A late 70s dancefloor soul set from
Mascara – an album and group that's notable for a number of reasons – most importantly for being a pre-solo star showcase for the great
Luther Vandross!
Mascara is an interesting international joint effort –
with instrumental tracks recorded in Munich and the vocals in Englewood, NJ – co-produced by UK DJ Chris Hill.
Luther is one of 3 lead singers along
with Ula Hedwig and David Lasley. It's got an all purpose dancefloor groove to it that's hard to resist – and the singing by all three is really strong!
Luther was on the verge of a massive breakthrough at this point, which was between his legendarily crucial work
with Young Americans-era Bowie and the start of his great solo career. Speaking of Young Americans,
Mascara's take on "Golden Years" is early in this set, which also includes the medleys "See You In LA" and "Jet Plane Ride", plus "If You Don't Want To Be In My Life", "I Feel So At Home Here" and "Comin' Home Baby". This first ever CD release includes 3 bonus tracks: "See You In LA (Radio Version)", "Jet Plane Ride (Radio Version)" and "It's Cool (Radio Version)".