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My Claim to Fame

by James Wells

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1.
My Claim to Fame 16:11
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Going through life I've never been rich or famous But now everywhere I found that people could name us Cause you're giving me my credibility And my head is held high for the world to see People will turn and say that there goes a lover Cause what you gave me I couldn't get from no other There's no way to value what your love is worth And the word is spreaded to the ends of the earth My claim to fame is your love for mе My claim to fame is your love for me Now having you, thеre's so much going for me I used to find that all the folk would ignore me Cause you're giving me a new found sense of pride And the people accept me with arms open wide Sometimes I think that you must be a magician Cause now I can find my own way with decision Everyone knows we got a love so rare There's no other love fair to compare My claim to fame is your love for me My claim to fame is your love for me My claim to fame is your love for me My claim to fame is your love for me My claim to fame is your love for me My claim to fame is your love for me Ooohh Going through life I've never been rich or famous But now everywhere I found that people could name us Cause you're giving me my credibility My head is held high for the world to see And people will turn and say that there goes a lover Cause what you gave me I couldn't get from no other There is no value What the love is worth And the word is spreaded to the ends of the earth My my my (My claim to fame is your love for me) I need your love, gotta have it baby Yeah (My claim to fame is your love for me) (My claim to fame is your love for me) (My claim to fame is your love for me) So many times I hear that same old story Now reflecting a new world of glory People know me everywhere I show my face And I know this time I'm winning ---missiles--- It seems so easy to enjoy every man, then When I mean the world, that's now with you in it Anytime you want I do the very best Cause the whole world know I'm really ready My my my (My claim to fame is your love for me) I need your love, gotta have it baby Yeah (My claim to fame is your love for me) (It's the love you brought to me my claim to fame) (Since you started to love me I've never been the same) (It's the love you brought to me my claim to fame) (Since you started to love me I've never been the same) (It's the love you brought to me my claim to fame) (Since you started to love me I've never been the same) (It's the love you brought to me my claim to fame) (Since you started to love me I've never been the same) (It's the love you brought to me my claim to fame) (Since you started to love me I've never been the same) (It's the love you brought to me my claim to fame) (Since you started to love me I've never been the same) (It's the love you brought to me my claim to fame) (Since you started to love me I've never been the same) (It's the love you brought to me my claim to fame) (Since you started to love me I've never been the same) (It's the love you brought to me my claim to fame) (Since you started to love me I've never been the same) (It's the love you brought to me my claim to fame) (My claim to fame is your love for me) (Since you started to love me I've never been the same) (It's the love you brought to me my claim to fame) (My claim to fame is your love for me) (Since you started to love me I've never been the same) (It's the love you brought to me my claim to fame) (My claim to fame is your love for me) (Since you started to love me I've never been the same)...
2.
I Guess That's Life 02:54
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You win a few, you lose a few That's how you play the game Once it's done, there's no way back Things won't ever be the same So put it all out of your mind And leave the past behind I guess that's life It may hurt a while I know, But the truth is gonna show I guess that's life It may hurt a while I know, But the truth is gonna show I guess that's life The road of life is long and hard You take it day by day And if it should turn round on you Don't stop along the way Time will open the door And that's how you'll learn the score I guess that's life It may hurt a while I know, But the truth is gonna show I guess that's life It may hurt a while I know, But the truth is gonna show I guess that's life Although times can be down on you There will be better days Cause there'll be ups and downs for you In so many ways So make up your mind, don't waver And the world will welcome you I guess that's life It may hurt a while I know, But the truth is gonna show I guess that's life It may hurt a while I know, But the truth is gonna show I guess that's life
3.
That's The Way The Wind Blows 09:38
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4.
True Love Is My Destiny 12:38
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True love is my destiny It's written in history our love was meant to be True love is my destiny It's written in history our love was meant to be I always knew that I would find you It was written there in the stars From the day I was born I knew I ended up wherever you are Something seems to show me the way Could it be the hand of fate Now I'm here and I'm so glad I wasn't too late Hm, ohhh True love is my destiny It's written in history our love was meant to be Ehhh ohh True love is my destiny It's written in history our love was meant to be When I was very young They told me I had a future story A fortune teller told me my love would be greater than any before Seeing you for the first time Proves they're right all along And that's here with you in my arms it's where I belong True love is my destiny It's written in history our love was meant to be Hm hm True love is my destiny It's written in history our love was meant to be Ooh ooh Stay with me and the world will be so much better than you could dream Someone above has made you and me in two, a part of His scheme Now it's time we could build a love that will last for all of time And from here to eternity you'll always be mine True love is my destiny It's written in history our love was meant to be True love is my destiny It's written in history our love was meant to be Ohhh yeah Stay with me and the world will be so much better than you can dream Someone above has made you and me in two a part of His scheme Now it's time we could build a love that will last for all the time And from here through eternity you'll always be mine True love is my destiny It's written in history our love was meant to be True love is my destiny (It's your love, it's my destiny) It's written in history our love was meant to be (True love is my destiny) (It's written in history our love was meant to be) (True love is my destiny) Ain't no harm at all, and I feel kind of good right now (It's written in history our love was meant to be)

