NOSTALGIC SONGS REDISCOVERED

Reach Out (Instrumental) by Craig Ruhnke

2013-07-04T03:35:00.000-04:00

Reach Out (Instrumental) is found on this one of the most hard to find albums of Craig Ruhnke below:

Artist: CRAIG RUHNKE

Album: REACH OUT

Record Label: IRVING - ALMO

Country: CANADA

Year: 1981

Track List:

A1 Reach Out

A2 Follow your Heart

A3 The First Time

A4 I Need You To Be There

A5 Baby Come Back

B1 You And I

B2 It Will Take Time

B3 Heartache

B4 Only Fools Fall In Love

B5 Tomorrow

B6 Reach Out(Reprise)

As of now, this album has never been released on CD.

So Far Away From Home LP by David Newman

2013-06-25T15:25:00.001-04:00

Finally, I found time to post this very rare album of David Newman where the songs So Far Away From Home and I Love You (Alright) was released...
Many thanks to DJNb and Cherry Anne for this very hard to find gem...

I Love You (Alright) by David Newman

Album: SO FAR AWAY FROM HOME
Artist: DAVID NEWMAN
Label: TOWER RECORDS
Year: 1984
Country: PHILIPPINES

Tracks:

Side One:
01. SO FAR AWAY FROM HOME
02. I LOVE YOU (ALRIGHT)
03. ONLY A DREAM
04. DON'T ASK ME WHY
05. IS THERE ANYONE THERE

Side Two:
01. REMEMBER THE BEST
02. I BELONG TO YOU
03. GOT YOU ON MY MIND
04. 'TIL TIME HAS NO END
05. ONCE AGAIN GOODBYE
- SO FAR AWAY FROM HOME (REPRISE)

All songs written by : WILLIAM STEWART MCCAMMON
Produced by: DAVID NEWMAN

The 7" single of the song So Far Away From Home by David Newman was already posted on my YouTube channel last Sept. 3, 2010:

You Got To Believe by Craig Ruhnke

2013-06-20T22:55:00.000-04:00

Just got this Craig Ruhnke single from Toronto....

Single: You Got To Believe / I Need You To Be There
Artist: CRAIG RUHNKE
Label: PINNACLE RECORDS

I Need You To Be There is already released on CD:

I Need You To Be There on CD

Acoustic Versions of Miles Away and How We Were Before by Colin Blunstone

2012-03-22T22:05:00.005-04:00

Miles Away (Acoustic Version) by Colin Blunstone. Featuring Rod Argent on piano:

How We Were Before (Acoustic Version) by Colin Blunstone. Featuring Rod Argent on piano:

Acoustic Versions of Miles Away and How We Were Before by Colin Blunstone is from this CD:

ALBUM : COLIN BLUNSTONE GREATEST HITS + PLUS CD
ARTIST: COLIN BLUNSTONE
LABEL : MYSTIC RECORDS
YEAR : 2006

TRACKS:
01. SAY YOU DON'T MIND
02. OLD AND WISE
03. CAROLINE GOODBYE
04. ANDORRA
05. I DON'T BELIEVE IN MIRACLES
06. SHE'S NOT THERE
07. TELL HER NO
08. TIME OF THE SEASON
09. WHAT BECOMES THE BROKEN HEARTED
10. TRACKS OF MY TEARS
11. DON'T FEEL NO PAIN
12. STILL BURNING BRIGHT
13. MILES AWAY
14. HOW WE WERE BEFORE

The original version of Miles Away by Colin Blunstone - http://youtu.be/TxAUylfwzmc

Come To My Life by Morris Albert

2012-03-01T01:26:00.006-05:00

Come To My Life by Morris Albert is found on this CD:

ALBUM TITLE : LOVER
Artist : MORRIS ALBERT
1999 SAAR SRL
Tracklist:
01. WAYS OF FIRE
02. WHERE IS THE LOVE OF THE WORLD
03. CHRISTINE
04. GOTTA GO HOME
05. GONNA LOVE YOU MORE
06. WOMAN
07. SWEET LOVING MAN
08. GIPSY
09. COME TO MY LIFE
10. THIS WORLD TODAY
11. FALLING TEARS
12. FALLING IN LOVE
13. ANGEL LADY
14. TAKES LIFE
15. I PROMISE YOU
16. LOVER
17. ONCE UPON A MAN
18. LEAVIN'N'STAIN'AROUND
19. CORNY LOVE

Then by Junior (Antonio Morales Junior)

2011-11-23T12:43:00.011-05:00

"Then" by Junior ( Antonio Morales Junior) is taken from EXCUSE ME LP released in 1974 by RCA VICTOR in BRAZIL. The song was composed by ANTONIO MORALES JUNIOR and SIMON NAPIER-BELL.

