MY TOP MUSIC OF THE WEEK (4-16)

All titles issued in the US except where noted,


1.  The Very Best Of BARBRA STREISAND (NEW) **1 week #1**
     (Home compilation)

2.  Emotion - BARBRA STREISAND
     (Columbia - 1984)

3.  Jackpot!: The Best Bette - BETTE MIDLER
     (Rhino - 2008)

4.  What A Life - DIVINYLS
     (Chrysalis - 1985)

5.  Winter Light - LINDA RONSTADT
     (Elektra - 1993)

6.  Bubbles - THE FREE DESIGN
     (Siesta) Spain

7.  Experience The Divine: Greatest Hits - BETTE MIDLER
     (Home edit of 1996 Australia import)

8.  Collector's Edition - CARLY SIMON
     (Madacy Entertainment - 2009)

9.  Boxed (Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)) - EURYTHMICS
     (RCA - 2005) Europe; Expanded edition of 1983 in a box set

10.  Relish - JOAN OSBORNE
       (Mercury - 1995)


Notes:

I deleted one of two versions of To Deserve You from #7.  I personally didn't care for the single mix included.

THE VERY BEST OF BARBRA STREISAND (A NEW ORIGINAL)

Last week I was asked to play music for a couple of events at the hospital where I volunteer. Easy listening was requested and Barbra Streisand was one of the artists I played. I hadn't listened to her in ages and it made me want to more. An idea came over me to compile a single-disc career-spanning retrospective since none has been commercially released. I used Billboard magazine as a guide and put together 19 of Barbra's 21 top 40 hits. The exceptions are Where You Lead and Kiss Me In The Rain because I don't have them on compact disc...yet. However, the former is included in a medley on my compilation.

Following is my end result. The songs are in order from highest to lowest charting:

Woman In Love
Love Theme From "A Star Is Born" (Evergreen)
The Way We Were
No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) (with Donna Summer)
You Don't Bring Me Flowers (with Neil Diamond)
Guilty (with Barry Gibb)
The Main Event/Fight
My Heart Belongs To Me
People
Stoney End
I Finally Found Someone (with Bryan Adams)
What Kind Of Fool (with Barry Gibb)
Comin' In And Out Of Your Life
Love Theme From "Eyes Of Laura Mars" (Prisoner)
'Til I Loved You (with Don Johnson)
Songbird
Second Hand Rose
Sweet Inspiration/Where You Lead
The Way He Makes Me Feel

I'm looking forward to reacquainting myself with my Streisand collection in general.

MY TOP MUSIC OF THE WEEK (4-9)

All titles issued in the US unless otherwise noted.

1.  Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me) - CASTING CROWNS **1 week #1**
     (MP3, 2009)

2.  The Singles 1969-1973 - CARPENTERS
     (A&M - 1973)

3.  BARBRA STREISAND's Greatest Hits, Volume 2
     (Columbia - 1978)

4.  Greatest Hits Volume 1 - BARRY MANILOW
     (Arista - 1989)

5.  BETTE MIDLER
     (Atlantic - 1973)

6.  The Essential HEART 3.0
     (Epic/Capitol/Legacy - 2008)

7.  Heaven/Earth - THE FREE DESIGN
     (Light In The Attic - 2005) Expanded edition of 1969 album

8.  Beg, Steal Or Borrow - THE NEW SEEKERS
     (Rotation - 2001) Holland

9.  Women & Song - FLEETWOOD MAC
     (Home compilation)

10.  The Ultimate 5TH DIMENSION
       (Arista/BMG Heritage - 2004)

11.  Most Of All: The Best Of DEBORAH HARRY
       (Chrysalis/EMI - 1999) UK

12.  HELEN REDDY's Greatest Hits (And More)
       (Capitol - 1987)

13.  Celebration - ABBA
       (Panther)

14.  Body & Soul: Slow And Easy - VARIOUS ARTISTS
       (Time-Life Music - 1999)

15.  The Singles + - MOUTH & MacNEAL
       (BR Music - 2001) Holland


Notes:

I played the Casting Crowns track 5 times this week to study it for a church service yesterday, hence its position.  This makes only the 2nd time a Contemporary Christian artist has been #1 on my list since I started it in 2006.  Sandi Patty was #1 for 2 weeks last year with Where The Nails Were, another song I was learning for church.

