THE MALIBOOZ -"CAUGHT A WAVE"

"Caught a Wave" (John Zambetti) - 3:43

I'll keep these comments real short - addictive, top-rank dreamy beach rock.  Imagine the best Brian Wilson song that Brian Wilson never wrote.

For anyone interested,YouTube has a promotional clip at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTgXusqo5jM

THE MAD LADS - "PASS THE WORD (THE WORD IS LOVE)"

"Pass the Word (The Word Is Love)" (John Gary Williams - William Brown - Dale Warren) - 6.04

Okay you can skip the first 2:46 of this one since it's nothing but mindless spoken word jive.   That said, if you get through the extended intro to the real song, you'll be rewarded with one of the best slices of  mid-'70s group soul you've ever heard.  Kicked along by a pounding piano riff, John Gary William's Gospel-soaked voices, and the group's silky smooth harmony vocals, this one built and built to the point  your turntable threatened to explode.

Check it out courtesy of YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiTYbrgKM3U

NILS LOFGREN - "VALENTINE"

"Valentine" (Nils Lofgren) - 4:28

I'm not a gigantic power ballad fan, but I'll make an exception for this tune.  One of the prettiest tunes Lofgren ever wrote and having Bruce Springsteen on vocals, makes it even sweeter. Plus,the lyrics are only mildly cringe worthy.

The tune was released as a single in the US (in the US it was issued by Rykodisc as a promotional CD single) and throughout the world in 7" and 12" formats. There's even a promotional video for it (standard,cheesy '80s vibe - seems like 50% of all MTV videos were filmed on the Bonneville Salt Flats), but in spite of the significant marketing efforts, the tune attracted little attention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfdNjdWYgwU