On October 24, 2018, Melvin M. Ragin aka Wah Wah Watson died aged 67. He was musician (guitar), famous for his unique skills with wah-wah pedal. He was member of The Funk Brothers, the studio band for “Motown Records”, recorded and performed with Dizzy Gillespie, John Lee Hooker, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Vanessa Williams, Thelma Houston, The Four Tops, The Jackson 5, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Michael Jackson, Maxwell, The Beach Boys, George Benson, Bobbi Humphrey, Janet Jackson, Yung Berg, Blondie, Norman Whitfield, The Undisputed Truth, Donald Byrd, Labelle, Love Unlimited, Cher, Meshell Ndegeocello, Gloria Gaynor, The Temptations (his guitar work on “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”), Pointer Sisters, Martha Reeves, Rose Royce, Bob Scaggs and Herbie Hancock. As leader, Wah Wah Watson released one solo album (Elementary, 1976).
Tag Archives: 1976
Paris: Big Towne, 2061
In August 1976, “Capitol” label released “Big Towne, 2061”, the second and final Paris studio album. It was recorded in 1976, at the “Total Experience Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Bob Hughes.
Personnel:
- Bob Welch – vocals, guitar
- Glenn Cornick – bass guitar, keyboards
- Hunt Sales – vocals, drums, percussion
- Bob Hughes – engineer
- Steve Pouliot, Meyrick Smith – engineer assustant
Track listing:
All tracks by Bob Welch except when noted.
- Blue Robin
- Big Towne, 2061
- Pale Horse, Pale Rider
- New Orleans
- Outlaw Game – Bob Welch, Hunt Sales
- Money Love – Bob Welch, Hunt Sales
- Heart of Stone
- Slave Trader
- 1 in 10
- Janie – Bob Welch, Glenn Cornick
Artful Dodger: Honor Among Thieves
In August 1976, “Columbia” label released “Honor Among Thieves”, the second Artful Dodger album. It was recorded in 1976, at “Record Plant” in New York City, and was produced by Edward Leonetti and Jack Douglas.
Personnel:
- Billy Paliselli- lead vocals
- Gary Herrewig – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Gary Cox – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Steve Cooper – bass
- Steve Brigida – drums, percussion
- Eric Troyer – piano
- Edward Leonetti – harmonium
- John Jansen – engineer
- Corky Stasiak – engineer assistant
- George Marino – mastering
- John Berg – design
- Robert Biro – design
- Menken-Seltzer – photography
- Jack Douglas – executive producer
Track listing:
All tracks by Gary Herrewig and Billy Paliselli, except where note,
- Honor Among Thieves
- Not Enoughi
- Scream
- Keep A-Knockin’ – Perry Bradford
- Keep Me Happy
- Remember
- Dandelion – Gary Cox
- Hey Boys
- Good Fun – Gary Cox
James Brown: Get Up Offa That Thing
In July 1978, “Polydor” label released “Get Up Offa That Thing”, the 43rd James Brown studio album. It was recorded in 1976, and was produced by James Brown.
Personnel:
- James Brown – vocals, arrangements
- Patricia Dryden – cover illustration
Track listing:
All tracks by Deanna Brown, Deirdre Brown and Yamma Brown, except where noted.
- Get Up Offa That Thing / Release the Pressure
- You Took My Heart – Deanna Brown, Deirdre Brown, St. Clair Pinckney, Yamma Brown
- I Refuse to Lose
- Can’t Take it with You
- Home Again
- This Feeling
Janis Ian: Aftertones
In July 1976, “CBS” label released “Aftertones”, the eight Janis Ian album. It was recorded in 1976, at “Record Plant” in New York City, and was produced by Brooks Arthur.
