Rainy Davis - Sweetheart (1987) & Ouch (1988) DOUBLE POST!!

 

When I began this blog, you would be hard-pressed to find one iota of info about Rainy Davis.  Luckily the internet has grown over the years and lesser known and under-appreciated artists have gotten their due (I'd like to think this blog had something to do with that in some small way. ;) )  So, finding info now on Rainy is much easier, and makes this post easier to put together as well.  Born Denise Lorraine Davis in Brooklyn, Rainy's first major singing gig was as part of a band called Jamilah, which also included her sister Charisse and R&B crooner Keith Sweat. Soon after she joined disco trio Musique for their live shows, and her association with its founder Patrick Adams led to writing and arranging for other acts.  Her first major success was in 1979 as co-writer of disco group Inner Life's "I Want To Give You Me".  During this time she also connected with singer/songwriter/producer Pete Warner, who was also working with Adams. Together they wrote for and produced a few artists over the next few years, most notably Canadian disco singer Chatelaine's second album in 1980. They also wrote the song "Sweetheart" together in 1986.  According to Rainy, her Nana overheard them playing the song and told her she would give them her next social security cheque to record it.  Once the demo was recorded, they were planning on submitting it to Janet Jackson for her career altering Control album, but luckily they missed the deadline.  So Rainy released her version on a local indie label and it got immediate attention on urban radio, which led to rotation on pop radio.  The song hit both the Dance and Black Singles charts on Billboard, reaching #24 on the latter.  Columbia Records then noticed her potential and signed Rainy to an album deal. Her debut album, which was produced by Rainy and Warner, hit the R&B album chart and included similar sexy electro-funk tracks. The next single, "Lowdown So & So", reached #9 on Billboard's Dance chart and #14 on the Black Singles chart.  Her third single was a remake of Prince's 1980 release "Still Waiting", and it almost made the top 40 on the Black Singles chart. The final single, "4-Ever", failed to chart. Rainy and Warner quickly went to work on her next album, Ouch, which was released the following year. Unfortunately it did not have the same success.  The first single, "Indian Giver" (which was the first track I ever heard by Rainy, and I fell in love instantly), hit #16 on the Billboard Dance chart and, like "Still Waiting", #41 on the Black Singles chart. The song, as well as much of the album, used more straight-forward freestyle elements that were only hinted at on Sweetheart, and maybe that threw fans off.  I, for one, loved it!  The next single was the title track, and after it didn't chart, Rainy was no longer with Columbia Records.  She and Warner kept busy writing and producing others, with their biggest success likely being The Cover Girls' "Spring Love".  Rainy also released the single "Storybook Romance", a sort of reworking of "Sweetheart", in 1993 (and again in 2008). Then, in 1998, Jermaine Dupri remade "Sweetheart" for his Life in 1472 album, thanks to a suggestion by Mariah Carey, who loved the track as a girl and sang the chorus. Though Mariah and Jermaine's "Sweetheart" wasn't a huge hit (thanks to the label pulling the commercial single right before its release, and the Billboard chart eligibility rules changing), Mariah included it on her hugely successful hits album #1's the same year, and the song was introduced to a whole new generation and was even nominated for a Grammy award. Mariah also included the song on her Greatest Hits in 2001, The Remixes in 2003, and The Essential Mariah Carey in 2011, further rejuvenating Rainy's career (and bank account!). In 2005 Rainy ended up founding her own full service digital distribution company, Rainysongs Entertainment, for which she is president, and it has continued to successfully support new music artists.  

Live performance of Sweetheart

Download Sweetheart

1	Sweetheart
2	4-Ever
3	Love-At-Last
4	Still Waiting
5	Lowdown So & So
6	Kiss & Make Up
7	Come Back
8	Do-U-Remember?
9	Sweetheart (Reprise)

 
Download Ouch

1	Indian Giver
2	Ouch
3	Be My Man
4	Choosey Beggar
5	Save It
6	Lets Make Up
7	Tell Me
8	Danger

Taja Sevelle - Taja Sevelle (1987), Fountains Free (1991) & Toys Of Vanity (1997) TRIPLE POST!!!

