Challenge

[maarten]

Ok call me lazy… or just considerate for all you fact finders and factoid lovers 8) . I have been re-doing my vinyl in my database after a computer malfunction wiped a ton of all that away. Thanks Bill (Gates). As I was entering stuff, I found I had a number of questions.

First: the fun questions… testing the boundaries of useless factoids :roll: Here I actually know the answers!
On which Average White Band can you find Luther Vandross?
On which album by Bill Withers can you also find Ray Parker jr., Keni Burke and Jerry Knight?
On which Diana Ross album did Ray Parker jr. play?

And now to all my other questions where I don't know the answer:

Is Amii Stewart American or British?

Where are The Bombers from? I have it in my head they are Italian?

Berlin – “No more words” (p) Giorgio Moroder, this band was from where?

Does anybody know where Black White & Co came from (Action for love – 1983)?

Any takers where Charles (Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers – 1993), Charlee (You gonna make me love) or Chic O’Dee (Please let me show) are from? These are all white label promos so I have no idea.

And how about Mr. Crambo & The Go Go Rappers (I think Italy?) – great go-go record (what happened to that short hype?) chocker full of no-doubt illegal bits and pieces ranging from James Brown to Glenn Miller (!!).

What year was “7 ways to love” by Cola Boy released?

And Carol Jiani… I think she was Italian, however, “Hit ‘n’ run lover” was a Canadian production by Joe La Greca (Lime, Kat Mandu). Correct?

Can anybody clarify the release year for De La Soul’s “Hey, how ya doin’?”

Does anybody know anything about Eleanor Goodman? I have a great 12” called “Love thief” from 1983.

Somehow I recall Flash & The Pan being Australian… right or wrong? And the remix of their club track “Midnight Man” was done by Francois K and Ron St. Germain. This is of course a classy French double, and what I was wondering if this Ron St. Germain is the Saint Germain from “Tourist” and “Boulevard” fame?

So what was the story about Frantique… recorded in Paris, France and Trident Studio’s in London… and all the names sound English/American? Who was Frantique?

As you can see, I have reached F. Time for bed… More to come soon, and thanks in advance for any answers you can provide.

[NickNack]

I'm lazy so I'm only doing the "fun stuff". :D

On which Average White Band can you find Luther Vandross?

BENNY & US

On which album by Bill Withers can you also find Ray Parker jr., Keni Burke and Jerry Knight?

MENAGERIE

On which Diana Ross album did Ray Parker jr. play?

UP FRONT

School's out --- I'm done! :lol:

[K-Bee]

I'll have a go too!

Where are The Bombers from? I have it in my head they are Italian?

Bombers were from Canada.

What year was “7 ways to love” by Cola Boy released?

I believe it came out in 1991.

what I was wondering if this Ron St. Germain is the Saint Germain from “Tourist” and “Boulevard” fame?

That's not the same guy....the St Germain house maestro's real name is Lludovic Navarro

Can anybody clarify the release year for De La Soul’s “Hey, how ya doin’?”

wasn't that in 1990?....the first single from "De La Soul Is Dead"

enough for me then :)

[Bernie]

Berlin – “No more words” (p) Giorgio Moroder, this band was from where?

As far as I can recall, they were American.

And Carol Jiani… I think she was Italian, however, “Hit ‘n’ run lover” was a Canadian production by Joe La Greca (Lime, Kat Mandu). Correct?

Carol Jiani's real name is Uchenna Ikejiani and is Canadian by way of Nigeria.

Somehow I recall Flash & The Pan being Australian… right or wrong? And the remix of their club track “Midnight Man” was done by Francois K and Ron St. Germain.

I thought I had this record, but I only have a single of "Media Man." Always thought they were Aussie, but not sure.

[bryanbergman]

Always thought they were Aussie, but not sure.

Yep they were Australian. The group formed from 2 ex members of "The Easybeats."

"After The Easybeats split up, Harry Vanda and George Young began writing, producing and recording. Many songs from The Easybeats were sung all over the world by that time. The Shadows, Schocking Blue, Marmelade, The Tremeloes; all these bands and more played their songs. From now on, these two men are known as Flash and the Pan! Some of their hits are 'Hey St. Peter`, 'Down Among The Dead Men` and 'Waiting For A Train.


Albert Studio 1 control room around 1980, during a Flash and the Pan session.
That's the back of an Arp Omni keyboard on the right hand side.

(quotes from http://members.ozemail.com.au/~tabbl.../Alb1PicM.html and http://members.lycos.nl/Vaipen/Flash/flashindex.html)

[Nano]

It would have been something to have French DJ Ludovic Navarre (née St Germain) remixing Australians Flash and The Pan, but Navarre started to DJ around 1990. "Midnight man" was recorded in 1984.
FATP is a great new wave band. Their first album (frisbees on the cover) is from 1979 and the second ("Lights in the night") from 1980. Their last -maybe major- hit was "Ayla", in 1988.
If I remember well, George Young is brother to Angus Young (from AC/DC), but I'm not really sure. However the two bands are related.

The only Amii Stewart LP I have ("Paradise bird", 1979) was recorded in London with British musicians. So she's probably British, I guess.

