History remembers the hits on "Silk Degrees." History has forgotten the Helen Reddy album that was produced, weeks later, by the same guy, and featured the same Toto players! What are we missing?🤷♂️
True story no one asked for: When I was in 3rd grade (early 80's), we were assigned pen pals in North Carolina. I asked all the boilerplate questions any 8-9 year old would; what's your favorite color? Favorite food? Favorite band? When the answers came back, one of them was "Boz Scaggs." I was pissed, convinced he'd made it up. My dad laughed, and talked me down explaining that, yes, Boz Scaggs was both a real person and had some hit records.
As for the record itself, it holds up well. I prefer Rita Coolidge's version of "We're All Alone," but that's mostly because I think Scaggs does upbeat songs much better than ballads. If I ruled the world, "Georgia" would've been a smash hit. It's my favorite on the record.
Bring it on, Kevin! I love it! Goodness knows, I've storied myself silly on your page, at your kind indulgence! And, you still have plenty of space duly credited!! So, by all means, have at it....shoot for Monday....I'm dropping a piece on someone I'm anxious to hear how you like/if you've heard, etc! Only hint: He's 30.
Having taught that age group before, I love both responses! The kid dropping Boz's name must've heard "SD" (or another album) from Dad or older sib. And, sho 'nuff, Boz Scaggs sounds competlely contrived if we didn't already know!!
Your last paragraph is nail on head! Rita's cover is great, and bingo on Boz's upbeat tunes! I sang most of 'em in karaoke ("Lido," "Lowdown," etc), including "Georgia"! Would you believe not a living soul has ever covered "Georgia," save for a guy named Buddy Causey in '77! I was looking forward to doing an "Inside Tracks" on the song (and "all its covers"!!) from your mention, but not only has a big fat NO ONE covered it, the lone Causey cover is nowhere to be found on the 'net: https://secondhandsongs.com/work/272071/versions#nav-entity As Bugs would say, "The noive!"
As always, enough threads for several stories! Love the Lido clip, especially the footage of the late Jeff Porcaro. But while you hinted at it, you didn't say explicitly what you think was missing, from the Reddy album (other than saying "it comes down to material". All the people involved were successful pros, including the songwriters. So, inquiring minds....
Very shrewd, Charles! Far be it from me to presume MY opinion is clambered for! My job, as I see it, is to lay out the facts, and even the wonder, of how artists, producers, and songwriters come together. You, dear reader, are now free to make your own assessment as to what, how, and why things turned out the way they did!
Of course they were/are successful pros! My appreciation of that fact is why the piece exists in the first place....THAT better have been your first takeaway from the article! Without dissecting the forever-to-be-debated radio airplay/resultant retail sales and each record's own unique story of those dynamics, the near-identical elements of both albums failed to bring about anything CLOSE to similar outcomes! In the Vinyl Venn, the producer, a couple of the studios (I think), some of the players, and a couple of the songwriters were tantalizingly similar....to a point I don't think has ever existed before within a 6-month span!
Hence the magnifying glass on these projects!
I came away with 3 things I hadn't considered before: 1) Joe Wissert is a far-masterful producer than I think anyone in the biz is giving him credit for. 2) David Paich came close to peaking as a songwriter on "Silk Degrees," but years, albums, and hit singles have certainly proven THAT's not true! 3) Boz is an amazingly flexible artist, going from his fine, but somewhat nondescript start with Steve Miller, to fashioning a soul/pop direction and career that became not only "fashionable," but influential.
Notice the year. He/Paich/Wissert were able to create "dance music" that was tasty, tasteful, and all without pandering to the empty shell of 12-minute vapid disco tracks that was beginning to seep onto the charts. Make no mistake....these pages have well documented my love of "early disco" ('72-'76 or so), before the opportunistic money-grabbers cluttered the airwaves!
"Silk Degrees" showed everyone how it could be done.
Your turn, Charles....Your thoughts, now that I've spilled MY beans?
Not having heard the Reddy album, it's hard to opine! I do note that even the same exact artist or ensemble rarely hits two home runs in a row, and here you have two different front people. Maybe the team's skills and talents were just better suited to one more than the other. I do agree that the timing could not have been more perfect for "Silk Degrees". Re. Disco, as you know I actually saw the Trammps live, right as it was all peaking. We all felt like the party couldn't possibly get any better--and we were right
The Reddy album is in the article. Give 'er a spin! I totally agree with how futile it is to even look for two home runs in a row. But, that didn't stop labels, mainly, from trying to catch lightning in a bottle 5 times, if they could, not to mention twice! Witness the "Silk Degrees" follow-up! CBS tried to rubber-stamp its success.
