Sparks - No. 1 In Heaven (1979)

Virgin - V2115
1979
1. Tryouts For The Human Race
2. Academy Award Performance
3. La Dolce Vita
4. Beat The Clock
5. My Other Voice
6. Number One Song In Heaven
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I've seen Sparks twice in concert in the last week, so it's only right to add them to Vinyl Shipwreck! This is their interesting Synth/Pop phase, in which they changed musical direction brilliantly through the aid of Giorgio Moroder. The title track is now legendary, but you'll also love "Tryouts For The Human Race" and "Beat The Clock", as well as the Blade Runner-esque "My Other Voice". Enjoy! Like always!
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Source: Vinyl (Remastered using Waves X-Crackle plugin)
Format: 256kbps mp3 (Volume increased by +6dB using MP3Gain)
Album Link: Here
password: amateurhour

Sergio Mendes & Brasil '88 - Magic Lady (1979)

Elektra - 6E-214
1979
1. I'll Tell You
2. Lonely Woman
3. You Get Your Love From Me
4. Magic Lady
5. Yes I Love You
6. A Dream Come True (Can't Hardly Wait)
7. Let It Go
8. Summer Dream
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Another Sergio Mendes album I hear you cry? Well, this is my favourite, primarily because it sounds like Sergio Mendes have taken residency aboard a disco-besieged Love Boat of the late seventies! The album is split into half forgettable rubbish and half killer! The latter being "Lonely Woman", "You Get Your Love From Me", "Yes I Love You" and "Summer Dream". Check out the Buck Rogers style synths too! Some of you will hate this! Some of you will love it! Let me know...
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Source: Vinyl (Remastered using Waves X-Crackle plugin)
Format: 256kbps mp3 (Volume increased by +6dB using MP3Gain)
Album Link: Here
password: eightyeight

Bob Crewe - Motivation (1977)

Elektra - 7E-1103
1977
1. Motivation
2. Give It Hell
3. Lady Love Song
4. It Took A Long Time
5. Marriage Made In Heaven
6. Somethin' Like Nothin' Before
7. In Another Life
8. Baby Whatcha Doin' A Me?
9. Merci Beaucoup
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Bob Crewe, songwriter, arranger, producer, label owner and here a brilliant late-seventies Lounge singer! Motivation is a lovely little rarity, featuring a warm title track and the semi-hit "Marriage Made In Heaven". If you love Bob Crewe arrangements and songs for other artists, then you should be snapping this up!
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Source: Vinyl (Remastered using Waves X-Crackle plugin)
Format: 256kbps mp3 (Volume increased by +6dB using MP3Gain)
Album Link: Here
password: barbarella

Tommy Roe - Dizzy (1969)

ABC/Paramount - ABCS-683
1969
1. Heather Honey
2. Raining In My Heart
3. Cinnamon
4. A Dollar's Worth Of Pennies
5. Stormy
6. Makin' Music
7. Money Is My Pay
8. Proud Mary
9. Gotta Keep Rolling Along
10. Look Out Girl
11. Dizzy
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One-hit wonder Tommy Roe would never reach the heights of "Dizzy" again, but that doesn't mean his same-titled album should be overlooked. I particularly like "Stormy", which sounds like a "Spooky" rip-off, and Roe's cover of "Proud Mary". Either way, this album's here if you want it!
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Source: Vinyl (Remastered using Waves X-Crackle plugin)
Format: 256kbps mp3 (Volume increased by +6dB using MP3Gain)
Album Link: Here
password: myheadisspinning

The Mamas And The Papas - People Like Us (1971)

Dunhill - DSX-50106
1971
1. People Like Us
2. Pacific Coast Highway
3. Snowqueen Of Texas
4. Shooting Star
5. Step Out
6. Lady Genevieve
7. No Dough
8. European Blueboy
9. Pearl
10. I Wanna Be A Star
11. Grasshopper
12. Blueberries For Breakfast
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Virtually ignored in the seventies, The Mamas & The Papas churned out, in my opinion, their strongest effort with People Like Us. More relaxed, taken musical notes from The 5th Dimension and even Sergio Mendes, the foursome deliver a cool, soulful but stirring album. For standard cuts, I can tell you "People Like Us", "Snowqueen Of Texas" and "Step Out" have been in constant rotation on my iPod.
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Source: Vinyl (Remastered using Waves X-Crackle plugin)
Format: 256kbps mp3 (Volume increased by +6dB using MP3Gain)
Album Link: Here
password: californiadreamin

Sergio Mendes & Brasil '77 - Pais Tropical (1971)

A&M - SP 4315
1971
1. País Tropical
2. So Many People
3. Morro Velho
4. Zanzibar
5. Tonga
6. Gone Forever
7. Asa Branca
8. I Know You
9. After Midnight
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Another sterling collection of contemporary hits from Sergio Mendes and his rejigged outfit Brasil '77. Pais Tropical came out of the back-end of the soft-pop latin-tinged efforts from the sixties with Mendes broadening his horizons, like "So Many People" and Paul Williams "Gone Forever". There are better Mendes albums, but this is interesting as a mid-discography event.
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Source: Vinyl (Remastered using Waves X-Crackle plugin)
Format: 256kbps mp3 (Volume increased by +6dB using MP3Gain)
Album Link: Here
password: seventyseven

Shirley Bassey - Something (1970)

United Artists - UAS 29100
1970
1. Something
2. Spinning Wheel
3. Yesterday I Heard The Rain
4. The Sea And Sand
5. My Way
6. What About Today?
7. You And I (From The Mgm Film 'Goodbye Mr. Chips')
8. Light My Fire
9. Easy To Be Hard (From The Musical 'Hair')
10. Life Goes On (From The Film 'Z')
11. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life? (From The Mgm Film 'Happy Endings')
12. Yesterday When I Was Young
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A powerpack of dynamite from Miss Bassey here - I'd argue this is her finest album! Why? Because each song appears to have been processed through the James Bond Genre Sound funnel and all amount to a belter collection! How about the ending of "Something" or "What About Today?" Even the slower numbers like "Easy To Be Hard" have that lush stringed early-seventies gold taste. Pow!
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Source: Vinyl (Remastered using Waves X-Crackle plugin)
Format: 256kbps mp3 (Volume increased by +6dB using MP3Gain)
Album Link: Here
password: goldfinger