Thursday, March 07, 2013

DAN HILL - Love In The Shadows [Japan CD version] (1984)

WHAT IF 1987 Tommy Funderburk
Re-posted as requested. Hard to find album and even more in its CD version. Get it while it's hot, it won't be featured again.

Renowned singer-songwriter Daniel Hill born in Ontario, Canada, of US parents. He studied guitar in his teens, leaving high school at 17 to work as a songwriter for RCA.
Through his career has won a Grammy, five Canadian Junos, five SOCAN Awards for outstanding radio airplay, six ASCAP Awards and one BMI Award for airplay in the USA.

As solo artist is mostly known by smooth L.A WestCoast hits, but around 1983 he couldn't resist the sound that was ruling the airwaves.
"Love In The Shadows" is his more AOR, 'hip' album to date. The title track is a nifty, radiable poppish AOR tune with clean guitars and compressed drums. "Helpless" is another AORish tune adorned with quirky keyboards, a truly '84 'soundtrack - type' song.
You can't deny the quality of the syruped ballad "In Your Eyes". Cheesy, yes, but awesome. Next, "Just In Time" is an infectious pop in the Alan Gorrie or Adrian Gurvits mood. The WestCoast / AOR ballad "You Pulled Me Through" contains the greatest Hill's vocal performance on this album. Deep and emotional.

The AC (Adult Contemporary) AOR "Where You Gonna Run To" is pure class, followed by "Something Ain't Right" were Dan sounds like AOR masters Maxus. "Don't Know Where It Comes From" is a wonderful and inspired ballad focused on electric piano and filled with ethereal synth orchestrations.
"Thru To You" ups the tempo again, a great keyboard driven AOR track, simple but effective, in the Little River Band style. Last track, the slow "Old Lady Song" features another inspired performance by Hill, with real strings in the background.
As bonus, I've added the 1994 version of "In Your Eyes" (duet with Rique Franks). This song became an international smash hit for George Benson, also to Jeffrey Osborne whom recorded his own version in 1986.

WHAT IF 1987 Tommy Funderburk
"Love In The Shadows" obviously, it's on the lightweight side of the AOR genre. Production as usual on Dan Hill albums is top notch, and the musicians involved done their job with class.
"Love In The Shadows" is real hard to find, as never has been released in the USA. Even more rare is this Japanese-only CD version.
A collector's item.

01 - Love In The Shadows
02 - Helpless
03 - In Your Eyes
04 - Just In Time
05 - You Pulled Me Through
06 - Where You Gonna Run To
07 - Something Ain't Right
08 - Don't Know Where It Comes From
09 - Thru To You
10 - Old Lady Song
11 - In Your Eyes (duet with Rique Franks) [bonus]

Lead and Backing Vocals, Keyboards – Dan Hill
Guitar – Neil Chapman, Mike Francis
Guitar, Keyboards – John Lewis Parker
Keyboards – John Sheard
Bass – Tom Sczcesniak
Drums – Jørn Anderson
Drums [Steel] – Dick Smith (4)
Percussion – Dick Smith
Strings – Dick Armin
Backing Vocals, Piano – John Sheard



DAN HILL Love In The Shadows CDrip
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