LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Is there any song that sums up the late ’70s music scene like 'Smoke from a Distant Fire'? It had the blue-eyed soul crossed with high-gloss L.A. production sound of the Doobie Brothers, Kenny Loggins and other superstars of the era, with the kind of hook only real pros could create. For, as is often the case with so-called “one-hit wonders,” Ed Sanford and John Townsend had spent years in the music business before hitting it big with this album. Indeed, the sound of this record was no accident; the duo had worked with both Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins (who repays the favor with a great vocal on 'Oriental Gate') before cutting this 1977 release. And talk about music biz connections—the album was produced by the great Jerry Wexler and Barry Beckett! So, it’s no surprise this one is a hot item for ’70s pop collectors—a 'Collectors’ Choice Music' exclusive! Includes 'Smoke from a Distant Fire; Moolah Moo Mazuma (Sin City Wahh-oo); Oriental Gate (No Change of Changin’ My Mind); Shake It to the Right; Squire James; Does It Have to Be You; Lou; Sunshine in My Heart Again; In for the Night', and 'Rainbows Colored in Blue'.