Toni Tennille

It should come as no surprise to fans of Captain & Tennille that Toni tackled an album of standards. The duo always threw a nod to yesteryear into the mix, having been influenced so heavily by Tennille's father Frank having recorded with the Bob Crosby Orchestra, and husband, Daryl Dragon, being the son of arranger Carmen Dragon. Carly Simon had already released 1981's Torch, while Linda Ronstadt presented her first Nelson Riddle collaboration in 1983 so the way had been paved for the voice that was so successful on Top 40 to do a full album of standards. The captivating sound behind the singer on Gershwin's "Do It Again" is certainly a different setting from when Captain & Tennille dabbled with the format, the "Captain" is missing in action on this original ten-song release recorded live to two-track in Hollywood, in January of 1984. Though the singer tends to overdo it on the title track, "More Than You Know," she gets into a groove on "I've Got It Bad And That Ain't Good," Jeffrey Weber's elegant and understated production. Sammy Nestico's arrangements are gorgeous, especially on "Our Love Is Here To Stay," and after a few spins, one gets used to the singer in this environment. "Let's Do It" could have fit nicely on Toni's pop recordings with her significant other, though the real orchestration is a much needed change of pace from the synths and self-generated work that dominated the charts from 1975-1979. "But Not For Me" has charm and identity, as do most of the ten tracks, and the verdict on this project is a thumbs-up for the concept and execution. The album was re-released by Varese/Sarabande in October of 2003 with additional tracks added from the All Of Me and Moonglow albums by this versatile and important vocalist. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide