Tag Archives: Donn Davenport

Aretha Franklin: Get It Right

On July 14, 1983, “Arista” label released “Get It Right”, the twenty-ninth Aretha Franklin studio album. It was recorded in 1983, and was produced by Luther Vandross.

Personnel:

  • Aretha Franklin – lead and backing vocals, vocal arrangements
  • Doc Powell – guitar
  • Georg Wadenius – guitar
  • Teddy F. White – guitar
  • Nat Adderley Jr. – keyboards, rhythm arrangements
  • Marcus Miller – synthesizers, bass guitar, rhythm arrangements
  • Yogi Horton – drums
  • Paulinho da Costa – percussion, congas, bongos
  • Steve Kroon – congas, triangle
  • Dave Friedman – vibraphone
  • David Carey – timpani
  • George Young – soprano saxophone
  • Alan Rubin, George Young, Gregory Williams, Jim Pugh, John Clark, Jon Faddis, Lew Soloff, Lou Marini, Peter Gordon, Ronnie Cuber, Tom Malone – horns
  • Alfred Brown, Barry Finclair, Elena Barere, Emanuel Vardi, Guy Lumia, Harold Kohon, Harry Zaratzian, Homer Mensch, Jan Mullen, Jean R. Dane, Jesse Levy, John Beal, John Pintavalle, Jonathan Abramowitz, Joseph Rabushka, Judy Geist, Julien Barber, Kathryn Kienke, Kermit Moore, Lamar Alsop, Lewis Eley, Margaret Ross, Marilyn Wright, Regis Landiorio, Richard Sortomme, Richard Young, Sanford Allen, Sue Pray, Winterton Garvey – strings
  • Rob Mounsey – string arrangements, horn arrangements
  • Paul Riser – string and horn arrangements
  • Luther Vandross – vocal arrangements, backing vocals
  • Michael Love Smith – vocal arrangements, backing vocals
  • Brenda White – backing vocals
  • Fonzi Thornton – backing vocals
  • Michelle Cobbs – backing vocals
  • Phillip Ballou – backing vocals
  • Tawatha Agee – backing vocals
  • Yvonne Lewis – backing vocals
  • Cissy Houston – backing vocals
  • Darlene Love – backing vocals
  • Paulette McWilliams – backing vocals
  • Brenda Corbett – backing vocals
  • Margaret Branch – backing vocals
  • Sandra Richardson – backing vocals
  • Aaron T. Smith – backing vocals
  • Danny Dedusual Smith – backing vocals
  • Myrna Smith – backing vocals
  • Don Cuminale – engineer
  • Paul Brocek, Michael Christopher – additional engineering, engineer assistant
  • Mark Cobrin – engineer assistant
  • Michael H. Brauer – mixing
  • Donn Davenport – art direction
  • Howard Fritzson – design

Track listing:

All tracks written by Luther Vandross and Marcus Miller, except where noted.

  1. Get It Right
  2. Pretender
  3. Every Girl (Wants My Guy)
  4. When You Love Me Like That
  5. I Wish It Would Rain – Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield, Roger Penzabene
  6. Better Friends Than Lovers – Michael Lovesmith
  7. I Got Your Love – Luther Vandross
  8. Giving In – Clarence Franklin

Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson: 1980

In February 1980, “Arista” label released “1980”, album by Gil Scott Heron and Brian Jackson. It was recorded August – October 1979, and was produced by Malcolm Cecil, Brian Jackson and Gil Scott-Heron.

Personnel:

  • Brian Jackson – acoustic piano, electric piano, keyboard bass, synthesizer, O.N.T.O. synthesizer, drums, kettle drums, backing vocals, arrangements
  • Gil Scott-Heron – lead vocals
  • Marlo Henderson– guitar
  • Ed Brady – guitar
  • Harvey Mason– drums
  • Gordon Goodwin– horns
  • Denis Sirias – horns
  • Bill Watrous– horns
  • Carl Cornwell – flute, saxophone
  • Marti McCall – backing vocals
  • Julia Waters – backing vocals
  • Maxine Waters Waddell – backing vocals
  • Malcolm Cecil– engineer, mixing
  • Ron Kellum – art direction
  • Donn Davenport – art direction
  • John Ford – cover photo

Track listing:

All tracks by Gil Scott-Heron, except where noted.

  1. Shut ‘Um Down
  2. Alien (Hold On to Your Dreams)
  3. Willing
  4. Corners – lyrics by Gil Scott-Heron, music by Brian Jackson
  5. 1980
  6. Push Comes to Shove
  7. Shah MOT (The Shah Is Dead/Checkmate)
  8. Late Last Night

Aretha Franklin: Who’s Zoomin’ Who?

On July 9, 1995, “Arista” label “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?”, the thirtieth Aretha Franklin studio album. It was recorded October 1984 – May 1995,at “The Automatt” in San Francisco, “The Plant Recording Studios” in Sausalito, “United Sound Systems” in Detroit, “Right Track Recording” and “The Power Station” in New York City, and was produced by Aretha Franklin, David A. Stewart and  Narada Michael Walden.

