Peter Allen (born
Peter Richard Woolnough; 10 February 1944 – 18 June 1992) was an Australian singer-songwriter and entertainer. His songs were made popular by many recording artists, including
Elkie Brooks,
Melissa Manchester and
Olivia Newton-John, with one, "
Arthur's Theme", winning an
Academy Award for
Best Original Song in 1981. In addition to recording many albums, he enjoyed a cabaret and concert career, including appearing at the
Radio City Music Hall riding a camel. His song "
I Still Call Australia Home", used extensively in advertising campaigns, was added to the
National Film and Sound Archive's
Sounds of Australia registry in 2013.
Allen was the first husband of
Liza Minnelli, with the couple divorcing after seven years of marriage; he later came out as gay.
Taught by Experts is the fourth studio album by
Peter Allen, released in 1976. It spawned the hit "
I Go to Rio", and the Top 10 hit "
The More I See You".The album featured such musicians as Thom Rotella, Jerome Richardson, Lesley Gore and Dusty Springfield.
Sounding like a cross between Neil Sedaka and Billy Joel, without the Top 40 appeal of those voices,
Peter Allen certainly seemed like a man who was much too Broadway for the pop charts he helped
Olivia Newton-John,
Melissa Manchester, and
Christopher Cross climb. His version of "The More I See You" is a safe remake, but a Chris Montez cover of the tune from the 1945 Betty Grable film has the charm. This version did get adult contemporary airplay in 1976, and features Herb Alpert on trumpet, Jim Gordon on drums, Carole King's ex-husband, Charles Larkey, on bass, Bostonian Alan Estes on percussion, and even labelmate Lesley Gore on backing vocals. Bobby Rozario's orchestration is lovely, but what needed to happen here was to have Lesley Gore duet with the singer.
Peter Allen was just too overbearing for a world where even
Barry Manilow at his most ostentatious could wink and get away with it. The other problem with this album is the production by Brooks Arthur, the same dilemma Lesley Gore's Love Me by Name album suffered at the hands of Quincy Jones -- a term producer Jimmy Miller called overproduction.
Mr. Miller often said there is no right or wrong in production, but there was half a wink when he said that. At the top of his game he may have brought
Peter Allen's vocals down a bit in the mix of "Harbour" and let the music swell. A beautiful composition by the singer, his vocals are so far out in the mix that the elegance is totally drowned out. Where Ronnie Milsap would get away with being loud on a song like "Harbour" is where
Allen ventures -- and succeeds -- on the title track, "Taught by Experts." This is blues/schmaltz/pop/cabaret, and it is the best track on the record with its fatalist view on love: "better you get hurt than me." It's a professor of love teaching love that is tough. The late
Peter Allen had an army of friends to help him:
Carole Bayer Sager co-wrote four of the six songs on side one,
Adrienne Anderson another, while the vocalist composed most of side two. "Quiet Please, There's a Lady on Stage" is, no doubt, for his ex-mother-in-law,
Judy Garland. It's the singer with just his piano for the first couple of verses, and it is also a highlight, but the voice -- again -- is so far out in the mix that the excellent musicianship doesn't have the opportunity to buoy the singer/songwriter. Sure, he's got great pipes, and sure, these are a bunch of pros executing the music with absolute precision.
What was needed was a bit more soul and a lot more breathing room for the parts. Sometimes artists on this level get too sure of themselves, and some kind of perspective seems lost during the recording of
Taught by Experts. The album includes
Peter Allen's staple, "I Go to Rio," and as a testament to his life in the business, it should be remixed with the love and care it deserves.
Side A
A1. Puttin’ Out Roots (3:32)
A2. She Loves To Hear The Music (3:16)
A3. Back Doors Crying (4:46)
A4. I Go To Rio (3:17)
A5. Planes (3:05)
A6. Quiet Please, There’s A Lady On Stage (5:08)
Side B
B1. This Time Around (3:15)
B2. The More I See You (3:30)
B3. Harbour (3:36)
B4. (I’ve Been) Taught By Experts (3:12)
B5. Six-Thirty Sunday Morning/New York, I Don’t Know About You (5:01)
Credits
Arco Bass – Buell Neidlinger, Catherine Gotthoffer
Arranged By – Peter Allen
Arranged By [Strings], Conductor – Roger Kellaway
Arranged By [Strings], Conductor [Strings] – Bobby Rozario
Art Direction – Roland Young
Cello – Fred Seykora, Gloria Strassner, Jackie Lustgarten, Victor Sazer
Contractor [Musical] – Charles Larkey
Contractor [Orchestra] – Al Lapin, Jules Chaikin
Coordinator [Production] – Ivy Skoff
Design – John Van Hammersveld, Phil Shima
Engineer – Bob Merritt, Deni King (tracks: B2)
Engineer [Assistant] – Nat Jeffrey
Grip [Key] – Gregory Connell
Mastered By – Bernie Grundman
Photography – Norman Seeff
Producer, Engineer – Brooks Arthur
Viola – Allan Harshman, Dan Neufeld, Robert Ostrowsky, Virginia Majewski
Violin – Albert Steinberg, Al Lustgarten, Bobby Bruce, George Kast, Gerald Vinci, Jacob Krachmalnick, Jerry Reisler, Joy Lyle, Leonard Atkins, Mari Tsumura, Marilyn Baker, Marvin Limonick, Robert Sushel, Shari Zippert, Shirley Cornell, Stanley Plummer, Thomas Buffum, Bill Nuttycombe
Notes
Release: 1976
Genre: Easy Listening, Disco
Format: LP
Label: A&M Records
Catalog# AMLH 64584
Prijs: €7.00
Vinyl: Goed
Cover: Lichte Gebruikerssporen
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