Written by Danny Peck

This week, go back to singer/songwriter Danny Peck’s 1977 debut album, Heart And Soul. David Foster produced the record with studio engineer and guitarist, Jay Lewis. Foster and Lewis met a few years before and worked together on several projects for Brian and Brenda Russell, Gary Wright and Foster’s group, Attitudes. In 1977, Lewis mixed the Foster produced Lisa Dalbello’s debut album. Heart And Soul wasn’t a hit and was barely known to Foster’s fans. Nonetheless, the album was good and Peck was an interesting talent, both as a singer and a songwriter with a knack of delivering compelling lyrics. Peck wrote all the songs included on Heart And Soul and put them in Foster’s young, but already skilled, hands.

Musically, the album’s direction lean towards a refined quality pop with touches of rock, R&B and jazz. Sure, the record wasn’t completely on target. Yet the refined arrangements added a lot to the material and was influenced by the likes of Steely Dan, James Taylor and The Doobie Brothers. A good example was the acoustic, Latin-tinged ballad, “Take Your Baby Home.” It featured a great vocal performance by Peck showcasing his sharp tenor. Peck was supported with a beautiful harmony sung by Venette Gloud. Foster’s various keyboards plus the lush strings arrangement he wrote embellished the instrumental track. The Foster adornments were based on Peck’s acoustic guitar. Another old friend of Foster’s, Willie Ornelas, can be heard on the drums.

The Hitman kindly sent us a few words about Peck: “I loved Danny peck and I really like the way this song sounds. I think it really holds up. Danny is an extraordinary talent. At the time he had many fans including Clive Davis and Donna Summer.”

For those interested, there are another couple of reviews from Heart And Soul in the archives. One is the jazzy ballad, “I Do.” The other is the smooth rocker, “The Smoke Is Rising.”

Listen

• Lead, Backing Vocals & Acoustic Guitar: Danny Peck
• Keyboards: David Foster
• Drums: Willie Ornelas
• Backing Vocals: Venette Gloud

• String Arrangement by David Foster
• Arranged by David Foster
• Produced by David Foster & Jay Lewis

Lyrics

No Lyrics

“I Burn For You” was a romantic pop song included on the soundtrack of the hit 1987 movie The Secret Of My Success starring Michael J. Fox. The movie was scored by David Foster who also produced its original soundtrack that included several of his pop/rock co-writes plus a few trademark instrumentals. The Hitman was red-hot from the platinum success of the music for the 1985 “brat pack” movie, St. Elmo’s Fire.

He applied the same winning formula to The Secret Of My Success and delivered goodies including the title-track performed by rock group Night Ranger, the beautiful ballad “Don’t Ask The Reason Why” sung by country/pop darlings Restless Heart and the delicate and haunting instrumental “Water Fountain.”

The previously mentioned “I Burn For You” was included as an instrumental in the movie while the soundtrack featured vocals by Danny Peck and Nancy Shanks. Peck was an old friend of Foster’s who produced the singer’s debut album back in 1977. Shanks was the original lead singer of the all-girls rock group Vixen. Under Foster’s masterful guidance, the two talented singers brought to life the gorgeous duet and a song was brilliantly crafted. The high-tech arrangement featured prominent keyboards, synths and saxophone to underscore the nocturnal atmosphere. “I Burn For You” was co-written by Foster with noted tunesmiths Khris McDaniels and Holly Knight. Knight’s repertoire included herself as an appreciated singer plus she co-wrote big hits for Tina Turner (“The Best”), Heart (“Never”), Aerosmith (“Rag Doll”) and Pat Benatar (“Love Is A Battlefield”). McDaniels, the son of famous music-maker Gene McDaniels, co-wrote tunes for the UK act Eighth Wonder and Apollonia Kotero. The two also composed Benatar’s “Sometimes The Good Guys Finish First” that was selected by Foster for The Secret Of My Success. A couple of years later, McDaniels, under the stage name of Christopher Max, recorded a version of “I Burn For You” that can be found in our archives.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Danny-Peck-Nancy-Shanks-I-burn-for-you-1987.mp3|titles=I Burn For You|artists=Danny Peck & Nancy Shanks]

Lead Vocals: Danny Peck & Nancy Shanks
Keyboards: David Foster
Saxophone: Dave Boruff
Guitars: Michael Landau
Drum Overdubs: Tris Imboden
Synthesizer Programming: Dave Boruff & Mike Boddicker

Produced & Arranged by David Foster

Lyrics

I cannot help myself, how come you’re so beautiful?
I don’t know what’s goin ‘on
But there’s a danger of emotional reaction
Gaze into my eyes, I wanna take you far away, mmm mmm
Slow down, slow down, or I might put you away, I want you so bad

Do I need to tell you that I burn for you?
Did I need to show you what you already knew?
I will be the candle and you will be the flame in my heart
I burn for you, baby
Said I burn for you, baby

And if I dare (and if I dare) to go away (to go away)
Would you still recall my faith? Would you look at me?
Ooh I live alone (so alone) I shed a tear (do not cry baby)
Would you still be there for me? (I know you will) ooh baby

Do I need to tell you That I burn for you?
Did I need to show you what You Already Knew
I will be the candle and you will be the flame in my heart
Yes I burn for you, baby … yes I burn for you, baby …

(So bad) so bad (so bad) so bad, I can not help myself
(I can not help myself) I want you so bad, baby

And if I dare (if I dare to go away)
To go away (would you still recall my faith?)
Would you still recall my faith? Would you look at me?
I’m so afraid (I’m so afraid to fall for you)
To fall for you (’cause if I call, you’ll know)
I never really need to say

