New CD Due in 10 Days, New Single Due This Wkd

J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here again.

Here are the latest entries in the "albums that influenced me" series I started writing in May 2020.

Note: Just because an album appears on this list doesn't mean I give it a blanket endorsement. Many of the secular albums on this list are mainly there because they wound up being spoofed by ApologetiX.

1731. 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Peter Frampton - Peter Frampton

Released on July 15, 2003, The Best of Peter Frampton was one of over 50 volumes in A&M Records' 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection. British guitarist/singer/songwriter Frampton made a name for himself in the bands The Herd (1966-68) and Humble Pie (1969-71) before embarking on a solo career that would reach its zenith in 1976-77 with his fifth and sixth LPs, Frampton Comes Alive and I'm in You. This compilation only has 10 tracks, but the running time is nearly an hour (59 minutes, to be exact). Of course, one of the songs lasts almost 14 minutes (Frampton fans can probably guess what that is), but eight of the others are at least four minutes long and three of those range from 5:51-7:06. The Best of Peter Frampton includes all of the hits he had on A&M at the pinochle of his success: "I'm In You" (#2 Billboard, #1 Cash Box, #1 Record World, #1 Canada), "Show Me The Way (Live)" (#6), "Do You Feel Like We Do? (Live)" (#10), Baby, I Love Your Way" (#12), "I Can't Stand It No More" (#14), "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" (#18), and "Breaking All The Rules" (#12 mainstream rock). The version of "Baby, I Love Your Way" is the original, studio version from his self-titled '75 LP — the live version from '76 is the one that charted — but it does include the pretty instrumental intro "Naussau." The three non-charting tracks represent his first three LPs: "All I Wanna Be (Is By Your Side)" from Wind of Change (1972), "Lines On My Face" from Frampton's Camel (1973), and "Baby (Somethin's Happening)" from Somethin's Happening (1974). Sorry, no selections from the ill-fated Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band movie and soundtrack he did in '78 with The Bee Gees. Many people, probably Frampton included, would consider that a plus. He had three additional charting cuts after leaving A&M Records: "Lying" (#74 pop, #4 mainstream) in '86, "Holding On To You" (#27 mainstream) in '89, and "Day in the Sun" (#9 mainstream) in '94. ApologetiX has spoofed "Baby I Love Your Way (Live)" and "I'm in You." Back in '77, I liked "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" so much that I considered buying the 45. It's a cover of Stevie Wonder's #3 hit from 1970. Mick Jagger provided prominent backing vocals on Frampton's remake. That's very clear as I listen to the recording now, but I didn't get into the Rolling Stones till '78, so I didn't know who Jagger was. Anyway, I only had a dollar to spare, so I settled for Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better," her biggest hit besides "You're So Vain," which, ironically, also featured Jagger on backing vocals.

1732. 20th Century Masters: The Millenium Collection - The Best of Fairport Convention - Fairport Convention

I first heard about English folk-rockers Fairport Convention in the '80s from some vendor at a flea market in Latrobe PA — a place where I also did some selling on Sundays. We started talking about music, and he told me they'd been his favorite group, although he'd since become a born-again Christian and was now a fan of a Christian band called White Heart. I had little interest in either artist at the time, but I'd revisit them both years later. I encountered (and enjoyed) songs by three former Fairport Convention members before getting to the group itself: "The Battle of Evermore" by Led Zeppelin, which features female vocals by singer Sandy Denny; "Shake It" (#13 pop in '79) by singer Ian Matthews; and the Shoot Out the Lights LP by guitarist/songwriter Richard Thompson (and his then-wife, Linda). Matthews also had a previous hit with "Woodstock" (#23 U.S., #1 U.K. in '71) Years later, I started learning more about Fairport and Denny in one or two of British rock magazines I liked to read (I don't know if it was Classic Rock, Uncut, or Mojo), so I decided to check out some of their music. 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection - The Best of Fairport Convention is a 10-track compilation from 2002. Curiously, it does not include their only U.K. Top 40 hit, "Si Tu Dois Partir" (#21 in 1969), a French translation of the Bob Dylan song "If You Gotta Go, Go Now," which had been previous been a hit for Manfred Mann (#2 U.K. in 1965). But it does have their only other U.K. charting single, "Meet on The Ledge" (#52 U.K.). My favorite cuts are "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?," "Matty Groves," "Percy's Song," and "Come All Ye." The second tier would by "Meet on the Ledge," "Fotheringay" (which would also become the name of Denny's next group before she went solo), "Crazy Man Michael," and "Now Be Thankful." The remaining two selections, "Genesis Hall" and "Sloth," aren't bad, either. I also like "Tam Lin" from their landmark 1969 album, Liege & Lief, which reached #17 on the U.K. albums chart. Fairport Convention was active from 1965-79 and from 1985 to the present. They never had a Hot 100 single in the United States, but they had three albums that made the Billboard 200, the highest of which was the 1975 LP Rising for the Moon (#143). The other two just barely squeaked in at #195 and #200.

