Air Supply - The One That You Love (1981) + Bonus Single

(Australian 1975 - Present)

Air Supply’s highest-charting studio album was released 43 years ago, in 1981 – a milestone for one of the biggest bands of the early '80s, and a circumstance many around the group in its early days would likely have thought impossible.

Air Supply is built around the nexus of songwriter and guitarist Graham Russell and lead singer Russell Hitchcock, who met on the set of an Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1975. Their connection was fortuitous – Russell was a songwriter looking for the right voice for his material, and Hitchcock was a bit player in the musical who was largely overlooked.

The duo put a band together with, among others, future Divinyls bassist Jeremy Paul and guitarist Mark McEntee, and in late 1976 scored an Australian Top 10 hit (“Love and Other Bruises”) and saw their self-titled debut album go gold. Air Supply opened for Rod Stewart on his 1977 tour of Australia, the U.S. and Canada, but came back home at the end of the tour to very little fanfare, eventually compelling everyone but Hitchcock and Russell to find other gigs.

Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock 1980's

The pair weathered two years of the indignities most starving musicians experience – Hitchcock moved back in with his parents, Russell resorted to searching for loose change in couch cushions to buy food, etc. In 1979 the two recruited a new group of musicians and recorded the Russell composition “Lost in Love,” which lifted Air Supply back into the Australian Top 20.

Record industry mogul and then-chairman of Arista Records Clive Davis heard “Lost in Love” and signed the band to his label. Released internationally in January 1980, “Lost in Love” was a global hit, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the U.S.

Air Supply On Countdown - Early 80's

Air Supply’s 1980 album, also titled 'Lost in Love', did indeed yield more hits, particularly in the U.S. – “All Out of Love” topped out at No. 2 (stuck behind a Diana Ross song and "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen) and “Every Woman in the World” peaked at No. 5. Air Supply supported the record by touring. And touring. And touring.

“To give them an image, we toured them [in the U.S.] three times in 12 months,” their then-manager Fred Bestall told Billboard in 1981. “We played colleges as well as auditoriums and fairs. We toured them so much purposely to give them an image other than a band that sings nice ballads. … We’ve gone back to those markets again to re-establish that they are a good live band.”

The momentum worked. With a head of steam and a brace of new songs, the band entered a Sydney studio with one-time David Bowie producer Harry Maslin to record Lost in Love’s follow-up, "The One That You Love", which was released in July 1981.

At this time the band comprised [from left to right above]: Dave Green (bass), Ralph Cooper (drums), Graham Russell (guitar/vocals), David Moyse (guitar), Russell Hitchcock (lead vocals), and Rex Goh (guitar).

The album’s title track moves from a barely audible beginning to a powerhouse close, displaying the full range of Hitchcock’s voice in a little over four minutes. And, as Russell remembers, Hitchcock’s performance was captured in a single take.

“There’s just an energy and a fire and a passion, and Russell had that,” he told the podcast Misplaced Straws. “It was just incredible to hear it ... In those days, that’s how you recorded; everything was live. There were no tuning machines in those days. You sang the song from top to bottom; that’s the way it was.”

“The One That You Love” was released in April 1981 and in its eleventh week on the Billboard Hot 100, it hit No. 1 – the band’s only single to achieve that status. Although it is a well known song, strangely the single did not chart in most of Europe (see left).

There were more hits to come – both “Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You)” and “Sweet Dreams” hit No. 5, extending Air Supply’s consecutive Top 5 singles streak to six. “Sweet Dreams,” in particular, had a spacey intro with guitar arpeggios, strings, dramatic piano chords and maybe even some alien instrumentation that someone had to learn to play. The song’s success surprised Russell.

“I had no concept that that was ever going to be a single,” he admitted to Songfacts. “I just thought, ‘Oh, I've got free rein here, I don't have to particularly write a hit song, I can just do something that I want and that I think would be great for the band.’ But when Clive [Davis] heard it, he was all over it. So I was very surprised then. But I think now I've learned to distinguish certain songs from others.”

