THE ROAD TO HELL

CHRIS REA

SONGWRITER: CHRIS REA

COUNTRY: U. K.

ALBUM: CHRIS REA

LABEL: WEA

GENRE: BLUES ROCK

YEAR: 1989

The Road to Hell is the tenth studio album by English singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1989. It is Rea's most successful studio album, topping the UK Albums Chart for three weeks, and was certified 6x Platinum by BPI until 2004. The second part of the two-part title track, "The Road to Hell (Pt. 2)", is also one of Rea's most famous songs.

Christopher Anton Rea (/ˈriːə/REE-ə; born 4 March 1951) is an English rock and blues singer-songwriter and guitarist. Born and raised in Middlesbrough, he is of Italian and Irish descent. He is known for his distinctive, husky-gravel voice and slide guitar playing, and the Guinness Rockopedia described him as a "gravel-voiced guitar stalwart".

British Hit Singles & Albums stated that Rea was "one of the most popular UK singer-songwriters of the late 1980s" and "already a major European star by the time he finally cracked the UK Top 10 with the release of the single "The Road to Hell (Part 2)", which was his 18th chart entry. Two of his studio albums, The Road to Hell and Auberge, topped the UK Albums Chart. Rea was nominated three times for the Brit Award for Best British Male Artist: in 1988, 1989 and 1990. His other hit songs include "I Can Hear Your Heartbeat", "Stainsby Girls", "Josephine", "On the Beach", "Let's Dance", "Driving Home for Christmas", "Working on It", "Tell Me There's a Heaven", "Auberge", "Looking for the Summer", "Winter Song", "Nothing to Fear", "Julia", and "If You Were Me", a duet with Elton John.

In the United States he is best known for the 1978 song "Fool (If You Think It's Over)", which reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. This success earned him a Grammy nomination as Best New Artist in 1979. As of 2009, he had sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.

In February 2008, Rea released The Return of the Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes, dedicated to the 1960s Hofner guitars, with 38 tracks on three CDs and two 10" vinyl records - the vinyl replicated the tracks contained on the first CD of the set. The box set also included a hardback book of his paintings along with period photos. The release of the album was followed by a European tour. visiting various venues across the UK, including the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Rea released the compilation Still So Far to Go in October 2009 which contained some of his best known (and lesser known) hits over the last thirty years as well as songs from his "blues" period. Two new songs were included, "Come So Far, Yet Still So Far to Go" and the ballad "Valentino". The album reached No. 8 and was certified Gold by the BPI. Rea started the European tour called "Still So Far to Go" in January 2010. His special guest on stage was Irish musician Paul Casey. The tour ended on 5 April at Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

In September 2011 Santo Spirito Blues box set was released. The set contained two feature-length films on one DVD written and directed by Rea along with three accompanying CDs - 2 of which featured the music from the DVDs and the third being a stripped back version of the related studio album. Shortly after this release, in October and November, Rea underwent two surgical procedures. On 3 February 2012 the Santo Spirito Tour started at Congress Center Hamburg in Hamburg, Germany, with additional visits to Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium and France. The United Kingdom part of the tour commenced in the middle of March and finished on 5 April at Hammersmith Apollo in London.

November 2014 saw Rea embark on a European tour called The Last Open Road Tour, with the UK part of the tour commencing on 1 December in Manchester and ending on 20 December in London. He also performed at the 2014 Montreux Jazz Festival.

Rea suffered a stroke in 2016 which left him with slurred speech and reduced movement in his arms and fingers. Soon afterwards he quit smoking to deter further strokes and recovered enough to record and tour. In September 2017, he released his twenty-fourth album, Road Songs for Lovers, and embarked on a European tour starting in October until December. On 9 December, Rea collapsed during a performance at the New Theatre Oxford, the 35th concert of the tour. He was taken to hospital where his condition was stabilized. This health issue caused the last two concerts of the tour to be cancelled.

Rhino released on 18 October 2019 a 2CD deluxe editions of five of Chris Rea's most commercially successful albums, Shamrock Diaries, On The Beach, Dancing With Strangers, The Road To Hell, and Auberge, containing remixes, rare and previously unreleased live tracks, single edits, and extended versions. Preceding the deluxe edition releases, was released on 4 October 2019 a limited edition album (1LP + 1CD) titled One Fine Day, with only 1000 copies and each numbered containing some unreleased, rare, and originally recorded work in 1980 at Chipping Norton Recording Studios. 

Stood still on a highway

I saw a woman

By the side of the road

With a face that I knew like my own

Reflected in my window

Well she walked up to my quarterlight

And she bent down real slow

A fearful pressure paralysed me

In my shadow

She said "Son, what are you doing here?

