Between the second half of the seventies and the first half of the eighties, David Foster and Jay Graydon created some of the most sophisticated pop music ever recorded. Their stunning melodies delivered with jazz-infused harmonies and unusual chord changes pleased the ears of music lovers on treasured albums by the late Al Jarreau, Bill Champlin, Boz Scaggs, Manhattan Transfer, Chicago, Hall & Oates, Marc Jordan and many more.

One of their first collaborations was Foster’s 1976 production for singer/actress Jaye P. Morgan’s self-titled record. Although that album went nowhere commercially and was virtually unknown, it was chocked-full of great music. One of the many gems included was a cover of Skip Scarborough’s classic “Can’t Hide Love,” a soulful jam that was popularized by Earth, Wind & Fire on their 1975 milestone album, Gratitude. The version that was crafted for Ms. Morgan rivals Earth, Wind & Fire’s timeless song with a rarefied, smooth arrangement that’s pure ear-candy delivered by the most talented musicians of the LA scene.

In 1981, Graydon was producing the legendary Dionne Warwick. He and Foster decided to resurrect that gorgeous but unknown version of “Can’t Hide Love” for Ms. Warwick’s album which was eventually titled Friends In Love. Startingfrom Foster’s immaculate Fender Rhodes intro, the song develops into one of the sultriest soul jams ever. Instrumentally, it was sheer perfection with top-notch performances by session giants like Steve Gadd, Abe Laboriel, Steve Lukather, Graydon and Foster. Even Jerry Hey crafted a spectacular horn arrangement. In those five minutes, there’s a brilliant mix of jazz, soul and pop with Ms. Warwick’s trademark voice on top. Her warm, elegant vocal performance was supported by the soothing backing vocals of Bill Champlin, Richard Page and Venette Gloud. “Can’t Hide Love” was pure bliss from start to finish. Just listen to the song’s outro with Foster, Graydon and company teaching a lesson on finesse and class.

Listen

• Lead & Backing Vocals: Dionne Warwick
• Acoustic Piano & Fender Rhodes: David Foster
• Guitar: Jay Graydon & Steve Lukather
• Drums: Steve Gadd
• Bass: Abraham Laboriel
• Horn Section: 
• Backing Vocals: Bill Champlin, Richard Page & Venette Gloud
• Horns Arranged by Jerry Hey
• Strings Arranged by David Foster & Jeremy Lubbock
• Produced & Arranged by Jay Graydon

Lyrics

You want my love and
You can’t deny
You know it’s true, but you try to hide
You turn down love like it’s really bad
You can’t give what you never had
Well bless your soul, you can fool a few
But, I know the truth and so do you

You can’t hide love, you can’t now
You can’t hide love, it’s got ya
Betcha you want my love, I betcha
You can’t hide feeling inside

You can’t pretend there’s nothing there
Girl, I look in your eyes, I see you care
So why not stop trying to run and hide
You won’t find out, if you never try

You can’t hide love, you can’t now
You can’t hide love, it’s got ya
Betcha want my love, I betcha
You can’t hide feeling inside

Love has found the time to kiss you
Can you find the time to listen
Life found the time to bug you
Can you find the time for blessing

David Foster previously crafted seasonal top sellers for Josh Groban, Michael Bublè, Andrea Bocelli and Rod Stewart, just to name a few. In the fall of 2013, Foster added another jewel to that impressive list by producing A Mary Christmas for R&B superstar Mary J. Blige. Like its predecessors, A Mary Christmas immediately jumped to the top of the holiday charts. It reached #10 on Billboard’s Top 200, #5 on the R&B chart and was eventually certified gold.

An Intimate Evening finds Foster reinventing part of his legendary songbook with a bouquet of superb singers including his new wife, Katharine McPhee, Pia Toscano, Loren Allred, Sheléa Frazier and classical crossover tenor Fernando Varela. Among the evergreens found on the cd are the Celine Dion staples “To Love You More,” “The Power Of Love,” “The Prayer” and “Tell Him,” all originally produced and/or co-written by Foster. Also heard are the giant hits Foster produced for the late, unforgettable Whitney Houston (1963-2012). The new material includes a fantastic rendition of Ms. Allred’s trademark anthem, “Never Enough,” and a gorgeous instrumental performance by Foster on acoustic piano of “Victorious,” both of which stand out as absolute treats. This last piece should be part of the Canadian super-producer’s all instrumental music project to be released sometimes in 2020.   

