn section and those quick syncopated drums giving the whole thing a bit of extra punch..

Despite their prolific output during the disco era and judging from the albums and singles I've heard so far, the quality and quantity of their releases (with a few notable exceptions) seemed to trail off somewhat towards the end and after the disco era.. One such example would be their foray further into the rock arena with a rather mediocre rock project entitled Emigré (1979, Attic). The following year in 1980, they would even produce an album for Toronto punk band The Diodes entitled "Action/Reaction" (1980, Orient/RCA), which I haven't heard yet but which certainly sounds intriguing, to say the least. Aside from that, they evidently still kept their stock in the dance music field, with some notable records like "The Ultimate Warlord" by The Immortals as well as some other notable 12'' singles on the UK Proto label, like one for Hi-NRG queen Hazell Dean and another for a project/group entitled American Fade, to name a couple. Both of those were also, interestingly enough, a couple of early productions for pop impresario Pete Waterman's PWL production company.

As far as their post-disco output is concerned, I'm guessing those singles might just be the tip of the iceberg, as there are probably others that either went unnoticed or have yet to be rediscovered, since new ones seem to resurface quite regluarly in my searches these days.. For one thing, a recent Discogs entry lists an obscure 12'' they produced for an Arlene Duncan entitled "I Wanna Groove" from 1982 released on what appears to be their own Toronto-based label, Wee Records, listed on the record as a division of their production company, Three Hats Productions, Inc.. No word on any other releases on that label or if Arlene bears any relation to The Duncan Sisters-Phyllis and Helen, or if perhaps she and Arlene Duncan the singer/actress (as seen on the CBC sitcom "Little Mosque on the Prairie," as Fatima) are one in the same..

Judging from his Discogs entry, later into the 1980's Morrison would eventually do more production work in the UK minus Ian Guenther, working with the likes of O'chi Brown and Lana Pellay to name a couple.. These days, based in the UK, Morrison is apparently still active in the music business, albeit in the more corporate side of things as Senior Creative Manager at Universal Music Publishing. Meanwhile, Ian Guenther is currently a faculty member at the Linden School, a private girls school in Toronto. Their affectionate reference to him in their faculty profile as "The King of Disco" practically gives it away.. According to another bio on their site, Guenther has apparently been a music instructor for both the private Linden School and the Toronto Public School Board for over ten years now.. The Linden School's Fall 2003 newsletter has a brief profile of Guenther and his more recent activities, in case anyone's interested..

Sadly, in 2002 THP arranger Pete Pedersen passed away in Memphis, Tennessee where he had been living since the 1980's. Pedersen was widely renowned in his own right not only as an arranger but evidently as one of the modern masters of the harmonica.. His partner and lyricist Jaine Rodack, with whom he wrote all the songs on this very record, recently wrote a book about his life entitled "Be of Good Cheer: Memories of Harmonica Legend Pete Pedersen." There are a couple of official tribute sites out there with some info on his bio and his musical history..

Unfortunately none of the tracks off this album, or even much of Guenther/Morrison's excellent disco output for that matter, have made it to CD yet. Regardless of that, out of their many productions and guises, this album certainly remains one of my favourites of theirs; from the covers, right down to the grooves...

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
DISCO DELIVERY #23: DUNCAN SISTERS (1979, RCA) (JUNE 25, 2006)

LINKS:
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE - HEADIN' SOUTH LP @ DISCOMUSIC.COM
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE - HEADIN' SOUTH LP @ DISCOGS
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE - ON OUR WAY/LOVE IS (PROMO 12") @ DISCOMUSIC.COM
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE - ON OUR WAY/LOVE IS (PROMO 12") @ DISCOGS
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE @ THE CANADIAN POP ENCYCLOPEDIA
WILLI MORRISON @ DISCOGS
IAN GUENTHER @ DISCOGS
PETE PEDERSEN @ DISCOGS
WILLI MORRISON @ SOUTH WEST SOUND 2007
IAN GUENTHER: PROFILE OF A FOUNDING TEACHER (LINDEN SCHOOL FALL 2003 NEWSLETTER)
PETE PEDERSEN - A MAN AND HIS HARMONICA
PETEPEDERSEN.COM
PETE PEDERSEN @ THE HARP-L MAILING LIST ARCHIVE (JANUARY 1995) (THREAD ONE | THREAD TWO)

CATEGORIES: DISCO DELIVERIES, CAN-CON DISCO, WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO..

Disco Delivery #15: A tribute to June Pointer

(links corrected 4/21/06)

June Pointer - Ready For Some Action (1983, Planet/RCA) | LINK TWO
June Pointer - I Will Understand (1983, Planet/RCA) | LINK TWO
June Pointer - I'm Ready For Love (1983, Planet/RCA) | LINK TWO

In lieu of June's recent passing I've been listening to my Pointer Sisters records a lot lately. I figure, since this is an mp3 blog, there is probably no better time or place than here and now to post an audio tribute to June. Instead of dwelling on some of the sad circumstances of her life, like my previous two entries probably did, I wanted to do something to celebrate her life. That said, I decided to post a few tracks from her first solo album "Baby Sister" (1983, Planet/RCA) as well as a few of her greatest moments with Pointer Sisters..