My fear for you has turned me in my grave"

I said "Mama, I come to the valley of the rich

Myself to sell"

She said "Son, this is the road to Hell"

On your journey 'cross the wilderness

From the desert to the well

You have strayed upon the motorway to Hell

Well I'm standing by a river

But the water doesn't flow

It boils with every poison you can think of

And I'm underneath the streetlights

But the light of joy I know

Scared beyond belief way down in the shadows

And the perverted fear of violence

Chokes a smile on every face

And common sense is ringing out the bells

This ain't no technological breakdown
Oh no, this is the road to Hell

And all the roads jam up with credit

And there's nothing you can do

It's all just bits of paper

Flying away from you

Look out world take a good look

What comes down here

You must learn this lesson fast

And learn it well

This ain't no upwardly mobile freeway

Oh no, this is the road to Hell.

WHAT A NICE WAY TO TURN 17

THE CRYSTALS

SONGWRITERS: LARRY KOLBER & JACK KELLER

COUNTRY:

ALBUM: HE’S A REBEL

LABEL: PHILES RECORDS

GENRE: POP ROCK

YEAR: 1963

He's a Rebel is the second album issued by girl group The Crystals in 1963, and also the second LP in the Philles catalogue. This was an effort to take an advantage of the monster hit "He's a Rebel" which went to #1 US in 1962, written by Gene Pitney. The song was actually recorded by The Blossoms with Darlene Love on lead vocals and attributed to The Crystals. Notably on the LP is "He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)," a withdrawn single by the "real" Crystals group.

This was actually a repackaging of Twist Uptown, The Crystals' debut. Two of the original eleven tracks were taken from that album and replaced with "He's a Rebel" and its follow-up "He's Sure the Boy I Love" (#11 US, also recorded with The Blossoms) while "He Hit Me" was added for a twelfth track. The He's a Rebel album peaked at #131 US.

The Crystals were an American vocal group based in New York City, considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era in the first half of the 1960s. Their 1961–1964 chart hits, including "There's No Other (Like My Baby)", "Uptown", "He's Sure the Boy I Love", "He's a Rebel", "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Then He Kissed Me", featured three successive female lead singers, and were all produced by Phil Spector. The latter three songs were originally ranked #267, #114, and #493, respectively, on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. However, two songs were dropped from the magazine's 2010 update.

"Then He Kissed Me" was the opening song to which Elisabeth Shue danced around her bedroom in Adventures in Babysitting(1987); it was the song in which Ray Liotta and Lorraine Bracco enter the Copacabana on their first real date in the movie Goodfellas(1990); it was featured during the episode 'Homer and Marge Turn a Couple Play' on The Simpsons(2006). It was also covered by Asobi Seksu and used on their live album. "Da Doo Ron Ron" was played during a scene in a dance club in the 1979 film Quadrophenia, and by Russel/Harold Ramis to train ESL students in the 1981 comedy Stripes, "He Hit Me (and It Felt like a Kiss)" was used in the episode 'Mystery Date' on Mad Men(2012).

Crystal was the name of one of the girl group-inspired street urchin characters in the musical Little Shop of Horrors, along with Chiffon and Ronnette. Amy Winehouse cited "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)" as an influence when writing her album Back to Black. The American singer Lana Del Rey used the same phrase in the song "Ultraviolence" in the album of the same name.

My birthday candles

Have all gone out

The party's through

And I'm alone with you

Woah, what a nice way to turn seventeen

I feel your sweet lips

Against my cheek

The lights are off

Your shoulder feels so soft

What a nice way to turn seventeen

My friends all bought me

So many gifts

But yours is the one I'm proudest of

A golden heart

Inscribed to me

"Happy birthday with all my love"

It feels like heaven

Here in your arms

Don't let me go

'Cause gee, I love, oh, I love you so

What a nice way to turn seventeen

I'm seventeen.

DEDICATED TO THE ONE I LOVE

THE SHIRELLES

SONGWRITERS: LOWMAN PAULING & BASS RALPH

CONTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT

LABEL: SCEPTER

GENRE: SOUL

YEAR: 1953

"Dedicated to the One I Love" is a song written by Lowman Pauling and Ralph Bass which was a hit for the "5" Royales, the Shirelles and the Mamas & the Papas. Pauling was the guitarist of the "5" Royales, the group that recorded the original version of the song, produced by Bass, in 1957. Their version was re-released in 1961 and charted at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Shirelles were an American girl group notable for their rhythm and blues, doo-wop and soul music and gaining popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens (later Shirley Alston Reeves), Doris Coley (later Doris Kenner-Jackson), Addie "Micki" Harris (later Addie Harris McFadden), and Beverly Lee.

