I have nothing but positive things to say about you and what you have done to help keep alive the spirit of A&M. -- Al Marks (Promotion, Artist Development)

Going through this site reminded me of what I loved about working for A&M. -- Colin Sowa

Clyde Kaplan, Engineer, A&M Studios -- Thanks for putting together this great website about A&M Records.

Thank you Leslie. -- Al Cafaro, CEO, A&M Records

You sure have a buzz going. I've had 3 emails from A&Mers today alone. Good luck! -- Andy French, Director, Artist Relations & Artist Development

Your knowledge and research is both amazing, and from what I viewed, about 98% accurate. -- Randy Alpert (Capt. Badazz)

This is a great site! Thanks for keeping the memories alive.... -- Jerimaya Grabher

I had such a good time at A&M, so it's nice to still feel part of it. Keep up the good work with the website. -- Alex Hutchinson, A&M Records, Ltd., Art Department

The website is Great! It really took me back down memory lane. Keep up the good work and thank you! -- Janice Hague, International Promotions Manager, A&M Records GB

What a great site - Thank you for organizing it. You have continued the family spirit that Herb and Jerry worked so hard to create - and that is so hard to find otherwise. -- Sharon Steeley, Music Video Promotion

A friend forwarded the link to your site, it's amazing! -- Monique McGuffin, Graphics Coordinator

Wow, what an incredible site you've created! I can't believe you have not only the names of the Carpenters, but of even the real carpenters like the La Prell twins, etc. -- Jim McCrary, Photographer

Going through this site reminded me of what I loved about working for A&M. -- Colin Sowa

Congratulations Leslie on all the good work you do for the A&M community. -- Al Cafaro, President and CEO, A&M Records

Great site I just stumbled across, would appreciate my 'all access pass'. -- Jimmy Zisson, General Manager of A&M Records, New York

Keep up the great work on the site. -- Don Rodgers, Promotion Manager, Mid-Western Region, Canada

I love the website! -- Jewell Kumjian, A&M Studios Concierge

What a fabulous site! It certainly brings back a lot of memories… -- David Browde, College Promotions

The website is Great! It really took me back down memory lane. Keep up the good work and thank you! -- Janice Hague, International Promotions Manager, A&M Records GB

Thanks for this site--best of luck with it! -- David Bradstreet

I was just talking to Derek Alpert today...and we had a blast pawing around on this website together. I think it's so cool that you did this! -- Doreen Ringer-Ross

Your site is being passed around and mentioned to all ex A&M employees. Your site is great and I'd love to be a part. Thanks for your time and good luck. -- Joe James, Technical Manager, A&M Studios

I have enjoyed the A&M website you created and visit it often. -- Chuck Beeson, Art Director

Thank you so much!! I love the A&M site. -- Toni Tennille

Thanks for this ambitious and remarkable site. Just bouncing around inside the site the other day brought back so many really wonderful memories of the time and place and people when magic was possible and all lights were green. -- Corb Donohue, National Director of Public Relations

Your website is absolutely ACE ACE ACE!!! It is great to see real top work and dedication towards a label that meant so much to many. -- Jay Schatz / Chris Skane, A&R / A&M Associated Labels

Thanks so much Les. It's really an amazing site. -- Janette Rogers Sarabia, Director of Artist Relations

Congratulations on a great web site. Thanks for all your efforts in making this site. -- Bill Morgan, Director, Technical Engineering, A&M Studios

Thanks so much for keeping in touch and keeping so many of us in the loop! I couldn't agree more that A&M's biggest 'hit' is the legacy of warm comraderie and real friendship that our collective years there engendered. -- Cheryl McEnaney

Thanks for all your amazing work with keeping us all connected. -- Doria Leong

Thanks so much for all you do for all of us!!!! -- Monique Augusta

You have made me feel like I have come home safely to family, exactly what the A&M spirit was all about. -- Babs Stock

Thank you so much!! I love the A&M site. -- Toni Tennille

This is totally great. Brings back great memories of my years in Canada. -- Charly Prevost

Great site....brings back a lot of memories. -- Aaron Jacoves, Director of A&R

Fantastic Site! Great Work! -- Jean Pierre Guilbert, V.P. Promotion & Artist Development (A&M Canada)

You sure have a buzz going. I've had 3 emails from A&Mers today alone. Good luck! -- Andy French, Director, Artist Relations & Artist Development

Clyde Kaplan, Engineer, A&M Studios -- Thanks for putting together this great website about A&M Records.

