Second in a series. To be considered a "chart scraper" album, an artist must have had only one album make the Cash Box 200 album chart* during the years 1976-85. Said album spent no more than two weeks on the chart, placing no higher than 196. They're all new to me.
The Time is Right
| Released: 1975 (Capitol) Produced by: David D. Cavanaugh & Lettermen |
| Side One | Side Two |
|---|---|
| If You Feel the Way I Do Love Won't Let Me Wait When Will I See You Again Lines Wait for Me |
Thank You Girl Love Me Like a Stranger Love Will Keep Us Together Going Home Send in the Clowns |
| Week | Position |
| January 3, 1976 | 200 |
| January 10, 1976 | 199 |
click photos to enlarge
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What you'd expect from a Lettermen album - lots of covers, close vocal harmonies. Mantovani string arrangements. The group changed personnel over the years, but the lineup for this album was Gary Pike, Donny Pike, and Tony Butala. As you'll read, my thoughts on the album went from bad to good to worse in only a 30 minute time span:
My thoughts on first listen (yes, this has just been added to my vinyl collection - see what I do for you people?).
Side 1 - My grandmother would have loved this back in the '70s...Don't ruin Major Harris for me, guys...Two soul classics in a row...That's a shame...You know, they sound a lot like The Association...I'm digging the harmonies.
Side 2 - "Thank You Girl" is the best effort yet; now we're getting somewhere...That's not half-bad soft rock...What language are they butchering now?..."Love Will Keep Us Together"????...Wonder what Sedaka thinks about this arrangement?...Is that a banjo?...NO, anything but "Send In the Clowns"...I'm done.
Official website
Wikipedia
Discogs
*Cash Box chart information was taken from the book The Cash Box Album Charts, 1976-1985 (Scarecrow Press, 1987)
Mark, I can see why it only spent two weeks on the charts. Yikes! I love a good cover but those were not found here.
ReplyDeleteI usually don't post negative comments as I am not that kind of person but...
ReplyDeleteThis is music with all the passion drained ("light arrangements") and rough edges sanded down ("tight vocal harmonies"). This takes talent I cannot beging to appreciate, an extension of Pat Boone's covering early rock n roll hits, rendering them safe for teens everywhere.
Not even my dear departed grandmothers would have tolerated this music for long and one of them truly believed that rock n roll was the Devil's music. As was country, bluegrsss and soul. Basically anything not sung in her church.
Somebody somewhere obviously loves The Lettermen though as they are still touring ('over 10,000 sold out shows" according to their website) and putting out albums with one original seventy-five year old founding member.