As requested, here’s the self-titled album from Canadian band FOOTLOOSE, the first band from singer-songwriter Tim Feehan before he went solo. Released in 1980, the album was out of print for decades.
Few years ago “Footloose” was finally reissued on CD, remastered from the original master tapes and including 4 bonus tracks, 2 unreleased and 2 only appeared in a 45 RPM single.
Footloose formed in 1979 in Edmonton, recorded a couple of singles under the Mustard Records label which worked very well on the radio, and next year the full length was released. Some of the tunes offered by the group are “Time Is Right,” “Who’s Lovin’ Her Now,” “Jamie,” and the song that gained the best reviews and most attention, “Leavin’ for Maui”, a soft number ready for FM radio.
This is cool rock&pop with FM / West Coast touches in the Canadian style, catchy and radio ready, showcasing Feehan’s smooth vocal delivery.
A ‘lost album’ now available (yet not easy to find) on CD with a crystal clear remastered sound.
The actual history of Footloose is short. They only had this one full-length album. The band formed in 1978, with Feehan leaving in 1981, and broke up in 1984 – just in the nick of time to spare them the indignity of taking requests for the massive Kenny Loggins hit people think the band is named for.
They never even intended to be a real band. These were college friends trying to make music. Show bands were all the rage in those days; they were all players and liked writing songs, so they donned matching suits and went to work.
Between gigs, Feehan earned a degree in sociology at the U of Alberta, and even tacked on an extra year so he could get out of having a day job a little longer. But then Footloose came up with a hit of their own – the easy, breezy, string-laden, Chicago-esque, ‘Leavin’ For Maui’, which struck a chord not only in their frozen hometown but in Hawaii, where it was an even bigger hit.
So they played in Hawaii, too – and that’s where they met singer Vicky Moss, with which Feehan would do a duet for his second solo album ‘Carmalita’, and become a hit in Canada.
A cool rock&pop album with nice melodies at places bringing to mind Donnie Iris, Feehan’s smooth voice and fine production – yes, in the Canadian style.
01 – Leaving for Maui
02 – Just Enough Love
03 – Dancin’ Feelin’
04 – It’ll Take Some Time
05 – Put on the Dog
06 – Time Is Right
07 – Jamie
08 – Line-Ups Are for Losers
09 – Thanks I Needed That
BONUS TRACKS:
10 – Dream Come True [Unreleased]
11 – Caroline [Unreleased]
12 – Who’s Lovin’ Her Now [45 RPM only]
13 – Betty-Lou [45 RPM only]
Vocals – Tim Feehan
Bass – George Goodall, Rick Erickson
Drums – Dwayne Feland
Guitar – Terry Medd, Trevor Dunn, Doug Jenson
Keyboards – Curt Smith
with:
Organ – Ted Boroweicki
Percussion – Brian Feland
Guitar – Trevor Dunn, Doug Jenson
Bass – Rick Erickson
Vocals – Doug Riley
Backing Vocals – Brenda Jackson
Strings – Colin Ryan, Broderyck Olson, Dolores Vann, James Keene