On this project, Foster and Ms. Blige went for a multi-format approach by delivering a record that had something for everyone. The arrangements were mostly rooted in traditional pop, but with rich R&B and light jazz nuances in many of the arrangements. As is usual when the Hitman resided in the booth, Ms. Blige delivered one top-notch performance after another while she confirmed herself to be one of the best singers of her generation.

An outstanding moment included on A Mary Christmas was Ms. Blige’s rendition of the seasonal evergreen, “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” that’s the Song of the Week. Ms. Blige’s vocals here were nothing short of spectacular. Her unique voice was warm and soulful and soothes the listener with pure class. Foster arranged this number with the great William Ross and their work shows what smooth and sophisticated with an irresistible jazzy feel can be like. Listening to A Mary Christmas showed that it continues to be the perfect cd for those who love holiday classics delivered by a great voice backed up by the world’s most talented musicians, arrangers and producers. Take a listen and…

Merry Christmas!

Listen

• Lead Vocals: Mary J. Blige
• Keyboards: David Foster
• Synthesizer, Programming & Sound Design: Jochem van der Saag
• Drums: Rexell Hardy, Jr.
• Bass: Alex All
• Orchestral Arrangement by William Ross
• Produced & Arranged by David Foster
• Co-Produced by Jochem van der Saag

Lyrics

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on our troubles
Will be out of sight
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yule-tide gay
From now on our troubles
Will be miles away
Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful, faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more
Through the years
We all will be together
If the fates allow
Hang a shining star
On the highest bough
And have yourself
A merry little Christmas now
Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful, faithful friends who are dear to us
They gather near to us once more
And through the years
We all will be together
If the fates, if the fates allow
Hang a shining star on the highest bough
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now
Ooo ooo ohohoh don’t y’all wait no, have now

In his live performances or in the studio, David Foster always surrounds himself with the best vocal talents around. Often, we are talking about global stars like Andrea Bocelli or Michael Bublè, but sometimes Foster finds the best up ’n’ coming names. This is the case with the Hitman’s newly released project, An Intimate Evening. This latest live cd aired on PBS as part of its “Great Performances” TV series.

An Intimate Evening finds Foster reinventing part of his legendary songbook with a bouquet of superb singers including his new wife, Katharine McPhee, Pia Toscano, Loren Allred, Sheléa Frazier and classical crossover tenor Fernando Varela. Among the evergreens found on the cd are the Celine Dion staples “To Love You More,” “The Power Of Love,” “The Prayer” and “Tell Him,” all originally produced and/or co-written by Foster. Also heard are the giant hits Foster produced for the late, unforgettable Whitney Houston (1963-2012). The new material includes a fantastic rendition of Ms. Allred’s trademark anthem, “Never Enough,” and a gorgeous instrumental performance by Foster on acoustic piano of “Victorious,” both of which stand out as absolute treats. This last piece should be part of the Canadian super-producer’s all instrumental music project to be released sometimes in 2020.   

An Intimate Evening offers another delight for music fans: a new composition titled “Something To Shout About” from Foster’s still-in-the-works musical, “Betty Boop.” Beautifully sung by Ms. McPhee and with lyrics written by veteran Broadway tunesmith, Susan Birkenhead, “Something To Shout About” has timeless Broadway anthem written all over it with a gorgeous melody, stunning crescendo and lush orchestral work, all inevitable elements of the classic Foster sound. Ms. McPhee does a remarkable job with her voice going from the delicate intro up to the pyrotechnic finale. We have asked our favorite music-maker to write a few words about this new, special composition and here’s what he sent us: 

“Something To Shout About was written for the part of our musical when everyone keeps telling Betty Boop that she has everything. She has money, fame, mansions, yachts but she feels like one thing is still missing. So she longs for something to shout about although she doesn’t really know at this point of the show that what she is missing is real love. Kat’s performance of this special song is of course simply flawless and beautiful.”

“Something To Shout About” wets the appetite for the entire “Betty Boop” play. More Foster/McPhee collaborations would also be a sure bet for quality music lovers.

