Monday, September 4, 2017

Dynasty

Artist: Dynasty
LP: Adventures In the Land of Music
Song: "Do Me Right"
[ listen ]

Uh-oh. Looks like somebody didn't pay their Dynasty dues.

Actually, when this LP was released in 1980, Dynasty only had three official members—keyboardist/lead vocalist Kevin Spencer and co-lead vocalists Nidra Beard and Linda Carriere. So who, then, is this mysterious "other man" perched so precariously on the B-line of that large metallic treble-clef stave that he's slid halfway off the cover of the LP? 

Could it be Dynasty's other co-lead vocalist, William Shelby, who the credits say contributed keyboards and synth, but who for some reason isn't officially a member of the band? Or perhaps it's producer Leon Sylvers III, who backs the band on bass and was reportedly romantically involved with singer Nidra Beard. In fact, Sylvers officially joined as a full-fledged Dynasty member the following year, so perhaps that mysterious figure isn't sliding off the cover at all. I'll bet you $23.80 that's actually Sylvers scooting his way onto the cover, inconspicuously inching his way, both literally and metaphorically, toward a key position amongst the other members of the group. When your band's producer also plays bass and makes out with one of your singers, it's awfully hard to tell them no when they want to put part of their body on the cover of your second LP. Or maybe it's Wardell Potts, the drummer.

You can read all about Dynasty here, and for a picture of a different Dynasty, go here

[ Dynasty ]

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