Billy Joel "The Bridge (1998 Japan Remaster, Blu Spec CD, SICP-20133)"

The Bridge is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on July 9, 1986. It was Joel's last studio album produced by Phil Ramone as well as the last to feature Joel's long-time bassist Doug Stegmeyer and rhythm guitarist Russell Javors. The album yielded several successful singles, including "A Matter of Trust" (peaking at No. 10), "Modern Woman" (which also appeared on the Ruthless People soundtrack, peaking at No. 10), and "This Is the Time" (peaking at No. 18).

Joel began work on the album—on which two of his major influences (Ray Charles and Steve Winwood) made guest appearances—in 1985. Charles sang a duet with Joel on the song "Baby Grand", and Winwood played Hammond organ on the song "Getting Closer"; Charles and Winwood later covered "Baby Grand" and "Getting Closer" respectively in concert. Other notable musicians who made guest appearances on the album include jazz musicians Ron Carter and Michael Brecker, who both played on the jazzy track "Big Man on Mulberry Street".

The album also had some New wave influences. For instance, the first song, "Running on Ice", is heavily influenced by the music of the Police, and "Modern Woman" borrows heavily from the styles of Huey Lewis and the News. The final song recorded for the album, "Code of Silence", featured Cyndi Lauper who contributed backing vocals and received co-writing credit for the lyrics; she later covered that song herself in concert. Joel would return the favor by contributing backing vocals on Lauper's song "Maybe He'll Know" for her 1986 album True Colors.

The Bridge was Joel's last album to carry the "Family Productions" logo which had appeared on all of Joel's albums up to that time as part of a deal that Columbia Records made to get Joel out of his first recording contract with Artie Ripp's Family Productions. In the closing song of the album—"Getting Closer"—Joel makes several of what are clearly attacks and observations on the iron-clad contract with Ripp, with references to "my stolen youth", "all the conmen and their acrobats who stomped me in the ground", and "I must live up to contracts".

Reviewing in Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s (1990), Robert Christgau said: "Maybe [Joel's] youthful lyricism, meaning his knack for the tearjerker, is abandoning him. … Here he's best when he's brassy and literal: failed wise guy in 'Big Man on Mulberry Street,' Ray Charles's coequal on 'Baby Grand.' And even at his most rockin' he's seventy-five years retro whether he likes it or not—whenever he doesn't hit it just right you want to quarantine him for life in Atlantic City."

In a retrospective interview, Joel said: "Not a happy album. I wasn’t simpatico with the musicians, some of whom I’d been working with a long time. I don’t think the material was good; I was pressured by management to put it out too fast. By the end, I sort of gave up caring, which for me was unusual. I remember reading bad reviews and agreeing with them."

Billy later admitted to Rolling Stone that at the time of the album's writing and recording, he was in no mood to be in the studio, saying "Christie and I had just had Alexa, and I'd have much rather have been home with the baby..." This angst over leaving his wife and daughter at home was poured into the album track "Temptation".

Track listing

All songs composed by Billy Joel, except "Code of Silence" written by Joel and Cyndi Lauper.

1. "Running on Ice" – 3:15
2. "This Is the Time" – 4:59
3. "A Matter of Trust" – 4:09
4. "Modern Woman" – 3:48
5. "Baby Grand" (duet with Ray Charles) – 4:02
6. "Big Man on Mulberry Street" – 5:26
7. "Temptation" – 4:12
8. "Code of Silence" (backing vocals by Cyndi Lauper) – 5:15
9. "Getting Closer" – 5:00

Producer – Phil Ramone

Production coordinator – Joseph D'Ambrosio

Engineer – Jim Boyer

Associate engineers – Steve Boyer, David Dickson, Bradshaw Leigh and Fred Tenny.

Technical support – Ricki Begin, Peter Bergren, Mark Betts, Steve Buller, Cary Butler, Gary Ciuzio, Ed Evans, Bruce Howell, Joe Lopes, Frank Rodriguez, Billy Rothschild, Joe Salvatto, Audrey Tanaka and Phil Vachon.

Support system – Barry Bongiovi, Jim Flynn and The Power Station staff.

Digitally recorded at The Power Station, Chelsea Sound and RCA Recording Studios (New York, NY); Evergreen Studios (Burbank, CA).

Mixed at The Power Station (New York, NY).

Mastering by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound (New York, NY).

Acoustic piano supplied by Yamaha.

Design – Mark Larson

Cover painting – Brad Holland

Photography – Patrick Demarchelier

Sleeve photos – Larry Busacca, Phil Ramone and Charles Reilly.

