Shelock Holmes

Randy Newman, Warren Zevon, Loudon Wainwright III and Rupert Holmes all share the distinction of having a song grow to such epic proportions that it casts a career-wide shadow. But even before liking piña coladas and getting caught in the rain became a national pastime, Rupert Holmes had a successful career as producer, performer and songwriter. In fact, the New York Times called Holmes "one of the world's greatest storytellers in song." Over the course of seven years, Holmes released seven albums on five different labels. All of them are included on this box, as well as a Japanese-only album called Scenario from 1994.

Randy Newman, Warren Zevon, Loudon Wainwright III and Rupert Holmes all share the distinction of having a song grow to such epic proportions that it casts a career-wide shadow. But even before liking piña coladas and getting caught in the rain became a national pastime, Rupert Holmes had a successful career as producer, performer and songwriter. In fact, the New York Times called Holmes "one of the world's greatest storytellers in song." Over the course of seven years, Holmes released seven albums on five different labels. All of them are included on this box, as well as a Japanese-only album called Scenario from 1994.

Rupert Holmes followed up "Widescreen" (1974) with a self-titled LP that utilized a band rather than an orchestra, and was somewhat more accessible in its sound. Yet Holmes still was true to himself in composing its musical vignettes, again produced by Jeffrey Lesser. “Studio Musician” was a powerful Wall of Sound explosion that would be reverentially covered by Barry Manilow on his chart-topping Barry Manilow Live album, while “I Don’t Want to Hold Your Hand” was such a spot-on, deadpan Beatles send-up that George Martin reportedly told Holmes it was superior to the original recording! “Everything Gets Better When You’re Drunk” sounds like a toe-tapping ode to the perennial pleasures of booze, but it has a dark undercurrent of irony. The most enduring song on Rupert Holmes, though, may be its least commercial. “Brass Knuckles” was longtime mystery buff Holmes’ attempt to tell a detective noir story in under four minutes of song. Its songwriter remains proud of this one-of-a-kind song’s lyrics having been published in numerous crime anthologies and even reviewed in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine.

Rupert Holmes (born David Goldstein on February 24, 1947) is a British-American composer, singer-songwriter, musician, dramatist and author. He is widely known for the hit singles "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" (1979) and "Him" (1980). As a recording artist, Holmes broke through with his first album, 1974's "Widescreen" on Epic Records, which introduced him as a presenter of highly romantic, lushly orchestrated "story songs" that told a witty narrative punctuated by clever rhymes and a hint of comedy. Barbra Streisand discovered this album and asked to record songs from it, launching Holmes on a successful career. She then used some of his songs in the movie "A Star Is Born". Holmes also arranged, conducted, and wrote songs on her 1975 album "Lazy Afternoon" as well as five other Streisand albums.

Rupert Holmes (born David Goldstein on February 24, 1947) is a British-American composer, singer-songwriter, musician, dramatist and author. He is widely known for the hit singles "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" (1979) and "Him" (1980). As a recording artist, Holmes broke through with his first album, 1974's "Widescreen" on Epic Records, which introduced him as a presenter of highly romantic, lushly orchestrated "story songs" that told a witty narrative punctuated by clever rhymes and a hint of comedy. Barbra Streisand discovered this album and asked to record songs from it, launching Holmes on a successful career. She then used some of his songs in the movie "A Star Is Born". Holmes also arranged, conducted, and wrote songs on her 1975 album "Lazy Afternoon" as well as five other Streisand albums.

His fans didn’t know it at the time, but Holmes did indeed come full circle with 1981’s Elektra LP, and it would turn out to be his last word in pop/rock songwriting for over a decade. Holmes tells of being encouraged to return to an orchestrated style for this offering, and so “The End” (reaching #31 on the AC chart) does just that. “Loved by the One You Love,” like the previous album’s “Blackjack,” stalled at #103 on the pop chart, despite having the same infectious pop quality as “Him” or “Escape.” A theme of romance permeated the album, and the open-hearted “One Born Every Minute” (one love, not one sucker, contrary to P.T. Barnum’s belief) remains a favorite of its songwriter.

After a second album with disappointing sales, Holmes was summoned by the Epic brass. “Just give me singles,” they told him. So, he gave them Singles. He consciously wrote the album with the Top 40 in mind, and if the songs lacked some of the specificity of his work on the previous two LPs, they were no less clever and memorable. “Who, What, When, Where, Why” would become one of his most-recorded songs, with Dionne Warwick, The Tymes and Manhattan Transfer all having a crack at it. “I Don’t Want to Get Over You” was intended to be a Four Seasons tribute, and if that doesn’t quite come across except in the streetwise lyrics, it’s still pure Holmes-style seventies pop/rock with its insistent chorus (“I don’t want to get over you/Don’t want to no happy endin’/I feel better pretendin’ we ain’t through”) and airy, reflective verses.

"Partners in Crime" is an album by British American singer-songwriter and musician Rupert Holmes. The album was Holmes's most commercially successful record and includes all three of Holmes's solo Top 40 hits: "Him," "Answering Machine" and "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)." "Escape" was the Billboard #1 hit of December 1979 and January 1980; it was the only single to hold the #1 position in both years and in different decades. The album itself reached #33 on the Billboard Album Charts. Although "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" was released as a single on Infinity Records, "Him" was released on MCA Records. The Infinity catalog had been absorbed by MCA at the time the latter single was released.