A Love Song Found On A Christmas CD

2010-12-26T16:28:00.003-05:00

Happy Holidays!!! Eventhough it's holiday, I still have to work...

This is not a Christmas song. This is a love song found on a Christmas CD... I Promise You by Kenny Rogers

Hope you will like it...

Love Comes Without Warning by America

2010-09-23T01:08:00.010-04:00

"Love Comes Without Warning" by America is one of the theme songs of the movie The Lonely Guy composed by Jerry Goldsmith with lyrics written by John Bettis. Produced by Matt McCauley Courtesy of Capitol Records

Album: The Lonely Guy Movie Soundtrack
Released by: MCA Records
Year Released: 1984
Country: USA

Love Comes Without Warning by America lyrics:

When life was just empty rooms
For company I'd talk to the moon
I danced along to my own song
That no one could hear

When nights were silent and dark
I'd lie in shadows, stare at the stars
The quiet voice that lifted my heart
Was always so clear
It told me...

The chance for love comes without warning
So don't stop looking for it
Yeah love comes without warning
So be ready for love

I dreamed it thousands of times
I even felt your skin touchin' mine
Sometimes you were so clear in my mind
I knew you were here
It kept me...

Believin' love comes without warning
So don't stop looking for it
Yeah love comes without warning
So be ready for love

Yours are the eyes
I have spent my life lookin' for
If they're not telling lies
You were lookin' for me

I wanna tell everyone
Who's waitin' in the dark for the sun
Before your chance in life is gone
You'll be in the light
Remember...

The chance of love comes without warning
So don't stop looking for it
Yeah love (always comes) comes without warning
So be ready for love

Your chance for love comes without warning
So don't stop looking for it
Yeah love (always comes) comes without warning
So be ready for love

Your chance for love comes without warning
So don't stop looking for it
Yeah love (always comes) comes without warning
So be ready for love

***
LINKS ABOUT THE MUSIC GROUP AMERICA:
AMERICA Official Website
America Fans Pages by Steve Lowry
America Fans Pages by Rich Campbell

Click this for the main theme of the movie: "Lonely Guy" by Max Carl

The Lonely Guy by Max Carl

2010-09-23T00:51:00.010-04:00

"Lonely Guy" by Max Carl is the theme song of the movie The Lonely Guy. The song was composed by Glenn Frey of the Eagles with lyrics by Jack Tempchin and was produced by Glenn Frey and Allan Blazek.

Album: The Lonely Guy Movie Soundtrack
Released by: MCA Records
Year Released: 1984
Country: USA

***

The Lonely Guy lyrics:

There's one lonely girl
Saturday night, nothing to do 
And there's one lonely guy
 All by himself at a table for two
And it's sad, because one lonely guy
 Might change the world for one lonely girl
 And life would be so sweet If only she could meet
 One lonely guy
(One lonely, one lonely, one lonely guy)

In a world like today
 So many times, even lovers are strangers 
They pass, but look away
 Keeping their hearts far out of danger
And it's sad, because one lonely guy
 Might change the world for one lonely girl 
And life would be complete
If only she could meet
 One lonely guy

****

Download the song here (from Glenn Frey's site): The Lonely Guy

About the movie:

The Lonely Guy is a 1984 Steve Martin romantic comedy film, written by Neil Simon and directed by Arthur Hiller.

Based on the book "The Lonely Guy's Book of Life" by Bruce Jay Friedman, Martin portrays Larry Hubbard, a greeting card writer who goes through a period of terrible luck with women. At the pit of his despair, Hubbard writes a book titled A Guide for the Lonely Guy, which is rampantly successful and catapults him into an entirely different experience of life.

The film also stars Charles Grodin, Judith Ivey and Steve Lawrence and features cameo appearances from Merv Griffin, Dr. Joyce Brothers, and Loni Anderson. One of the theme songs of the movie, "Love Comes Without Warning", was performed by America.

You Never Told Me You Loved Me by Gabriel

2010-09-11T08:12:00.011-04:00

Terry Lauber is the vocalist for Gabriel's lovely "You Never Told Me You Loved Me". Although this Frank Butorac-written song did not enjoy chart success in the US, it enjoyed considerable airtime in some Southeast Asian countries, which includes the Philippines.

