Bobby Caldwell: What You Won't Do For Love

After performing successfully in clubs in Miami, Bobby Caldwell was approached by TK records to sign to an exclusive contract. After his debut album had been recorded, the label felt that the hit potential of the material was questionable and requested that he find another tune and return to the studio. Caldwell and Alfons Kettner collaborated on “What You Won’t Do for Love” and recorded the song.

While the tune wasn’t Caldwell’s choice for the single, the folks at TK were confident that “What You Won’t Do For Love” was the pick and rush released the single on their Clouds subsidiary to R&B radio carefully concealing the fact that Caldwell was white. The song peaked on the R&B charts at #6.

With the success on R&B Radio, “What You Do for Love” crossed over to Top 40 and peaked in 1979 at #9. With the strength of the single, the LP was released under the same title. Promotional copies sent to radio were issued in gold vinyl. Caldwell is featured on lead and backing vocals, bass, keyboards, and guitar. The album peaked on the LP charts at #21.

I remember playing this single on WAMX and enjoying its smooth sounds with horns, funk guitar, a Rhodes piano, and synthesizer. “What You Won’t Do for Love” was Caldwell’s only Top 40 hit although 1980’s “Coming Down from Love” came close at #42.

Another unique promotional item surrounding this hit was that it was released in a limited version of the single that was heart shaped in red vinyl. After seeing the single at the station, I purchased it at one of the local record stores and it become the first of a dozen or so shaped records that I own in my collection. I have another heart shaped single – Yarborough & Peoples’ “Heartbeats.” Enjoy this hit from 1979.

Trevor Jones & Randy Edelman: Promentory

In 1992, Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman were commissioned to compose the music for “The Last of the Mohicans.” One of the better known cuts from the soundtrack is the instrumental “Promentory.” The cut gained some additional exposure when it was used as the bed for a Nike commercial in 2007. A mixture of electronic and traditional instrumentation, it is quite a very nice tune. Towards the end of the ¬tune it fades out into silence and after a few moments it returns to its splendor.

Kraftwerk: Radioactivity

Kraftwerk issued their single “Radioactivity” in 1975 and although it was played somewhat on the radio, it failed to chart within the Top 40 in the US; however, it was a number 1 release in France. The Morse code sequence spells R A D I O A C T I V I T Y. The vocal sounds come from the short-lived Vako Orchestron and the bass line is played on a Mini Moog synthesizer. Here’s the single mix of the tune.

The single “Radioactivity” is found on the LP “Radio-Activity” which is intended to have a double meaning – radioactivity and activity on the radio. The album version runs over seven minutes in length and features Geiger counter sounding effects in the intro.

Neko Case: Wayfaring Stranger

From her 2004 album “The Tigers have Spoken,” Neko Case is our Spiritual Sunday artist today. She provides her rendition of the old 18th century spiritual “Wayfaring Stranging” – one of my all time favorite folk songs.

The choir invisible found on this recording was the audience at the third IdeaCity Conference in 2004. They really sound good on this cut and when they break through that first time it is really a pleasant surprise the first time you hear it.

Neko is accompanied only by an acoustic guitar and a banjo. I love the banjo work on this version. I first learned of this talented lady through the Tenor Guitar list as she is a proponent of the four string instrument in both the acoustic and electric varieties. If you are not familiar with her work, check her out.

Splitz Enz: I Got You

Some of my international friends won’t understand my placing Split Enz single “I Got You” in the bubbling under category for this Saturday; however, the answer is simple. While this single was a number one record in Australia and the band’s home country of New Zealand, it only peaked at #53 in 1980. I’m not sure where I heard this song first, but it probably wasn’t played on the radio here. I may have heard it in this little record store in Barboursville, WV that carried the most interesting records.

Come to think of it, I may have just purchased it based on a whim – I would do that with singles as it wasn’t a big investment. I remember buying it in Barboursville back before the Huntington Mall opened. I got it home, placed it on the turntable and loved every minute of it. It still holds up 31 years later. Several of the members of Split Enz went on to form Crowded House – another band that I liked in the 80s. In fact, when I was younger and had a much higher range, I used to sing their hit “Don’t Dream It’s Over.”

“I Got You” has great synthesizer work by Eddie Raynor and Neil Finn’s guitar reminds me of Elliot Easton of The Cars. Tim Finn sang lead on this one and his brother Neil added the backup vocals. It’s music literally from the other side of the world.

I am not sure if their LP “True Colors” was the first album to be released with multiple covers; however, if it isn’t, it probably is the one that had the most covers – nine to be exact. I am told that it was the first album that came with laser etched vinyl. There were several releases in the early eighties that copied this technique. It was quite unique and beautiful to behold. I’m a sucker for weird shaped, colored, and etched vinyl – so yes, I have a copy of the LP.

Fleetwood Mac: Gold Dust Woman

Here’s one you don’t hear much anymore – Fleetwood Mac’s “Gold Dust Woman” the flipside of “You Make Lovin’ Fun.” It was a double female single as the “A” side was a Christine McVie vehicle, while “Gold Dust Woman” is pure Stevie Nicks. I had this picked out for today before I saw that Stevie Nicks was going to be performing on “Good Morning America” today.

I never got to see Fleetwood Mac in concert, but I saw Stevie Nicks during her “Bella Donna” tour in 1982. While my seats weren’t the best in the world (it was a last minute decision to go), I could still experience Stevie in all of her wardrobe glory. I swear that she did more costume changes that night than Imelda Marcos had shoes.

The song was featured on their best selling album “Rumors” from 1977. “Rumours” was not only a #1 record in the English speaking world – it was certified 19 times platinum in the US, 13 times platinum in Australia, and 11 times platinum in the UK.

The album produced four singles in the US and the worst that any of them performed was the pre-album release of “Go Your Own Way”/”Silver Spring” that charted at #10. “You Make Lovin’ Fun,” the fourth and final single from “Rumours,” peaked at #9.

It’s a great song – of course most of anything Stevie Nicks does is good, but it is not her performance that seals the deal for me. It is Mick Fleetwood’s drumming (and cowbell) and the overlaying of guitars by Lindsey Buckingham. One guitar is processed through a phase shifter with the sweep turned down to a real slow setting. I wonder how many guitar parts are layered on this cut – it’s impossible for me to count.

As for Stevie’s vocals, Mick Fleetwood related that it took her eight takes to get the vocals right. According to his book My Life and Adventures in Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood described Nicks’ demeanor during the early morning session as she was “hunched over in a chair, alternately choosing from her supply of tissues, a Vicks inhaler, a box of lozenges for her sore throat, and a bottle of mineral water.”

Queen: Crazy Little Thing Called Love

This was one of those busy weeks where I haven’t thought much about what I was going to feature on Reading Between the Grooves – that is, except Monday’s post on The Zombies’ “She’s Not There.” I had run out of commercial tunes and hadn’t heard anything exciting on TV that I wanted to feature, that is until Monday evening.

When I got home from work that night, the family was watching Dr. Who and it was the episode that contained Amy’s wedding where the raggedy Doctor returns during the reception. He dances wildly to that great rockabilly number recorded by Queen – “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.”

I loved this tune from the first time I played it at WAMX in 1979. It was a number one record in the US, Australia, and The Netherlands. It peaked at #2 in the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand. The single was certified gold in the US and UK. Brian May is not playing his signature home-made guitar on this tune, but rather a Fender Telecaster.