I have loved Taja Sevelle from the very start of her career and have enjoyed all of her musical explorations.  I've wanted to feature her here for years, but at one time Taja was offering her albums on her website so I resisted out of respect.  However, someone recently requested her work, and I checked her website and the albums are no longer available there, and they don't seem to be available digitally either, so I thought it was time to share her amazing music.  As her biography is available on her website, I'll give the condensed version.  She was born Nancy Richardson in Minneapolis.  While working in the health food industry and farming, she also pursued music, fronting several local jazz and R&B bands and also working as a radio producer and DJ.  She was accepted at the Berklee College Of Music, but passed when Minneapolis' most famous citizen, Prince, offered her a record deal with his vanity label, Paisley Park, which was distributed through Reprise Records. She had previously done background vocals on his track "The Ladder" in 1985, and obviously this impressed him enough to sign her to a solo deal.  Hooking up with Minneapolis musician Chico Bennett (aka George Bennette), she created an album that incorporated the red hot Minneapolis sound, but with her own folksy, hippiesque vibe. Her first single, the self-penned ballad "Love Is Contagious," became a huge hit in Europe, reaching #7 on the UK charts, and a modest hit in the US, reaching #62 on the Billboard Hot 100. It remains one of my favourite ballads ever.  She followed it up with the funky Prince-penned "Wouldn't You Love To Love Me," but it only managed to reach the middle of the UK Pop and Billboard R&B charts.  Follow-up singles "Popular" and "Take Me For A Ride" failed to chart.  Paisley Park's run would soon end, but Taja stuck with Reprise, and four years later released her second album, Fountains Free.  While Bennett still produced a few tracks (and would go on to work with superstars like Lady GaGa, Katy Perry and Justin Timberlake), she also worked with various other R&B and pop producers, most prominently pop producer du jour Ian Prince and the legendary Burt Bacharach.  As a result, the album was much more pop-oriented, but the direction didn't seem to work, as the only single, "Trouble Having You Near," did not chart.  For awhile it seemed that was the end of Taja's musical career, but six years later she surprised her fans by signing with 550 Music and releasing the album Toys Of Vanity.  This time she worked with producer R.J. Rice (of R.J.'s Latest Arrival fame) and she delved deeply into the trip hop sound that was hot at the time.  No doubt she didn't expect the album to become a huge pop hit, but she released the singles "I & I" and "A Lot Like You" to critical acclaim. Personally I was thrilled to discover the album a couple years later, as I was a huge trip hop fan.  During the recording of the album in Detroit, Taja was struck by all of the poverty there.  This led to her greatest passion, the founding of Urban Farming, which encourages people in cities to grow their own food on unused land, and the group helped to plant vegetable gardens around the world for those in need.  Though she has also written books, acted, and even patented her own invention, Urban Farming has remained her passion, and she has made more of a name for herself in this respect than from her music, having appeared on numerous television shows, including Ellen.  But she has still managed to release new music, including the underground house music hits "Never Givin' Up" in 2000 and a remake of The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy For The Devil" in 2003.  She also independently released the Good Times EP in 2004 and continues to occasionally independently release various singles on her e-store.  I have had the pleasure of corresponding with her on her blog and Facebook page, and I can tell you that her personality is as sweet as her voice and her conscience.

Urban Farming

Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Musi

Video for Love Is Contagious

Video for Wouldn't You Love To Love Me

Video for Popular

Download Taja Sevelle

1	Love Is Contagious
2	Wouldn't You Love To Love Me?
3	Popular
4	How Could You Do Me So Bad?
5	Take Me For A Ride
6	If I Could Get Your Attention
7	Infatuation
8	Baby's Got A Lover
9	Mama 16
10	Fly For Your Painted Rainbow

Download Fountains Free

1	Trouble Having You Near
2	Chase Temptation
3	I'm Givin' In
4	Even Odd You
5	Fountains Free
6	The Power Of Your Love (You And I)
7	Perpetual Motion
8	What A State Of Love
9	Fierce Desire
10	Forever In Love
11	Died Alive
12	Trouble Having You Near (Radio Mix)

   
Video for I & I

Download Toys Of Vanity

1	I & I
2	Us
3	Wake Before I Die
4	A Lot Like You
5	I Feel
6	Killing Time
7	Making Love To The Air
8	Fleet Of Angels
9	Toys Of Vanity
10	Sub-Conscious Me
11	Why?
12	Fleet Of Angels (No Drums)

Véronique Béliveau - Borderline (1987) & Véronique (1989) DOUBLE POST!!

