It's been said that the only true constant is change - and that's certainly been borne out by the group bearing that moniker. Between 1980 and 1985, the rotating line-ups collectively known as Change released six albums built around insistent rhythms, catchy hooks, and commanding vocals. Unexpectedly in 2018, Change returned from a three-decade-plus hiatus with a new album that captured the old magic. Late last year, Demon Music Group's Edsel label chronicled Change's discography on CD in a handsome 7-CD box set. Everything and More: Complete Recordings 1980-2019 is decked out in Change's trademark iconography (designed by Greg Porto) and contains mini-sleeve editions of all seven albums (Everything) plus over 20 bonus tracks (And More). A 2-LP distillation, Paradise: The Ultimate Collection 1980-2019, presented 19 of the group's finest tracks on two 180-gram vinyl platters.

Inspired by the sleek grooves of The CHIC Organization, Change embodied a European-American fusion. The brainchild of French-Italian impresario Jacques Fred Petrus with Italian-based producer-arranger Mauro Malavasi and bassist Davide Romani, the sublimely funky Change sound was largely created by the marriage of Italian musicians and American vocalists. Petrus sought out alumni of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards' era-defining band, enlisting Luther Vandross, Fonzi Thornton, Diva Gray, Robin Clark, Michelle Cobbs, Norma Jean Wright, and Ullanda McCullough to reprise vocal duties for Change. Other contributing singers included the accomplished likes of Dennis Collins, Yvonne Lewis, Crystal Davis, and Inner Life's Jocelyn Brown.

Appearing in Italy on Goody Music Records and throughout the rest of the world on Warner Bros., Change's 1980 debut The Glow of Love immediately gained traction in discos everywhere. With Jacques Fred Petrus producing, Davide Romani and Paolo Gianolo got credit for composing, arranging, and conducting, with various other players contributing to the songwriting. The vocals were recorded at CHIC's home base of the Power Station in New York City. (Music was recorded in Italy.) Although he only appeared on two tracks, Luther Vandross - still on the cusp of his own richly-deserved success - loomed large over the album. He supplied the typically velvety and passionate lead on the title song, making sure that this was one dance record with deep soul. He also took the lead on the lithe, jazz-inflected "Searching." But it was the bright "A Lover's Holiday," sung by Jocelyn Brown, Krystal Davis, Yvonne Lewis, and Alyson Williams that earned Change its only top 40 hit on the U.S. Hot 100. Brown also was out front to lend her powerful pipes to "Angel in My Pocket" and "It's a Girls' Affair."

Vandross, Brown, Dennis Collins and Krystal Davis were all back on board for the sophomore Change album, 1981's Miracles, and were joined by familiar names like Gordon Grody, Benny Diggs, and another trio with CHIC experience: Diva Gray, Ullanda McCullough, and Fonzi Thornton (the latter as singer and vocal arranger). The label was different (Warner sister imprint Atlantic) but the formula was much the same, though Mauro Malavasi (who arranged and co-wrote songs on The Glow of Love) joined Petrus, Romani, and Gianolo in the creative brain trust. The vocal sessions took place this time at New York's Media Sound. Gray fronted the R&B top 10 hit "Paradise," anchored by its throbbing, tight, electro-bassline.  Vandross provided the vocal arrangement on which he sang alongside Brown and Thornton. His arrangement of the even more bass-heavy "Heaven of My Life" found Luther, Fonzi, Diva and Jocelyn impressively sharing the microphone.  Thornton's significant contribution to the Change sound came to the forefront on "Hold Tight," recalling CHIC's 1979 chart-topper "Good Times." Those looking to cool down were rewarded with the ballad "Stop for Love," featuring James "Crabbe" Robinson. He also led the uptempo disco dancer "Miracles." All told, the album yielded three Disco No. 1s with "Paradise," "Hold Tight," and "Heaven."

Change's third album, 1982's Sharing Your Love, took the group in a new direction. The loose revolving door of personnel on the first two LPs had been replaced by a self-contained group, strikingly photographed on the front cover. This line-up emerged out of the Miracles tour and consisted of James Robinson (lead vocals), Deborah Cooper (lead vocals), Timmy Allen (bass), Mike Campbell (guitar), Vincent Henry (saxophone/guitar), Jeff Bova (keyboards) and Rick Galwey (percussion). Not wishing to rock the boat too much, however, co-producers Petrus and Malavasi still invited an array of special guests including Thornton, Brown, Grody, Cobbs, and Collins, as well as trumpeter Randy Brecker and Broadway actress-singer Roz Ryan. Both the vocals and music were recorded in America (at Media Sound) for the first time on a Change album.

