"Just Before You Leave" (Justin Currie - Iain Harve) - 5:15
I was working at home and had YouTube randomly playing songs in the background. Out of the background noise this song just came screaming at me.
Del Amitri was one of those mid-'80s bands that were constantly on my stereo and those countless hours of exposure mean Justin Currie's voice is instantly recognizable to my ears. The thing is I probably hadn't listened to a Del Amitri in a decade ... My loss.
Released in 2002 (so I'm 18 years late to the party), "Just Before You Leave" is simply gorgeous. Kicked along by a Currie's purring vocals, Big Kev's driving bass line and Andy Alston's stabbing organ licks this may be the best soul song ever recorded by a Scottish band. Imagine what Curtis Mayfield would have sounded like had he been born and raised and Glasgow and you'll get a feel for the sophisticated soul vibe these guys captured. I could listen to this song 20 times in a row and not get sick of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xFBj9EZVcQ
"Time" (Dave Crawford) - 3:18
OMG - I'd owned this LP for a decade and never gotten around to playing it. Sunday morning I was adding a photo of the LP to my BadCatRecords website and decided to give it a spin. Good thing the basement blinds were shut,or my neighbors would have seen a 60 year old white guy shaking his fat ass to this amazing tune. If you thought the Mighty Clouds of Joy were just another pompous Gospel group,check this track out. The best of Philadelphia International and secular moves ...
Check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlZD3sjZUgg
"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
"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
"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
Tell Me When You Need Me Again (Parts 1 and 2) (Rudolph Isley - O'Kelly Isley - Ernie Isley - Marvin Isley - Christopher Jasper) - 5:03 rating: ***** stars
Flashbook time - Brussels American High School class of '77 ...
This was one of those albums that represent that special time in my life. Yeah, most of my class was listening to Fleetwood Mac, or Journey (okay Mark Funk was listening to Robin Trower and all sorts of oddball sounds), but The Isley were the band that caught my ear. And 'Tell Me When You Need Me Again' was amongst the cream of the Isleys' crop.
The entire "Go For Your Guns" album was magical (I can't even begin to count the number of times I played it), but 'Tell Me When You Need It Again' managed to blend the very best of soul and hard rock into a five minute package. Reflecting one of Ron Isley's most impressive vocals, Marvin Isley's fattttttt slap bass, Christopher Jasper's burping moog, Ernie Isley's Hendrix-inspired guitar, and a refrain as addictive as any Class 1 drug ... what wasn't their to love about this one?
And if you haven't heard this track, here's a link to a YouTube clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSPwhpDqF3k&list=OLAK5uy_mvrBXNfhM_raXOkO2tbzeTDgOlNLln67k&index=3
Give Me Time (Allan Clarke - Terry Sylvester) - 3:06 rating: ***** stars
In December 2019 I decided I would update all my BadCatRecords sales listings to include LP cover photos. When I originally put my record collection online, I did it quickly, only putting up photos for the really expensive items. Anyhow, at the time I started to upload the images, I thought it might take me six months to finish the project. Here I am a year later and I've done "A" through most of "H" and "N" through "S".
While adding "H" entries I discovered I owned a ton of albums by The Hollies. While adding the LPphotos I started listening to some Hollies tunes and rediscovered what a great band these guys were.
Of of their 1975 Another Night" album, 'Give Me Time' simply captured that special Hollies sound. Allan Clarke's instantly recognizable voice, those to-die-for-harmonies, coupled a wonderful "Irish bar" melody made it a track that could have been a massive radio hit had anyone at the label, or on radio been paying attention. And that damn hook sets it's hooks in your head and won't let go ... "give me time, give me, give me time ..."
And for anyone who wants to check it out themselves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxIhQWbF49Y
I was working at home and had YouTube randomly playing songs in the background. Out of the background noise this song just came screaming at me. 
