• LISTEN TO "WHAT A PIECE OF WORK IS MAN," 

OUR FEATURED SONG FOR FEBRUARY, 
FROM DAVID'S BACK TO BLUE-EYED SOUL CD
• DAVID'S RECORDING OF "YOU BRING ME JOY" FEATURED ON "LIGHT MELLOW - COOL SOUND EDITION" CD

Check out "What A Piece of Work Is Man" from David's BACK TO BLUE-EYED SOUL retrospective CD, the featured song for February on our SOUNDS page. 

"What A Piece of Work Is Man" is a duet by David and youngster Alex Paez recorded for the soundtrack of the 1979 movie of the classic 60s rock musical HAIR. David's appearance in the movie, unfortunately, ended up on the cutting room floor, as did this song, but it stayed on the soundtrack recording. David starred in the Detroit stage production of HAIR and the Mercury touring company of the show as well (with fellow James Taylor background singer Arnold McCuller). Photos from David's work in HAIR can be found on our site: click HERE for one; click HERE for another.

For more information about BACK TO BLUE-EYED SOUL, including David's comments on each track, CLICK HERE

You can also hear more of the CD's 21 tracks via Real Audio on our SOUNDS page.

To order your very own copy (which David will autograph upon request) CLICK HERE

1. Don't You Walk Away / Heat  2. Never Turnin' Back / Bruce Hibbard 3. There's A Song In It Somewhere / Rosie 4. Heart Don't Change My Mind / Robbie Buchanan featuring Warren Wiebe(*) 5. Goin' Down / Greg Guidry(*) 6. Lonely Weekend / David Diggs 7. How Do I Survive / Paul Bliss 8. Island Nights / Tony Sciuto

9. You Bring Me Joy / David Lasley 10. Consider The Greatest Love / Sibling Revelry 11. Is That The Way To Your Heart / Kazu Matsui Project 12. Letting Go / Bruce Gaitsch  13. Love Is Forever / Michael Gonzales 14. Did You Order One / Sneaker 15. I Didn't Do It / Joseph Williams  16. Lovin' Arms / King Of Hearts

David's recording of his song "You Bring Me Joy" from his DEMOS CD is featured on LIGHT MELLOW - AOR GROOVIN' & BREEZIN' - COOL SOUND EDITION, a compilation album released in Japan and available on Amazon.com. The CD also features "There's A Song In It Somewhere" recorded by David's 1970s group Rosie for Rosie's LAST DANCE album. Both DEMOS and LAST DANCE were re-issued recently by Cool Sound, the popular Japanese label. "You Bring Me Joy, written by David and also featured on his SOLDIERS ON THE MOON album (a different version) was a very highly regarded and celebrated recording for Anita Baker.

If you're interested in purchasing LIGHT MELLOW, click on the CD cover image above.

David's SOLDIERS ON THE MOON and DEMOS albums as well as Rosie's LAST DANCE are available from our CONTACT/SHOP page

DAVID'S SONGS FEATURED ON 
PATTI LaBELLE'S NEW LOVE SONGS RELEASE

Patti LaBelle has just released a compilation album called Love 
Songsthat features two songs written by David: "Come What May" and "I Don't Go Shopping."

"Come What May," which LaBelle recorded in 1979, was written by David and Allee Willis (with whom he also wrote the Maxine Nightingale platinum-seller "Lead Me On" and many other songs). In addition to being a hit for LaBelle, "Come What May" was spotlighted at Cyndi Lauper's 1991 wedding to actor David Thornton. During the ceremony, which received extensive media coverage, LaBelle serenaded the couple with the song (after Little Richard led them in their vows). "Come What May" is one of David's most beautiful songs. He has never released a recording of it, but he has performed it live.

"I Don't Go Shopping," recorded by LaBelle in 1980, was written by David and Peter Allen. David's recording of the song can be found on his Demos album. Check out our SOUNDS page for an excerpt of David's version.

You can buy LaBelle's new CD by clicking on the Love Songs CD cover image above.

To order any of David's recordings, visit our CONTACT/SHOP page.

• DAVID'S BACKGROUND VOCALS FEATURED ON

JAMES TAYLOR'S GREATEST HITS 2 RELEASE
• BACK TO BLUE-EYED SOUL, DAVID'S NEW CD, 

NOW AVAILABLE AT MIDNIGHT FARM ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD
• LISTEN TO OUR FEATURED SONGS FOR JANUARY FROM DAVID'S BACK TO BLUE-EYED SOUL 

JAMES TAYLOR'S
Greatest Hits Vol. 2

David's background vocals are featured on James Taylor's new Greatest Hits Volume 2 CD. You'll hear him on "That's Why I'm Here," "Everyday," "Never Die Young," "Stop Thinkin' 'Bout That," "Shed a Little Light," "Little More Time With You" and "Enough to be On Your Way." You can buy this CD by clicking on the CD cover or "Greatest Hits Vol 2" line above.

