I'm a fan of Fanny and love that humorous David Bowie homage.
The Captain and Tenille song brought back memories! They were so big back then. Toni sometimes responds to blogposts by Bob Lefsetz and he includes them in his email mailbag - https://lefsetz.com/wordpress/.
Excellent overview of Casablanca, Pe. I had no idea.
This one’s a little outside my usual wheelhouse, but I find myself genuinely intrigued. I’ve always known Casablanca for its headline acts, not the oddities buried beneath. The way you traced those forgotten experiments—especially the “religious disco” tangent—makes me want to dig deeper. There’s something fascinating about how ambition and absurdity often meet at the edges of musical history.
Absolutely, Howard. I sometimes wish I had the resources to fully reconstruct the A&R operations at Casablanca Records, it must’ve been pure Kafka at times. Their motto, “Whatever It Takes,” was clearly taken very literally. Thanks so much for reading, reacting, and sharing!
You're welcome. I’m still new to the world of Substack. I’ve been writing my efforts for the past three years and only just had the courage to start posting. The response on Substack has been (so far) always positive, so I’m trying to reflect some of that love and support back to others.
That’s great to hear, Howard. It really is a positive platform. I’ve been writing here for about a year and a half, and like you, it took me a bit of courage to finally start 😁. There’s a vibrant community of music writers who share, support, and collaborate, it’s genuinely fulfilling. So welcome aboard, Howard! I’m glad you’re here and I’m looking forward to reading your work.
Thank you - and yes please, it would be an honor if you could check out some of my work if you ever get the opportunity. I would love to hear your honest feedback also.
What a fantastic deep dive into the vaults of Casablanca records!! Currently vibing to "Just As Long As We're Together".
Very interesting point you make about the Christian+Disco mix on some of the other tracks. This remind me -- on Mariah's new album there's a track she did with The Clarke Sisters which is called "Jesus I Do"... but it's disco! Well, disco-gospel?! Anyway, here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvpeFyK6W88&list=RDjvpeFyK6W88&start_radio=1
The Gloria Scott track is excellent, classic Barry White style, but with top-notch production and arrangements. I’ve made a mental note to revisit the album and find out why she only released one. The Mariah track is great too, superb production, and the kind of gospel that appeals even to non-gospel listeners because it’s simply good music. As for Casablanca, it was all about the playful spirit of disco. Thanks for reading, reacting, and sharing, Andy! Wishing you a great end of the week.
Very thorough, Pe....and, enjoyable! I had that Peter Noone '74 single, "Meet Me at the Corner." I was 19, and at the U. of Houston radio station. I enjoyed the earlier Casablanca singles, and some of the albums. When they went full-disco, '78-ish, and really totally wacky, I lost interest, but, tried to stay relatively up-to-date!
I remember some of the early Paul Jabara albums, and enjoyed them. As it turns out, one of Paul's frequent collaborators, Jay Asher, is a longtime FR&B subscriber! He may actually sub to you, too (check your subby list)! In fact, Jay wrote me a special tribute to Bacharach & David, a couple years ago: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/burt-hal-and-me-songwriter-jay-asher?utm_source=publication-search
On the '83 Columbia album, "Paul Jabara and Friends," Paul and Jay collabbed on a few songs, including the very first song Whitney Houston ever put to wax, "Eternal Love," just before Clive Davis signed her to Arista! Thanks again for all this, Pe! Brava, Boobie!😉
I’ll check it out 😁 Jabara is definitely on my shortlist. He seems like such an interesting character. I came across him several times while researching today’s post about Cher, he often worked with Bob Esty, the producer of Take Me Home. So we’ll be meeting him again down the line. Thanks for reading, reacting, and sharing, Brad. Have a great Friday!