Personnel:
- Janis Ian – vocals, piano, guitar, arranger, conductor
- Jeff Layton – guitar
- Bucky Pizzerella – guitar
- Al Gorgoni – guitar
- Larry Harlow – piano
- Stu Woods – bass
- Richard Davis – bass
- Barry Lazarowitz – drums, percussion
- Arthur Jenkins – congas
- Artie Kaplan – bass clarinet, contractor
- George Young – tenor saxophone
- Artie Kaplan – baritone saxophone
- Larry Spencer, Pete Nater, Bobby Fortunato, Ernie Royal, Joe Shepley – trumpet
- Wayne Andre, Lewis Kahn, Tom Malone, Mickey Gravine – trombone
- Gonzalo Fernandez – flute
- Phil Bodner – oboe, alto flute, English horn
- Romeo Pengue – oboe, flute, English horn, piccolo flute
- Bruce Rogers, Charles McCracken, Jesse Levy, Kermit Moore, Max Hollander – cello
- Gene Orloff – violin
- Ezra Kliger – violin
- Manny Vardi – viola
- David Sackson, Manni Vardi, Eugenie Dengel, George Browne, Selward Clarke – viola
- Phoebe Snow – solo vocal
- Brooks Arthur, Claire Bay, Odetta, V. Martin Fink – vocals
- Claire Bay – 2nd vocals
- Larry Harlow – arranger
- Mike Gibson – arranger, conductor
- Jerry Ragavoy – arranger, conductor
- Ron Frangipane – arranger, conductor
- Brooks Arthur – engineer
- David L’Heureux – design
- Peter Cunningham – photography
- Herb Gart – executive producer
Track listing:
All tracks by Janis Ian.
- Aftertones
- I Would Like to Dance
- Love Is Blind
- Roses
- Belle of the Blues
- Goodbye to Morning
- Boy, I really Tied One on
- This Must be Wrong
- Don’t Cry, Old Man
- Hymn
Radio Birdman: Radios Appear
In July 1977, “Trafalgar” label released “Radios Appear”, the debut Radio Birdman album. It was recorded 1976 – 1977, at “Trafalgar Studios” in Sydney, and was produced by John Sayers and Charles Fisher. “Radios Appear” was ranked the third best Australian album of all time in a 2008 list compiled by Melbourne newspaper “The Age”. In October 2010, it was ranked No. 13 in the book “100 Best Australian Albums”.
Personnel:
- Rob Younger – lead vocals
- Deniz Tek – guitar, backing vocals
- Chris Masuak – guitar, piano, backing vocals
- Pip Hoyle – organ, piano
- Warwick Gilbert – bass
- Ron Keeley – drums
Track listing:
All tracks by Deniz Tek, except where noted.
- TV Eye – Dave Alexander, Ron Asheton, Scott Asheton, Iggy Pop
- Murder City Nights
- Anglo Girl Desire
- Man with Golden Helmet
- Descent into the Maelstrom
- Monday Morning Gunk
- Do the Pop
- Love Kills
- Hand of Law
- New Race
Neil Diamond: Beautiful Noise
On June 11, 1976, “Columbia” label released “Beautiful Noise”, the tenth Neil Diamond album. It was recorded 1975 – 1976, at “Shangri La Studio”, “Kendun Recorders” and “Village Recorders” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Robbie Robertson.
Personnel:
- Neil Diamond – vocals, acoustic and rhythm guitar, dobro
- Robbie Robertson – guitar
- Richard Bennett – guitar
- Jesse Ed Davis – guitar
- Larry Knechtel – piano, Fender Rhodes
- Alan Lindgren – piano, synthesizer
- David Paich – Fender Rhodes, piano
- Garth Hudson – Hammond organ, Lowrey organ
- James Newton Howard – ARP, synthesizer
- Dr. John – Hammond organ
- Bob James – piano, arrangement, Fender Rhodes
- Tommy Morgan – harmonica
- Bob Boucher – bass guitar, ARP
- Dennis St. John – drums, percussion
- Jim Keltner – drums
- Russ Kunkel – drums
- Jim Gordon – drums, congas, harmony vocals
- Joe Lala – percussion, tambourine, congas
- Bob Findley – trumpet
- Jerome Richardson – flute, clarinet
- Linda Press – backing vocals
- Nick DeCaro – arrangements, accordion
Track listing:
All tracks by Neil Diamond, except where noted.
