On March 30, 2020, William Harrison Withers Jr. aka Bill Withers died aged 81. He was singer-songwriter and musician (guitar, keyboards), active from 1970 until 1985. He composed and recorded several major hits, including “Ain’t No Sunshine” (1971), “Grandma’s Hands” (1971), “Use Me” (1972), “Lean on Me” (1972), “Lovely Day” (1977), and “Just the Two of Us” (1980). Withers won three “Grammy Awards” (1971, 1981, 1987), “ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Heritage” award (2006), was inducted into “West Virginia Music Hall of Fame” (2007), was inducted into “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” (2015), and received honorary degree from West Virginia University.
Tag Archives: 1970
Carly Simon: Same
On February 9, 1971, “Elektra” label released the self-titled, debut Carly Simon album. It was recorded 1970 – 1971, at “Electric Lady Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Eddie Kramer.
Personnel:
- Carly Simon – vocals, guitar, piano
- Jeff Baxter– pedal steel guitar
- David Bromberg– guitar
- Jimmy Johnson– guitar
- Jimmy Ryan – guitar
- Ed Freeman – string arrangements
- Paul Griffin– keyboards
- Mark “Moogy” Klingman – keyboards
- Billy Mernit – keyboards
- Jerry Jemmott– bass guitar
- Tony Levin– bass guitar
- Jim Wilkins – bass guitar
- Pat Rebillot– string arrangements
- Harvey Shapiro – cello
- Eddie Kramer, Dave Palmer – mixing
- Robert L. Heimall – art direction, design
- Peter Simon – cover photography
- Joel Brodsky – back cover photography
Track listing:
All tracks by Carly Simon, except where noted.
- That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be – Carly Simon, Jacob Brackman
- Alone
- One More Time
- The Best Thing
- Just a Sinner – Mark “Moogy” Klingman
- Dan, My Fling – Jacob Brackman, Freddy Gardner
- Another Door
- Reunions – Carly Simon, Bill Mernit, Eddie Kramer
- Rolling Down the Hills
- The Love’s Still Growing – Buzzy Linhart
Chick Corea: The Song of Singing
On February 2, 1971, “Blue Note” label released “The Song of Singing”, the fifth Chick Corea album. It was recorded in April 1970, at “A & R Recording” in New York City, and was produced by Sonny Lester.
Personnel:
- Chick Corea– piano, keyboards
- Dave Holland– bass
- Barry Altschul– drums
Track listing:
- Toy Room – Dave Holland
- Ballad I – Barry Altschul, Chick Corea, Dave Holland
- Rhymes – Chick Corea
- Flesh – Chick Corea
- Ballad III – Barry Altschul, Chick Corea, Dave Holland
- Nefertiti – Wayne Shorter
Gene Clark: Roadmaster
In January 1973, “Ariola” label released “Roadmaster”, the fourth Gene Clark album. It was compiled from various unreleased recordings for” A&M Records” made in 1970 through 1972, produced by Jim Dickson and Chris Hinshaw.
Personnel:
- Gene Clark– vocals, acoustic guitar, piano
- Chris Hillman– vocals, bass guitar
- David Crosby – vocals, guitars
- Roger McGuinn– vocals, guitars
- Bernie Leadon, Rick Roberts– vocals, guitars
- Clarence White– electric guitar, backing vocals
- Sneaky Pete Kleinow– pedal steel guitar
- Spooner Oldham– keyboards, backing vocals
- Chris Ethridge– bass guitar
- Michael Clarke– drums
- Bud Shank– flute
- Byron Berline– fiddle
- Chris Hinshaw – recording
- Henry Diltz – photography
- Barry Ballard – liner notes
Track listing:
All tracks by Gene Clark except where noted.
- She’s the Kind of Girl
- One in a Hundred
- Here Tonight
- Full Circle Song
- In a Misty Morning
- Rough and Rocky – Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs
- Roadmaster – Freddy Weller, Spooner Oldham
- I Really Don’t Want to Know – Howard Barnes, Don Robertson
- I Remember the Railroad
- She Don’t Care About Time
- Shooting Star
Ry Cooder: Same
In December 1970, “Reprise” label released the self – titled, debut Ry Cooder album. It was recorded in 1970, and was produced by Van Dyke Parks and Lenny Waronker.
