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The Best Of Tim Curry CD 34,734 views
This CD was originally going to be called Tim Curry's Greatest Hits, but as Tim Curry himself has said: "They couldn't call it 'Greatest Hits' because there weren't any". This is not entirely true, as I Do The Rock did actually reach #91 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1979 (peaking the week of November 3rd, 1979).
The album contains highlights of the three LPs from Tim Curry's solo musical career: Read My Lips (1978), Fearless (1979), and Simplicity (1981). It also has two previously unreleased live tracks, "Alan" and "Simple Twist of Fate", recorded at the Old Waldorf Nightclub in San Francisco during his first American tour. Unfortunately the CD went out of print around 1993. It is fairly difficult to find used copies, and they sell on eBay now at prices that would easily pay for all three of the original LPs (which are actually easier to find!). Supposedly there was also a limited promotional release of this album under the title Still Pretty Pushy, but I've never seen it.
USA ©1989 A&M Records, Inc. (CD 5269)
Released by A&M Records, Inc.
UPC: 075021526921
Compilation album.
Total running time: 64:11
- Birds Of A Feather (4:09) - Song lyrics available. From Read My Lips LP (1978). Written by Carole Pope, Kevan Staples.
- I Will (3:47) - Song lyrics available. From Read My Lips LP (1978). Written by John Lennon, Paul McCartney.
- Alan (Live) (5:44) - Written by Tony Kosinec.
- Anyone Who Had A Heart (3:45) - Song lyrics available. From Read My Lips LP (1978). Written by Burt Bacharach, Hal David.
- Working On My Tan (4:08) - Song lyrics available. From Simplicity LP (1981). Words by Tim Curry. Music by Tim Curry, Bob Babbitt, Charles Collins, Bob Kulick, Michael Tschudin, Michael Kamen.
- Simplicity (4:18) - Song lyrics available. From Simplicity LP (1981). Words by Tim Curry. Music by Tim Curry, Bob Babbitt, Charles Collins.
- Out Of Pawn (3:46) - Song lyrics available. From Simplicity LP (1981). Words by David Lasley, Lana Marrano. Music by David Lasley.
- I Do The Rock (4:46) - Song lyrics available. From Fearless LP (1979). Written by Tim Curry, Michael Kamen.
- Charge It (5:18) - Song lyrics available. From Fearless LP (1979). Written by Tim Curry, Dick Wagner.
- Paradise Garage (6:12) - Song lyrics available. From Fearless LP (1979). Written by Tim Curry, Dick Wagner, Bob Babbitt, Charles Collins.
- No Love On The Street (4:52) - Song lyrics available. From Fearless LP (1979). Written by Tim Curry, Michael Kamen.
- S.O.S. (4:16) - Song lyrics available. From Fearless LP (1979). Written by Dick Wagner.
- Cold Blue Steel And Sweet Fire (3:35) - Song lyrics available. From Fearless LP (1979). Written by Joni Mitchell.
- Simple Twist Of Fate (Live) (5:32) - Song lyrics available. Written by Bob Dylan.
 | I Do The Rock - 4 minutes 21 seconds (320x240, 30 fps, 10.3 MB). Tim Curry's I Do The Rock (it's stimulating!) is certainly the best known song of his relatively short career as a solo artist, from the 1979 Fearless album. This music video was made for MTV, but was often played before midnight showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show as well. |
 | I Do The Rock (1979-12-13) - 4 minutes 34 seconds (320x240, 25 fps, 10.7 MB). Tim Curry performs live on the West German "Der Musikladen" (The Music Shop) television program. Here he performs his hit single (relatively speaking) "I Do The Rock", in support of his Fearless LP. Originally aired on December 13th, 1979. |
 | Paradise Garage - 3 minutes 59 seconds (320x240, 30 fps, 9.5 MB). Tim Curry's Paradise Garage is a fairly well known song from his rather short career as a solo artist. Only I Do The Rock, also from the 1979 Fearless album, was more popular as a single. This music video was made for MTV, but was often played before midnight showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show as well. |
Tim Curry - Live At The Bottom Line (1979-07-26)
- Paradise Garage - 8:04, 235 kbps MP3, 13.6 MB (48.3 MB lossless FLAC also available). Words: Tim Curry. Music: Dick Wagner, Bob Babbitt, Charles Collins.
- I Do The Rock - 6:00, 231 kbps MP3, 9.9 MB (36.3 MB lossless FLAC also available). Words: Tim Curry. Music: Michael Kamen.
Tim Curry - Television
- I Do The Rock (Alternate Version) - 1:30, 214 kbps MP3, 2.3 MB (9.2 MB lossless FLAC also available). From the third season of The Tracey Ullman Show, originally aired on February 26th, 1989. Tracey Ullman sings along a bit, and a new verse with more topical lyrics is added ("Ronald Reagan's quite upset, Ollie's been indicted...").
ALBUM IMAGES
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PHOTOS
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Tim Curry has played many and varied leading roles in motion pictures - The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Annie, Clue, Legend; in the theatre - Amadeus, The Rocky Horror Show, Me and My Girl; and on television - The Life of Shakespeare (the title role), Saturday Night Live; and this year's runaway hit Wiseguy.
As Curry displayed a variety of acting sensibilities in all of the preceding, he also showcased those very sensibilities on a series of three albums released by A&M in the Seventies, including READ MY LIPS (1978), FEARLESS (1979), and SIMPLICITY (1981). This cassette/CD compilation features the best and more adventurous songs from these three. Each cut is as highly developed as Curry's sense of theatre.
The music is raucous ('I Do The Rock', 'Paradise Garage', 'Charge It'), sublime ('Alan', 'Out of Pawn', 'Cold Blue Steel'), and in two instances live, electrifying, and unreleased ('Alan', 'Simple Twist of Fate' - recorded live on Curry's first national tour of America).
THE BEST OF TIM CURRY to our ears in the Eighties still really puts on a show.
READ MY LIPS (1978) produced by Bob Ezrin for
Migration Records, Inc.
FEARLESS (1979) produced by Dick Wagner and Michael
Kamen.
SIMPLICITY (1981) produced and arranged by Michael
Kamen for Mother Fortune Productions.
'Alan' and 'Simple Twist Of Fate' recorded live at The Old Waldorf Nightclub, San Francisco.
This compilation Mastered by Mike Reese at A&M Mastering Studios.
Art Direction: Richard Frankel
Design: F. Ron Miller
Photography: Art Kane
A&M Records, Inc.
P.O. Box 118
Hollywood, CA 90078
Obscure Distorted Instruments And Imagery