For more information on "You Never Told Me You Loved Me", as well as the band Gabriel, I've posted an excerpt of Terry Lauber's e-mail to me below, with his permission:

-----

Oh and I was the vocalist on 'You Never Told Me You Loved Me'. The song was written by Frank Butorac, the other guitarist in Gabriel but as we were producing that first LP for ABC Dunhill records, it was decided that I should try my hand at the vocal. We had never performed the song before recording it for the album, so Frank didn't have much of a vocal on it. So I worked it out one evening in the studio and everyone liked it, so we kept it. Though we only performed the song a very few times live... don't know why, just never played and sang it much. It's certainly a lovely song and I've always been proud of my vocal performance on it. So, thanks for asking.

Gabriel was 'fronted' by myself as the primary lead vocalist. Frank Butorac was the songwriter of 'You Never Told Me You Loved Me' with me as the vocalist...

Prior to recording the third LP for Epic Records (and we had only 3 LPs total) Stacy Christenson left the group. Also, the song Martha, our most successful song in the US, charted at #73 'with a bullet' was one of my compositions not Frank Butorac's writing. Frank and I shared the writing duties for Gabriel, so it wasn't just a Frank Butorac project... Also as you will notice on the CDs both Frank and I also played piano and I played pedal steel guitar on numerous recordings as well.

And you're right about You never told me not being a good choice to play in American dance clubs. It just wasn't a good match so we never used the song much... though we all liked it a great deal. No offense taken on your remark about Americans and their musical tastes.

-----

"You Never Told Me You Loved Me" by Gabriel is taken from this album:(Image borrowed from http://www.terrylauber.com)

ALBUM: THIS STAR ON EVERY HEEL
ARTIST: GABRIEL
LABEL: ABC RECORDS
Year Released: 1975
Country: USA

"You Never Told Me You Loved Me" by Gabriel is also released on CD as part of the remastered 3 LPs onto a double CD set.

To purchase the CD set and for more info about Gabriel, please visit: http://www.terrylauber.com/gabriel.htm

Many thanks to Terry Lauber for being so patient and very accomodating on answering my e-mails.

Here's the song "Little Darling" from the same album:

We Could Have It All by Maureen McGovern

2010-09-02T20:48:00.001-04:00

"We Could Have It All" by Maureen McGovern was the love theme from the Universal Picture "The Last Married Couple In America". The song was composed by Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox:

45 rpm Single: We Could Have It All
Label: Warner
Year Released: 1980
Produced by Michael Lloyd for Mike Curb
Arranged by John D' Andrea
Country: Philippines

Only All The Time by Phoebe Cates + Paradise on CD

2010-09-01T22:50:00.015-04:00

"Only All The Time" by Phoebe Cates can be found on this album:

Album: Paradise
Artist: Phoebe Cates
Label: CBS Sony
Year Released: 1982
Country: Japan

Another song from this album is "Paradise" by Phoebe Cates:

"Paradise" by Phoebe Cates is also found on this CD:

CD: One Shot 1982 (2 CD Compilation)
Various Artists
Label: Universal Music
Year Released: 2005
Country: Italy

Click on these links for other songs of Phoebe Cates:
Moving Moments
It Always Used To Be That Way

Rainbow Connection by Dana Valery

2010-08-31T01:09:00.014-04:00

"Rainbow Connection" is a popular song written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher and originally performed by Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson) in The Muppet Movie in 1979.

As far as I am concerned, the version of "Rainbow Connection" by Dana Valery is the best. But, this version was not mentioned in Wikipedia as one of the covers of this song:

About Dana Valery:
Dana Valery (born 1944 in Milan, Italy) (also known as Dana Valery Catalano) is a singer, actress and television performer who started her career in the entertainment industry at the age of 16 in Johannesburg, South Africa where her family had immigrated from Italy in 1952. She has performed on television, radio, Broadway and in live concert performances worldwide, including major cities such as New York, London, Monte Carlo, Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Johannesburg. She is the sister of singer Sergio Franchi.

Another song that I posted earlier is "I Gave You My Love" by Dana Valery:

For more info click on this link: I Gave You My Love

OCTOBER 10, 2010 UPDATE:
To Bongs.11: You are right! "Rainbow Connection" by Dana Valery is released thru Atlantic label in the Philippines but if you noticed the small print, Scotti Brothers is still behind the production of this record:

Thanks Bongs.11!

