Tag Archives: Melvin Ragin

David Ruffin: Me ‘n Rock ‘n Roll Are Here to Stay

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In December 1974, “Motown” label released “Me ‘n Rock ‘n Roll Are Here to Stay”, the fifth David Ruffin album. It was recorded 1973 – 1974, at “Motown Recording Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Norman Whitfield and Mark Davis.

Personnel:

  • David Ruffin – vocals
  • Dennis Coffey, Eddie Willis, Johnny McGhee, Melvin Ragin – guitar
  • Earl Van Dyke, Mark Davis – keyboards
  • Henry Davis, Ron Brown – bass
  • Aaron Smith, Ed Greene, James Gadson – drums
  • Eddie “Bongo” Brown, Stephanie Spruill – percussion
  • Mykal Moore – saxophone
  • Freddy Dunn, Kenny Copeland – trumpet
  • Carolyn Willis, Jessie Kirkland, Joe Greene, Julia Waters, Lisa Roberts, Luther Waters, Maxine Waters, Oren Waters – backing vocals

Track listing:

  1. I Saw You When You Met Her – Norman Whitfield
  2. Take Me Clear from Here – Vincent DiMirco
  3. Smiling Faces Sometimes – Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong
  4. Me ‘n Rock ‘n Roll Are Here to Stay – Norman Whitfield
  5. Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are) – Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong
  6. No Matter Where – Clarence Drayton, Tamy Smith
  7. City Stars – Charles Higgins Jr, Dobie Gray
  8. I Just Want to Celebrate – Dino Fekaris, Nick Zesses

Doug Sahm: Texas Tornado

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In December 1973, “Atlantic” label released “Texas Tornado”, the second Doug Sahm studio album. It was recorded in October 1972, at “Atlantic Studios” and “Wally Heider Studios” in San Francisco, and was produced by Jerry Wexler, Arif Mardin and Doug Sahm.

Personnel:

  • Doug Sahm – vocals, guitar, bajo sexto, fiddle, electric piano, arrangements
  • Atwood Allen – acoustic guitar, harmony
  • Frank Paredes – vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Luis Ortéga – vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Charlie Owens – steel guitar
  • Andy Statman – mandolin
  • Mike Nock – electric piano
  • George Stubbs – electric piano
  • Flaco Jiménez – accordion
  • Augie Meyers – Vox Continental
  • Dr. John – piano, organ
  • Jack Barber – bass
  • Steve Vargas – bass
  • George Rains – drums
  • Pancho Morales – percussion
  • Warren Chiasson – vibraphone
  • David Bromberg – dobro
  • Kenny Kosek – fiddle
  • Rocky Morales – tenor saxophone
  • David “Fathead” Newman – tenor saxophone, flute
  • Martin Fierro – tenor saxophone
  • Mel Martin – tenor and baritone saxophone
  • Wayne Jackson – trumpet
  • Jack Wilmoth – trumpet
  • Charley MacBirney – trumpet
  • Neil Rosengarden – flugelhorn
  • Jimmy Douglass – engineer
  • Ken Hopkins – engineer, mixing
  • Dan Healy – mixing
  • Lew Hahn – mixing

Track listing:

All tracks by Doug Sahm.

  1. San Francisco FM Blues
  2. Someday
  3. Blue Horizon
  4. Tennessee Blues
  5. Ain’t That Loving You
  6. Texas Tornado
  7. Jaun Mendoza
  8. Chicano
  9. I’ll Be There
  10. Hard Way
  11. Nitty Gritty

The Undisputed Truth: Face to Face With the Truth

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In January 1972, “Gordy” label released “Face to Face with the Truth”, the second Undisputed Truth (The) album. It was recorded in 1971, and was produced by Norman Whitfield.

Personnel:

  • Joe “Pep” Harris – lead vocals
  • Billie Rae Calvin – additional lead and backing vocals
  • Brenda Joyce Evans – additional lead and backing vocals
  • Dennis Coffey – lead guitar
  • Melvin Ragin, Robert White, Eddie Willis, Joe Messina – guitar
  • Earl Van Dyke – piano
  • Johnny Griffin – organ
  • James Jamerson – bass
  • Aaron Smith, Richard Allen, Andrew Smith – drums
  • Eddie Brown – bongos, congas
  • Jack Ashford – tambourine, maracas, percussion
  • Jack Brokensha – timpani, vibraphone, bells
  • Norman Whitfield – engineer, mastering, art concept

Track listing:

  1. You Make Your Own Heaven and Hell Right Here on Earth
  2. What It Is
  3. Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite the World) / Friendship Train
  4. Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)
  5. Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me
  6. Don’t Let Him take Your Love from Me
  7. What’s Going On

Herbie Hancock: Sunlight

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On June 15, 1978, “Columbia” label released “Sunlight”, the 19th Herbie Hancock album. It was recorded in 1977, and was produced by David Rubinson and Herbie Hancock.

