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Born in Trinidad as Leslie Charles, he was raised in Britain from an early age, eventually coming to public attention as Billy Ocean via two UK number two hits and two other UK top twenty hits in the seventies.Billy's first UK hit, Love really hurts without you, was a catchy, up-tempo soul song that made number two in the UK. The follow-up, LOD Love on delivery, just made the top twenty. Next came Stop me if you've heard it all before, which just missed the top ten. After that came his second number two hit, Red light spells danger.Billy's career seemed to be blossoming but it was at this point that things went wrong. His record label, GTO, was taken over by a major and although he remained for a few years, he only had two minor UK hits (American hearts, Are you ready) to show for his efforts. He eventually signed with another label, Jive, a move that revived his recording career. Those recordings are outside the scope of this compilation.I generally like his seventies music best but most people remember him for his eighties music, which I also enjoy. If you enjoy seventies soul music, you will probably enjoy this collection.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Ocean’s accessible blend of soul and pop gave him plenty of top ten hits. My favourites here include Love Really Hurts Without You and the delectable Red Light Spells Danger, a huge hit in about 1977. He had the perfect pop sensibility, underpinned by his soulful vocals and helped by slick production. But I don’t think this collection is really comprehensive as it does not include later hits like The Tough Get Going. Nevertheless, a good collection of melodic songs from the 1970s.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Ocean’s accessible blend of soul and pop gave him plenty of top ten hits. My favourites here include Love Really Hurts Without You and the delectable Red Light Spells Danger, a huge hit in about 1977. He had the perfect pop sensibility, underpinned by his soulful vocals and helped by slick production. But I don’t think this collection is really comprehensive as it does not include later hits like The Tough Get Going. Nevertheless, a good collection of melodic songs from the 1970s.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Mellow, smooth and oh, so good. If you like his style then you will enjoy this album.

Rating: 4 out of 5