1733. Shoot Out the Lights - Richard & Linda Thompson

Released on March 15, 1982, this was the sixth and final collaborative LP by former Fairport Convention guitarist Richard Thompson and his wife Linda Thompson, recorded shortly before they separated and eventually divorced. I learned about Shoot Out the Lights when Rolling Stone magazine ranked it #24 on a list of the "100 Best Albums of the Last 20 Years." The folk-rock duo's '73 debut LP together, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight, also made the list at #86. That was back in '87, and the magazine had only been around since '67, so it was pretty high praise at the time. I cared a lot more what Rolling Stone had to say back then, so that got me curious, since I'd never heard of Richard and/or Linda before. I was working at a printing company at the time, and a paper vendor and fellow Dylan fan I dealt with regularly named Tony told me he had Shoot Out the Lights, so I borrowed it from him. The two standout cuts for me were the opening numbers on each side, "Don't Renege on our Love" and the title track. Other memorable selections included "The Backstreet Slide," "Did She Jump or Was She Pushed," "The Wall of Death," "Walking on a Wire," and "A Man in Need." Interesting note: My wife Lisa's maiden name is Thompson, and her mom's name is Linda, so my mother-in-law is Linda Thompson.

1734. Souvenirs - White Heart
It took me a long time to follow up on that lead from the flea-market guy in the '80s who said his favorite band was White Heart. I don't know ... the name didn't seem very "rock and roll" to me ... even though Whitesnake and Heart did. Go figure. A few years later, the first song of theirs I heard on the radio was "Jerusalem" (#2 CCM Christian Hit Radio, #3 CCM Adult Contemporary), and it did nothing to dispel my preconceived notions. I thought the tune sounded like the softer side of Toto ... kind of like "Africa" and "Rosanna," but considerably more tame. Consequently, I was in for a surprise when I finally picked up a couple used White Heart compilations in the early 2000s. Yes, the group had plenty of ballads, but there were plenty of legitimate rockers, too. Released in 1990, Souvenirs had its fair share of both. The rockers were "Invitation," "More Sold Out," "Set the Bridge on Fire," "Bye Bye Babylon," and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Christian" (yeah, that last one had a painfully corny title). There were a few in-betweeners, too, like "Over Me" (#3 CHR), "Convertibles" (#20 CHR), and a nice take on the Christmas classic "Little Drummer Boy." However, most of White Heart's radio hits, at least on this album, seemed to lean toward the lighter side — "The River Will Flow" (#1 CHR, #13 CCM-AC), "Eighth Wonder" (#1 CHR, #18 CCM-AC), "Maybe Today" (#1 CHR, #3 CCM-AC), "Fly Eagle Fly" (#2 CHR, #1 CCM-AC), "How Many Times (Seventy Times Seven)" (#2 CHR, #1 CCM-AC), and "Montana Sky" (#3 CHR, #3 CCM-AC) — not that there's anything wrong with that. The other White Heart collection I obtained at the same time as this was a little louder, but I'll save that one till next time. The overall sound on Souvenirs, particularly on the harder-edged tunes, is very reflective of the second half of the '80s, although the lyrics hold up pretty well.

