1-Stop-Experience - Peeping Tom

1-Stop-Experience is a group that combines the styles of Ska and reggae with Latin and jazz elements to create a spicy musical mix.

The band is made up of performers from a variety of former groups.

On tha album Jennie Matthias of the 80’s all-girl group the Belle Stars is on lead vocals. Skip McDonald plays lead guitar. Chico Chagas is on keyboards and synthesizer. Paget King is on keyboards and programming. Jim Dobson plays rhythm guitar. Martin Sawtell is on the bass. Damon Brown plays trumpet with additional horns provided by Crispy Horns. Winston Marche lays out the drumbeats. The production mix is by Adrian Sherwood.

On the road, Martin Stuart (of Bad Manners) plays keyboards. Lenny Bignell and Dredy Madoo (of Pama International) are on lead guitar and drums respectively. Ruby Fortune is on backing vocals. And Jim Dobson, Martin Sawtell, Damon Brown and Jennie Matthias all reprise their recording roles.

TV: Once Upon A Time (ep. 11)

This week's episode of Once Upon A Time was entitled "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree".

Emma finds herself a very unexpected ally in Sidney, the editor of Storybrooke's Daily Mirror newspaper. It seems he wants to expose Mayor Regina.

In the land of Fairytales, we get the story of King Leopold who messes with a Genie and three wishes. As this show has been telling us since the start, magic always comes with a price.

Let's get to the episode breakdown, shall we?

Phil Collins - Face Value

Happy sixty-first birthday today (January 30th) to English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist, actor Phil Collins.

After over a decade as the drummer for the rock band Genesis, Collins decided to do his first solo album. The result, 1981's Face Value, was very well-received worldwide. The record went to number 1 in the UK, Canada and Sweden, number 2 in Australia and Germany and number 5 in Norway. In the US it peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Album chart. Since its release it has gone Platinum in sales multiple times over.

Huey Lewis and the News - Picture This (30th anniversary)

Today, January 29th, marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Huey Lewis and the News' second studio album Picture This.

For my review of this album, please click here.

To celebrate, I'm going to cue this one up on my iPod and enjoy.

Shalamar - Friends

The next few days bring a number of celebrations for American singer, songwriter, and producer Jody Watley. Watley was part of the trio that made up the classic line-up of Shalamar (along with Jeffrey Daniel and Howard Hewett). On Monday January 30th she celebrates her fifty-third birthday.

And Sunday January 29th is the 30th anniversary of Shalamar's release of their sixth studio album Friends. This certified Platinum album went to number 6 in the UK charts, number 35 on the US Billboard Album chart, and number 1 on the US R&B charts. The album featured the musical talents of a number of family members of the R&B group the Sylvers (Leon, Foster, Ricky and Patricia) as well as James Ingram.

The B-52's - Mesopotamia

Today (January 27th) marks the 30th anniversary of the release of the B-52's EP Mesopotamia.

Mesopotamia was produced by David Byrne of the Talking Heads and was intended to be the B-52’s third studio album. However, things did not work out so only the six songs were produced. Released as an extended play instead, it served as a bridge between the groups first two full length albums The B-52's and Wild Planet (click here and here respectively for my reviews of each of those records) and their 1983 release Whammy!. The EP went to number 35 on the US Billboard Album chart, number 18 in the UK and number 21 in Sweden. All six songs could be found across three single releases as well.

Van Halen - Van Halen II

Happy fifty-seventh birthday today (January 26th) to guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer Eddie Van Halen.

Following up their hit debut album the year before (click here for my review of that one), Van Halen released Van Halen II on March 23rd of 1979. The record charted even better than their first, reaching number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 15 in Canada and number 23 in the UK. Since then, it has gone multi-Platinum in sales and become a main-staple of album-oriented rock stations everywhere.