Tag Archives: Arif Mardin

Carly Simon: Boys in the Trees

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In April 1978, “Elektra” label released “Boys in the Trees”, the seventh Carly Simon studio album. It was recorded in 1978, and was produced by Arif Mardin. The album won “Grammy Award” for “Best Album Package”.

Personnel:

  • Carly Simon – vocals, guitar, piano
  • James Taylor- guitar, backing vocals
  • John Hall – guitar, backing vocals
  • Hamish Stuart- guitar, backing vocals
  • Richard Tee- keyboards
  • Cornell Dupree- guitar
  • Eric Gale- guitar
  • Hugh McCracken- guitar
  • Onnie McIntyre – guitar
  • Jeff Mironov – guitar
  • Stuart Scharf – guitar
  • Don Grolnick- keyboards
  • Ken Bichel- keyboards
  • Gordon Edwards – bass
  • Will Lee- bass
  • Tony Levin- bass
  • Steve Gadd- drums
  • Rubens Bassini- percussion
  • Errol “Crusher” Bennett – percussion
  • David Sanborn- alto saxophone
  • George Young – alto saxophone
  • Michael Brecker- tenor saxophone
  • Ronnie Cuber- baritone saxophone
  • Jaroslav Jakubovic- baritone saxophone
  • Randy Brecker- trumpet
  • James Buffington – French horn
  • Brooks Tillotson – French horn
  • Eddie Bert – trombone
  • Barry Rogers- trombone
  • Phil Bodner – oboe
  • Joe Farrell- flute
  • Gloria Agostini – harp
  • Margaret Ross – harp
  • David Carey – marimba
  • Alex Ligertwood- backing vocals
  • Lucy Simon- backing vocals
  • Luther Vandross – backing vocals
  • Cissy Houston- backing vocals
  • Steven Dickson, Marc Embree, Ruderick George, Alyia Orme, Joanna Simon, Ken Williams – backing vocals
  • George Marge – recording
  • Harvey Estrin – recording

Track listing:

All tracks by Carly Simon except where noted.

  1. You Belong to Me – Carly Simon, Michael McDonald
  2. Boys in the Trees
  3. Back Down to Earth
  4. Devoted to You – Boudleaux Bryant
  5. De Bat (Fly in Me Face)
  6. Haunting
  7. Tranquillo (Melt My Heart) – Carly Simon, James Taylor, Arif Mardin
  8. You’re the One
  9. In a Small Moment
  10. One Man Woman – James Taylor
  11. For Old Times Sake – Carly Simon, Jacob Brackman

Rod Stewart: Atlantic Crossing

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Atlantic Crossing

On August 15, 1975, “Riva” label released “Atlantic Crossing”, the sixth Rod Stewart album. It was recorded .April-June 1975, at “A&R” in New York; “Criteria” in Miami; “Wally Heider” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Tom Dowd. The album was certified Platinum in UK by the “BPI”.

Personnel:

  • Rod Stewart – vocals
  • Pete Carr- acoustic guitar and electric guitar
  • Jesse Ed Davis- guitars
  • Steve Cropper- guitars
  • Fred Tackett, guitars
  • Jimmy Johnson- guitars
  • Barry Beckett- keyboards
  • Albhy Galuten- keyboards
  • Booker T. Jones- Hammond organ
  • Donald “Duck” Dunn- bass
  • Lee Sklar- bass
  • Bob Glaub- bass
  • David Hood- bass
  • David Lindley- mandolin, violin
  • Al Jackson, Jr.- drums
  • Roger Hawkins- drums
  • Nigel Olsson- drums
  • Willie Correa- drums
  • The Memphis Horns- trumpet, trombone, saxophone
  • Cindy & Bob Singers, The Pets & The Clappers – backing vocals
  • Arif Mardin, James Mitchell – string arrangements

Track listing:

  1. Three Time Loser – Rod Stewart
  2. Alright for an Hour – Rod Stewart, Jesse Ed Davis
  3. All in the Name of Rock ‘N’ Roll – Rod Stewart
  4. Drift Away – Mentor Williams
  5. Stone Cold Sober – Rod Stewart, Steve Cropper
  6. I Don’t Want to Talk About It – Danny Whitten
  7. It’s Not The Spotlight – Barry Goldberg, Gerry Goffin
  8. This Old Heart of Mine – Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Eddie Holland, Sylvia Moy
  9. Still Love You – Rod Stewart
  10. Sailing – Gavin Sutherland

Queen: Hot Space

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Hot_Space

On May 21, 1982, “EMI” label released “Hot Space”, the tenth Queen studio album. It was recorded June 1981 – March 1982, at “Mountain Studios” in Montreux, and “Musicland Studios” in Munich, and was produced by Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon, , Arif Mardin,  Reinhold Mack and David Bowie.

