Description
Tightrope is the fourth and final album by the German-Canadian pop/rock band Deliverance, released on Global Records & Tapes in 1979. The album was recorded June – August 1979 by Mal Luker, Zeke Lund, and Jochen Scheffter at Union Studios in Munich, Germany; with Horst Müller and the band producing. Mixed by Scheffter. Arranged by the band with horn arrangements by band member Paul Janz. The smooth west coast ballad “Leaving L.A.” peaked at No. 56 on Billboard Hot 100.
The album features vocals by Canadian brothers Danny, Ken, and Paul Janz (with Paul also providing keyboards). The remaining band members were guitarist Jacques Emanuel Belzung and a rhythm section consisting of Guy “Froggy” Roellinger on bass and David “Raven” McSparran on drums. (McSparran was later a member of The Swirling Eddies, nicknamed “Hort Elvision”.) The album as well features session musicians like percussionist Elmer Louis, brass players Lee Harper and Scot Newton on trumpet as well as Bobby Stern on saxophone and harmonica (brass musicians known for their works for disco era artists like Donna Summer and Boney M).
After legal troubles concerning the band’s name and a copyright suit the band named itself Janz and recorded a single in 1981 titled “Steine” which reached No. 1 on the German single chart. Still they were advised by their attorney not to record a full-length album yet, the band parted shortly after that when Paul Janz left Germany to pursue a solo career in his homeland Canada. (Paul Janz later ended up in the UK as a professor of theology.)
This Canadian band is the brainchild of Paul Janz and his brothers Danny and Ken who recorded three previous albums to this one before relocating to Germany, gathering new musicians and changing musical direction for this. Recorded in 1979, by the time they played Greenbelt ’80, they had recruited Brits Neil Costello on guitar and Les Moir on bass [session musicians, later of Trade Secret fame]. Their performance at Greenbelt was one of the finest I’ve seen there and made me rush out and buy this album. Musically this combines elements of rock and jazz and as unlikely as it sounds, vocal melodies that owe more to the Bee Gees than anyone else. Yet it works! From the brooding epic «Can You Survive» to the bluesy «Farewell» and the rocky «Backseat Rider», there is certainly a huge diversity on the album. Highlights include the rocky clout of «Foolish Hearts» which always brings back memories of Costello riding his Flying V guitar at Greenbelt. Then there’s «Leaving L.A.», the pop single that was a radio hit in the autumn of 1980. This is quality music and the band could easily have made it if they hadn’t been strangled by a bad record deal which their lawyers advised them to quit. The album was built around the songwriting of Paul Janz who went on to a successful solo career back in Canada. Meanwhile the Janz Team continue to work in ministry in Europe and elsewhere and Danny Janz was last spotted producing Danny Plett. ‘Tightrope’ remains as an indication of what might have been, a little known classic that deserves more attention. [Mike Rimmer, Cross Rhythms, January 2008]
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Foolish Hearts” – 5:16
A2. “Tightrope” – 3:06
A3. “Farewell (Bye, Bye, Bye)” – 4:16
A4. “Prince Of The Galaxies” – 3:01
A5. “Leaving L.A.” – 2:52
Side Two
B1. “Back Seat Rider” – 3:24
B2. “Can You Survive” – 7:29
B3. “Face The Lady” – 3:52
B4. “Re-Creation” – 3:51
Note: Re-issued on CD (LP Miniature with OBI) in Korea by BIG PINK Music (catalogue number BIGPINK626). 24 BIT Remastering.
The non-album track “Mother”
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