Love Will Keep Us Together

Performer: Captain & Tennille
Distributor: Bayside Record Dist.

Notes: As debut albums go, Captain & Tennille's coming-out party struck the right chord with their audience -- and not just on the charts, although its showing there certainly outdid all expectations. But there are greater items of interest once you get past the hits, led by the bouncy title track and "The Way I Want to Touch You." Keyboardist Daryl Dragon honed his chops touring with the Beach Boys, whose own emotive choral approach underpins much of this album; no less than four songs here have some connection to the band. Smoldering versions of former Beach Boy Bruce Johnston's "Disney Girls" and "I Write the Songs" stand tallest, with Tennille leading the vocal charge to exceptional effect. There's a haunting, piano-led "Cuddle Up," which Dragon co-wrote with Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson, and a daring revamp of "God Only Knows" which deploys ever-shifting tempos to trip up the listener's expectations (Brian Wilson would surely have approved). (The other intriguing link is drummer Hal Blaine, who graced numerous classic Beach Boys tracks and appears here as a sideman.) Given so many glittering non-originals, it's understandable how the pair's songwriting gets short-shrifted; "Broddy Bounce" is pure instrumental filler, all right. However, wistful anthems like "Gentle Stranger" and "Honey Come Love Me" are quintessential snapshots of what they did best -- providing a kinder, gentler response to the more cynical fare topping the charts at the time. Where Captain & Tennille wanted to go from here remained uncertain, but they were certainly off to a flying start here. ~ Ralph Heibutzki

Perhaps no other song embodies the breezy, carefree sound of 1970s pop better than Captain & Tennille's smash hit "Love Will Keep Us Together." Both Daryl "Captain" Dragon and wife Toni Tennille were veterans of the music industry when they hooked-up in the early '70s. In 1975 the duo scored their first number one with the aforementioned confection (written by Brill Building vet and soft-rock kingpin Neil Sedaka), which also won a Grammy for Record of the Year. Captain & Tennille recorded several other hits during the decade, and in 1979 they reached the top of the charts again with "Do That To Me One More Time." Tennille embarked on a solo career in the '80s and into the '90s, but the duo reunited in 1995 for the album TWENTY YEARS OF ROMANCE.

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