The 12” vinyl format of “The Unforgettable Fire” functions more as an EP rather than as a single promoting the song itself [u2songs.com]. “The Three Sunrises” starts Side 1, with the title track coming second. Side 2 includes “A Sort of Homecoming (Live)”, “Love Comes Tumbling”, and “Bass Trap”, an instrumental from the album sessions. “Bass Trap” was created by looping a few bars of Adam’s bass, with Edge playing guitar and Daniel Lanois playing pedal steel over top.
Trivia 1: The Australian and New Zealand release misspells “Unforgettable’ as “Unforgetable” on both the front and back sleeves; the error was subsequently corrected in the front, but not the back.
Trivia 2: In the Canadian release, “Love Comes Tumbling” has a ‘false start’ at the beginning of the song, which does not appear on the Wide Awake in America EP.
Track Listing:
1 – The Three Sunrises 3:52
2 – The Unforgettable Fire 4:56
3 – A Sort Of Homecoming 4:06
4 – Love Comes Tumbling 4:45
5 – Bass Trap 5:14
Credits:
Composed By – U2
Design – Steve Averill, U2
Design [Realisation] – The Creative Dept. Ltd. Dublin*
Photography By – Declan Quinn
Remix – Kevin Moloney, U2
Though often assumed to be a German band Crumbächer was actually a U.S. band whose lead singer’s name was Stephen Crumbächer.
Incandescent was their first album. I was supposed to be an EP, but upon the record company hearing it, they requested the band cut a few more songs to make it a full length album.
Crumbächer were probably the first synthpop band in the CCM genre. There’s really not much to say about this album, it had a German synthpop sound and was actually quite good for this style of music.
Point of trivia is that the album was produced by Ojo Taylor from the band Undercover.
Track Listing:
1 – Understudy – 3:25
2 – Infrared/X-Ray Eyes – 4:16
3 – Glowing In The Dark – 5:12
4 – So Strange – 5:41
5 – It Don’t Matter – 4:45
6 – Jamie – 4:46
7 – Sweet By And By – 3:29
8 – Track You Down – 5:16
Credits:
Backing Vocals – Dawn Wisner-Johnson, Jimmy Wisner
Drums – Jimmy Wisner
Guitar – Dan Hohulin
Keyboards – Dawn Wisner-Johnson, Stephen Crumbächer
Producer – O-Joe Taylor
Vocals – Stephen Crumbächer
This record was released in 1983. The etching on the lead-out of the vinyl says “The Tune 1977 (c) 1971”. Larry seems to have had his most creative times in the 60s and 70s and struggled for decades after to get the releases out.
If you read various articles written by Larry (including all the liner notes) this matches up with his story. He talks about post-concussion syndrome, although it wasn’t named yet at the time. He got hit with a bag from the overhead compartment on an airplane apparently. After that he couldn’t remember the lyrics to his own songs most of the time, and he says that he forgot stuff that he had written before getting it down.
The story of “The Tune” is like that. He spontaneously started playing a few notes on the piano, then lost the flow and said, “Well, once there was a tune.” He riffed on that for over 20 minutes, live. It was never recorded. He did his best to re-create it in the studio and recorded The Tune.
The Tune is also “Something New Under the Son Part 1.” S.N.U.T.S. part 2 is the one that was well known and although it was recorded in 1977 we finally got to hear it mid-80s. Let That Tape keep Rollin’ and a lot of good blues came from that one.
Side 2 of The Tune has some good tracks that seem to have been lying around the studio. On the back of the album jacket it references the albums they are from. these include Rough Mix, Twenty Five Years, Rehearsal For Reality, Behind the Curtain. These albums never existed, but Larry must have planned to put them together. There are others that I heard or read the names of (from Larry’s own sources) but they never existed. I heard about Rough Mix(1), Rough Mix(2), Ose Enco, Brothers at Last. I tried ordering these from the Phydeaux store and Joe wrote back saying these albums didn’t exist.
I’m grateful for every release we eventually got from Larry’s archives. We heard all of them at least 10 years after they were written and recorded. When I finally realized that, it only added to his genius in my mind. In another Land sounded “old” in the 80s. But it was released in 1976. When was it conceived and written? Who knows.
