So I know, once again I've been negligent of this blog, but I've been very busy at work and haven't had much chance to post. But I did manage to rip some records for my other blog, and I ran across this very rare gem in my record collection and knew I had to add it here. Mens Room was a studio project featuring three well-known Canadian singers. Charity Brown (aka Phyllis Boltz), a Kitchener native who had success in Canada with the group
Rain, had also had solo success as Phyllis Brown and as Charity Brown, her biggest hit being "
Take Me In Your Arms" in 1975. Cherrill Rae was half of the successful British-Canadian duo The Raes with her husband Robbie, who released three albums, had a hit television
variety show in Canada from 1978 to 1980, and even managed a Billboard Hot 100 hit with "
A Little Lovin' (Keeps the Doctor Away)". Caren Cole was a classical musician and rock singer from Toronto who would later have a Hi-NRG hit with "
I Need A Lover Tonight". The group released a self-titled EP in 1983 that included four of the tracks that would be on the album. The first single was a remake of British 80s all-female group The Belle Stars' biggest British hit "
Sign Of The Times". It got quite a bit of play on Canadian radio (I remember loving it when I was a kid, though years later I also finally heard The Belle Stars' version and love that too). A promo single was also released of their version of The Ronettes' "
Baby I Love You". A full album followed, with the first four tracks being produced by Canadian producers Brian Ainsworth and Michael McCarty (who was President of EMI Music Publishing Canada for 18 years after this), while the last five were produced by the mysterious SST. The rest of the album also consisted of mostly remakes of well known songs including The Ronettes' "
Be My Baby", Buddy Holly's "
Everyday", Modern Romance's "
Best Years Of Our Lives", and The Rolling Stones' "
Tell Me", and rarer tracks including BB Gabor's "
Simulated Groove", and The Dooleys' "
In Car Stereo". The one original, "Baby I'm Back In Love Again", became most famous for being Family Ties star Tina Yothers' only single in 1987, which she also performed on
Family Ties. Isle postees
Boomerang also recorded a version for their album in 1985. Like Boomerang, the point of the group was obviously to update the girl group sound of the 60s with a decidedly new wave edge. You be the judge as to how well it worked. I, for one, love it!
Download
Mens Room
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Baby I Love You
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Tell Me
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Everyday
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Be My Baby
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Simulated Groove
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Sign Of The Times
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Best Years Of Our Lives
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In Car Stereo
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Baby I'm Back In Love Again
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