Labor Of Love / David Cassidy, Sue Shifrin, Micheal Dan Ehmig

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I've been writing recently a lot about podcasts or people who worked with DC, but of course his music is the most important for me. And each time I return to that album ('David Cassidy', released in 1990) I just can't believe how well it was produced, and I wonder why it wasn't more popular. The opener,  'Labor of Love', a ready hit, a great intro, solid mainstream rock, interesting, sincere lyrics, and fabulous, mature DC voice..A wonderful and exciting song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z-aBmyCX10

The  whole album is great. Produced by legendary Phil Ramone and E.T Throngren (Talking Heads' producer), recorded with the help of many outstanding musicians like John Wetton, Jeff Baxter, Michael Thompson, Michael Landau and Mark Spiro, to name a few. Phil Ramone called DC a very through professional, a fine musician and songwriter.

In 1990 this album was on the Billboard 200 chart for 12 weeks, peaked at number 136. Every month a lot of new alums are appeared in the US. The most popular  records in 1990 were released by Public Enemy, Ice Cube, Depeche Mode, Pixies, Mariah Carey, Vanilla Ice, Sonic Youth..but also Iggy Pop and Black Sabath, Scorpions, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Slayer..and there were also new albums recorded by Madonna, INXS, George Michael, Kaylie Minogue, Paul Simon and many, many more.We should remember about it, and maybe for DC and his mainstream soft rock comeback album, number 136 on the Billboard 200 wasn't so bad..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG988dAziXU

And to have again a hit (Lyin' To Myself) on the Billboard Top 30 after nearly 20 years, it was a great achievement, really something, just amazing to have a video played on MTV, a hit single in his native country. Of course David dreamt about  something bigger, On the website we have nearly 40 DC's tv appearances from 1990, where he talked about that record, played some music live, that year he was also a presenter of  music awards,  3 times, (once with Susan Dey), he gave a lot of radio interviews, and there were press articles, among them a long one with an interview for Rolling Stone mag. So why only number 136..?

Enigma..but it wasn't only the label's fault. I've been searching a little bit. Enigma was a  popular rock and alternative record label launched in 1981, it was formally acquired by Capitol/EMI in 1989 and had it's own Capitol's sub label still in 1991. Everything is very complicated and we know that DC in person visited a lot of radio stations trying to promote his music.

I love how the footage from 'Man Undercover' was used for that video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXTNpuu74IA

I think (it's my opinion of course) that DC shouldn't have recorded 'All Because Of You' for that album. Yes, wrote by Sue Shifrin (and Jon Lind), it was already a known song (Cher). He should have recorded 'Crazy Over You' instead. And a rock version of TPF's hit, 'One Night Stand' ..instead of 'Message To The World'. But would it change anything? 

"Cassidy (..) hopes his new album will open the minds of a skeptical public that mostly peg him to 70's relics as unhip in the 90s as pukka shells and bell bottoms jeans. In the public mind's he's still a long- haired teen idol, the subject of fan magzines pieces with such tantalizing titles as - 'David. How To Turn Him On- By The Girls Who Have'.(Renee Tawalos : Los Angeles Daily News,  November 10th, 1990)

Of course David Cassidy was much more than just an average rock singer, he could sing everything..This is a new video posted only yesterday by Mat Gurman..Amazing. Wonderful, A fellow fan Mary has said - 'Beyond words..'

 David Cassidy, he was one and only. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRXsJSEarFE&list=RDMMmRXsJSEarFE&start_radio=1



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