It’s the ’80s all over again.

Tommy Tutone is to release an album titled “A Long Time Ago” on May 31 via SPV’s Yellow Label.

TOMMY HEATH with guitarist Jim Keller formed the band TOMMY AND THE TU-TONES. They soon shortened the name to TOMMY TUTONE and recorded for Jupiter Records in the late 1970s. In 1980 they signed with Columbia Records and had a minor hit with “Angel Say No” later that year. This led to an opening slot touring with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Determined to break out with a hit, the band spent the better part of a year writing and recording the next album “TOMMY TUTONE”, which was released in late 1981. The first single “867-5309/Jenny” proved to be their breakthrough record and reached #4 on the pop charts in 1982. The song was written by Keller with Alex Call of the bay area group Clover. The two bands were closely linked and over the years swapped members and wrote songs together. Clover never had a hit record, but will be forever remembered as Elvis Costello’s backing band on his debut album “My Aim Is True”. TOMMY TUTONE the band released their third album for Columbia, “National Emotion” and eventually called it quits in 1984.

Heath continued in the music business as a songwriter and headed to Nashville, the song-writing capitol of the world, in the late eighties. He co-wrote with heavy hitters like Keith Sykes (writer for Jimmy Buffett, Rosanne Cash, etc.) and Johnny Neal (of the Allman Brothers Band).

Heath recorded this solo album with Nashville producer Fred James which was originally released in 1994 as “Nervous Love”.

Fred James has remixed, re-mastered and added extra tracks to this re-titled album. Quite to his surprise, when he dug out the old tapes he found several out-takes and alternate versions of songs. He had completely forgotten that they had tried both electric and acoustic versions of “Another Slow Dance” and “Nervous Love”, and an acoustic version of the mega-hit “867-5309/Jenny.

For more info visit:
http://www.tutone.com

by John M. Borack

I didn’t want to let any more time pass without mentioning the latest release from Gin Blossoms, which seemed to slip past many folks without much fanfare last year.  It’s a real corker, though, so if you’re a fan of meat and potatoes pop with no frills and melodies and guitars galore, dive in.

During their heyday in the early-to-mid ‘90s, the Gin Blossoms were all about the radio readiness, churning out a number of sparkling guitar-pop gems with uber-catchy choruses such as “Allison Road,” “Hey Jealousy” and “Til I Hear it From You,” to name a few. Not long after the untimely death of their main songwriter Doug Hopkins in 1993, the band hit a relatively fallow period both commercially and creatively, which was followed by a sabbatical. But on the surprisingly wonderful No Chocolate Cake (their first album of new material in four years), the Gin Blossoms are back and firing on all sixes.

A few of the songs on the 11-track album find the Gin Blossoms collaborating with songwriter Danny Wilde (The Rembrandts) and most everything here finds the band sonically revisiting their glory days. “Somewhere Tonight” is a warm and jangly mid-tempo number in the grand tradition of “Til I Hear it From You,” while irresistible rockers such as “Don’t Change For Me” and “I’m Ready” (featuring the catchiest of catchy choruses) are as good as anything they’ve ever done. The addition of horns on the kicky ode to a travelin’ band, “Dead or Alive on the 405,” is a nice touch, while the lyrics humorously name check Styx, Ronnie Spector, Eddie Money and “Mustang Sally.”

In addition to the more upbeat tunes, the wistful “I Don’t Want to Lose You Now” (which recalls Hard Promises-era Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), the regret-tinged “Wave Bye Bye” and the sad-yet-hopeful “Something Real” also find the band in peak form. Throughout No Chocolate Cake, the songs are inviting, the guitars ring, the harmonies and backing vocals are spot on and the band in general sounds completely re-energized. A welcome return to be sure. (Available from www.429records.com)

by John M. Borack

Here are a few reviews that I came across while cleaning behind the couch this morning at 4:00am.  They’re all 2010 releases, but some folks may not have had the opportunity to check ‘em out yet, so without further ado…

The Rubinoos
Automatic Toaster

The Rubinoos have been doling out supersweet power pop platters since the 1970s, to critical acclaim in the pop community not only in the US and UK, but also in such far-flung locales as Japan and Spain, where they have a rabid following.  Automatic Toaster, the band’s first release of new material in more than five years (not counting lasy year’s recent children’s album, Biff-Boff-Boing), has been released to coincide with the band’s Spanish tour and finds the Rubes in still in peak form.

The ingredients that have made the Rubinoos special ever since their top 50 cover of Tommy James’ “I Think We’re Alone Now” in 1977 are still in place: Jon Rubin’s honeyed lead vocals and Tommy Dunbar’s unfailingly catchy (and often humorous) songs and seriously underrated guitar heroics, alongside longtime bassist Al Chan’s melodic bass runs and smooth vocals.  The wild card on Automatic Toaster is the presence of Los Angeles-area pop music savant Robbie Rist as producer and deputy drummer.  Rist brings his patented unbridled energy to the proceedings behind the kit (check the crash-boom-bangs on “Two Guitars, Bass and Drums” and the punky kick of “Mak Schau” for some evidence) and as a longtime fan of the band, also serves as a sympathetic producer.

