LIME gets a bad rap, classic HI NRG from Canada

Lime was the most influential Hi Nrg act of all time, followed by Bobby O in all his incarnations.

  

ON THE GRID

SO MUCH LIME
Vocals on helium and a full-stop embrace of HI NRG.  Lime really gets a bad rap.  Do they really deserve it?  If you were going to judge them on success alone you wouldn't.  In fact on the Billboard Dance Charts they had a string of hits including their debut single Your Love/You're my Magician which hit #1 in January 1981 right on up to Unexpected Lovers which peaked at #6 in 1985.  At the bottom of the post is a very recent effort to download. 

My 2 favorites were Babe, We're Gonna Love Tonite which peaked at #6 on the U.S. Dance Charts in the summer of 1982 and the aforementioned Unexpecte Lovers which also peaked at #6 in the summer of 1985.   Babe for the incredible sing along hook and how much it meant to me and Unexpected Lovers for it's Latin beat which is danceable yet manages to also be melancholy at the same time.

AN UNEXPECTED ZIP

They worked hard and had a lot of releases.  A married couple from Montreal, Denis and Denyse Le Page generally never toured or performed in public choosing to send Joy Winter and Chris Marsh who lip-synched the tracks.  They figured that they were younger and more attractive so why the hell not?

One of the distinctive features of Lime was their record cover art work.  It was real bright and neon influenced, usually with yellows and greens.  A lot of it looks real cheesy in retrospect, but that could be said about a lot of disco era photography as well.  Which was often sexy just for the sake of being sexy.  Some would say tacky for the sake of trying to be sexy.

What they were able to do was to provide a distinct sound and look.  Lime was lime and a soundalike would only sound like a rip-off.  But then again for some people listening to Lime was like nails on a chalk board.  I was not one of the haters.  To me Lime is simply the soundtrack to those years for me.  A time when I felt young and free and hadn't a care in the world.  The Lime sound always brings back favorable memories.

Some of their releases were under the name of Lepage rather then Lime, Kat Manudu and even one was listed as Mother (F) Hot Wax and a couple others using that moniker.  Joe La Greca was part of this act as well as the writer and producer of all the Lime stuff.

Some of the Almighty remixes updated Lime to a House sound

One of the Almighty Records remixes

In 2002 they released a CD called Love Fury.  They have modernized their sound but I don't think they got any new fans in the process.  The label Almighty however has had some success updating the sound on a lot of their classics.

Tracklist :

01. Guilty (07:34)
02. Angel Eyes (08:36) 
03. Come & Get Your Love (07:34) 
04. Your Love (05:15) 
05. On The Grid (04:28) 
06. Babe We're Gonna Love Tonight (Instrumental) (06:46) 
07. Guilty (Instrumental) (07:32) 
08. Angel Eyes (Instrumental) (08:36) 
09. Come & Get Your Love (Instrumental) (07:35) 
10. On The Grid (Instrumental) (04:24) 

Are you Lonely? Do you need somebody to hold on to?

Refreshed link from a post I did in 2008 when this blog was just a baby.

In 1983 Street Level Records Canada released Are you Lonely? by Hipnotic. A duo of brothers from Canada. It was co-written and produced by Alan Felder who have written great soulful tracks for the O'Jays, Kim Covington and others. It is five minutes and ten seconds of sheer joy. I'd have to call it a grower. When a customer of mine, a plastic surgeon from Florence, Italy brought it to my attention several years ago I remember thinking this is kinda catchy but so are a lot of 80's R and B Boogie type tunes.

I simply wasn't that impressed that every time I saw this record on Ebay it sold for hundreds of dollars, in some cases even above $600.00. I always thought to myself, that damn lucky vendor. Another auction where they slap Modern Soul or Boogie on the title line and the bidders get into a frenzy. Is this record even rare? What makes it special?

But by nature I'm not cynical. So I listened to it again and again. It only got better. The deep chocolate soulful vocals, the gorgeous melody, the amazing synth, the flute, the funky break, it just churns and churns and churns. The boogie is so damn infectious you just have to play it again the minute it's over. It's remained among my most played on iTunes for several years now. Oww! Oww! Oww!

"Lonely, do you want my mind, body and soul? Lonely! Lonely, Are you Lonely? Do you need somebody to hold on to? Are you Lonely?"