The hits on 'The One That You Love' were complemented by some fine deep cuts. Hitchcock and Russell’s voices on the chorus of the rocking opener “Don’t Turn Me Away” lock together tightly; “I Want to Give It All” (the B-side of the “The One That You Love” single) is all quiet power – a perfectly arranged blend of voice, guitar and strings. “Keeping the Love Alive” could have been a fourth Top 5 from the album, had it been released as a single, so stately and radio-ready was its chorus.

The 'One That You Love' hit No. 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart – Air Supply’s only studio album to make it to the U.S. Top 10 (though their 1983 Greatest Hits record would surpass it, peaking at No. 7). It was a level of success for the band once again foretold by Davis, upon hearing the final mix of the record.

“That was a very important moment because it was our second album,” Russell recalled to podcaster Harvey Brownstone. “We’d had three Top 5s [from Lost in Love] so … we had to impress him. … He was in the studio and he was sitting right at the console on his own and we were all behind him. He listened back to the final mix of The One That You Love and we were going, ‘Oh God; [we] hope he likes it.’

“And after it was finished,” Russell continued, “he didn’t say anything for two minutes, and that’s an eternity. And then he turned around to us and he said, ‘It’s going to go to No. 1". And it did. [extract from 4therecordcom.home.blog]

The Album Cover
While the music on this album may be exceptional, the album artwork is uninspiring. Seriously, the rear photo of the band, featured on the original releases, would have been far better to adorn the front album cover instead of the hot air balloon on the initial releases, and the series of hot air balloons on the Australian CD reissue (see right), and is about as pointless as you can get. This album cover really should be added to The Worst (And Most Disturbing) Album Covers Of All Time.

OK, so I’m extremely critical of this album artwork, but in my opinion it is an immediate deterrent and unlikely to appeal to anyone, other than the most ardent fans. It certainly doesn’t showcase, or represent, just how outstanding the music is.

This post consists of FLACs ripped from my pristine vinyl and includes full album artwork for both vinyl and CD releases.  Strangely, my Australian "Big Time" pressing did not come with the Inside Sleeve that contains the lyrics and credits - typical of most Australian Record Companies who were always try to save a dollar!  My scans for this missing sleeve were sourced from Discogs.

I am also including as a bonus track, the edited version of "Sweet Dreams" which was released as their 3rd single from the album (the album version was over 5mins long while the single clocked in close to 4 mins). 

 

Track List:

01 Don't Turn Me Away 3:37

02 Here I Am 3:41

03 Keeping The Love Alive 3:29

04 The One That You Love 4:11

05 This Heart Belongs To Me 4:05

06 Sweet Dreams 5:10

07 I Want To Give It All 3:37

08 I'll Never Get Enough Of You 3:42

09 Tonite 3:39

10 I've Got Your Love 3:32

11 Sweet Dreams (Bonus Single Release)   3:58

Air Supply were:

Graham Russell (guitar/vocals)

Russell Hitchcock (lead vocals)

David Moyse (guitar)

Rex Goh (guitar)

Dave Green (bass)

Ralph Cooper (drums)

Air Supply Link (228Mb)

Air Supply - The Whole Thing's Started (1977)

(Australian 1975 - Present)

Air Supply evolved after Graham Russell joined the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar in April 1975 and began singing with fellow cast members Russell Hitchcock and Chrissie Hammond. The trio became a serious project during Superstar's New Zealand tour when they made some appearances at campuses and on radio and TV.

Chrissie left to pursue a solo career and went on to play the part of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar before becoming part of the duo, Cheetah. She was replaced by Jeremy Paul, who joined the show in Brisbane after performing in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Jeremy had also played bass with a Sydney band called Soffrok and therefore added additional instrumentation to the trio.

