Description

1LP Vinyl – ICE 014

Tommy Mandel’s “Mello Magic” on Invisible City Editions is a compilation of personal synth-laden pop songs created between 1980-87 in NYC. His professional work as a keyboardist and vocalist found him on stage and in the studio with many of the 80s greats from the Clash, Todd Rundgren, B-52s, Violent Femmes, The Ramones, Tina Turner, Mark Ronson, Dire Straits and Bryan Adams. Each song selected here is stunningly simple, lush, desperate, playful, and harmonic, touching on disparate tangents like Brian Wilson, Egyptian Lover, Michael Shrieve,Holger Czukay, Ariel Pink, YMO, AOR FM West Coast Rock, Arthur Russell, Martin Denny, Peter Gordon, Drexciya, Prince and Private Issued New Age Boogie. Tommy recently jokingly coined his music “corporate ambient” and it all shouldn’t work, but somehow he manages to effortlessly make each song a Tommy Mandel song – DIY, homespun, personal, stunning, and not too serious. This is perfect pop, charming, sincere, infectious and the work of a humble, good-hearted, romantic savant.