Before there was Celine Dion, there was
Véronique Béliveau!  I have had several requests for Véronique's English albums over the years, and thanks to the always wonderful eurodanceboy, I now have them and can finally share them with you.  Véronique was born Nicole Monique in Montreal in the 1950s.  She began performing under the name Véronique Béliveau when she was 17, and was soon touring with French Canadian star Réne Simard.  She then took on several hosting and performing gigs on television in Quebec, and also acted in the film Parlez-nous D'amour.  She released her first album, Prends-moi Comme Je Suis, in 1977.  Her next album, Véronique Béliveau, was released in 1980 and she finally had a hit in French Canada with "Aimer".  In 1983 she changed up her sound from balladry to pop rock and dance pop, and released Transit, which gave her her biggest French hit, "Je Suis Fidèle".  The song was a remake of Sheena Easton's "She's In Love (With Her Radio)", which is an appropriate choice as Véronique's voice, look and style were extremely similar to Sheena's.  After releasing several other successful singles, the album won the 1985 Pop Album Of The Year trophy at the Félix Awards, which is the Quebec equivalent of the Grammy's.  That same year she released the album Cover Girl (Cache Ton Coeur), and the title track was another big hit for her.  Her success led to her appearance on the Canadian Africa relief single "Tears Are Not Enough", and she was the only French chanteuse to be invited.  It was only natural that this success in French Canada would lead to a pursuit of fame in English Canada, and she began work on her first English album, Borderline, with producer John Dexter, who has produced other Isle postees like West End Girls and A Perfect Day.  Her first English single, "Make A Move On Me", managed to make a small impact.  Three more singles - "Borderline", "Love You Like A Fire" and "I Can't Help It" - were released to lesser success.  However, that same year she had another French hit with a duet with Marc Gabriel, "Jérusalem".  Her talents ended up attracting none other than Richard Carpenter, one half of 70's pop superstars The Carpenters.  Though he rarely ever worked with other artists, he decided to produce her next English language album.  The first single was the ballad "House Of Love", a remake of my fave song by Isle postee Maria Vidal.  The song attracted only minor attention, however.  The following year a last ditch effort was made for a hit, with the release of a hip hoppy remix of "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", which was a remake of the song made most famous by Diana Ross & The Supremes with the Temptations.  It wasn't a hit for Véronique, however, and she has not released an album, in English OR French, ever since.  Though she has appeared in some musicals in France and has done occasional backing vocals since then, it is difficult to uncover what else Véronique has been up to recently, though I have a feeling eurodanceboy could fill us in, as he seems a huge fan.  Check out his Youtube page for many more Véronique performances and songs, as well as vids by many other Canadian acts, some whose albums he has generously shared with me and I may feature in the future.  (P.S. Please don't get this Véronique confused with the OTHER Veronique posted on the Isle. ;)

Live performance of Make A Move On Me

Live performance of Borderline

Live performance of Love You Like A Fire

Download Borderline

1		Do You Still Want Me
2		Borderline
3		I Can't Help It
4		I Can't Hold Back
5		Take A Chance
6		Make A Move On Me
7		Love You Like A Fire
8		What I Want
9		Lost In Love

 
Download Véronique

1		I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
2		House Of Love
3		Just Another Dream
4		All My Tomorrows
5		I Want To Get Close To You
6		One Of Us
7		A Touch Of Paradise
8		Falling In Line
9		What Kind Of Love?
10		Angel In My Eyes
11		All Those Years Ago

Picture Perfect - Boy Crazy (1987)

