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Walter Egan’s first album was titled Fundamental Roll, and, indeed, the New York-born singer-songwriter was certainly on a roll.  Egan and Duane Scott co-produced the 1977 album with Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham and Steve Nicks – fresh off the release of Rumours – and the Buckingham/Nicks duo returned for 1978’s Not Shy, bringing along Richard Dashut.  Not Shy yielded Egan’s signature hit, “Magnet and Steel,” which went to the U.S. top ten.  Now, Edsel has celebrated the first chapter of Egan’s solo career with the new 4CD box, The Album Collection 1977-1980, due Friday, August 28.

A visual artist and sculptor as well as a musician, Egan played in a number of bands in New York and the Washington, DC area (where he attended Georgetown University) before relocating to Los Angeles to kick off his career in earnest.  It was in DC where Egan first encountered Linda Ronstadt and her-then band members Don Henley and Glenn Frey, beginning a love affair with the burgeoning country-rock genre.  He befriended Emmylou Harris, and she and Gram Parsons recorded Egan’s song “Hearts on Fire” on Parsons’ final album, Grievous Angel.  A brief tenure in Jackson Browne’s band found the singer encouraging Egan to strike out on his own; ultimately, a demo tape landed him at the door of Columbia Records.

Egan hoped to enlist Todd Rundgren or Brian Wilson to produce his debut record, but a meeting in May 1976 (following the release of Fleetwood Mac but before Rumours) with Buckingham and Nicks proved fruitful.  In Jason Draper’s liner notes to Edsel’s collection, Egan recalls Buckingham helming daytime recording sessions while Nicks, at night, developed the vocal arrangements for the LP.  The album that became Fundamental Roll, on Disc One of the new box, was recorded at Sound City.  It takes in relaxed country-rock (lead single “Only the Lucky”), funky dancers (“Waitin’”), melodic soft rock (“Won’t You Say You Will”), and straight-ahead California rock-and-roll (“When I Get My Wheels,” “Surfin’ and Drivin’,” and “She’s So Tough,” the latter featuring Jan and Dean’s Dean Torrence on backgrounds) – all with the crispness of production associated with the Buckingham/Nicks era of Fleetwood Mac as well as Lindsey and Stevie’s prominent background vocals throughout.  Naturally, it was a winning formula.  Drummer John Ware of Michael Nesmith’s First National Band was among the musicians featured on the album.

It was during one of the evening sessions that Egan was inspired to write “Magnet and Steel” as a musical confession of the attraction he felt to Nicks.  They began a brief romantic relationship, and the infectious, persuasive “Magnet” anchored Egan’s second LP, Not Shy.  Lindsey, Stevie, and Mick Fleetwood joined the band including vocalist Annie McLoone, bassist John Belk, drummer Mike Huey, guitarist Tom Moncrieff, and keyboardist Steve Hague.  Dean Torrence, who designed the album art, returned to sing on “Blonde in the Blue T-Bird,” one of the many feel-good tracks on the LP.  Another, “Hot Summer Nights,” proved only a minor hit for Egan – Columbia released it in the fall rather than the summer, a result of the label not wanting to stop the rise of “Magnet and Steel” – but quickly became an international best-seller for the Richard Perry-produced band simply called Night.

With his Fleetwood Mac pals busier than ever, Egan shared the production reins of his third album, Hi-Fi, with Tom Moncrieff.  Though it still featured McLoone, Huey, and much of the same personnel, it was a less polished affair than its predecessors; Columbia pulled support of the LP and it “bubbled under” the Billboard 200.  The final album on this set, 1980’s The Last Stroll, welcomed co-producer Earle Mankey (Sparks, The Beach Boys) and embraced power-pop and new wave.  McLoone, Moncrieff, and bassist John Selk all returned for the sessions.  But despite the strength of tracks such as the propulsive opener “Baby Let’s Runaway” and the ode to starlet “Tuesday Weld,” The Last Stroll might have been too far-removed from the sleek ballad sound of “Magnet and Steel” to succeed.  The album hardly marked the end of Egan’s career, which still flourishes today, but he only returned to the charts once more, in 1983.

Edsel’s set is handsomely packaged in the label’s 7-inch format, with the enclosed 12-page booklet including liner notes and credits for each album.  No mastering credits are listed.  Two bonus tracks are featured on the set, an a cappella version of “Magnet and Steel” and the non-LP side “Bad News Travels Fast,” both of which were previously included on 2010’s The Collection.  (That Floating World release featured the same track listing as this set.)  An autographed photo of Egan is included in the package.

Walter Egan’s The Album Collection 1977-1980 is available on Friday, August 28 from Edsel.  You’ll find the track listing and pre-order links below.  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Walter Egan, The Album Collection 1977-1980 (Edsel EDSL 0286, 2026) (Amazon U.S.(opens in new tab) / Amazon U.K.(opens in new tab) / Amazon Canada(opens in new tab))

CD 1: Fundamental Roll (Columbia PC 34679, 1977)

1. Only The Lucky
2. Won’t You Say You Will
3. Waitin’
4. Feel So Good
5. Yes I Guess I Am
6. When I Get My Wheels
7. Where’s The Party?
8. She’s So Tough
9. Tunnel O’Love
10. I’d Rather Have Fun
11. Surfin’ & Drivin’

CD 2: Not Shy (Columbia JCT 35077, 1978)

1. Sweet South Breeze
2. Magnet And Steel
3. Finally Find A Girlfriend
4. The Blonde In The Blue T-Bird
5. Star In The Dust
6. I Wannit
7. Make It Alone
8. Unloved
9. Just The Wanting
10. Hot Summer Nights
11. Magnet And Steel (A Cappella Version) (Bonus Track)

CD 3: Hi-Fi (Columbia JC 35796, 1979)

1. I Can’t Wait
2. That’s That
3. Little Miss, It’s You
4. Man B. Goode
5. I Do
6. Hi Fi Love
7. Hurt Again
8. Drive Away
9. Love At Last
10. Like You Do
11. You’re The One
12. Bad News T.F.
13. Bad News Travels Fast (Bonus Track)

CD 4: The Last Stroll (Columbia JC 36513, 1980)

1. Baby Let’s Run Away
2. Y Me? The Last Stroll
3. Tuesday Weld
4. Bad Attitude
5. Fall For You
6. First Date, Last Date
7. Heart
8. Chaminade
9. Motel Broken Hearts
10. Waitin’ For The Rain