2019 Digitally Remastered

"Totally Hot" is Olivia Newton-John's 9th US and 10th international studio album. Released in November 1978, it became her first solo Top 10 (# 7) album since 1975's "Have You Never Been Mellow". Dressed on the album cover all in leather, Newton-John's transformation in Grease from goody-goody "Sandy 1" to spandex-clad "Sandy 2" emboldened her to do the same with her music. The album's singles "A Little More Love" (# 3 Pop, # 94 Country, # 4 AC), "Deeper Than The Night" (# 11 Pop, # 87 Country, # 4 AC), and the title track (# 52 Pop) all demonstrated a more aggressive and uptempo sound for Newton-John.

"Love Fantasy" is a studio album by American musician Roy Ayers. It was released in 1980 through Polydor Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at Electric Lady Studios and Sigma Sound Studios in New York City. Ayers was in those days the most successful jazz act for Polydor Records and he was enjoying the superstar status. He worked with many talented producers and arrangers. His warm vibe playing on Love fantasy earned equal jazz and R&B acclaim and wonderful strings were arranged by William Allen. "Love Fantasy" contains Ayers' traditional groove on the uptempo funk track "Rock Your Roll" but also smooth jazz tracks like "Love Fantasy" and "Believe In Yourself".

"Living Without Your Love" is the 11th studio album recorded by singer Dusty Springfield, and 10th released. The album was recorded in summer 1978 and released in early 1979. "Living Without Your Love" consequently became her last LP recorded for Phonogram, a company with which she had been associated, in various forms (Fontana Records/Philips Records/Mercury Records), for nearly twenty years. Two non-album singles produced by David Mackay were recorded and released in the UK that same year. "Baby Blue", written and co-produced by Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes, and Bruce Woolley, was a disco-pop track, which was also issued as an extended 12" single and became a minor club hit (#61), but "Your Love Still Brings Me to My Knees" never charted and the track became Springfield's swan song for Phonogram. Springfield stayed on in Los Angeles for another 10 years. It was also to be more than a decade before she released her next full-length album in the UK. In 2002, Mercury/Universal Music released "Living Without Your Love" on CD for the first time.

"Closeup" is singer Frankie Valli again finding the magic without his Four Seasons, this time in the '70s with two big hits in two different genres. The album is very, very good, and in a roundabout way is a great example of why Clive Davis worked wonders with Bell Records when he turned it into Arista. Former Bell president Larry Uttal had it all in this project, and it should have been much, much bigger - it should have been the album to firmly establish Private Stock Records as a major player. But for all the incredible cast members and all the artistry here Jim Keltner on drums, Bobbye Hall on conga, Clydie King and Patti Austin on backing vocals (seven years before Austin's own number one hit).

One of their finest albums. The Dramatics had solidified their sound and personnel in the early '70s. L.J. Reynolds was now doing the leads, with Ron Banks' feathery falsetto and Willie Ford's booming baritone perfectly positioned at the top and bottom of the arrangements, and Reynolds and Lenny Mayes right in the center. Although they didn't generate much crossover success, they were on the R&B charts regularly with singles pulled from the album.

Gospel-soul pioneers the Staple Singers will have their storied Stax years commemorated with the December release by Craft Recordings of six individual albums. Featuring: Soul Folk in Action, We’ll Get Over, The Staple Swingers, Be Altitude: Respect Yourself, Be What You Are and City in the Sky.

Their second Stax release was similar to Soul Folk in Action. The album's highlight is Randall Stewart's "When Will We Be Paid?" AllMusic Review by Rob Bowman

The best and most famous cuts from their glory years at Stax. Includes their massive hits "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There"; less famous but similar gospel-funk fusions like "Touch a Hand (Make a Friend)" and "Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom Boom)"; and less expected items like a cover of "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay." It does not, however, have their 1975 number one single "Let's Do It Again," which they recorded just after cutting their ties to Stax. AllMusic Review by Richie Unterberger