Leroy Gomez - Number One Man [Full Album + Bonus] (1975 78)
Leroy Gomez was born in Massachusetts and came to Europe to tour with Tavares in the early 70s as their sax player, during the time he also played on Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album. His big break, however, came in 1977 when he fronted French studio project Santa Esmeralda as their lead vocalist and hit massive with Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, only to be sacked as the lead singer shortly after due to disagreements with Santa Esmeralda's producers.
He signed with the group's US label Casablanca Records (home of Donna Summer, Kiss and Village People a.o.) and recorded two albums, Gypsy Woman (1978) and I Got It Bad (1979), none of which were successful.
Also in 1978 the album Number One Man was released, a collection of demos that Gomez had recorded a few years before with producer Pierre Jaubert. The track Jaywalk (written by David Christie & Jack Robinson who wrote a.o. Tina Charles' I Love To Love) had been remixed with Spanish guitars to sound like Misunderstood and extended to fill up the whole side of the LP. Gomez was not happy about the release and dismissed the album as a cheap cash-in on his success with Santa Esmeralda.
Although the songs were recorded \"on a shoestring budget\", it is still a pleasure to listen to Gomez' soulful vocals. I have included his 1975 single Here We Go Round, released under the name Lee Roy, as a bonus.
