Eye to Eye

Eye to Eye - Shakespeare Stole My Baby - 1983 - Wea International

A beautifully played, catchy set of tunes from two great forgotten songwriters, Julian Marshall and Deborah Berg. Their light techno-pop was sublimely executed with the aid of some studio heavies and legends, including Larry Carlton, and Steve Lukather. The album also features Donald Fagen playing keyboards on " Jabberwocky. " Produced by the legendary Gary Katz, you can hear the strong Steely Dan influence. A forgotten gem, and well worth listening to for the brilliant intelligent song structures, and of course, the superb musicianship.

TRACKS

1 Shakespeare stole my baby (Berg/Marshall)
2 Tonight insomnia (Berg/Marshall)
3 Falling for a funny one (Berg/Marshall)
4 Jabberwokky (Berg/Marshall)
5 Lucky (Berg/Marshall)
6 T.W.A. Sari (Berg/Marshall)
7 Something good (Berg/Marshall)
8 Mermaid man (Berg/Marshall)
9 Are you listening? (Berg/Marshall)

Just a note here for audiophiles. This 128 bit recording is from a Japanese import, and at times the stereo mix seems to be channelled incorrectly. It's not a big deal and shouldn't put you off this great album

CREDITS

Donald Fagen (Keyboards), Larry Carlton (Guitar), Eye to Eye (Main Performer), Domenic Troiano (Guitar), Jimmy Haslip (Bass), Deborah Berg (Vocals), Deborah Berg (Vocals (Background)), Cliff Carter (Synthesizer), Martin Ditcham (Percussion), Martin Ditcham (Handclapping), Chuck Findley (Trumpet), Chuck Findley (Flugelhorn), Jerry Hey (Trumpet), Jerry Hey (Flugelhorn), Jerry Hey (Horn Arrangements), Andy Hoffman (Assistant Engineer), Kim Hutchcroft (Flute), Kim Hutchcroft (Saxophone), Gary Katz (Producer), Daniel Lazerus (Vocals), Daniel Lazerus (Vocals (Background)), Daniel Lazerus (Engineer), Daniel Lazerus (Mixing), Bob Ludwig (Mastering), Steve Lukather (Guitar), Julian Marshall (Keyboards), Julian Marshall (Handclapping), Zachary Sanders (Vocals), Larry Williams (Saxophone), Art Wood (Drums), Wayne Yurgelun (Assistant Engineer), Mike Morongell (Assistant Engineer), Clifford Carter (Programming), Clifford Carter (Effects), Jeri McManus (Design), Deborah Feingold (Photography), Frank Floyd (Vocals), Ben Marshall (Handclapping), Robin Lane (Assistant Engineer)

BIO

The duo Eye To Eye formed in 1979 after keyboardist Julian Marshall (formerly of Marshall-Hain) heard dancer/singer Deborah Berg sing at an improvisational dance performance in San Diego. Weeks later, Berg flew to London, where she and Marshall began writing together at his home. They quickly garnered a record deal with Automatic Records in the U.K., releasing the single "Am I Normal." In 1982, Eye To Eye released their self-titled debut album on Warner Bros. Records. Their debut, featuring the Top 40 hit "Nice Girl" and the follow-up release Shakespeare Stole My Baby, was produced by Gary Katz, known primarily for producing Steely Dan's albums. Like Steely Dan, Eye To Eye performed catchy and intelligent pop music with stellar musicianship and taut production. Unfortunately, lack of record company support did the duo in, after their second release. Adding to the misfortune, the record label never bothered to release Eye To Eye's two excellent albums on compact disc in the United States. © Tim Griggs, All Music Guide