1735. Nothing but the Best: Rock Classics - White Heart

During the first half of the 2000s, when ApologetiX was playing a lot of big Christian festivals, ApX bassist Keith Haynie and I were in charge of setting up our CD table in the merchandise tents. At shows in the Midwest, we'd often see a guy named Tony Seward from A to Z Music in Bushnell IL. He specialized in Christian records and CDs — especially rock, including rare stuff — and we would sometimes trade some of our CDs for some of Tony's, which worked out well for everybody involved. I got both of my White Heart compilations from him on one of those occasions — Souvenirs (released in 1990 on Sparrow Records) and Nothing but the Best: Rock Classics (released in 1994 by Star Song Records). White Heart put out studio 11 LPs from 1982-97, and the songs on this one mostly came from 1989-93, plus two brand new tracks that opened and closed the disc — "Letter of Love" and "Climb the Hill." By the late '80s and early '90s, White Heart had really perfected their style. When ApX alum keyboardist Bill Hubauer was still touring with us, I remember him recommending their 1992 LP Tales of Wonder. As a matter of fact, the first track I remember liking from Nothing but the Best: Rock Classics was "His Heart Was Always in It," which, I later discovered, originally appeared on Tales of Wonder. My other favorites are "Powerhouse," "Independence Day" (both from the 1990 LP Powerhouse) and "Nothing but the Best" (from the 1993 LP Highlands). Others I enjoy include "Let the Kingdom Come" (from Freedom 1989), "Heaven of My Heart" (#1 CHR) (from Highlands), "Convertibles" (#20 CHR) (from Don't Wait for the Movie 1986), and "Light a Candle" (#2 CHR) (from Tales of Wonder). Like many bands, White Heart had some fluctuations in their roster over time, but two of the founding members stayed the course — guitarist/vocalist Billy Smiley and keyboardist/vocalist Mark Gersmehl. Believe it or not, their original lead singer was Steve Green from The Gaither Vocal Band. In fact, Smiley and Gersmehl had been playing in that band, too, before forming White Heart. Green left in '83. Rick Florian, became their third and longest-lasting lead singer in 1986, after previous serving as their roadie. His voice reminds me a lot of Lou Gramm's, and there are some songs on Nothing but the Best: Rock Classics that have a Foreigner feel to them. Speaking of band members past and present, while I was writing this entry, I texted Bill Hubauer to make sure I was remembering him correctly and he replied, "Tales of Wonder is virtually a perfect album. 'Light a Candle' is definitely a favorite. 'Gabriela' may be the second most-beautiful love song ever written. Number one is 'Longer' by Dan Fogelberg, as we both know. 'Unchain' and 'Say the Word' are also standout tracks."

1736. The Essential Heart - Heart

Led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, the Seattle-based rock group Heart can trace its origins to a band called White Heart, but not the same one that became popular in Christian music circles in the '80s and '90s. By 1973, the older White Heart had shortened their name permanently to Heart. I covered their debut LP, Dreamboat Annie and their self-titled 1985 comeback LP a long time ago on my list. This 2002 double-disc collection contained all of their Hot 100 hits, spanning from 1976-94 across four labels (Mushroom, Portrait, Epic, and Capitol), including 20 Top 40 singles, nine of which reached the Top10: "These Dreams" (#1), "Alone" (#1), "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You" (#2), "Never" (#4), "Who Will You Run To" (#7), "Tell It Like It Is" (#8), "Magic Man" (#9)," What About Love?" (#10), "Nothin' at All" (#10), "Barracuda" (#11), "There's the Girl" (#12), "Stranded" (#13), "Straight On" (#15), "I Didn't Want to Need You" (#23), "Heartless" (#24), "Even It Up" (#33), "This Man Is Mine" (#33 pop), "Dog & Butterfly" (#34), "Crazy on You" (#35), and "Will You Be There in the Morning" (#39), which has a powerful, irresistible chorus reminiscent of Wilson Phillips. Heart had nine additional Hot 100 entries, all present and accounted for: "How Can I Refuse" (#44 pop, #1 mainstream rock), "Dreamboat Annie" (#42), "I Want You So Bad" (#49), "If Looks Could Kill" (#54), "Little Queen" (#62), "Secret" (#64), "Kick It Out" (#79), "Unchained Melody" (#83), and "Allies" (#83). I'll bet you never noticed how many hits Heart had, did you? Here's something I never noticed until I was listening to them while writing this entry: On some of the singles before their mid-'80s MTV makeover, lead singer Ann Wilson displays a number of vocal nuances that are remarkably similar to legendary Canadian folk singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell. "Kick It Out," "Little Queen," "Dog & Butterfly," and "Heartless" are prime examples. I don't know if Joni was one of Ann's influences, but she sure sounds like one. Of course, Joni didn't (and probably couldn't) belt out Led Zeppelin covers like Ann, but I know from publications I've read that Joni also was an influence on the mighty Zep. I like a lot of Heart's big-hair hits, but their stuff from 1975-80 featured some incredible lead vocals by Ann, fabulous guitarwork (electric and acoustic) and backing vocals by Nancy, and innovative songwriting by both. The Essential Heart is an amazing anthology, although the completist in me laments the fact that it didn't include their two singles that bubbled under the Hot 100 — "The Woman in Me" (#105), a cover of the 1982 Donna Summer Top 40 hit, and "Bebe Le Strange" (#109), another well-crafted rocker that reminds of Joni Mitchell.

