Tag Archives: Mathieu Bitton

James Brown: Sex Machine Today

In May 1975, “Polydor” label released “Sex Machine Today”, the 40th James Brown studio album. It was recorded in 1975, at “Sound Ideas Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Charles Bobbit.

Personnel:

  • James Brown – lead vocals, arrangements
  • Fred Wesley- arrangements, production supervision
  • Bob Both – engineer, production supervision
  • David Stone, Major Little – engineer assistant
  • Roger Huyssen – artwork
  • Mathieu Bitton – design

Track listing:

  1. Sex Machine Pts. 1 & 2 – James Brown, Bobby Bird, Ron Lenhoff
  2. I Feel Good – James Brown
  3. Problems – James Brown, Lee Austin
  4. Dead on It – James Brown, Fred Wesley
  5. Get Up Off of Me – James Brown, Fred Wesley
  6. Deep in It – James Brown

The 5th Dimension: Up, Up and Away

In May 1967, “Soul City” label released “Up, Up and Away” the debut 5th Dimension album. It w was produced byas recorded April 1966-March 1967, and was produced by Marc Gordon, Willie Hutch, Johnny Rivers and Rob Santos. In 1967, “Up, Up and Away” won four “Grammy Award” including “Record of the Year”.

Personnel:

  • Billy Davis, Jr. – lead and backing vocals
  • Marilyn McCoo- lead and backing vocals
  • Lamonte McLemore- backing vocals
  • Ron Townson- backing vocals
  • Florence LaRue- backing vocals
  • Al Casey- guitar
  • Johnny Rivers– guitar
  • F. Sloan– guitar
  • Tommy Tedesco– guitar
  • Larry Knechtel- piano, keyboards
  • Jimmy Webb -keyboards,  musical conductor, arrangements
  • Joe Osborn- bass, guitar
  • Hal Blaine- drums, percussion
  • Marty Paich – horns and strings arrangements
  • Elliot Federman – mastering
  • Arlessa Barnes, Glenn Delgado, Christina DeSimone, Robin Diamond, Mandana Eidgah, Karyn Friedland, Felicia Gearhart, Laura Gregory, Jeremy Holiday, Robin Manning, Brooke Nochomson, Ed Osborne, Larry Parra, Dana Renert, Bill Stafford, Steve Strauss – project coordinator
  • Bones Howe, Tom Tierney, Russ Wapensky – production assistant
  • Joanna Feltman – archivist
  • Mike Hartry – transfer
  • Mathieu Bitton – art direction, design
  • Wardy Woodward – art direction
  • Wayne Kimbell – design
  • Bernard Yeszin – cover photography
  • Rob Santers – photography
  • Mike Ragehoa – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Up, Up and Away – Jimmy Webb
  2. Another Day, Another Heartache – Steve Barri, F. Sloan
  3. Which Way to Nowhere- Jimmy Webb
  4. California My Way – Willie Hutch
  5. Misty Roses – Tim Hardin
  6. Go Where You Wanna Go – John Phillips
  7. Never Gonna Be the Same – Jimmy Webb
  8. Pattern People – Jimmy Webb
  9. Rosecrans Blvd. – Jimmy Webb
  10. Learn How to Fly – Willie Hutch
  11. Poor Side of Town – Lou Adler, Johnny Rivers

Cat Stevens: Izitso

In April 1977, “Island” label released “Izitso”, the tenth Cat Stevens studio album. It was recorded September 1976 – March 1977, at “Muscle Shoals Sound Studio” in Sheffield, Alabama;“Sound 80 Studios” in Minneapolis; “Ardent Studios” in  Memphis, Tennessee; “Le Studio”, “Morin Heights” in Quebec, Canada;  “Sweet Silence Studios” in Copenhagen, Denmark, and was produced by Cat Stevens
and David Kershenbaum.

Personnel:

