Greenidge and Utley were part of the first signers to the label, bringing their reputation for studio session work and playing with Jimmy Buffett with them. Along with Larry Carlton, they were probably the “stars” of the label. Greenidge and Utley would make three albums on the label and in the process, grow their sound into an oversized band. The genre they brought was Caribbean steel drum music, which was in contrast to the other early signers, who brought country and jazz.
Mad Music
Their first album appears to be a low-effort one, with a lot of synths and drum machines, coupled with organ and steel drum. The sound is just what you would hear on a cruise ship.
Like other albums from the timeframe, this cover uses the first design style, with a colored border and a muted-color center art piece. Like others in this design, the spine text is upside down.
Jubilee
The second album, released in 1987, only a year after the first, has a broader sound with more live instruments filling in what synths used to do. Still, it is cruise ship music.
The cover art for this album is in the second design style, with a large white border and a colorful center art piece. The center art is an illustration and hints at breaking its borders, but remains constrained.
Heat
The last album, from 1988, saw the duo grow their band into a large group, which provided lots of opportunity for extended solos and rhythm breaks. This made the songs much longer, with less substance. This would be the “jump the shark” moment for the group. They wouldn’t have another MCA Master Series release.
The cover art for this album is in the second design style. The center art is photographic and is constrained to its borders.
Robert Greenidge and Michael Utley
Greenidge and Utley were part of the first signers to the label, bringing their reputation for studio session work and playing with Jimmy Buffett with them. Along with Larry Carlton, they were probably the “stars” of the label. Greenidge and Utley would make three albums on the label and in the process, grow their sound into an oversized band. The genre they brought was Caribbean steel drum music, which was in contrast to the other early signers, who brought country and jazz.
Their first album appears to be a low-effort one, with a lot of synths and drum machines, coupled with organ and steel drum. The sound is just what you would hear on a cruise ship.
Like other albums from the timeframe, this cover uses the first design style, with a colored border and a muted-color center art piece. Like others in this design, the spine text is upside down.
The second album, released in 1987, only a year after the first, has a broader sound with more live instruments filling in what synths used to do. Still, it is cruise ship music.
The cover art for this album is in the second design style, with a large white border and a colorful center art piece. The center art is an illustration and hints at breaking its borders, but remains constrained.
The last album, from 1988, saw the duo grow their band into a large group, which provided lots of opportunity for extended solos and rhythm breaks. This made the songs much longer, with less substance. This would be the “jump the shark” moment for the group. They wouldn’t have another MCA Master Series release.
The cover art for this album is in the second design style. The center art is photographic and is constrained to its borders.