The Outfield - Bangin - Vinyl album on Columbia Records 1987

Ironically, given their obsession with Americas favorite pastime, the Outfield got their start in Londons East End. Playing under the name the Baseball Boys, the trio of bassist/singer Tony Lewis, guitarist/keyboardist John Spinks, and drummer Alan Jackman played around London and recorded some early demos, attracting the attention of Columbia/CBS Records. They were signed shortly thereafter and began working on their debut album, Play Deep, which was released in 1985. The album was a smash success, going triple platinum, reaching number nine on the album charts, and producing their biggest song, "Your Love," which was a Top Ten hit. To support the album, they launched an international tour opening for Journey and Starship. They began recording their second album in 1986 and in 1987 issued Bangin. While not duplicating the huge commercial success of their debut, it did produce two hit singles, Since You've Been Gone and No Surrender. The band's third album featured a bit of a stylistic shift and was more meticulously produced than their previous efforts. Voices of Babylon, released in 1988, produced a single of the same name, but the band's commercial success was slipping. Jackman left the band after it was recorded and they hired Paul Reed to step in as drummer for the Voices tour.

The Outfield - Bangin - Vinyl album on Columbia Records 1987

Northern Lights - Take You To The Sky - Vinyl LP on Flying Fish Records

Northern Lights is a New England-based bluegrass band known for their creative and distinct sound. The band consists of Taylor Armerding (mandolin and vocals), Billy Henry (guitar and vocals), Oz Barron (bass), and Mike Kropp (banjo).

Northern Lights - Take You To The Sky - Vinyl LP on Flying Fish Records

Spyro Gyra - Point Of View - Vinyl album on MCA Records 1989

Point Of View is the thirteenth album by Spyro Gyra from 1989. The album cover shows a lizard climbing from a puddle on the pavement, up to the sidewalk next to a fire hydrant. The puddle mirrors a somewhat bizarre view of what seems like a jungle right behind the hydrant.

Spyro Gyra - Point Of View - Vinyl album on MCA Records 1989

Patricia Shih - Leap Of Faith - Vinyl LP on Flying Fish Records

To date, Ms. Shih has written over 250 songs, both alone and in collaboration with others. She continues to perform extensively for audiences of all ages, appearing on T.V. and radio, in clubs, concerts, schools, libraries, major music festivals, and other venues, and touring internationally. She starred for a year on Cablevision's "Tell Me a Story" on the Extra Help Channel, seen twice daily, and also wrote and performed the show's theme song. She has appeared in concert with such luminaries as Pete Seeger, Bonnie Raitt, Richie Havens, David Bromberg, Tom Chapin, Livingston Taylor, Odetta, Billy Bragg, Janis Ian, and Peter Yarrow, among others. Her songs are recorded and performed by numerous other artists throughout the United States, have been published in national magazines such as Sing Out!, Broadside, and the Rise Up Singing songbook, and have won awards and accolades in the American Songwriting Festival and the New York Songwriters Showcase. Featured articles on Ms. Shih have appeared in the New York Times, Oakland Tribune, Newsday, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and AsiAm Magazine.

Patricia Shih - Leap Of Faith - Vinyl LP on Flying Fish Records

John Cougar Mellencamp - Big Daddy - Vinyl album on Mercury Records 1989

Big Daddy is the tenth studio album by John Mellencamp, released in 1989 by Mercury Records. It was his last album to be released under the name John Cougar Mellencamp, a combination of his real name and his original stage name of Johnny Cougar. The album peaked at number seven on the Billboard 200 and contained the singles Pop Singer and Jackie Brown which peaked at number fifteen and forty eight respectively on the Billboard Hot 100.

John Cougar Mellencamp - Big Daddy - Vinyl album on Mercury Records 1989

Sukay - Music Of The Andes - Vinyl Album

They have had three major group formations. The first, under the musical direction of Edmond Badoux (now of Chaskinakuy), featured his then wife, Quentin, as well as Javier Canelas and Gonzalo Vargas (who would go on as a founding member of Inkuyo). This formation of the group released two albums, "Music of the Andes" in 1978, recorded in Quebec, and released on Flying Fish records; and "Pacha Siku" in 1979, recorded in Berkeley, CA, which was released on the Aural Tradition label, in association with the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. This group formation performed together until around 1985. This group formation focused on traditional Andean Village music.

Sukay - Music Of The Andes - Vinyl Album

Alvin "Red" Tyler - Graciously - Vinyl album on jazz label Rounder Records 1987

This was the second of two late-'80s straight jazz dates by Alvin "Red" Tyler, better known for his years toiling in the city's R&B studios. Tyler savored the opportunity to do more than play short bursts, demonstrating his expansive skills on the disc's eight cuts. While the soulfulness remained in his tone, Tyler proved he could handle hard bop chord changes, build and complete ideas and head a jazz combo. The cuts "Dreamsville," "Here's That Rainy Day" and "Like So Many Others" emphasized the jazz connection, but the R&B and blues base came through on "Cutie Pie" and "Count 'Em." This was nicely played, at times above-average, jazz from a celebrated veteran getting to show another side of his musical personality.

Alvin "Red" Tyler - Graciously - Vinyl album on jazz label Rounder Records 1987