In September 1976, they scored a recording contract with CBS and subsequently released a single comprising two Graham Russell compositions, 'Love and Other Bruises' backed with 'If You Knew Me'.

"Love And Other Bruises" and "If You Knew Me", the first demos of Graham’s compositions were recorded on a tiny tape deck in a theatre orchestra pit. Everyone turned them down, but one - CBS Records who admired their unique style. They made a single in one afternoon and it shot to number one on the National charts. The duo found help from Frank Esler-Smith, Superstar’s musical director, and Air Supply’s future keyboardist. Graham and Russell settled on the named Air Supply.

For several years, the group gained no attention outside of Australia, earning one significant hit single, "Love and Other Bruises" (1976). In December 1976, they released their first album 'Air Supply' which is featured in this post, and it attained them a gold record three months later. Meanwhile their follow-up single, 'Empty Pages', was released in February 1977, and although it sold well, particularly in Brisbane, it just missed becoming a top forty hit.

The group's big break came hot on the heels of the release of their new single, 'Do What You Do', when, in June 1977, it was announced that they would be appearing at the annual CBS Convention in London with Chicago and Boz Scaggs. This was a fantastic achievement being the first Australian act to work at such an exclusive function.

(Interview from Flashez in 1977 with Air Supply)

Late June saw another step forward with the release of their second LP, 'The Whole Thing's Started' (which featured Graham's compositions and continued in their soft rock theme), and a tour of the US and Canada with their old friend, Rod Stewart. Air Supply's first stumbling block happened in August when it was announced that Jeremy was leaving and returning to Australia with no news of a replacement. This retarded their progress and was not helped by the lack of airplay and therefore chart success of their next Australian single, "That's How The Whole Thing Started', released in October 1977.

The album spawned the singles "Do What You Do" (June), "That's How the Whole Thing Started" (October) and "Do It Again" (February 1978) but neither album nor singles charted into the Top 40.

Irrespective, the group continued as a duo supported by their band and completed their tour with Rod, which turned out to be more than successful, before returning to Australia late in December.

Their third album, 'Love & Other Bruises', included re-recordings of some earlier tracks, was made mid-tour in Los Angeles in July–August and released later that year in the US on Columbia Records with Jimmy Horowitz producing. During the tour, Paul left the band with a new line-up of Hitchcock, Macara, and Russell, plus Rex Goh on guitar, Joey Carbone on keyboards, Robin LeMesurier on lead guitar and Howard Sukimoto on bass guitar. Jeremy Paul, in 1980, recruited fellow former Air Supply bandmate Mark McEntee in the lineup of Divinyls, fronted by Chrissie Amphlett.

Air Supply on tour 1977

This post consists of FLACs ripped from my classic vinyl (in almost mint condition) and includes full artwork and label scans. This is an absolute cracker album folks - no bonus tracks needed with this one. Enjoy

Track Listing

01 Teach Me To Run

02 Do It Again

03 Do What You Do

04 There's Nothing I Can Do

05 Ready For You

06 That's How The Whole Thing Started

07 Love Comes To Me

08 The Answers Lies

09 It's Automatic

10 The End Of The Line

Band Members:

Graham Russell - Acoustic Guitars and Vocals

Russell Hitchcock - Vocals

Jeremy Paul - Bass Guitar and Vocals

Adrian Scott - Keyboards

Nigel Macara - Drums

Rex Goh - Electric Guitar

Air Supply Link (221Mb)

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Air Supply - The Christmas Album (1987) plus Bonus EP 'Four Play' (1986)

 

Before things get too serious

here at Rock On Vinyl, I thought it might be fun to post a song at the end of each month, that could be categorized as being either Weird, Obscure, Crazy or just plain Korny.

With their heavily orchestrated, sweet ballads, the Australian soft rock group Air Supply became a staple of early-'80s radio, scoring a string of seven straight US Top Five singles. Air Supply, for most intents and purposes, was the duo of vocalists Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell; other members came through the group over the years, yet they only functioned as backing musicians and added little to the group's sound.

