Ron Dante - Saturday Night Blast

Ron Dante was the lead singer of The Archies, but if you think of him as just a singer of bubblegum and nothing else, you're in for a pleasant surprise. Ron's talents are multifaceted, and the light sounds he's best known for are just one aspect of his diversity. If his previous CD offering, Favorites, didn't show you the proof, then this one, Saturday Night Blast, definitely will!

Saturday Night Blast has a little bit of everything. If you like dancing hard and fast with the strobe light flashin', just crank up the first couple of tracks, medleys of "Old Time Rock and Roll/Mony Mony" and "Rockin' Robin/Little Bitty Pretty One" (the latter featuring Peter Noone on backgrounds) and grab your baby for some energetic jitterbugging! If, on the other hand, you'd rather cuddle on the couch in front of a warm, cozy fire, you'll want to have the lovely ballads "Even After" and "Don't Lose Heart," both penned by Ron himself along with the late Bob Merrill, playing in the background. Speaking of ballads, Ron's beautiful version of "Angels Among Us" is alone worth the price of the CD, as is Ron's duet with fellow Archies bandmate Toni "I'm gonna make your life so sweet" Wine on "Summer in the City." And, speaking of "Sugar, Sugar," you can also find that song's co-composer, Andy Kim, singing along with Ron on his own hit "Rock Me Gently."

Some more fast dancing can be had with Ron's rockin' renditions of "I Go to Rio" and "Tear Up the Dance Floor." There's "Happy Together" (fast) and "Anyone Can See" (slow). There's also a lovely tribute to the late, great Maurice Gibb with the medley "Words/To Love Somebody/If I Can't Have You;" a full version of the third song rounds out this collection.

If you only know Ron for his Archies and Cuff Links work, you'll want to grab a copy of this CD and enjoy becoming acquainted with his solo work. If you only know Ron for his years producing Barry Manilow, you'll want to grab a copy of this CD and enjoy his singing. If you already know Ron from his solo recordings, you'll want to grab a copy of this CD to add to your collection. Ron Dante's Saturday Night Blast ... is a blast!