Los Angeles-native Ned Doheny started his career in the blossoming Laurel Canyon music scene of the late sixties/early seventies alongside soon-to-be global stars like Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Don Henley, the late Glenn Frey (1948-2016) and the late Mama Cass Elliot (1941-1974). Developing his own style, Doheny mixed those artists’ acoustic, country-flavored, soft-rock style with strong R&B accents and irresistible grooves.

The results were showcased on his second and third albums, Hard Candy and Prone, released in 1976 and 1978. Both albums were produced by the legendary Steve Cropper of Booker T. & the M.G.’s fame. Those records were some of the finest example of the elegant L.A. Sound of that era. To achieve his objective, Cropper enlisted famous session players including the late John Guerin (1939-2004) and Gary Mallaber on drums, the late Victor Feldman (1934-1987) and Steve Forman on percussion, Bryan Garofalo on bass and a young David Foster on keyboards. Doheny did a fantastic work with his masterful songwriting, excellent guitar playing and soulful vocal delivery supported by many of his friends like Henley, Frey, Ronstadt, J.D. Souther, Hamish Stuart and Rosemary Butler. The R&B influence was also augmented by the use of powerful horn arrangements handled by trumpet greats Chuck Findley and Greg Adams of Tower Of Power. That fat horn work can be heard in this Song of the Week; the funky mid-tempo “Each Time You Pray” from Hard Candy. 

“Each Time You Pray” epitomized Doheny’s concept of blue-eyed soul. It sported an irresistible groove, great rhythms and changes with lovely vocal harmonies. The backing track was impeccable with Foster’s electric piano, Ernie Corello’s rhythm guitar and Findley’s horns as well as other legends including Tom Scott and Jim Horn on saxophones.

Listening to this song and the whole Hard Candy album makes you wonder why such a fantastic record didn’t top the charts, sell millions and make Doheny an international star. Thankfully, time has been generous with Doheny and his music. He has been rediscovered and appreciated by later generations. “Get It Up For Love,” “To Prove My Love” and “A Love Of Your Own” have been covered by many artists and are still played by DJ’s around the world. Look for past reviews of those songs in the archives. 

Listen

• Lead & Background Vocals, Lead & Acoustic Guitar: Ned Doheny
• Drums: Gary Mallaber
• Keyboards: David Foster
• Electric Guitar: Ernie Corello
• Bass: Bryan Garofalo
• Percussion: Steve Forman
• Saxophones: Tom Scott & Jim Horn
• Trombone, Flugelhorn & Trumpet: Chuck Findley

• Background Vocals Arranged by B.H. Barnum
• Horn Lines Written by Ned Doheny and Arranged by Chuck Findley
• Produced by Steve Cropper

Lyrics

No Lyrics

Edward ‘Ned’ Doheny is a gifted singer/songwriter with an irresistible, blue-eyed soul music vein. In the seventies, Doheny wrote or co-wrote some absolute gems released on a couple of influential albums called Hard Candy and Prone. These pivotal songs included “A Love Of Your Own,” “Whatcha Gonna Do For Me” and “Get It Up For Love.” Both Hard Candy and Prone were produced by the legendary Steve Cropper and his touches to the elegant, catchy material plus the deluxe value of the musicianship were on the same wavelength as Boz Scaggs’ Silk Degrees.

The main difference was that the Scaggs record sold millions while Doheny’s albums became well-kept secrets. Thankfully, time has been kind to Doheny. His brighter gems were eventually covered by major artists including Average White Band, David Cassidy, Tata Vega, George Benson and Melissa Manchester. Those renditions brought Doheny’s elegant pop to a broader audience, but his music recently saw a resurgence in the UK, parts of Europe and Asia. “Get It Up From Love” and “To Prove My Love” were embraced by the most refined deejays and affirmed themselves as two of the most loved rare groove numbers around.

“Get It Up For Love” got a few covers including one by Ben E. King with the Average White Band and a high charged hit disco rendition by Tata Vega. Both covers of the song were released in the late seventies, but, as good as they were, they didn’t match the subtle, elegant level of Doheny’s original. Doheny’s “Get It Up For Love” was a fantastic mix of acoustic pop and smooth soul with a jazzy atmosphere that resulted in a refined cross between Jackson Browne and Bill Withers. David Foster was one of the main collaborators on both of Doheny’s albums. Foster played his infamous keyboards on most of the tracks. His impeccable keyboard playing added an adventurous, jazzy spin to “Get It Up For Love.” Although the spotlight was on Doheny’s personal voice and his acoustic guitar playing, the song also featured the legendary Tower Of Power horns. That jam and so much more can be rediscovered now on a special compilation cd released by UK label Numero Group entitled Separate Oceans. Presenting selected moments from Doheny’s great albums, Separate Oceans has many interesting demos and rare tracks including a demo version of “Get It Up For Love.” It is a welcome opportunity to hear one of the most talented singers/songwriters of the seventies SoCal scene. Please listen and appreciate Doheny’s unique style where pop, soul, country and jazz meet with glorious results.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/get_it_up_for_love.mp3|titles=Get It Up For Love|artists=Ned Doheny]

Lead Vocals & Guitars: Ned Doheny
Bass : Dennis Parker
Keyboards : David Foster
Additional Piano : Jimmy Calire
Drums : Gary Mallaber
Percussion : Victor Feldman
Horns : Tower Of Power Horn Section (Arranged by Greg Adams)
Background vocals : Ned Doheny, Rosemary Butler, Fleming Williams & Brooks Hunnicutt
Horns arranged by Greg Adams

Produced by Steve Cropper

Lyrics

It’s a tricky situation
Hard to say just what the outcome will be
If you saw the riddle you can save your soul
Chase love’s shadows till the river’s running cold

Hey babe, get it up, get it up for love
Get it up, get it up for love, babe
Get it up, get it up for love

There’s a longing in the people
No one knows just when the heartaches will cease
You can free and tell her, you can stay and fight
You can stand in line and scream, “Hey, it’s just my
right”

Hey babe, get it up, get it up for love
Get it up, get it up for love, babe
Get it up, get it up for love

So, a smile, another fallin’ star
[Incomprehensible]
So until we find
Just put your hand in mine, oh yeah

It’s a tricky situation
Heaven knows just where the struggle must end
If it takes forever, I’d got the time above
I won’t desert you when the tables have turned

Hey babe, get it up, get it up for love
Get it up, get it up for love, babe
Get it up, get it up for love

Get it up, get it up for love, babe
Get it up, get it up for love
All the way for love, get it up all the way
Get it up all the way

written by Herbie Hancock, David Foster, Jay Graydon & Bill Champlin

Viktoria Tolstoy is a very talented Swedish jazz vocalist. She recently released an album entitled “Letters To Herbie” that’s a tribute to the artistry of jazz giant Herbie Hancock. Tolstoy and her producer Nils Landgren, a trombonist and singer extraordinaire, have assembled some of the brighter gems from Hancock’s amazing songbook.

They have delivered a heartfelt homage that’s an absolute joy to listen to from start to finish.

“Letters To Herbie” presents effective renditions of the masterpieces from the legendary jazz pianist’s career like “Tell Me A Bedtime Story” and “Naima,” but focuses mostly on the funk/jazz part of his career of the Seventies and Eighties. They include elegant covers of classics like “I Thought It Was You,” “Come Running To Me” and the enchanting “Chan’s Song” originally from the soundtrack of the movie “Round Midnight.” Tolstoy and Landgren also rediscovered a couple of fantastic songs from Hancock’s 1982 album “Lite Me Up.” One is a smooth funky/soul jam entitled “Give It All Your Heart” co-written with Rod Temperton, while the other is a perfect pop ballad coming from the gifted pens of David Foster, Jay Graydon and Bill Champlin called “Paradise.” Those three gentlemen co-wrote the track with Hancock and created a quality pop masterpiece. Foster would tell us years later: “Can you imagine that we got the great Herbie Hancock to sing a pop song? Not very nice of us, but we did a lot of crazy things back then.” Tolstoy’s covers both songs with amazing class, her vocals and the instrumental solos are impeccable with the support of some of Sweden ’s best jazz musicians while Landgren’s production is top notch. He’s usually involved as musician, band leader or producer with some of the best music coming from Northern Europe.

Kudos to Tolstoy and her team for this project that’s a must listen!

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/paradise.mp3|titles=Paradise|artists=Viktoria Tolstoy]

Vocals: Viktoria Tolstoy
Piano & Keyboards: Jakob Karlzon
Guitars: Krister Jonsson
Bass: Mattias Svensson
Drums: Rasmus Kihlberg
Backing Vocals: Nils Landgren

Produced & Arranged by Nils Landgren

Lyrics

Easy, to fill a lonely night
So easy
So hard to find the one
You tease me
Baby, when im in love with you

Kiss me once
Kiss me twice
Take a lonely girl 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 ypu know me,better
You`ll never forget my love

Kiss me once
Kiss me twice
Take a lonely girl to paradise
In my eyes
You will see

The love your looking for

You`re knowing
And not belive in when
What im showing
When this new romance
Between us can be growing
Just fall in love with me

Kiss me once
Kiss me twice
Take a lonely girl to paradise
In my eyes
You will see
The love, all that you need

All that you need…

written by Ned Doheny

In the Seventies, Ned Doheny was one of those rare and magnificent singers/songwriters who beautifully mixed the country/pop atmospheres of Jackson Browne and The Eagles with the funky/soul of Stevie Wonder and Bill Withers, enhanced with jazzy arrangements and top notch performances. Unfortunately, Doheny’s elegant music style went largely unnoticed in those days.

