Heavy “Drama”: SoulMusic Slate Includes The Dramatics, Nancy Wilson, D.J. Rogers

As the old expression goes, all good things must come to an end.  And so Nancy Wilson’s 37-album, 20-year tenure at Capitol Records ended in 1980 with the release of Take My Love.    At Capitol, Wilson had proved her mastery of Broadway, Hollywood, traditional vocal jazz, fusion jazz, pop and soul, and had collaborated with the likes of George Shearing, Cannonball Adderley, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, Thom Bell, and Oliver Nelson.  On her final Capitol LP, Wilson enlisted producers Larry Farrow and Carolyn Johns with whom she had worked on Life, Love and Harmony (also reissued by SoulMusic as part of the series that has so far seen fifteen Nancy Wilson albums on CD, many for the first time).  Farrow and Johns composed the near-entirety of Take My Love for Wilson, incorporating just two songs from outside sources: Tim Stevens’ “The Sadness in My Eyes” and Leon Ware’s “I Loved You All the Time.”

Contemporary pop-soul was the preferred genre for the versatile Wilson, Farrow and Johns this time out, though supporting players ranged from a jazz quartet to a 50-plus piece orchestra.  The title track was a bid for the crossover audience of, say, Earth, Wind and Fire, as was the majestic modern R&B workout of “Let’s Hold Onto Love” featuring vocals by Bill Champlin of Sons of Champlin and Chicago.  “Someone Else” channeled MOR soul à la The Doobie Brothers.  For the final three tracks on the album, Farrow and Johns crafted a mini-concert suite to be performed “live” in the studio, concluding with a specialty-composed playoff of the type one might hear when a diva exits the stage after a concert.  Such was the idea, for Wilson to literally take a bow to the newly-written “Bows,” ending her 20 years at the Capitol Tower.  There are no bonus tracks on the new CD (one single was issued from the LP, “Let’s Hold On to Love” b/w “Welcome Home”) but A. Scott Galloway has supplied a comprehensive new liner notes essay.  Alan Wilson has remastered.

After the jump: what’s new from The Dramatics and D.J. Rogers? Plus: full track listings with discography, and order links for all titles!

Release Round-Up: Week of November 19

 

There’s a Dream I’ve Been Saving: Lee Hazlewood Industries 1966 – 1971 (Light in the Attic)

The legendary psychedelic cowboy shone brighter than ever as a singer-songwriter-producer on his own label in the latter half of the decade. This 4CD/1DVD/1 flexidisc box (also available with an extra three data DVDs!) covers that period of his career in exhaustive detail.

Standard box: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Deluxe box: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

Frank Sinatra, Duets: 20th Anniversary Edition (Capitol/UMe)

The Chairman of the Board’s last smash hit albums paired him with some of the biggest names in pop music at the time. Two decades later, these albums (plus some rare and unreleased material) are lavishly packaged together in a variety of formats.

2CD/2LP/1DVD Super Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
2CD Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
2LP Vinyl Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
1CD Best of Duets: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

Cactus, Live in the USA / Live in Japan / TNA (Travers & Appice), Live in Europe / Bogert & Appice, Bogert/Appice & Friends (Rocker Records)

From drummer Carmine Appice, a new digital label, Rocker Records, features some new and old works with some famous friends, including two Cactus shows from 2006 and 2012, a live set with Canadian guitarist Pat Travers from 2004 and an early-’00s studio EP with Tim Bogert. Amazon links are available above and a fuller write-up is due soon!

A Perfect Circle, Three Sixty (Virgin)

Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan’s other project, an acclaimed alt-metal outfit, return with a greatest hits compilation featuring “By and Down,” their first new song in eight years.

1CD Standard: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
2CD Deluxe: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

Nickelback, The Best of Nickelback Volume 1 (Roadrunner)

The most famous Canadian pop-rockers of the ’00s get their first career-spanning compilation. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)