Congratulations on your internet site. I would like to be included on your staff list as I worked for A&M in Toronto and London. -- France Tetreault-Thomson, Assistant A&R

...very fun to see this....Many thanks for your efforts....Best -- Juliea 'Jools' Clarke

Thanks for doing such epic work on the site. Salut! -- Max Hutchinson

Wow Leslie!! Lots of great work here... Love what you did! -- Randy Alpert (Captain Badazz)

Thanks Les, I've spoken with more old friends from A&M in the last week than in the last decabe. All because of your site -- Alan Oken

Glad to know that you have set up this site. What a neat way to stay in touch. Great job! -- Xander Smith (Other Star People)

Thanks for putting together this great website about A&M Records. -- Clyde Kaplan, Engineer, A&M Studios

I love that you're keeping our history alive. -- Mary Ann Johnson, Artist Relations

A&M Records was home to me in the '70s. Chuck, Brenda, Gil, Marsha, Rita Ross and family gave me my first intro to the music business and put me on the right track to my own family and an historic artistic career. Love to all. -- Ron Artis, Almo/Irving Music

What a great site, lots of memories. -- Paul McKenna

This site is AMAZING! THANK YOU! As a fan...and as someone humbled and honored to be ON this list. Outstanding. -- Monte Warden

It is great to have a site for the A&M family. -- Mary (Sukkestad) Mack, Executive Secretary, International Dept.

Thanks for doing such epic work on the site. Salut! -- Max Hutchinson

Thank you for sharing with us and for your dedication to A&M Records. It's so wonderful to have a connection to my past. -- Sherry Jones Levy, A&M NYC

I am genuinely so happy to see this site--my daughter's picture is on the cover of one of those catalogs -- Rob Gold, Executive Director of Advertising and Merchandising, A&M Records

I love that you're keeping our history alive. -- Mary Ann Johnson, Artist Relations

I just saw the A&M website, very impressive. -- Larry Weintraub, Vice President of A&R

...very fun to see this....Many thanks for your efforts....Best -- Juliea 'Jools' Clarke

Thanks Leslie for doing this. It's great to have this resource. You're awesome for keeping it going. -- Carmen DeVida

Thanks for this ambitious and remarkable site. Just bouncing around inside the site the other day brought back so many really wonderful memories of the time and place and people when magic was possible and all lights were green. -- Corb Donohue, National Director of Public Relations

Congratulations on your internet site. I would like to be included on your staff list as I worked for A&M in Toronto and London. -- France Tetreault-Thomson, Assistant A&R

Thanks, Les! It's so wonderful that you are so involved with the website. I have such fantastic memories of my time spent at A&M. It was definitely a magical place. -- Stacie Surabian, A&M Sales

Thanks for making the site and I'll be checking in to see what's happenin'. -- Richard Cottrell

Thanks so much for keeping in touch and keeping so many of us in the loop! I couldn't agree more that A&M's biggest 'hit' is the legacy of warm comraderie and real friendship that our collective years there engendered. -- Cheryl McEnaney

This is great to see all the names of all of the friends of such a very special place. Thank you! -- Leigh Jackson, Artist Development

Your knowledge and research is both amazing, and from what I viewed, about 98% accurate. -- Randy Alpert (Capt. Badazz)

I was just talking to Derek Alpert today...and we had a blast pawing around on this website together. I think it's so cool that you did this! -- Doreen Ringer-Ross

Great site...thanks Leslie. -- J. B. Brenner

Pretty cool site. Nice to see that the history of the label - which was its greatest asset - has not been forgotten. -- Brandon Costas, Sales Coordinator

It's a pretty interesting looking site and I'll check it out further. -- Robin Kirby, Western Regional Sales/Marketing Director

I love the website! -- Jewell Kumjian, A&M Studios Concierge

Thanks for making the site and I'll be checking in to see what's happenin'. -- Richard Cottrell

