🎵 AotW AOTW: Lani Hall SUN DOWN LADY (A&M SP 4359)

[LPJim]

Lani Hall
SUN DOWN LADY
A&M SP4359

If, when you listen to this album, Lani sounds familiar, it might be because you've heard her before. She was the lead singer with "*Brazil '66" for almost six years.
This is Lani's very first solo album. It expresses Lani as an individual. It captures her poetic simplicity. And it lets you know a real sundown lady.

SIDE ONE: Love Song 2:55/ Tiny Dancer 4:06/ How Can I Tell You 2:56/ You 3:58/ Ocean Song 3:40.

SIDE TWO: We Could Be Flying 3:53/ Come Down in Time 3:39/ Sun Down 3:30/ Vincent 5:55/ Wherever I May Find Him (from "For Emily Wherever I May Find Her")

Arranged and produced by Herb Alpert, with thanks to:
Jim Gordon, drums/ Chuck Domanico, bass/ Louis Shelton, guitar/ Larry Carlton, guitar/ Milt Holland, percussion/ Pete Jolly, accordion on "How Can I Tell You"/ Tim Weisberg, electric flute on "Ocean Song."

Special Thanks to Clarence McDonald, keyboards.

"We Could Be Flying" from the A&M album WINGS by Michel Colombier - SP 3503 - Recorded in Paris.
Michel Columbier, piano/ Eddie Louiss, organ/ Andre Arpino, drums/ Francis Darizuren, bass/ Raymond Gimenes, guitar/ Tony Gallo, guitar.

Engineered by Larry Levine and Herb Alpert
Mastering Engineer Bernie Grundman
Recorded at A&M Studios
Art Direction Roland Young
Photography, front cover, Herb Alpert/ Back cover, David Keller.
Design by Chuck Beeson.

Reissued on CD as a Japan import.

JB

*their misspelling, not mine

 

[Dave]

If Lani sounds familiar, it might be because... ...She was the lead singer with "*Brazil '66"...

*their mis-spelling, not mine

JB

I have always thought Herb Alpert actually wrote those liner notes. And this is the first time I had ever seen the mis-spelling, too!

"Love Song" by Leslie Duncan and done by Punch (on A&M SP 4307) is a fresh way to start this album, Jazz-Phrasing and all... The remakes of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" gets a twirling and enjoyably lathered treatment, as well... And so is EJ's "Come Down In Time", along with Cat Stevens' "How Can I Tell You", both done in a dark and moody way... "Ocean Song" is a neat, tidal favorite and so is the almost 6-minute "Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)" and the dramatic and personal "You"... "Sundown" (with which I hear some help from Herb Alpert on backing vocals), is a re-write of Willis Alan Ramsey's "Muskrat Love", which he was pushing to get on-the-air, at the time, but America and later, Captain & Tennille were the ones who had a hit with it... "Wherever I May Find Him" is a remake of Simon & Garfunkel's "For Emily (Wherever...)" and aside from it being too short (Isn't it about Thirty-Seconds??) is well done... And you heard "We Could Be Flying" on Michel Colombier's Wings album sung by Lani, too...

Quite a long gap between Primal Roots and this one for the "Brasilian Music" and Herb Alpert fans here, too...

Dave

 

[Mike Blakesley]

This is still my favorite Lani Hall album, and contains several of my all time favorite solo vocals of hers: "Ocean Song," "We Could Be Flying" and "Come Down In Time" are all stellar. It is probably the only time I've ever enjoyed versions of Elton John songs more than his own versions.

The other thing that struck me about this album is, even though it's produced by Herb, how different it sounds from both the Sergio Mendes and Herb's own albums. He doesn't have a distinctive identifiable "stamp" as a producer, but instead lets the artist's own style come through.

One observation: Lani flubs the lyric on "Tiny Dancer," where she sings "the tune she knows, words she hums." It should really be sung the other way around, as in "the words she knows, tune she hums." Not a complaint though...just noted.

Also: the running time on "Wherever I May Find Him" is somewhere in the 1:30 range. Always wondered if this was recorded a capella or were instruments recorded and then erased?

 

[Dave]

My copy of Sundown Lady was a Mono-Promo and it had a sticker which read: "For AM Radio-Play Only..."

The photos on it are just beautiful! If it could get reissued again on CD it would be nice...

Wondered if "Wherever I May Find Him" was recorded a-Capella or were instruments recorded and then erased?

Good question; sounds like it would be good, released either way, but unusual to hear it as a short little ditty w/o instruments...

...and I usually like Elton John songs NOT sung by Elton, too...!


Dave

 

[Captain Bacardi]

This is also my favorite Lani recording. I always thought of this album the same way I thought of Joni Mitchell's work - very personal, sparse and poignant. I think Lani's interpretations work well, especially on "Come Down In Time", which got quite a bit of radio play when I first got to Austin in '76. "Love Song" has always been a favorite of mine. Funny how Herb Alpert doesn't get any vocal credits on this tune or "Sun Down". Maybe he was trying to give Lani as much light as possible. I had bought Michel Colombier's Wings a few months before this album, so I was taken aback by the stripped down version of "We Could Be Flying". I also loved the lushness of "Ocean Song". Very nice album!



