BACK HOME and JEFFREY OSBORNE

Our Move to Norwich  back in Early 1987 came to an Abrupt Ending, shortly after a the 15th June 1987!

This was the Date my Sister Telephoned me at Home in Norwich to say that "My Father had been taken ill and was Rushed to Hospital"

We came back to Yarmouth asap, we took Nathan and Natalie straight to Susan's Sister's House (so she could look after them) & we went straight to the Hospital.

My Old Boy (as I always called my Father) had been Suffering from an Heart Complaint for a Few Years Previously and had took a turn for the Worse!

This is when I found out that "The Old Boy" had been Bad for Ages, but my Mother and Sister's decided not to tell me anything about this!

What a Family (they are), Me and Susan are just the Opposite to this, if we are ill, our Kids are the First to Know! (not the last).

At this time I was 28 Years Old, Married with 2 Kids and the Eldest of 4 Sibling's, so perhaps I should have been the First to Know!

But Knowing My Mother as I Do (Back then, But Not Now), this I suppose, should have been Expected! 

Anyway after that Visit to the Hospital, we went to get Our Kids and went back to Our Home in Norwich, I am Not Sure of How it Happened or the Timing's, But We Decided to Move Back to Great Yarmouth (asap). 

As I said this is another Time in the Past I can't Remember 100%, I Don't know if we had Planned our Move Back before "The Old Boy" was ill or after, but whatever it was, we Moved back to Our Old House about 3/4 Days after "The Old Boy" was Admitted to the Hospital!

It turned out, Her who we Swapped Houses with (in the first place), Wanted to go Back to Norwich, So we just Swapped back Houses again!

So after about 12 Weeks we were back Home in Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, in the Same House we had left earlier, We were all Glad to be Left that Dump in Norwich, but now We had to Deal with "The Old Boy" who was Still in Hospital in a Bad Way!

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Now for some Music, During 1984 Jeffrey Osborne (Former Lead Singer with LTD) released His 5th Single on A&M Records, "Stay With Me Tonight" it was Taken from his Second Album (same Title for the Album), that was Released the Previous Year.

What a Great Track this was, I Purchased the 12" Single and the Album, Jeffrey Osborne has an Un-mistakable Voice.

The Track was Produced by George Duke and Reached Number 30 on the US Pop Chart and Number 4 on the US R&B Chart, it also Reached Number 18 on the UK Pop Chart.

The Album Attained Platinum Status and Number 3 on the US R&B Chart.

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FUNKY-SOUL-VINYLS CLASSIC SOUL AND FUNK ALBUMS OF THE 60's 70's and 80's # 16

In this Series of Posts, I will writing about a Particular Classic Soul/Funk Album from the 60's 70's and 80's

The one's that stand out in my Mind, as The Best Soul/Funk/Jazz/R&B Albums ever Released. All of them, I purchased on Vinyl many Years ago and also now have them on CD or Digital Download today.

You may have a Differing view (as we all do) on these Choices, but these are my Favorites!

Number 16.........JEFFREY OSBORNE.........SELF-TITLED

Starting His Musical Career in 1970 with an already Formed  Band called LTD, Jeffrey Osborne was Primarily a drummer.


The Band were made up of lots of different Musicians, including several from  another Band Named "Love Men Ltd"  Later Jeffrey Osborne began sharing Vocals in the Band with his Brother Billy.


By 1978 Jeffrey Osborne was Promoted to Lead Singer, and after a Few Years of Chart Success in late 1980, Jeffrey Osborne decided to Leave the Band and go Solo.


He Signed to A&M Records the following Year, and had His Self-Titled Debut Album Released in 1982. Jeffrey Osborne Co-Wrote most of the Album.

The Album was produced by Jazz Keyboard Player George Duke, checkout the Musicians on the Album, it Featured some of the Biggest Names in Soul and Jazz Music!


The First 4 Tracks on Side 1 were some of the Best Tracks Jeffrey Osborne Ever Recorded and are Featured on Most of His Best/Greatest Hits Albums!


If I had to Pick My Favorite, it would be Track 3.


                  

The Album Reached Number 49 on the US Pop Chart and Number 3 on the US R&B Chart. 