Personnel:

  • Freddie Mercury– lead and backing vocals,  piano,  synthesisers,  synth bass, Hammond organ
  • Brian May– lead and rhythm guitars, keyboards, lead, lead harmony and backing vocals, synth bass
  • Roger Taylor– lead and backing vocals, drums, electronic drums, programming, keyboards, rhythm guitar
  • John Deacon– bass guitar, rhythm guitar, keyboards, lead and rhythm guitars, drums, programming
  • David Bowie– duet vocals, percussion, keyboards
  • Arif Mardin– “hot and spacey” horn arrangement
  • Reinhold Mack– keyboard programming

Track listing:

  1. Staying Power – Freddie Mercury
  2. Dancer – Brian May
  3. Black Chat – Jean Deacon
  4. Body Language – Freddie Mercury
  5. Action This Day – Roger Taylor
  6. Put Out the Fire – Brian May
  7. Life Is Real (Song for Lennon) – Freddie Mercury
  8. Calling All Girls – Roger Taylor
  9. Las Palabras de Amor (The Words of Love) – Brian May
  10. Cool Cat – John Deacon, Freddie Mercury
  11. Under Pressure – David Bowie, John Deacon, Brian May, Freddie Mercury

The Rolling Stones: Black and Blue

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Black and blue

On April 23, 1976, “Rolling Stones” label released “Black and Blue”, the 13th Rolling Stones album. It was recorded December 1974, January – February 1975, March – April 1975, and was produced by The Glimmer Twins. It was the band’s first studio album with Ronnie Wood as the replacement for Mick Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Mick Jagger– lead, backing and harmony vocals,  rhythm guitar, acoustic and electric piano, foot stomp, percussion
  • Keith Richards– electric guitars, bass guitar, Fender Rhodes electric piano, electric wah-wah guitar. backing and harmony vocals
  • Ronnie Wood– lead electric guitar, electric guitar, co-lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Bill Wyman– bass guitar, percussion
  • Charlie Watts– drums, percussion
  • Harvey Mandel– lead electric guitar
  • Wayne Perkins– acoustic guitar, lead electric guitar
  • Billy Preston– organ, piano, string synthesizer, percussion, harmony and backing vocals
  • Nicky Hopkins– piano,  ARP String Ensemble
  • Ollie Brown– percussion
  • Ian Stewart– percussion
  • Arif Mardin– horn arrangements
  • Keith Harwood, Glyn Johns, Phil McDonald, Lew Hahn – engineer
  • Jeremy Gee, Dave Richards, Tapani, Steve Dowd, Gene Paul –  engineer assistant
  • Lee Hulko – LP mastering

Track listing:

All tracks by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, except where noted.

  1. Hot Stuff
  2. Hand of Fate
  3. Cherry on Baby – Eric Donaldson
  4. Memory Motel
  5. Hey Negrita – inspiration by Ron Wood
  6. Melody – Inspiration by Billy Preston
  7. Fool to Cry
  8. Crazy Mama

Donny Hathaway: Same

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Donny Hathaway same

On April 2, 1971, “Atco” label released the self-titled, second Donny Hathaway album. It was recorded 1970 – 1971, and was produced by Jerry Wexler, Arif Mardin and Donny Hathaway.

Personnel:

  • Donny Hathaway – lead vocals, keyboards
  • John Littlejohn – vocals, guitar
  • Cornell Dupree- guitar
  • Steve Novosel – bass guitar
  • Chuck Rainey- bass guitar
  • Phil Upchurch- bass guitar
  • Al Jackson, Jr.- drums
  • Morris Jennings – drums
  • Jack Jennings – percussion
  • King Curtis- tenor saxophone
  • Joe Newman – trumpet solo
  • Myrna Summers- backing vocals
  • Sammy Turner – backing vocals
  • R. Bailey – backing vocals
  • Cissy Houston- backing vocals
  • Judy Clay – backing vocals
  • Interdenominational Singers – backing vocals
  • Sylvia Shemwell – backing vocals
  • Myrna Smith- backing vocals
  • Ivory Stone – backing vocals
  • Deirdre Tuck Corley – backing vocals
  • Lillian Tynes – backing vocals
  • Ronald Bright – backing vocals

Track listing:

