Written by Allee Willis, Franne Golde & Peter Noone

 

“God Knows” was a beautiful ballad co-written by the late, eminent lyricist, Allee Willis (1947-2019), with fellow songwriter, Franne Golde, and veteran UK singer/songwriter, Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits fame. The trio composed the song around 1978 and it was soon scouped up by Debby Boone for her sophomore Midstream album. Boone was extremely successful in 1977 with her breakthrough #1 hit, “You Light Up My Life.”

In May of 1978, “God Knows” became the second single to be released from the album. It would became a multi-format minor hit, reaching #74 on Billboard’s Hot 100, #22 on the Country chart and #14 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

In a recent interview, Boone talked about “God Knows”: “the reason why the single only reached #74 is that disc jockeys saw the title, ‘God Knows,’ coming from Pat Boone’s daughter, with his conservative image, which was true for me too, and determined it was a religious record and said ‘no’.”

A love song like “God Knows” probably felt right for Deniece Williams who covered it on her 1979 album, When Love Comes Calling. That song and a good portion of her album were produced by David Foster. Foster took great care of Williams’ superb voice and helped her yield a string of fantastic vocals that went into creating a superb soul/pop record. On “God Knows,” Williams’ gorgeous performance add a strong gospel-infused feel into the scenario of the song. A pristine musical arrangement was delivered by Foster with the help of luminaries including the amazing Jeff Porcaro (1954-1992) on drums, the awesome Steve Lukather on guitar and their former Toto bandmate, David Hungate on bass. Foster played his trademark keyboards and the track was embellished with lush strings and horns courtesy of Bill Meyers and Jerry Hey.

Around 1982, “God Knows” was also recorded by UK pop vocal group, The Nolans, on their Portrait album. It was a nice rendition although it does not compare to the versions by Boone or Williams.

• Lead Vocals: Deniece Williams
• Keyboards: David Foster
• Drums: Jeff Porcaro
• Guitar: Richard Feldman & Steve Lukather
• Bass: David Hungate
• Percussion: Paulinho DaCosta
• Backing Vocals: Bill Champlin & Deniece Williams

• Horn Arrangement by Jerry Hey
• String Arrangement by Bill Meyers
• Produced & Arranged by David Foster
• Co-Produced by Deniece Williams

Lyrics

Out of the pages of books that I’ve read
I can recall that somewhere someone said
If you don’t succeed, try again

So I’m coming to you with my heart in my hand
Using every ounce of strength that I have
Don’t turn me away

‘Cause I live and breathe you
God knows how much I need you
And I’ll never leave you
God knows I love you

Too insecure is lovers who fail
The princess and the white knight
Live in fairy tales or so the story goes

We read so right from the very start
But here we are both with broken hearts
Let’s not part this way

‘Cause I live and breathe you
God knows how much I need you
And I’ll never leave you
God knows I love you

Time ran away and took you by the hand
If I can’t bring you back, maybe time can

‘Cause I live and breathe you
God knows how much I need you
And I’ll never leave you
God knows how much I love you

God knows how much I love you
God knows how much I love you
God knows how much I love you

Between the end of the Eighties and the start of the Nineties, David Foster had a couple of years where he was absent from the top of the charts. During that time, Foster focused on movie soundtracks like Stealing Home and One Good Cop, released a couple of solo projects, produced Japanese artist Seiko Matsuda and produced new talent like Celine Dion’s debut cd for the English market.

The most important production of those years was Neil Diamond’s The Best Years Of Our Lives  cd. This outstanding work saw the light of day in December 1988. The Best Years Of Our Lives was a well-balanced pop/rock collection split between ballads and more up-tempo numbers. Diamond and Foster co-wrote a good portion of the album including the Adult Contemporary hit ballad, “This Time.” Another single off The Best Years Of Our Lives was the title-track that reached #7 on the same chart.

Written by Diamond, “The Best Years Of Our Lives” is the song in the spotlight for this week.

This catchy rocker opened the album sporting a powerful beat and loud guitars to support the superstar’s convincing vocal. This song sounds a tad influenced by the classic rock of Bruce Springsteen with an instrumental performance that was right on target. Delivered by guitar gods Steve Lukather and Mike Landau, they fueled the right amount of energy into the track. There were also some rousing female vocal harmonies on the song performed by famous Australian singing sensation, Renée Geyer. It’s always interesting to listen to a Foster production that’s a bit out of his comfort zone. However, the end result here was still typically Foster with his refined and impeccable sounds. Its parent album, even though certified gold, went only to #46 on Billboard’s Top 200. Obviously, the album fell short of Foster’s expectations.

