robert palmer Archives - Vinyl From The Vault

The Power Station “The Power Station”

sfilzen — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 19:50:26 +0000

The Power Station “The Power Station” released 35 years ago today, March 25th, 1985. The rock/funk/new wave super group/Duran Duran side project was the collaboration between John Taylor and Andy Taylor of DD2, Chic’s drummer Tony Thompson and blue-eyed soul singer Robert Palmer. I bought The Power Station about 5 seconds after it was released (Duran Duran were my everything in ‘85) and so did just about everyone else; it went to #6 in the US and #12 in the UK with three hit singles. Those three tracks are definitely my favorite on the LP – “Some Like It Hot” was Power Station’s lead single (#6 US) and its massive beats and funky-ass bass are just amazing. The second single, “Bang a Gong (Get It On)” went to #9 in the US and #22 in the UK (and man, does John play that fuckin’ bass). It is, of course, a cover of T. Rex’s 1971 hit single “Get It On” (#1 UK). I’m almost embarrassed now to admit that Power Station’s version was the first time I heard this song but I was born the year that T. Rex’s version came out so that’s a pretty good excuse. The final single was “Communication” (#34 US, #75 UK) – the weakest of the three, but still pretty great. What I love about these three tracks, plus others like “Murderess,” is that Andy finally gets to rock out with wild abandon, throwing in classic/heavy metal guitar riffs and solos everywhere possible while John goes all-in funkster on the bass. There was a lot of strife in Duran Duran at the time (mostly fueled by drug and alcohol issues) and the break was good for both factions. Though I will always prefer the Simon-Nick-Roger side project of Arcadia because they still sounded like Duran Duran. Power Station was a whole new sound and introduced teenage me to Chic, T. Rex and other musicians I probably wouldn’t have noticed otherwise.

The post The Power Station “The Power Station” appeared first on Vinyl From The Vault.

The Power Station “The Power Station 331/3″

sfilzen — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 14:34:31 +0000

The Power Station “The Power Station 331/3″ released on this date, March 25th, 1985. This is the second copy I’ve owned, purchased just a week after the first one, which was in June of ‘85 while in Los Angeles for a family reunion. My first copy melted in the trunk of the rental car while we were at Disneyland. (It was the day after I hung out in Anaheim with my up-to-then unmet Duranie pen pal – pen pals were the thing in the 80′s – Tygger, obviously a John fan, and we got along famously, spending the evening watching Duran videos and talking about our love for the band.) I think the only difference was that the original had a black and white photo of the band on the back cover; this copy’s photo is in color.

Funky rock-n-roll with a disparate group of musicians: Duran Duran’s John Taylor plays that fuckin’ bass, likely giddy with pleasure working with Chic’s drummer Tony Thompson, D2′s Andy Taylor finally gets to shred on guitar (you can hear the rockin’ glee during solos like on “Murderess”), and ultra-suave blue-eyed soulman Robert Palmer cooly singing above it all (his breathiness style particularly prevalent on “Lonely Tonight”). The released singles did well on the charts: “Some Like It Hot” made it to #6 in the US and #14 in the UK and “Get It On (Bang a Gong),” a T.Rex cover, hit #9 in the US and #22 in the UK. “Communication” faired a bit less successful, making it to #34 in the US and #75 in the UK.

The post The Power Station “The Power Station 331/3″ appeared first on Vinyl From The Vault.

The Power Station “Get It On”

sfilzen — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 15:33:00 +0000

The Power Station “Get It On” b/w “Go To Zero” 1985. Today, February 16th, is Power Station and Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor’s birthday (b. 1961). Since I’ve already blogged about the only solo Andy Taylor vinyl I own (the 45 of “Take It Easy”), the excellent Power Station cover of T. Rex’s “Get It On” will have to do.

T. Rex’s original single from 1971 was retitled in the US to “Bang a Gong (Get It On)” and it reached #1 in the UK and #10 in the US. Power Station’s version made it to #9 in the US and #22 in the UK. Andy’s guitar solo is absolute killer. The B-side, “Go To Zero,” is more 80′s smooth, with plenty of horns, a few power guitar licks for accent, a sexy John Taylor bass line and ultra-suave Robert Palmer vocals.

The post The Power Station “Get It On” appeared first on Vinyl From The Vault.

The Power Station “Some Like It Hot”

sfilzen — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 21:12:03 +0000

The Power Station “Some Like It Hot” 1985. 45 rpm b/w “The Heat Is On” (instrumental version of “Some Like It Hot”). Their debut single, it reached #6 on the Billboard charts in the US and #14 in the UK. Named after The Power Station recording studio, they were one of my favorite supergroups of the 80′s, featuring Duran Duran’s John Taylor and Andy Taylor, plus Robert Palmer and Chic’s Tony Thompson and Bernard Edwards. The video is very 80′s weird: neon makeup, leggings and graphics, John and Andy in quasi-western gear (seriously – a bolo tie, John?), a woman shaving her pits, Robert Palmer in priest’s vestments. But it’s funky and suave and rocking and will heat you up.

The post The Power Station “Some Like It Hot” appeared first on Vinyl From The Vault.