Automatic Toaster alternates between the sort of sweet, jangly numbers that have endeared the Rubinoos to many for so long (the slide guitar-juiced longing of  “Same Old Heartache” and a simply perfect cover of Johnny Johnson & the Bandwagon’s early ’70s bubblegum soul ditty, “Blame it on the Pony Express”) and other tunes that have more of a ’60s garage feel, such a speedy cover of Los Bravos’ “Black is Black” and the early Kinks-like “Can’t Have Her Back.”  In between there are such power pop classics-in-waiting as “Must Be a Word,” “I Pity the Fool” and the downright goofy “Earth #1,” a ridiculously catchy/silly treatise on why our planet is tops. (“Uranus – don’t go there!  Pluto – you call that a planet?”)  A few tracks that are mildly entertaining novelty trifles are all that keeps Automatic Toaster from attaining five-star status.  (Available at www.koolkatmusik.com or www.popplusone.com)

The Poppees
Pop Goes the Anthology

The Poppees were one of the first bands signed to the fledgling Bomp Records label by the semi-legendary impresario/journalist Greg Shaw back in the mid-’70s, in the process becoming one of the first acts on the indie power pop scene .  The New York City-based combo released two first-rate, Merseybeat-influenced singles in 1975 on Bomp (“If She Cries” b/w “Love of the Loved” and “Jealousy” b/w “She’s Got It”), but the ever-popular “creative differences” saw the band splinter the following year, prior to having the opportunity to release an LP.  Nearly 35 years after the Poppees’ demise, Pop Goes the Anthology collects their four single tracks and adds 14 previously unreleased demos and live cuts (all in good or better fidelity), showcasing a raw but talented young band with some catchy songs and unbridled energy.

The centerpieces of the collection are the two singles, with “If She Cries” and “Jealousy” both approximating the sound and spirit of the early Beatles without sounding overly slavish.  The b-sides are also worth of special mention: “She’s Got It” is the Poppees’ “Long Tall Sally,” a Little Richard cover dolled up in rockin’ British Invasion garb, while “Love of the Loved” is a sweet Lennon/McCartney tune given to Cilla Black but never recorded by the Beatles.  (Years later, scores of bands would cover “songs the Beatles gave away,” but let it be known that The Poppees were among the first.)

Among the unreleased tunes are three tracks recorded live at CBGB’s in June 1976, including the tough-yet-peppy “I’ll Be Loving You” (a not-so-distant cousin to “All My Loving”), the driving “She’s So Bad” (which borrows the classic bass line from another Little Richard tune, “Lucille”) and a rough hewn take of “I Need Your Love,” which the Ramones would cover on their 1983 album Subterranean Jungle.  Earlier and slightly tentative live performances are also captured, with originals such as “Anything Wrong” and “Bad to You Good to Me” showing promise, and sitting nicely alongside a cover of the Dusty Springfield chestnut “Stay Awhile.”

While the band’s ballads – a cover of the ’50s doo-wop classic “Since I Fell For You” and “Sad Sad Love” – sound like rewrites of “Yes it Is” and “This Boy” (not necessarily a bad thing), tracks such as the aforementioned “I’ll Be Loving You” and the two single a-sides prove that the Poppees could have been a pop force to be reckoned with had they stayed together longer.  Informative historical liner notes from Poppees guitarist Arthur Alexander complete the package.

The Britannicas
The Britannicas

The Britannicas is an indie power pop supergroup of sorts, comprised of Joe Algeri (Jack & The Beanstalk), Magnus Karlsson (Happydeadmen), and Herb Eimerman (formerly half of the Nerk Twins with Shoes’ Jeff Murphy).  Seeing as the trio reside in Australia, Sweden and the U.S., respectively, they took advantage of technology and swapped tracks over the internet to record their self-titled debut CD.

All three Britannicas switch off on lead vocals on the disc’s dozen pleasant tracks, which lean heavily on polite guitar jangle rather than a rough-and-tumble power pop sound.  The instrumental sweetness is used to good effect on Algeri and Eimerman’s early Big Star-like ballad “Blue Sky Grey” and Karlsson’s lovely, haunting “Love Trap,” which recalls the best of the ’70s singer/songwriter era.  “Stars,” another Algeri/Eimerman co-write, is a lovely little Byrdsy pop tune with Rickenbackers popping up throughout, while “Friday Night Alright (Come Out and Play)” has a distinct Richie Valens/Eddie Cochran vibe.

While some of the tunes fall a bit flat due to harmonies that fail to soar and a drum sound that’s disturbingly boxy, The Britannicas is still a nice little slice of jangle pop that purists will enjoy.  (Available at www.koolkatmusik.com)

Steve Lukather
All’s Well That Ends Well
Mascot Records (M 7308 2)
Grade: ****

By Michael Popke

Casual fans tend to dismiss Toto as lightweight has-beens, overlooking the veteran band’s musical chops. Consequently, guitarist and dusky vocalist Steve Lukather has flown under the radar for years. That’s a shame, because on “All’s Well That Ends Well,” the man’s sixth album, his writing and playing reach new levels.

Brooding tracks such as “Darkness in My World” and “Can’t Look Back” reflect Lukather’s bad year, one filled with divorce and death. But, just as with his Toto material, uplifting melodies triumph over the gloom. He excels at conveying his emotions, and listeners can almost feel his pain as he sings “There’s a hole in my heart/As my life rips apart” in “Don’t Say It’s Over” — the best Toto ballad Toto never recorded.

Lukather also provides a little levity with “Flash in the Pan” and “Brody’s,” two upbeat rockers that make mocking references to Tiger Woods, Glenn Beck, and the Hiltons, Paris and Perez.