AMII STEWART - Knock on Wood + Paradise Bird + Images [1979-81]

AMII STEWART - Knock On Wood (1979) / Paradise Bird (1979) / Images - I'm Gonna Get Your Love (1981) +
Codec: mp3.
Description: MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3.
Bit rate: 320 kbps.
Sample rate: 44100 Hz joint stereo.
Tags: ID3V1 & ID3V2.
Source formats: various, CD* ("The Hits & The Remixes" Snapper Records 1997)/my own vinyl collection/other people's vinyl collections...

Three albums with Amii Stewart which for some strange reason never have been released on CD, at least not in their entirety and at least not officially (i.e. only on Russian bootlegs). The hits "Knock on Wood", "Light My Fire", "Jealousy" and "My Guy"/"My Girl" (with Deon Estus) have been remixed, re-recorded and re-released on various compilations on minor labels all through the 80's, 90's and 2000's - but the actual studio albums with all tracks, all the original long versions and the original recording of "My Guy"/"My Girl" with Motown legend Johnny Bristol? Nope. Not as far as I know.

Consequently, the sound quality here may vary not just slightly but quite a lot from track to track depending on the sources and their condition. There are still a few pops and clicks on some tracks and vinyl rumble and tape hiss on others. I'm no audiophile and I know it - but on the other hand I have excellent taste in music...

All three of these albums, and especially the criminally overlooked 'Images', released in the aftermath of the so called 'anti-disco backlash' in 1981, are in my humble opinion classics. No, not 'cult classics', classics full stop. Amii is a much underrated singer and this is a fantastic disco/post-disco/soul/R & B/pop trilogy that deserves to be discovered and revisited by everybody, not just by those of us who have kept our 30 year old vinyl copies.

So until whoever who owns the rights these days (Ariola/Hansa = Sony? Atlantic Records = Warner Music? Trojan Records = Universal Music?) locates the master tapes and re-issues all of these long lost gems with digitally remastered sound....

....here's a little stroll down memory lane. Enjoy!


TRACK LIST

Knock on Wood (UK title: Amii Stewart) (1979)
==============================================
01. Knock on Wood * (Album/12" Mix) (Steve Floyd, Eddie Cropper) - 6:21
02. You Really Touched My Heart (Barry Leng, Simon May) - 4:29
03. Light My Fire / 137 Disco Heaven * (Album/12" Mix) (The Doors, Barry Leng,
Simon May) - 8:26
04. Bring it on Back to Me * (Barry Leng, Simon May) - 3:56
05. Closest Thing to Heaven * (Barry Leng, Simon May) - 3:46
06. Am I Losing You * (Gerry Morris) - 3:21
07. Get Your Love Back * (Kenneth Gamble, Leon A. Huff) - 3:58
08. Only a Child in Your Eyes (Barry Leng, Simon May) - 3:08
+
09. When You Are Beautiful (Barry Leng, Simon May) - non-album track, B-
side 'Knock on Wood', 1979 - 3:50
10. Knock On Wood * (1979 7" Mix) - 3:43
11. Knock On Wood * (1985 Remix) 4:10
12. Ash 48 * ("Knock On Wood" Dub Version - 1985) - 2:12
13. You Really Touched My Heart * (1985 Remix) - 4:15
14. Light My Fire / 137 Disco Heaven * (1979 7" Mix) - 4:01
15. Light My Fire * (1985 Remix) - 3:56
16. 137 Disco Heaven * (1985 Remix) - 2:46
17. Only a Child in Your Eyes * (1985 Remix) - 3:02

All tracks produced by Barry Leng and Simon May. 1985 remixes by Barry Leng, Alan Coulthard & Sanny X.

