Hot Sounds From 1979: Yacht Rock, Soul & Billboard Hits

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Pexels
Enjoy the songs that were hits, or at least should have been hits, in Europe and the US during the warm summer of 1979!

The opening track by Bell & James is from the new compilation Thom Bell - Didn't I Blow Your Mind? The Sound Of Philadelphia Soul 1969 - 1983, out on Ace Records. Both LeRoy Bell and Casey James had played in Special Blend before beginning to write songs together. At some point Bell's uncle Thom Bell got them signed to Gamble & Huff as songwriters for their Philadelphia International label. Through the years the duo composed for Elton John, MFSB, The O'Jays, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Freda Payne, Phyllis Hyman, The Three Degrees, and others. Eventually A&M Records took notice and signed them to a full album deal in 1978. Nobody Knows It is from their second album, Only Make Believe.

Dance Away by Roxy Music was originally written by Bryan Ferry for his 1977 solo album In Your Mind, but did not make the final track listing. It was then planned for inclusion on his 1978 album The Bride Stripped Bare, but again the song was skipped. The next year it was finally completed and released on Roxy Music's Manifesto, the band's first studio album in four years. The song obviously referred to Ferry's misfortune when his girlfriend Jerry Hall had left him for Mick Jagger, while he was on tour with Roxy Music. Dance Away was one of Roxy Music's biggest hits and reached number 2 in the UK, number 6 in the Netherlands and number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Tracklist:

Bell & James – Nobody Knows It
Deniece Williams – Turn Around
Minnie Riperton – Memory Lane
Peaches & Herb – Reunited
Jim Messina – Seeing You (For The First Time)
England Dan & John Ford Coley ‎– Love Is The Answer
Graham Gouldman – Sunburn
Rickie Lee Jones – Chuck E.'s In Love
Roxy Music – Dance Away
Kimm Hekker – It’s Not Easy
The Walkers – Rumour At The Honky Tonk
Anne Murray – Shadows In The Moonlight
Tarney Spencer Band – No Time To Lose
Maureen McGovern – Different Worlds
Helen Reddy – Minute By Minute
John Stewart & Stevie Nicks – Gold
Doucette – Nobody
Faith Band ‎– You’re My Weakness
Orleans – Love Takes Time
Triumvirat ‎– Waterfall

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