Yet, time has been kind to The Best Years Of Our Lives. This work was almost unanimously considered one of Diamond’s most solid releases of that era.

To round out this review, here are a few words that the Hitman kindly sent:

“Listening to this song is really a trip down memory lane. It sounds like Lukather on the guitar solo and I think it’s me on the B3 organ, but I can’t be 100% sure. I really thought we had nailed a great album, but it didn’t do very well although I really loved working with Neil. Here’s a funny story: I was in Neil’s band for 3 months around 1975 or 76, but I got fired before we even did one gig because the musical director didn’t like me. Then, about a decade later, I was asked to produce him and that was quite a nice satisfaction.”

Listen

• Lead Vocals: Neil Diamond
• Keyboards: David Foster
• Guitars: Dean Parks, Steve Lukather & Mike Landau
• Bass: Reinie Press & Mike Brignardello
• Drums: Tris Imboden & Carlos Vega
• Horns: Jerry Hey, Gary Grant, Larry Williams, Bill Reichenbach & Dan Higgins
• Synthesizer Programming: Rhett Lawrence, Rick Bowen & Kevin Maloney
• Backing Vocals: Renée Geyer

• Horns Arranged by Jerry Hey & David Foster
• Produced & Arranged by David Foster

Lyrics

Hey, listen to the working man
And can you hear the dream
That resides in his soul?
And when you hear that poor man singin’
Can you hear a story
That cries to be told?
Wanna hear you say “oh yeah”
I need to hear you say “oh yeah”
It’s time to stand up and be counted
These are the days of our beginnings
This ain’t the time for the faint of heart
No don’t wanna lose
The chance we are given
These are the best years of our lives
The very best years of our lives
Oh yeah, hear the song of womankind
Carried ’til she ached
Now she’s takin’ her stand
Says she’s got the right to be
Right beside and equal with ev’ry man
Wanna hear you say “oh yeah”
Need to hear you say “oh yeah”
It’s time to stand up and be counted
These are the days of our beginnings
This ain’t the time for the faint of heart
No don’t wanna lose
The chance we’re given
These are the best years of our lives
The very best years of our lives
Say “oh yeah”
(Organ solo)
(Guitar solo)
Say it now, and just say it right
If you truly believe it,
You’ll be saying it right.
So say “oh yeah”
Gotta say “oh yeah”
It’s time to stand up and be counted
Better days are just beginning.
There ain’t no place to run and hide to
Don’t throw away
The chance we’re given.
These are the best years of our lives
The very best years of our lives

Say “oh yeah”
“Oh yeah”
Say “oh yeah”
Say “oh yeah”
These are the best years of our lives

“Bi-Coastal” was the title-track of the late Peter Allen’s (1944 to 1992) 1980 album and its first single. Like the whole Bi-Coastal record, the song was produced by David Foster who co-wrote it with Allen and frequent collaborator Tom Keane. “Bi-Coastal” was a flamboyant number that mixes a compelling four/four time disco rhythm with some smart, tongue-in-cheek lyrics written by Allen.

Foster added his polished touch to the instrumental arrangement with the help of Jerry Hey and his usual hard-hitting work in the horns department. Their inventive work was brought to life by the usual all-star group of session aces including Steve Lukather on guitar, the late Mike Porcaro (1955 to 2015) on bass and Ed Greene on drums. Foster played various keyboards on the track while sax virtuoso Gary Herbig played the rousing solo. Allen delivered a convincing vocal performance with the support of the smooth harmonies by Richard Page and Steve George. “Bi-Coastal” was a very fun song to listen to and became a minor hit for Allen on the dance chart reaching #79. That single’s b-side was a moving ballad titled “Simon” that featured a tender vocal by Allen wearing his heart on his sleeve while being perfectly backed up by Foster’s rarefied arrangement. Check out the archives for earlier reviews of other gems from Bi-Coastal including the silky hit, “Fly Away,” the bittersweet ballad “When This Love Affair Is Over” and the irresistible mid-tempo “One Step Over The Borderline.”

