Cold Fire Too Cold

“Too Cold” Collectors have been searching for the club blazing dance music album since 1981 when Cold Fire burst on the scene and disappeared just as quickly. Coming out of Vallejo, California, the Northern California hometown of Con Funk Shun and rapper E-40, Cold Fire was poised to break into the music scene with just as much of a splash. The band had a reputation as a tireless touring band, and scored a local single “Party Harty / Badder than Bad” that got the group some Bay Area radio play in 1977. Their original sound was more horn and guitar driven, but by 1981 the R&B standards had changed. When promoter Lewis Gray brought Cold Fire to Capitol Records’ Vice President of Artists and Repertoire Dr Cecil Hale, they were still a work in progress.

“Love Vibes Too” is a follow up collection of 17 upbeat, feel good soulful dance records from the post disco, pre-house days of the late 70s and early 80s. The artists in the main are well known, international hit makers, and again on this selection Expansion take a fresh look at their repertoire and makes some of it available on CD for the very first time. “Love Vibes Too” explores music from Motown, Capitol, MCA, Epic, Columbia, Atlantic, with productions by George Duke, Rene & Angela, The Isley Brothers, Leo Graham, Michael Stokes and Narada Michael Walden. Artists officially on CD for the first time from original masters include Klique, Peabo Bryson, Nolen & Crossley, Magic Lady, Wynd Chymes, Vicky Sue Robinson, Sidney Barnes and Muscle Shoals Horns. Ultimate music for a sunny day for soul fans!

Sandwiched between 1984's Top 20 hit Breaking Hearts and 1986's commercial disaster Leather Jackets, 1985's Ice on Fire is a forgotten Elton John effort. While it is hardly a masterpiece – it isn't even up to the standard of such '80s efforts as Too Low for Zero – it's still an enjoyable record, living proof of the power of professionalism…

Debut solo album from Wobbler’s Lars Fredrik Frøislie! Fitting perfectly into the 70s prog-rock tradition where the keyboardist makes a solo album between the band albums, this is music Frøislie has been doing, mostly alone, during the pandemic. Had it not been for the pandemic, much of the material would probably have ended up on a new Wobbler album - but then run through the Wobbler grinder and with English lyrics. In other words, this is unpeeled and raw, as spontaneous as possible without going through too many rounds of processing. Trying to preserve the impulsive - much of what you hear is improvised, and one-takes (preferably with playing errors and piano strings that break and the like). Trying to preserve the human aspect to a large extent, avoiding click tracks, auto-tune, MIDI or too much technology. Expect lots of old analogue keyboards such as cembalo, Mellotron, MiniMoog, Yamaha CP70 and Hammond organ.