Back to Blue-Eyed Soul, a compilation of the work of prolific singer/songwriter/ background vocalist David Lasley, has been released on the ZACODA label. A retrospective of Lasley's extensive career, the CD features rare recordings dating back to 1966, many of which are being made available for the first time. Among the selections on Back to Blue-Eyed Soul are several newly released recordings as well as songs from two of Lasley's early groups (The Utopias and Rosie), out-of-print solo singles, movie themes and radio jingles. Soulful and melodic, the tracks range in style from pop to jazz to R&B.

Lasley, who has achieved great renown as a background vocalist (he has toured and recorded extensively with James Taylor), has released Back to Blue-Eyed Soul at a time of renewed interest in his solo work. Great Britain's Expansion Records recently issued an album of unreleased material, Expectations of Love. In the last year, Japan's Cool Sound reissued three of his albums, and BMG Japan and Vivid Sound re-issued two others.

Lasley is also known for the hundreds of songs he has written for artists such as Anita Baker (“You Bring Me Joy”), Maxine Nightingale (“Lead Me On”), Patti LaBelle (“Come What May,” ”I Don’t Go Shopping”), Aretha Franklin (“There’s a Star for Everyone”), Boz Scaggs (“Jojo”), Crystal Gayle ("The Blue Side"), Whitney Houston, Natalie Cole, Herb Alpert, Rita Coolidge, Dionne Warwick and the Oak Ridge Boys. As a background vocalist, he has worked with James Taylor for more than 23 years, and he has also backed Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Aretha Franklin, Jimmy Buffett, Ringo Starr, Cher, Chaka Khan, and countless others.

Lasley’s talent as a solo performer matches his stature as a songwriter, vocal arranger and background vocalist. With a rich, versatile voice that spans four octaves, he sings mainly in his distinctive higher register. His highly regarded solo albums included Demos (Rondor, 1981), Missin’ Twenty Grand (EMI America, 1982, produced by Lasley), Raindance (EMI America, 1984, produced by Don Was), Soldiers on the Moon (Agenda, 1990, produced by Jeffrey Weber), and Expectations of Love (Expansion Records, 2000, produced by Lasley). He also issued two other albums, Better Late than Never (1976) and Last Dance (1977), with his group Rosie, and five single releases.

In 1985, Esquire included Lasley with Philip Bailey, Barry Gibb and Smokey Robinson as "Top Falsettos." Rolling Stone called Missin' Twenty Grand "genuinely beautiful white soul," and Dave Marsh in Musician Magazine said, “To me, Lasley’s [Missin’ Twenty Grand] is immediately marked as one of the finest of the year." The New York Times commented, "The way his tunes blend the style of Motown with more sophisticated Broadway and Hollywood influences recalls the pop style of Laura Nyro’s classic late-60’s albums.” Critic Mikal Gilmore called Raindance "off-beat, exquisitely beautiful, politically and emotionally savvy art-soul from perhaps the finest pop-R&B songwriter (if not the most affecting high-range vocalist) in America today."

"Over the years I've found that there has been a lot of interest in my early work and my solo recordings, which have been hard to find, so this compilation puts all these elements together in one piece of work," said Lasley. "Back to Blue-Eyed Soul is a collection of some of my personal favorites. It also connects all the dots in my career, from my early material to the present. On many tracks, it focuses on my work as a singer rather than as a writer. In fact, some of my favorite songs on the album are ones I didn't write. The CD also offers a look at some of the specialized work that I've done, like the jingles and the movie themes."

Back to Blue-Eyed Soul contains 21 tracks, including the soulful, pop-oriented "What's It Gonna Take" and "Change All of That," which Lasley co-wrote in the 1990s with Marsha Malamet and Robin Lerner ("This Kiss"). Also included are "Look at the Clock," "Back in the Woods," and "Girls Are Against Me," three sought-after songs from Lasley's 1960s group, The Utopias, that reflect the Phil Spector/girl group-era influence on Lasley's work. Among the other tracks are Lasley's hit single "If I Had My Wish Tonight" (from Missin' Twenty Grand), his celebrated version of Carole King's "It's Too Late" (from Soldiers on the Moon), "Roomate," an alternate take of a song that was featured on Missin' Twenty Grand, the 45 versions of "It's A Crying Shame" (from Raindance) and "Roll Me Through the Rushes" (from Better Late Than Never), and "One Fine Day," a hard-to-find Philly Groove single. There are three film songs, "Stay Gold" from The Outsiders, the techno-pop "Teamwork" from Body Rock, and "What A Piece of Work is Man" from Hair, plus two of Lasley's radio jingles. Back to Blue-Eyed Soul also offers other works never heard before, including "Earth Children/Life Goes On" (which features background vocals by Dusty Springfield and was meant for Missin' Twenty Grand but never included), "Promise Me the Moon," the theatrical "On A Circus Ride," and a rare demo version of the Bionic Boogie hit "Hot Butterfly."

In addition to Dusty Springfield, other background vocalists featured on the CD's tracks are Luther Vandross, Bonnie Raitt, Brenda Russell, Patti Austin, Ula Hedwig and Arnold McCuller. Musicians include David Benoit, Willie Wilcox, Bobby Watson, Don Was and Randy Goodrum.

Back to Blue-Eyed Soul is available from Lasley's web site (www.DavidLasley.com), in selected stores, or by mail order at P.O. Box 46667, Los Angeles, CA 90046.