Tag: Philip Bailey

Various – The Strait Tapes – Volume I

This is a rather odd one. The Strait Tapes were a series of at least 3 cassettes published by Strait which was the Greenbelt Newspaper that came out Bi Monthly in the 80’s. How they got the rights to these songs is completely baffling but they did and they put out these great cassettes. This is the first one of this series. It is a mix of stuff we know and stuff we don’t. No one is too sure what year this cassette came out as the tracks themselves are from all over but the best guess is 1985. I’ve listed below what album these tracks showed up on if they did. There are some really rare unreleased tracks here a couple B sides so this is a real special compilation. I look forward to finding the next 2 cassettes in this series.

Larry Norman – If You Don’t Love the Lord (1986 Rehearsal 4 Reality/different version)
Robin Lane – Hard Cover (1984 Heart Connection EP)
Steve Turner – I Looked Down (1982 - City Without Love)
Philip Bailey – The Wonders of His Love (1984 The Wonders Of His Love)
Jump the Nile – Innocence Abroad (unreleased, band only had one 7")
Ring of Fire – Brave Men Cry (unreleased, no info on band)
Bruce Cockburn – In the Falling Dark (1976 In the Falling Dark)
Maria Muldaur – There's Going To Be The Devil To Pay (1983 Sweet and Slow)
Randy Stonehill – Everything But Love (1985 Stonehill EP)
Press Any Key – Whisper On The Wind (1987 - Whisper On The Wind, different mix)
Garth Hewitt – Red Hot and Cooking (1982 B-side of The Hungry Wind single)
Interface – Memories (1984 Released as an A side single)

Tracklist
1 – Larry Norman – If You Don’t Love the Lord
2 – Robin Lane – Hard Cover
3 – Steve Turner – I Looked Down
4 – Philip Bailey – The Wonders of His Love
5 – Jump the Nile – Innocence Abroad
6 – Ring of Fire – Brave Men Cry
7 – Bruce Cockburn – In the Falling Dark
8 – Maria Muldaur – There’s Going To Be The Devil To Pay
9 – Randy Stonehill – Everything But Love
10 – Press Any Key – Whisper On The Wind
11 – Garth Hewitt – Red Hot and Cooking
12 – Interface – Memories

Philip Bailey – The Wonders Of His Love – 1984

Most reviews of this period of Philip Bailey refer to him as an ex member of Earth, Wind & Fire. That’s not true as Bailey worked with EW&F well into the late 90’s. Now that I have that out of the way this was Bailey’s second solo album. He did parallel releases on both secular and Christian albums through the 80’s. I think it can be said that this was his biggest album on the Christian side of his career. It had 3 CCM singles with “I Will No Wise Cast You Out” making it to #4 despite it’s rather oddly grammered title. “The Wonders Of His Love” and “He Don’t Lie” both singled in the 20’s. This album was not my style in the 80’s so I don’t think I ever intentionally listened to it. Now that I have matured I can say that this is a very good album. Bailey’s high tenor voice is exceptional and not many can match his vocal quality. The song writing is also very good, not exceptional but very good. His vocals are just so strong that it makes any lyrical shortcomings irrelevant. If you skipped this one in the 80’s because R & B wasn’t your style give it a listen now. In fact I wouldn’t even say it’s a R & B album. Give it a listen and tell me how you would classify it, I decided it is Pop.

Tracklist
1 – I Will No Wise Cast You Out – 4:41
2 – I Want To Know You – 4:32
3 – God Is Love – 4:58
4 – Sing A New Song – 4:58
5 – Safe In God’s Love – 3:45
6 – I Am Gold – 5:04
7 – He Don’t Lie – 4:59
8 – The Wonders Of His Love – 5:05
9 – Make Us One – 5:47

Credits
Arranged By [Horn] – Jerry Peters (tracks: A1, B1, B4)
Arranged By [String] – Jerry Peters (tracks: A1, B1, B2, B4)
Arranged By [Synthesizer] – Leonard Caston (tracks: A5)
Backing Vocals – Carl Carwell (tracks: A1 to B2, B4), Carolyn Caston (tracks: A3, A5), Greg Walker (tracks: A4, B1, B4), Gwen Brown (tracks: A4, B1, B4), Jeanette Hawes (tracks: A1 to B1, B4), Julia Tillman (tracks: A4, B1, B4), Leonard Caston (tracks: A3, A5), Margeret Briggs (tracks: A4, B1)
Bass – Freddie Washington (tracks: A4, B1), James Jamerson, Jr. (tracks: A1, A3, A5, B2, B4)
Concertmaster – Charles Veal
Drums – Jerry Brown
Engineer – Jack Joseph Puig
Engineer [Second @ Bill Schnee] – David Schober
Engineer [Second @ Hollywood], Mixed By – Ross Pallone
Engineer [Second @ Mama Jo’s] – Steven Ford
Guitar – Paul Jackson, Jr. (tracks: A1, A3 to B3)
Keyboards – Charles Williams (tracks: B1, B4), George Duke (tracks: A2, B3), Skip Scarborough (tracks: A1, B2)
Keyboards, Organ – Jerry Peters (tracks: A3, A4)
Mixed By [Second Engineer] – Mike Wuellner
Percussion – Paulinho DaCosta (tracks: A1, A2, B1, B3), Ralph Johnson (tracks: A3, B2)
Producer, Backing Vocals – Philip Bailey
Synthesizer – Alan Pasqua (tracks: A1, A5, B2, B4)

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Word, Inc.
Copyright (c) – Word, Inc.
Recorded At – Bill Schnee Studios
Recorded At – Mama Jo’s
Recorded At – Hollywood Sound Recorders
Mixed At – Hollywood Sound Recorders
Mastered At – The Mastering Lab
Pressed By – Monarch Record Mfg. Co. – △26563

Philip Bailey – Triumph – 1986

This was Bailey’s second Christian label album as he continued to run a parallel career of albums on both Secular and Christian labels. Of his 3 Christian label albums I think this is probably the best one. It had 3 top 10 CCM chart hits with “The Other Side” doing the best and making it to #4. It also had a 4th single that made it to #13. So 4 top 15 hits is pretty darn good but lets add in a Grammy Award for “Best Gospel Vocal Performance, Male” and I think it can honestly be said that this was one of the most memorable albums of 1986/87. Admittedly however it’s not one that made it into my collection at the time. It just wasn’t my style of music and at the time I wasn’t very good at appreciating quality music that may not be in my taste. But times have changed and I can listen to an album that is good though maybe not my style. This is one of those albums. So if you missed this one in the 80’s take the time to give it a listen, it really is a good album.

