Back In The Day Album Review: Change | The Best of Change

By Marvin Dickey

Jacques Fred Petrus was studying music at the conservatory in Bologna, Italy. where he met Mauro Malavasi. Both were into music and started to produce music, with groups like Macho, Revanche and Peter Jacques Band. But in New York, they had put together a group of musicians and a powerhouse vocalist & right then & there - they knew success was in reach! Then, “Change” was born, and with a group of New York’s finest session players, the high-powered vocals from Jocelyn Shaw (now 'Brown'), who sung the song “Somebodys’s elses guy”) & the smooth vocals of Luther Vandross (who was singing jingles at the time) were put on a album that just set the R&B world apart!

“The Glow of Love” was Change’s First album(1980) that boasted Luther Vandross  on the title track “Glow of Love”. This album was a first of it’s kind by recording music tracks in Italy and recording vocals in New York.

The Glow of Love was a delightful album! It was R&B at it’s best, with Jocelyn singing “It’s A Girls Affair" and “Lovers Holiday”!  but my favorite song on this album was “Searching”. The bassline from Davide Romani was simple. The melody was light and airy, with lyrics like “ it’s a town in the cold of night, looking round for the warmth of the light, there was fog on the road so I guess no one saw me arriving, I was tired to wait for sometime, till my lights hit a welcoming sign, it said if your alone you can make this your home if you want to.” That says it all!

I was stationed at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia when Change’s second album (1981) "Paradise" was released. It was pure R&B with the whole album worth of jams! You just couldn’t stop playing this album. Change basically worked around Davide Romanis' basslines, which were strong and hardly sampled.

"Paradise" was the lead track off this brilliant album. It was a pure gem, the thumping bassline and laidback beat set this song in motion! On “Miracles”, it had James Robinson singing about a little baby girl who grows up during this song. (James Crab Robinson replaced Luther Vandross, but Luther did sing background on certain songs). “Hold Tight” was that laid back romantic song about a lady telling her man to just to take it easy & the eyes of love will take care of you...

For the 3rd album, “Sharing Your Love”,  Petrus and Malavasi produced the whole album in New York. This time, there were personel changes - so for the album cover, there would be pictures of the group. The new group consisted of members: Deborah Cooper, Timmy Allen, Jeff Bova, Rick Galwey, James Robinson, Mike Campbell and Vincent Henry. The 1st release was “The Very Best In You”, which was just smooth. A song that tells a woman how special she is. “Something very special, so sweet so divine, your such a lovely lady”. Davide Romani is still playing bass, but it’s Timmy Allen who put’s it down on this and following change albums. “Sharing your love” was this ethereal testimonial song thats about to open up your heart. In the meanwhile….& down the road, Timmy Allen has started co-writing and producing songs for Change.

By the time the 4^th album “This Is Your Time” came out, Change was faltering a little bit, but manage to have songs that kept your interest. “This Is Your Time” was a gem of a song with it’s funky keyboard, and bass, but it did well. The powerhouse vocals of Deborah Cooper reminded you of songs back on the Paradise album that kept deep bass & a solid beat with serious keyboard riffs!

“Change of Heart” featured production by Timmy Allen and Master Team - Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Fresh off the success with the S.O.S Band (just be good to me) & Cheryl Lynns ( Encore). Jam and Lewis blazed on the title track “Change of Heart”, then again on “You are my Melody”. Timmy Allen did write and produced some good songs, but was overshadowed by Jam and Lewis.

“Turn On Your Radio” was the last and final album for Change and at that time Petrus wasn’t working with Malavasi anymore, but do you think that stopped the groove that Change was laying down one last time. “Turn On Your Radio” was a medium hit in the uk as was “Let’s go together” with it’s multilayered keyboard playing (which was a jam within itself even Paul Hardcastle got in on the remix), but the real Jam was “Mutual Attraction” and “Oh What A Feeling” rounded out this album.

It’s sad to think that Change is no more, but this group was the most underrated band in R&B. And to this day, no one has came close to the musical complexity that Change had to offer. The thing about Change is that you had to listen to the lyrics, then listen to the music and see how they melted it together. That’s why they were called Change. 'cause they changed R&B!
 
To read about musicians and vocalists of Change, go to http://www.jacquespetrus.com/discography.htm and click on musicians. Then go back and click on vocalists and you will be amazed how many musicians and vocalists careers were started, or careers were enhanced by the association of Change.

Trivia Question: What is the connection that Atlantic Starr and Stephanie Mills have with Change??

Marvin Dickey

The Urban Music Scene