Thanks to a request from Ricky, and a generous fulfillment from Isle stalwart Adriana, I can now share with you the one and only masterpiece from American girl group Picture Perfect!  I used to religiously buy Right On! and Black Beat magazine in the 1980s, and I eventually had my bedroom wall filled with a collage of black divas as a result.  A photo of Picture Perfect was part of that collage, even though I had never heard a song by them (alas, I stupidly burned most of those pics years later).  I desperately wanted their album but it was not available in Canada, and as I've mentioned before, it was difficult getting imports here in those days.  I did eventually come across the 12" single of "Prove It, Boy" many years later, but at that time I was a bit 'over' that 80s sound and didn't think much more about them.  Luckily my renewed love for old school music, which resulted in this very blog, peaked my interest in Picture Perfect again.  I discovered a Facebook page a few years ago that was created by the ladies themselves - who are LaTamra Smith, Dwana Billings and Gennyfer Hall - but it no longer exists.  And locating the album was almost impossible - until now!  Thanks again Adriana, I love it!  If you liked the funky pop of previous Isle postees like Sugar Babes, Teen Dream or Tyren Perry, then you'll love Picture Perfect.  Thankfully LaTamra does have her own website now, which helps fill in part of the group's history.  LaTamra was born in Boston and attended a fine arts school as a child.  Her first big break was when she was chosen to be in the video for New Edition's breakout hit "Candy Girl".  She also appeared on the cover of the international version of their first album.  She continued to act, model and sing until she was chosen to front Picture Perfect when she was 19.  They were signed to Atlantic Records and "Prove It, Boy" managed to reach the lower regions of the Billboard R&B chart.  The second single, "Can't Hold Back The Tears", didn't fare as well, nor did the album, likely due to the influx of R&B girl groups at the time.  LaTamra went back to modelling and acting, and also created two production companies - L.A.Tam Productions and, appropriately, Picture U Perfect 2.  While little is known about the other two ladies, LaTamra has indicated that their time as Picture Perfect was well documented and a new 'project' may come out as a result.  We can only hope that includes some new music!

Download Boy Crazy

1		Boy Crazy
2		So Young
3		A Picture Perfect Love Affair
4		Can't Hold Back The Tears
5		My Love's Not Good Enough
6		Peer Pressure
7		Prove It Boy
8		Don't Try It
9		A Lovers Serenade

Carrie McDowell - Carrie McDowell (1987)

After much effort and perseverance, Adriana has provided us with an item that has been on my wantlist for some time, Carrie McDowell's debut album! This is another album that I only had on cassette and wanted desperately to feature on the Isle, but the CD was not easy to find, as Adriana can attest. ;) But she makes wishes come true! Thanks a ton Adriana! (And thanks to Robert as well, who coincidentally sent me this album the same day, but from the vinyl. I appreciate the effort, Robert!) Carrie was born in Iowa in the 1960s. She first showed off her vocal talents at the age of 8 on the local talent show 'Bill Riley's Talent Sprouts'. She then toured with an all-kid band, Love Train. This led to an appearance on 'The Tonight Show', which led to appearances with entertainment legends like George Burns, Danny Thomas and Jerry Lewis. With a new band, she also opened for the likes of Stevie Wonder and Liberace. In 1976, at the age of 13, she released a single with her versions of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" and "Sing, Sing, Sing". Despite her success, her mother wanted her to concentrate on her education and pulled her from the spotlight to attend school. She wouldn't return to the music scene until she was 18, moving to New York and then Los Angeles, where her powerful demo got her signed to Motown Records. This was quite a coup, as there were very few white artists signed to Motown up to that point. Her album was primarily produced by legendary Motown artist and producer Willie Hutch, with assistance from other popular Motown producers. It was part funk/dance tracks and part ballads, which adequately featured her strong vocals. The first single release was "Casual Sex". Though the title was suggestive, the song failed to attract much attention. It was promptly remixed with a dancier vibe by Bruce Forest and retitled "Uh Uh, No No Casual Sex" (though the song was against promiscuity, the original title made it seem it was promoting it). The song became a minor Billboard Dance and R&B hit. (To download the original version and the B-side of the single, "Prove It", go to Lost Pop Treasures HERE.) Though another song, the ballad "When A Woman Loves A Man", was released as a promo single, the lack of proper promotion and the failure of her first single to cross over to the pop charts, which was Motown's hope, led to Carrie being dropped from the label. During her time with Motown Carrie had met guitarist Michael Hodge, and the two married in 1989. They moved to Nashville in 1991 and began recording as Two Hearts. They released two country-laced gospel albums, Stand Your Ground in 1992 and Give 'Em The Word in 1993. They continued to tour the world, often performing at charity events, and in 2008 the couple released a Christmas album as Michael & Carrie Hodge. Carrie finally released another solo album as Carrie Hodge in 2010 titled Never Forget, but the album consisted of tracks taken from the Two Hearts records. Since then, Carrie has been said to be working on new gospel and R&B records as well as an autobiography, so expect to hear more from her soon.