Tracklist
1 – All Soldiers – 4:47
2 – Thank You – 3:40
3 – The Love Of God – 3:12
4 – Marvelous – 4:27
5 – The Same Way (You’ve Always Been) – 4:32
6 – The Other Side – 4:45
7 – Bring It To Jesus – 5:38
8 – Triumph – 4:55
9 – Come Before His Presence – 4:31

Credits
Arranged By [Vocals] – Philip Bailey
Art Direction – Chuck Beeson
Backing Vocals – Carl Carwell, Josie James, Kathy Hazzard, Lynn Davis, Winston Ford
Bass – Byron Miller (tracks: A5, B1, B2), “Ready” Freddie Washington (tracks: A1, A3, A5)
Design [Graphic Design] – Donald Krieger
Engineer – Ed Cherney (tracks: A1, A3, A5 to B4), Erik Zobler (tracks: A4), Phil Walters (tracks: A2)
Guitar – David Williams (4) (tracks: A3, A5, B3), Jerry Peters (tracks: A3, A5, B2, B3), Kevin Chokan (tracks: A2), Paul Jackson, (tracks: A1 to A3, A5 to B4)
Horns – Andrew Woolfolk (tracks: B2)
Keyboards – Bobby Nunn (tracks: A2), Greg Phillinganes (tracks: A1 to A3, A5 to B4), Robbie Buchanan (tracks: A1 to A3, A5 to B4)
Other [Stylist] – Robert Trachtenberg
Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa (tracks: A1, A3, A5 to B4), Philip Bailey (tracks: A1, A3, A5 to B4)
Photography By – Bonnie Schiffman
Producer – George Duke (tracks: A4), Jerry Peters (tracks: B3), Philip Bailey

Companies, etc.
Recorded At – Buckman Studio
Recorded At – Cherokee Studios
Recorded At – The Complex
Recorded At – Le Gonks West
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Word, Inc.
Copyright (c) – Word, Inc.
Distributed By – Word (Uk) Ltd.
Printed By – Shorewood Packaging
Made By – Shorewood Packaging

Various – Adventures in the Land of Big Beats & Happy Feets – 1989

This has to be the worst sampler in the history of Christian music. It’s not the songs that are bad, they are great songs from great artists. It’s what they did with them that is the problem. Let me explain. This album is constructed as follows. The opening, ending, and all odd number songs are studio dance beats attributed to non existent bands. All of the even songs are well known songs by well known artists BUT they have been “remixed and extended”. Now first of all this album came out in 1989 and the secular music scene was done with cheesy two bit extended dance tracks. But for whatever reason Word Records chose at this late time to jump on a bandwagon that had already left the building. So here we go. Every song we have heard of before on this album is an “extended remix”. I use the term “extended remix” term loosely as these are without a doubt the worst remixes I have ever heard. So what we have here is the business idea of re releasing the same content over and over again only this time they pretended to dress it up as something new. What a disaster. OK listen to the album once and forget about it, that’s what I did.

Tracklist
1 – Rakim D. & The Garden Beats – Prologue – 2:03
2 – Imperials – Fallin’ – 4:18
3 – Bunny Whop And The Hip Hop – Baow Baow Baow – 1:06
4 – Philip Bailey – Thank You – 5:29
5 – Randy McNally & The Road Dogz – Rappin’ Detail – 1:12
6 – Amy Grant – Wise Up – 6:28
7 – Billy B. & The Beez Nees – No Bout Adoubt It – 1:11
8 – Steve Taylor – Svengali – 5:46
9 – Billy B. & The Beez Nees – Doutout – 0:57
10 – Kim Boyce – I Just Want To Celebrate – 5:16
11 – The Nerf Wilson Ensemble – Tee Vee Whiz – 0:51
12 – Ideola – Jericho – 4:28
13 – The Nerf Wilson Ensemble – Gee Tee Vee – 1:12
14 – Russ Taff – I’ve Come Too Far – 5:39
15 – Snappo Schultz – BBBBBeatitudinal – 1:16
16 – Sheila Walsh – Ship Of Love – 7:00
17 – Snappo Schultz – BBBBBeatitudinal – Part II – 1:01
18 – Randy Stonehill Cold Rock The Groove – 4:35
19 – Rakim D. & The Garden Beats – Epilogue – 0:42

Credits
Art Direction, Design – Bradley Grose
Compilation Producer – Leon Mulczk
Coordinator [Cover] – Laurie Fink (2)
Executive-Producer – Tom Willett
Music By [Link Music By] – Lee Cahuenga (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19)
Remix [Re-mixes], Edited By [Edits] – Lee Cahuenga
Written-By [Links Written By], Producer [Links Produced By] – Linx, Inc. (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19)

Companies, etc.
Record Company – Word, Inc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Word, Inc.
Copyright (c) – Word, Inc.
Distributed By – Word Records Limited
Distributed By – Word (UK) Ltd.
Manufactured By – Word, Inc.