1737. The Sun Collection - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley became a national (and global) sensation in 1956 with the smash singles "Heartbreak Hotel" (#1 for eight weeks), "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" (#1 for one week), "Don't Be Cruel / Hound Dog" (#1 for 11 weeks), and "Love Me Tender" (#1 for five weeks), magnified by television appearances on Stage Show, The Milton Berle Show, The Steve Allen Show, and finally and most importantly, The Ed Sullivan Show. However, he was already a regional star before that, thanks to a series of songs he had recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis TN from 1953-55. Ten of those were released on five singles on the independent label Sun Records from July '54 through August '55: "That's All Right / Blue Moon of Kentucky," "Good Rockin' Tonight / I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine," "Milkcow Blues Boogie" / "You're a Heartbreaker," "Baby Let's Play House" / "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone," and "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" / "Mystery Train." None of those made the national pop charts, but both sides of the last two singles hit the Billboard country chart in '55: "Baby Let's Play House / I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" (#5 country), "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" (#1 country for five weeks), and "Mystery Train" (#10 country). Elvis recorded at least 24 tunes with Sun before the label's owner, Sam Phillips, sold his contract to RCA Records (Phillips didn't do so lightly; he had debts to pay and other up-and-coming stars in the pipeline). Sixteen of Presley's Sun selections, included all 10 from the singles, made it onto an album released by RCA in England in 1975 as The Sun Collection and in the United States in 1976 as The Sun Sessions. The other six tracks were: "I'll Never Let You Go," "I Love You Because (1st Version)," "Tryin' To Get To You," "Blue Moon," "Just Because," and "I Love You Because (2nd Version)." ApologetiX drummer Jimmy "Vegas" Tanner and his wife, Eve, visited Sun Studio while they were in Memphis a number of years ago. I've been to Presley's home in Graceland a couple times, including once with ApologetiX, but never made it to Sun. However, in the winter of 2024-25, I did read Peter Guralnick's 2015 book Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock 'n' Roll - How One Man Discovered Howlin' Wolf, Ike Turner, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley, and How His Tiny Label, Sun Records of Memphis, Revolutionized the World! Whew, that's a mouthful ... but the thing was 763-pages long, after all. I first learned about those Sun songs when I was in college, and long before I ever heard them, I was immediately drawn to titles like "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone," "I Forgot to Remember to Forget," and "Baby Let's Play House." As I've said before, if I like a title, I'm probably going to like the song. Others numbers I particularly enjoy on The Sun Collection include "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and "That's All Right," plus "Milkcow Blues Boogie," "I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine," "Mystery Train," "Good Rockin' Tonight," "Just Because," "Trying to Get to You," and Elvis' spooky, otherworldly rendition of "Blue Moon."