Birmingham Evening Mail from Birmingham, West Midlands, England • 15

j' A EVENING MAIL SATURDAY AUGUST 20 1977 TV Continued SOUNDS with the top pop news and reviews STEPHEN GRIVES Birmingham-born star of Yorkshire TV's new drama series Flampards Olivia Newton-John: a Good Thing Better (EMI) Lovely Olivia is starting to make the same sort of breakthrough here as she has done in America and this new album can only help her on her way Basically split between country-influ: enced and ballad material with her excellent version of being the best in the latter category a strong ajbum and two or three songs included here could follow into the charts if were released as they singled like the title track the powerful ballad and the jaunty Say Excellent backing musicians Good album Blue: Night Time (Rocket) Blue finally and deservedly entered the singles charts with Capture Your recently and this album establishes them as performers of strong catchy polished pop songs Produced by Elton John the light airy Blue sound is captured beautifully and some of the songs are delicate and sensitive Star of the group is Hugh Nicholson who not only sings but writes the songs An album which bodes well for Blue's future BIRMINGHAM twvz Richard Ford Stoart Scott Mel Gay nor and Geoff Brown of Muscles Tf cles" which Ry Cooder: Muscles are starting to Time (Warner Brothers) stretch their over the world was released in March sold 600 copies in the firsttwo days in Germany and overall sales of 15000 are predicted Kate Munn says: you Consider that the group have only been together for six months with their present line-up including new drummer Mel Gaynor they have progressed really A mostly live album from a musician who group fast-growing reputation not only in Britain but in European territories Prolific DAVID GRITTEN looks at a Birmingham group on the verge of a breakthrough sensus is that they are on the verge of a teal breakthrough Muscles spend a lot of time forming abroad and in' their time have supported major soul artists like Kool and the Gang the Commodores and the Fatback Band next few weeks are crucial for the new single which is appearing on a lot of local radio says Kate Munn of Big Bear a lot of people in the business feel that Muscles are a group and that they have already-made However no one knows just where Muscles will first be recognised as a major group though at presetjj: Germany looks like the best bet The group's debut album group talents all The four-man soul have a SPARE A THOUGHT for a 72-year-old Birmingham granny who wants only to sec effortlessly embraces all types of American music blues country gospel like Germany Holland and Bel gium as well Australia and New Zealand And their new single called It Relaxes Your seems certain to boost their claims to fame Crucial Already the group managed by Birmingham company Big Bear have been desperately unlucky with two earlier singles And Geoff Brown who writes most of Muscles material remains highly prolific The Edgbaston offices of Big Bear are concentrating all their efforts on big push for Muscles And this means that record releases by a whole roster of other artists are being delayed until the autumn Kate Munn says: because we have a larger collection of artists than at any time" material being part of his range Live concerts by Cooder Party" and Is All I've Got" both pf which just failed to achieve chart status They earn respect from other and Mexican-influenced revive-their joining forces with one of the greatest soul singers of all time It benefits them both the Average Whites sound a sharp precise back-up band and Ben King sings joyous" One made TURruishbulQnt have attempted whieh comes over as hackneyed And they improve on old hit Is Soul" But much of the rest Is excellent and the closing track It To is smooth classy and exuberant soul music Jean-Michel Jarre: (Poly-dor) Music of the spheres produced on electronic synthesisers by this classically-trained French composer hard to define spaccy sounds with rock- are reverent occasions for musicians and the general con- Cannon Hill rocks and Alan by home the in a his fans who will sec him in Birmingham again in November Highlights of his concerts recorded here are End Of The which is intense ancj soulful the comical and Dab in the Outstanding album for a marvellous thoughtful musician Thoroughly recommended Average White Band and Ben King: And (Atlantic) A shrewd move on the part of the AWB to Linda Ronstadt new album work flagging fortunes by her famous acting grandson get a decent part in his home town Stephen Grives is 26 Brummie through and through and well known to televiewers through parts in top scries like Look and Nearly "But I just seem to get offered any parts in Birmingham love to appear at the Rep I even wrote asking for a job once but nothing happened So my granny Mrs Edith Richards who lives in Rednal stays says Stephen "She keeps saying love to sec me in a play in Brum but it just seems fated not to happen "Even when I get a TV part I can never use my Brummie accent Stars Look I was a Geordic and in Nearly I was a cockney and in a BBC play got a part in that goes out in I have a Yorkshire accent Villa fan I left Birmingham when I was 11 but all my mates are still up there And a fanatical Aston Villa fan I watch 4ll the home matches have done since they were in the Third Division" Stephen Grives is likely to become an even bigger TV name this winter when the prestige new 26-part Yorkshire TV series hits the screens a really glossy production" says Stephen all being shot on location on film and I play the son of an old guy who is a great traditionalist and my younger brother and I Sort of compete for the affections of a girl he wins" Yorkshire tv say story is adapted by Plater from three books Kathleen Peyton is called Flampards because that is the of father in series played by Edward Judd The story starts about 1911 and becomes sort of battle between tradition and technology Vintage vintage aircraft have been recreated for the programme as brother in series is very keen planes while his father a great hunting enthusiast being produced Leonard Lewis who The Boat Comes for the BBC One of recent stage roles has been had the that Michael Caine took the he said "And Edward Judd I have an ambition to together a TV Production That should be really something though early days yet I know what got to do to get Brummie part to please my old Granny tell me to because wrote to them as well they turned me down THE latest disappointment in this season of open-air cancellations is the city rock festival that should have pone on today Rain stopped it taking place at Cannon Hill Park Birmingham and the new date is Bank Holiday Monday August 29 The final line-up is Hooker Little Acre Slender Loris the Dave Morgan-Jtm Cleary Band and Rainmaker Proceeds are to go to the Queen's Silver Jubilee Appeal Fund and tickets are £1 Steve Royston who is co-promoting the concert with BRMB radio says: "It promises to be really good entertainment i "We have put together five of the best bandar' around and we think it is good value too" specially the on is by did in part in and early yet in full flower and her work on albums like Down The is superior to most nf twi Laura Nyro: Of (CBS) She is a criminally neglected underrated artist For some reason her intense sensitive songs have not caught the imagination of the British public as they should have done This is a live album and contains some fine material It ranges from the gospel-influenced When I Die" to the strident Brilliant stuff as usual and certain to be largely neglected DAVID GRITTEN rhythms and a symphonic structure Jarre composed all tfib music played all the instruments and produced the work which will probably be the most Linda Ronstadt: (Capitol) A useful double album spanning the years from 1967 to 1974 before she came to prominence The divine Ms Ronstadt equally in command is with country-influenced material like Threads and Golden and Fall To Pieces" as she is with re-vamped pop songs like No You Love Me Tomorrow" and Matter But what we are listening to here is an artist not Sunfly Ricki Cool and the Icebergs The First Band Nick and the Dogs Ballets Lear go Solihull Civic Hall Hoi Polloi Doobie Brothers Hipp Barclay Ja mes Harvest Hipp (August 20) (August 21) (August 22) (August 24) (August 24) (August 26) (August 28) (August 29) (August 30) put very a try I and I A.