Barry Manilow becomes the highest-charting male solo artist on my list this week since Lindsey Buckingham was #1 in 2008 with his Go Insane disc.

#9 by Fleetwood Mac is an original collection of mine consisting of songs by Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks, and Bekka Bramlett.

#13 by ABBA is one of many bootleg discs in print by the group.  The date of release is unlisted.

#14 is a collection of R&B hits.

MY TOP MUSIC OF THE WEEK (4-2)

All titles issued in the US except where noted.

1.  Private Audition - HEART **1 week #1**
     (Epic - 1982)

2.  The Very Best Of FLEETWOOD MAC
     (Reprise - 2002)

3.  Hotcakes - CARLY SIMON
     (Elektra - 1974)

4.  The RCA Years - MIDDLE OF THE ROAD
     (7T's - 2010) UK

5.  Gold: 35th Anniversary Edition - CARPENTERS
     (A&M/UTV - 2004)

6.  Jackpot!: The Best Bette - BETTE MIDLER
     (Rhino - 2008)

7.  THE GROOP
     (Sundazed - 2007) Expanded edition of their 1969 album

8.  Rare Gems - ABBA
     (Home compilation)

9.  Kites Are Fun - THE FREE DESIGN
     (Light In The Attic - 2003) Expanded edition of their 1967 album

10.  Signature - MOYA BRENNAN
       (Universal - 2007)

11.  Faster Than The Speed Of Night - BONNIE TYLER
       (Columbia - 1983)

12.  More Than You Know - TONI TENNILLE
       (Varese Sarabande - 2003) Expanded edition of her 1984 album

Notes:

#4 by Middle Of The Road is comprised of the group's first three albums, Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep (1971), Acceleration (1972), and Drive On (1973) with 6 bonus tracks included on the first album when released in Italy.

#8 by ABBA is a disc I put together using rare and unreleased tracks.  I took them from various compilations.

#12 by Toni Tennille inlcudes 9 bonus tracks taken from her second solo album, All Of Me, from 1987.

MY TOP MUSIC OF THE WEEK (3-26)

All titles issued in the US unless otherwise noted.


1.  THE GROOP **24 weeks #1**
     (Sundazed - 2007) Expanded editon of 1969 album

2.  How Do You Do - MOUTH & MacNEAL
     (Rotation - 1999) Holland

3.  Bubbles - THE FREE DESIGN
     (Siesta) Spain

4.  Greatest Hits - THE TOURISTS
     (Camden - 1997) UK

5.  Greatest Hits - DIVINYLS
     (EMI - 2006) Australia

6.  Gold - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
     (Hip-O - 2005)

7.  The Very Best Of FLEETWOOD MAC
     (Reprise - 2002)

8.  Feels Like Home - LINDA RONSTADT
     (Elektra - 1995)

9.  Gold: The 70's - BONEY M.
     (Home compilation)

10.  The Very Best Of CHER
       (Rhino/Warner Bros. - 2003)

11.  The Essential Collection 1965-1997 - CARPENTERS
       (A&M/Chronicles - 2006)

12.  Body & Soul: Love Under Cover - VARIOUS ARTISTS
       (Time-Life Music - 1999)

13.  Jackpot!: The Best Bette - BETTE MIDLER
       (Rhino - 2008)


Notes:

I compiled #9 by Boney M. as a variation of their German-issued disc, Gold: 20 Super Hits.  I deleted five songs and used all album versions where applicable.

#12 is a collection of R&B hits.

MY TOP MUSIC OF THE WEEK (3-12)

All titles issued in the US unless otherwise noted.