The group evolved after Graham joined the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar in April 1975 and began singing with fellow cast members Russell Hitchcock and Chrissie Hammond. The trio became a serious project during Superstar's New Zealand tour when they made some appearances at campuses and on radio and TV.
Chrissie left to pursue a solo career and went on to play the part of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar before becoming part of the duo, Cheetah. She was replaced by Jeremy Paul, who joined the show in Brisbane after performing in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Jeremy had also played bass with a Sydney band called Soffrok and therefore added additional instrumentation to the trio.

Early Air Supply

In September 1976, they scored a recording contract with CBS and subsequently released a single comprising two Graham Russell compositions, 'Love and Other Bruises' backed with 'If You Knew Me'.
"Love And Other Bruises" and "If You Knew Me", the first demos of Graham’s compositions were recorded on a tiny tape deck in a theatre orchestra pit. Everyone turned them down, but one - CBS Records who admired their unique style. They made a single in one afternoon and it shot to number one on the National charts. The duo found help from Frank Esler-Smith, Superstar’s musical director, and Air Supply’s future keyboardist. Graham and Russell settled on the named Air Supply.

For several years, the group gained no attention outside of Australia, earning one significant hit single, "Love and Other Bruises" (1976). In December 1976, they released their first album 'Air Supply' which is featured in this post, and it attained them a gold record three months later. Meanwhile their follow-up single, 'Empty Pages', was released in February 1977, and although it sold well, particularly in Brisbane, it just missed becoming a top forty hit.

The group's big break came hot on the heels of the release of their new single, 'Do What You Do', when, in June 1977, it was announced that they would be appearing at the annual CBS Convention in London with Chicago and Boz Scaggs. This was a fantastic achievement being the first Australian act to work at such an exclusive function.

Late June saw another step forward with the release of the new LP, 'The Whole Thing's Started' (which featured Graham's compositions and continued in their soft rock theme), and a tour of the US and Canada with their old friend, Rod Stewart. Air Supply's first stumbling block happened in August when it was announced that Jeremy was leaving and returning to Australia with no news of a replacement. This retarded their progress and was not helped by the lack of airplay and therefore chart success of their next Australian single, "That's How The Whole Thing Started', released in October 1977.

The group continued as a duo supported by their band and signed a record contract with Arista in 1980, releasing their first album for the new record company by the end of the year. 'Lost in Love', was a major success in the U.S., selling over two million copies and spawning the hit singles "Lost in Love", "All Out of Love" and "Every Woman in the World".

The following year they released their second Arista album, 'The One That You Love'. The title track became their only number one hit and it also featured two other Top Ten hits, "Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You)" and "Sweet Dreams". With their third album, 1982's 'Now and Forever', their popularity dipped slightly -- it only had one Top Ten hit, "Even the Nights Are Better" and the other two singles, "Young Love" and "Two Less Lonely People in the World", scraped the bottom of the Top 40. Air Supply released a Greatest Hits collection in 1983, featuring a new single, "Making Love Out of Nothing at All". The single spent two weeks at number two while the album peaked at number seven and eventually sold over four million copies.

Two years later, they released another self titled album 'Air Supply' (1985), their fourth album. It featured the number 19 single "Just As I Am", but it was clear that their audience was shrinking -- the album was their first not to go platinum. 'Hearts in Motion' (1986) was even less successful, peaking at number 84 and spending only nine weeks on the charts. The duo released their 'Christmas Album' (1987) and after its disappointing performance, Air Supply decided to take a break. Russell started a solo career without any participation of Graham and released his first solo album, Russell Hitchcock (1987).

After a brief haitus, the duo eventually reunited in 1991 and continued to pump out more albums well into the new millineum.

