Air Supply Greatest Hits Rar
Boone Southern
Greatest Hits or Air Supply Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by British-Australian soft rock duo Air Supply, released in August 1983. It spent one week on top of the Australian (Kent Music Report) album chart and reached number seven on the Billboard 200.[1] The Jim Steinman-written and produced track "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" had been released in July as a single. It is Air Supply's last top 10 hit in the United States, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" also reached top 10 in Canada and South Africa. The album was certified 5 platinum in 1993 in the US, denoting shipments of five million copies.
British-Australian soft rock group Air Supply had been formed in Melbourne in 1975 by vocalists Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell.[2][3] By the late 1970s, they were based in the United States.[2] The duo had released seven studio albums, Air Supply (1976), The Whole Thing's Started, Love & Other Bruises (both 1977), Life Support (1979), Lost in Love (1980), The One That You Love (1981) and Now and Forever (1982). Their compilation album Greatest Hits or Air Supply Greatest Hits was issued on vinyl by EMI Records in Australia and Arista Records in the United States in August 1983.[2][4] Each included a new track "Making Love Out of Nothing at All", released as a single a month earlier.[2][4] The EMI version had 13 tracks with "Love and Other Bruises", "Bring out the Magic", "Two Less Lonely People in the World" and "Now and Forever" not included on the 9-track Arista version.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic reviewed the 1988 Arista Records version of Greatest Hits and rated it at four-out-of-five starts, "[it's] all that most Air Supply fans need, at least casual fans, but even the hardcore followers are sure to like having such a concentrated dose of hits in one package."[4] Australian writer Glenn A. Baker described how they used their "undeniably American laid-back style" to provide "six Stateside top ten hits", which are included on this compilation.[6] He considered the songs' writers, aside from band member Graham Russell, who "continued to pen excellent commercial songs, outside hitwriters (such as Lee Greenwood and the legendary Howie Greenfield) were also engaged to keep the hits flowing."[6]
Yeah, I'll admit it: I really liked Air Supply when I was a teenager. I remember putting on the band's greatest hits CD at night while falling asleep, drifting off to the tune of soft rock hits like "Lost in Love" and "The One That I Love."
Yet my favorite was probably "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All," a song actually written by Jim Steinman rather than Air Supply's primary songwriter, guitarist/singer Graham Russell. The song's over-the-top anthemics and power-pop firepower pulled me in, as did similar-sounding Steinman songs like Meatloaf's "I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" and Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart." Plus, it was a staple at my high school dances.
Of course, I helped perpetuate the song's longevity at the dances. I helped a friend DJ a few times and brought along my collection of sappy '80s love songs. I had the greatest hits by Chicago and Journey, a two-CD collection of '80s soft rock hits and, of course, the Air Supply CD.
Many of these songs formed the soundtrack to my daydreams. When I thought about the girls I was crushing on, inevitably there was a song by Air Supply, Chicago or Journey playing in my head (or maybe even a Van Hagar tune). But as much as I loved "All Out of Love," "You're the Inspiration" and "Faithfully," these bands were never among my "favorite bands." No, when I look back at the bands I absolutely loved from that era it was Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, R.E.M. and Toad the Wet Sprocket.
Still, there is quite a bit of nostalgia associated with the music of Air Supply. I realized that Monday morning when I interviewed the band's lead singer, Russell Hitchcock. He is a charming man and his Australian accent makes him even more intriguing. I told him about my own personal connections to his music and he acknowledged that Air Supply's music has touched a variety of people in many ways.
I also asked him about Janet Robin, one of the greatest guitar players I've ever seen. She toured with Air Supply for a time (as well as Meredith Brooks and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac). Now she primarily performs as a solo act and regularly makes stops in St. George, Springdale and Cedar City for gigs. Most recently she played at the Live United Live Music Festival in September in St. George. Hitchcock told me that she is a "great guitarist and a really wonderful person."
However, for the rest of the interview with Hitchcock, you'll have to wait for my story on the band's upcoming appearance at Tuacahn on Nov. 15. The article will appear here at TheSpectrum.com by the evening of Nov. 13 and in print as the cover story of our Where It's @ entertainment guide on Nov. 14. For information about the concert visit tuacahn.org.