Hidden away in some closet are Foster songs that deserved great chart success but ended up getting a low profile, minor release. “You Can Count On Me” is one of these songs. It’s an extraordinary ballad from the seventies co-written by David Foster and Jay Graydon with lyricist Harry Garfield. Former Three Dog Night member Cory Wells released this wonderful song as a single without any luck. Today, thanks to Jay Graydon, we can fully (re)discover the beauty of it.Graydon has worked hard these past few years on some old recordings he made in the second half of the seventies with the likes of Foster, Bill Champlin, and the Toto guys. The final result is “Past To Present – the 70s,” a precious collection of rare songs including “You Can Count On Me.” Sung by Graydon, this ballad is breathtaking. It has all the main ingredients of the vintage Airplay sound. The melody is gorgeous with sublime chord changes. Foster added his touch with a very sophisticated arrangement. “Past To Present – The 70s” is full of great examples of quality pop like “Love Flows,” another stellar ballad co-written by the Airplay guys, and the jazzy “If There’s A Way” with Graydon’s trademark guitar shining through. There are also alternate versions of Airplay songs like “Should We Carry On” and “She Waits For Me.” The album includes the original takes on songs like “Throw A Little Bit Of Love My Way” and “Secret Love” plus some delicious TV themes and jingles. This is a labor of love for Graydon and a record that any fan of this pop legacy must own.
We end this review with the words Graydon dedicates to Foster in the liner notes:
“Before I close, I must note David Foster is clearly a genius!!! His involvement on the co-written songs, his outstanding arrangements, his incredible musical ideas, his production ideas, all lead to melodic ear candy as delicious as it gets!!!”
Agreed!

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/archives/clips/you_can_count_on_me.mp3|titles=You can count on me|artists=Jay Graydon]

Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Synth Strings Programming: Jay Graydon
Background Vocals, Electric Piano, Fender Rhodes & Synth Strings: David Foster
Drums: Mike Baird
Bass: (probably) Mike Porcaro
Arranged by David Foster
Produced by Jay Graydon & David Foster

Lyrics

NO LYRICS