Customer Reviews

The Very Best of Change

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As a researcher of the music empire of Jacques Fred Petrus Change was the crown jewel in that empire that also included other great acts like The B. B. & Q. band, High fashion and Peter Jacques band. Let's start with a brief history of the band that could be nice to have before buying this record.

It all started in Italy in 1979 when the Guadeloupe born businessman and (executive) producer Jacques Fred Petrus (1949-1987) and his closest companion, the Italian mastermind musician Mauro Malavasi, decided to launch a new band after working together a couple of years (formed Goody Music Records around 1975). They decided to call their new project Change and released the debut album in 1980. The album became highly successful including five Grammy awards.

Right from the start Change was a merge between Europe and U.S.A. as Petrus and Malavasi used Italian musicians (Mauro Malavasi, Davide Romani and Paulo Gianolio among others) and American vocalists (Luther Vandross, Diva Gray and later James "Crabs" Robinson and Timmy Allen for example). It was the efforts of Luther Vandross on the debut album that made him one of the biggest names in soul music a couple of years later.

From the beginning Change was just a studio concept though, with several "Change" touring around America, but in 82 they got a more solid band structure. A studio concept or not Change made some really strong albums between 1980-1984 but after a poor release in 1985 they split up and Change was history. Jacques Fred Petrus was sadly murdered in 1987 at his home in his native country of Guadeloupe after an argument outside his club in Saint-Anne that got out of hand. Mauro Malavasi however, is today a successful songwriter and producer in Italy that been producing Andrea Bocceli and other great singers.

This lovely and brilliant CD, recorded in a superb and professional way with some generous liner notes, covers a tasteful mix of tracks from all their albums between 1980 and 1985, from the early disco influenced albums to the later much more R&B influenced ones. You can for example hear "A lover's holiday" and "Searching" from 1980, the smooth dance track "Hold tight" and Chic-like "Paradise" from 1981, the slick dance gem "The very best in you" from 1982 and the Jam/Lewis hits of "Change of heart" and "You are my melody" from 1984 (one of the best albums that year by the way).

The only downside is that the three tracks from the 1980 debut album are not full album versions, just single versions. Luckily though the rest of the tracks are full album versions. Despite that mistake this CD gives nonetheless an excellent introduction to Change for the never-heard-of-it persons and a comprehensive collection of their best music for the already convinced ones. But even if you like dance music the slightest little bit, try it out, you wont be disappointed!

Music is a universal language of peace!

This is a wonderful collection of songs from Change and it's about time they had a "Greatest Hits" released as they certainly did release great hits back in the day. It's easy to take your pick here really as ALL the tracks are that good! From the early days when Luther fronted the group to their later releases featuring James "Crabs" Robinson, Deborah Cooper and Rick Brennan. My favorite track is "Hold Tight" which has a haunting chorus and superbly executed, we're talking high quality music here folks! And I'm also referring to the fact that not only is the singing remarkable but also the music itself speaks volumes of the high musicianship that were always so evident on all their albums. Nuff said, other highlights for me are of course the late chart hit "Change Of Heart" which in a way paved the way for Jam & Lewis. It's also great to see the lesser known tracks such as "Don't Wait Another Night" which did chart back in the Summer of 1983 and the vibrant "You Are My Melody". I don't have anymore to say except, go and BUY IT NOW you won't regret it. On a positive note, it's reassuring to know that the Japanese know quality music when they see it as they released "Miracles", "Sharing Your Love" and "Change Of Heart" on CD back in 2000. However, there is a new US release on its way (November 19) which contains both "Miracles" and "Change Of Heart". It would be nice to see those other 2 that are still missing in CD format, "This Is Your Time" and "Turn On Your Radio" to be finally released on CD as well.

Many may have considered Change to be a clone of Chic. Granted, there are some similiarities: both featured dynamic bass lines in their music; they were fronted by mostly studio singers; they both had their time in the spotlight during the late 70's and early 80's. However, Change did score on the charts with some significant dance tunes.

"A Lover's Holiday," the group's debut single, is a very danceable tune that fits nicely with the current crop of pop hits. "Searching" and "The Glow of Love" benefit immensely from the vocals of the then-unknown Luther Vandross.