I noticed today that in the notes for In Another Land, there is a quote from The Tune. At that point The Tune was unreleased. Few if any had heard the material outside of its original ad-hoc performance. Larry clearly had a vision of releasing many things that we will never hear.
FYI the other etchings in the lead-out, aside from the identifier “ARF-99” are “Larry Finch and Charly” “The Solid Rock Street Choir” and “89 is really 99”
Tracklist
1 – The Tune
2 – Country Church, Country People
3 – Swing Low Sweet Chariot
4 – Soul On Fire
5 – If I Got My Ticket
Credits
Drums – Alex McDougall*
Engineer, Mixed By, Bass – Tim Jaquette
Guitar – Jon Linn
Producer, Arranged By, Voice, Guitar, Piano, Synthesizer – Larry Norman
Extended dance remixes were popular in 1984, often released on 12″ 45 RPM vinyl.
Steve Taylor was keeping up with the likes of Simple Minds, Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode and other new wave artists with this release.
The Meltdown album came out, this 12″ EP, and videos produced for some of the songs on the album. It was a busy year, coming very quickly after 1983’s I Want To Be A Clone.
Originally released in 1984 as a 6 song EP was “The Yellow and Black Attack”. This is the 1986 blue vinyl re-release which featured 2 bonus tracks. While this was Stryper’s debut album it didn’t sell well until their second release “Soldiers Under Command” achieved gold then fans hunted out this album. It had the typical Stryper sound which of course was strong heavy metal. Like them or not Stryper did fill a gap in Christian music and they did have some crossover success. Point of trivia is that the Japanese version of this album featured another bonus track “Winter Wonderland”.
Tracklist
1 – Loud ‘N’ Clear – 3:28
2 – From Wrong To Right – 3:47
3 – My Love I’ll Always Show – 3:39
4 – You Know What To Do – 4:48
5 – Co’Mon Rock – 3:44
6 – You Won’t Be Lonely – 3:43
7 – Loving You – 4:12
8 – Reason For The Season – 6:31
Credits
Art Direction – Brian Ayuso
Bass, Keyboards, Backing Vocals – Tim Gaines
Drums – Robert Sweet
Guitar, Backing Vocals – Oz Fox
Illustration [Cover] – Tom Utley
Lead Vocals, Guitar – Michael Sweet
Mastered By – Eddy Schreyer
Mixed By – Jim Faraci
Photography By – Glen La Fermin
Producer – Ron Goudie (tracks: A1 to 2, A4 to B3), Stryper
Programmed By [Synclavier] – Chris Currell
Companies, etc.
Copyright (c) – The Enigma Entertainment Corporation
Distributed By – Capitol Records, Inc.
Mastered At – Capitol Mastering
Mastered At – Sheffield Lab Matrix – ? 13003
Phonographic Copyright (p) – The Enigma Entertainment Corporation
Pressed By – Allied Record Company – B-24020
Pressed By – Allied Record Company – B-24021
Published By – Sweet Family Music
Recorded At – Amigo Studios
Recorded At – Clover Recorders
The 1984 album “Perfect Timing” was a shift in style for Sweet Comfort Band. Previously known as an easy listening band this album struck a departure from that style. Perfect Timing move more to light/medium rock. The album also featured a few tracks in a new wave/pop style and even a track with more of a 70’s funk feeling. This was the last studio album for Sweet Comfort Band with the exception of a reunion album released in 2013. All in all “Perfect Timing” did indeed have perfect timing and was an excellent album for the time period.
Tracklist
1 – Perfect Timing – 3:26
2 – Habit Of Hate – 3:32
3 – You Led Me To Believe – 5:08
4 – Don’t Bother Me Now – 3:49
5 – Computer Age – 3:32
6 – Sing For The Melody – 3:42
7 – Lookin’ For The Answer – 4:45
8 – Envy & Jealosy – 4:20
9 – Prodigal’s Regret – 4:10
10 – Neighborhood Kids – 3:48
Credits
Art Direction – Kevin Thomson
Bass [Alembic] – Kevin Thomson
Co-producer [Production Assistance] – Randy Thomas (2)
Cover – Kernie Erickson
Drums – Rick Thomson
Edited By – Marvin McNeil
Engineer [2nd Engineer] – Mike Mierau
Guitar – Randy Thomas (2)
Keyboards – John Schreiner, Peter Robinson
Lacquer Cut By – RD
Lead Vocals – Bryan Duncan, Randy Thomas (2) (tracks: A5)
Mastered By – Richard Donaldson
Mixed By – Dino Elefante
Photography By – Spencer Pendergrass
Producer – Dino Elefante
Recorded By – Dino Elefante
Vocals – Ben Mendoza, John Elefante, Randy Thomas (2), Rick Thomson
Vocals [“Neighborhood Kids”] – Ben Mendoza, Lisa Lantz
Companies, etc.
