Inside MusiCast 'Pick Of The Day': "Standing on The Outside/Love's A Heartache” by Robben Ford

Inside MusiCast 'Pick Of The Day': "Standing on The Outside/Love’s A Heartache” by Robben Ford. Selected by Mikael Engström

One album, two different editions including the same songs... but.....not entirely...

As I recall it, this album was originally released on Lakeside Records entitled “The Kazu Matsui Project featuring Robben Ford”. The album actually saw “two” different” releases. I am sure someone´s gonna’ correct me on this.

I initially bought this as an LP way back but as soon as the CD had its breakthrough, I was able to find it as a CD released by Mobile Fidelity. I later also managed to find it on a Japan CD released back in 1991 by Polydor in Japan. The funny thing with these two different releases is that they, besides having different album titles and cover art, hold two different versions of the opening track “Standing on The Outside”. The Mobile Fidelity version includes a different horn arrangement with parts that is missing on the Polydor Japan 1991 edition. The Japan edition also includes a much wider reverb sound in the mix on this song. So, it seems they did two mixes of the same song and Polydor decided to pick the one they skipped on the original release.

Even though being a pretty modest collector of the vast Robben Ford catalogue, I think it’s fair to say this album HAS to be Robben’s most Westcoast oriented album ever. Included you’ll find Vinnie Colaiuta, Freddy Washington, Randy Waldman, Nathan East, Derek Nakamoto, Abraham Laboriel, Mike Fisher, Russell Ferrante, Bill Meyers, Larry Klimas, Ralf Rickert just to mention a few. Great lead vocals sung by Howard Smith and Phillip Ingram is another highlight of this album.
Here you have the two different versions of “Standing on the Outside”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NHZG8YAJYs (Polydor version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NHZG8YAJYs (Mobile Fidelity version)

– Mikael Engström, IMC Correspondent