about

When British producer Ian Levine saw the soul group 100% Poison live in concert in 1974 he was immediately impressed by the outrageous lead singer, a flamboyant gay man from Chicago, James Wells. Due to contractual reasons Levine had to wait another two years before being able to sign him up for a deal at Polydor Records where they released 4 singles during 1976 and 1977. By March 1978 Levine had completed their first album, My Claim To Fame. "My music publisher, Mike Collier, took me over to Los Angeles, and he set up lots of appointments there for us, with just about every major record company in the city," said Levine. We played our album to fourteen different record companies, but shockingly, all of them passed on it, without any hesitation at all, making it blatantly obvious that they were not even remotely interested. On the other hand, Rick Gianatos himself was utterly one hundred percent convinced that it was a smash hit album, and he took it straight over to his colleague, Ray Harris, over at AVI Records. He persuaded Ray to sign it there and then on the spot." By October 1978, My Claim To Fame peaked at #4 on the Billboard Disco Charts, selling a phenomenal 100,000 copies. True Love Is My Destiny was another much-played track from the album (later CD versions of the album included a 9-min. edit, my video includes the full version of nearly 13 minutes).

I have expanded the album with the track Never Let Go that was originally left off as Gianatos could not stand Wells's wailing vocal on top of it. He eventually stripped the lead vocal, and the track was released with the backing vocals only under the name Eastbound Expressway, giving Levine another disco hit record.

Wells himself went on to record a second album, Explosion, in 1979 and another couple of sides with Levine in the mid-80s. Sadly, he passed away around 1990 from an AIDS-related disease. Here's to his "Claim To Fame".

credits

released May 1, 1978

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – AVI Record Distributing Corp.
Copyright © – AVI Record Distributing Corp.
Pressed By – Monarch Record Mfg. Co.
Produced For – Voltafine Productions
Recorded At – Sarm East Studios
Recorded At – Air Studios
Recorded At – Marquee Studios
Recorded At – Threshold Studios
Recorded At – Utopia Studios
Mixed At – Producers Workshop
Published By – Hudson Bay Music

Credits
Arranged By – Fiachra Trench
Arranged By [Backing Vocal Arrangements] – Ian Levine and Fiachra Trench, James Wells
Artwork By, Design – The Committee (10)
Backing Vocals – Fiachra Trench, George Chandler, Ian Levine, James Wells, Jimmy Chambers, Jo Anne Stone*, Kate Kissoon*, Ruby James
Bass – Alan Jones (4)
Drums – Clem Cattini
Engineer [Mixing] – Ed Schaff*, Galen Senogles, Rick Hart
Engineer [Recording] – Gary Langan, Tom Szaniszlo
Guitar – Chris Rae, Pip Williams
Keyboards – Fiachra Trench
Mixed By – Rick Gianatos
Percussion – Frank Ricotti, Tony Carr
Producer – Ian Levine
Saxophone – Jim Cuomo, Ron Asprey*, Ronnie Ross, Stan Sultzman*
Strings – Alan Daziel*, Bill Hennessy, C. W. Green, Celia Mitchell, Chris Green, David Filmer, David Katz, David Strange, Dennis Wood, Des Bradley*, Ernest Greaves, Graham Scott*, Graham Griffiths, Jim Archer, John Davies, John Kirkland, John Willison, Laurie Clay, Nickmernick*, Peter Oxer, Rusen Gunes*, Tony Harris
Trombone – Cliff Hardy*, David Horler, Jeff Perkins*, Steve Saunders
Trumpet – Dave Lord, Derek Watkins, John Barclay, Jon Huckridge*

Notes
Label type variation.
This version pressed by Monarch Record Mfg. Co., indicated by (MR) and delta number in runouts.

Recorded in London at Sarm Studios, Air Studios, Marquee Studios, Threshold Studios, and Utopia Studios.
Mixed at Producer's Workshop, Hollywood

Barcode and Other Identifiers
Rights Society: BMI
Matrix / Runout (Side 1 label): 078-6045-A
Matrix / Runout (Side 2 label): 078-6045-B

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Ian Levine and Fiachra Trench image

Ian Levine and Fiachra Trench Blackpool, UK

Along with Fiachra Trench, his songwriting partner, Ian Levine helped develop the Hi-NRG dance sound courtesy of hits such as "High Energy" by Evelyn Thomas, "So Many Men, So Little Time" by Miquel Brown, and "(I Can't Believe It) It's a Miracle" by Moonstone. By the 1970s, he began recruiting American soul singers like Evelyn Thomas and Hazell Dean to storm Britain's charts (and America's). ... more

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