We're pleased to announce that David's new Back to Blue-Eyed Soul CD is available for sale at the popular MIDNIGHT FARM store on Martha's Vineyard. (Of course, you can also buy the CD online at our CONTACT/SHOP page.)

Be sure to listen to "Tell Me Tomorrow" and "Stay Gold" from Back to Blue-Eyed Soul, our FEATURED SONGS FOR JANUARY on our SOUNDS page. "Tell Me Tomorrow," written by David and Randy Goodrum, was a hit for Angela Bofill, and "Stay Gold," a rare track sung in David's low voice," was recorded (but never used) for the film The Outsiders. You can also hear more of the CD's 21 tracks via Real Audio from the same page.

For more information about Back to Blue-Eyed Soul, including David's comments on each track, CLICK HERE

To order your very own copy (which David will autograph upon request), CLICK HERE

For Back to Blue-Eyed Soul wholesale order inquiries, please write dlwebmaster@davidlasley.com

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM DAVID!

Hi Everyone...

I'd like to take this chance to wish you all a lovely holiday season and to thank you for all your support of my web site and my work. It means a lot to me that I have so many fans.

Hope that 2001 brings us all health and peace and love and music.

David Lasley
December 2000

TRANSCRIPT OF DAVID'S LIVE CHAT 
AT JAMES TAYLOR ONLINE

Thanks to all of you who participated in or viewed David's live chat earlier this week at James Taylor Online. David had a great time and was really touched by everyone's interest in his work.
If you missed the chat, CLICK HERE for a complete transcript!

Also, here are links to transcripts of David's previous chats (in March and in August of 1999) at JTO.
David's August 9, 1999 Chat
David's March 8, 1999 Chat

• ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT DAVID'S UPCOMING LIVE CHAT FEATURED IN LOS ANGELES TIMES'

"The Week Ahead on the Web" COLUMN;
• NEW EXPECTATIONS OF LOVE REVIEW 

FEATURED ON SOUL EXPRESS WEB SITE

The Los Angeles Times featured an announcement of David's chat in its TECH TIMES section's "The Week Ahead on the Web" column yesterday, among announcements of other Internet chats/events by musical artists such as Madonna, the Go-Go's and Phish.

The item said:

TUESDAY [November 28] -- 6 p.m. [PST]: 
David Lasley, a backup singer to James Taylor since 1977, has also had several of his own songs performed by artists ranging from Aretha Franklin to Bonnie Raitt. He stepped into the limelight with his own album, "Back to Blue-Eyed Soul," which he discusses at www.james-taylor.com

Remember to join David for the live chat at James Taylor Online on Tuesday, November 28 at 6 p.m. PACIFIC TIME. David will be interviewed by JTO's webmaster, discussing his new Back to Blue-Eyed Soul CD and his other work. Then he'll chat with everyone. Hope to "see" you there! 

(See below -- November 14 -- for more information on Back to Blue-Eyed Soul, including how you can hear RealAudio sounds from the CD.)

We're also pleased to announce a new review of David's Expectations of Love CD that is featured on SOUL EXPRESS ONLINE, the web site for SOUL MUSIC MAGAZINE. It's an excellent site, with news about CD releases, reviews, charts, links and other information. Check it out.

The review of David's Expectations of Love CD, written by Barry Towler, reads in part:

THIS ALBUM IS BEAUTIFUL. I was enticed by the title of the album, and the interesting song titles promised a great deal to me. I was not to be disappointed. Not one iota. Having waited a whole 10 years since his Japanese Soldiers On The Moon set from 1990, this CD had to deliver, and deliver it does! THIRTEEN tracks, all as important as each other and all important in their own right as far as praise and appropriate applause is concerned. 

David’s passionate and soaring falsetto is as good as ever, and his ability to pen gorgeous songs founded in the best traditions of soul, jazz and adult pop has not deserted him. 

Lovers of quality soul / jazz vocals will be welcoming this with open arms - guest musicians include David Benoit, Bobby Watson (of Rufus fame), Phillip Ballou and our dear friend Arnold McCuller. "What’s It Gonna Take," the title song and "Good Magic" are absolutely perfect examples of soulful delivery. I deign that "Good Magic" is the clear winner for me on this album, the opening seconds of music and David’s voice really grabbing my stomach. 

Yes, this is what we want Expansion to concentrate on - REAL QUALITY SOUL!!! The title cut is grabbing, too, and so is the early ‘80s sounding "Meant For You." 

This CD is a real must, a true soul treasure and one that has earned a place in the Class of 2000. 100% ESSENTIAL.