  1. Giving Up – Van McCoy
  2. A Song for You – Leon Russell
  3. Little Girl – Billy Preston
  4. He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother – Bob Russell and Bobby Scott
  5. Magnificent Sanctuary Band – Dorsey Burnette
  6. She Is My Lady – George S. Clinton
  7. I Believe in Music – Mac Davis
  8. Take a Love Song – Donny Hathaway and Nadine McKinnor
  9. Put Your Hand in the Hand – Gene MacLellan

Aretha Franklin: Let Me In Your Life

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Let_Me_In_Your_Life

On February 25, 1974, “Atlantic” label released “Let Me in Your Life”, the twenty-first Aretha Franklin studio album. It was recorded April – September 1973, at the “Whitney Studios” in Glendale, and was produced by Jerry Wexler and Aretha Franklin.

Personnel:

  • Aretha Franklin – lead vocals, acoustic and electric piano
  • Donny Hathaway- acoustic and electric piano
  • Bob James- organ, keyboards
  • David Spinozza- guitar
  • Cornell Dupree- guitar
  • Hugh McCracken– guitar
  • Deodato- arranger, electric piano
  • Kenneth Bichel- synthesizer
  • Richard Tee- keyboards
  • Stanley Clarke– bass
  • Chuck Rainey- bass
  • Willie Weeks- bass
  • Rick Marotta- drums
  • Bernard “Pretty” Purdie- drums
  • Pancho Morales – percussion
  • Ralph MacDonald- percussion
  • Arif Mardin- string arranger
  • Gene Orloff- concert master
  • Joe Farrell- tenor saxophone, flute
  • Ernie Royal- trumpet
  • Gwen Guthrie- backing vocals
  • Margaret Branch – backing vocals
  • Cissy Houston- backing vocals
  • Ann S. Clark – backing vocals
  • Sylvia Shemwell – backing vocals
  • Myrna Smith- backing vocals
  • Judy Clay- backing vocals
  • Deirdre Tuck Corley – backing vocals

Track listing:

  1. Let Me in Your Life – Bill Withers
  2. Every Natural Thing – Eddie Hinton
  3. Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing – Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson
  4. I’m in Love – Bobby Womack
  5. Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do) – Clarence Paul,Stevie Wonder, Morris Broadnax
  6. The Masquerade is Over – Herbert Magidson, Allie Wrubel
  7. With Pen in Hand – Bobby Goldsboro
  8. Oh Baby – Aretha Franklin
  9. Eight Days On the Road – Michael Gayle, Jerry Ragovoy
  10. If You Don’t Think – Aretha Franklin
  11. A Song for You – Leon Russell

Aretha Franklin: Young, Gifted And Black

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ArethaFranklinYoung,Gifted&Black

On January 24, 1972, “Atlantic” label released “Young, Gifted and Black”, the nineteenth Aretha Franklin studio album. It was recorded August 1970 – February 1971, and was produced by Tom Dowd, Arif Mardin and Jerry Wexler. In 1972, the album won Aretha Franklin “Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance”. In 2003, the TV network “VH1” ranked it the 76th greatest album of all time.

Personnel:

  • Aretha Franklin – lead vocals, acoustic piano, celesta, electric piano
  • Don Arnone – acoustic guitar
  • Cornell Dupree- guitar
  • Hugh McCracken- guitar
  • Donny Hathaway- organ, electric piano
  • Billy Preston- organ
  • Eric Gale- bass
  • Chuck Rainey- bass
  • Robert Popwell- bass, percussion
  • Bernard “Pretty” Purdie- drums
  • Al Jackson, Jr.- drums
  • Ray Lucas – drums
  • The Memphis Horns- horn section
  • Andrew Love (of the Memphis Horns) – tenor saxophone
  • Neal Rosengarden – trumpet, vibraphone
  • Wayne Jackson (of the Memphis Horns) – trumpet
  • Hubert Laws- flute
  • Tom Dowd- horn arrangements
  • Pat Smith – backing vocals
  • Ronald Bright – backing vocals
  • R. Bailey – backing vocals
  • Carolyn Franklin- backing vocals
  • Erma Franklin- backing vocals
  • Margaret Branch – backing vocals
  • Ann S. Clark – backing vocals
  • The Sweet Inspirations- backing vocals
  • Sammy Turner – backing vocals
  • Stanislaw Zagorski – cover design
  • David Nathan – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Oh Me Oh My (I’m a Fool for You Baby) – Jim Doris
  2. Day Dreaming – Aretha Franklin
  3. Rock Steady – Aretha Franklin
  4. Young, Gifted and Black – Weldon Irvine, Nina Simone
  5. All the King’s Horses – Aretha Franklin
  6. A Brand New Me – Theresa Bell, Jerry Butler, Kenny Gamble
  7. April Fools – Burt Bacharach, Hal David
  8. I’ve Been Loving You Too Long – Jerry Butler, Otis Redding
  9. First Snow in Kokomo – Aretha Franklin
  10. The Long and Winding Road – John Lennon, Paul McCartney
  11. Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time) – Thom Bell, William Hart
  12. Border Song (Holy Moses) – Bernie Taupin, Elton John