My favorite selections are the dynamic "Paradise," "Change of Heart," and "Turn On Your Radio."

The only regret is that Rhino chose not to include the tune "Stop for Love," a gem that is beautifully sung and orchestrated.

As compilation producer and the person who came up with the concept of a domestic Change hits CD, I would like to defend my decision to put only the short single versions of the first 3 songs on this album. "A Lover's Holiday", "Searching" and "The Glow Of Love" are the short single versions because the long, original versions are readily available on CD on the first Change album "The Glow Of Love" which at the time was the only Change album available on CD.

I made this decision because Rhino would not let me do a 2 CD set because they thought that it would not sell at that price point. So to get the ORIGINAL LONG VERSIONS of ALL the other songs, at the time not available on CD, on a single CD I chose to use the single versions of the 3 songs from the debut album.

Here are the liner notes from inside the CD which I wrote for this release:

THE VERY BEST OF CHANGE
It was May of 1980. I was in San Francisco at the tourist trap Fisherman's Wharf with my high school German language class in my junior year. While the rest of the kids were walking around soaking up the smell of boiling crabs and a bay breeze, I was sneaking away to Tower Records at Columbus & Bay. When I walked in, I heard the most amazing music. All of the people working at the counter were grooving to the beat and quite excited about this new record they had just got in a few minutes earlier. I stood there in the middle of the store in amazement, soaking up the funky bass, soulful vocals, and a groove that sho' nuff wanted to make my body move. But as a shy 16 year old boy from Turlock, a farming town 100 miles east of the big city, I was hesitant to ask what was playing on the stereo. Finally, I got up the courage to ask someone and the dancing Tower employee gleefully held up the most beautiful album cover I had ever seen and said " It's Change - they're hot!" I proceeded to ask what asile would find a copy. The records were not yet out of the boxes, but he went in back and brought me out a copy. Since it was the record currently playing, he gave me the sale price. Boy, was I excited! I just got the hottest dance music from the city to bring home so my best friend Lauren Camarata and I could practice our Latin Hustle and Bus Stop in her parent's living room!

During the bus ride home everyone was asking what was in the big yellow Tower Records bag. I proceeded to show them the stark white album cover with the orange and black abstract shapes. "What's that" they asked. "Change - the hottest new disco record" I replied. "Never heard of them" was the usual response. This didn't surprise me. If it wasn't AC/DC or Journey they didn't get it. That was the beginning of what became a ritual for me every May for the next 5 years - a new Change album.
The music Change made remained true to the origins of dance music, namely R&B. Their fusion of soulful rhythm & blues and the harder-edged euro-disco gave birth to a timeless style that still sounds fresh today. In the beginning, Change's music was recorded in Italy and the soulful vocals were recorded by top R&B session singers in New York. The combination was exactly what the people on the dance floor wanted.

In 1980 dance music was going through many changes. Disco, the out of control cultural phenomenon - not the music, was going through a serious backlash in America. Everyone from The Beach Boys to Ethel Merman had made a disco record. These puerile attempts at dance music not only appalled popular music purists, but made the ultra-hip dance community feel invaded by mainstream attempts to capitalize on their sound. But disco, the music style, was continuing to evolve as it has since it's humble beginnings in New York in the early 1970's. Yet mainstay disco artists were abandoning the genre. Chic was leaning towards R&B while Donna Summer's music became more rock oriented. (Ever tried dancing to "The Wanderer?") Clubland was searching for a change in the musical tempo. They wanted a sound they could call their own again.

Change seamlessly picked up the disco mirror ball where Chic dropped it - in the middle of the neon-lit dance floor. Like many other artists that were influenced by Chic, Change was "classy disco"- lots of strings, smooth vocals, a slappy bass, clad in fashionable designer clothing. This describes lots of dance music and artists from the early part of the 1980's. Listen to and look at Ashford & Simpson's "Found A Cure", Shalamar's "In The Socket", The Whispers' "And The Beat Goes On" or Change's "Paradise" and you will hear timeless music that sounds as contemporary today as it did in 1980. Yet Change's music had a harder edge than other R&B/Disco hits like Kool & The Gang's "Celebration." Their euro-disco influence is what set them apart from the rest.