Other Songs From Save The Dancer LP of Gene Cotton

2010-08-28T00:16:00.002-04:00

The album:

The other songs:

"Going Through The Motions Of Love" by Gene Cotton:

"She's Sweet, She's Somebody" by Gene Cotton:

I Need You by The Euclid Beach Band on CD

2010-08-26T02:58:00.003-04:00

"I Need You" by The Euclid Beach Band is an original composition of Eric Carmen. I got this song from their self titled CD released in Japan:

CD: The Euclid Beach Band
Artist: The Euclid Beach Band
Label: Epic
Released: 1979
Country: Japan

About The Euclid Beach Band from allmusic.com:

Tongue-in-cheek Cleveland surf-pop combo the Euclid Beach Band was founded in 1978 by Scene magazine staffers Rich Reising and Jim Girard, the former a onetime guitarist in Eric Carmen's backing band Magic. The group's debut single "There Is No Surf in Cleveland" -- the title, a quote from an unreleased Carmen song, seemed particularly meaningful during the brutal winter of 1977/78 -- was recorded with the aid of vocalists John Hart and Pete Hewitt as well as assorted local musicians; when the Euclid Beach Band announced their intentions to donate all proceeds from the novelty song to Cleveland-area charities, the record received considerable media exposure, and quickly sold out its original 10,000-copy pressing. Its success landed the group a contract with the Cleveland International label, and with Carmen tapped as producer, the Euclid Beach Band travelled to New York City to begin work on their debut LP; recorded with a number of ace session players, the project soon went well over budget, and although the single "I Need You" cracked the Top 100 in 1979, the self-titled album was nevertheless poorly received and the band dissolved in 1980.

It's Wrong For Me To Love You by Pia Zadora

2010-08-25T03:51:00.006-04:00

For collectors of songs, it is very important for us to get the original version of the songs that we are looking for. What if the original version is not really the one we think it is ?

Album Version:
Many think that this album version of Pia Zadora's "It's Wrong For Me To Love You" is the original one:

Album: Pia
Artist: Pia Zadora
Label: Elektra
Year Released: 1982
Country: USA

Most of the YouTube videos I viewed featuring this song mention that the album version is the same as the soundtrack version, but it is not. Instead, Pia Zadora's LP contains only the album version of the song.

Soundtrack Version:
"It's Wrong For Me To Love You" by Pia Zadora, the original version was featured in the soundtrack of the movie Butterfly:

The above soundtrack version of the song is from this CD:

Album: Butterfly (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Music composed and conducted by Ennio Morricone
Label: Dagored
Year Released: 2008
Country: Italy

Does anyone know if the album version of "It's Wrong For Me To Love You" by Pia Zadora has ever been released on CD?

Urban Breeze In Love CD of Craig Ruhnke

2010-08-23T09:19:00.016-04:00

Last June 21, 2010, an eBay collector (not me) won this mega rare Urban Breeze In Love CD of Craig Ruhnke.
Just click on the images below if you want to see the details more clearly:

Urban Breeze In Love CD
Teichuku Records
1985 Japan

01. You Are My Inspiration
02. True Love
03. One Love
04. Just Like Falling In Love Again
05. You're All That I Need
06. I Can't Live Without Your Love
07. Nancy Jane
08. Baby Blue
09. Reach Out
10. Keep The Flame
11. I Need You To Be There
12. My Heart Belongs To You
13. Somebody To Love
14. Two Hearts

If you were not able to get the CD, the tracks from Urban Breeze In Love CD can also be found on Craig Ruhnke's other albums anyway:

Track 01: You Are My Inspiration can be found on Keep The Flame LP, Just Like The Old Times LP and on Craig Ruhnke Collection CD

Track 02: True Love can be found on Keep The Flame LP and True Love LP

Track 03: One Love can be found on Keep The Flame LP and True Love LP

Track 04: Just Like Falling In Love Again can be found on Just Like The Old Times LP

Track 05: You're All That I Need can be found on Keep The Flame LP, Just Like The Old Times LP and on Craig Ruhnke Collection CD

Track 06: I Can't Live Without Your Love can be found on Just Like The Old Times LP and on Craig Ruhnke Collection CD

Track 07: Nancy Jane can be found on Keep The Flame LP, True Love LP and on Craig Ruhnke Collection CD

