STUCK IN THE VINYL AGAIN - THE KIDS FROM "FAME' - SONGS

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Great Monday morning gang and welcome back to Stuck In The Vinyl Again. Not only is it Martin Luther King, Jr. day, it is also the 73rd Birthday of Houston, Texas native, actress, dancer, choreographer, singer-songwriter, director, producer, and former member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, Debbie Allen. Happy Birthday Debbie ! She was born in 1950 to parents Andrew Arthur Allen, an orthodontist and Vivian Allen, a  Pulitzer Prize-nominated artist, poet, playwright, scholar, and publisher and  is the younger sister of actress/director/singer Phylicia Rashad. Debbie is perhaps best known for the role of dance teacher Lydia Grant in the musical-drama television series Fame, which ran from 1982 to 1987. That show and it's offshoot musical act, The Kids From "Fame" is our subject of sound today. 

The show was produced by Eilenna Productions for MGM and based on the 19890 film of the same name. It followed the lives of the "Kids" at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts and starred Debbie Allen, Olivia Barash, Jesse Borrego, Loretta Chandler, Lee Curreri, Cynthia Gibb, Erica Gimpel, Albert Hague, Billy Hufsey, Carlo Imperato, Janet Jackson, Carol Mayo Jenkins, Valerie Landsburg,  Ann Nelson, Nia Peeples, Gene Anthony Ray, Lori Singer, and Ken Swofford. The success of the show brought about the formation of a musical recording and touring group called The Kids From "Fame" featuring cast members. In two years they dropped  7 LPs, but it is their 4th one, Songs, that is our focus today. It was released May 1983 on the RCA label and produced by Barry Fasman. It peaked at #73 in Australia, #17 in the Netherlands, #14 in the UK, #12 in Sweden, and #8 in New Zealand. "Body Language" (#76 UK) and the title track, "Songs" were released as singles. 

A1 Erica Gimpel– Be Your Own Hero
Written-By – Enid Levine
3:23

A2 Debbie Allen– Just Like You
Arranged By [Horns And Strings] – Tom Saviano
Vocals, Soloist – Oren Waters
Written-By – Jean Marie Arnold, Tom Saviano
3:33

A3 Debbie Allen & Albert Hague– There's A Train
Written-By – Henry Gaffney
3:28

A4 Lee Curreri & Debbie Allen– Could We Be Magic Like You
Cello – Lori Singer
Written-By – Lee Curreri
3:12

A5 Gene Anthony Ray– Lay Back And Be Cool
Guitar, Soloist – Richie Zito
Saxophone, Soloist – Ernie Watts
Written-By – Enid Levine
3:21

B1 Carlo Imperato & Erica Gimpel– Songs
Written-By – Dennis Scott 
3:13

B2 Debbie Allen– Body Language
Arranged By [Horns And Strings] – Tom Saviano
Guitar, Soloist – Michael Landau
Vocals, Soloist – Oren Waters
Written-By – Barry Fasman, Steve Sperry
3:17

B3 Valerie Landsburg– Beautiful Dreamer
Written-By – Jay Asher, Paul Jabara
3:20

B4 Debbie Allen– Dancing Endlessly
Vocals, Soloist – Oren Waters
Written-By – George Tiboni, Juli Davidson
3:20

B5 Erica Gimpel– Bet Your Life It's Me
Guitar, Soloist – Dean Parks
Written-By – Michael Cruz
3:30

Arranged By – Barry Fasman

Art Direction, Design – Bryant & Assoc., Tim Bryant 

Backing Vocals – Autumn Browne, Joseph Williams, Julia Waters Tillman, Kathy Burch, Luther Waters, Marti McCall, Maxine Waters Willard, Michael Cruz, Oren Waters

Bass – Andy Muson, Dennis Belfield, Nathan East, Neil Stubenhaus

Concertmaster – Sid Sharp

Coordinator [A&R] – Marge Meoli

Coordinator [Production] – April Suskin-Santarelli, Linda Gerrity

Drums – David Kemper, Ed Greene , Rick Shlosser, Steve Schaeffer, Vinnie Colaiuta

Engineer – Frank Wolf, John Arrias, John Mills , Mike Lietz, Stuart Graham

Executive-Producer – Charles Koppelman, Martin Bandier, William Blinn

Guitar – Buzzy Feiten, Dean Parks, Jeff Baxter, Michael Landau, Tim May

Keyboards, Synthesizer – David Garfield, Jai Winding, Lee Curreri, Michael Boddicker, Robbie Buchanan

Mastered By – Doug Sax

Mixed By – John Arrias

Percussion – Gary Coleman, Steve Forman

Photography By [Cover] – Ron Slenzak

Producer – Barry Fasman, Mel Swope