- Beautiful Noise
- Stargazer
- Lady Oh
- Don’t Think…Feel
- Surviving the Life
- If You Know What I Mean
- Street Life
- Home Is a Wounded Heart
- Jungletime
- Signs
- Dry Your Eyes – Neil Diamond, Robbie Robertson
The Alan Parsons Project: I Robot
On June 1, 1977, “Arista” label released “I Robot”, the second Alan Parsons Project (The), studio album. It was recorded December 1976 – March 1977, at “Abbey Road Studios” in London, and was produced by Alan Parsons. The album cover photo features Storm Thorgerson’s assistants in the escalator tubes of the circular Terminal 1 building of the “Charles de Gaulle Airport” outside of Paris
Personnel:
- Alan Parsons – keyboards, vocoder, acoustic guitar, backing vocals, engineer
- Ian Bairnson – acoustic and electric guitars, backing vocals
- B.J. Cole – steel guitar
- Eric Woolfson – keyboards, vocoder, backing vocals
- Duncan Mackay – keyboards
- John Leach – cimbalom, kantele
- David Paton – bass, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
- Stuart Tosh – drums, percussion, backing vocals
- Lenny Zakatek, Allan Clarke, Steve Harley, Jack Harris, Peter Straker, Jaki Whitren, Dave Townsend, the English Chorale, the New Philharmonia Chorus – vocals
- Hilary Western – backing vocals
- Smokey Parsons – backing vocals
- Tony Rivers, John Perry and Stu Calver – backing vocals
- Andrew Powell – choir and orchestra arrangements
- Eric Woolfson – executive producer
Track listing:
All tracks by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson, except where noted.
- I Robot
- I Wouldn’t Want to Be Like You
- Some Other Time
- Breakdown
- Don’t Let it Snow
- The Voice
- Nucleus
- Day After Day (The Show Must Go On)
- Total Eclipse – Andrew Powell
- Genesis Ch. 1V. 32
Poco: Rose of Cimarron
On May 29, 1976, “ABC” label released “Rose of Cimarron”, the ninth Poco studio album. It was recorded in 1975, at “Record Plant” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Mark Henry Harman, Rusty Young, Paul Cotton, Timothy B. Schmit and George Grantham.
Personnel:
- Rusty Young – acoustic and 12-string electric guitars, pedal steel guitar, mandolin, banjo, dobro, handclaps
- Paul Cotton – vocals, electric, acoustic and Spanish guitars, handclaps
- Timothy B. Schmit – vocals, bass, Spanish bass, harmonica, handclaps
- George Grantham – vocals, drums, timpani, handclaps
- Steve Ferguson – acoustic piano
- John Logan – banjo
- Al Garth – fiddle, violin, alto saxophone
- Mitt Holland – washboard, marimba, percussion
- Annie Emery, Jenny Grantham, Jennifer O’Keefe, Doug Rider, Jeddrah Schmit, Noreen Schmit – handclaps
- Mark Henry Harman – celesta
- Milt Holland – percussion
- Tom Sellers – grand piano, string arrangements
- Sid Sharp – concertmaster
- Mark Henry Harman – engineer
- Doug Rider – engineer
- Wally Traugott – mastering
- Phil Hartman – art direction, design
- Tom Wilkes – art direction, design
- Sandy Sussman – color reproduction
- Guy Webster – photography
Track listing:
All tracks by Rusty Young, except where noted.
- Rose of Cimarron
- Stealaway
- Just Like Me – Timothy B. Schmit
- Company’s Comin’
- Slow Poke
- Too Many Nights Too Long – Paul Cotton
- P.N.S. (When You Come Around) – Paul Cotton
- Starin’ at the Sky – Timothy B. Schmit, Johnny Logan
- All Alone Together – Paul Cotton
- Tulsa Turnaround – Paul Cotton
B. T. Express: Energy To Burn
In May 1976, “Columbia” label released “Energy to Burn”, the third B.T. Express album. It was recorded in 1976, at “Ultra – Sonic Recording Studios” in Hempstead, New York, and was produced by Jeff Lane.
Personnel:
- Barbara Joyce – vocals, tambourine
- Michael Jones – vocals, clavinet, organ, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Moog synthesizer
- Richard Thompson – vocal, guitar
- Sam Taylor – rhythm guitar
- Carlos Ward – flute, piccolo flute, tenor saxophone
- Bill Risbrook – flute, soprano and tenor saxophone
- Louis Risbrook – vocal, bass
- Dennis Rowe – bongos, congas, timbales, percussion
- Leslie Ming – drums
- Irving Spice – strings
Track listing:
- Depend On Yourself – Bill Risbrook
- Can’t Stop Groovin’ Now, Wanna Do It Some More – Billy Nichols
- Now That We Found Love – Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff
- Energy To Burn – Sam Taylor, Tash Howard
- Time Tunnel – Michael Jones
- Make Your Body Move – Carlos Ward
- Herbs – Carlos Ward
- Energy Level – Carlos Ward
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