The Christmas Album was the tenth studio album by Australian soft rock band Air Supply released in 1987. It was their last studio album to be released under Arista Records. The album featured recordings of classic Christmas songs plus the two original songs, "Love Is All" and "The Eyes of a Child." There is a short instrumental version of "What Child Is This" in the track "Silent Night".

So, here is another Aussie Christmas WOCK on Vinyl post for my wonderful blog followers. 

As a bonus, I'm also including a rare 331/3 rpm Four Play 7" EP that Air Supply released in 1986, which features 4 of their early singles. 

All of these Xmas 'Presents' are in FLAC format and come  wrapped in Full Album Artwork for your pleasure.

Stay safe on the roads during the festive season folks and have a Merry, Merry Christmas everyone.

Track Listing (Christmas Album)

01 "White Christmas" - 3:25

02 "The First Noel" - 3:23

03 "The Little Drummer Boy" - 3:07

04 "The Eyes of a Child" - 4:33

05 "Silent Night" - 3:08

06 "The Christmas Song" - 3:01

07 "Sleigh Ride" - 2:23

08 "Winter Wonderland" - 2:35

09 "O Come All Ye Faithful"- 3:14

10 "Love Is All" - 4:30

Personnel:

Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell - lead vocals

Linda Harmon, Russell Hitchcock, Edie Lehmann, Michael Lloyd, Patti Lloyd, Debbie Lytton, Jeni Lytton, Graham Russell - backing vocals

Jim Cox, John Hobbs, Michael Lloyd - keyboards

Laurence Juber, Graham Russell - guitar

Dennis Belfield - bass guitar

Ron Krasinski, Paul Leim - drums

Alan Estes, Michael Fisher, Ron Krasinski, Bob Zimmitti - percussion

Brian O'Connor, James Thatcher - French horn

Ernie Carlson, Dick Hyde, Lew McCreary - trombone

Stuart Blumberg, John Rosenberg - trumpet

Don Ashworth, Jon Clarke, Ronald Jannelli, John Mitchell - woodwind

Gayle Levant - harp

The Christmas Album Link (205Mb) New Link 04/09/2023

Track Listing (Four Play EP)

01  "Love And Other Bruises"  - 3:40

02  "Empty Pages"  - 4:13

03  "Do What You Do"   - 3:42

04  "That's How The Whole Thing Started"  - 5:18

Four Play EP Link (109Mb) New Link 18/11/2024

Air Supply - Selftitled (1976) plus Bonus Tracks

(Australian 1975 - Present)
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With their heavily orchestrated, sweet ballads, the Australian soft rock group Air Supply became a staple of early-'80s radio, scoring a string of seven straight US Top Five singles. Air Supply, for most intents and purposes, was the duo of vocalists Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell; other members came through the group over the years, yet they only functioned as backing musicians and added little to the group's sound.

The group evolved after Graham joined the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar in April 1975 and began singing with fellow cast members Russell Hitchcock and Chrissie Hammond. The trio became a serious project during Superstar's New Zealand tour when they made some appearances at campuses and on radio and TV.
Chrissie left to pursue a solo career and went on to play the part of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar before becoming part of the duo, Cheetah. She was replaced by Jeremy Paul, who joined the show in Brisbane after performing in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Jeremy had also played bass with a Sydney band called Soffrok and therefore added additional instrumentation to the trio.

In September 1976, they scored a recording contract with CBS and subsequently released a single comprising two Graham Russell compositions, 'Love and Other Bruises' backed with 'If You Knew Me'.
"Love And Other Bruises" and "If You Knew Me", the first demos of Graham’s compositions were recorded on a tiny tape deck in a theatre orchestra pit. Everyone turned them down, but one - CBS Records who admired their unique style. They made a single in one afternoon and it shot to number one on the National charts. The duo found help from Frank Esler-Smith, Superstar’s musical director, and Air Supply’s future keyboardist. Graham and Russell settled on the named Air Supply, because it held several meanings: Air is the term used in classical music, meaning melody. At the time, it seemed as though everyone else in Australia was doing heavy metal. Ballads were a breath of fresh air. Astrologically speaking, Graham and Russell are both Geminis, which is an ‘air’ sign. In the mid-seventies, "the star sign bit was really hip, you know", laughs Graham.

