I worked in a record store when Honeydrippers came out. It was on heavy rotation in store along with Julian Lennon and U2 Joshua Tree. At Christmas time people would stand in line 20 deep with stacks of LPs under their arms to check out. If it was one record, I knew the price with tax by heart. If it was 2, 3, 8, whatever. I would call the price before the previous person even pick up his bag. I was such a punk then. But it was a fun gig. We had the top 40 7" 45s in racks behind the counter. Each month I had to update the discography book that listed every record ever made, what's that thing called? They don't do those anymore, needless to say. I was 20.
They hired me because I (would work for $3.35/hr) knew a lot about jazz, and they had old farts come in there during the day who wanted to buy jazz and classical but nobody knew about it. I don't ever remember anyone asking me what's a good jazz record. But I do remember this guy, he said "I just got a new stereo and I want a record that will really show it off." At the time I thought to myself what a putz! You buy records only for the sound quality? I took pity on him and picked a record that had dazzling audio quality, ear candy, frequency extremes and dynamics, at the same time, gave him half a chance to get into heaven if he woke up his soul with a little music. He came in a couple weeks later to say thanks, and buy some more EWF!
Not their best record, but they were trying to compete with Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones' new sound and this was the last real EWF album with inspired songwriting, Maurice White singing well, and a real dance hit that made money on it's own. Some great ear candy on this one. I still have all the gold EWF records on vinyl. Rambling...