Listen

• Lead Vocals: Katharine McPhee
• Piano: David Foster
• Keyboards: Boh Cooper & Troy Laureta
• Guitar: Tariqh Akoni
• Drums: John Robinson
• Bass: Keith Nelson
• Produced & Arranged by David Foster

Lyrics

I want something to shout about
Something to spin me around
Something mysterious, something miraculous
Earth-shaking, life-changing, cosmic, profound

I want something to make me, someone I never was
Something to shout about, whatever it does

I want something to shout about
Something to make me cry
Something so powerful, something so true
It will change who I am and undo what I know

I want something to stun me, to fill me with fire and fears
Something to shout about, whatever it is
I wish I knew, I haven’t a clue
But I am sure I’ll know it when I see it
I triple-guarantee it

Some days I wouldn’t doubt about
Whether they care or not
Nothing entices me, nothing amazes me
Unless its scripted and I’m in the shot
Oh, I have nothing to pout about
Listen to me, to me
But God I want, something to shout about
Shake all my head about
Take every dream about

I know I cannot live without
Something to shout about
Something to shout about
Wherever he is

In 1985, Jason Scheff took Peter Cetera’s place when the legendary singer/songwriter/bassist left Chicago for a solo career. Scheff became the supergroup’s new tenor lead singer and bass player. Scheff held that position until 2017 when he left the group.

Just recently, Scheff made a comeback with a second solo cd titled Here I Am. Co-produced by Jay De Marcus of Rascal Flatts’ fame, Here I Am presents a mix of original pop songs co-written by various Nashville songwriters as well as a handful of remakes of classic Chicago hits. Here, Scheff reinterprets “Will You Still Love Me,” his first big hit with Chicago that was superbly crafted by David Foster for Chicago 18. Two other smart choices were “What Kind Of Man Would I Be,” a Top 5 hit that Jason co-wrote with Bobby Caldwell and Dennis Matkosky in 1988 for Chicago 19 and “Look Away,” a giant hit originally from Chicago 19 revisited here as a duet with former bandmate Bill Champlin. The lead vocal was handled by Champlin on the original version. “Feeling Stronger Every Day” and “Hard To Say I’m Sorry” round out the Chicago covers on Here I Am.  As great as those two classics were, they are so strongly associated with Cetera’s voice that they sound a tad out of place compared to the other remakes, The arrangement of “Hard To Say I’m Sorry” really pales by comparison to the 1982 Chicago 16 hit version. Maybe two other new songs would have been a better fit for the cd. Among the new songs, the breezy mid-tempo, “Wonderful Day” stands out as a truly fantastic piece of music with a terrific melody and memorable hook. Another interesting track was “If You Only Knew,” an emotional power ballad that sports a great vocal performance and a catchy, country-tinged arrangement. Going back to the Chicago covers, the gorgeous melody of “Will You Still Love Me,” co-written by Foster with Tom Keane and Richard Baskin, is the selection for this week’s review.

This modernized version is quite pleasant with a respectful arrangement based on tasteful programming. It is a pleasure to listen to the amazing vocal interplay between Scheff and Champlin, two masters at their game. As nice as this is, Foster’s work included on Chicago 18 was a completely different ball game. In those days, The Hitman was in his prime and defined an era and a music style with those meticulously crafted power ballads. This cover is a welcome reminder of the beauty of those melodies and the amazing talents of all those involved: Champlin, Scheff, Foster and the entire Chicago band. 

All things considered, Here I Am is a good comeback for Jason Scheff. We hope he’ll deliver more new music in the future, maybe showcasing his songwriting talent that was lacking on this cd.

Listen

• Bass & Vocals: Jason Scheff
• Vocals: Bill Champlin
• Keyboards, Vocals & Programming: Jay De Marcus
• Drums & Percussion: Dorian Crozier
• Guitars & Background vocals: Thomas Jankton

Lyrics

Take me as I am
Put your hand in mine now and forever
Darling here I stand, stand before you now
Deep inside I always knew
It was you, you and me
Two hearts drawn together bound by destiny
It was you and you for me
Every road leads to your door
Every step I take forever more

Just say you’ll love me for the rest of your life
I gotta lot of love and I don’t want to let go
Will you still love me for the rest of my life?
Cause I can’t go on
No, I can’t go on
I can’t go on
If I’m on my own

Take me as I am
Put your heart in mine, stay with me forever
’cause I am just a man who never understood
I never had a thing to prove
Till there was you
You and me
Then it all came clear so suddenly
How close to you that I want to be