Founded in 1957 for a talent show at their high school, they were signed by Florence Greenberg of Tiara Records. Their first single, "I Met Him on a Sunday", was released by Tiara and licensed by Decca Records in 1958. After a brief and unsuccessful period with Decca, they went with Greenberg to her newly formed company, Scepter Records. Working with Luther Dixon, the group rose to fame with "Tonight's the Night". After a successful period of collaboration with Dixon and promotion by Scepter, with seven top 20 hits, the Shirelles left Scepter in 1966. Afterwards, they were unable to maintain their previous popularity.

The Shirelles have been described as having a "naive schoolgirl sound" that contrasted with the sexual themes of many of their songs. Several of their hits used strings and baião-style music. They have been credited with launching the girl group genre, with much of their music reflecting the genre's essence. Their acceptance by both white and black audiences, predating that of the Motown acts, has been noted as reflecting the early success of the Civil Rights Movement. They have received numerous honors, including the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, as well as being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, and named one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time by Rolling Stone in 2004. Two of their songs, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "Tonight's the Night", were selected by Rolling Stone on its list of the greatest songs of all time.

In later years, the Shirelles declined in popularity due in part to pressure from the British Invasion and the heavy competition from other girl groups, including the Chiffons, the Supremes, the Ronettes, Martha & the Vandellas, and the Crystals. During this period, Warwick often replaced Coley due to the latter's family commitments. The Shirelles were still bound to Scepter and thus unable to record for another company until the end of their contract in 1966. Their last single to chart was 1967's "Last Minute Miracle", which peaked at #99.

After the commercial failure of their most recent releases, Coley left the group in 1968 to attend to her family. The remaining three Shirelles recorded songs for several labels, including Bell Records, RCA, and United Artists until 1971. Afterwards, they toured singing their older songs, and participated in the filming of the 1973 documentary Let the Good Times Roll, recording two songs for it. Coley returned as lead singer in 1975, replacing Owens, who left that year to pursue a solo career. Addie "Micki" Harris died of a heart attack on June 10, 1982, in the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta, Georgia after two performances with the group. The following year, the remaining three original members performed "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" with Warwick on her album How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye.

This is dedicated to the one I love

While I'm far away from you, my baby

I know it's hard for you, my baby

Because it's hard for me, my baby

And the darkest hour is just before dawn

Each night before you go to bed, my baby

Whisper a little prayer for me my baby

And tell all the stars above

This is dedicated to the one I love

"Life" can never be exactly like we want it to be

I could be satisfied knowing you love me

But there's one thing I want you to do especially for me

And it's something that everybody needs

Each night before you go to bed, my baby.

WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW?

CAROLE KING

SONGWRITERS: GERRY GOFFIN & CAROLE KING

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: TAPESTRY

LABEL: ODE RECORDS

GENRE: SOFT ROCK

YEAR: 1971

"Will You Love Me Tomorrow", sometimes known as "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It was originally recorded in 1960 by the Shirelles, who took their single to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song is also notable for being the first song by a black all-girl group to reach number one in the United States. It has since been recorded by many artists over the years, including a 1971 version by co-writer Carole King.

Carole King(born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at the Brill Building and later as a solo artist. She is the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century in the US, having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100. King also wrote 61 hits that charted in the UK, making her the most successful female songwriter on the UK singles charts between 1952 and 2005.

King's major success began in the 1960s when she and her first husband, Gerry Goffin, wrote more than two dozen chart hits, many of which have become standards, for numerous artists. She has continued writing for other artists since then. King's success as a performer in her own right did not come until the 1970s, when she sang her own songs, accompanying herself on the piano, in a series of albums and concerts. After experiencing commercial disappointment with her debut álbum Writer, King scored her breakthrough with the album Tapestry, which topped the U.S. album chart for 15 weeks in 1971 and remained on the charts for more than six years.

King has made 25 solo albums, the most successful being Tapestry, which held the record for most weeks at No. 1 by a female artist for more than 20 years. Her record sales were estimated at more than 75 million copies worldwide. She has won four Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her songwriting. She is the recipient of the 2013 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the first woman to be so honored. She is also a 2015 Kennedy Center Honoree.

While in Laurel Canyon, King met James Taylor and Joni Mitchell as well as Toni Stern, with whom she collaborated on songs. King made her first solo album, Writer, in 1970 for Lou Adler's Ode label, with Taylor playing acoustic guitar and providing backing vocals. It peaked at number 84 in the Billboard Top 200. The same year, King played keyboards on B.B. King's album Indianola Mississippi Seeds.

