Any Closet Osmond Brothers Fans Here?

Allan, Wayne, Merril, Jay, and Donny in their flashy white stage clothes. Remember the early 70's with such classics as "Down By the Lazy River", "Goin' Home" and "Crazy Horses"?

 

Yep, sure do remember them. You left out "One Bad Apple". Even have a program from one of their concerts here in LA.

Jim W.

 

Not a fan, no, to be kind...but, "Down By The Lazy River" was a decent rocker--for them--and "Crazy Horses" was weird, no matter who recorded it! Hard to believe those lads did, but hey, they were being adventurous....

Wonder when that stereo Lp mix of "Sweet And Innocent" will make it to CD? (And if it has and I missed it, might as well tell me here!)

 

Neither did I. My sister went to one of their shows (Anaheim Convention Center, IIRC) and got a concert programme. Years later, when she left home for college, I went through all her stuff and salvaged anything that I thought was worth keeping (packrat that I was).

Jim W

 

Osmonds 1973, my very first rock concert! Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York. My grandma took my sister and I. Talk about a screamfest. They were fab by the way.....that Jay is quite a drummer. Opening band: Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods (almost 2 years before "Billy, Don't Be A Hero"!!! I AM A PROUD OSMONDS FAN. Lots of great singles, genuinely talented, and more decent LP cuts than you might think. Their late 60s singles on Barnaby are also very cool, soft rock-ish.

 

My first Osmond 45 was "Double Lovin'. I sure wish I could get the mono mix on CD, or at least a clean vinyl, because the stereo mix just isn't it. I'd even like to find the mono mix of "Yo-Yo".

Yeah, I guess you can count me in as a fan of their hits, but still, they were no match for the Jackson 5! The Osmonds downfall was that by mid-1973, they fell into a lull doing ballads. Not only that, their image became a liability as the 70s wore on.

 

Another closet fan...

 

I like "Crazy Horses"...the CRAZY HORSES LP is listed at #66(actually 66.6) in Chuck Eddy's book, STAIRWAY TO HELL: THE 500 GREATEST HEAVY METAL ALBUMS IN THE UNIVERSE...out of curiosity I had to have one...got it on ebay a while back...haven't listened to the whole LP yet,just burned the title song...kind of a cool song...I do like it.

 

I'm not a closet fan. I'm completely out of the closet! My first concert was the Osmonds in Allentown PA. Girls were still screaming and weeping. Beware y'all who find Crazy Horses on CD. There has been no official CD issue of this title, and there are some convincing counterfeits of it, some on a pirate two fer. The only official CD release of a complete LP of their classic period is The Plan which came out in UK on Curb records. I have a WLP mint promo LP of Crazy Horses which sounds wonderful. I agree with you Grant that their downfall was doing too many crappy ballads, but they did have a little bit of a comeback with the rockers on Brainstorm and their 1980 Barry Gibb produced album, which even produced a 12" dance track, "I I I". So far I have not found any compilation of their hits that sounds good. I'm not really interested in Marie or Jimmy or even Donny's solo stuff.

 

You must listen to it. Hold Her Tight rocks! Even though it's a rip off of Black Dog.

 

Funny to see this thread. I just picked up Osmondmania which includes all of the brothers hits, as well as Donny and Marie solo material. Very comprehensive and many more hits than my memory wanted to remember. They were all pretty talented IMO.

 

Funny you should bring this up. I just played The Plan for the first time in quite a while on Friday. This is the Osmonds (ahem) "concept" album. All of the songs were written by Alan, Merrill and Wayne Osmond and Alan produced the album. It generated a minor hit, "Let Me In," but otherwise went largely unnoticed by critics and fans. The album does have its moments, including a couple of catchy Beatlesque (in a Sgt. Peppers sort of way) tunes, "Movie Man," and "Mirror, Mirror." The album is a little heavey-handed at times, but overall, it makes for an interesting listen.

I just wanted to add that this was released domestically as well, although I have not seen a copy in several years. My disc is labeled (D2-77956.) The manufacturing information reads, "Manufactured and distributed by Curb Records, Inc. Nashville, TN 37203. Printed in the USA."

