Third album, titled simply Babe Ruth, is an altogether more straightforward rocky affair, but does have some strong material. Dancer gives Jenny Haan an opportunity to show her range and versatility, and Somebody’s Nobody manages to rhyme ‘guitar’ with ‘Hedy Lamarr’ – genius! There’s another nod to Morricone with a cover of A Fistful of Dollars which romps along engagingly, and this is followed by a slightly risky cover of Curtis Mayfield’s protest song We People Darker Than Blue. They get away with it, largely down to Haan’s sincere and passionate interpretation, and it ends up a triumph. Jack O’Lantern is an energetic rocker about a peeping tom, but it’s followed by a rather pedestrian cover of Booker T’s Private Number. Apparently the record label wanted them to do it to provide a single, but it really doesn’t suit them. Turquoise is a much better song, again highlighting Shacklock’s excellent Spanish guitar skills. Sad But Rich is quite a heavy rocking tune, with great electric guitar flourishes and another theatrical workout for Haan. The album closer is probably the best track, The Duchess of Orleans, and it’s quite a touching break up song. The yearning melody is enhanced by Mellotron, and Janita Haan gives another spirited vocal display.
by Graham Thomas, 27 September 2022
Haan's last album fronting for Babe Ruth still shows her in top form, and this album both kicks off and ends with a pair of fine rockers, "It'll Happen in Time" and "Tomorrow." The latter is the best tune on the album, featuring some burning guitar leads over an orchestral backing. "Fascination," based over a percussion loop and crunching guitar, shows the band stomping the same ground as female-fronted bands like Empire and Cold Blood, though none of them quite achieved the success of slicker contemporaries like, say, Heart. It doesn't help that the album is weighted down with some stultifying keyboard ballads and instrumentals like "Caught at the Plate," but when they stick to tightly structured and overdriven guitar rock, Babe Ruth sound very good indeed.
by Paul Collins
Tracks
1. Dancer (Alan Shacklock) - 6:05
2. Somebody's Nobody (Alan Shacklock) - 3:10
3. A Fistful Of Dollars (Ennio Morricone) - 2:42
4. We People Darker Than Blue (Curtis Mayfield) - 4:48
5. Jack O'Lantern (Alan Shacklock) - 3:20
6. Private Number (Booker T. Jones, William Bell) - 3:45
7. Turquoise (Dave Hewitt, Janita Haan) - 3:12
8. Sad But Rich (Ed Spevock) - 3:54
9. The Duchess Of Orleans (Alan Shacklock) - 5:03
10.It'll Happen In Time (Dave Hewitt, Janita Haan) - 5:35
11.Winner Takes All (Bernie Marsden) - 4:01
12.Fascination (Ed Spevock) - 6:07
13.2000 Sunsets (Janita Haan) - 3:47
14.Elusive (Ed Spevock, Steve Gurl) - 6:45
15.Can You Feel It (Dan Seals, John Bettis, Troy Seals) - 4:19
16.Say No More (Alan Shacklock) - 2:41
17.Caught At The Plate (Steve Gurl) - 2:57
18.Tomorrow (Joining Of The Day) (Janita Haan) - 5:05
Tracks 1-9 from LP "Babe Ruth" 1975
Tracks 10-18 from LP "Stealin' Home" 1975
Babe Ruth
*Janita Haan - Vocals, Bells
*Alan Shacklock - Guitars, Mellotron, Moog, Percussion, Vibes, Vocals (Tracks 1-9)
*Bernie Marsden - Vocals, Guitar (Tracks 10-18)
*Steve Gurl - Keyboards, Moog, Grand Piano
*Dave Hewitt - Bass, Fuzz Bass
*Ed Spevock - Drums, Percussion
With
*Angelito Perez - Congas (Tracks 3,7)
*The Hatfield Symphony Orchestra (Tracks 13,18)
*Alan Shacklock - Orchestral Arranger, Conductor (Tracks 13,18)
*Chrisostomos Karanikis - Percussion (Tracks 12,14)