Do I need to tell you that I burn for you?
Did I need to show you what you already knew?
I will be the candle and you will be the flames
(You will be the flames)
I will be the candle and you will be the flame, baby
(You will be the flame)
I will be the candle, you will be the flame in my heart

I burn for you, baby … I burn for you, baby …
I said burn for you, baby … I burn for you, baby …
Yes, I burn for you, I burn for you
(Burning for you, give-darling, burning)
(Burning) burning for you baby
I can not help myself, I can not help myself today
Oh babe (I can not help myself) I can not help myself
I want you so bad (so bad)
I want you so bad (I want you so bad, so bad, so bad, so bad)
Ooh (so bad)

Heart And Soul was Danny Peck’s 1977 debut album. Peck, a talented singer/songwriter, wrote ten compositions for the project. The songs showcased Peck’s different sides in the musical arena including his lyrical craft. These songs were put in the capable hands of David Foster who was in the process of making his big transition from sought-after session ace to full-time music producer. Heart And Soul was produced with noted engineer Jay Lewis. Foster gave the album his obvious love for refined, r&b-influenced arrangements delivered with irresistible grooves, clever rhythm changes and superior instrumental performances.

There are echoes of Sons Of Champlin, Steely Dan and Crusaders with a result not far from other elegant singer/songwriters including Ned Doheny, Terence Boylan or Boz Scaggs. The best tracks sporting Foster’s inventive charts include “This Could Be A Very Nice Place” with a structure that was reminiscent of Steely Dan, “Take Your Baby Home,” an acoustic soul gem with fantastic vocals by Peck and Venette Gloud and “I Do,” a smoky, jazzy jam that was earlier reviewed.

Another highlight off Heart And Soul was the powerful, funky number “The Smoke Is Rising.” Based on the solid foundation of drummer Willie Ornelas and bassist Robert “Pops” Powell, “The Smoke Is Rising” was an irresistible mid-tempo tune whose musicality and catchiness rivals the best soul/funk jams of those days. Peck’s vocals are soulful and gritty enough to match the nasty groove of the backing track. Foster added his trademark keyboards to the mix, some in-your-face horns and the bonus of Larry Carlton’s guitar work. “The Smoke Is Rising” was released as a single and was backed-up by “Where Is My Heart,” another very good song with the luxurious sounds of the late Jeff and Mike Porcaro, David Paich, Victor Feldman and Ernie Watts.

At the time of its release, Heart And Soul went criminally unnoticed. The album should be re-evaluated today because it shows the seeds of Foster’s immense talent that will soon blossom on legendary albums by Airplay, Earth, Wind & Fire and Boz Scaggs, among others. For those interested, Peck’s voice can be heard on Foster’s successful projects of the eighties including the soundtrack of The Secret Of My Success and Foster’s orchestral solo album, The Symphony Sessions.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/the_smoke_is_rising.mp3|titles=The Smoke Is Rising|artists=Danny Pecks]

Lead Vocals: Danny Peck
Keyboards: David Foster
Drums: Willie Ornelas
Bass: Robert “Pops” Powell
Electric Guitar: Larry Carlton & Jay Lewis
Horns: Steve Madaio, Bob Findley, Jim Horn & Bruce Paulson

Arranged by David Foster
Produced By David Foster & Jay Lewis

Lyrics

No Lyrics

Danny Peck’s “Heart And Soul” was one of David Foster’s first productions back in 1977, probably his third full record production after Jaye P. Morgan and The Keane Brothers the year before.The record is based on Peck’s compositions which are a mix of country/rock, pop and jazz/funk. The work is not perfectly on target but it’s quite interesting especially for Foster’s brilliant arrangements and the great pros appearing on the album, big names like Harvey Mason, Ernie Watts, Toto, Larry Carlton, the absolute cream of L.A. studio players around those years. Peck has a good voice and some of the songs are very pleasent to listen to; “The Smoke Is Rising” has a great funky beat with strong horns, a bit influenced by the Crusaders, “Take Your Baby Home” is a nice ballad with a beautiful string arrangement by Foster, an interesting crescendo and good vocals by Peck and guest Vennette Gloud. “I Do” is maybe the best of the bunch, a jazzy song with strong Steely Dan echoes, Foster undelines the tune with his fender rhodes while Tom Scott’s beautiful sax duets with the singer, giving the song a smokey, bluesy vibe.

Danny Peck and Foster have worked together a couple other times in the eighties, first when Peck sang a duet (Foster’s “I Burn For You”) with Nancy Shanks on the soundtrack of “The Secret Of My Success”, then, in 1988, when Peck appeared on Foster’s “The Symphony Sessions”.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/archives/clips/i_do.mp3|titles=I do|artists=Danny Peck]

Lead Vocal: Danny Peck
Keyboards: David FosterDrums: Harvey Mason
Acoustic Bass: Tony Dumas
Acoustic Guitar: Danny Peck
Sax Solo: Tom Scott
Horns: Steve Madaio, Bob Findley, Jim Horn & Bruce Paulson

Lyrics

Come on, come here baby
Put that smile back in its place
It’s been such a lonely winter
It’s so good to see your face
Cause they can’t hear your laughter
And they can’t see your flame
And they don’t know where you’re walking babe
But I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do

lip on over easy
Or just grab me on the run
Cause i don’t care how you get here
Well, I’m just so glad you’ve come

Come on, come here baby
Put that smile back in its place
It’s been such a lonely winter
It’s so good to see your face
Cause they can’t hear your laughter
And they can’t see your flame
And they don’t know where you’re walking babe
But I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do