Personnel:
- Ry Cooder– vocals, guitar, mandolin, bass guitar
- Van Dyke Parks– piano, arranger
- Chris Ethridge – bass guitar
- Richie Hayward – drums guitar
- Roy Estrada – bass guitar
- Max Bennett – bass guitar
- Milt Holland – drums, percussion
- John Barbata – drums
- Bobby Bruce – violin
- Gloria Jones- backing vocals
- Judy Betz – production assistant
- Lee Herschberg – engineer, mixing
- Doug Botnick – engineer
- Thaddeus James Lowe – engineer
- Rudy Hill – engineer
- Bob Kovach – engineer
- Kirby Johnson – conductor, orchestrator
- Airstream– photograph of the 1937 trailer pictured on the front of the album sleeve
- Frank Bez – photograph of the Airstream trailer
- Susan Titelman – Ry Cooder photograph on the back of the album sleeve
- Ed Thrasher- art direction
Track listing:
- Alimony – Brenda Jones, Welton Young, Robert Higginbotham
- France Chance – Joe Callicott
- One Meat Ball – Louis Singer, Hy Zaret
- Do Re Mi – Woody Guthrie
- My Old Kentucky Home (Turpentine & Dandelion Wine) – Randy Newman
- How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live? – Alfred Reed
- Available Space – Ry Cooder
- Pigmeat – Huddie Ledbetter
- Police Dog Blues – Arthur Blake
- Goin’ to Brownsville – John Estes
- Dark Is the Night – Blind Willie Johnson
Slade: Play It Loud
On November 28, 1970, “Polydor” label released “Play It Loud”, the second Slade studio album. It was recorded in 1970 and was produced by Chas Chandler.
Personnel:
- Noddy Holder- lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Dave Hill- lead guitar, backing vocals
- Jim Lea- bass, violin, backing vocals
- Don Powell– drums
- George Chkiantz– engineer
- Anton Mathews – mixing
- Hamish and Gustav – design
- Gered Mankowitz– photography
Track listing:
- Raven – Jimmy Lea, Noddy Holder, Don Powell
- See Us Here – Jimmy Lea, Noddy Holder, Don Powell
- Dapple Rose – Jimmy Lea, Don Powell
- Could I – Jimmy Griffin, Robb Royer
- One Way Hotel – Jimmy Lea, Noddy Holder, Don Powell
- The Shape of Things to Come – Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil
- Know Who You Are – Jimmy Lea, Noddy Holder, Don Powell, Dave Hill
- I Remember – Jimmy Lea, Don Powell
- Pouk Hill – Jimmy Lea, Noddy Holder, Don Powell
- Angelina – Neil Innes
- Dirty Joker – Jimmy Lea, Don Powell
- Sweet Box – Jimmy Lea, Don Powell
Laura Nyro: Christmas and the Beads of Sweat
On November 25, 1970, “Columbia” label released “Christmas and the Beads of Sweat”, the fourth Laura Nyro album. It was recorded in May 1970, in New York City, and was produced by Felix Cavaliere and Arif Mardin.
Personnel:
- Laura Nyro – vocals, piano, arrangements
- Eddie Hinton– electric guitar
- Cornell Dupree– electric guitar
- Stuart Scharf– acoustic guitar
- Duane Allman– guitar
- Felix Cavaliere– organ, bells
- Barry Beckett– vibraphone
- Richard Davis– bass
- Chuck Rainey– bass
- David Hood– bass
- Roger Hawkins– drums
- Dino Danelli– drums
- Jack Jennings – percussion
- Ralph MacDonald– percussion
- Alice Coltrane– harp
- Joe Farrell– woodwinds
- Ashod Garabedian – oud
- Michael Szittai – cimbalin
- Arif Mardin– arrangements, conductor
- Roy Segal, Tim Geelan – engineer
- Jerry Lee Smith, Doug Pomeroy – engineer assistant
- Beth O’Brien – cover portrait
Track listing:
All tracks by Laura Nyro, except where noted.
- Brown Earth
- When I Was a Freeport and You Were the Main Drag
- Blackpatch
- Been on a Train
- Up on the Roof – Gerry Goffin, Carole King
- Upstairs by a Chinese Lamp
- Map to the Treasure
- Beads of Sweat
- Christmas in My Soul
Aretha Franklin: Spirit in the Dark
On August 24, 1970, “Atlantic” label released “Spirit in the Dark”, the seventeenth Aretha Franklin studio album. It was recorded May – October 1969, March 1970, and was produced by Tom Dowd, Arif Mardin and Jerry Wexler.