Track 08: Baby Blue can be found on Keep The Flame LP, Just Like The Old Times LP and on Craig Ruhnke Collection CD

Track 09: Reach Out can be found on Reach Out LP, Just Like The Old Times LP and on Craig Ruhnke Collection CD

Track 10: Keep The Flame can be found on Keep The Flame LP, True Love LP and on Craig Ruhnke Collection CD

Track 11: I Need You To Be There can be found on The Craig Ruhnke Band LP, Reach Out LP, Just Like The Old Times LP and on Craig Ruhnke Collection CD

Track 12: My Heart Belongs To You can be found on Just Like The Old Times LP

Track 13: Somebody To Love can be found on True Love LP

Track 14: Two Hearts can be found on Keep The Flame LP and True Love LP

With regards to the Craig Ruhnke CD released in Canada, these are the songs from this CD that you can't find on other Craig Ruhnke's albums including the Urban Breeze In Love CD:

Summer In The Sun
South Sea Island
Love's A Celebration
Good, Good Times (All Summer Long)
Hold Me Now
A Lighthouse In The Storm

For more info on the other Craig Ruhnke's albums mentioned, click on the links below:

Keep The Flame LP
Just Like The Old Times LP or
Just Like The Old Times LP Japan
True Love LP
The Craig Ruhnke Band LP
Reach Out LP

Craig Ruhnke Collection Volume 1 CD

I Think Of You by Susan Cowsill

2010-08-18T21:33:00.009-04:00

One of the most elusive songs that I wanted to have for so many years is finally found. "I Think Of You" by Susan Cowsill is one of the songs that I always requested on the radio while I was in college.

Though a "friend" of Susan Cowsill's was kind enough to give me the mp3, I did not stop looking for the single. I give him my sincerest thanks. I hope that one day, I will get Susan Cowsill's autograph on vinyl.

"I Think Of You" by Susan Cowsill is an original composition of Sixto Rodriguez.

45 rpm Single: I Think Of You/The Next Time That I See You
Artist: Susan Cowsill
Label: Warner Bros. Records USA
Year Released: 1977
Country: Philippines

For updates on Susan Cowsill go here: SUSAN COWSILL OFFICIAL SITE

Check this out:

It's Been Such A long Time by Craig Ruhnke

2010-08-18T13:58:00.009-04:00

"It's Been Such A Long Time" by Craig Ruhnke appears on these albums:

Keep The Flame LP (where it appears as "A Long Time" track)

True Love LP

For more info, click on the album titles above.

Neither One Of Us by Jim Weatherly

2010-08-18T10:13:00.007-04:00

Besides "Loving You Is Just An Old Habit", "Neither One of Us" by the composer himself Jim Weatherly is also found on this album:

Album: WEATHERLY
Released: 1972
Label: RCA Victor
Catalog# LSP-4747

01 Loving You Is Just An Old Habit
02 The Prince, the Cowboy and Me
03 Mississippi Song
04 Between His Goodbye and My Hello
05 Finer Things in Life
06 Midnight Plane to Houston
08 All That Keeps Me Going
09 Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)
10 Once in a Lifetime Thing
11 Ole Kentucky Moon

About Jim Weatherly:

Singer/songwriter Jim Weatherly's best known songs were million-selling hits by Gladys Knight and the Pips "Midnight Train to Georgia," "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)," and "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me." He also had a Top 20 pop hit with "The Need to Be."

Stay With Me by John Schneider

2010-08-17T03:49:00.009-04:00

"Stay With Me" by John Schneider is composed by Eric Carmen and it is from his Now Or Never Album that I posted earlier:

Album: Now Or Never
Artist: John Schneider
Label: Scotti Brothers Records
Year Released: 1981
Country: Japan

Tracks:
01. It's Now Or Never
02. Them Good Ol' Boys Are Dead
03. Stay With Me (written by Eric Carmen)
04. Let Me Love You (written by Fred Knoblock)
05. Still
06. 34 In Atlanta
07. Falling In Love With You
08. The Next Time (written by Jim Weatherly)
09. Stay (written by G. Sklerov, P. Threlfall and M. Holden)
10. You Could Be The One Woman

For the popular song "Stay" by John Schneider, here it is:

Moving Moments by Phoebe Cates

2010-08-17T03:44:00.006-04:00

Another song from Paradise LP which got my attention is "Moving Moments" by Phoebe Cates. It maybe a weak song but by just seeing her angelic face on her album will really get you to listen to her songs.