Jabara certainly is an interesting character! He was really a songwriter, but, like so many, was given his chance to be a solo performer/recording artist, but to little effect. I think I recall Jabara having a close musical connection to Paul Shaffer, as the two were NYC based, and each would find the other at this session and that quite often! His writing for films and some B-way was notable, too, and I just reminded myself (on his Wiki) that he died early, at 44, due to AIDS complications, bless his💖. His was a talent that would've been interesting to watch grow and unfold as he grew older. My immediate instinct, Pe, is to ask Jay for any special insight he might give us on Jabara, but, on the other hand, I hate to possibly bother him.....🤷♂️But, he MUST have stories! Happy weekend to you, Pe!
Esty's take wasn't too flattering I must say. But I think Bob Esty wasn't too flattering about anyone really. The impression I got from the research was that he had quite an ego 😁
Well, in only knowing his name from the day (he popped up on a lot of records' liner notes!), I'm picking up on Esty's apparent "difficult-to-work-with" persona just from your accounts here...and, more than just what's in this article! So, yeah, I get that....gee, a person difficult to work with in the record biz......what are the odds?🤪💿😁👍Thanks, Pe!
That’s definitely an interesting one too, David, but I had to make some tough choices here 😁 I didn’t want the list to get too long. Thanks for reading and for your comment!
South African jazz artist also signed to Casablanca in the '70s. Between 1975-1977, he released four albums on the label. The best being the incredibly funky "The Boys Doin' It" and his political stab aimed at the European colonization of the African continent, 'Colonial Man.'
You’re absolutely right, Michael. I’m not sure why I was so convinced it was just one album and didn’t double-check on Discogs before publishing the episode. I’ve corrected it now. Thanks for reading and for pointing it out!
I'm a fan of Fanny and love that humorous David Bowie homage.
The Captain and Tenille song brought back memories! They were so big back then. Toni sometimes responds to blogposts by Bob Lefsetz and he includes them in his email mailbag - https://lefsetz.com/wordpress/.
Excellent overview of Casablanca, Pe. I had no idea.
Thanks, Ellen! Glad you enjoyed my little tour, it was a fun one to put together. And thanks for the tip! Have a great Friday!
You too, Pe.
This one’s a little outside my usual wheelhouse, but I find myself genuinely intrigued. I’ve always known Casablanca for its headline acts, not the oddities buried beneath. The way you traced those forgotten experiments—especially the “religious disco” tangent—makes me want to dig deeper. There’s something fascinating about how ambition and absurdity often meet at the edges of musical history.
Absolutely, Howard. I sometimes wish I had the resources to fully reconstruct the A&R operations at Casablanca Records, it must’ve been pure Kafka at times. Their motto, “Whatever It Takes,” was clearly taken very literally. Thanks so much for reading, reacting, and sharing!
You're welcome. I’m still new to the world of Substack. I’ve been writing my efforts for the past three years and only just had the courage to start posting. The response on Substack has been (so far) always positive, so I’m trying to reflect some of that love and support back to others.
That’s great to hear, Howard. It really is a positive platform. I’ve been writing here for about a year and a half, and like you, it took me a bit of courage to finally start 😁. There’s a vibrant community of music writers who share, support, and collaborate, it’s genuinely fulfilling. So welcome aboard, Howard! I’m glad you’re here and I’m looking forward to reading your work.
Thank you - and yes please, it would be an honor if you could check out some of my work if you ever get the opportunity. I would love to hear your honest feedback also.
What a fantastic deep dive into the vaults of Casablanca records!! Currently vibing to "Just As Long As We're Together".
Very interesting point you make about the Christian+Disco mix on some of the other tracks. This remind me -- on Mariah's new album there's a track she did with The Clarke Sisters which is called "Jesus I Do"... but it's disco! Well, disco-gospel?! Anyway, here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvpeFyK6W88&list=RDjvpeFyK6W88&start_radio=1
The Gloria Scott track is excellent, classic Barry White style, but with top-notch production and arrangements. I’ve made a mental note to revisit the album and find out why she only released one. The Mariah track is great too, superb production, and the kind of gospel that appeals even to non-gospel listeners because it’s simply good music. As for Casablanca, it was all about the playful spirit of disco. Thanks for reading, reacting, and sharing, Andy! Wishing you a great end of the week.
