Post Description

Change was an Italian-American post-disco group formed in Bologna, Italy in 1979 by businessman and executive producer Jacques Fred Petrus (1949–1986) and Mauro Malavasi (1957). They were heavily influenced by legendary disco band Chic.

The band's debut album, The Glow of Love, was released in 1980. It was composed by a small team of writers made up of Romani, Malavasi, Paolo Gianolio (lead guitarist), Tanyayette Willoughby, Paul Slade and Wayne Garfield. The first single was the million seller "A Lover's Holiday" featuring the ad lib stylings of Zachary Sanders, known then for his work on Schoolhouse Rock. The follow-up hits from the album, "Searching" and the title song feature lead vocals by Luther Vandross who had yet to come to prominence. The three songs combined spent 9 weeks at #1 on Billboard's Club Play Singles chart, enough to make it the #1 Disco album of the year and a million seller in the U.S. The success of "Searching" and "The Glow of Love" exposed Luther's voice to mainstream and eventually led to a successful solo career starting in 1981.

The follow-up album, Miracles was released in 1981. It was created by the same collection of writers and producers as had worked on the debut album. Due to contractual differences, Vandross refused to sing lead vocals on any of the album's tracks and was only featured on backing vocals on selected songs. After Miracles, Vandross continued to provide backup vocals for the group until 1981, when he left Change to pursue his solo career. Petrus and Malavasi signed up James 'Crab' Robinson to replace Vandross, owing to his ability to perform in a similar vocal style. Robinson shared vocals with Diva Gray for the album.

Miracles was released to a similar level of success as the début, though it did not manage to produce a mainstream crossover hit such as "A Lover’s Holiday". "Paradise", "Hold Tight," and "Heaven Of My Life", combined were another huge hit on the Billboard Club Play Singles chart, spending 6 weeks at the number one spot in 1981.

Change's 1982 album, Sharing Your Love, moved the band further away from disco and club music and into genres such as R&B and Funk. The lead single "The Very Best In You" was one of the foremost examples of the group's take on R&B. The album also marked a new process in the writing of the band’s albums. The team behind the first albums contributing less, instead a wide range of songs by other writers were recorded. Overall, the album continued a slowly declining trend in the commercial fortunes for the project, though the album sold well and "The Very Best In You" was popular.

Ingepakt zijn:

1980 The Glow of Love 
1980 The Glow of Love (remastered)
1981 Miracles
1982 Sharing Your Love 
1983 This Is Your Time 
1984 Change of Heart 
1985 Turn on Your Radio 
1998 The Very Best Of Change
2002 Combi CD Miracles & Change Of Heart
2007 The Final Collection