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From the Vault...
12/23/2012
#1339 |
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info
Player
"The Best Of Player: Baby Come Back"
© Chronicles/Polygram Records
Year of Release: 1998
Rating:
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track listing
Baby Come Back
This Time I'm In It For Love
Melanie
Prisoner Of Your Love
I've Been Thinking
Wait Until Tomorrow
Givin' It All
Who Do You Think
You Are
It's For You
Bad News Travels Fast
If Looks Could Kill
Some Things Are Left
Unsaid
It Only Hurts
When I Breathe
Beautiful Love
Footprints In The Sand
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Player
"The Best Of Player: Baby Come Back"
The year was late 1978. The song, "Baby Come Back" hit the AM airwaves. The song was a huge hit, reaching #1. The name of the
band: Player. As great as this song was, there really isn't another well-remembered song or more than one song, that would follow.
Player had five albums, based on The Best Of Player: Baby Come Back compilation.
The four bandmembers debuted with their self-titled album in 1977: Peter Beckett met J.C. Crowley at a party. The two songwriters
teamed up to write songs. Like many bands before and after them, they worked in a garage on their songs, and added two more members to the band:
Ronn Moss and John Friesen. Three songs from the best of were from their first album -- "Baby Come Back," "This Time In It For Love," and
"Melanie." Just as their song "Baby Come Back," the latter two songs easily fit the "Lite Rock" format. The band was signed to Robert
Stigwood's label, RSO, which was the label home for artists such as The Bee Gees, Andy Gibb and Eric Clapton.
The following year, 1978, saw the band's second album, Danger Zone. Three songs on the best of were from this album: "Prisoner Of
Your Love," (Lite Rock), "I've Been Thinking," (ballad) and "Wait Until Tomorrow" (Lite Rock). The band toured as opening acts for
popular artists such as Eric Clapton, Heart, and Kenny Loggins. The would be headliners at smaller venues. J.C. Crowley left the band, to pursue his
music career in Country. Releasing a very small amount of albums of his own, he would write songs recorded by other well-known (Country artists), such
as Johnny Cash, Smokey Robinson, Little River Band, the Oak Ridge Boys (to name a few). He fought and won his battle with cancer in 1994-1999. He still
continues writing and producing music from his home in California.
1980 saw the release of their third album, Room With A View. The band left RSO and recorded this album on Casablanca, which was the home for
(Disco) artists, such as Donna Summer, and the Village People. Kiss had also recorded for Casablanca in the 1970s. From their third album, "Givin'
It All," "Who Do You Think You Are," "It's For You" and "Bad News Travel Fast" appear on the best of. After this release, Ronn Moss left the
band to pursue an acting career. He is best known on the soap opera, The Bold And The Beautiful, where he portrayed the character Ridge Forrester,
from 1987 to 2012.
The band had gone through many lineup changes, and by 1982, original member Peter Beckett and Dennis Lambert moved to RCA Records to record Spies
Of Life. From it, the following songs are on the best of: "If Looks Could Kill," "Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid," and "It Only Hurts
When I Breathe."
After their fourth album, Player broke up, where the band members went on to other musical ventures. Peter Beckett became a full-time songwriter,
penning songs for artists such as Olivia Newton-John, The Commodores, Heart, Little River Band, as well as writing songs for movies: The Karate Kid,
St. Elmo's Fire, Major League, Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure. Ronn Moss (as mentioned) was on The Bold And The Beautiful. John Freisen
started a video production company. Beckett joined the Little River Band in 1990, of which he had previously wrote songs for them. 1991 saw a solo album
by him, entitled Beckett.
Ronn Moss' first love has always been music. In 1994 he and Peter Beckett reformed Player, and recorded the album Lost In Reality on River
North Records. Two songs from this album appear on the best of: "Beautiful Love," and "Footprints In The Sand."
As mentioned in the liner notes for The Best Of Player: Baby Come Back -- Player was never a hard rock band, it was all about blue-eyed soul.
(Listen to "It's For You," and the resemblance to blue-eyed soul is heard, as in the music of Daryl Hall & John Oates.) Lite Rock easily fits
basically every song on this best of. It's easy to listen to, mood setting music.
"Baby Come Back" just may have been a "one-hit" wonder song that everyone remembers when it comes to the band Player. It's always interesting
to listen to their other tunes, and finding out exactly how many albums they released. Most likely this is not to our knowledge, as some songs from the
later albums may have generated hit songs, but not well-remembered ones. On the note of "Baby Come Back" -- this song was parodied as "Cutty
Come Back," regarding Chicago Bear quarterback Jay Cutler, when he was injured during the 2011 season. The story can be read
here,
however the video has been removed.
Also, it's interesting to learn what's going on currently with Player: Ronn Moss and Peter Beckett have released their most currently album as Player:
Too Many Reasons was released on Frontiers Records in 2013.
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Review or any portion may not be reproduced
without written permission. Cover art is the
intellectual property of
Chronicles/Polygram Records
and is used for reference purposes only.
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