Tag Archives: Johnny Lee

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 Cars: Candy-O

On June 13, 1979, “Elektra” label released “Candy-O”, the second Cars (The) studio album. It was recorded in 1979, at “Cherokee” in Hollywood, and was produced by Ray Thomas Baker.

Personnel:

  • Ric Ocasek – vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Elliot Easton – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Greg Hawkes – keyboards, percussion, sax, backing vocals
  • Benjamin Orr – vocals, bass guitar
  • David Robinson – drums, percussion
  • Geoff Workman – engineer
  • George Tutkov – engineer assistant
  • George Marino – mastering
  • Ron Coro – art direction, design
  • Johnny Lee – art direction, design
  • David Robinson – cover concept
  • Alberto Vargas – cover painting
  • Jeff Albertson – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Ric Ocasek.

  1. Let’s Go
  2. Since I Held You
  3. It’s All I Can Do
  4. Double Life
  5. Shoo Be Doo
  6. Candy-O
  7. Night Spots
  8. You Can’t Hold on Too Long
  9. Lust for Kicks
  10. Got a Lot on My Head
  11. Dangerous Type

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