"The Very Best in You," which placed within the R&B top 20, still bore the CHIC influence, but Petrus and Malavasi's production inched the group ever closer to the prevailing R&B/dance style of the early 1980s.  Big drums and cool electronics flecked "Hard Times (It's Gonna Be Alright)," a positive anthem and antidote to eighties upheaval co-written by Thornton, who shared its clipped vocals along with Gordon Grody and Mic Murphy.  Fonzi also co-wrote the sensual "Promise Your Love," a key mid-tempo track incorporating the modern feel with traditional disco orchestration. A rare cover might have surprised listeners at the time. Change tackled The Four Seasons' 1975 chart-topper "December 1963 (Oh What a Night)," retaining the Bob Gaudio/Judy Parker tune's central hook and much of its feel while adding contemporary guitar and keyboard flourishes and a pronounced beat. Roz Ryan's unforgettable voice is featured on the album version, while the extended 12-inch mix (included among the bonus tracks on this disc) has James Robinson on the lead with a later appearance from Ryan. She's also heard on the taut bass-and-synth groove of "Take You to Heaven."

1983's This Is Your Time, which arrived after some tumult, was very much of its time. Davide Romani parted ways with Jacques Petrus and Change, and Timmy Allen (who had been among the background singers on Sharing Your Love) came on board as a production assistant and rhythm arranger. Singer Rick Brennan was set to replace James Robinson before Mauro Malavasi regretted his decision and brought in Robinson to replace Brennan on all but two tracks.  One of those two, "Got to Get Up," was among the most heavily synthesized music released by Change to that point. The title track pulsed to an icy electronic beat, too, but Robinson continued to shine on more ballad-oriented material such as "You'll Never Realize." Recording was split once more between Italy and the United States, but the magic just wasn't there. The colder, more sterile sounds of This Is Your Time failed to showcase Change's exuberant strengths, and the next album would represent an even more dramatic shift.

Mauro Malavasi was next to part ways with Jacques Fred Petrus' Little Macho production company. That might have signaled the end of Change if not for Vincent Henry's suggestion that Petrus look in the direction of Minneapolis.  Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis had already produced hits for Cheryl Lynn and The S.O.S. Band when they were enticed to produce Change.  Soon, they were bound for Italy, and the resulting album Change of Heart (1984) - featuring the returning Rick Brennan (lead vocals), Timmy Allen (bass/keyboards/background vocals), Deborah Cooper (lead/background vocals), Vincent Henry (guitar/saxophone), and Mike Campbell (guitar), plus Jeff Bova (synthesizer/keyboards) and Toby Johnson (drums) - reinvigorated Change with a new, stable line-up.

Jam and Lewis not only produced but wrote half of the LP, with the other half composed by Timmy Allen. Their title track "Change of Heart" bubbled with confidence and focus lacking from the previous LP.  The potent slice of electronically burbling funk made it all the way to No. 7 on the Billboard R&B chart, Change's biggest hit since "Paradise." (It also fared well in the U.K., becoming Change's most successful chart entry since "Searching.") Allen's slick "It Burns Me Up" and shimmering "True Love," Jam and Lewis' "You Are My Melody" (with its blend of soulful vocals and up-to-the-minute production values), the uptempo Deborah Cooper-led "Warm," and the sweeping Brennan/Cooper duet "Say You Love Me Again" all were the products of an artistically revitalized unit. Only Porto's cover artwork emphasized the link between the group of Change of Heart to Change's earliest disco days. The album reached the top 20 of the U.S. R&B survey and the top 40 Albums Chart in the U.K., but it wasn't in the cards for Change to build on its success.

Jam and Lewis only committed to one album, leaving Timmy Allen to take the producer's reins. The core players from Change of Heart - Brennan, Cooper, Henry, and Campbell - remained for 1985's Turn on Your Radio.  Very much influenced by the sound and style of its predecessor but lacking its inspiration, its opening bid to "Turn On Your Radio" wasn't without its charms. The album did gain the group a top 40 dance entry with the sultry "Let's Go Together." Allen's "Mutual Attraction" boasted a glossy pop feel, while "Oh, What a Feeling" briefly recaptured the dancefloor magic. All three songs enjoyed minor chart action in the U.K, too.