Jean-Luc Ponty: Mystical Adventures

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Mystical Adventures

On January 18, 1982, “Atlantic” label released “Mystical Adventures”, the 26th Jean-Luc Ponty album. It was recorded August – September, 1981, at “Cherokee Recording Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Jean-Luc Ponty and Arif Mardin.

Personnel:

  • Jean-Luc Ponty– vocals, acoustic and electric violin, organ, synthesizer, keyboards
  • Jamie Glaser– guitar
  • Chris Rhyne – synthesizer, piano, Fender Rhodes, synthesizer bass, Oberheim 8 Voice, Prophet 5
  • Randy Jackson– bass
  • Rayford Griffin – drums
  • Paulinho Da Costa– percussion

Track listing:

All tracks by Jean-Luc Ponty, except where noted.

  1. Mystical Adventures (Suite) Part I
  2. Mystical Adventures (Suite) Part II
  3. Mystical Adventures (Suite) Part III
  4. Mystical Adventures (Suite) Part IV
  5. Mystical Adventures (Suite) Part V
  6. Rhythms of Hope
  7. As – Stevie Wonder, arr. by Jean-Luc Ponty
  8. Final Truth – Part I
  9. Final Truth – Part II
  10. Jig

Eric Clapton: Journeyman

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Eric_Clapton - Journey Man

On November 7, 1989, “Duck” label released “Journeyman”, the eleventh Eric Clapton studio album. It was recorded in 1989, and was produced by Russ Tielman. Clapton won “Grammy Award” for “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance” in 1990 for the song “Bad Love”. “Journeyman” became the first Clapton’s solo studio album to go double platinum.

Personnel:

  • Eric Clapton – vocals, guitar, Dobro, design
  • Robert Cray– guitar
  • Phil Palmer– guitar
  • John Tropea– rhythm guitar
  • George Harrison– guitar, harmony vocals
  • Cecil Womack– vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Jerry Lynn Williams– guitar, backing and harmony vocals
  • Jeff Bova– synthesizer programming, drum programming, synthesizer horns
  • Alan Clark– synthesizer, keyboards, Hammond organ, sequencing
  • Robbie Kondor– synthesizer, harmonica, keyboards, vocoder, drum programming
  • Rob Mounsey– synthesizer
  • Robby Kilgore – synthesizer
  • Greg Phillinganes– synthesizer, piano, keyboards, background vocals
  • Richard Tee– piano, Fender Rhodes
  • Nathan East– bass, backing vocals
  • Pino Palladino- bass
  • Jim Keltner– percussion, drums, tambourine, drum programming
  • Phil Collins– drums , backing and harmony vocals
  • Carole Steele – percussion, conga, tambourine
  • Gary Burton– vibraphone
  • David Sanborn– alto saxophone
  • Hank Crawford– alto saxophone
  • Ronnie Cuber– baritone saxophone
  • David “Fathead” Newman– tenor saxophone
  • Jon Faddis– trumpet
  • Lew Soloff– trumpet
  • Linda Womack– vocals
  • Daryl Hall– harmony vocals
  • Tawatha Agee – backing vocals
  • Lani Groves – backing vocals
  • Chaka Khan– backing vocals
  • Tessa Niles– backing vocals
  • Vanessa Thomas – backing vocals
  • Jimmy Bralower – drum programming
  • Arif Mardin– arrangements, string arrangements

Track listing:

  1. Pretending – Jerry Lynn Williams
  2. Anything for Your Love – Jerry Lynn Williams
  3. Bad Love – Eric Clapton, Mick Jones
  4. Running on Faith – Jerry Lynn Williams
  5. Hard Times – Ray Charles
  6. Hound Dog – Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
  7. No Alibis – Jerry Lynn Williams
  8. Run So Far – George Harrison
  9. Old Love – Eric Clapton, Robert Cray
  10. Breaking Point – Marty Grebb, Jerry Lynn Williams
  11. Lead Me On – Cecil Womack, Linda Womack
  12. Before You Accuse Me – Ellas McDaniel