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Peter-Allen-Bi-Coastal-1980-HQ-Sound.mp3|titles=Bi-Coastal|artists=Peter Allen]

Lead Vocals: Peter Allen
Keyboards: David Foster
Fender Rhodes: Tom keane
Bass: Mike Porcaro
Drums: Ed Greene
Guitar: Steve Lukather
Percussion: Paulinho Da Costa
Sax Solo: Gary Herbig
Saxophone: Larry Williams
Trumpets: Jerry Hey, Larry Hall & Gary Grant
Trombone: Bill Reichenbach & Lew McCrary
Backing Vocals: Richard Page & Steve George

Horn Arrangements by Jerry Hey
Produced by David Foster

Lyrics

You used to live in New York City
Then you moved to L.A
But you still miss the streets
Where you used to play

So you hurry on back there
Even leave your pool and your car
Only to find you no longer belong
Fool, don’t you know what you are

Yeah, hit the streets at midnight
Still dancing after dawn
But something seems to be missing
Just what are you running from

Do you like your love in the dark
Or laid out in the sun?
When you can’t make up your mind
Don’t you know what you’ve become

Bi-coastal, miss the natural speed of the city
Bi-coastal, California’s fine if you’re pretty

You can always hear me singing
Oh, say can you see?
From the towers of Manhattan
To the hills of Beverly

All those girls on TV movies
All those boys on Broadway
When you can’t make up your mind
You know you go either way

Bi-coastal, miss the natural speed of the city
Bi-coastal, California’s fine if you’re pretty, oh yeah
Bi-coastal, miss the natural speed of the city, oh yeah, yeah
Bi-coastal, California’s fine if you’re pretty

Bi-coastal, when both are so much fun
Tell me why do you have to pick, why do you have to pick
Why do you have to pick one?

written by The Tubes

The Wild Women of Wongo was a 1958 b-movie directed by James L. Wolcott. Although this trashy movie was poorly acted and crafted, it reached a cult status among the lovers of silly films. Who else could have written a song to go with it but the legendary rock band The Tubes? The group’s drummer, Prairie Prince, said that he loved that movie so much that he decided to write a song about it.

Consequently, San Francisco’s flamboyant rockers wrote “Wild Women Of Wongo” for their 1983 album, Outside Inside. The song was a parody of the movie with nonsense lyrics delivered by an effective spoken-word voice on top of a spectacular funky beat. David Foster produced Outside Inside and the match of his top-notch pop vibe, extreme care of the arrangements and superior sonic bravura found a miraculous balance with The Tubes’ dirty, weird, fascinating rock world. “Wild Women Of Wongo” had an enthralling backing track, infectious rhythm, funky guitars, percussions and tight horns. Jerry Hey and his celebrated horn section added so much to the tune with their pyrotechnical playing on the choruses and the wild break towards the song’s end. “Wild Women Of Wongo” was just one of the standout tracks onOutside Inside. That album included the hit single “She’s A Beauty,” “Tip Of MyTongue” and “The Monkey Time,” They are testament of a special, unique collaboration that resulted in some of the Hitman’s most different and captivating work ever.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/06-Wild-Women-of-Wongo.mp3|titles=Wild Women Of Wongo|artists=Fee Waybill]

Lead Vocals: Fee Waybill
Drums: Prairie Prince
Bass: Rick Anderson
Keyboards: David Foster
Keyboards & Vocals: Vince Velnick
Synthesizers: Michael Cotten
Guitars & Vocals: Bill Spooner & Roger Steen
Percussion: Mingo Lewis
Trumpets: Jerry Hey, Gary Grant & Chuck Findley
Trombone: Bill Reichenbach
Saxophone: Larry Williams & Gary Herbig
Horn Arrangement: Jerry Hey
Produced by David Foster

Lyrics

From the foggy woggy banks
Of the Limpopo River,
There come the sounds of
Female ecstasy (I shiver),
Wet and wanton, their cries
Caress by swollen ears, with building
Fears, of this forsaken land of years.
Visions of furious fire-goddesses wielding
Blunt spits; figments of erotic escapades
With all branches of armed forces.
Surrounding, abounding,
They stoop to conquer with sighs and
Anxious whispers in a slow, steady rhythm. 