Turn On Your Radio marked the end of Change, Mk. I. But it wasn't the end of the Change story. Davide Romani attempted to rekindle the Change magic in 1990 as X-Change; the recordings were shelved and didn't see release until 2010 when they were released under the original Change name as Change Your Mind.  (Those X-Change recordings have not been included in this box set.)  DJs never stopped spinning Change records, and various compilations trickled out over the years notably including Groove Line Records' 2015 anthology Reach for the Sky. In 2018, Romani officially relaunched the group in collaboration with co-producer Stefano Colombo for the album Love 4 Love, the final disc here. Tanya Michelle Smith, on lead vocals, fronted the all-Italian musicians on a likeable set of songs primarily written by Romani (some with Mauro Malavasi). With solid production values and strong vocals, Love 4 Love spawned two No. 1 singles on the U.K. soul chart ("Hit or Miss" and Joey Negro's remix of "Love 4 Love"). The 2018 Italian and Japanese editions of Love 4 Love appended five bonus tracks: four Figo Sound Versions and the brief "Seaside (Prelude)." While the edition here has six bonuses including the previously unreleased Figo Sound Alternative Full Mix of "Hit or Miss," those other tracks are absent. (A 2020 digital Expanded Edition has 15 bonus remixes.)

21 bonus tracks are spread across the seven discs of Everything and More including 12-inch extended versions, remixes, alternative mixes, and single versions. Compilation producer Wayne A. Dickson's remix of "Let's Go Together" is previously unreleased, while other bonuses on Love 4 Love make their physical CD debuts. A squarebound 28-page booklet features an introduction by Ray Caviano of RFC Records as well as a fine essay by Christian John Wikane. Nick Robbins has remastered all of the albums for consistent sound, and everything is housed in a sturdy, attractive box with a lift-off lid. The individual discs are packaged in mini-LP sleeves.

The companion LP release, Paradise: The Ultimate Collection 1980-2019, chronicles the group's history in abbreviated fashion over 19 songs on four sides of 180-gram vinyl. It has many of Change's charted classics ("A Lover's Holiday," "Paradise," "The Very Best in You," "This Is Your Time," "Change of Heart") plus vinyl-exclusive tracks not on the CD box in a dancefloor-ready sequence. These include single versions/edits and shorter versions of remixes from Love 4 Love.  Completists will certainly wish these tracks had been added to the CD collection. The LPs are housed in a jacket decked out with a Porto design; the two LP sleeves contain credits, photographs, and Ray Caviano's note.

Taken together, Everything and More: Complete Recordings 1980-2019 and Paradise: The Ultimate Collection 1980-2019 add up to an exhaustive look at Change's small but potent discography. The glow of love is still burning brightly.

Change, Everything and More: Complete Recordings 1980-2019 (Edsel EDSL0053, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1: The Glow of Love (RFC/Warner Bros. 3438, 1980)

1. A Lover's Holiday (A Jim Burgess Mix)
2. It's a Girls Affair
3. Angel in My Pocket
4. The Glow of Love
5. Searching
6. The End
7. It's a Girls Affair (12-Inch Mike Maurro Dance Mix) (from Groove Line Records 12-inch single GLRMX 12 001, 2016)
8. The Glow of Love (12-Inch Long Version) (RFC/Warner Bros. 12-inch single PRO-A-914, 1980)
9. Searching (A Jim Burgess Mix) (previously unreleased)

CD 2: Miracles (RFC/Atlantic SD-19301, 1981)

1. Paradise
2. Hold Tight
3. Your Move
4. Stop for Love
5. On Top
6. Heaven of My Life
7. Miracles
8. Paradise (U.K. 12-Inch Remix) (WEA U.K. 12-inch single K79169T, 1981)
9. Hold Tight (Long Version) (from Groove Line CD GLRCDXD 0003, 2015)

CD 3: Sharing Your Love (Atlantic 19342, 1982)

1. The Very Best in You
2. Hard Times (It's Gonna Be Alright)
3. Oh, What a Night
4. Promise Your Love
5. Everything and More
6. Sharing Your Love
7. Take You to Heaven
8. Keep on It
9. You're My Number 1
10. You're My Girl
11. Oh, What a Night (12-Inch Long Version) (Polydor (France) 12-inch single 2141 586, 1982)
12. Keep on It (Alternative Mix) (from Groove Line CD GLRCDXD 0003, 2015)

