Various Vol.14 - 70s & 80s Pop Classics (CD)

(Eric Records) 19 tracks

It’s been a little while since Eric Records’ acclaimed “Hard-To-Find 45s on CD” series visited the 1970s. And, we’ve never stretched into the ’80s! That makes Hard-To-Find 45s on CD Vol. 14: 70s & 80s Pop Classics a welcome addition to the family, as it celebrates the glittering decades that found popular music getting more popular – and unpredictable – than ever before. Hold on tight – or you might get whiplash as we survey nearly 20 years’ worth of pop rarities!

Who, for instance, would have expected Taco’s quirky synth-pop rendition of the Cole Porter classic “Puttin’ On The Ritz” to become a worldwide smash? It did (#4 in 1983). Who would have expected a jazz-tinged piano ballad by a duo from Switzerland to hold its own against Bruce Springsteen and Michael Jackson? Double’s “Captain Of Her Heart” did (#16 in 1986). Who would have thought that a guy could make it to #1 with a song about his erotic dreams? Alan O’Day did just that in 1977 with “Undercover Angel.”

Hard-To-Find 45s on CD Vol. 14 also includes some off-the-beaten-path tracks by some big names, including “You're Only Lonely” by renowned California songwriter J.D. Souther, “Easy Lover” by former Earth Wind & Fire singer Philip Bailey (with vocal support from superstar Phil Collins), and “I Love You,” the second biggest AM hit ever by FM rock icons Climax Blues Band. And, don’t miss Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street,” featuring one of the most famous saxophone solos in recorded history.

All but two of these songs made the Top 20, more than half made the Top 10, and three reached the pinnacle of the charts – but we dare you to find them on most oldies compilations, let alone collect them without buying a dozen or so (probably out-of-print and pricey) albums. Foremost among these precious gems is “Cherchez La Femme,” a Latin swing extravaganza by Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band that crashed the disco party in 1976. The original single version makes its CD debut right here!

Hard-To-Find 45s on CD Vol. 14: 70s & 80s Pop Classics is built from original single versions on original master tapes, painstakingly engineered for crisp, vibrant, stereo sound. Like its companion volume, Hard-To-Find 45s on CD Vol. 13: The Love Album, it includes a detailed, illustrated 12-page booklet by well-known music author Greg Adams.