Yet, time was good to his material and some of his gems successfully resurfaced years later with renditions by stars like Chaka Khan, The Average White Band and George Benson. Doheny’s “To Prove My Love” is a perfect example.

“To Prove My Love” was originally included on Doheny’s 1978 album “Prone” and released as a single. Though initially neglected, “To Prove My Love” has become a mainstay on the UK dance scene. It is also a fixture on many radio programs and appears on numerous rare groove compilations. The song is a delicious, funky tune with an irresistible beat, tight horns, rhythm guitars and synths with vocals by Doheny with great help from two main ladies of the LA scene like Bonnie Raitt and Rosemary Butler. It’s really not a surprise that the producer of this funky/soul jam was the legendary Steve Cropper of Booker T. & The MG’s fame. Cropper enlisted some elite studio aces to play on the track, among them David Foster who’s all over the place with his effective synthesizer breaks.

Doheny’s solo career took a break after “Prone,” but he eventually rebounded with a few other records from the late Eighties to the new millennium. All his albums are quality music at its best and we strongly suggest you to check out his latest release entitled “The Darkness Beyond The Fire.” Like many great but unknown artists, Doheny’s music is difficult to find, yet absolutely worth the effort.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/to_prove_my_love.mp3|titles=To prove my love|artists=Ned Doheny]

Lead Vocal, Acoustic Guitar & Electric Guitar Solo: Ned Doheny
Electric Guitar: Ernie Corallo
Bass: Dennis Parker
Keyboards: Joey Carbone
Synthesizer: David Foster
Drums: Gary Mallaber
Percussion: Steve Forman
Trumpet: Steve Madaio & Chuck Findley
Tenor Saxophone: Quitman Dennis
Flute Solo: Jim Horn
Background Vocals: Ned Doheny, Bonnie Raitt, Fleming Williams & Rosemary Butler

Horn Arrangement by Ned Doheny, Steve Cropper & Chuck Findley
Produced by Steve Cropper

Lyrics

No Lyrics

Ned Doheny’s name is mostly known for his successful songwriting partnership with Hamish Stuart of Average White Band on hits like “A Love Of Your Own” and “Whatcha Gonna Do For Me.” Doheny also has a string of unknown but absolutely delicious albums as a recording artist in the best quality pop vein. After his 1973 self-titled debut that was devoted to acoustic country/pop clearly influenced by his close friendship with members of the Eagles, Doheny moved in the personal, fresh direction of sophisticated pop. “Hard Candy” and “Prone” were both released in the second half of the seventies and are a mix of the trademark west coast harmonies of the Eagles and America with the soul/jazz moods of his friends in Average White Band. Doheny’s acoustic guitar is the foundation of the material, played in a style close to Bill Withers or Bobby Womack. The music includes rich arrangements and performances built with smooth rhythms, guitars, keyboards plus strings and powerful horns.
Released in 1978, “Prone” is probably the best album of his whole career. The funky opener, “To Prove My Love,” sets the mood of the album. This groovin’ track is a real winner based on smoking’ drums, bass and horns, synthesizer breaks played by David Foster, plus the fabulous Bonnie Raitt on backing vocals. Foster also leaves his mark on the breezy pop ditty, “Guess Who’s Looking For Love Again,” with his acoustic piano on the frontline to beautifully underline the Latin-tinged melody. Additionally, his keys are a prominent element on the soulful ballad, “The Devil In You,” together with a lush string arrangement by Jimmie Haskell. This great record includes many other gems like “Funky Love” and “Think Like A Lover.” It was produced by the legendary Steve Cropper and features a who’s who of top session players including Jeff Porcaro, Joey Carbone, Chuck Findley and Mike Baird.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/archives/clips/guess_who_s_looking_for_love_again.mp3|titles=Guess who’s looking for love again|artists=Ned Doheny]

Lead Vocals & Acoustic Guitar: Ned Doheny
Keyboards: David Foster
Drums: Jeff Porcaro
Electric Guitar: Steve Cropper
Bass: Dennis Parker
Percussion: Steve Forman
Background Vocals: Ned Doheny, Bryan Garofalo, Fleming Williams, Steve Cropper
Strings & Horns arranged by Jimmie Haskell
Produced by Steve Cropper

Lyrics

I was a fool cause I fell for you
I should have known then you were too good to be true
I went the distance but you faded away
Sometimes I feel like I’m all alone

Guess who’s looking for love again
Guess who’s looking for love

Cooling your heels at a local dive
You’re a pistol
You make the place come alive
You’d like to linger
But you’re too long away
Sometimes you feel like a souvenir

Guess who’s looking for love again
Guess who’s looking for love

You said that you would never play the part
You had your own mind
You’d never lead with your heart
You came together
But you went home alone
Sometimes you feel like you’re overdue

Guess who’s looking for love again
Guess who’s looking for love