Tag Archives: Ginny Livingston

Smokey Robinson: Being With You

On February 17, 1981, “Motown” label released “Being with You”, the ninth Smokey Robinson album. It was recorded November – January 1981, at “Studio Sound Recorders” in Hollywood, “Motown Recording Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by George Tobin, Mike Piccirillo and Smokey Robinson.

Personnel:

  • Smokey Robinson – lead and backing vocals
  • Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars
  • Reginald “Sonny” Burke – keyboards, arrangements
  • Ronnie Rancifer – keyboards
  • Bill Cuomo – keyboards
  • Mike Piccirillo – synthesizers, organ, guitars, additional keyboards, percussion, steel drums, associate producer
  • Scott Edwards – bass
  • Robert “Pops” Popwell – bass
  • Ed Greene – drums
  • James Gadson – drums
  • Scotty Harris – drums
  • Howard Lee Wolen – percussion
  • Mark Wolfson – percussion
  • Joel Peskin – saxophones
  • Harry Kim – trumpet
  • David Strout – trombone
  • George Tobin – arrangements
  • Ivory Davis – backing vocals
  • Patricia Henley – backing vocals
  • Robert John – backing vocals
  • Claudette Robinson – backing vocals
  • Julia Waters Tillman – backing vocals
  • Maxine Waters Willard – backing vocals
  • Michael Lizzio – engineer, mixing
  • Howard Lee Wolen, Mark Wolfson – engineer
  • Richie Griffin, Ginny Pallante – engineer assistant
  • George Tobin – mixing
  • John Lemay – mastering
  • Johnny Lee – art direction
  • Ginny Livingston – design
  • Gary Heery – photography
  • Lisa Marie – production coordinator
  • Randy Dunlap, Barbara Ramsey – project manager

Track listing:

All tracks by Smokey Robinson, except where noted.

  1. Being With You
  2. Food For Thought
  3. If You Wanna Make Love (Come ‘Round Here)
  4. Who’s Sad – Gary Goetzman, Mike Piccirillo
  5. Can’t Fight Love – Gary Goetzman, Mike Piccirillo
  6. You Are Forever
  7. As You Do – Peter Kingsbery
  8. I Hear The Children Singing – Forest Hairston

The Temptations: Power

On April 18, 1980, “Gordy” label released “Power”, the 24th Temptations (The) album. It was recorded in 1979, at “Golden Sound”, “Group IV Audio Inc”, “Hitsville U.S.A. Recording Studios”, “Jennifudy Studios”, and was produced by Angelo Bond, Berry Gordy, Teddy Randazzo and William Weatherspoon.

Personnel:

  • Dennis Edwards – vocal
  • Melvin Franklin – vocal
  • Glenn Leonard – vocal
  • Richard Street – vocal
  • Otis Williams – vocal
  • Paul M. Jackson Jr. – guitar
  • Tim May – guitar
  • Melvin “Wah Wah” Ragin – guitar
  • Anthony Travaglini – guitar
  • David T. Walker – guitar
  • Reginald “Sonny” Burke – keyboards
  • Eric Butler – keyboards
  • Earl Van Dyke – keyboards
  • Reginald “Sonny” Burke – keyboards
  • Eric Butler – keyboards
  • “Ready” Freddie Washington – bass guitar
  • Nathan Watts – bass guitar
  • Quentin Dennard – drums
  • James Gadson – drums
  • John Arnold – percussion
  • Eddie “Bongo” Brown – percussion
  • Gary Coleman – percussion
  • Gene Page – horn and string arrangements
  • Paul Riser – horn and string arrangements
  • McKinley Jackson – rhythm arrangements
  • Teddy Randazzo – arrangements
  • Barney Perkins – recording, mixing
  • Bob Robitaille – recording, mixing
  • Steve Williams – recording
  • Guy Costa – recording
  • Lawrence T. Horn – recording
  • Tony Autore – recording assistant
  • Bobby Brooks – recording assistant
  • Dave Mancini – recording assistant
  • Greg Orloff – recording assistant
  • Berry Gordy – mixing, executive producer
  • Paul Ring – mixing assistant
  • Mike Diehl – cover, design, illustration
  • Ginny Livingston – art direction
  • Ron Slenzak – photography
  • Ronald Wakefield – photography
  • Suzee Wendy Ikeda – project management

Track listing:

  1. Power – Angelo Bond, Berry Gordy, Jean Mayer
  2. Struck by Lightning Twice – Angelo Bond, Ronald Weatherspoon, William Weatherspoon
  3. Isn’t the Night Fantastic – Dennis Edwards, David English, Glenn Leonard, Richard Street, Otis Williams
  4. How Can I Resist Your Love – Angelo Bond, William Weatherspoon
  5. Shadow of Your Love – Teddy Randazzo, Tony Travaglini
  6. Can’t You See Sweet Thing – Dennis Edwards, David English, Glenn Leonard, Richard Street, Otis Williams
  7. Go for It – Angelo Bond, Ronald Weatherspoon, William Weatherspoon
  8. I’m Coming Home – Dennis Edwards, David English, Glenn Leonard, Richard Street, Otis Williams

Rick James: Street Songs

Rick_James_-_Street_Songs

On April 7, 1981, “Gordy Records” label released “Street Songs”, the fifth Rick James album. It was recorded December 1980 – January 1981, at  the “Record Plant” in Sausalito, California and “Motown / Hitsville U.S.A. Recording Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Rick James. In July 1981, the album was certified Platinum in US by “RIIA”.

Personnel:

  • Rick James – lead vocals, guitar, bass, drums, timbales, percussion, string and horn arrangements, design concept
  • Tom McDermott – guitar, percussion
  • Erskine Williams – keyboards, clavinet, organ
  • Levi Ruffin Jr – synthesizer, backing vocals
  • Oscar Alston – bass, percussion
  • Lanise Hughes – drums
  • Steve Price – drums
  • Armando Peraza, Bugsy Wilcox, Nate Hughes, Raul Rekow – percussion
  • Donny Keider – vibraphone
  • Daniel LeMelle – alto and tenor saxophone, horns, flute
  • Fernando Harkless, Roy Roper – trumpet
  • John Ervin – horns, trombone, flute
  • Cliff Ervin – horns, trumpet, piccolo flute, flugelhorn
  • The Mary Jane Band (JoAnne McDuffy, Lisa Sarna) – singers
  • Jane’t DuBois, Jackie Ruffin, Julia Waters Tillman, Lawrence Hilton Jacobs, Levi Ruffin, Jr., Marci Thomas, Maxine Waters Willard, Pattie Brooks, The Mary Jane Band – singers
  • Aaron Dublin, California St. Clair, Daniel LeMelle, Levi Ruffin, Jr., Lisa Sarna, Oscar Alston, Teena Marie, Victor Reed – handclaps
  • Stone City Band – backing band
  • Charles Veal Jr – concertmaster
  • Daniel LeMelle – string and horn arrangements
  • Reggie Andrews – string arrangements
  • Bobby Brooks, Tom Flye – recording, mixing
  • Rick Sanches – recording
  • Michael Johnson, Tony Autore – engineer assistant
  • Johnny Lee – art direction
  • Ginny Livingston – design
  • Norman Moore – logo design
  • Ron Slenzak – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Rick James, except where noted.

  1. Give It to Me Baby
  2. Ghetto Life
  3. Make Love to Me
  4. Policeman
  5. Super Freak – Rick James, Alonzo Miller
  6. Fire and Desire
  7. Call Me Up
  8. Below the Funk