In their early recordings June was often underused by their producer David Rubinson compared to the other three sisters. By the late 70s with Bonnie going solo, the group leaving both ABC/Blue Thumb and their producer David Rubinson, that would change with their new producer Richard Perry. Perry would end up using June quite a bit, particularly on many of their uptempo tracks, namely some of their biggest hits like "Jump (For My Love)," "Dare Me," and "He's So Shy" to name a few. As well as being the Pointers' primary producer, Perry would also produce June's first solo album. The first single from "Baby Sister" was "Ready For Some Action," a song who's theme seemed to compliment the album title pretty well. The music and lyrics were both written by the great Norman Whitfield who also co-produced the song with Richard Perry. It's got a relatively synth-heavy pop sound, but with a bit of an edge to it in the lyrics and production. That edge is perhaps partly due to Norman's contribution, like those genuine(!) strings which strike me as somewhat unusual for that time, not to mention a wonderful compliment to the all the synthesizers. Also, those lyrics have that typical Whitfield-style storytelling narrative, very similar in style to some of his other songs like "Papa Was A Rolling Stone," "Law Of The Land" etc.. The song's lyrics are about a little girl rebelling against her strict parents, who are intent on sheltering their precocious young girl and making her "forget about them boys," to quote one other line: "Momma, I know about my A-B-C's, now I want to know 'bout the birds and bees.." Somehow I doubt that line would have helped Momma loosen up..

The second song, "I Will Understand," has, like the rest of the album, Richard Perry as the sole producer and adding a few things up, namely, the early '80s + Richard Perry = loud, buzzing synths everywhere! Not that that's really a bad thing, it's a great track, with a funkier edge than much of the stuff he was doing for Pointer Sisters at the time. In a way it seemed to foreshadow the direction Perry would take the sisters in the following year on their "Break Out" album..

The other track I included from the "Baby Sister" album is a cover of Martha & The Vandellas' Motown classic "I'm Ready For Love," a Holland-Dozier-Holland track given an 80s update with a great vocal by June. There was one other great track off her album that I wanted to post, called "New Love, True Love," written by June, sis Anita and Trevor Lawrence. The song also has June, Anita and Ruth on backup vocals, essentially making it a Pointer Sisters track in everything but name. Unfortunately, my rip didn't turn out so well, so it's not up here, but well worth tracking down if you like the other tracks..



Pointer Sisters - Jump (For My Love) (12" Long Version) (1984, Planet/RCA) | LINK TWO
Pointer Sisters - Dare Me (12" Version) (1985, RCA) | LINK TWO

A couple of the Pointers' biggest hits, both of them with June giving some gutsy, sassy lead vocals. "Jump.." was originally on their smash album, "Break Out" (1984, Planet/RCA) and "Dare Me," from their successful follow up album "Contact" (1985, RCA). I'm sure many of you have probably heard a good chunk of "Dare Me" as the basis of Junior Jack's "Stupidisco," one of THE biggest international club hits of 2004. Included here are the 12" versions which are also on the CD version of their 1989 Greatest Hits set.



Pointer Sisters - All Of You (1982, Planet/WEA) | LINK TWO

This is one great album track from their underrated "So Excited" (1982, Planet/WEA) LP. That album's sound was like the bridge between their earlier soft-rock, pop-lite material like "Slow Hand," "He's So Shy" etc.. to the more aggressive synthesized dance pop that followed. This song starts off slightly slow and sensual but picks up considerably about a quarter of the way through. Overall, it's got a great, punchy arrangement with those prominent horns and June's clear, strong vocals.



Pointer Sisters - Goldmine (12" Version) (1986, RCA) | LINK TWO

This was the lead off single from their "Hot Together" (1986, RCA) album. By this time their commercial popularity started to wane somewhat. Neither the album, nor any of it's singles did as well on the charts compared to some of their previous efforts, but it's a very strong album in my opinion and this song was a great showcase for June. This 12" version was mixed by none other than Shep Pettibone, who adds some of June's great spoken ad-libs towards the end. Overall, it's a real uplifting song with an equally joyous vocal by June. For me, this is the way I'd like to remember her.

Anyway that's it for my little tribute here.. There were others that I wanted to include, particularly from her second solo album (which I've heard, but don't have yet), but I figured that would be pushing it a little bit. Listening to these songs, it's hard to believe such a lively, powerful voice has been silenced, but I hope these bring back good memories, or at least bring some good vibes...

Update: Some other great tributes to June at A Passable Ear, Lil' Mike's and Habitat 67, who has a great link to the Pointer's "Pinball Number Count" from Sesame Street.. It's been ages since I've seen that one!

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
DISCO DELIVERY: THE POINTER SISTERS' JUNE POINTER PASSES AWAY (APRIL 12, 2006)
DISCO DELIVERY: JUNE POINTER OF THE POINTER SISTERS SUFFERS STROKE (MARCH 23, 2006)

LINKS:
JUNE POINTER @ ALLMUSIC.COM
WIKIPEDIA: JUNE POINTER
THE POINTER SISTERS LONG ROAD TO SUCCESS
POINTER SISTERS @ DISCOGS

PURCHASE:
POINTER SISTERS - GREATEST HITS (1989) CD @ AMAZON.COM
POINTER SISTERS - PLATINUM & GOLD COLLECTION CD @ AMAZON.COM
FROOGLE: POINTER SISTERS LISTINGS

CATEGORIES: DISCO DELIVERIES