UPDATE: Adriana pointed out that in 1989 Carrie had two more upbeat funk/dance songs on a compilation called Arcade, "New Start" and "Why Did He Break My Heart". You can download the songs off of iTunes HERE. And DJ Digital found a page that includes a new pic of Carrie along with some streaming songs: "Almost Like Being In Love", "I'm Afraid the Masquerade Is Over" and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" (I don't think it is the version she recorded as a child, but I could be wrong). Visit the page HERE. Thanks guys!

Video for Uh Uh, No No Casual Sex

Download Carrie McDowell

1		Uh Uh, No No Casual Sex (Part 1)
2		Secret Fire
3		When A Woman Loves A Man
4		Just Dance
5		It's The Power Of Your Love (Growing On Me)
6		Fly (White Bird Fly)
7		The Tracks Of My Tears
8		I'm Here For You
9		Up The Down Side Of Love

Saché - Are You Attracted To Me (1987)

Thanks to the magical Lumel, I can now share with you the only album by girl group Saché. I originally bought this cassette for $1 when on a trip to the US based on the group name and cover alone. As I had just received my first CD player and had also bought numerous cheap CDs while on this trip, I barely gave this cassette a listen since I was slowly converting my cassettes to CDs and the cassettes were being relegated to boxes in the back of my closet. The only song I remember really liking off of this album was the poppy, freestylish "All Over", but even that was soon forgotten. I had heard nothing about this group before or after I bought the cassette. So I didn't have much hope locating MP3s of the album until Lumel spotted the album on my 'wanted' list and sent it to me! I have no idea where he finds this stuff but I am grateful he does. And you will be too, as the album is far better than I originally gave it credit. Thanks to the production, mainly by Keg Johnson and Wilmer Raglin, who had also worked with 80s funk acts like The Sylvers, Krystol, Levert and Body, the album is a funky dance-pop joy. The ladies released two singles - the title track, which is a ballad, and the mid-tempo "Help Me To Get Over The Hurt". If you ask me, they would have done much better releasing one of the more upbeat numbers. Whatever the case, they came and went without a trace. All I know about them is that their names were Tamara, Brooke and Cathy. Anyone else out there able to help with the details? :)

Download Are You Attracted To Me

1		Are You Attracted To Me
2		Help Me To Get Over The Hurt
3		Just One Little Kiss
4		All Over Again
5		Boys Will Be Boys
6		Constant Motion
7		Lover Boy
8		Nice Girls
9		Something Crazy Like That

Louisa Florio - Louisa Florio (1987) & Instant Reaction (1989) DOUBLE POST!!