Record Company – Lexicon Music, Inc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Lexicon Music, Inc.
Copyright (c) – Lexicon Music, Inc.
Published By – Lexicon Music, Inc.
Published By – Libris Music
Published By – Mastadon Publishing Company
Designed At – Visual Communications
Recorded At – Pakaderm Studios
Mixed At – Pakaderm Studios
Mastered At – Sound Dome
Pressed By – Electrosound Group Midwest, Inc.
Zionic Bonds was one of the most important CCM albums ever released. While a few small bands had been working in this style Andy McCarroll and Moral Support brought punk/new wave into the mainstream CCM music scene. It was exactly what CCM listeners were waiting for whether they knew it or not. Historically Andy McCarroll had released 2 previous albums that are not in the style of Zionic Bonds and there are 2 very rare previous Eps using the name of Moral Support. The use of this style of music with some very strong social commentary lyrics makes this album one of the best and most important CCM albums ever. Strangely the band were referred to as just Moral Support in the UK giving us an alternate album cover.
Tracklist
1 – Sin – 4:10
2 – How The Kids Are Feelin’ – 2:39
3 – To Know You – 2:53
4 – Slippin’ And Slidin’ – 3:38
5 – I Am Human – 3:53
6 – Cyan City – 3:44
7 – King Man – 2:43
8 – Livin’ A Lie – 3:54
9 – In Control – 4:56
10 – 20th Century – 4:41
Credits
Bass – Alan Gillespie
Drums – Ian Sloan
Guitar – Jimmy Davis (7)
Keyboards – William Hilary
Photography By – Dennis McMeekan
Producer – Andy Kidd
Sleeve [Design] – Andy McCarroll
Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards – Andy McCarroll
Companies, etc.
Distributed By – The Benson Company, Inc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Pilgrim America
Copyright (c) – Pilgrim America
Recorded At – ICC Studios
Hostage was the 6th studio offering from Rez Band. The album surprised and disappointed some fans due to the addition of synthesizer and a new wave sound on some tracks. However old fans weren’t left out as the album featured several hard rock tracks that they loved. The producers/Sparrow Records chose “Crimes” as the “single and in fact a music video was made (available on our channel) that was rumoured to have had some very limited play on MTV. However the real “single” or fan favourite was the more new wave song “S.O.S.”
Tracklist
1 – S.O.S. – 4:03
2 – Attention – 3:45
3 – Souls For Hire – 3:30
4 – Defective Youth – 2:57
5 – Who’s Real Anymore – 4:06
6 – Armageddon Appetite – 1:26
7 – Beyond The Gun – 4:20
8 – Crimes – 3:38
9 – It’s You – 2:02
10 – Tears In The Rain – 6:00
11 – Walk Away – 4:50
Credits
Arranged By [All Songs Arranged By] – Rez Band
Band, Bass, Keyboards, Guitar – Jim Denton
Band, Drums – John Herrin
Band, Lead Guitar, Keyboards – Stu Heiss
Band, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals – Wendi Kaiser
Band, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Guitar – Glenn Kaiser
Design Concept [Album Cover Concept], Artwork – Cornerstone Graphics, Dick Randall, Janet Cameron
Engineer [Assistant] – Greg Jacques, Roy Montroy
Engineer [Engineered By] – Roger Heiss
Mastered By – Steve Hall
Noises [Door] – Greg Jacques
Photography By – Pat Peterson (2), Tom Wray
Producer [Produced By] – Rez Band
Saxophone – Steve Eisen
Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – The Sparrow Corporation
Copyright (c) – Rez Band Music
Recorded At – Tone Zone Recording
Mastered At – Future Disc
Published By – Rez Band Music