Christina Aguilera "Back To Basics"

Back to Basics is the fifth studio album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on August 9, 2006, in the United States through RCA Records as a double album. Serving as executive producer, she enlisted a wide range of producers, including DJ Premier, Rich Harrison, Rob Lewis, Mark Ronson, and Linda Perry. Recording sessions took place between 2005 and 2006 at several studios in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Inspired by Aguilera's 1920s–1950s idols, including Billie Holiday, Otis Redding, Etta James, and Ella Fitzgerald, Back to Basics was described by Aguilera herself as a fusion of old-school jazz and soul inspirations with a modernized style. Primarily a pop and R&B record, its first disc juxtaposes rhythm and blues with hip hop and urban elements with most songs employing samples, while the second contains all original tracks with the exception of "Candyman", which samples "Tarzan & Jane Swingin' on a Vine". Lyrically, the album is inspired by Aguilera's previous life events including her marriage with Jordan Bratman in 2005.

To portray a new persona, Aguilera adopted her new alter ego Baby Jane and made several changes to her public appearance, inspired by classic Hollywood actresses. She promoted the album by performing at events like the 2006 MTV Movie Awards, the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards and the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. It was further promoted with Back to Basics Tour, which visited countries in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and Middle East from late 2006 until late 2008. Back to Basics spawned three international singles: "Ain't No Other Man", "Hurt" and "Candyman"; "Slow Down Baby" was only released as a single in Australia, while "Oh Mother" was only released as a single in several European countries.

Back to Basics received favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented its musical diversity from Aguilera's previous albums while there were others who criticized its length. The album received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album, and its lead single "Ain't No Other Man" won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (2007). It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 346,000 copies. Back to Basics achieved similar success internationally, reaching the top of the charts in over fifteen countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and United Kingdom. The album has sold 1.7 million copies in the United States, and over five million worldwide, as of November 2013.

At the 46th Annual Grammy Awards on February 8, 2004, Aguilera announced that she was going to work on a follow-up album to Stripped (2002). She stated her main idea for the project was to "evolve as an artist and a visionary", which was taken from a poem she wrote during The Stripped Tour (2003). In an interview with Billboard magazine, Aguilera expressed dissatisfaction with contemporary music, as technology "has advanced itself so anybody can be a singer". Thus, Aguilera took musical inspirations from old-school jazz, blues and soul records performed by her 1920s–1950s idols, including Billie Holiday, Otis Redding, Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald, which she viewed as "music that really had heart". The singer stated that her love for retro music was born when she was a child—her mother and grandmother took her to the old vinyl stores in Pittsburgh. According to Aguilera, Back to Basics was meant to pay "homage and utmost respect" to some of her favorite musicians.

For Back to Basics, Aguilera decided to portray her different image and persona from her previous stage name Xtina by adopting a new alter ego called Baby Jane, named after a character of the film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962). She also changed her public appearance as she removed her piercings, and dyed her hair platinum blonde, inspired by classic Hollywood movie stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Carole Lombard and Greta Garbo.

The album's cover artwork was taken by German photographer Ellen von Unwerth during three days; on the first and second days, the photos were shot at the Hollywood Dell hotel. Aguilera and von Unwerth moved to Forty Deuce in Hollywood to take images inspired by 1920s burlesque clubs on the last day of the session. The album's cover artwork was revealed in late June 2006, featuring Aguilera with bright red lipstick and curly blonde hair dressed in white and lounging on a bed. Greg Kot from The Baltimore Sun labelled the cover artwork as "a classy retro look, a sign that [Aguilera] is ready for her close-up as the leading lady of the teen brat pack that emerged in the late '90s". It also received criticism for being too similar to the artwork of Madonna's sixth studio album, Bedtime Stories (1994).

In mid-2006, Virgin Media reported that Back to Basics would be released on August 14, 2006. TMZ later reported that Back to Basics was planned to be released on August 15, 2006 in the United States. The album was leaked in full on August 3.

Track listing

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Back to Basics.

Back to Basics – Standard edition (disc one)

1. "Intro (Back to Basics)" 1:47
2. "Makes Me Wanna Pray" (featuring Steve Winwood) 4:10
3. "Back in the Day" 4:13
4. "Ain't No Other Man" 3:49
5. "Understand" 3:46
6. "Slow Down Baby" 3:29
7. "Oh Mother" 3:47
8. "F.U.S.S." (Interlude) 2:21
9. "On Our Way"   3:37
10. "Without You" 3:57
11. "Still Dirrty" 3:46
12. "Here to Stay"    3:20
13. "Thank You (Dedication to Fans...)" 4:59

Total length: 46:55

Back to Basics – Standard edition (disc two)

1. "Enter the Circus" 1:42
2. "Welcome" 2:43
3. "Candyman" 3:14
4. "Nasty Naughty Boy" 4:45
5. "I Got Trouble" 3:42
6. "Hurt" 4:03
7. "Mercy on Me" 4:33
8. "Save Me from Myself" 3:13
9. "The Right Man" 3:51