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Also: the running time on "Wherever I May Find Him" is somewhere in the 1:30 range. Always wondered if this was recorded a capella or were instruments recorded and then erased?

I've always thought this was a true a capella effort myself.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[Dave]

It's a pretty unusual effort that should have given Lani Hall the acclaim and recognition she deserved... I don't think she achieved any of the popularity Herb Alpert or Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66/'77 did...!

Hearing Lani do "Tiny Dancer" & "Come Down In Time" makes me imagine what "Daniel" would possibly sound like...

This is as good of an album to play during a sunset or sunrise as anything by Sergio Mendes...


Dave

 

[chpoof]

A very kind soul made me a CD-R of this lovely album around a year or so ago. (He was fortunate enough to get the very rare Japanese CD release of it on eBay.) How I do wish it and other albums in Lani's catalogue would be reissued on CD. According to Hip-O Select's forum, Herb Alpert owns her masters, so if there's ever a reissue, it will be up to him.

http://www.hip-oselect.com/boards/viewthread.asp?forum=AMB_AP900197505&id=22

 

[Harry]

A special album, to be sure. Soft, spare, acoustic - it's Lani.

I spent uncounted hours back in 1998 trying to get a satisfactory CD-R version of this one made with my then-new CD recorder. For some reason, I just couldn't get it right. Disc after disc was toasted in my attempts. My technique was to use the tracks from CLASSICS VOL 19 as much as possible, filling in with vinyl tracks from the LP where needed. Going from one to the other was where I constantly ran into trouble. Sometimes it was a volume glitch, other times it was noisy vinyl, and still other times, the machine itself had some unexplainable glitches. As a result of these many efforts, I sometimes feel as if it were ME that mastered this album originally!

Naturally, after finally getting a satisfactory effort onto CD-R, they released the real thing in Japan. Vivid Sound is to be commended for doing a mostly nice job on it too (It would have been better if they'd gotten the title correct: it's three words, not two.), though its short time in print is unfortunate. I'm thankful I got it, anyway.

Harry
NP: Lani Hall, SUN DOWN LADY

 

[Yazmin_Salinas]

This album was the third that my mom bought in Hermosillo. I think it's wonderful, and on this album, Lani demonstrates that her voice is still deep and mysterious... ¡and sexy!

 

[Midori]

Let me tell you that I have the LP, which was given to me by my vocal instructor. It's a wonderful album!

 

[PartyRico]

This is one of Lani's best recordings without a doubt. Her voice is "front and center".One can really appreciate her vocal talents in pure form. No wonder Herb says "Lani sings as beautifully as a bird"!

 

[Karla]

This is one of Lani's best recordings without a doubt. Her voice is "front and center".One can really appreciate her vocal talents in pure form. No wonder Herb says "Lani sings as beautifully as a bird"!

Yeah!!! Lani's first solo album is awesome!!! Herb's production is one of the key elements of this recording!!!

+Karla M.+

 

[PartyRico]

I was speaking with Boy Viramundo about the fact that Lani Hall, and Herb Alpert have some extremely dedicated and loyal fans South Of The Border "down Mexico way." We are amazed not just by the fact that there seems to be a very large fan base there, who are so inspired by them, they even compose and perform themes dedicated not just to Lani, but also to Herb. These are very impressive and heartfelt melodies, extremely well performed as well. They have loyal fan clubs, and get togethers or meals where they play Lani's music, and even copy her hair styles and fashions or way of dressing. They have professional bands that include Lani Hall hits or songs she recorded in their repertoire. I keep getting more and more messages from these fine young talented people.They inform me of other die-hard fans. I am not too surprised about one thing....Herb began his career around the bull rings of Tijuana, and now his legacy, as well as Lani's, continues to grow and flourish "down Mexico way". Boy Viramundo and I are convinced, that Ms. Lani Alpert Hall has deep spiritual characteristics, and a timeless universal beauty, that has already given her a well deserved international "cultural icon" status. Ms. Hall will always seduce you with her pure and honest voice, and lead us towards infinite glimpses into Life, and into Love.... Bernardo Medina

 

[Yazmin_Salinas]

Lani Hall, and Herb Alpert have some extremely dedicated and loyal fans South Of The Border "down Mexico way."

That's right!!!

there seems to be a very large fan base there, who are so inspired by them, they even compose and perform themes dedicated not just to Lani, but also to Herb. These are very impressive and heartfelt melodies, extremely well performed as well.

These themes are mostly for special events, although can also be played in festivals and concerts.

They have loyal fan clubs, and get togethers or meals where they play Lani's music, and even copy her hair styles and fashions or way of dressing.

Those who copy Lani's hair styles and ways of dressing are mostly women from 12 to 35 years old, at least in the fanclubs.

They have professional bands that include Lani Hall hits or songs she recorded in their repertoire.

Even though these songs are rarely played at present...