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Mar 2, 2023

Club Nouveau - Life, Love & Pain (1986)

"Jealousy" by Club Nouveau


Timex Social Club's producers, Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy and Jay King, all bailed on the Timex Social Club project and formed their own Club Nouveau.  Off the strength of their hit single with Timex, Club Nouveau signed with Warner Bros. Records and released their debut album Life, Love & Pain in late 1986.  The album is much of the same including their first single "Jealousy" an echo of and response to Timex's "Rumors".  The songs are, as before, meant for the club and a good time and some of those songs endear you to them over time... particularly those silly, synthy "Lean on Me" bass lines.

Here is the discography surrounding Club Nouveau's debut album:

Woo Baby (1984 single as Sorcerey)
Jealousy (1986 single)
Life, Love & Pain
Situation #9 (1986 single)
Lean on Me (1987 single)
Why You Treat Me So Bad (1987 single)
Let Me Go (1987 promo single)
Heavy on My Mind (1987 single)
Who's That Girl (1987 album track)
Step by Step (1987 single)
Why You Treat Me So Bad (Remix) (1987 single)

"Lean on Me" by Club Nouveau


"Why You Treat Me So Bad" by Club Nouveau


"Woo Baby" by Sorcerey


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Feb 24, 2023

Timex Social Club - Vicious Rumors (1986)

"Just Kickin' It" by Timex Social Club


En Vogue were the brainchild of R&B producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.  The two dance floor hitmakers got their start producing (with Jay King) the 80s R&B group Timex Social Club.  The band scored a club hit with "Rumors" that anchored their only album Vicious Rumors released in 1986 on Danya/Fantasy Records.  There are other songs on the album that are less grating than the "topical" hit song but Timex can't find the right balance between the humorous and the serious (often mistaking one for the other) nor can they find their harmonies.

Here is the discography for Timex Social Club:

Rumors (1986 single)
Vicious Rumors
Mixed Up World (1986 single)
Thinkin' About Ya (1986 single)

"Mixed Up World" by Timex Social Club


"Rumors" by Timex Social Club on Top of the Pops


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Feb 16, 2023

En Vogue - Born to Sing (1990)

"Mover" by En Vogue


Sybil is the cousin of En Vogue member Maxine Jones.  They released their debut album Born to Sing in 1990 on Atlantic Records.  The single "Hold On" is the band's thesis statement for mixing the history of girl groups into a modern sound, and the album is more fun and more engaging when it indulges its love of the past, humor and passion.

Here is the discography surrounding En Vogue's debut album:

Hold On (1990 single)
Born to Sing
Lies (1990 single)
You Don't Have to Worry (1990 single)
Don't Go (1991 single)
Strange (1991 single)
Remix to Sing (1991 remix EP)

"Hold On" by En Vogue (Live on It's Showtime at The Apollo)


"Lies" by En Vogue


"You Don't Have to Worry" by En Vogue


En Vogue TV Spot


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Feb 6, 2023

Sybil - Let Yourself Go (1987)

"My Love Is Guaranteed (Red Ink Mix)" by Sybil


Lou Donaldson attended North Carolina A&T State University, in between military service, where he played with The Rhythm Vets, a jazz band made up of A&T students who had served in the Navy.  One other artist who attended NCA&TSU was R&B singer Sybil Lynch, professionally known as Sybil.  Sybil released her debut album Let Yourself Go in 1987 on indie-label Next Plateau Records, a record more notable for its production (in the New Jack way) and remixes than for any songwriting.

Here is the discography surrounding Sybil's debut album:

Falling in Love (1986 single)
Let Yourself Go (1987 single)
My Love Is Guaranteed (1987 single)
Let Yourself Go
Let Yourself Go (Club Mix) (1987 single)
My Love Is Guaranteed (Red Ink Mix) (1987 single)
My Love Is Guaranteed (Z Mix) (1987 single)

"Let Yourself Go (Club Mix)" by Sybil


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Jan 26, 2023

Lou Donaldson - New Faces - New Sounds (1952)

"Cheek to Cheek" by Lou Donaldson


When Lou Donaldson released his debut album, Horace Silver and Art Blakey joined the session (with it being the first time the three played together in studio.)  Blue Note would release the session as New Faces - New Sounds in 1952 as part of a series of same-titled releases highlighting the young geniuses of bebop.  Later that year, Lou couldn't make a similar session, and the studio time fell to the remaining, eventually-named Horace Silver Trio.

Here is the discography surrounding Lou Donaldson's debut album:

Roccus (1952 single)
Sweet Juice (1952 single)
Things We Did Last Summer (1952 single)
If I Love Again (1952 single)
New Faces - New Sounds

"Things We Did Last Summer" by Lou Donaldson

"Lou's Blues" by Lou Donaldson


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Jan 22, 2023

Horace Silver Trio - New Faces - New Sounds (1952)

"Safari" by Horace Silver Trio


Horace Silver played the piano with the Art Blakey Quintet at Birdland.  And, Blakey played drums on New Faces - New Sounds: Horace Silver's first recording session as a bandleader released in 1952 on Blue Note Records.

Here is the discography surrounding Horace Silver's debut album:

New Faces - New Sounds
Safari (1953 single)

"Prelude to a Kiss" by Horace Silver


"Quicksilver" by Horace Silver


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Jan 10, 2023

Art Blakey Quintet - A Night at Birdland Vol. 1 (1954)

"Quicksilver" by the Art Blakey Quintet


Alongside Thelonious Monk, on his earliest recordings, sat drummer Art Blakey.  This work for Blue Note may have led to Blakey's own chance at leading a recording session which begat his band The Messengers.  The Messengers, early on credited as the Art Blakey Quintet, released on Blue Note Records a 1954 live performance, broken up and titled A Night at Birdland Vol. 1.

Here is the discography surrounding Art Blakey's debut album:

Groove Street (1948 single with His Messengers)
Musa's Vision (1948 single with His Messengers)
New Sounds (1951 compilation with his Band)
A Night at Birdland Vol. 1
A Night at Birdland, Volume 1 (1956 album reissue)
Quicksilver (1956 single with Clifford Brown)
New Sounds (1991 album reissue with his Messengers)

"Once in a While" by the Art Blakey Quintet


"Bop Alley" by Art Blakey's Band


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