For those who want immediate gratification while the mp3 downloads, several you tube members posted video of the record playing on a turntable. Here's one by an Italian you tuber. Now who would go to the trouble of filming a record on a turntable and then posting it on you tube? Now that may be another blog post, or maybe not. Live and let live I always say.



ARE YOU LONELY?

My buddy Paul Goodyear just did a new re-edit.  You should get it on Beatport.

ITALO DISCO POPCORN by POP CYCLES

Link Refreshed

The italo disco version of the early 70's smash Hot Butter by Popcorn shouldn't work but to me it really does.  It's just the right amount of campy and the idea to add some computer voices in sparse vocals also gives it a unique take.

Popcorn in 256

A 1982 release on Canada's Neige Records.

I've only got you to blame Sylve

I love, love, love today's selection.  It's a little later then most of the stuff I post and more on the Hi Nrg tip.  But why not?  I don't make too many rules in here.

This time it's a Canadian record from 1988 called I've only got you to to blame.  It's become a real collector's item and to me it's definitely worth searching out.

Sylve seems to have only had one other release 1989's Toi which is a ballad and i would suspect in French.

Blame Myself

AND NOW FOR ONE OF MY CHOICES FOR BEST HI NRG RECORD EVER....DON'T STOP by MOTION

Don't Stop by Motion is the perfect hi NRG record.  Another gem from 1983 it could only be a little better if it were an italo disco record.  But it's not so it holds back a little.  It doesn't give us all the drama that a space disco italo disco would give us.  But it sure makes a good case for a Hi Nrg record.

ORIGINAL AND A RECENT EDIT of DON'T STOP

Johnny Dorazio and Tony Bentivegna of Motion were also behind Nightlife Unlimited.  In their first line-up in 1979 as a Canadian disco group.  They were also in a couple other groups.

Summer Breeze Baiser's Saint Classic

Another refreshed link by request. BAISER DOWNLOAD

This Canadian release from 1983 was popular at The Saint.  Summer Breeze remained Baiser's most known record along with the 1985 follow-up Darling Forever.   

I hope it brings back some nice memories for you.

Donna Jones is Pussyfoot

Donna Jones is Pussyfoot.  She was formerly a member of the Australian act The New Seekers.

Her 1978 release on EMI Canada is a favorite of mine in the space disco cheese vein, Dancer Dance. PUSSYFOOT CLICK HERE

There were a few other releases using the Pussyfoot name and then under her own name but I have only heard one other one, Lay your love on the Line from 1979.

This above is a disconet remix.

I AM THE ULTIMATE WARLORD and AMERICAN FADE

A space disco favorite of mine is definitely Ultimate Warlord by The Immortals.  This Canadian record is just all out odd. I AM THE ULTIMATE DOWNLOAD

Produced by Willi Morrison and Ian Guenther it originally came out on RCA Canada in 1979.  But became much better known in 1981 when San Francisco label Moby Dick licensed it and did remixes.  It quickly became a classic at The Trocadero Transfer in San Francisco spun regularly by Bobby Vitteritti and it was also big at The Saint in the East Village New York City.    Remix

The Immortals had no other releases but Willi Morrison had other great Hi NRG projects like American Fade who had a major smash with I'm Alive download it.  Then there was also the superb Grand Tour with the classic Flight from Versailles. Will was responsible for THP, Sticky Fingers, Southern Exposure and even the Skatt Brothers WALK THE NIGHT and the Duncan Sisters too.  Willi Morrison had a successful disco career alright! Ian Guenther was partially responsible for most of those projects too but certainly seems less prolific at least as far as Discogs.com is concerned.  

CRY OF PASSION by Denise Simmins ITALO DISCO CANADIAN STYLE

This release from 1984 is that perfect mix of italo disco and high energy sensibilities.  I'm not really crazy about the vocals but the music is super catchy synth magic.  It appears to be the only release by this artist and it's pretty collectible.  GRAB IT

Desire by Yoh-Yo Canadian Dance italo disco style

Desire is actually a Roni Griffith's cover.  It's by a Canadian act Yoh-Yo (Allan Coelho and Carlos Borges) who had two late 80's hits.  They had previously worked with Tapps.  I like it cause it feels like an italo disco record.

 THE EXOTIC AND EROTIC MIX