“Along The Red Ledge” was released in 1978 and it was Foster’s first collaboration with pop/R&B duo Hall & Oates, a match that will last for another album (“X-Static”) and will have some nice hit singles like “It’s A Laugh” and “Wait For Me”. “August Day” arrives at the end of the record and it is such a welcome surprise. It’s a magical song that can really touch the listener deep inside. Hall’s vocals sound melancholy like the moving harmonica solo while Foster’s effective carpet of keyboards underlines the tune.

This was one of Foster’s first big productions and it sounds fresh and interesting today after 24 years from its original release. Many big names appear on it like George Harrison, Robert Fripp and Todd Rundgren. While this album sounds like a mix of pop and r&b with some hard rock moments, “X-Static” sounds a bit more disco/pop, but they are both interesting examples of Foster’s developing production style of that era.

Lead Vocals:
Daryl Hall
Keyboards and Synths:
David Foster & Daryl Hall
Harmonica:
Les Thompson
Arrangements by
David Foster, Daryl Hall & John Oates
Produced by
David Foster

Lyrics

I saw the sun, though it didn’t shine
Gave up no shadows, gave out no way to know the time
No wind to blow the silver leaves
The drone of clever talk just stopped
The air hangs out, hesitates to carry a thought
Away from me
And the sky colored heavy gray
August Day

Stir the dust and carve a rhyme
Barefoot blues watch and wait till suppertime
Will a smile break through
Distant thunder and the slow dance
Static lightning sky daring me to take a chance
And say that I love you
And the sky colored heavy gray
August Day

Here we are talking again about David Foster’s partnership with Jay Graydon. In 1982 Graydon was asked to produce a song for jazz legend Herbie Hancock, and naturally Foster and Bill Champlin were asked to collaborate to the project. The song “Paradise” is a breezy pop tune, a typical “feeling good” song that you can’t help but play over and over again. Foster’s piano is leading the dance with Hancock and Champlin singing the sweet lyrics of this love song.

“Paradise” is a good example of Graydon and Foster’s ability to write a high quality pop song, check out our next reviews for other “perfect pop tunes”.

Listen

Lead Vocals: Herbie Hancock
Drums: Jeff Porcaro
Bass: Abe Laboriel
Guitar: Jay Graydon
Piano: David Foster
Background Vocals: Richard Page, Bill Champlin & Vennette Gloud
Back vocal and Keyboard ARR. by David Foster
Synclavier programming: Rick Kelly
Produced by Jay Graydon

Lyrics

Easy
To fill a lonely night
So easy
So hard to find the one
You tease me
Baby when I’m in love with you

Kiss me once
Kiss me twice
Take a lonely man to paradise
In my eyes
You will see
The love you’re looking for

Lonely
Will only be a memory
Won’t you show me
The love you hide away
When you know me better
You’ll never forget my love

Kiss me once
Kiss me twice
Take a lonely man to paradise
In my eyes
You will see
The love, all that you need
Kiss me once
Kiss me twice
Let me take you all the way

To paradise, baby
Take me to paradise
Paradise, baby
I’ll take you to paradise

You’re knowing
And not believe in when what I’m showing
When this new romance between us
Can be growing, baby
Just fall in love with me

Kiss me once
Kiss me twice
Take a lonely man to paradise
In my eyes, you will see
The love, all that you need
Kiss me once
Kiss me twice
Let me take you all the way

To paradise, baby
Take me to paradise
Paradise, baby
I’ll take you to paradise
Paradise, baby
Take me to paradise
Paradise, baby

David Foster won a Grammy in 1982 for producing the original cast album of the Broadway hit show Dreamgirls. This show revealed the immense talent of singer Jennifer Holliday and her vocal performance on the song “And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going” was the true showstopper and it also became a #1 R&B and top 30 pop hit. Maurice White (Earth, Wind & Fire) produced her first record – “Feel My Soul” – in 1983, and he teamed up with Foster to write a few tunes for the record.

“I Am Love” was the first single released and it hit #2 on the R&B chart and it was also a minor pop chart entry. It is an intense ballad truly dominated by Holliday’s powerful vocals married with Foster’s trademark rhythm arrangements and keyboards work. Sure you can hear some EW&F influence especially with Jerry Hey’s horns and the backing vocals, while Jeremy Lubbock’s strings arrangements put the ice on the cake.

Listen

Lead Vocals: Jennifer Holliday
Drums: Ricky Lawson & Fred White
Bass: Nathan East
Keyboards: David Foster
Guitars: Carlos Rios & Caleb Quaye
Back Vocals: Jennifer Holliday, Wanda Vaughn, Jeanette Hawes, Crystal Wilson, Maurice White
Track ARR. by David Foster & Maurice White
Horn ARR. by Jerry Hey
Strings ARR. by Jeremy Lubbock
Produced by Maurice White

Lyrics

If I talk too much you see
I’m tryin’ desperately to be understood
If I seemed a little shy
It’s for all the times I hid my heart in the dark

Like in all the story books
The white knight came and took the little girl
Alone in the world
You don’t try to overwhelm
When I sometimes undersell the way I feel
Now I believe

I am love, love
Always here to give you what you need
Like you do for me
I am love, love
For the first time I know that it’s real
Oh, you make me feel
I am love

You mend the ragged edge
Of a heart that’s always fled a merry-go-round
When I tell the little jokes
Your eyes shine as I float in the clouds
I’m not comin’ down

You always build me up
And you’re not afraid to touch what’s on my mind
You’ll always find