Superstar ended its season in Sydney on October 16, thus freeing the boys to make personal appearances to promote the single which was already receiving airplay. By the end of October they had begun touring and had augmented their line-up with a drummer (NIGEL MACARA, ex-Ariel), guitarist (BRENTON WHITE) and a keyboard player (ADRIAN SCOTT).

For several years, the group gained no attention outside of Australia, earning one significant hit single, "Love and Other Bruises" (1976). In December 1976, they released their first album 'Air Supply' which is featured in this post, and it attained them a gold record three months later. Meanwhile their follow-up single, 'Empty Pages', was released in February 1977, and although it sold well, particularly in Brisbane, it just missed becoming a top forty hit.

Their first international exposure came in the late '70s, when Rod Stewart had them as his opening act on a North American tour. The group's tour of Australia with Rod Stewart increased their status enormously and gained them assurances from Rod and his management as to the international potential of their act. At this point also, they began receiving some recognition overseas with the release of their first album and single in Canada, the UK and New Zealand.

The group's big break came hot on the heels of the release of their new single, 'Do What You Do', when, in June 1977, it was announced that they would be appearing at the annual CBS Convention in London with Chicago and Boz Scaggs. This was a fantastic achievement being the first Australian act to work at such an exclusive function.

Late June saw another step forward with the release of the new LP, 'The Whole Thing's Started' (which featured Graham's compositions and continued in their soft rock theme), and a tour of the US and Canada with their old friend, Rod Stewart. Air Supply's first stumbling block happened in August when it was announced that Jeremy was leaving and returning to Australia with no news of a replacement. This retarded their progress and was not helped by the lack of airplay and therefore chart success of their next Australian single, "That's How The Whole Thing Started', released in October 1977. However, the group continued as a duo supported by their band and completed their tour with Rod, which turned out to be more than successful, before returning to Australia late in December.

Air Supply signed a record contract with Arista in 1980, releasing their first album for the new record company by the end of the year. 'Lost in Love', was a major success in the U.S., selling over two million copies and spawning the hit singles "Lost in Love", "All Out of Love" and "Every Woman in the World". The following year they released their second Arista album, 'The One That You Love'. The title track became their only number one hit and it also featured two other Top Ten hits, "Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You)" and "Sweet Dreams". With their third album, 1982's 'Now and Forever', their popularity dipped slightly -- it only had one Top Ten hit, "Even the Nights Are Better" and the other two singles, "Young Love" and "Two Less Lonely People in the World", scraped the bottom of the Top 40. Air Supply released a Greatest Hits collection in 1983, featuring a new single, "Making Love Out of Nothing at All". The single spent two weeks at number two while the album peaked at number seven and eventually sold over four million copies.

Two years later, they released another self titled album 'Air Supply' (1985), their fourth album. It featured the number 19 single "Just As I Am", but it was clear that their audience was shrinking -- the album was their first not to go platinum. 'Hearts in Motion' (1986) was even less successful, peaking at number 84 and spending only nine weeks on the charts. The duo still released their 'Christmas Album' (1987) and after its disappointing performance, Air Supply decided to break up. Russell started a solo career without any participation of Graham and released his first solo album, Russell Hitchcock (1987). The cover song "Someone Who Believes in You" (previously recorded by Carole King) was a hit in several countries.

