Wednesday 30 November 2011

THE BLUE AUGUST PROJECT "Oxygen" (12'' Disco Maxi) 1987 Hi-Nrg Eurobeat 80's "Hard-To-Find" RARE PWL

"Recorded in 1984 with vocalist, Debbie Mac (who'd sung backing vocals on Divine's PWL records), the track wasn't mixed until January 1987 at PWL Studios and finally released in June 1987"

Produced by Phil Harding (PWL)
"Great 'Hard-To-Find' Hi-NRG dance track!" 

RETRO DISCO Hi-NRG

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Monday 21 November 2011

JOHN IRELAND 'Thinking Aloud' (Album) 1978 Rare Disco Rock LP 70s "Hard-To-Find" VERY VERY RARE!

 
Tracks:
  1. You're Living Inside My Head (6:30)
  2. Nicole (4:48)
  3. Stars (7:29)
  4. Remember June Last Year (6:04)
  5. With A Bit Of Lu-lu-luck (4:27)
  6. Sunshine Of Your Love (4:10)
  7. Out Of My Mind (4:40)
  8. She Speaks To Me (BONUS TRACK) (1983)

All songs by John Ireland except 'Sunshine Of Your Love' (Jack Bruce/Peter Brown/Eric Clapton)

Produced by Peter Hubner/M.S.C. Productions
Recorded at Videosound Studios, Blairgowrie June/July 1978
Produced and Engineered by John Lindemann
Recorded at RPM Studios

Musicians:
  • John Ireland: Vocals, keyboards, synthesisers
  • Jethro Butow: acoustic & electric guitars
  • Gerald Stockton: bass guitar & trombone
  • Richard Pickett: drums
  • RenĂ© Veldsman: Female vocals on 'Stars' and 'With A Bit Of Lu-lu-luck'
  • Mike Scott & Peter Hubner: trumpets
  • Francoise Bax: Female voice on 'Nicole'
  • Maurice Tostee: French translation of 'Nicole'

Release information:
1978, Teal, JIC9999 (South Africa)
1978, Ariola Records 200 289 - 320 (Cassette 400 289 - 352) (Germany)

Comments:

'You're Living Inside My Head' reached #8 on the Springbok charts in December 1978. This song is a wonderful adaption of the Greensleeves melody, supposedly composed by Henry VIII (he of the 6 wives).

Review:

Opening with the disco classic 'Living inside my Head', John Ireland's 'Thinking Aloud' is a great album moving from pure disco to pure rock to rock ballad and back to disco with ease. Released in 1978, the disco themes fitted in well with the then current international music scene with 'Saturday Night Fever' having been released the previous year.

'Living inside my Head' adapts the tune of 'Greensleeves' and puts it to a disco background. An epic song clocking in at over 6 minutes. Shades of Jean-Michel Jarre show through as SA's master of the keyboard transports you on a space flight with the haunting oboe sound carring the old Henry VIII tune just below the surface of the disco beat.

'Stars' is another disco track, with the lyrics concentrating on star signs of the ladies, something which seemed to be important at that time. This is pure hardcore disco as opposed to 'Living..' which is more flighty and spacey.

'Nicole' and 'Remember June last year' are rock ballads. Both are well executed. The latter does at times border on becoming quite cheesy, but a strong guitar throughout keeps it from falling into that trap.

The pure rock comes in the form of 'With a bit of Lu-Lu-Luck' and a cover of Cream's classic 'Sunshine of your Love'. The guitar work on both tracks is great stuff and I am sure prompted a few air guitar solos in a few bedrooms of 1970's South Africa. Jethro Butow is responsible for keeping the record rocking. Interestingly the traditional guitar lead of 'Sunshine..' seems to have been substituted with a heavy rock synth sound, while the guitar is left to ably fill in the background. This is all done to the background of a disco beat. Not the greatest cover version I've heard of this classic but it still rocks.

The album closes with 'Out of my Mind' parts of which seem to have been inspired by early Kraftwerk material with the funky bass sound coming from the keyboard in the "plink plonk" style of the early electronic pioneers. Fortunately a strong vocal over the top keeps this from becoming an embarrassing imitation.

This is a much stronger album than the later 'John Ireland' which featured 'I Like...'. and for it's time should have contended for chart placing worldwide. It did get a release in Germany (with no references to South Africa other than that it was recorded at Videosound Studios, Blairgowrie... that must be Blairgowrie in Middlesex [grin]).

Perhaps with the disco sound enjoying a bit of renewed popularity, this would be a good time for a re-release of possibly the best album from South Africa's keyboard wizard.
- John Samson, November 2000.

"A VERY RARE Disco Rock Album from South Africa"

RETRO DISCO Hi-NRG

Friday 18 November 2011

SHEENA EASTON "Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)" (12'' Disco Maxi) 1983 Hi-NRG disco eurobeat 80's "Hard-To-Find" RARE!


Hi-NRG disco eurobeat 80's

LYRICS
I've been away from you for far too long
Too much chances make my heart go frantic
I wanna tell you what's been goin' on, operator give me Trans Atlantic
I sit alone as the night goes by
Stare at the phone and wait for your reply
Chorus:
Long long distance love affair, I can't find you anywhere
I call you on the telefone, but you're never home
I gotta get a message to you, I wanna tell you what I'm going through
What in the world's comin' over you
How come you're acting like a total stranger
I try to reach you but I can't get through
I got this feeling that my heart's in danger
I got your letter it was perfectly clear
Havin' a ball, and wishin' you are here
chorus
(Solo)
Premonition is a funny thing, a familiar kind of pain and easy
Like knowin' when the phone is gonna ring
Too many times and it'll drive you crazy
I hear your echo in the longer hall
Call out your name, but no-one's there at all
Long long distance love affair, I can't find you anywhere
I call you on the telefone, but you're never home
(repeats out)

Sunday 13 November 2011

Mas Mix Que Nunca - Vol 1 (non-stop italo disco mix) (Various Artists) 1990 [south african edition] "Out-Of-Print" RARE EDITION!


1990 [south african edition]

"The South African release of 'Mas Mix Que Nunca', the famous Spanish italo-disco megamix series, popular in Europe (and around the world) in the mid 80's
The South African Vol.1 is actually the European Vol.2 in the series.
Released in South Africa by "The Works Records" - a cutting edge independent dance music store based in Hillbrow, Johannesburg during the 80's and early 90's."

"When I was a school boy in the 80's, we used to trade cassette tapes with these "Hard-To-Find" Italo Disco DJ Mixes" and be totally amazed by the futuristic synth-dance sounds from artists like KOTO, or blown away by KEN LAZSLO's catchy italo disco beats and melodies!"

Good Times!  :)
RETRO DISCO Hi-NRG
Mega Thanks to Christoff! for sharing this RARE South African edition with us!