TO HEAR SONGS FROM EXPECTATIONS OF LOVE, 
visit our SOUNDS page.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CD, CLICK HERE.

TO ORDER DAVID'S EXPECTATIONS OF LOVE, BACK TO BLUE-EYED SOUL, OR ANY OF HIS AVAILABLE CDS, visit our CONTACT/SHOP page.

Join David for a live chat at James Taylor Online on Tuesday, November 28 at 6 p.m. PACIFIC TIME. David will be interviewed by JTO's webmaster, discussing his new Back to Blue-Eyed Soul CD and his other work. Then he'll chat with everyone, so be sure to be there to say hello!

Back to Blue-Eyed Soul

You can listen to some of the CD's 21 tracks via Real Audio on our SOUNDS page.

For more information about the CD, including David's comments on each track, CLICK HERE

To order your very own copy (which David will autograph upon request) CLICK HERE

For wholesale order inquiries, please write dlwebmaster@davidlasley.com

Wednesday, November 1, 2000

DAVID LASLEY'S BACK TO BLUE-EYED SOUL (ZACODA)
OFFICIALLY RELEASED!

We're very excited to announce that Back to Blue-Eyed Soul, a compilation of David's work, has been "officially" released on the ZACODA label. A retrospective of David'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 David'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.

David says, "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. 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."The Back to Blue-Eyed Soul PRESS RELEASE is reprinted in full below.

You can listen to some of the CD's 21 tracks via Real Audio on our SOUNDS page.

For more information about the CD, including David's comments on each track, CLICK HERE

To order your very own copy (which David will autograph upon request) CLICK HERE

For wholesale order inquiries, please write dlwebmaster@davidlasley.com

PRESS RELEASE

BACK TO BLUE-EYED SOUL, 
A RETROSPECTIVE FROM 
SINGER/SONGWRITER DAVID LASLEY, 
RELEASED ON ZACODA LABEL

Compilation of Lasley's Work From 1966 to 1999 
Includes Rare Recordings Being Made Available for the First Time

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 spent the last decade touring and recording as a background vocalist, mainly 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 previously 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 perhaps best-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, the Oak Ridge Boys and many more. As a background vocalist, he is most familiar for his more than 23 years singing with James Taylor, and he has also backed such artists as 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, he sings mainly in his distinctive higher register. His highly regarded solo albums include 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."

Complied and produced by Lasley, 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, in selected stores, or by mail order at P.O. Box 46667, Los Angeles, CA 90046.

# # #

Thursday, October 19, 2000

DAVID TO SING BACKGROUND VOCALS FOR LEGENDARY SINGER/SONGWRITER JACKIE DeSHANNON 
AT THE WHISKEY IN LOS ANGELES ON OCTOBER 28

David will be appearing as a background vocalist with legendary singer/songwriter Jackie DeShannon (who had hits with "What the World Needs Now Is Love," "Put A Little Love In Your Heart," and many others, and who wrote "Bette Davis Eyes”) on Saturday, October 28 at The Whiskey in Los Angeles. Arnold McCuller will join David on backup vocals. According to The Whiskey's web site, this evening will be DeShannon's first public performance in 20 years. 

Thursday, October 5, 2000

DAVID’S BACKGROUND VOCALS FEATURED ON NEW BETTE MIDLER RELEASE, BETTE

Listen for David’s background vocals on Bette Midler’s new CD, Bette (being released October 10 on wea/Warner Brothers). He’s featured on "That's How Heartaches Are Made” and "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)." 

David’s background vocals are also featured on Bette’s albums Songs for the New Depression, Some People's Lives and Experience the Divine: Greatest Hits. 

MORE EXPECTATIONS OF LOVE REVIEWS

This review (translated from Japanese) of Expectations of Love is featured on the Adult Contemporary Music in Japan website. Thanks very much to Takeshi Ito for his wonderful, ongoing support of David’s work.

“David Lasley, “Mr. Incredible Falsetto,” is now very active. His 70's works with Rosie, solo albums Missin' Twenty Grand (1982), Soldiers On The Moon (1989) and even famous unreleased collection double-album Demos are reissued on CD. David has been continuing to sing background with the big names in Adult Contemporary Music. Expansion Records, UK’s finest Soul/Black Contemporary label, has released David's brand-new album Expectations Of Love, which was recently completed with the cream of Los Angeles' smooth jazz fraternity. This album is one of the best Blue-Eyed Soul albums over the past decades without question. Just buy and listen!”

TO HEAR SONGS FROM EXPECTATIONS OF LOVE, 
visit our SOUNDS page.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CD, CLICK HERE.

TO ORDER DAVID'S EXPECTATIONS OF LOVE OR ANY OF HIS AVAILABLE CDS, visit our CONTACT/SHOP page.