TCCDM Pulls One Out..."The Friends Of Mr. Cairo" - Jon And Vangelis (1981)

"The Friends Of Mr. Cairo" - Jon And Vangelis (1981)    

I was always a fan of the title track, yet never knew the name of the dang song until recently.  I remember hearing it several years ago for the first time while coming back from doing stand-up at CHOCS in Tulsa.  About a three-hour drive.  A distance, for sure, but I was bubbling over with silly ideas then and wanted to try a few of'em out.  

CHOCS in Tulsa, OK

I've only heard this song a handful of times since.  Once in a very blue moon.  But when the song "The Friends Of Mr. Cairo" came on the radio, the unedited version, during my after-midnight drive back home...my head was hypnotized.  And for the next 12 minutes, I was driving while blind.  I was on autopilot bliss.

"The Friends Of Mr. Cairo" was Jon and Vangelis's second album. (The duo released four.)  And nothing compares to the title track homage to the old-era films.  Overall, the album is more synth-pop rock.  Not as proggy as a Yes album.  Nor quite as ethereal as a Vangelis album.  Still, Anderson's vocals are beautiful and Vangelis uses his keyboards like a paintbrush.  

"The Friends Of Mr. Cairo" - Jon And Vangelis (front)

Custom lyrics sleeve
(front-back)

Favorites include:
"The Friends Of Mr. Cairo"
"State Of Independence"
"Outside Of This (Inside Of That)"

Each song stands alone and is good for what it is.  But the album, as a whole, doesn't quite fall into my musical-listening wheelhouse.  I did like a lot of it.  Others will assuredly enjoy this spin more than I did, but I'm gonna take this square out for a few more laps before returning it to the shelf.

At one of the earlier A-OK record swaps, I grabbed "The Friends Of Mr. Cairo" along with a few other squares from the table of a seller affectionately known as "Garageman G."  The album was in great shape and had a really fair price on it, but "G" knocked a few more $$$ off letting me take "...Cairo" home for only 2 or 3 green ones.  A price I was more than happy to pay.  It's pretty low-dollar anyway so worth taking a chance on.   

Polydor label

Cat #
PD-1-6326
SIDE A  DEADWAX
PD-1-6326-AS-REV-HRM  STERLING  C-2  <-->
SIDE B  DEADWAX
PD.1.6326 .  AS  . K1  B Side  STERLING  STERLING B-2  ◁

"The Friends Of Mr. Cairo" - Jon And Vangelis / "The Friends Of Mr. Cairo" (1981)

TRACKS:
A1  "I'll Find My Way Home" 4:29
A2  "State Of Independence" 7:53
A3  "Beside" 4:08
A4  "The Mayflower" 6:35
B1  "The Friends Of Mr. Cairo" 12:04
B2  "Back To School" 5:06
B3  "Outside Of This (Inside Of That") 5:00

PERSONNEL:
Jon Anderson - vocals, composer
Vangelis - composer, producer, arranger, performer
Dick Morrissey - saxophone, flute
Dennis Clarke - saxophone
Carol Kenyon - b-vocals
Claire Hamill - b-vocals
David Coker - voices
Sally Grace - voices

Good stuff.

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