Sparks is an American pop and rock duo formed by brothers Ron (keyboards) and Russell Mael (vocals) in Los Angeles. The duo is noted for their quirky approach to songwriting; their music is often accompanied by sophisticated and acerbic lyrics—often about women, and sometimes containing literary or cinematic references—and an idiosyncratic, theatrical stage presence, typified by the contrast between Russell's animated, hyperactive frontman antics and Ron's deadpan scowling. Russell Mael has a distinctive wide-ranging voice, while Ron Mael plays keyboards in an intricate and rhythmic style. Their frequently changing styles and visual presentations have kept the band at the forefront of modern, artful pop music.
Diana Ross is the seventh studio album by American singer Diana Ross, released on February 10, 1976 by Motown Records. It is her second self-titled record after her 1970 debut. It reached #5 in the USA and sold over 900,000 copies.
Charlene Marilynn Oliver, better known mononymously as Charlene, is an American easy-listening and R&B singer best known for the song "I've Never Been to Me", which, initially being a commercial flop upon its original release in 1977, became a worldwide hit upon a re-release in 1982 and has remained an enduring adult contemporary music staple. Charlene is also a songwriter, record producer, and author.
Ronald Norman Miller was an American popular songwriter and record producer who wrote for Motown artists in the 1960s and 1970s and attained many Top 10 hits. Some of his songs, such as "For Once in My Life", have become pop standards.
Barry Manilow II is the second studio album by Barry Manilow released in 1974. Propelled by the major success of its lead single "Mandy" and featuring a further international hit in "It's a Miracle", the album was a commercial breakthrough for Manilow. First issued by Bell Records, it was reissued after the company was reorganized into Arista Records. The album's success spawned a notable parody in the picture sleeve of Ray Stevens' 1979 single, "I Need Your Help Barry Manilow".
"I've Never Been to Me" is a ballad, written and composed by Ron Miller and Kenneth Hirsch and made popular via a recording by American singer Charlene. Although its original release in 1977 barely registered on the Billboard Hot 100, its re-release in 1982 hit #3 in the US and earned her a gold certification in Australia, where it held the #1 spot for six weeks. In addition, the song topped the charts in Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. It was also a top ten triumph in Norway, Belgium, New Zealand and the Netherlands and became Motown's first top ten hit by a white female solo singer.
Commercial Zone is an album of studio recordings by Public Image Ltd., recorded in 1982 and 1983, and released in 1984 by PiL founding guitarist Keith Levene. Commercial Zone includes five songs that were later re-recorded for PiL's fourth official studio album, This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get (1984) – for this reason, Commercial Zone is often considered to be an earlier/alternative version of that album.
Ross is the ninth studio album by American singer Diana Ross, released in September 1978 by Motown Records. The album served as a new album and a compilation, as it was a mixture of old and new songs. Side A consisting of four new tracks recorded in 1978, and Side B of material recorded by Ross between 1971 and 1975, but remixed and/or extended by Motown in-house producer Russ Terrana specifically for the Ross album. Ross peaked at number 49 on the US Pop Albums chart, and number 32 on Black Albums. The album failed to chart in the UK. Its final US sales figures stood at around 150,000 copies. The cover illustration was by Rickey Ricardo Gaskins. A different album also titled Ross was released on the RCA label in 1983.
Kenneth William Hirsch is an American pop songwriter, pianist and record producer, co-writer of the international 1982 hit "I've Never Been to Me" with Ron Miller. He is also co-writer of the hits "If I Could", "No One in the World" and "Two Less Lonely People in the World". He was born in New York City, attended the Juilliard School of Music and got a BA from Queens College with a major in music.
It Ain't Easy is a studio album by American country music artist Janie Fricke. It was released in September 1982 via Columbia Records and contained ten tracks. The disc was the seventh studio release of Fricke's career and reached the top 15 of the American country LP's chart. The album spawned three singles. Two of its singles "You Don't Know Love" and "He's a Heartache " reached the number one spot on the North American country songs charts.
Mary MacGregor's Greatest Hits is an greatest hits album released in 1979 containing the singer's 1977 #1 hit "Torn Between Two Lovers" and a selection of other tracks from her two Ariola Records album releases as well the tracks from MacGregor's final Ariola single release "The Wedding Song " and "Benjamin". The album does not contain the singer's Top 40 hit from the Meatballs soundtrack: "Good Friend", which had been an RSO Records release.
Hitstory is compilation album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, which includes the two previous compilation album ELV1S and 2nd to None, in addition to a bonus disc, entitled The Story Continues. "My Way" in the European edition is an alternative 'live' 1977 version to the single. On March 8, 2018, the box set was certified Platinum by the RIAA for sales in excess of 1,000,000 units.
Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol. 1 is a compilation album of recordings by American R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan, first released on the Warner Bros. Records label in 1996. Although the compilation, which reached #22 on Billboard's R&B chart and #84 on Pop, was given the "Vol. 1" tag, it remains without a sequel to date.
I Capricorn is a 1972 album by Shirley Bassey.
Motown Chartbusters is a series of compilation albums first released by EMI under licence on the Tamla Motown label in Britain. In total, 12 editions were released in the UK between 1967 and 1982. Volumes 1 and 2 were originally called British Motown Chartbusters; after this the title Motown Chartbusters was used.
B Sides and Rarities is a compilation album by the American pop singer Andy Williams that was released by Collectables Records on May 27, 2003. Although the collection starts with two 1947 recordings by Kay Thompson and The Williams Brothers, the rest of the material comes from his time at Columbia Records and includes covers of contemporary hits as well as lesser-known material from the songwriters of "Can't Get Used to Losing You", "Home Lovin' Man" and "Moon River".
Everything Must Change is the debut studio album by singer Randy Crawford released in 1976 on the Warner Bros. label.
The First 25 Years – The Silver Anniversary Album is a compilation album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released in 1981 by Columbia Records. The back cover of the album notes that there are four new tracks. A cover of the Commodores hit "Three Times a Lady" had been released on the UK version of his 1980 album Different Kinda Different, which was retitled All for You, but the Mathis rendition of the song makes its US debut here.
I've Never Been to Me is a studio album by American singer Nancy Wilson, released by Capitol Records in June 1977. It was produced by Gene and Billy Page, who had previously worked with Wilson on All in Love Is Fair (1974) and Come Get to This (1975). Gene Page also served as arranger and conductor for most songs. Garry Sherman produced and arranged four songs. As with most of Wilson's albums from the 1970s, I've Never Been to Me features more of an R&B and soul music sound.
Love Lies is a studio album by American country music artist Janie Fricke. It was released in October 1983 via Columbia Records and contained ten tracks. The project was the eighth studio album of Fricke's music career and the second highest-charting album of her career. Three singles were spawned from the project: "Tell Me a Lie", "Let's Stop Talkin' About It" and "If the Fall Don't Get You". The first two singles from the disc reached number one on the North American country charts.