Album: Paradise
Artist: Phoebe Cates
Label: CBS Sony
Year Released: 1982
Country: Japan

Tracks:
01. Lemonade Kisses
02. My Little World
03. Son Of A Preacher Man
04. Moving Moments
05. Theme From "Paradise" (Instrumental Version)
06. Theme From "Paradise"
07. It Always Used To Be That Way
08. Only All The Time
09. Feels So Good (Feels So Right)

We're Two Lucky People by Craig Ruhnke

2010-08-15T09:48:00.010-04:00

While listening to my personal CD-R copy (the back up copy of the original album that I have) of Sweet Feelings LP last night in my car, I found out that "We're Two Lucky People" by Craig Ruhnke is one the songs from the album that deserves to be heard again and again.

Here is info about the album including its back cover :

Album: Sweet Feelings
Artist: Craig Ruhnke
Label: UA Records
Year Released: 1975
Country: Canada
Produced And Arranged by Craig Ruhnke

Tracks:

I Need My Woman's Love
Sweet Feelin'
Turn The Lights Down Low
We're Two Lucky People
Most Peculiar Way
The Key
Summer Girl
You're The One
My World
Lonely Man
Baby We Can Make It

(I'm Livin' In) The Shadow Of Your Memory by Gary S. Paxton

2010-08-14T23:38:00.009-04:00

It was over 10 years ago when I got a copy of the song "(I'm Livin' In) The Shadow Of Your Memory" by Gary Paxton from a burned CD-R that was sold to me by a middleman from SM Las Pinas.

This, however, did not stop me from getting its single. It took me more than 8 years of searching before I finally found one:

45rpm Single: (I'm Livin' In) The Shadow Of Your Memory
Artist: Gary S. Paxton
Label: RCA Records
Year Released: 1973
Country: USA
Produced and Arranged by Danny Davis and Gary S. Paxton

The song appeared at the back cover of the March 1973 issue of BM Music Magazine 3:
(Please click on the images below to make it larger)

At the moment, no additional information is found about Gary S. Paxton.

Many thanks to matt65ph for remastering the audio. An expert of the Manila classic hits of the 60's and 70's, matt65ph is on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/matt65ph

Very Special Love by Michael Lloyd (1981)

2010-08-12T20:04:00.005-04:00

This one is from my TRUEMC colleague Derf. He told me a couple months ago that the composer of "Very Special Love" by Maureen McGovern has his own version of the song. The composer is Michael Lloyd who is a member of the trio Cotton, Lloyd and Christian of the song "I Don't Know Why You Love Me". Thanks to you Derf.

From this album, I got the song "Very Special Love" by Michael Lloyd:

Album: Gift
Artist: Michael Lloyd
Label: Mike Curb Records
Year Released: 1981
Country: Japan

Tracks:
I Go To Pieces
Afraid To Love
Very Special Love
Take Love If Ever You Find Love
Let Me Love You
Love Is Here(That's Summertime)
Take Me In
Only Because Of Love
Don't Play With The One Who Loves You
Lullaby

About Michael Llloyd:

Michael Lloyd was in an American pop group called “West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band”, for Michael Lloyd it was only the beginning of an extraordinarily successful musical career which has, to date, netted him over one hundred gold and platinum records. After becoming the Vice President of A & R at MGM records, aged 20, in the fall of 1969, Michael achieved his first major hit producing Lou Rawls' single 'A Natural Man', winning himself a Grammy in the process. After forming his own band Friends, along with two Australians Darryl Cotton (ex-Zoot and Oz rock band) and Steve Kipner (ex-Tin Tin), Michael recorded an LP in 1973 only to see it pulled by MGM when he and Mike Curb left the label. As 'Friends', they produced a few singles including 'Gonna Have A Good Time' and 'Would You Laugh?' The album was considered to be soft pop rock, and had a lot going on for it as far as production, vocals, and instruments. Unperturbed he went on to record two further albums under the guise of Cotton, Lloyd and Christian. However, he soon discovered that his strength lay in producing and composing for others, most notably those toothsome Mormon siblings the Osmonds (including their 'experimental' 'Crazy Horses' period and Donny's solo career), as well as other teen heart-throbs like Shaun Cassidy and Leif Garrett. His greatest achievement in commercial terms came with the 1987 film 'Dirty Dancing', for which he acted as musical supervisor as well as producing and co-writing much of the music.