CHANGE Turn on Your Radio
(UK Blue Bird 1985 / 2007)
1) Turn On Your Radio 2) Let's Go Together 3) Examination 4) You'll Always Be A Part Of Me 5)
Oh What A Feeling 6) Mutual Attraction 7) Love The Way You Love Me 8) If You Want My Love
BONUS TRACKS: 9) Turn On Your Radio (Single Edit) 10) Let's Go Together (Single Edit)
When I saw this reissued on CD the old pulse rate went up a gear. When I contacted the label owner
and discovered what else had just been released, and what is in the pipeline I was veritably
giddy with glee! Here is a gentleman and a company who, like me, feels that the 80s is not only
an excellent period for soul music, but we both agree that this is a criminally ignored and
overlooked era. Well, Bluebird Records aims to put that right. The quality of these releases
is second to none. Where the master tapes have either been unavailable or too deteriorated to
use, the highest possible remastering methods have been employed to do what I can only call a
crackin' job. After all, doesn't decent music deserve a decent release?
This particular album is straight from the Master tapes and boy does it sound good. Change
were a perfect vehicle for the genius of Jacques Fred Petrus in the 80s and together
they turned out some mighty fine dancers and ballads. The 80s was a great period for both ballads
and club orientated tracks – a phenomenon that was killed off in the 90s when the lunatics at the
record companies took over the asylum. They are still very much in control now.
Anyway, back to far better days. You should know this LP already, but if not then you are in for a
treat. The opening cut is a typical tapper from the period; the melody is not dissimilar from what
Nile Rodgers was doing at the time with Chic, and this is no real surprise is it?!
Some may say its dated. Perhaps. I think it towers over anything that is released today. And
the more of it that comes onto the market the better as far as I am concerned. “Let's Go Together”
is, simply put, an 80s masterpiece. This breezy style was a perfect match to anything that
Messrs Jam & Lewis were producing at the time. Debra Cooper sounds delicious on
this type of groove. Oh how I miss the 80s. Her performance on the gorgeous “Mutual Attraction”
is, again, exemplary. This is summer time soul music; top down, driving along the coast with
all speakers blaring. The perfect accompaniment to a hot summer's day. Twenty-two incredible
years have past and this song has not aged one day. This, the album version, is far superior
to the remix that came out which seemed to strip it of all that made it great and good. Here
it is in full remastered 80s perfection.
The ballads should not be overlooked either. “You'll Always Be A Part Of Me” is another summery
moment which has not dated or deteriorated and reminds me so much of The SOS Band. The CD also
benefits from having two bonus tracks – these being single edits of “Turn On Your Radio” and
“Let's Go Together”. This is an extra morsel for the completists and jolly good it is too.
I am so pleased that this album and many other 80s gems are being made available on CD. Please
visit www.funkytowngrooves.com
for more information. Essential! - Barry Towler
Buy this album from our CD Shop