I am love, love
Waiting here to give you what you need
Like you do for me

You walked inside the wind
Pushin’ me to bend
Teaching me to live today
Oh, all the dreams have just come true
Say that you are here to say

I am love, love
Waiting here to give you what you need, yeah
Like you do for me
I am love, love
For the first time I know that it’s real
Oh, you make me feel
I am love

I am love
Always here to give you what you need
Like you do for me
I am love

If you make a poll among quality pop listeners or Foster’s fans and ask them what’s their favorite record ever, the answer you’ll get 95% of the times will be “Airplay”. This album is a true masterpiece and a pure delight to listen to. In 1980, David Foster and Jay Graydon got a contract from RCA and formed a band together with session singer Tommy Funderburk. As Airplay they recorded many great, original songs including a couple of tunes, “After The Love Is Gone” and “Nothing You Can Do About It” that have already been hits for EW&F and the Manhattan Transfer. This CD includes some of the best Foster tunes ever like the uptempo pop “Crying All Night”, the jazzy, swinging “Bix” orthe sweet ballads “It Will Be Alright” and “Should We Carry On”.

Considering we already mentioned “After The Love Is Gone” quite a few times in our past reviews, we thought it was right to pick that one for you to listen to. It is interesting to hear the original composers’ take on the tune, how they arranged it, and in this case we can call the result a true work of art. From Foster’s intro to Funderburk and Bill Champlin’s lead vocals, to Graydon’s guitar solo, to Jerry Hey’s horns on to the fantastic jazzy ending, all in these 4 minutes and 29 seconds is perfect.

David Foster & Jay Graydon were a match made in heaven, they both helped each other a lot in their production works for people like Al Jarreau, Peter Allen, Dionne Warwick, Hall & Oates which didn’t sell millions but in terms of quality were simply fantastic.

Lead Vocals: Tommy Funderburk & Bill Champlin
Drums: Mike Baird & Jeff Porcaro
Bass: David Hungate
Keyboards: David Foster
Guitars: Jay Graydon
Back Vocals: Tommy Funderburk & Bill Champlin
Trumpets: Jerry Hey, Gary Grant & Steve Madaio
Trombones: Bill Reichenbach, Charlie Loper & Lew McCreary
Track ARR. by David Foster & Jay Graydon
Horn ARR. by Jerry Hey & David Foster
Produced by David Foster & Jay Graydon

Lyrics

For awhile, to love was all we could do
we were young and new and your eyes were alive
deep inside we knew our love was true

For awhile, we paid no mind to the past
we knew love would last, every night – something right
would invite us to begin the dance

But something happened along the way
what used to be happy was sad
something happened along the way
and yesterday was all that we had

Oh, after the love is gone
how could you lead me on
and not let me stay around
Oh, after the love is gone
what used to be right is wrong
can love that was lost be found

For awhile, to love each other was all we would ever need
love was strong for so long
we never knew that was wrong was right
we tried to find what we’d had but sadness was all that we shared
we were scared our affair would tear our love in two

But something happened along the way
what used to be happy was sad
something happened along the way
and yesterday was all that we had

We need to say a few words to introduce this artist, Bill Champlin is a true legend, he has been the leader of the San Francisco band The Sons Of Champlin which released half a dozen critically acclaimed records from 1969 to 1977 then the group disbanded and Champlin went to Los Angeles where he started working as a studio singer and songwriter. He and Foster worked together on dozens of projects, the most famous one is the Earth, Wind & Fire hit and Grammy winner “After The Love Is Gone” that they cowrote with Jay Graydon. These three gentleman have made some of finest pop music ever, writing and producing many hit records and also some hidden treasure like this album that came out in 1982 and that is an absolute favorite among Foster’s fans.

Runaway is the second record that Foster produced for Champlin (the first one was “Single” in 1978) and their collaboration went on when Champlin joined Chicago under Foster production. This album is really close for sounds and production style to Chicago 16 which came out that same year, and it yelded two minor hits on the Billboard charts “Sara” and “Tonight Tonight”. “The Fool Is All Alone” is a magical ballad about lost love, Champlin sings with passion and taste (we’re talking about one of the best singers ever) and you can hear the wonderful Foster touch at the piano and fender Rhodes and check out the guitar solo courtesy of Mr.. Jay Graydon. Today Champlin is still with Chicago (he sang lead vocals on their hits “Hard Habit To Break” and “Look Away”) and he is also working again with the Sons so when you see his name on a CD cover just buy it cause it’s a warranty of quality and good music.

Lead Vocals: Bill Champlin
Drums: John Robinson
Bass: John Pierce
All Guitars: Jay Graydon
Piano and Synthesizers: David Foster
String arrangement: James Newton Howard
Background Vocals: Richard Page & Bill Champlin
Arranged by David Foster & Bill Champlin
Produced by David Foster

Lyrics

I still remember you and me
when we were young
we thought the rain would never fall

We had forever for awhile
every together has an ending
someone is always standing in line

I was tryin’ to love somebody else
you were tryin’ to save me from myself
when you fell in love with someone else
all my dreams were gone
something went wrong
and the fool is all alone

Back when the time was standing still
we fell in love
we thought the rain would never fall

While I was searchin’ for a thrill
you went away, now I’m feelin’ stranded
took you for granted for too long

I was tryin’ to love somebody else
you were tryin’ to save me from myself
when you fell in love with someone else
all my dreams were gone
something went wrong
and the fool is all alone