Total length: 31:47

Back to Basics – Physical edition (bonus video)

1. "Back to Basics" 10:07

Total length: 41:54

Sampling credits

• "Intro (Back to Basics)" contains a sample of "The Thrill Is Gone (Live)", as performed by B.B. King, The Crusaders and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
• "Makes Me Wanna Pray" contains a sample from "Glad", as performed by Traffic.
• "Back in the Day" contains samples from "Charley", as performed by Don Costa Orchestra, and "Troglodyte", as performed by The Jimmy Castor Bunch.
• "Ain't No Other Man" contains samples from "Happy Skippy Moon Strut", as performed by Moon People, and "The Cissy's Thang", as performed by The Soul Seven.
• "Understand" contains a sample from "Nearer to You", as performed by Betty Harris.
• "Slow Down Baby" contains samples from "Window Raisin' Granny", as performed by Gladys Knight & the Pips and "So Seductive", as performed by Tony Yayo.
• "Oh Mother" contains a sample from "Vois Sur Ton Chemin", written by Bruno Coulais and Christopher Barratler.
• "On Our Way" contains a sample from "Sentimentale", as performed by Claude Bolling.
• "Here to Stay" contains a sample from "The Best Thing You Ever Had", as performed by Candi Staton.
• "Thank You (Dedication to Fans...)" contains samples from "Can't Hold Us Down" and "Genie in a Bottle", as performed by Aguilera, and "Think Big", as performed by Pudgie the Fat Bastard featuring The Notorious B.I.G. The track also features fan club recordings by Shane Burrows, Jessica Cavanaugh, She-Tara Franklin, Michael Holmin, Warren Keller, Antoinette Litte, Gustavo Medina, Sarah Anne Moore, Joshua Pospisil, Cory Steale, Durant Searcy, Samantha Silver, Tammy Simpson and Shanna Nicole Wiles.
• "Candyman" contains a sample from "Tarzan & Jane Swingin' on a Vine" from Run to Cadence with U.S. Marines.

Jordan Laws – mixing assistant

Brian Gardner – mastering

Oscar Ramirez – engineer

Charles Martin Roane – engineer

Kristofer Kaufman – assistant engineer

Alan Mason – assistant engineer

Chris Wonzer – assistant engineer

Kwamé – management of production of sound

Rich Harrison – management of production of sound

Mark Ronson – management of production of sound, engineer

Big Tank – management of production of sound

Q – management of production of sound

Ellen von Unwerth – photography

Various Artists "The 80's Collection - 1981"

The 80's Collection 1981 (Time Life Music) is a double CD compilation album, edited by Time-Life Music in 1993.

Track list:

CD1

1. REO Speedwagon– Keep On Loving You 3:21
2. Foreigner– Waiting For A Girl Like You  4:35
3. Robert Palmer– Looking For Clues 4:19
4. Steve Winwood– While You See A Chance  5:11
5. Jon & Vangelis– I'll Find My Way Home  4:32
6. Earth Wind And Fire – Let's Groove 5:39
7. Cliff Richard– Wired For Sound    3:40
8. Hall & Oates – Private Eyes  3:34
9. Keith Marshall– Only Crying  4:19
10. Eddie Rabbitt– I Love A Rainy Night  3:11
11. Styx   The Best Of Times   4:19
12. Champaign– How 'Bout Us  4:33  

CD2

1. Soft Cell– Tainted Love   2:41
2. Ultravox– Vienna  4:39
3. Visage– Fade To Grey  4:01
4. Kim Carnes– Bette Davis Eyes  3:44
5. Kim Wilde– Kids In America  3:29
6. Bucks Fizz– Making Your Mind Up 2:40
7. Shakin' Stevens– You Drive Me Crazy  2:49
8. Adam And The Ants– Stand And Deliver  3:10
9. Altered Images– Happy Birthday   3:02
10. Blondie– Rapture 5:34
11. The Electric Light Orchestra  –   Hold On Tight  3:09
12. The Pointer Sisters – Slowhand 3:48

The 80's Collection - '1981' was produced by Time-Life with the cooperation of BMG, Chrysalis, EMI, PolyGram, Sony, Warner and other independents.

The copyright in this sound recording is owned by the participating labels and has been licensed to Time-Life Books B.V.

℗ 1993 Time-Life Books B.V.

© 1993 Time-Life Books B.V.

Time-Life Music is a division of Time-Life Books B.V.

Time -Life is a trademark of Time Warner Inc.

Made in Germany by Warner Music Manufacturing Europe.

Various Artists "The Queen's Golden Jubilee 2002 - Party At The Palace - The Queen's Concerts, Buckingham Palace"

The Party at the Palace was a British music concert and celebration held in London in 2002. The event was in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II held over the Golden Jubilee Weekend 1–4 June 2002. The event itself was hosted at Buckingham Palace Garden on 3 June 2002. It was the pop/rock equivalent of the Prom at the Palace, that showcased classical music.

