JOHNNY MATHIS - IF YOU BELIEVE (FROM “THE WIZ”)

OK, after years of unemployment and much aggravation, I finally got a full-time job! YAY! In celebration I’m going to post a super-duper-guilty-pleasure: Johnny Mathis’ version of the song “If You Believe,” from the musical “The Wiz.” I’ve liked Johnny Mathis since I was a kid…he’s probably my favorite crooner of Christmas music. And “The Wiz” is honestly one of my top 5 favorite musicals. (Ease on down, baby!) This song comes from a 70’s-era album I found of Johnny’s called “You Light Up My Life.” The title song is a cover of the Debbie Boone classic. Glorious cheesiness, indeed. He also does a cover of the Bee-Gee’s “How Deep Is Your Love” on that album. I know! Too much! You’ve gotta get it. LOL!!!

MICHAEL SEMBELLO - AUTOMATIC MAN (EXTENDED REMIX)

Michael Sembello is mostly well known for his song “Maniac,” which was used famously in the movie “Flashdance.” (He also did the theme song from the movie “Summer Lovers,” which I’ve posted previously on my blog.) His debut album “Bossa Nova Hotel” includes both “Maniac” and this song, of which I’m posting the 12” remix. (Note: The quiet intro on this mix is quite long.)

URTH - LAPTI NEK OVERTURE (FROM “RETURN OF THE JEDI”)

Here’s a Star Wars goodie that I didn’t know existed until I found it in a used bin. I am a big original trilogy Star Wars fan, so I was thrilled to find this. I’ve always loved “Lapti Nek,” which is the tune sung by Sy Snootles and the Max Rebo Band during the Jabba’s palace scene in “Return of the Jedi.” This song, unfortunately, was removed by George Lucas when he did his special edition of ROTJ and was replaced by a far inferior song called “Jedi Rocks.” I won’t go into detail about how awful that replacement song is or how terribly obnoxious and in your face the re-edited scene is. Not to mention the absurdity of the song title.

So anyway, back to this song. It comes from a 12” single by a band called Urth. Who exactly are Urth is a complete mystery. The vocals are sung by a man, as opposed to the original song’s female vocals. The name of the vocalist is Joseph Williams. I have no idea if he is related to John Williams, the composer of the Star Wars films (and this song). It is sung both in English and Huttese. It also incorporates part of the “Ewok Celebration” song into the mix. It’s a disco extravaganza and a great listen for old school Star Wars fans like me. ENJOY!

GIORGIO MORODER featuring PAUL ENGEMANN - REACH OUT (EXTENDED DANCE MIX)

Noted as the “Track Theme from The Official Music of the XXIIIrd Olympiad - Los Angeles 1984.”

Here’s a piece of Giorgio Moroder disco goodness. The vocals are by Paul Engemann, who was also lead singer for the one-hit-wonder (“Hanging on a Heart Attack”) 80’s band Device. This is the extended remix of the song that appears on the “soundtrack” to the 1984 Olympic Games. Also appearing on that soundtrack were Christopher Cross (swimming theme), Toto (boxing theme), Foreigner (marathon theme) & Loverboy (team sports theme), among others. Movie soundtracks were all the rage in the 80’s, so I’m not surprised an album like this exists. I can’t imagine them making an album for the Olympics nowadays. (Or maybe they still do and I’m not aware of it…) Paul Engemann worked with Giorgio Moroder on a few other singles, including the theme song to the film “Scarface.”

KRISTY & JIMMY MCNICHOL - HOT TUNES

I excitedly found a Kristy & Jimmy McNichol album in a dollar bin a few months back. I was a huge Kristy fan when I was a kid, primarily due to her performance in “The Pirate Movie” which was one of my favorite films. The cheese factor on this album is extensive. Some of the tracks are cover versions (like Kristy singing “My Boyfriend’s Back”) and some are original songs. I’ve decided to post my favorite track off the album, “Hot Tunes.” Miraculously, two original inserts that came with the album were still included in the copy I found in the bargain bin. I’ve attached photos of them below.