Thank you, Pe! Yes, a deep dive into Gloria Scott would be awesome for you to do at some point when you can.
Glad you liked the Mariah tracks! Those high notes sent me flying!
Great end to the week to you too!! 😘😘
Very thorough, Pe....and, enjoyable! I had that Peter Noone '74 single, "Meet Me at the Corner." I was 19, and at the U. of Houston radio station. I enjoyed the earlier Casablanca singles, and some of the albums. When they went full-disco, '78-ish, and really totally wacky, I lost interest, but, tried to stay relatively up-to-date!
I remember some of the early Paul Jabara albums, and enjoyed them. As it turns out, one of Paul's frequent collaborators, Jay Asher, is a longtime FR&B subscriber! He may actually sub to you, too (check your subby list)! In fact, Jay wrote me a special tribute to Bacharach & David, a couple years ago: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/burt-hal-and-me-songwriter-jay-asher?utm_source=publication-search
On the '83 Columbia album, "Paul Jabara and Friends," Paul and Jay collabbed on a few songs, including the very first song Whitney Houston ever put to wax, "Eternal Love," just before Clive Davis signed her to Arista! Thanks again for all this, Pe! Brava, Boobie!😉
I’ll check it out 😁 Jabara is definitely on my shortlist. He seems like such an interesting character. I came across him several times while researching today’s post about Cher, he often worked with Bob Esty, the producer of Take Me Home. So we’ll be meeting him again down the line. Thanks for reading, reacting, and sharing, Brad. Have a great Friday!
Jabara certainly is an interesting character! He was really a songwriter, but, like so many, was given his chance to be a solo performer/recording artist, but to little effect. I think I recall Jabara having a close musical connection to Paul Shaffer, as the two were NYC based, and each would find the other at this session and that quite often! His writing for films and some B-way was notable, too, and I just reminded myself (on his Wiki) that he died early, at 44, due to AIDS complications, bless his💖. His was a talent that would've been interesting to watch grow and unfold as he grew older. My immediate instinct, Pe, is to ask Jay for any special insight he might give us on Jabara, but, on the other hand, I hate to possibly bother him.....🤷♂️But, he MUST have stories! Happy weekend to you, Pe!
Esty's take wasn't too flattering I must say. But I think Bob Esty wasn't too flattering about anyone really. The impression I got from the research was that he had quite an ego 😁
Well, in only knowing his name from the day (he popped up on a lot of records' liner notes!), I'm picking up on Esty's apparent "difficult-to-work-with" persona just from your accounts here...and, more than just what's in this article! So, yeah, I get that....gee, a person difficult to work with in the record biz......what are the odds?🤪💿😁👍Thanks, Pe!
Angel also had a cameo in the Casablanca FilmWorks Jodie Foster vehicle *Foxes*.
And they even slipped a pure disco track onto the soundtrack! Thanks for reading, reacting, and sharing, Mark, have a great end to the week!
No mention of Light of Love, the last US T. Rex album to see release during Marc Bolan's lifetime?
That’s definitely an interesting one too, David, but I had to make some tough choices here 😁 I didn’t want the list to get too long. Thanks for reading and for your comment!
South African jazz artist also signed to Casablanca in the '70s. Between 1975-1977, he released four albums on the label. The best being the incredibly funky "The Boys Doin' It" and his political stab aimed at the European colonization of the African continent, 'Colonial Man.'
You’re absolutely right, Michael. I’m not sure why I was so convinced it was just one album and didn’t double-check on Discogs before publishing the episode. I’ve corrected it now. Thanks for reading and for pointing it out!
I believe 'Colonial Man' was also banned by South Africa's Apartheid Government.