Junk Box Jury

Taken from the LP ‘Drop Down And Get Me’ | (Demon Records Fiend 8) May 1983

Del Shannon | “To Love Someone | (Demon) | Del’s album was released on Elektra in America, according to some, during October 1981 but Wikipedia claims that delays meant it was not for sale until a few months later, in December.

Britain had to wait until May 1983 before it was released over here on Demon Records. Today, is the first time in my life that I’ve heard this material and it’s magical. Del is on form there is no doubt. Beautiful music, expertly played and recorded.

‘Drop Down And Get Me’, an album soaked in SoCal sunshine, impressively showcasing the artist’s strong musical instincts as both singer and songwriter.

Wearing his producer’s cap, Tom Petty smartly contemporized Del’s sound in a way that made the artist easily accessible to a new generation of listeners. In addition to backing by Petty’s band the Heartbreakers, these ’81 recordings for Elektra-distributed Network label featured the talents of Phil Seymour, Jude Cole, Roger Linn, and Petty himself.

The #33 charter “Sea Of Love”, (the first of two hit remakes of Phil Phillips’ smash) bridged the ocean of time that stretched between Del’s own hit singles.

Del Shannon | “To Love Someone | (Demon)

It’s flipside, “Midnight Train” (with it’s three chimes, “Well, Good Morning” intro, Eagles-influenced backing vocals and steady Heartbreakers groove) also received some airplay and added to Del’s comeback credibility.

“Life Without You” and “To Love Someone” sported Del’s classic “Runaway” falsettos while the harmony on his Orbison-esque versions of “Never Stop Tryin’” and Don Everly‘s “Maybe Tomorrow” also alluded to an earlier era.

“Liar” and “Sucker For Your Love” (that contains more rhymes than a Bob Dylan song) are practically straight out of a Fleetwood Mac or John Stewart “fake” book, with big fat vocal choruses that even those groups would envy.

Drop down and get me

The title track “Drop Down And Get Me” seems like Jeff Lynne dropped by the studio and chained himself to the control board.

Covering the Rolling Stones‘ “Out Of Time” was probably a small risk since critics might have trashed it, but it is actually one of the album’s strongest tracks.

The British album version included the snappy rocker “Cheap Love,” a Shannon produced track that seemed to merge Petty, Edmunds and Lynne production techniques, while his other self-produced track on this collection, the ballad “Help Me,” is totally original, and features one of the most sensitive vocals of his career. (CD re-issue liners)

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cost of record: free
from: Community book centre