Lakeside - Power - 1987 - Solar

Lakeside were already a veteran group by 1987 and a certain future Temptation was part-and-parcel of this line up - Barrington Scott-Henderson! His sweet soulful vocals were not only perfect for this CD, but also for the legendary Temptations who benefited greatly from his more than able vocal abilities. I loved the Solar sound of the 1980s and Patrik has also given a passionate and heartfelt account of his feelings for the label which I totally share. Co-producer on this CD is a certain Craig Cooper, and in retrospect we can hear his style very present on this album, and on "Bullesye" in particular. The group are known for their uptempo party funk, and to be honest they lost that by now. The brasher, mechanical dance sounds they tried to pass on this album, for me, simply don't work. They even try their hand at rapping, and it's at this point I press the skip button. Again, the ballads have the upper hand.

I mention "Bullseye", and this is a beautiful track befitting the pedigree and stature of the Solar label. You can hear the real promise of what Craig T. Cooper had to offer a few years later. On this song all that is missing is a classy vocal from Debra Cooper! His other production of worth is "To Be Your Lover". I can almost hear "I'll Help You Get There" as this starts up. How he can record gems like this then serve up twaddle like "Power" I have no idea! His uptempo "Relationships" owes more to Jesse Johnson than anything else and as I like that Minneapolis 'crash, bang., wallop' sound I am quite keen on it - even though it sounds rather passe today, and in comparison with the other gems it can't hold a candle. My final choice is spellbinding and perfect Solar material. "Just A Touch Away" could easily have been recorded a few years earlier in the '83 - '85 period. A breathy midtempo cut gives Barrington a real meaty track to cut his chops on. I cannot believe that this is still readily available on CD, and while you're at it check out their 1990 CD, "Party Patrol" for the gorgeous "Think About Love".

Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe

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Keni Stevens - Blue Moods - 1987 - Jam Today

"Blue Moods" launched Keni Stevens as a truly deserving UK Soul superstar. Robbie Vincent championed the set, calling it "simply gorgeous", Record Mirror's late James Hamilton rated it as "delicately sinuous" and Blues and Soul magazine gave him the accolade of being the 'second best newcomer' of 1987. The fact that Keni is also a really genuine chap as well only confirms the fact that the UK owes a lot to this quality gentleman of Soul. Funky Town Grooves have, thankfully, legitimately reissued this CD and good on 'em too. This, and his excellent 1988 CD, "You", have been given a fresh lease of life in 2009. As I keep saying, quality music will always be with us so an album such as "Blue Moods" is always going to be relevant to us.

Truthfully, I cannot praise this album enough. It was memorable from the very first hearing, and established Keni as no lightweight UK act. "Spend The Night" is seductive and vocally I hear echoes of the Brothers Johnson. Drenched in soul, summery and relaxing this song is drop-dead gorgeous. "Passionate" features a warm vibe, complete with sultry sax from Mike Stevens. You cannot beat tracks like this. Even Bluey gets in on the act and gets his guitar strumming. The caliber of this CD gets stronger by the track. If you are a fan of Total Contrast or Loose Ends - more great UK talent - then "Too Much Too Soon" will be just the thing to sooth you after a long day. A memorable bassline, a vibrant percussion riff and cool vocals a la Narada Michael walden this cannot be beaten. My all-time favourite of Keni's - joint with "Who's Been Loving You" and the following song! - is "Cannot Live Without Your Love". If any record helps bring back happy memories of Summer it's a track such as this. Superb. With a vibe reminiscent of US star Eugene Wilde's 1989 MCA output, "Spend the Night (Food Of Love)" wipes the floor with many of what passes as ballads these days. The haunting synth and cool beats are knockout. As I say, this is now legitimately released and can be snapped up at a very reasonable price.

Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe

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Chris Jasper - Superbad - 1987 - CBS Associated

Chris Jasper mainly writes non-secular material now, and he's still making some great tunes even, if like me, you are not at all religious. Chris was a staple part of the Isley Brothers from 1973 til 1984 and he then went on with a run of 3 albums with brothers Ernie and Marvin, spawning some great songs and a huge US hit with "Caravan Of Love". If you loved that style that the Isley Brothers and Isley Jasper Isleyadopted in the 1980s, then you will love the solo efforts from Chris, and this album in particular. The LP hit our import specialists early in 1988 and was a resounding success, with the gorgeous track "Like I Do" and the single, "Superbad" being rightly championed by Radio One's Soul Train programme, steered by Andy Peebles. Chris is a real talent and a powerhouse of accessible yet quality songs that stand the test of time. Some say his style has changed little from the early 80s, and to that I counter with "so what?!" I love that sound - it is Chris Jasper doing what he does best, and when a sound or an artists is timeless it really does not matter. Long may he continue!

The lead single was "Superbad", a seriously hook-driven and funky number that even contained children as backing singers - and it didn't sound at all bad. Chris is a very upbeat and positive soul and what he was doing was giving a positive message to the kids. If people did this more often and not browbeat them, then they may feel more self-worth. Rant over! I really love "Giving My All", which is CLASSIC Chris Jasper, and I'm sure his wife, Margie, was definitely in mind when he penned this gem. The dramatic "One Time Love" with great harmonies is strong, as is the rough and funky "Dance For The Dollar" but my favourite song EVER of Chris' is "Like I Do". I melted when I heard this wonderful song, and I have never tired of playing it. The synth he uses is enough to make the hairs stand up on my arms, and the lyrics are very personal, I am sure, and it's this real, genuine, emotion that has gone into the writing, crafting and execution that seals this song's fate as an all-time classic quiet storm tune. Amazon still have copies of this, so if you like the sound of this album, then snap it up on CD now before it's too late!

Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe

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Herb Alpert - Keep Your Eye On Me - 1987 - A and M

I have always had a soft spot for Herb Alpert - my Dad used to play a lot of his stuff, and also mores the point that "Bean Bag" was the theme tune to "It's A Knockout". The man just got a whole lot cooler! Seriously, Herb is one cool dude and has dabbled with black music on more than a few occasions - his label A and M also commands respect for the sheer amount and quality of soul and jazz that has appeared on it. This powerhouse album saw the first chart action for Herb since 1980's "Rise", and all thanks to the genius input of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. These gentleman were responsible for the smash hits "Keep Your Eye On Me" and "Diamonds" and highlight yet again how strong and in control they were in the mid - late 1980s.

The unusual opening salvo of smashing glass, sawing wood, hammerings and even a barking dog catapulted me warily into "Keep Your Eye On Me" on first hearing. The chugging and bouncing beats that ensued really trembled the bass-pins and Herb's funky horn along with Lisa Keith's sexy vocals soon won me over and has remained a strong speaker rattler ever since. I'm not at all surprised that this was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, and so too was the Janet Jackson led "Diamonds". Another goodies from the boys at Flyte-Time! As you know, I love my ballads and you will find two Jam & Lewis KILLERS on here...the beautiful "Pillow" with Herb's distinctive horn and vocals is simply to die for. Again, Jam and Lewis working their magic. The real show-stopper, though, is the Lisa Keith fronted and Janet Jackson supported ballad "Making Love In The Rain". I fell deep in love with this song immediately and remain devoted to it to this day. Songs like this will forever sound fantastic. I wish Jam and Lewis would listen back to this era and bear it in mind when they lay down new material. It will outlive any of their new stuff. This is still easily available cheaply on CD from Amazon. Go on - treat yourself!

Barry Towler,
The Vibe Scribe.

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