Wongo.
Wild Women of Wongo.
How does their song go?
Make a me wan mo, (Wild Women!)
Wongo.
No man can say no.
Wild Women of Wongo.
How does their song go?
Like this… 

On the dank, steaming shores of Wongo;
Its black sand beaches so bongo.
Patterned with leech-ridden creatures;
Bodies branded with cicatrix features
That once screeched through the
Heart of the Congo.
Stacked and berserk
They tower and flail all about.
Wailing sounds in tongues only ancient
Insects would understand or figure out.
Wild, willing, wenches; strutting and
Struggling, as they yank hanks of hair,
Rooting and rutting in heat,
As the earth heaves beneath their feet.
And so on and on the lores of Wongo go,
Throughout the sands of time.
Singing their song of love, so rare,
To only the chosen ones who dare.
The course of events, time after time.
The tradition remains the same.
A bloodcurdling scream, one of pure
Ecstasy, rings out; then it came —
The ultimate sacrifice.
Their wasp waisted figures twitch and twine,
Their sting is lethal, and I know I’m in for mine.
How can I resist this onslaught of love;
From over, from under, from behind and above.
I wish I could

written by Hamish Stuart & Ned Doheny

Hamish Stuart, the former member of the Average White Band, and famed singer/songwriter Ned Doheny co-wrote a couple of songs together for the Scottish funksters that went on to become soul/r&b classics. Their first hit collaboration was “A Love Of Your Own,” a charming soul ballad included on Average White Band’s 1976 seminal Soul Searching album that reached #35 on the R&B Singles chart in 1977.

“A Love Of Your Own” was eventually covered by a plethora of famous singers including Howard Hewett, Millie Jackson, Melissa Manchester and Chikuzen Sato. Co-writer Doheny recorded the song himself on his 1976 Hard Candy album with Stuart on backing vocals and a young David Foster on keyboards. A past review of that beautiful rendition can be read in the archives.

A few years later, Stuart and Doheny co-wrote another gem titled “Whatcha Gonna Do For Me.” It’s an enthralling, mid-tempo number that Average White Band recorded with Foster in the producer’s chair for their 1980 release Shine. “Whatcha Gonna Do For Me” sports a fantastic melody and refined arrangement with a smooth as silk backing track and rich strings and horns that support Stuart’s trademark falsetto and the group’s lush vocal harmonies. Foster’s production was pristine and the whole recording was pure ear-candy bliss. Strangely enough, “Whatcha Gonna Do For Me” wasn’t released as a single although it became a favorite among Average White Band’s fans. R&b diva Chaka Khan covered the song in 1981 with great success and made it the title-track of her new album. Recently, Stuart said that Ms. Khan attended the session ofShine and actually sang “Whatcha Gonna Do For Me” for AWB so Stuart and his bandmate, Alan Gorrie, could concentrate on the guitar and bass parts. Eventually, Ms. Khan decided to cut the song with the late Arif Mardin (March 15, 1932 to June 25, 2006). In the spring of 1981, her cover of “Whatcha Gonna Do For Me” spent two weeks at #1 on the R&B charts.

Let’s close this review with the great news that Ned Doheny and Hamish Stuart will be together on stage in the UK this coming August for special dates in London and Manchester . What a real treat and rare chance to listen to masterpieces like “A Love Of Your Own” and “Whatcha Gonna Do For Me” performed by the two gentlemen who co-wrote them.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Average-White-Band-Whatcha-Gonna-Do-For-Me-1980.mp3|titles=Whatcha Gonna Do For Me|artists=Hamish Stuart]

Lead Vocals & Guitar: Hamish Stuart
Bass & Vocals: Alan Gorrie
Drums: Steve Ferrone
Guitar: Onnie McIntyre
Alto Sax & Keyboards: Roger Ball
Keyboards: David Foster
Tenor Saxophone: Molly Duncan
Percussion: Paulinho DaCosta & Lennie Castro
Saxophones: Kim Hutchcroft, Ernie Watts & Larry Williams
Trumpet & Flugelhorn: Jerry Hey, Gary Grant & Larry Hall
Trombone: Bill Reichenbach & Lew McCrary

Strings & Horns Arranged by David Foster, Jerry Hey & Roger Ball
Produced by David Foster

Lyrics

All night and all day, just chippin’ away
It’s all in a day’s work;
Tryin’ hard to defend
The time that I spend alone
The ground that you lose exploiting
The blues
Won’t get the job done;
Still, as deep as it bites,
I’m keepin’ my sights on you

Whatcha gonna for me
What are you gonna do for me
Whatcha gonna do for me, when
The chips are down

In the cool of the night, when
Nothing seems right
The feeling can take you;
Strange as it seems,
You make your own dreams
Come true
If you try to conceal the way
That you feel
You’re askin’ for trouble;
Just as sure as you’ll cry,
I’m keepin’ my eye on you

You don’t have to tell me I’m
To blame for this
The thing you hold against me,
Is the thing that I miss

Whatcha gonna for me
What are you gonna do for me
Whatcha gonna do for me, when
The chips are down