So, after many attempts at acquiring her albums to share, here finally are the two Canadian albums released by Louisa Florio. Ever since I posted her single "Love Attack" on Lost Pop Treasures, I have had more requests for her albums than for anyone else's. Though she is little known outside of Canada (or even within Canada, for that matter), it appears that Miss Florio still has a rabid audience. I must first thank the always resourceful Adriana for providing me with Instant Reaction. And I also profusely thank Toby for providing me with her hard to find debut, as well as other gems that I'll feature in the future. Even more awesome, Toby added her very first single "The Effect" and it's B-side "Blast The Music", which were not on any album. Thanks SO much guys! As I mentioned on LPT, I believe that Louisa hails from Toronto, and her first album was produced by Harry Hinde, a disco producer who had worked with Shania Twain on her pre-fame demo tapes. She had released a one-off single in 1985 called "The Effect", and then "Deeper In Debt" a year later on the Tembo label. That single appeared on her debut album and several more singles from the album were released by Tembo, likely as a test to see which would possibly hit, but only "Love Attack" got any attention. On an interesting side-note, Louisa's version of "Tell It To My Heart" was not released as a single, but it was the first known version of the song recorded and was the version Taylor Dayne heard before deciding to record it herself. Tembo brought Louisa back into the studio for a second album, this time with producer Gerald O'Brien, a popular Canadian songwriter and former member of rock group Wrabit. The album kept the dance-pop vibe of her debut, and the single "Oh Boy (Can't Go On Loving Like This)" was released as a promo single, as was a video for "Crazy Love". Despite the contribution of several well-known Canadian songwriters, the album went unnoticed. From here Louisa's career is hard to trace, though she did appear on the Swedish show Top Gear on April 20, 1990 singing two songs, "Come 2 Gether" and "Body Talk", perhaps from a new album? Another single, a remake of The Emotions' "Best Of My Love", was released in 1993 on Swedish label Nouveaux Records. Then, in the mid 90s the singles "I Want" and "Set Your Heart Free", credited to 'Venus', appeared on Nouveaux and featured Louisa. One other single on Nouveaux appeared in 1999, "Gotta Get Up", credited to 'Luiza'. And that's the last bit of info I can find on her. Given the number of requests for her work, surely someone out there knows something about her whereabouts today?

UPDATE: Louisa is back!  She is now going by the name Lou Williams and has released two new songs and videos, "Higher And Higher" and "Watching You"!  Dig her new sound! 

Download Louisa Florio

1		Love Attack
2		Tell It To My Heart
3		Mr. Wrong
4		Deeper In Debt
5		Made For Each Other
6		Woman
7		Living Dangerously
8		Today I Met The Boy I'm Gonna Marry
9		Left Alone
10		Gonna Stay In Love
11		Back For More
12		The Effect
13		Blast The Music

Video for Crazy Love

Download Instant Reaction

1		'Til The Real Thing Came Along
2		Oh Boy (I Can't Go On Loving Like This)
3		Crazy Love
4		The Right To Live
5		What Can I Do To Make You Change Your Mind
6		Instant Reaction
7		Intimate Strangers
8		Love On A Look
9		Something I Can Do Without
10		My Heart Has A Price

Maria Vidal - Maria Vidal (1987)

I recently bought the vinyl of this for $1 and was going to rip it, but luckily I managed to find a copy of the Venezuelan CD release, so the quality is that much better. Born in 1960, Maria Vidal's first taste of the musical limelight was in 1973, when she joined prolific producer and songwriter Desmond Child's girl group Rouge in Miami (though she would have only been 13...). The group moved to New York soon after and released two well-received albums as Desmond Child & Rouge in the late 1970's. Their sound was a blend of rock and disco, and they had a disco hit with "Our Love Is Insane". After the group broke up, Maria kept herself busy doing backing vocals for other artists and dabbling in songwriting. Luckily, in 1984, she was tapped to record the theme song to the Lorenzo Lamas movie Body Rock. Though the movie was a bomb, the song was an instant hit, reaching the top ten of the Billboard dance charts and almost making it into the Billboard Top 40. The song is considered a dance classic. However, the album she began working on with Jellybean was shelved, so Maria went back to session work and songwriting, contributing to songs by Stevie Nicks and John Waite, among others. Then, in 1987, A&M Records decided to sign her on for an album deal. Her self-titled album remained in the vein of her work with Desmond Child & Rouge, mixing rock and dance music to create a pop sound. Child even produced the album's first single, "Do Me Right". The song wasn't a hit, and a second promo single was released, "House Of Love". It too did not hit, and her deal with A&M was over. But she retained close ties with Child and her other producers, Robbie Seidman and Rick Nowels (who she later married). With their help, Maria once again went back to session singing with even greater success, appearing on albums by acts as diverse as Cher, Bette Midler, Celine Dion, The Smithereens, Seal, Clay Aiken, Kiss and Real McCoy. She also continued to write songs, and was responsible for Belinda Carlisle's hit "Summer Rain" and Ace Of Base's "Everytime It Rains". Thankfully Maria recently headed back to the studio to record music of her own again, and in 2009 she released the album Living In Radical Radiance, which is available through her website. But her 1987 debut also remains a pleasure. I had never heard it in full until recently, and it just keeps growing on me. And there were two surprises for me on it. First, the song "House Of Love", which was originally recorded by Blue Yonder the same year, was also covered by two acts in 1989 - Animotion and French-Canadian singer and Isle postee Véronique Béliveau. It was Veronique's first English single, and has always remained a fave of mine. I had no idea Maria did a version of it first. And even better, the song "Angel", which was co-written by Maria, was also remade, this time by Exposé on their final album in 1992. It has always been my favourite Exposé song, and I had no idea it was a cover either. This album is worth it just for these two songs alone! And luckily the Venezuelan version of the CD includes Body Rock and it's dance mix, which were not on the original release! Enjoy!