Just say you’ll love me for the rest of your life
I gotta lot of love and I don’t want to let go
Will you still love me for the rest of my life?
Cause I can’t go on
No, I can’t go on
I can’t go on
If I’m on my own

Do you believe a love could run so stong?
Do you believe a love could pass you by?
There was no special one for me
I was the lovely one, you see
But then my heart lost all control
Now you’re all that I know

Just say you’ll love me for the rest of your life
I gotta lot of love and I don’t want to let go
Will you still love me for the rest of my life?
Cause I can’t go on
No, I can’t go on
I can’t go on
If I’m on my own

David Foster and his ultra-talented peers, Jay Graydon, the late Jeff Porcaro (1954-1992), David Hungate and Bill Champlin, did several sessions at Westlake Studios in Los Angeles around 1978. They were working, among other things, on albums by popular Brazilian acts Antonio Carlos Belchior (1946-2017), As Frenéticas and Ney Matogrosso. The legendary musicians brought a superior musicianship and slick, irresistible L.A. sound to those recordings. From what we hear they probably had a strong hand on those instrumental arrangements. Foster and his friends played on As Frenéticas’ “Dancin’ Days,” a disco tune that was a big hit in Brazil and was the main theme of a very popular soap opera. 

The same musicians also appeared on the Matogrosso song “Nao Existe Pecado Ao Sul Do Equador.” The tune also sported an energetic disco feel that was produced by Mazzola, a veteran music-maker who worked with a who’s who of Brazilian stars including Djavan, Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento and Simone. Mazzola said that he was introduced to Foster by famed engineer Humberto Gatica. That meeting led to their various collaborations through the years. Another 1978 Mazzola production was Belchior’s Todos Os Sentidos. Belchior was one of Brazil’s premiere singers/songwriters with success in his homeland. The LA session mafia appeared on the bulk of Todos Os Sentidos including an irresistible funky track titled “Corpos Terrestres” that’s the Song of the Week.

“Corpos Terrestres” (“Earth Bodies” in English) was a duet with the aforementioned As Frenéticas and Belchior. Oddly, part of the song’s lyrics were written by Belchior in the ancient Latin language and delivered with spoken-word performaces on top of a killer funky groove.  Bill Champlin’s soulful voice appears singing the “tomorrow’s another day” refrain. The instrumental track is spectacular with swinging horns, Graydon’s guitar, Foster playing the Fender Rhodes while Porcaro and Hungate cement the rock-solid foundation. This smoking track is so tight that it could have come off Champlin’s 1978 seminal album, Single. Although concived in the late seventies and unavoidably dated in its sound, this music is still impressive and deserves a listen cause it’s great!

Listen

• Lead Vocals: Belchior and As Frenéticas
• Keyboards: David Foster
• Guitar: Jay Graydon
• Drums: Jeff Porcaro
• Bass: David Hungate
• Backing Vocals: Bill Champlin
• Produced by Marco Mazzola

Lyrics

Osculetur me oscule oris suis
Ideo adolescentulae dilexerunt te
Nigra sum sent formosa
(But tomorrow is another day anyway)
Nolite me considerare quod fusca sim
Quia decoloravit me sol
It’s alright, ma! (I’m only bleeding)
Here comes the sun
Indica mihi quem, dirigit anima mea
Ube pascas, ube cubes in meridie
(Come with me and be my love)
Ego ego dilecto meo, et dilectos meus mihi
(I’ve got you under my skin. Oh! Really?)

Ego flos campi
Et lilium convallium

Veni, dilecte mi egrediamur in agrum
Commoremur in villis
Ibi dabo tibi ubera mea

Quam pulchra es, amica mea, quam pulchra es!
Umbilicus tuus crater tornalitis
Numquam indigens poculis
Venter tuus sicut acervus tritici
Vallatus liliis
Duo ubera tua sicut duo hinnuli
Gemelli capreae
(Absque occultis tuis!)
Apori mihi, ‘soror mea, amica mea
Columba mea, immaculata mea

Dilectus meus misit manum sua per foramen
Et venter meus intremuit ad tactum eius

Qui faciemus sorori nostrae
In die quando alloquenda est?
Sub arbore malo suscitavi te
Ibi corrupta est mater tua
Ibi violata est genitrix tua

Pone me ut signaculum super cor tuum
Ut signaculum super brachium tuum
Que fortis est ut mors dilectio