BYRNE & BARNES-AN EYE FOR AN EYE

Byrne & Barnes-An Eye For An Eye [1981]

1. An Eye For An Eye
2. Standby Lover
3. Crack The Whip
4. Keep On Running
5. One More Try For Love
6. Never Gonna Stop Lovin' You
7. Love You Out Of Your Mind
8. I'll Try A Little Everyday For You
9. Making Love For The First Time
10. Be My Baby
11. Right Through The Heart
12. That's The Way She Goes
13. Who's That Look In Your Eye?

In 1981, Robert Byrne followed up his 1979 album, Blame It On The Night, by hooking up with multi-instrumentalist Brendan Barnes and heading down to Muscle Shoals, Alabama to record this WestCoast classic. It features contributions from Steve Lukather, Andrew Gold, Lenny LeBlanc among others. My favorite tracks are Keep On Running & Never Gonna Stop Lovin' You. Neither recorded another album after this one, but both went on to produce others such as Patti Austin and Brian McKnight.

STEVIE WOODS-TAKE ME TO YOUR HEAVEN

Stevie Woods-Take Me To Your Heaven (1981)

1. Fly Away
2. Just Can't Win Em All
3. Take Me To Your Heaven
4. Steal The Night
5. Through The Years
6. Wanna Be Close To You
7. Read Between The Lines
8. Throw A Little Bit Of Love My Way
9. Gotcha

This was the debut album for vocalist Stevie Woods, who had Top 40 hits with Steal The Night & Just Can't Win Em All. The album features a multitude of West Coast players and even as a version of Through The Years, which became a hit for Kenny Rogers just a few months after this release.

THE CARPENTERS-MADE IN AMERICA

The Carpenters-Made In America (1981)

1. Those Good Old Dreams
2. Strength Of A Woman
3. (Want You) Back In My Life Again
4. When You Got What It Takes
5. Somebody's Been Lyin'
6. I Believe You
7. Touch Me When We're Dancing
8. When It's Gone
9. Beachwood 4-5789
10. Because We Are In Love (The Wedding Song)

This was the last album that the Carpenters released before Karen's death in 1983. It features their last Top 40 hit, Touch Me When We're Dancing which hit #16 as well as #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

PAUL DAVIS-COOL NIGHT

Paul Davis-Cool Night (1981)

1. Cool Night
2. You Came To Me
3. One More Time For The Lonely
4. Nathan Jones
5. Oriental Eyes
6. '65 Love Affair
7. Somebody's Gettin' To You
8. Love Or Let Me Be Lonely
9. What You Got To Say About Love
10. We're Still Together

This 1981 release was Paul Davis' last pop album but it spawned 3 Top 40 hits, Cool Night, Love Or Let Me Be Lonely & the Top 10 smash, '65 Love Affair. The LP reached #52 on the Billboard Album charts. Paul passed away earlier this year, but his legacy of smooth pop hits lives on.

more Paul Davis info

SNEAKER-SNEAKER

Sneaker-Sneaker (1981)

1. Don't Let Me In
2. More Than Just The Two of Us
3. One By One
4. Jaymes
5. In Time
6. Get Up Get Out
7. Looking For Someone Like You
8. Millionaire
9. No More Lonely Days
plus 4 bonus tracks...

This West Coast band formed in the mid 70's, taking their name from the Steely Dan song, Bad Sneakers. This was their first album, released on Handshake Records, and spawned the Top 40 hit, More Than Just The Two Of Us.

more Sneaker info