King followed Writer in 1971 with Tapestry, which featured new compositions as well as reinterpretations of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." The album was recorded concurrently with Taylor's Mud Slide Slim, with an overlapping set of musicians including King, Danny Kortchmar and Joni Mitchell. Both albums included "You've Got a Friend", which was a number 1 hit for Taylor; King said in a 1972 interview that she "didn't write it with James or anybody really specifically in mind. But when James heard it he really liked it and wanted to record it".

Tapestry was an instant success. With numerous hit singles – including a Billboard No.1 with "It's Too Late" – Tapestry held the No.1 spot for 15 consecutive weeks, remained on the charts for nearly six years, and has sold over 25 million copies worldwide. The album garnered four Grammy Awards including Album of the Year; Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female; Record of the Year ("It's Too Late," lyrics by Toni Stern); and Song of the Year, with King becoming the first woman to win the award ("You've Got a Friend"). The album appeared on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list at number 36. In addition, "It's Too Late" was number 469 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Carole King: Music was released in December 1971, certified gold on December 9, 1971. It entered the top ten at 8, becoming the first of many weeks Tapestry and Carole King: Music simultaneously occupied the top 10. The following week it rose to No.3 and finally to No.1 on January 1, 1972, staying there for three weeks. The album also spawned a top 10 hit, "Sweet Seasons" (US No. 9 and AC No.2). Carole King: Music stayed on the Billboard pop album charts for 44 weeks and was eventually certified platinum.

Rhymes and Reasons (1972), and Fantasy(1973) followed, each earning gold certifications. Rhymes and Reasons produced another hit, "Been to Canaan" (US No.24 and AC No.1), and Fantasy produced two hits, "Believe in Humanity" (US No.28) and "Corazon" (US No.37 and AC No.5), as well as another song that charted on the Hot 100, "You Light Up My Life" (US No.67 and AC No.6).

In 1973, King performed a free concert in New York City's Central Park with 100,000 attending.

In September 1974, King released her álbum Wrap Around Joy, which was certified gold on October 16, 1974, and entered the top ten at 7 on October 19, 1974. Two weeks later it reached 1 and stayed there one week. Wrap Around Joy spawned two hits. "Jazzman" was a single and reached 2 on November 9 but fell out of the top ten the next week. "Nightingale", a single on December 17, went to No. 9 on March 1, 1975.

In 1975, King scored songs for the animated TV production of Maurice Sendak's Really Rosie, released as an album by the same name, with lyrics by Sendak.

Thoroughbred(1976) was the last studio album she made under the Ode label. In addition to enlisting her long-time friends such as David Crosby, Graham Nash, James Taylor and Waddy Wachtel, King reunited with Gerry Goffin to write four songs for the album. Their partnership continued intermittently. King also did a promotional tour for the album in 1976.

After covering Carole's "Goin' Back" on October 17-18, 1975 at two of his high-profile Roxy gigs  Bruce Springsteen showed up in person at the Beacon Theatre, New York on March 7, 1976 to sing "The Loco-Motion" with Carole for the night's final encore.

In 1977, King collaborated with another songwriter, Rick Evers, on Simple Things, the first release with a new label distributed by Capitol Records. Shortly after that King and Evers were married; he died of a cocaine overdose one year later, while King and daughter Sherry were in Hawaii. Simple Things was her first album that failed to reach the top 10 on the Billboard since Tapestry, and it was her last Gold-certified record by the RIAA, except for a compilation entitled Her Greatest Hits the following year and Live at the Troubadour in 2010.

Despite its Gold-certified record status, Simple Things was named "The Worst Album of 1977" by Rolling Stone magazine: 394 Neither Welcome Home(1978), her debut as a co-producer on an album, nor Touch the Sky(1979) reached the top 100. Pearls – The Songs of Goffin and King(1980) yielded a hit single, an updated version of "One Fine Day".

Tonight you're mine completely

You give your love so sweetly

Tonight the light of love is in your eyes

But will you love me tomorrow

Is this a lasting treasure

Or just a moment's pleasure

Can I believe the magic of your sighs

Will you still love me tomorrow

Tonight with words unspoken

You say that I'm the only one

But will my heart be broken

When the night meets the morning sun

I'd like to know that your love

Is love I can be sure of

So tell me now and I won't ask again

Will you still love me tomorrow

Will you still love me tomorrow

Will you still love me tomorrow

Will you still love me tomorrow.