The concert was held at the gardens of Buckingham Palace Garden as part of the Golden Jubilee. The event was touted as the greatest concert in Britain since Live Aid or possibly ever. Tickets to the event were determined by a lottery. 12,000 people attended the concert. An estimated 1 million people watched outside the Palace in The Mall and around the Queen Victoria Memorial, and 200 million on television. The concert included performances of many hit songs from the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The event was the culmination of a national day of partying. The BBC Music Live Festival also occurred on the day. At 13:00 towns across the United Kingdom had bands play The Beatles hit "All You Need Is Love" before church bells were rung around the country.

A condensed version of the concert was released on DVD. Some portions have been cut, e.g. Ruby Wax's monologue, Dame Edna's introduction of Paul McCartney performing "Blackbird" and Paul McCartney's spontaneous performance of "Her Majesty".

A live CD recording of the performance was also released in 2002.

Track list:

1. Brian May + The Royal Academy Of Music Symphony Orchestra* With Roger Taylor & Ray Cooper God Save The Queen     1:58
2. Phil Collins You Can't Hurry Love   3:04
3. Atomic Kitten Dancing In The Street    2:41
4. Shirley Bassey Goldfinger  2:57
5. Bryan Adams Everything I Do (I Do It For You)   4:18
6. Tom Jones Feat. Blue & Keith Airey You Can Leave Your Hat On   3:51
7. Queen + Phil Collins Radio Ga Ga   2:18
8. Queen + London Cast Of The Musical We Will Rock You, The* + Phil Collins We Will Rock You     1:45
9. Queen + Will Young + London Cast Of The Musical We Will Rock You, The* + Phil Collins We Are The Champions     2:38
10. Annie Lennox Why    5:36
11. Cliff Richard Feat. S Club 7 & Brian May Move It   2:43
12. Ozzy Osbourne With Tony Iommi Paranoid    3:12
13. Elton John I Want Love   4:31
14. Brian Wilson Feat. The Corrs God Only Knows   2:48
15. Brian Wilson Feat. Cliff Richard, Emma Bunton & Atomic Kitten Good Vibrations  4:22
16. Eric Clapton Layla   6:20
17. Steve Winwood Gimme Some Lovin'   2:49
18. Joe Cocker Feat. Steve Winwood & Brian May With A Little Help From My Friends  5:40
19. Rod Stewart Feat. J'Anna Jacoby Handbags & Gladrags  3:56
20. Rod Stewart, Joe Cocker, Paul McCartney, Ladysmith Black Mambazo And Various All You Need Is Love   3:37
21. Various Hey Jude   6:50

Backing Vocals – Claudia Fontaine, Margo Buchanan, Sam Brown
Bass [The House Band] – Pino Palladino
Conductor [Royal Academy Of Music Symphony Orchestra Md Assistant] – James Brett
Conductor [Royal Academy Of Music Symphony Orchestra Musical Director] – Michael Kamen
Directed By [Concert] – Geoff Posner
Drums [The House Band] – Phil Collins
Executive-Producer – Sir George Martin, Michael Kamen, Phil Ramone
Executive-Producer [Concert] – Lorna Dickinson
Guitar [The House Band] – Phil Palmer
Keyboards [The House Band] – Wix Wickens
Management [Concert Production Manager] – Elizabeth Flowers
Management [Marketing Manager] – Teresa Harte
Management [Project, For Ca Management] – Adam Sharp
Mastered By [@ Abbey Road] – Adam Nunn
Mixed By, Engineer [@ Abbey Road] – Paul Hicks
Mixed By, Engineer [@ Mayfair] – Greg Jackman*, John Hudson
Other [Pr] – Katherine Howard
Other [Rights Clearance] – Claire Jarvis, Wendy Neilson
Percussion [The House Band] – Ray Cooper
Performer [Paul Mccartney's Band] – Abe Laboriel Jr, Brian Ray, Wix Wickens, Rusty Anderson
Performer [The Royal Academy Of Music Jazz Horns] – Christopher Webster, Mike Lovett, Pablo Mendelssohn, Simon Allen, Thomas Richards
Producer – Giles Martin
Producer [Concert] – Cerrie Frost
Saxophone [The House Band] – Eric Robinson 
Supervised By [Sound] – Andy Rose

All tracks ℗ 2002 Golden Jubilee Events Ltd.

Recorded using Quantegy Tape

Recorded live at Buckingham Palace by the BBC, 3rd June 2002.

℗ 2002 The copyright in this sound recording is owned by Golden Jubilee Events Limited under exclusive license to EMI Records Limited © 2002 Golden Jubilee Events Limited under licence to EMI Records Limited.

Made in the EU