Per usual, an entertainingly informative deep dive into the music music of the wayback machine, brought forward by silk degrees to the way-now machine! Okay that could use an edit to be acceptable for the wordsmithsonian, but the message stands. I don’t know how you do it! (I sort of do know; Panera pastries and the new 25 second clock you’ve self-imposed to get these pieces written!)
Thank you, Steve! I wish I could back-track to tell you how I stumbled upon the Wissert-production and Toto-involved back-to-back-ness of the 2 albums....but, as soon as I saw it, I couldn't write it fast enough! This kind of "what's-on-your-calendar?" stuff intrigues me!
A producer working two dates within 6 months, with many of the same players on the date! "Hey, Joe!" "Oh, hi, David and Jeff! Played any sessions lately?" See why I love Stephen Michael Schwartz's FR&B contributions (well, there are a ton of reasons)? But, chief among the reasons is that we get a peek at his '70s-era/Hollywood record biz datebook!
Isn't it amazing that into virtually every piece I write about the '70s rock'n'record biz, I can legitimately link to a previously-written Stephen article?!? I'm a blessed man!!! Now, to the pastries!!!🍩🍰
Thanks, Ellen! You're right...."Silk Degrees" is nothing short of a classic album which wears incredibly well over time! What struck me about it all (after doing the research), is what a vastly under-appreciated producer Joe Wissert was! The fact that I had "forgotten" or didn't know who had produced "SD" shocked me...I can usually "match" producer with album pretty accurately. Mad props, Joe!
Also, I think it's clear that David Paich is a world-class songwriter! I'm not sure, even with several Boz and Toto hits, that the music world (or the public) has quite caught up to that fact! Thanks again for reading and chiming in, Ellen! Stay tuned!🎶
True story no one asked for: When I was in 3rd grade (early 80's), we were assigned pen pals in North Carolina. I asked all the boilerplate questions any 8-9 year old would; what's your favorite color? Favorite food? Favorite band? When the answers came back, one of them was "Boz Scaggs." I was pissed, convinced he'd made it up. My dad laughed, and talked me down explaining that, yes, Boz Scaggs was both a real person and had some hit records.
As for the record itself, it holds up well. I prefer Rita Coolidge's version of "We're All Alone," but that's mostly because I think Scaggs does upbeat songs much better than ballads. If I ruled the world, "Georgia" would've been a smash hit. It's my favorite on the record.
Bring it on, Kevin! I love it! Goodness knows, I've storied myself silly on your page, at your kind indulgence! And, you still have plenty of space duly credited!! So, by all means, have at it....shoot for Monday....I'm dropping a piece on someone I'm anxious to hear how you like/if you've heard, etc! Only hint: He's 30.
Having taught that age group before, I love both responses! The kid dropping Boz's name must've heard "SD" (or another album) from Dad or older sib. And, sho 'nuff, Boz Scaggs sounds competlely contrived if we didn't already know!!
Your last paragraph is nail on head! Rita's cover is great, and bingo on Boz's upbeat tunes! I sang most of 'em in karaoke ("Lido," "Lowdown," etc), including "Georgia"! Would you believe not a living soul has ever covered "Georgia," save for a guy named Buddy Causey in '77! I was looking forward to doing an "Inside Tracks" on the song (and "all its covers"!!) from your mention, but not only has a big fat NO ONE covered it, the lone Causey cover is nowhere to be found on the 'net: https://secondhandsongs.com/work/272071/versions#nav-entity As Bugs would say, "The noive!"
I'm genuinely surprised more people haven't taken a crack at it!
As always, enough threads for several stories! Love the Lido clip, especially the footage of the late Jeff Porcaro. But while you hinted at it, you didn't say explicitly what you think was missing, from the Reddy album (other than saying "it comes down to material". All the people involved were successful pros, including the songwriters. So, inquiring minds....
Very shrewd, Charles! Far be it from me to presume MY opinion is clambered for! My job, as I see it, is to lay out the facts, and even the wonder, of how artists, producers, and songwriters come together. You, dear reader, are now free to make your own assessment as to what, how, and why things turned out the way they did!
