Gotham Flasher
Gotham Flasher (LP)
Unison Records (Canada) / 1979 / UN-7905
LP-album 33 ⅓ rpm vinyl record
Genre: Dance
Produced by Peter Alves and Gino Soccio
Executive producers : Sid Berkson and Lloyd Yudelson in association with Steve Grossman, Ron Rivkin and Jimmy Johnson
Recorded and mixed at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios - Alabama; Studio Six - Montreal and Studio St-Charles - Longueil,Qc.
Mixed by Gino Soccio and Peter Alves
Concept by Ron Rivkin
Side A
1. I'm Never Gonna Leave You (NY) 9'11
Side B
1.Can't Turn You Loose 8'39
Side C
1.Love The Love 8'51
Side D
1. Try A Little Tenderness 8'52
Another Gino Soccio co-production from 1979. Adopting the format used by labels like Prelude and West End - Unison spread out the tracks on 2 discs.
Peter Alves and the Muscle Shoals crew were also behind two of Quebec's greatest disco success stories with BOULE NOIRE and TOULOUSE.
Gino Soccio's stamp is recognizable and the male lead vocals reminds me of his work with Mighty Pope.
I'M NEVER GONNA LEAVE YOU (NEW YORK)(a Soccio/Alves original) with its horns and great percussions (and let's not forget 1979's fabulous synth-drums popping up here and there) is clearly the standout here.
CAN'T TURN YOU LOOSE is sung by the female back-up singers and critics in Quebec couldn't help but notice that the girls from TOULOUSE would have done a better job. (They were at the time - pretty much Quebec's answer to the Sweethearts of Sigma).
LOVE THE LOVE the other (Soccio/Alves contribution) with great synths by Soccio is a treat.
TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS is the Otis Redding hit done disco-style...a little too generic for my taste but at almost 9 minutes - it has a nice Fender Rhodes/guitar interplay, but no real break.
All and all - not a bad effort, but just a little too ordinary to really stand out from the rest.
Submitted by KDavid13 (110)
It is great to see we're not the only ones knowing this Gino production. Cool !