But who is Change?

Change was an ever changing amalgamation of studio musicians from Italy and session vocalists from the United States led by Jacques Fred Petrus and Mario Malavasi. Petrus, a native of Guadeloupe, French West Indies, met Malavasi in 1975 while he was studying at the Conservatory of Bologna. They formed a production company with the aim of becoming "The Italian Gamble & Huff." Petrus and Malavasi proceeded to recruit Italian musicians David Romani and Paolo Gianolio and utilized their composing and arranging talents. The team's first project was a studio concept called Macho, whose disco cover version of the Spencer Davis Group classic "I'm A Man," became a big European hit and peaked at # 6 on Billboard's National Disco Action Top 40 in October 1978.

Their goal was to blend the soulful, R&B derived elements of American disco with harder-edged euro-disco stylings . Petrus, the business man, and Malavasi, the music man, produced the rhythm tracks for the first Change album in December of 1979 in their Bologna studio. Their strategy was to go to America with the completed music tracks and find the right singers to create the Change sound.

In New York, The Disco Capital Of The World, they found non other than Luther Vandross. An accomplished session and background singer, vocal arranger and songwriter, Vandross had sung background on David Bowie's Young Americans album and tour and co-wrote "Fascination," a song from that album. He also provided the soulful, smokey vocal to the European smash "Hot Butterfly (a.k.a. Papillon)" by Gregg Diamond's studio group Bionic Boogie. But his most well-known vocal performance, at that point, was a Kentucky Fried Chicken television commercial.

For female lead and background vocals Petrus and Malavasi enlisted the pipes of Jocelyn Shaw. The result of all this trans-Atlantic work was the first Change album The Glow Of Love. The album became an international smash. In America it exploded to the top of Billboard's Disco Top 100 in just six weeks. It stayed there for an amazing nine weeks, long enough to become Billboard's #1 Disco Single/Album of 1980.

Petrus and Malavasi had achieved their dream - a hit in America. But what next? Well, the formula worked once, so they repeated their previous footsteps and one year later released their second album Miracles. As before, the album rocketed to the top of Billboard's Disco Top 100 in six weeks and stayed at the top for five weeks. Billboard ranked Miracles, with the key track "Paradise," as the #3 Disco Single/Album of the year in 1981.

By this time the comparisons to disco supergroup Chic were more than coincidental. Not only did both groups' records reside next to each other in my alphabetical record collection, but both had a similar sound, especially the velvet smooth harmony vocals, lush strings, and dominant bass lines. The similarities were never more apparent than on the Miracles album. Luther was replaced by James "Crab" Robinson for male lead vocals and Diva Gray was brought in for female lead vocals. Background vocals were supplied by Luther Vandross, Diva Gray, Fonzi Thornton, and Ullanda McCullough all of who were the core background vocalists on numerous Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers productions. Even Change's label RFC Records was distributed by Chic's label Atlantic Records.

By the time their third album was ready for release, disco was dead, well at least that's what middle-America thought. In reality, disco evolved into Hi-NRG. In 1982 the Change sound was more R&B than dance. New Wave had infiltrated the dance chart and people were dancing to the sounds of The Thompson Twins, Tom-Tom Club and Billy Idol. Change was neither Hi-NRG nor New Wave.

So the album Sharing Your Love and the single "The Very Best In You" had a disappointing chart run on Billboard's Dance/Disco Top 80, peaking at #30. Another possible reason for such a daunting chart run could be that another similar sounding song was charting simultaneously. Petrus & Malavasi had set up offices in New York and took on other production projects. One such endeavor was the Ritchie Family. They were a studio group of ever changing musicians and female vocalists created by Village People creator and producer Jacques Morali. Together they had a string of #1 dance records to their credit. Petrus & Malavasi wrote and produced the song "I'll Do My Best (For You Baby)." RCA released the single at the same time as "The Very Best In You." Both songs peaked on the dance chart the same week in June 1982. The Ritchie Family tune at #17, Change at #30. Both songs use the word "best" and while different songs, both have a distinct family resemblance. "I'll Do My Best (For You Baby)" can be found on The Best Of The Ritchie Family (Hot Productions HTCD 41-2). Did these records compete for club play? Their chart histories certainly suggest so.