The Album contained 3 Single Releases:
1. I Really Don't Need No Light : US Pop 39 and US R&B 3
2. On The Wings Of Love: US Pop 29 and US R&B 13 (also  Charted in the UK at Number 11 Pop)
3. Ennie Meenie: US Pop 76


                       Full Track Listing:

1. "New Love" (4:10) (Geoffrey Leib)
2. "Eenie Meenie" (4:23) (Raymond Lee Pounds, Michael Sembello)
3. "I Really Don't Need No Light" (3:40) (Jeffrey Osborne, David "Hawk" Wolinski)
4. "On The Wings of Love" (4:00) (Osborne (lyrics), Peter Schless (music))
5. "Ready for Your Love" (3:59) (Osborne, Ron Kersey)
6. "Who You Talkin' To?" (3:51) (Osborne, Tony Maiden)
7. "You Were Made to Love" (3:11) (Osborne, Len Ron Hanks)
8. "Ain't Nothin' Missin" (4:09) (Osborne, Leib, Michael Dorian)
9. "Baby" (4:18) (Osborne, Jamaal Franklin)
10. "Congratulations" (2:56) (Osborne, Jeffrey Kerr)

• 
  
•                 Album Personnel:
• Jeffrey Osborne - vocals, percussion on "New Love"
• Larry Williams - tenor saxophone
• George Duke - keyboards
• Bobby Lyle - Fender Rhodes
• Bobby Martin - French horn
• David T. Walker - guitar
• Michael Sembello - guitar
• John Barnes - keyboards
• Paulinho Da Costa - percussion
• Lynn Davis - background vocals
• Charles Fearing - guitar
• Steve Ferrone - drums
• Gary Grant - trumpet
• Jerry Hey - trumpet
• Louis Johnson - bass
• Abraham Laboriel, Sr.- bass
• Arif Mardin - orchestration
• Lew McCreary - trombone
• Ernie Watts - tenor saxophone

Create a MySpace Playlist at MixPod.com


Checkout and Download All of Jeffrey Osborne's Albums!

Download the Debut Album.

OPEN PLAN KITCHEN & JEFFREY OSBORNE

        FSVB's  200th POST
By around May/June of 1982, The Sandringham Hotel Opened, it was a Great place to Work!


The Kitchen area was all Open Plan, this was a First, I never knew of any other Restaurant like that in our Area, It was hard to get used to, being on show all the time, me being a Person who likes to stay in the Background, found this Quite hard to start with, but after a short while, I and others soon got used to it!


You were always being watched by Customers and things that you would normally just do, became harder, because of that, I remember the Hygiene Aspect had to improve, no leaving Meat / Food lying around, I remember the Kitchen Porter's moaning as they had to improve most things they did!


I remember the Trade was Slow to start with, but Sunday Lunches always being Busy, all them Customers looking at the Chef's cutting their Sunday Roasts right in front of them, what a Pleasure that was!


Nowadays its common place watching a Chef cut your Meat for you, but back then it was a Novelty, and it  Probably got the Hotel more trade , because of it!

Check out the Photo, this was taken around 1982, its Me, Susan, Nathan and Natalie, checkout the Settee and especially the Wallpaper, it was all the Rage back then, I can remember buying that Settee at a place called "Courts" in Town, we had that on the Never Never (as it was called years ago) we had to go in the Shop every month with our Little Book and pay the monthly rate!


I remember that Corner Unit Settee was in a Range that came with one better Model, than ours, and we tried our Best to get the Better one, but Courts would only let us have the Cheaper one, the Better one came with  (wait for it) a Clock Radio built in where the shelves were.......That Was a Beauty!     but it wasn't to be!


As for Music around this period, The Great Voice of "Jeffrey Osborne" Released his First  Album (of six) since leaving LTD, it was Self Titled and on the A&M Record Label, Side One had all the Great Tracks on it, including  New Love, Eenie Meenie, I Really Dont Need No Light and the Best Track of them all, On the Wings of Love.