1.  Collector's Edition - CARLY SIMON **4 weeks #1**
     (Madacy Entertainment - 2009)

2.  Kisses And Hits - BROTHERHOOD OF MAN
     (CD-R)

3.  Rollerball - CHAMPAGNE
     (Compiled using tracklisting of 1977 album)

4.  Panic Of Girls - BLONDIE
     (EMI - 2011) UK

5.  Time - FLEETWOOD MAC
     (Home edit of 1995 album)

6.  If I Could Turn Back Time: CHER's Greatest Hits
     (Geffen - 1999)

7.  Songs Of Joy: The Complete CAPTAIN & TENNILLE Collection (Dream)
     (R2 - 2005) 1978 album in a box set

8.  CHAMPAGNE
     (Compiled using tracklisting of 1977 album)

9.  Body & Soul:  Smooth Jams - VARIOUS ARTISTS
     (Time-Life - 1998)

10.  The Very Best Of KIKI DEE
       (MCA - 1994) UK

11.  The Essential HEART 3.0
       (Epic/Capitol/Legacy - 2008)

12.  Can't Fight Fate - TAYLOR DAYNE
       (Arista - 1989)


Notes:

#2 by Brotherhood Of Man was compiled by a member of a Yahoo music group I belong to.

#3 and #8 by Champange are albums originally released in Holland.  Not wanting to spend a lot of money for the imports, I put them together myself.  All songs from both albums appear on the 2007 CD import, "The Best Of Champagne," which was my first purchase by the group.

For my home edit of #5 by Fleetwood Mac I omitted the last track, a song written and performed by Mick Fleetwood.  It's spoken-word and I think it takes away from the flow of the rest of the disc.

#9 is a collection of R&B hits.

FLEETWOOD MAC: Chapters (An Original Compilation)

A few years ago, I brainstormed about a Fleetwood Mac compilation that would best represent the group's career on a single disc.  Following is what I came up with.  Titled "Chapters," I selected one track by each of Fleetwood Mac's 15 recording members (original bassist, Bob Brunning, never recorded with the band so isn't included).  I had intended to revise the disc because I have a better title in mind and one track is slightly cut off at the beginning.  Nonetheless, here's the tracklisting with photos and information:

"I Believe My Time Ain't Long" (1967): Written by Duster Bennett and sung by Jeremy Spencer (pictured), this was the group's first single release and later issued on the UK compilation "The Pious Bird Of Good Omen" in 1969.  Another version was recorded for Fleetwood Mac's 1968 album, "Mr. Wonderful" under the title "Dust My Broom."  The latter version was included on the box set "25 Years: The Chain" in 1992 under the original title.  The version I used comes from the box set "The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions 1967-1969."

"Oh Well (Part 1)" (1969):  Written and sung by Peter Green for the album "Then Play On," this was Fleetwood Mac's very first chart single on Billboard's Hot 100 reaching #55.  I used the single version on my compilation as a matter of space.  The band Rockets had a #30 hit with their cover in 1979.  Later versions were recorded by Lindsey Buckingham and Billy Burnette with the group.

"Searching For Madge" (1969):  This is an instrumental from "Then Play On" written by Mick Fleetwood.

"Fighting For Madge" (1969):  This instrumental written by John McVie follows Mick's song on "Then Play On."

"Jewel Eyed Judy" (1970):  Written and sung by Danny Kirwan, this was the only single from Fleetwood Mac's album, "Kiln House."

"Sentimental Lady" (1972):  This was a single from Fleetwood Mac's album, "Bare Trees," written and sung by Bob Welch.  Bob had a #8 hit with the song as a solo artist in 1977.

"The Derelict" (1973):  This was written and sung by Dave Walker for the album, "Penguin."

"Caught In The Rain" (1973):  This is an instrumental written by Bob Weston for "Penguin."

"You Make Loving Fun" (1977):  This was a #9 hit for Fleetwood Mac written and sung by Christine McVie for "Rumours."  The version I used is a rough draft from the 2004 edition of the same album.

"Go Your Own Way" (1980):  This was a #10 hit for Fleetwood Mac in 1977 written and sung by Lindsey Buckingham for "Rumours."  I took this version from "Fleetwood Mac Live."

"Stand On The Rock" (1990):  This song was written and sung by Rick Vito for "Behind The Mask."

"Hard Feelings" (1990):  This was a single from "Behind The Mask" written and sung by Billy Burnette.

"Winds Of Change" (1995):  This was written by Kit Hain and sung by Bekka Bramlett (pictured) for the album "Time."

"Blow By Blow" (1995):  This was written and sung by Dave Mason for "Time."

"Dreams" (2003): This was Fleetwood Mac's only #1 hit recorded for the 1977 album, "Rumours."  Written and sung by Stevie Nicks, I took this version from the CD companion to "Live In Boston."