Meanwhile on the R&B chart "The Very Best In You" was competing with another
Petrus & Malavasi production by Capitol Records' trio High Fashion whose song "Feelin' Lucky Lately" peaked at #32 while "The Very Best In You" peaked at #16. High Fashion was from New York City and was comprised of Erick McClinton and future R&B divas Mell'sa Morgan and Alyson Williams. This song would musically fit on any Change album. It can be found on Rhino's The Disco Years, Volume 5: Must Be The Music (70276).

By 1982, for the Sharing Your Love album, the Change lineup had stabilized. For the first time the cover was not an abstract Greg Porto design, but a group photo. Porto remained art director. Petrus & Malavasi still utilized other musicians on the records, but relied on the core group for image and now touring.

For their fourth album, This Is Your Time, the group still consisted of the same musicians as the year before. The cover art returned to a stark white background and a geometrical abstract Porto design. The music continued to sound like Change. The single "This Is Your Time" peaked at #39 on the dance chart and #3 R&B.

In 1984 it was obvious that it was time for a change for Change. While consistently charting, no records were being broken. Change needed a fresh sound. Petrus hired the ultra-hot James "Jimmy Jam" Harris & Terry Lewis to produce the fifth Change album Change Of Heart. Jam and Lewis were alumni of Prince's Minneapolis purple empire as former members of The Time. Hot from writing and producing the 1983 top five R&B hits "Just Be Good To Me" and "Tell Me If You Still Care" for The S.O.S. Band and the number one "Encore" for Cheryl Lynn, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis embarked on what is probably the only record in history to be recorded in both Italy and Minnesota. The song "Change Of Heart" became another hit for Change peaking at #7 R&B and #17 Dance. Jam and Lewis had produced the most exciting Change album since the debut set the world on fire four years earlier.

Since then Jam & Lewis went on to write and produce numerous smashes for Cherelle, Alexander O'Neal, Rod Stewart, The Human League and of course Janet Jackson. Listen to Alexander O'Neal's first single "Innocent", it sounds remarkably like "Change Of Heart", just as "Say You Love Me Again" uses the same chord progression as Janet Jackson's "Let's Wait Awhile." Funny how the two European groups that Jam & Lewis produced both ended up with eponymous hit songs and album titles: "Human" by The Human League and "Change Of Heart"!?

Time changes everything and by 1984 Jacques Fred Petrus and Mario Malavasi were no longer a team. That's why Petrus hired Jam & Lewis for the fifth Change album. Petrus was always the business end of Change, Malavasi the musical half. When it came time for a sixth and final Change album, Petrus looked inward to Change instead of outward. He utilized the writing and production talents of keyboardist Timmy Allen and even co-wrote two songs himself. The album did not do very well. Musically it's the weakest album of their career. The single "Let's Go Together" peaked at #56 on the R&B chart. Even the album cover seemed to be uninspired. The passion was obviously gone, and the music suffered.

Lead vocalist Deborah Cooper went on to sing for C & C Music Factory on their 1992 hits "Pride (In The Name Of Love)", the cover version of the U2 song, the original "(Pride) A Deeper Love", before Aretha Franklin covered it, and "Keep It Comin" (Dance Till You Can't Dance No More)". Members Jeff Bova and Timmy Allen have gone on to become two of the top session musicians in the world in the 1990's.

Change has always been a favorite group of mine. Mainly because I love the smooth disco-soul sound of the early 80's. But also because not many people remember Change and my best friend Lauren and I always felt Change to be our little musical secret. As I began research for this project, I realized that more people than I thought knew of Change. Now in 1998 it is still great to hear "Lover's Holiday" on Groove Radio 103.1 here in Los Angeles as a Classic Groove. We always knew it was!

I compiled this collection back in 1986 on a cassette for my own personal enjoyment. It is a dream come true to see it finally released. So close your windows, turn your stereo up to 11 and boogie down to this fabulous CD. You know that is exactly what I will be doing.