Personnel:
- Aretha Franklin – lead vocals, piano
- Dave Crawford– organ
- Buzz Feiten– guitar
- Jimmy Johnson– guitar
- Jimmy O’Rourke – guitar
- Charlie Freeman – guitar
- Duane Allman– guitar
- Cornell Dupree– guitar
- Eddie Hinton– guitar
- Tommy McClure – bass guitar
- Harold “Hog” Cowart – bass guitar
- David Hood– bass guitar
- Sammy Creason– drums
- Ron Ziegler – drums
- Roger Hawkins– drums
- Ray Lucas – drums
- Jim Dickinson– additional keyboards
- Michael Utley– additional keyboards
- Barry Beckett– additional keyboards
- The Sweet Inspirations– backing vocals
- Wylene Ivy – backing vocals
- Margaret Branch – backing vocals
- Almeda Lattimore – backing vocals
- Pat Lewis– backing vocals
- Evelyn Green – backing vocals
- Brenda Bryant – backing vocals
Track listing:
- Don’t Play That Song – Ahmet Ertegün, Betty Nelson
- The Thrill Is Gone (From Yesterday’s Kiss) – Rick Darnell, Roy Hawkins
- Pullin’ – Carolyn Franklin, Jimmy Radcliffe
- You and Me – Aretha Franklin
- Honest I Do – Jimmy Reed, Ewart Abner
- Spirit in the Dark – Aretha Franklin
- When the Battle Is Over- Jessie Hill, John
- One Way Ticket – Jessie Hill, John
- Try Matty’s – Aretha Franklin
- That’s All I Want from You – Fritz Rotter
- Oh No Not My Baby – Gerry Goffin, Carole King
- Why I Sing the Blues – B. King, Dave Clark
Donny Hathaway: Everything Is Everything
On July 1, 1971, “Atco” label released “Everything Is Everything”, the debut Donny Hathaway studio album. It was recorded September 1969 – April 1970, and was produced by Donny Hathaway and Ric Powell.
Personnel:
- Donny Hathaway – lead and backing vocals, electric pianos, organ, additional bass guitar, keyboard bass, arranger, conductor
- John Littlejohn – vocal, guitar
- King Curtis– guitar
- Phil Upchurch- bass guitar, guitar
- Marshall Hawkins- bass guitar
- Louis Satterfield- bass guitar
- Morris Jennings– drums
- Ric Powell – drums, percussion
- Master Henry Gibson– congas
- Clifford P. Davis – alto saxophone
- Don Myrick- alto saxophone
- Johnny Board – tenor saxophone
- Lenard Druss – tenor saxophone
- Willie Henderson- baritone saxophone
- John Howell – trumpet
- Oscar Brashear– trumpet
- Robert A. Lewis – trumpet
- Cyril Touff – bass trumpet
- John Avant – trombone
- Morris Ellis – trombone
- Aaron Dodd – tuba
- John Lounsberry – French horn
- Ethel Merker – French horn
- Paul A. Teryett – French hor
- The Vashonettes – backing vocals
- Murray Allen, Roger Anfinsen – recording
- Haig Adishian – design
- Jim Taylor – photography
Track listing:
- Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything) – Richard Evans, Ric Powell, Phil Upchurch
- Je Vous Aime (I Love You) – Donny Hathaway, Leroy Hutson, Edward Kennedy
- I Believe to My Soul – Ray Charles
- Misty – Johnny Burke, Erroll Garner
- Sugar Lee – Donny Hathaway, Ric Powell
- Tryin’ Times – Donny Hathaway, Leroy Hutson
- Thank You Master (For My Soul) – Donny Hathaway
- The Ghetto – Donny Hathaway, Leroy Hutson
- To Be Young, Gifted and Black – Weldon Irvine, Nina Simone
Chicken Shack: Accept
On June 12, 1970, “Blue Horizon” label released “Accept”, the fourth Chicken Shack studio album. It was recorded December 1, 1969, – March 11, 1970, at “CBS Studios” in London, and was produced by Mike Vernon.
Personnel:
- Stan Webb– vocals, guitar
- Paul Raymond– vocals, keyboards
- Andy Sylvester– bass guitar
- Dave Bidwell – drums
- Mike Ross – engineer
- Terence Ibbott – design, photography
Track listing:
All tracks by Stan Webb and Paul Raymond.
- Diary of Your Life
- Never Ever
- Sad Clown
- Maudie
- Telling Your Fortune
- Tired Eyes
- Some Other Time
- Going Round
- Andalucian Blues
- You Knew You Did You Did
- She Didn’t Use Her Loaf
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