"The Dream Weaver/The Light Of Smiles/Touch And Gone/Headin' Home" by GARY WRIGHT [ex Spooky Tooth] - US Albums from July 1975, January and December 1977 (two) and March 1979 on Warner Brothers Records – featuring (April 2018 UK Beat Goes On Reissue – 4LPs onto 2CDs – Andrew Thompson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Think It's Time To Get Ready..."

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Beginning a four-album run with England's Spooky Tooth from the July 1968 debut "It's All About" to July 1970's "The Last Puff" - Keyboardist GARY WRIGHT then pumped out two Rock-Soulful solo albums on A&M Records in 1970 and 1971 - "Gary Wright's Extraction" and "Footprint". They featured folks like Guitarists Jerry Donahue of Fairport Convention and Fotheringay and American rocker Ronnie Montrose, Horn playing legends King Curtis and Rolling Stones regulars Bobby Keys and Jim Price along with backing singers like Nanette Newman, Doris Troy, Madeline Bell and P.P. Arnold (impressive session people to say the least). 

Wright had also been an integral part of the 1970 George Harrison triple-album magnum opus "All Things Must Pass" – Beatle Harrison returning the favour by appearing on and co-producing (uncredited) the second LP "Footprint". Gary would also tinkle those heartbreaking ivory keys on Nilsson's worldwide mega-hit "Without You" in 1972. After two British singles failed in March and November 1972, GW was to see his "Ring Of Changes" LP credited to Gary Wright's Wonderwheel issued sometime in December 1972 on A&M Records - but it was withdrawn due to lack of interest (Esoteric Recordings have done a superb 2016 CD Reissue and Remaster of it). From there he reformed Spooky Tooth and popped out more (largely ignored) studio albums on Island Records like 1973's "Witness" and the delightfully entitled "You Broke My Heart So...I Busted Your Jaw" - most of which I've reviewed on 2016 Paschal Byrne and Ben Wiseman Remasters for Universal. 

Which brings us to 1975 and this October 2018 double-digital cracker from English reissue specialist BGO (Beat Goes On Records). It deals with phase two of his huge career – Wright's signing to Warner Brothers in the USA where he hit paydirt big time with his pioneering all-keyboards albums. After an initial slow start from release in July 1975, two of his Warner 45s from "The Dream Weaver" LP belatedly smashed their way up to No. 2 on the US Top 100 in 1976, prompting the album itself to shift bucket-loads of copies and eventually achieve an impressive No. 7 placing. The other three Warners LPs dealt with it on this British card slipcase reissue charted in the American Top 200 (two from January and December 1977 and one from March 1979) - albeit in ever-lowering numbers. 

I hadn't really expected much from these platters with their slightly cheesy titles (The Light Of Smiles, oh dear) and in all honesty, it's been decades since I played any of them. And re-hearing them now, I can recall why I thought the later LPs lacked something or were just poorer versions of the big one. But like everyone else late to this synth-Rock party, I remain surprised at some of these forgotten goodies. Here are the loves that are still alive...

UK released Friday, 27 April 2018 - "The Dream Weaver/The Light Of Smiles/Touch And Gone/Headin' Home" by GARY WRIGHT on Beat Goes On BGOCD1334 (Barcode 5017261213341) offers 4LPs from 1975, 1977 (two) and 1979 Remastered onto 2CDs and plays out as follows:

CD1 (74:38 minutes):

1. Love Is Alive [Side 1]

2. Let It Out 

3. Can't Find The Judge 

4. Made To Love You

5. Power Of Love 

6. Dream Weaver [Side 2]

7. Blind Feeling 

8. Much Higher 

9. Feel For Me 

Tracks 1 to 9 are his third studio album "The Dream Weaver" - released July 1975 in the USA on Warner Brothers BS 2868 and November 1976 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 56141. Produced by GARY WRIGHT - it peaked at No. 7 in the USA, didn't chart UK

10. Water Sign [Side 1]

11. Time Machine 

12. I Am The Sky

13. Who Am I 

14. Silent Fury 

15. Phantom Writer 

16. The Light Of Smiles [Side 2]

17. I'm Alright 

18. Empty Inside 

19. Are You Weepin'

20. Child Of Light 

Tracks 10 to 20 are his fourth studio album "The Light Of Smiles" - released January 1977 in the USA on Warner Brothers BS 2951 and January 1977 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 56278. Produced by GARY WRIGHT - it peaked at No. 23 in the USA, didn't chart UK

CD2 (78:00 minutes):

1. Touch And Gone [Side 1]

2. Starry Eyed

3. Something Very Special 

4. Stay Away

5. Night Ride 

6. Sky Eyes [Side 2]

7. Lost In My Emotions

8. Can't Get Above Losing You 

9. The Love It Takes 

Tracks 1 to 9 are his fifth studio album "Touch And Gone" - released December 1977 in the USA on Warner Brothers BSK 3137 and January 1978 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 56435. Produced by GARY WRIGHT - it peaked at No. 117 in the USA (didn't chart UK) 

10. Keep Love In Your Soul [Side 1]

11. Love's Awake Inside 

12. You Don't Own Me

13. Moonbeams 

14. Stand 

15. I'm The One Who'll Be By Your Side [Side 2]

16. Follow Next To Me 

17. I Can Feel You Cryin'

18. Let Me Feel Your Love Again

19. Love Is Why

Tracks 10 to 19 are his sixth studio album "Headin' Home" - released March 1979 in the USA on Warner Brothers BSK 3244 and March 1979 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 56585. Produced by GARY WRIGHT - it peaked at No. 147 in the USA, didn't chart UK.