Of course they were/are successful pros! My appreciation of that fact is why the piece exists in the first place....THAT better have been your first takeaway from the article! Without dissecting the forever-to-be-debated radio airplay/resultant retail sales and each record's own unique story of those dynamics, the near-identical elements of both albums failed to bring about anything CLOSE to similar outcomes! In the Vinyl Venn, the producer, a couple of the studios (I think), some of the players, and a couple of the songwriters were tantalizingly similar....to a point I don't think has ever existed before within a 6-month span!
Hence the magnifying glass on these projects!
I came away with 3 things I hadn't considered before: 1) Joe Wissert is a far-masterful producer than I think anyone in the biz is giving him credit for. 2) David Paich came close to peaking as a songwriter on "Silk Degrees," but years, albums, and hit singles have certainly proven THAT's not true! 3) Boz is an amazingly flexible artist, going from his fine, but somewhat nondescript start with Steve Miller, to fashioning a soul/pop direction and career that became not only "fashionable," but influential.
Notice the year. He/Paich/Wissert were able to create "dance music" that was tasty, tasteful, and all without pandering to the empty shell of 12-minute vapid disco tracks that was beginning to seep onto the charts. Make no mistake....these pages have well documented my love of "early disco" ('72-'76 or so), before the opportunistic money-grabbers cluttered the airwaves!
"Silk Degrees" showed everyone how it could be done.
Your turn, Charles....Your thoughts, now that I've spilled MY beans?
Not having heard the Reddy album, it's hard to opine! I do note that even the same exact artist or ensemble rarely hits two home runs in a row, and here you have two different front people. Maybe the team's skills and talents were just better suited to one more than the other. I do agree that the timing could not have been more perfect for "Silk Degrees". Re. Disco, as you know I actually saw the Trammps live, right as it was all peaking. We all felt like the party couldn't possibly get any better--and we were right
The Reddy album is in the article. Give 'er a spin! I totally agree with how futile it is to even look for two home runs in a row. But, that didn't stop labels, mainly, from trying to catch lightning in a bottle 5 times, if they could, not to mention twice! Witness the "Silk Degrees" follow-up! CBS tried to rubber-stamp its success.
Silly me, I saw it there but it didn't register. Will give it a listen. Thanks!
Per usual, an entertainingly informative deep dive into the music music of the wayback machine, brought forward by silk degrees to the way-now machine! Okay that could use an edit to be acceptable for the wordsmithsonian, but the message stands. I don’t know how you do it! (I sort of do know; Panera pastries and the new 25 second clock you’ve self-imposed to get these pieces written!)
Thank you, Steve! I wish I could back-track to tell you how I stumbled upon the Wissert-production and Toto-involved back-to-back-ness of the 2 albums....but, as soon as I saw it, I couldn't write it fast enough! This kind of "what's-on-your-calendar?" stuff intrigues me!
A producer working two dates within 6 months, with many of the same players on the date! "Hey, Joe!" "Oh, hi, David and Jeff! Played any sessions lately?" See why I love Stephen Michael Schwartz's FR&B contributions (well, there are a ton of reasons)? But, chief among the reasons is that we get a peek at his '70s-era/Hollywood record biz datebook!
Isn't it amazing that into virtually every piece I write about the '70s rock'n'record biz, I can legitimately link to a previously-written Stephen article?!? I'm a blessed man!!! Now, to the pastries!!!🍩🍰
Thanks for bringing back great memories! I now have Silk Degrees streaming on my iPhone (should have done it much sooner!)
Thanks, Ellen! You're right...."Silk Degrees" is nothing short of a classic album which wears incredibly well over time! What struck me about it all (after doing the research), is what a vastly under-appreciated producer Joe Wissert was! The fact that I had "forgotten" or didn't know who had produced "SD" shocked me...I can usually "match" producer with album pretty accurately. Mad props, Joe!
Also, I think it's clear that David Paich is a world-class songwriter! I'm not sure, even with several Boz and Toto hits, that the music world (or the public) has quite caught up to that fact! Thanks again for reading and chiming in, Ellen! Stay tuned!🎶
Toto is another favorite too that plays well over time! Seems like David was doing something right. Thank you for writing!