On the wings of love          
New love                            
Eenie meenie                    
I really don't need no light  


He had some great Musicians on the Album including:

Album Personnel

• Larry Williams - tenor saxophone
• George Duke - keyboards
• Bobby Lyle - Fender Rhodes
• Bobby Martin - French horn
• David T. Walker - guitar
• Michael Sembello - guitar
• John Barnes - keyboards
• Paulinho Da Costa - percussion
• Lynn Davis - background vocals
• Charles Fearing - guitar
• Steve Ferrone - drums
• Gary Grant - trumpet
• Jerry Hey - trumpet
• Louis Johnson - bass
• Abraham Laboriel, Sr. - bass
• Arif Mardin - orchestration
• Lew McCreary - trombone
• Ernie Watts - tenor saxophone

BARRY WHITE Part 7

Between 1984 to 1987 BW spent most of his Time Touring, after the Collapse of His Record Label "Unlimited Gold", He Finally Released his 16th Album on A&M Records in 1987.

It was Self-Produced and called "The Right Night and Barry White" but Critics said it would only Appeal to BW Fans,and this was Proved right when it only Charted in US R&B Chart @ Number 28, it never made the Pop 100 Chart!

It contained 10 Tracks, 1 Wrote by BW, 8 He Co-Wrote, and 1 Track wrote by Herman Hupfeld, Glodean White appeared on Backing Vocals again, while Nathan East Featured on Bass Guitar.

The Album Featured 2 Single Releases, His Biggest Hit (apart from one) in nearly 10 Years, "Sho You Right" Peaked at Nunber 17 in US R&B Chart (Number 14 in UK) and "For Your Love" which Charted @ Number 27 in R&B Chart!

By 1989 Barry White began the First Phase of his Comeback (to Success!), He Mixed a more Comtemporary Production Style with His Normal Trademark Sound, and the Result of this was the New Album, Entitled "The Man Is Back"

It was again Self-produced on A&M Records, it Peaked @ Number 22 in US R&B Charts, but as Previous Album, it failed to make the US Pop 100 Charts!

3 Singles were Released from the Album: US R&B Chart Placings in Brackets!

Super Lover (34)....I Wanna Do It Good to Ya... (26)....and When Will I See You Again (32)

1991 saw BW continue with Phase 2 of his Musical Change, with his New (18th) Album, entitled  "Put Me In Your Mix" He added More Modern Instrumentation to His Usual Sounds, with Great Results, He had his Highest US R&B Chart Placing (Number 8), for Over 12 Years and He Finally made it back to the US Billboard Top 100 Pop Chart, @ Number 96!

The Critics said it was a Welcome Return to Form with some Great Ballads!

The 2 Singles Released were: "Put Me In Your Mix" a US R&B Hit @ Number 2 and the Duet with "Isaac Hayes" Charting @ Number 29, called "Dark and Lovely"

The International Release of the Album, was about 2 Weeks after the US Release, but it included a Remix Version of the Song "Sho You Right" from the 1991 Album, The Right Night and Barry White!

DOWNLOAD SOME BAZZA!

THE GREATEST SOUL SINGER OF ALL TIME......... AL GREEN........ part 3

Between 1982 and 1989 Al Green released 6 more Albums, if you count the Christmas offering's in 1983 & 1986 that's 8! I will be doing a seperate feature on the Christmas Album in about a month's time, with a Download!

The Album titles were as follows:
1982 Precious Lord (4)
1983 I'll Rise Again (4)
1985 Trust In God (10)
1986 Going Away (11)
1987 Soul Survivor (1)
1989 I Get Joy (13)

All these Albums charted in the Gospel Charts (positions in brackets) but only Soul Survivor made it in the US Pop Charts and only a lowly 131!

The first 3 Albums were on the Myrrh Label and the last 3 were on the A&M Record Label.
Al Green was re-united with Producer Willie Mitchell for his Debut A&M Album "Going Away"

A feature of these 6 Gospel Albums were a few Cover Versions of Big Hits for other Recording Artists!

Up the Ladder to the Roof...The Supremes
Aint no Moutain High Enough...Diana Ross
Lean on me...Bill Withers
Your'e got a Friend...James Taylor
He Aint Heavy...The Hollies

My two favorite Tracks from the 6 Albums were:
"Going Away" from the "Going Away Album" &
"Dont it make you want to go Home" from the "Trust in God Album".

The "I Get Joy" Album was Al Green's last for A&M before moving to several different Record Labels before finally settling at Blue Note Records in 2003!