This album is really Change at their best! All the songs and the best hits are here, but where is Mutual Attraction, their song that got some radio airplay in summer 1985? It was Change at their funkiest, with a very addictive slinky groove and some heavy funk beds pocketed in it! That song still gives me goose bumps every time I hear it, because that group got it right on there! I could hear it 56 times and never get tired of it--it's so catchy! Maybe they didn't have enough time to include it--maybe on a volume 2. It ranks right up their with Lover's Holiday, Reach For the Sky, This Is Your Time, Change of Heart, Glow Of Love and Searching! Change, when they started had shades of Chic in their sound, their similarity to Nile Rodgers' and Bernard Edwards' funky rhythms. But they grew more on their own and matured into their own sound and funk beds. These days, R&B groups and bands prefer hip-hop driven beats in their sounds and they sound good at it. But Change was more rhythmic and relied on a live sound in their funk. They are still a favorite to me to this day!

With the exception of perhaps track #7 (which plods a bit), there's not another not-great track on this generous, budget-priced, 16-track set. Even the songs that didn't set the charts on fire are great, and since not overexposed, they perfectly capture the early-80's era of Urban Contemporary music. I got this CD as a birthday gift from my sister and brother-in-law, and I've played it pretty much every day since I got it. Makes me want to strap on some old-school (metal) roller skates and bounce, rock, skate and roll at the local roller rink. Recommended purchase if you like this era of R&B / Dance music.

One of R&B's most underrated groups. This collection successfully highlights the group's long run of hits from 1979 to 1987, including the monstrous jams "Searching" and "Glow of Love," led by a then unknown Luther Vandross. Another treat included here is the production team of music wizards Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis on the Top 10 R&B smash "Change of Heart." Of course, there are other hits to mention and that's why this CD is a hands down WINNER!!!

If you love funk and old school, it's essential that you purchase this album. It contains a number of awesome semi-hits that you probably remember, but which weren't quite popular enough to continue to receive airplay today. And even the songs you've never heard of are pure gold! There isn't a single bad track on this album. Every time I listen to it, I can't help but get up and dance (and I'm left smiling for hours afterwards). This is the best $12 I've ever spent!

'The Very Best Of Change' is an almost perfect collection of the group's hits & more! Back in the day, I used to think Change copied Chic's musical formula, but now, It's apparent that they simply built on it & took it even further. When Change debuted in 1980 with 'A Lover's Holiday', Chic's unfortunate downfall was taking place at the same time. Aside from addictive basslines, guitar riffs, and great vocals (Luther Vandross' star grew with Change!!), the 2 groups are quite distinctive.

As for 'The Very Best Of Change', Atlantic / Rhino provides improved sound (when compare to 'The Best Of Chic' CD from 1991), and the detailed liner notes would've been better if rare photos were included. As for the tracklisting, it's quite stellar, but not perfect! Most of the group's hits from 1980 - 1985 are represented here, but I'd recommend a 'few changes' (no pun intended!). Replace the radio edit of 'A Lover's Holiday' with the 6+ minute full length version & also include the group's final hit, 'Mutual Attraction' (1985). There's enough room on the CD for these changes (I remastered my original CD to include the additional music!), so Atlantic / Rhino's mistake prevents the CD from getting 5 stars (IMO).

At any rate, I recommend 'The Very Best Of Change' (as well as 'The Glow Of Love' CD from 1980!) to fans who don't care to buy the expensive individual import CDs. Enjoy a blast from the past!

Peace, SD

(Chakasworld)

Luther Vandross is a timeless legend, and his contributions to Change's catalogue are groovin' cuts. I'm getting the idea, though, that most buyers of this collection are turning their CD players off after Luther quits singing on here. Don't do it. The smooth, early 1980s R&B has never sounded better than it does here. Slight elements of Funk and Disco are mixed in, and from beginning to end, we have a very magical collection from a very underrated studio group. Standout tracks are "Hold Tight", "Don't Wait Another Night", and "Let's Go Together"--the group's last charting single, from 1985. Another fact worth noting is that tracks 10, 11, and 12 are produced by super-producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (Janet Jackson, Usher, S.O.S. Band), and the tracks contain their instantly identifiable signature-sound. Check out this one-of-a-kind collection.