Thanks for all your hard work in gathering this fantastic web resource of one of the greatest companies that ever existed. -- Jim McCrary, Photographer

It's good to see someone reminding us of the special organization A&M was -- John Hawkins (Edenstreet)

It's a pretty interesting looking site and I'll check it out further. -- Robin Kirby, Western Regional Sales/Marketing Director

Just a brief note to say thanks for ALL you do in keeping us A&M-ers consistently in the know. My years there were so wonderful and filled with fond memories. Thanks for keeping that alive. -- Miriam Heiman

This is a great site! Thanks for keeping the memories alive.... -- Jerimaya Grabher

You're right about the specialness of A&M. It's so hard to explain, but it really was unique. A Camelot, if you will. Thanks for your efforts -- Richard Pachter, Promotions

Thanks so much Les. It's really an amazing site. -- Janette Rogers Sarabia, Director of Artist Relations

Wow, what an incredible site you've created! I can't believe you have not only the names of the Carpenters, but of even the real carpenters like the La Prell twins, etc. -- Jim McCrary, Photographer

Thanks, this is a great site. -- Barbara West, Sr. Director of Business / Legal Affairs

Your website is absolutely ACE ACE ACE!!! It is great to see real top work and dedication towards a label that meant so much to many. -- Jay Schatz / Chris Skane, A&R / A&M Associated Labels

I'm so delighted to see it! Many of us have incredible memories and ongoing great comraderie from those years on The Lot....and I am so glad to see this happen now! -- Cheryl McEnaney, National Artist Development Manager

--

Your site is being passed around and mentioned to all ex A&M employees. Your site is great and I'd love to be a part. Thanks for your time and good luck. -- Joe James, Technical Manager, A&M Studios

Thank you so much for all of your help. It is a great site. Thank you for helping to keep these bands relevant. -- Andrea Bricklin (Bricklin)

I've just discovered your web site. Holy smoke!!!!! -- Geoffrey B. Schulman, Director of A&R Administration, Los Angeles

Fantastic Site! Great Work! -- Jean Pierre Guilbert, V.P. Promotion & Artist Development (A&M Canada)

I came across the site by co-incidence - congratulations! A great initiative and nicely done. -- Russ Curry, VP European Operations

Thanks the site is awesome! -- David Abrahams, Audio Librarian

Kudos to you for recognizing possibly the ultimate artist/people friendly label. -- Ed Rivadavia, Northern Midwest Promotion Manager

Thanks for all the work you do for the website. -- Gary Mannon, A&M Studios

I have nothing but positive things to say about you and what you have done to help keep alive the spirit of A&M. -- Al Marks (Promotion, Artist Development)

I'm always amazed every time I spend time on the site and imagine the enormous amount of work and time it has taken you to build this. It's a smorgasboard of history... -- Frann Altman

This is a great web site on A&M. -- Gary Mannon, A&M Studios

Great site I just stumbled across, would appreciate my 'all access pass'. -- Jimmy Zisson, General Manager of A&M Records, New York

This is totally great. Brings back great memories of my years in Canada. -- Charly Prevost

Optimistic - Sounds of Blackness

Sounds of Blackness CD

Stock Number

PERD 786

Label

Perspective Records

Country

Britain

Format

CD single.

Released: 1991

Recording Notes

Picture sleeve

Track	Track Title	Track Time
1	Optimistic (7'' Version)	00:03:50
2	Optimistic (Album Version)	00:05:24
3	Optimistic (12'' Alright Mix)	00:08:32

Chart	Peak	Date
Official UK Charts	45	1991-6-22

Credit	Role Sort ascending
Prof T	vocal
Jimmy Jam	remix
Terry Lewis	remix
Gary Hines	producer
Jimmy Jam	producer
Lance Alexander	producer
Terry Lewis	producer
Gary Hines	piano
Larry Waddell	piano
Terry Lewis	percussion
Steve Hodge	mix
Jimmy Jam	keyboards
Jimmy Jam	executive producer
Terry Lewis	executive producer
Steve Hodge	engineer
Lance Alexander	drum programming

There are thousands of artists on the ON A&M RECORDS website. Click on a photograph to take you to a new artist!

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