Hitchcock and Russell reunited in 1991, releasing 'Earth Is...', but the album failed to make the charts, although its tracks "Without You" and "Stronger Than The Night" were being played in several countries. Two years later, they released 'The Vanishing Race' (1993), whose single was a smash hit worldwide, except in the States. The duo released 'News From Nowhere' (1995) and topped the world charts with "Unchained Melody", another cover songs recorded previously by the American duo The Righteous Brothers. That same year, Air Supply recorded a live album during their successful tour in Asia, 'Now And Forever... Greatest Hits Live and More' which featured a brand new studio song "The Way I Feel" and a re-recording of their old hit "Now And Forever". The album was released worldwide followed by the releasing of a VCD, VHS tape and a laser disc which would offer their fans anywhere the chance of seeing the band performing live during their famous Asian tour. An interactive CD-ROM called 'As Closes As This' (1996) was also available featuring videos, music and much more about that tour. Still in the end of the decade, the due released 'The Book of Love' (1997), which featured woman's backing vocal and a new rhythm and instruments on some songs. The same year, they also released a new compilation album called 'Air Supply The Ultimate Collection'. Two new studio songs were included, "Longer" (a new cover) and "The Scene", which would be released later on Yours Truly.

Graham Russell (left) and Russell Hitchcock (right) Today

The new millennium marked the band's first studio album in four years, and a summer tour in support of 'Yours Truly' (2001). Their single "You Are The Reason" (duet with Manhaz) had a minor hit. That would be their last studio album for Arista (BMG). The next ones would all be released by their new recording company, A Nice Pear: 'Celestine Travelers', 'The Heart of the Rose' (both in 2002), 'The Future' (2007, all Graham's solo recordings), 'Across The Concrete Sky' (2003) and their last studio album 'The Singer' and the 'Song' (2005). Still in 2005, the band released 'It Was 30 Years Ago Today' (recorded live during their tour in Canada) and 'Love Songs', featuring their last studio recording "Miracles".

The band keeps on the road, touring live across several countries, performing their greatest hits ever. They also have included some Graham's solo songs from his last album 'The Future' and some brand new Air Supply songs which will hopefully be included on their next studio album, Zed as The River and Me, Faith in Love, Let Me Be The One and A Little Bit of Everything. [Sources: All Music Guide - Stephen Thomas Erlewine; and Noel McGrath's Australian Encyclopedia of Rock. Outback Press. 1978  p9-10]
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This post consists of FLACs ripped from my vinyl bought the same year I was doing my HSC and "Love and Other Bruises" was riding high in the 3XY charts, reaching #5 by the start of 1977.
Also included is full album artwork and inserts featuring lyrics and band credits. As a special bonus, I'm also including the (non-album) B-Side Single "If You Knew Me" (flip side to Love and Other Bruises) plus a live rendition of "Love and Other Bruises" which was recorded in 1977 and sourced from a compilation LP "The Lost Tracks". Another Air Supply album which I recommend is "Life Support" (released in 1979) and is available from a mate's blog Vinyoleum.
(On thing that I learned while researching this post, is that Mark McEntee eventually went on to play guitar for the Divinyls - a complete change in musical style I must say ! )
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Track Listing

01 - Feel The Breeze
02 - I Don't Believe You
03 - Empty Pages
04 - What A Life
05 - Secret Agent
06 - The Weight Is My Soul
07 - Love And Other Bruises *
08 - It's Not Easy
09 - We Are All Alone
10 - Strangers In Love
11 - Ain't It A Shame
12 - If You Knew Me (Bonus B-Side Single)
13 - Love And Other Bruises (Bonus Live, 1977)
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Air Supply were:

Graham Russell (Lead Vocal, Acoustic & Electric Guitar)
Russell Hitchcock (Lead Vocal, Congas)
Adrian Scott (Keyboards)
Jeremy Paul (Bass)
Mark McEntee (Electric, Rhythm and Lead Guitars)
Jeff Browne (drums)
Ian Bloxson (Percussion)
* Guest artists - Graeme Pearce (Drums) Peter Dawson (Piano)
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Air Supply FLAC Link (307Mb)  New Link 15/12/2023
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