Personnel:

  • Aretha Franklin – lead vocals
  • Walter Afanasieff– keyboards
  • Preston Glass– backing vocals, keyboards, keyboard vibes
  • Peter Wolf– lead vocals
  • Nat Adderley Jr.– keyboards
  • Robbie Kondor – synthesizer
  • Annie Lennox– lead vocals, keyboards
  • David A. Stewart– keyboards, rhythm guitar
  • Benmont Tench– Hammond organ
  • Corrado Rustici– guitar, guitar synthesizer
  • Ray Gomez – guitar solo
  • Doc Powell– guitar
  • Steve Khan– guitar
  • Mike Campbell– lead guitar
  • Carlos Santana– guitar solo
  • Randy Jackson– synth bass, bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Louis Johnson– bass guitar
  • Nathan East– bass guitar
  • Narada Michael Walden– drums, percussion, acoustic piano, keyboards
  • Yogi Horton– drums
  • Stan Lynch– drums
  • Shelly Yakus – drums
  • Steve Kroon – percussion
  • Gigi Gonaway– tambourine
  • The Santana Rhythm Section– percussion
  • Andy Narell – steel drums
  • Clarence Clemons– saxophone
  • Dizzy Gillespie– trumpet solo
  • Paul Riser– string arrangements
  • The Charles Williams Singers – choir
  • Kitty Beethoven – backing vocals
  • Carolyn Franklin– backing vocals
  • Jim Gilstrap– backing vocals
  • Vicki Randle– backing vocals
  • Sylvester– backing vocals
  • Jeanie Tracy – backing vocals
  • Martha Wash– backing vocals
  • Laundon Von Hendricks – backing vocals
  • Nikita Germaine – backing vocals
  • Craig Thomas – backing vocals
  • Karen Benington – backing vocals
  • Sandra Feva – backing vocals
  • Margaret Branch – backing vocals
  • Brenda Corbett – backing vocals
  • Don Smith – engineer, mixing
  • Josh Abbey – engineer
  • David Frazer – engineer
  • Adam Williams – engineer
  • Jay Willis – assistant engineer
  • Moira Marquis – second engineer
  • Ray Pyle – second engineer
  • Paul Hamingson – second engineer
  • Gordon Logan – second engineer
  • Dana Chappelle – second engineer
  • Tim Crich – second engineer
  • Maureen Droney – second engineer
  • Dominick Celani – engineer assistant
  • David A. Stewart – mixing
  • Michael Brauer – additional mixing
  • Greg Calbi – mastering
  • Stephen Marcussen– original mastering
  • Donn Davenport – art direction
  • Artis Lane – painting
  • John Pinderhughes – photography
  • Sephra Herman – production coordination
  • Clive Davis– executive producer

Track listing:

  1. Freeway of Love – Jeffrey E. Cohen, Narada Michael Walden
  2. Another Night – Beppe Cantarelli, Roy Freeland
  3. Sweet Bitter Love – Van McCoy
  4. Who’s Zoomin’ Who – Aretha Franklin, Preston Glass, Narada Michael Walden
  5. Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves – Annie Lennox, David A. Stewart
  6. Until You Say You Love Me – Preston Glass, Narada Michael Walden
  7. Ain’t Nobody Ever Loved You – Jeffrey E. Cohen, Narada Michael Walden
  8. Push – Jeffrey E. Cohen, Narada Michael Walden
  9. Integrity – Aretha Franklin

Lou Reed: The Bells

In April 1979, “Arista” label released “The Bells”, the ninth Lou Reed album. It was recorded in 1979, at “Delta Studios” in Wilster, Germany, and was produced by Lou Reed.

Personnel:

  • Lou Reed – lead and backing vocals, electric guitar, Roland guitar synthesizer, bass synthesizer
  • Ellard “Moose” Boles – 12-string electric guitar, bass, bass synthesizer, backing vocals
  • Don Cherry- African hunting guitar, trumpet
  • Marty Fogel – ocarina, soprano and tenor saxophones, Fender Rhodes
  • Michael Fonfara- electric and Fender Rhodes pianos, keyboards, Oberheim synthesizer, backing vocals, executive producer
  • Michael Suchorsky – percussion
  • Lou Reed, Marty Fogel, Don Cherry – horn arrangements
  • René Tinner – engineer
  • Manfred Schunke – mixing
  • Ted Jensen– mastering
  • Donn Davenport, Howard Fritzson – design, art direction
  • Garry Gross – photography

Track listing:

  1. Stupid Man – Lou Reed, Nils Lofgren
  2. Disco Mystic – Lou Reed, Ellard Boles, Marty Fogel, Michael Fonfara, Michael Suchorsky
  3. I Want to Boogie with You – Lou Reed, Michael Fonfara
  4. With You – Lou Reed, Nils Lofgren
  5. Looking for Love – Lou Reed
  6. City Lights – Lou Reed, Nils Lofgren
  7. All Through the Night – Lou Reed, Don Cherry
  8. Families – Lou Reed, Ellard, Boles
  9. The Bells – Lou Reed, Marty Fogel