Cola Boy... well I don't know him but I found him in a dance reference guide (The Guinness who's who guide to rap, dance & techno", UK 1994). Sadly it does not cite the year. Here's the full entry:

"COLA BOY aka Peterborough artist Andrew Naughtie. Cola Boy's '7 Ways To Love' was mailed out as a white label with a press release saying the record had been financed by a Hong Kong teenager who had sold his collection of rare Coke bottles to subsidise the project :o - one Jesse Chin, who was acknowledged on the sleeve of the stock release. Some people continue to give credence to the story to this day. Naughtie had previously worked with Bob Stanley and Peter Wiggs in the early days of St Etienne, who remixed the track. '7 Ways To Love' would become a big crossover hit, after being widely bootlegged, with its subtle vocal contribution from Janey Lee Grace. The follow-up was 'He Is Cola', which featured Burundi drumming".

And finally Berlin... My guess is this band was Giorgio's brainchild, because he did a casting for the female vocal for "Take my breath away". According to AMG, both Debbie Harry and Martha Davis (from The Motels) gave it a try. These were the happy Giorgio Hollywood-soundtrack-maker days, when he lived in L.A., so these kids were probably in the neighborhood.

Hope this helps.

[maarten]

Hey everybody, thanks to the answers and factoids. I love them as the regulars well know 8)

Nicky, of course your answers are right - so congrats: a free feel good feeling for the day!

Since this first post, I have continued to enter my database, having now reached the letter L. I have some more questions (of course).

First, again two "fun questions" which I know the answers to already:

(a) Look at that… a rap record from 1983 with Stevie Wonder, Teena Marie, Josie James and Syreeta Wright. Name that tune!

(b) Greg Porto, who created the album design for Gino Soccio’s “Outline” album, also did artwork for several albums of …? By the way, is it me, or is that guitar solo in Gino Soccio’s “Visitors” album track seriously, painfully out of tune?

And now to the real questions:

I always thought Tom Tom 84 was a computer program. It/he worked on a lot of Earth, Wind & Fire albums, as well as Gene Chandler’s Get Down and The Impressions’ Fan The Fire and others. Who knows more?

I-Level was British if I remember correctly?

Was Laid Back (Sunshine Reggae/White Horse) German?

Was Leif Garrett American or Canadian… or something else all together? And wasn’t he the star of some TV series?

[K-Bee]

I-Level was British if I remember correctly?

Was Laid Back (Sunshine Reggae/White Horse) German?

I-Level were indeed from the UK

Laid Back were danish (and still performing over here on rare occasions)

[Bernie]

(b) Greg Porto, who created the album design for Gino Soccio’s “Outline” album, also did artwork for several albums of …? By the way, is it me, or is that guitar solo in Gino Soccio’s “Visitors” album track seriously, painfully out of tune?

Also did the Love Deluxe cover as well as designing many flyers for New York City clubs during the era.

[Nano]

AMG says Mr. Garrett was born in Hollywood, California. There's a lenghty bio and a pic really worth seeing (I still can't figure how to paste it here :oops: ).
Apparently one of his TV roles was as Kristy McNichol's boyfriend in the "Family" series. Isn't that weird? :D

[DJ-Pir]

Maarten,

Found this info :

Here is some information on Thomas C. Washington, aka Tom Tom 75, aka Tom Tom 77, aka
Tom Tom 82, aka Tom Tom 84, aka Tom Tom 99 and now Tom Tom MMLXXXIV.

Tom Tom first made a little noise a the pianist in a local jazz group, The Interpreters.
They released an album, "The Knack" for Cadet Records in 1965. In 1967,
Tom Tom's first hit as an arranger, "Get On Up" by The Esquires peaked at #11 on Billboard's Hot 100.
Two years later, "Backfield In Motion" by Mel & Tim was officially certified Gold by the RIAA.
And things took off from there. He has nearly 30 gold & platinum awards combined (singles & albums).
Here is a partial discography of songs arranged by Tom Tom:
http://www.kreitmeir.de/phorum/read....=598&t=585&v=f

The best things in life are free :-) , Peter

[markydefad]

Don't forget that Terri Nunn, lead singer of Berlin, was also an actress. Her biggest claim to fame....."Jeannie" in the epic "Thank God It's Friday." :lol:

And Berlin had established several hit songs: "Sex...I'm A", "The Metro", and "No More Words"...before they worked with Moroder on "Take My Breath Away."

[maarten]

(b) Greg Porto, who created the album design for Gino Soccio’s “Outline” album, also did artwork for several albums of …? By the way, is it me, or is that guitar solo in Gino Soccio’s “Visitors” album track seriously, painfully out of tune?

Also did the Love Deluxe cover as well as designing many flyers for New York City clubs during the era.

Bernie... you disappoint me :roll: I am sure Greg Porto did Love DeLuxe, but he also did all Change albums with the exception for "Sharing your love" and the European edition of "Turn on your radio". Funnily enough he did do the UK release of the same album, but in the UK it was called "Turn on THE radio"... I guess it all ads to the mystique of Jacques Fred Petrus!

[maarten]

Thanks to all. I must say that the Tom Tom 84 story was a bit of a disillussion... I quite liked the idea of it being a computer program...