CD 4: This Is Your Time (Atlantic 80053-1, 1983)

1. Got to Get Up
2. This Is Your Time
3. Angel
4. Magical Night
5. Stay 'n Fit
6. Tell Me Why
7. You'll Never Realize
8. Don't Wait Another Night
9. Got to Get Up (12-Inch Extended Remix) (Atlantic/RFC promotional 12-inch single DMD 665, 1983)
10. Magical Night (Single Remix) (Polydor 810 667-7, 1983)

CD 5: Change of Heart (Atlantic 80151-1, 1984)

1. Say You Love Me Again
2. Change of Heart
3. Warm
4. True Love
5. You Are My Melody
6. Lovely Lady
7. Got My Eyes on You
8. It Burns Me Up
9. Change of Heart (12-Inch Alternative Dance Version)

CD 6: Turn On Your Radio (Atlantic 81243-1, 1985)

1. Turn on Your Radio
2. Let's Go Together
3. Examination
4. You'll Always Be Part of Me
5. Oh What a Feeling
6. Mutual Attraction
7. Love the Way You Love Me
8. If You Want My Love
9. Let's Go Together (12-Inch Nuovi Fratelli Dance Mix) (previously unreleased)
10. Mutual Attraction (12-Inch Nick Martinelli Remix) (Atlantic 12-inch single 0-86879, 1985)
11. Oh What a Feeling (12-Inch Paul Hardcastle Remix) (Cooltempo COOLX 109, 1985)
12. Let's Go Together (12-Inch Paul Hardcastle Remix) (Cooltempo COOLR 109, 1985)
13. Mutual Attraction (Instrumental Version) (Atlantic 12-inch single 0-86879, 1985)

CD 7: Love 4 Love (Original Disco Culture ODC 01, 2018)

1. Hit or Miss
2. All My Life
3. Love 4 Love
4. Make Me (Go Crazy)
5. Friends
6. Living in Your Love
7. How Will We
8. Too Late
9. Living Monday
10. Let's Go Together
11. Hit or Miss (Figo Sound Alternative Full Mix) (previously unreleased)
12. Love 4 Love (Joey Negro Extended Mix) (digital single, 2018; previously unreleased on CD)
13. Make Me (Go Crazy) (Opolopo Full Length Remix) (digital single, 2018; previously unreleased on CD)
14. Too Late (Skalp and Davide Romani Good Vibes Extended Mix) (digital single, 2019; previously unreleased on CD)
15. Living Monday (All Black Version) (also available on digital album; previously unreleased on CD)
16. Hit or Miss (Soulpersona Rare Groove Remix) (digital single, 2018; previously unreleased on CD)

Change, Paradise: The Ultimate Collection 1980-2019 (Demon DEMREC553, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Side One

1. A Lover's Holiday (A Jim Burgess Mix) (RFC/Warner Bros. promo PRO-A-854, 1980)
2. The Glow of Love (from The Glow of Love, 1980)
3. Angel in My Pocket (from The Glow of Love, 1980)
4. Searching (A Jim Burgess Mix) (previously unreleased)

Side Two

1. Paradise (RFC/Atlantic promotional single DMD-267, 1981)
2. The Very Best in You (RFC/Atlantic DMD-324, 1982)
3. You Are My Melody (from Change of Heart, 1984)
4. Heaven of My Life (Single Version) (RFC/Atlantic single 3856, 1981)
5. Hold Tight (Long Version) (from Groove Line CD GLRCDXD 0003, 2015)

Side Three

1. Change of Heart (RFC/Atlantic promotional single DMD-719, 1984)
2. This Is Your Time (RFC/Atlantic promotional single DMD-608, 1983)
3. It Burns Me Up (Single Version) (alternative edit issued as Atlantic single 89642, 1984)
4. Hard Times (It's Gonna Be Alright) (Atlantic single 4063, 1982)
5. Got to Get Up (12-Inch Long Version) (RFC/Atlantic promotional single DMD-665, 1983)

Side Four

1. Let's Go Together (Nuovi Fratelli Dance Mix) (previously unreleased)
2. Hit or Miss (Figo Sound Alternative Full Mix) (previously unreleased)
3. Too Late (Skalp and Davide Romani Good Vibes Radio Mix) (previously unreleased on LP)
4. Love 4 Love (Joey Negro Radio Mix) (previously unreleased on LP)
5. Make Me (Go Crazy) (Opolopo Radio Mix) (previously unreleased on LP)