Stephanie Mills - Merciless

Today (August 12th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Merciless, the seventh studio album from Stephanie Mills. Following her 1982 album Tantalizingly Hot (click here for that review), this 1983 release on the Casablanca label charted at number 104 on the US Billboard Hot 200 and number 12 on the US Billboard R&B chart.

Thank God It's Friday (soundtrack)

Welcome to another edition of Soundtrack Sunday.

Continuing on with my birthday weekend celebration, I thought I would dig back into the movie music vaults for another disco classic. This time, we are looking at the soundtrack to the film Thank God It’s Friday which hit the theaters on May 19th, 1978.

The movie tells several intertwining stories of the patrons and staff at a fictional Los Angeles disco club called the Zoo (a real LA club called Osko's on South La Cienega Blvd. was used for the set). It starred Jeff Goldblum, Debra Winger, Valerie Landsburg (who would later star on the TV show Fame), Terri Nunn (of Berlin), and singers Paul Jabara and Donna Summer.

The Weather Girls - Success

R&B singers Martha Walsh and Izora Armstead started out as backup singers for disco performers like Sylvester before breaking out on their own. They first recorded under the name of Two Tons o' Fun in the early 80's, having a number of Billboard Dance hits.

In late 1982, they hit number 1 on that chart with their signature single. Around the same time, they changed their name to the Weather Girls and recorded the album Success. Paul Jabara, who co-produced the record, also had his hand in writing most of the tracks. Also noted for working on it were Paul Shaffer (on keyboards) and Patti Austin and Deniece Williams (on backing vocals).

Today we will look at this 1983 release to celebrate its thirtieth anniversary.