The card slipcase on these BGO CD sets lends the release an air of class and the 24-page booklet with JOHN O'REGAN liner notes reproduces all the original LP artwork and inners whilst illuminating his extraordinary career – especially his sort of unspoken/unknown contribution to Keyboard Rock – a pioneer to be held in the same revered sentence as say Keith Emerson, Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre and his home contemporaries like Rick Wakeman of Yes and Roger Davies of Supertramp. 

BGO's long-standing Audio Engineer ANDREW THOMPSON has done the Digital Remasters into Hi Def, and always beautifully produced in the first place, it's hardly surprising to find that this 2018 transfer hits all the right notes. The clarity of that "Love Is Alive" synth punch is fantastic and to get all four platters sounding this good for less that twelve quid is some kind of deal. Speaking of the same, much is made in the liner notes of the guitar-less "Dream Weaver" album as being innovative whilst at the same time acknowledging those who had trailed this path before - Stevie Wonder, Tonto's Expanding Head Band and even acts like Beaver and Krause. 

But I've always thought that Gary Wright was actually smarter than that - his noggin pointed at arty 'hits' – no doubt sick and tired of well-intentioned British Rock that didn't really sell. There is also a touch of The Cars about his LPs in this mid to late Seventies period – Yacht Rock hooks swirling around sexy piano-based melodies – commercial yet credible – the clever lad. To the albums...

Despite his huge Stateside success, Gary Wright saw "The Dream Weaver" LP have to wait until November 1976 to get a release in Blighty - the single "Love Is Alive" b/w "The Dream Weaver" issued as a UK 45-single taster in late October 1976 on Warner Brothers K 16831. It seems strange now that such a fantastically commercial double-whammy 7" single like that couldn't have elevated the LP into the British Top 50 - but no joy. And when you listen to the perfectly-formed Michael McDonald-sexy Doobie Brothers Soul-Rock of say "Let It Out" (those great harmony vocals with the ladies) or the driving Boogie-Funk of "The Power Of Love" and the "Love Is Alive" soundalike of "Much Higher" (a tremendous transfer whacks those drums out of your speakers for both) - you wonder why normally-savvied British DJs didn't pick up on this. "Take away my worries of today..." Wright sang on the swirling 'I believe we can reach the morning light' of the title track – another winner on a very satisfying LP. 

"The Light of Smiles" album from early 1977 followed the same all-keyboards of its Yacht Rock predecessor but I thought it wasn’t nearly as good. I found "Who Am I" a little too schlocky for my tastes and the short childish chant "I Am The Sky" little more than filler. "Silent Fury" and "Child Of Light" touched on the same Funky Rock magic of "The Dream Weaver" album – abandoned youngsters making for strangely upbeat song material. 

There is a huge jump upwards in Production values when you reach the late 1977 release of "Touch And Gone" – like he was aiming at the polished Hall & Oates marketplace without perhaps having their genius with a tune that moves both the feet and the heart. The title track is a great single and "Something Very Special" is the kind of upbeat synth dancer that would have played out the credits of any late 70s Rom Com film set in Miami or California. A lot better is the Soulfulness in "Stay Away" and the hit-city keyboard funk of "The Love It Takes" (you've got it baby). You feel a change in the air because your "Love's Awake Inside" on Side 1 of the "Headin' Home" album from 1979, again featuring uber production values. "Moonbeams" feels like it's trying to be soulful without actually knowing how (wash your sorrows in moonbeams - oh dear). Better is the hit-single of "I'm The One Who'll Be By Your Side" and the nothing-to-hide slow dancer "I Can Feel You Cryin'".

For sure there will be those in 2020 who feel these Gary Wright albums are dated and of a time long past that isn't worth revisiting (as I did) and there are enough cheesy moments to prove some of that right. But there is also the good stuff. "I think it's time to get ready..." he sang on "Love Is Alive". Better late than never...

PS: 

The "Gary Wright's Extraction" debut LP came out December 1970 on A&M SP-4277 in the USA (January 1971 on AMLS 2004 in an elaborate foldout poster sleeve in the UK) - while his second studio solo set "Footprint" hit US and British stores on A&M SP-4296 and A&M AMLS 64296 in 1971 respectively. Both were also dealt with by BGO in December 2005 with a 2LPs-onto-1CD reissue – see Beat Goes On BGOCD699 (Barcode 5017261206992).