  • Cat Stevens – vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, steel guitar, guitar synthesizer, bouzouki, keyboards, piano, celesta, harpsichord, Wurlitzer electric piano, Fender Rhodes, Polymoog, Moog synthesizer, Minimoog, ARP String Synthesizer, ARP 2600, Yamaha CS-80, Yamaha GX-1, Yamaha  EA5R  electronic organ, music sequencer, drums, percussion, harmonica,  brass,  arrangements, programming, illustrations, design
  • Pete Carr– acoustic and electric guitar, steel guitar, Ovation guitar, Epiphone Casino, guitar synthesizer, bouzouki
  • Jim Johnson– rhythm guitar
  • Weldon Myrick– steel guitar
  • Reggie Young– electric guitar
  • Ray Gomez– guitar
  • Chick Corea– electric piano, keyboards
  • Barry Beckett– piano, electric piano, organ, keyboards
  • Tim Henson– acoustic piano, piano, organ, keyboards
  • Little Brother Montgomery– ARP 2600
  • Jean Roussel– Hammond organ, piano, organ, synthesizer, ARP String Synthesizer, Yamaha CS-80, keyboards, flute, glockenspiel, vibraphone, string instruments, brass instruments, arrangements
  • Broderick Smith– harmonica
  • Bruce Lynch– double bass, electbass, bass synthesizer
  • David Hood– double bass, bass, bass synthesizer
  • Andy Newmark– drums, percussion
  • Bill Berg– drums, percussion
  • Barry Morgan– drums, percussion
  • Roger Hawkins– drums, percussion
  • Gene Page– string instruments, brass instruments, arrangements
  • David Campbell– string and brass arrangements
  • Marjorie Lagerwall– harp
  • Elkie Brooks– vocals
  • Suzanne Lynch– backing vocals
  • Carla Benson– backing vocals
  • Evette Benton– backing vocals
  • Barbara Ingram– backing vocals
  • Harvey Goldberg, Mike Stavros, Ian Boughey, Nigel Walker, Flemming Rasmussen, Tom Jung, Paul Martinson, Nick Blagona, Mike Ross, Freddy Hansson, Steve Brandon, Jerry Masters, Gene Eichelberger, Dee Robb, John Kelly, Ken Frieson – engineer
  • Claude Dupras – programming, mixing
  • Ted Jensen, Bernie Grundman – mastering
  • Mathieu Bitton – design
  • Eckford Stimpson – design
  • Moshe Brakha – photography
  • Bill Levenson – supervisor
  • Beth Stempel – coordinator

Track listing:

All tracks by Cat Stevens, except where noted.

  1. (Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard
  2. Life
  3. Killin’ Time
  4. Kypros
  5. Bonfire
  6. (I Never Wanted) To Be a Star
  7. Crazy
  8. Sweet Jamaica
  9. Was Dog a Doughnut?- Cat Stevens, Bruce Lynch, Jean Roussel
  10. Child for a Day – Paul Travis, David Gordon

5th Dimension: Portrait

In April 1970, “Bell Records” label released “Portrait”, the fifth 5th Dimension album.  It was recorded August 1969-March 1970, at Wally Heider Studios in Hollywood, and was produced by Bones Howe. The album  cover features an impressionistic portrait by the artist LeRoy Neiman.

Personnel:

  • Billy Davis, Jr.- lead and backing vocals
  • Florence LaRue- lead and backing vocals
  • Marilyn McCoo- lead and backing vocals
  • Ron Townson- lead and backing vocals
  • Michael Anthony- electric guitar
  • Mike Deasy- electric guitar
  • Dennis Budimir – rhythm guitar
  • Tommy Tedesco- rhythm guitar
  • Fred Tackett- finger pickin’ guitar
  • Larry Knechtel- piano, organ, tack piano
  • Jimmy Rowles– piano
  • Gary Illingworth – electric piano
  • Joe Osborn- bass
  • Hal Blaine- drums, percussion
  • Larry Bunker- congas, mallets, percussion, drums
  • Gary Coleman – mallets, percussion
  • Bob Alcivar, Bill Hollman – arrangements
  • Bones Howe – arrangements, engineer
  • Elliot Federman – mastering
  • Joanne Feltman, Glenn Korman – archivist
  • Joel Whitburn – research
  • Larry Cox, Johnny Golden, Rik Pekkonen – assistants
  • Beverly Weinstein – art direction
  • Mathieu Bitton – design
  • Mike Ragogna – liner notes
  • Jeremy Holiday – production coordinator
  • Bones Howe, Ann McClelland, Tom Tierney, Russ Wapensky – production assistant
  • Mandana Eidgah – production manager
  • Arlessa Barnes, Glenn Delgado, Christina DeSimone, Karyn Friedland, Felicia Gearhart, Laura Gregory, Robin Manning, Brooke Nochomson, Ed Osborne, Larry Parra, Dana Renert, Bill Stafford, Steve Strauss – project coordinator

Track listing:

  1. Puppet Man – Howard Greenfield, Neil Sedaka
  2. One Less Bell to Answer – Burt Bacharach, Hal David
  3. Feelin’ Alright – Dave Mason
  4. This Is Your Life – Jimmy Webb
  5. A Love Like Ours – Bob Alcivar, Lamonte McLemore
  6. Save the Country – Laura Nyro
  7. Medley
  • The Declaration – Julianne Johnson, René DeKnight
  • A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke
  • People Gotta Be Free – Eddie Brigati, Felix Cavaliere
  1. Dimension 5ive – Bob Alcivar

On the Beach (In the Summertime) – McNeil