Video for Do Me Right

Video for Body Rock

Download Maria Vidal

1		Angel
2		Soul Love
3		Sleep Won't Come
4		Make Believe
5		Life On The Train
6		Bridges Of Innocence
7		The Real Feel
8		Do Me Right
9		I Am A Girl In Spain
10		House Of Love
11		Body Rock (Version Radio Edit)
12		Body Rock (Version Disco)

Terri Gonzalez - Is There Rockin' In This House (1987)

Sorry I've been lax in posting this month, but here we go again! This artist is one that I randomly happened across while perusing some funk blogs. I downloaded an earlier funk single by Terri and thought I'd look into who this woman was. Little did I know that she had a fairly large body of work in the 80s, including this album, which I managed to find a random link to after much web surfing. Once I listened to it I knew it would be perfect for the Isle. I was also sad that I hadn't discovered it earlier, as I would have been all over it back in 1987! Terri grew up in New York and eventually landed an administrative job there at Chappell Music, a well-known music publishing company. Thanks to her connections there, she got to explore her musical aspirations. First she hooked up with the well-established soul group The Tymes in the mid 1970s, but they split up soon after. Then she busied herself with session singing for soul acts like The Kay-Gees, Grace Jones, and Chaka Khan. She also proved herself as a song-writer, co-writing the disco classic "Caught Up" by Inner Life. In 1980 she finally signed on as a solo artist with small disco label Eastbourne Records. She released a couple of singles, "Hunger For Your Love" and "How Good Is It" (which had her version of "Caught Up" as a B-side). An album, Good To The Last Drop, was planned but apparently never released. She bounced back the next year on Becket Records with two singles that became minor club hits, "Treat Yourself To My Love" and "Born A Winner". But no other releases materialized for the next few years, though she continued to write songs and do session singing. Then, in 1987, she reemerged on a major label, Atlantic, with a major supporter behind her - Nile Rodgers. No doubt her connection with the disco and R&B maestro helped her secure the deal, and she released the single "Is There Rockin' In This House" and an album of the same name. Rodgers had a heavy involvement in the production of the album, and you can tell from it's funky dance pop, similar to his work with Madonna, among others. However, neither the single, album or other single, "Love Promises", appear to have made much impact, because no other recorded solo material on a major label has appeared since. Terri did remain in the music scene, however, continuing with her songwriting and session singing, and she also toured with Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra. She also occasionally still records and does commercial work. For more, visit her Myspace page. I am very pleased that I happened upon her only album, as it is right up my and the Isle's alley. So I give thanks to Terri for making a 'lost' 80s pop gem that is new to me. Better late than never! (And I apologize, but the file I came across did not include the album track "Let Me Be (A Part Of Your Life)", unfortunately.)

Video for Is There Rockin' In This House

Download Is There Rockin' In This House

1		Love Promises
2		In A Big Way
3		When All The Kids Start Dancing
4		Is There Rockin' In This House
5		A Boy Like You
6		Dynamic Attraction
7		I Don't Have Time
8		Cover To Cover