Gary

 

Now you've got me intrigued!

 

I don't believe there is a stereo mix of "Sweet and Innocent" anywhere. Even on the stereo LP, that track should be in mono. (Someone please check it out and see if I'm right). I think the track made the Osmonds "Millennium Collection" CD, but in mono.

 

I admit to owning the box set, as well as any number of other comps by the whole family or any combination of members thereof.

Listen to "One Bad Apple" and notice how it's deliberately styled to sound just like the Jackson 5's hits of the same era. Donny's vocal comes sweeping in, just like Michael's did.

The box includes "Long-Haired Lover from Liverpool" by baby brother Little Jimmy Osmond, but not his remake of "Tweedlee Dee" which was a minor hit here but Top 10 in the UK. Anyone know where to find it on CD?

 

I'm HONESTLY "NOT" a closet Osmonds fan...Bobby Sherman and The DeFranco Family...Maybe!?!

However...I for one reason or another, have always enjoyed their song "Love Me For A Reason".

Quick story...Every Christmas, my best friend and I always try to out-do each other with the "stupidiest" gifts. They always involve old records or CD's (examples: Liberace Christmas, Jim Nabors Christmas, The Waltons Christmas, etc.) Last year he figured he got me good when he wrapped up "The Osmonds Family Christmas"...WRONG!!! Damn, this thing was arranged by the late great Don Costa (Sinatra "My Way") and if you aren't sold after the first cut "I'll Be Home For Christmas", then you really don't like The Osmonds, because it is splendid!

Warning to fans of this album: The original album on vinyl (which I do NOT own) was a 2-record set and this version on CD (Curb D2-77513) is an abridged version, PLUS, if I'm not wrong, it has been "tampered" with regarding "SOME" of the vocal mixes vs. the original. I also found an Import version of this CD (Spectrum/Universal 544 692-2) which is more complete, but still missing portions of the original and again, I believe, has had the vocals tampered with on certain tracks!

"IF" you are an Osmonds fan, but more importantly, if you enjoy a GREAT Christmas album, I STRONGLY advise you to hunt this "mother" down quickly!

Chris C

 

Is there any reason why the only 70's album on CD is THE PLAN?

 

I wouldn't think that finding clean vinyl on any of their stuff would be difficult. I run into NOS copies of their 45's from time to time. There's still quite a lot of them out here. I actually have mint non-cutout copies of "One Bad Apple" and "Puppy Love" that I bought. And of course they were no match for the Jackson 5!!!!

 

Last I heard, all Osmond recordings are controlled by the Osmond family and/or Mike Curb. They make the calls on what gets released.

 

"did you go and lose her, like the others too!"

And even that one is long OOP and hard to find. Mike Curb's deal. I think it's a mistake to just license the songs for comps and not put out the original albums. Speaking of The Plan I also have a mint UK LP of it and it sounds wonderful.

 

I seem to recall mention in the "Standing In The Shadows of Motown" book
(the original printed back around 89) that either The Osmonds used either
The Funk Brothers or perhaps just James Jamerson on an LP.


Anyone know what that album might be?? When I see Osmonds albums in
old used racks... I always look at them - but I've never seen any credits to
Jamerson or the other Motown sidemen.

But I don't think the Osmond albums tend to have credits for muscians other
than themself...

I seem to remember picking up a Donny Osmond solo album at a garage
sale that has a heavy Motown influence - but I didn't think it sound like
any of The Funks playing on it...

 

I've always loved their song "Goin' Home". Even had the 45RPM single.

 

Donny's "Sweet And Innocent" first appeared on THE OSMONDS' 1971 MGM Lp in stereo. Rick Hall went back and remixed it(to mono), making some adjustments, for the solo single release. After that, the single mono mix has been used for just about every appearance since, including all CD's. To my ears, there isn't a ton of difference between mono and stereo, except that Hall punched it up a bit and probably added a guitar and a little extra percussion to make things sound livelier.

 

Yeah, I think the difference is a guitar part...