Paradise Bird (1979)
====================
01. The Letter (Album/12" Mix) * (Wayne Carson Thompson) - 6:58
02. Paradise Bird (Album/12" Mix) * (Barry Leng, Simon May, Gerry Morris) - 6:35
03. He's a Burglar (Jerry Ragovoy) - 4:50
04. Medley: - 17:05
a) Jealousy (Barry Leng, Simon May, Gerry Morris) - 6:36
b) Right Place, Wrong Time (Barry Leng, Simon May, Gerry Morris) 5:12
c) Step Into the Loveline (Barry Leng, Simon May) - 5:22
05. Paradise Found * (Barry Leng, Simon May, Gerry Morris) - 2:30
+
06. The Letter * (1979 7" Mix) - 3:42
07. Paradise Bird * (1979 7" Mix) - 3:54
08. Paradise Bird * (1985 Remix) - 5:18
09. Jealousy * (1979 7" Mix) - 3:44
10. Jealousy * (1979 12" Mix) - 6:03
11. Jealousy * (1979 Album Version w. fade-out] - 6:40
12. Jealousy * (1985 Remix) - 5:53
13. Right Place, Wrong Time (1979 Album Version w. cold start & fade-out) - 6:12
14. Step Into the Loveline (1979 7" & 12" Mix) - 4:05
15. Step Into the Loveline * (1985 Remix) - 4:00

All tracks produced by Barry Leng and Simon May. 1985 remixes by Barry Leng, Alan Coulthard & Sanny X.

Images (US title: I'm Gonna Get Your Love) (1981)
=================================================
01. Where Did Our Love Go * (Album/12" Mix) (Holland, Dozier, Holland) - 4:25
02. Great Balls of Fire (Jack Hammer, Otis Blackwell) - 4:11
03. Save This Night for Love (Chase, Haberman, Jacobson) - 3:30
04. Digital Love (Randy Jackson, Narada Michael Walden, Allee Willis) - 3:49
05. Love Is Bad for Your Health (Sulsh, Leatherwood) - 3:50
06. Why'd You Have to Be So Sexy (Boone, LaFalce) - 3:25
07. Tonight (Schwartz) - 3:19
08. Premiere (Barry Leng, Simon May) - 3:32
09. Don't Let Go of Me (Edelman) - 3:50
10. My Guy / My Girl - Original duet version with Johnny Bristol, 1980 - (Smokey
Robinson, Ronald White) - 3:59
+
11. Now - Duet with Johnny Bristol, B-side 'My Guy / My Girl', 1980 - (Barry Leng,
Simon May) - 4:13
12. I'm Gonna Get Your Love (Album/12" Mix) - from US edition 'I'm Gonna Get Your
Love' - (Rock) 6:21
13. Calling for Your Love - from US edition 'I'm Gonna Get Your Love' -
(Anderson) 4:53
14. Rocky Woman (7" Mix) (D. Vangarde, J. Kluger, N. Byl) - non-album single,
1981 - 3:27
15. Rocky Woman (12" Mix) - 4:40
16. Busy Busy Man (D. Vangarde, J. Kluger, N. Byl) - B-side 'Rocky Woman', 1981 -
3:48
17. Where Did Our Love Go * (7" Mix) - 3:48
18. Why'd You Have to Be So Sexy * (12" Mix, 1982) - 5:16
19. Digital Love (12" Mix, 1982) - 4:31
20. My Guy / My Girl * - 1985 version with Deon Estus - 4:33

All tracks produced by Barry Leng and Simon May except 1, 4, 6, 12 & 13: Narada Michael Walden, 14 & 15: Daniel Vangarde & Jean Kluger, 19: Barry Leng.

PS. If you're thinking of buying the Hot Productions/Hot Classics CD "Knock On Wood - The Best of Amii Stewart", released in the US in 1996 and unfortunately the only compilation with some of these original versions still in print, DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY, the sound quality is nothing short of appalling, in fact far worse than any of these mp3:s or any Russian pirate CD. Read Amazon.com review:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Amii-Stewart-Knock-Wood/dp/B000001QLR/ref=pd_cp_m_h__0

DS. If anybody out there has these tracks with better sound quality feel free to share them with the rest of us... Just leave a comment above.