- Included among the Record Descriptions of Favorite Albums (Part 1).
- Sharp Cuts was released on Planet Records, founded by famed producer Richard Perry, known for numerous bands and artists that I have found.
The Greatest Music
Ever Recorded!
Sharp Cuts (Various Artists) (1980): Sharp Cuts is one of the comparatively few compilation albums released during the new wave/power pop era. I managed to locate many of these compilation albums over the years, and Sharp Cuts is one of my favorites, despite having hardly any familiar names among the recording artists. The album was released on Planet Records, founded by famed musician and producer Richard Perry that provided a home for records by numerous bands and solo artists that I have found. Among his many other accomplishments, Richard Perry was the catalyst for the creation of perhaps the very first all-female rock band, Goldie and the Gingerbreads, featuring Goldie Zelkowitz who later changed her name to Genya Ravan. As to the bands on Sharp Cuts, I know the dB’s, since they come from my hometown of Winston-Salem, NC; but they were virtually unknown in the music world when Sharp Cuts came out, having just been formed in October 1978. “Soul Kiss” is neither an album cut nor a single, as far as I know; and Sharp Cuts was released the year before the debut album by the dB’s came out, Stands for Decibels (1981). Some might figure out that Gary Valentine (ex-Blondie) is the frontman for the Know from the “G. Valentine” songwriter credit; they released several singles, including this song “I Like Girls”, but never landed a record deal. Billy Steinberg is a top songwriter whose name also shows up on the album; primarily with his songwriting partner Tom Kelly, Billy Steinberg wrote numerous songs, largely for women and woman-fronted bands, such as Madonna, Linda Ronstadt, Cyndi Lauper, the Bangles, Whitney Houston, Heart, and the Pretenders. Billy Steinberg’s song on Sharp Cuts, “I’m Gonna Follow You” is performed by his band Billy Thermal. Ric Ocasek of the Cars produced two of the songs on Sharp Cuts, Peter Dayton’s “Last Supper” and the Fast’s “Kids Just Wanna Dance”; while “She’s Illegal” by the Willys was produced by Robby Krieger, formerly of the Doors. Sadly, “I’m Gonna Follow You” is the only song of any renown on this collection, since Pat Benatar included “I’m Gonna Follow You” on her second album, Crimes of Passion (1980). However, Sharp Cuts is as good an album of underground rock as I have heard, anywhere.