Personnel:

  • Herbie Hancock – lead and background vocals (vocoder), keyboards, synthesizers, string, brass and woodwind arrangements
  • Patrick Gleeson – additional synthesizers
  • Bennie Maupin – soprano saxophone solo
  • Wah Wah Watson, Ray Parker, Jr. – guitar
  • Byron Miller, Paul Jackson, Jaco Pastorius – electric bass
  • Leon “Ndugu” Chancler, James Levi, Harvey Mason, Sr., Tony Williams – drums
  • Raul Rekow, Bill Summers – percussion
  • Baba Duru – table
  • Bobby Shew, Maurice Spears, Robert O’Bryant, Garnett Brown – brass
  • Ernest J. Watts, Fred Jackson, Jr., Jack Nimitz, David Willard Riddles – woodwind
  • Terry Adams, Roy Malan, Nathan Rubin, Linda Wood, Emily VanValkenburgh – strings
  • David Rubinson, Fred Catero, Chris Minto, Cheryl Ward – engineer
  • Steve Mantoani – engineer
  • Terry Becker – engineer assistant
  • Phill Brown – mastering

Track listing:

All tracks by Herbie Hancock, except where noted.

  1. I Thought It Was You – Herbie Hancock, Melvin Ragin, Jeffrey Cohen
  2. Come Running to Me – lyrics by Allee Willis
  3. Sunlight
  4. No Means Yes
  5. Good Question

Herbie Hancock: Directstep

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On January 21, 1979, “CBS / Sony” label released (only in Japan) “Directstep” the twenty-fourth Herbie Hancock studio album. It was recorded October 17 – 18, 1978, and was produced by David Rubinson & Friends, Inc.

Personnel:

  • Herbie Hancock– vocals, Fender Rhodes,  clavinet,  Oberheim,  Prophet, Yamaha CS-80, Minimoog  synthesizers, Sennheiser vocoder
  • Webster Lewis- Hammond B-3 organ; Prophet, Yamaha CS-40, ARP String Ensemble and Minimoog synthesizers; Fender Rhodes, backing  vocals
  • Bennie Maupin- soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone,  lyricon
  • Ray Obiedo- electric guitar
  • Paul Jackson- electric bass
  • Alphonse Mouzon– drums
  • Bill Summers- percussion

Track listing:

  1. Butterfly – Herbie Hancock, Bennie Maupin
  2. Shiftless Shuffle – Herbie Hancock, Paul Jackson, Harvey Mason, Bill Summers
  3. I Thought It Was You – Jeffrey Cohen, Herbie Hancock, Melvin Ragin

Herbie Hancock: Secrets

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In August 1976, “Columbia” label released “Secrets”, the 16th Herbie Hancock studio album. It was recorded in 1976, in San Francisco, and was produced by David Rubinson and Herbie Hancock.

Personnel:

  • Herbie Hancock– acoustic piano, Rhodes electric piano, electric grand piano, ARP Odyssey, ARP String Ensemble,  Hohner D6 Clavinet,  Micromoog, Oberheim 4 Voice, Echoplex
  • Wah Wah Watson – vocals, guitar, Maestro universal synthesizer system,  sample and hold unit, voice bag, bass
  • Bennie Maupin– soprano sax, tenor sax, saxello, lyricon, bass clarinet
  • Ray Parker Jr.– guitar, backing vocals
  • Paul Jackson– bass
  • James Gadson, James Levi– drums
  • Kenneth Nash– percussion

Track listing:

  1. Doin’ It – Melvin Ragin, Ray Parker, Jr.
  2. People Music – Herbie Hancock, Melvin Ragin, Paul Jackson
  3. Cantelope Island – Herbie Hancock
  4. Spider – Melvin Ragin, Herbie Hancock, Paul Jackson
  5. Gentle Thoughts – Herbie Hancock, Melvin Ragin
  6. Swamp Rat – Paul Jackson, Herbie Hancock, Melvin Ragin
  7. Sansho Shima – Bennie Maupin

Marvin Gaye: Let’s Get It On

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Let's_Get_It_On

On August 28, 1973, “Tamla” label released “Let’s Get It On”, the thirteenth Marvin Gaye studio album. It was recorded  June 1970 – July 1973, at the“Golden World Studio” in Detroit and at the “Hitsville West” in Los  Angeles, and was produced by Marvin Gaye and Ed Townsend. The album received positive critics worldwide and is regarded as one of the most influential and most significant soul and funk albums of all time.

Personnel:

  • Marvin Gaye – lead and backing vocals, piano
  • David T. Walker, Eddie Willis, Lewis Shelton, Melvin Ragin, Robert White, Don Peake – guitar
  • Joe Sample, Marvin Jerkins – piano
  • James Jamerson, Wilton Felder – bass
  • Bobbye Hall Porter – bongos
  • Eddie “Bongo” Brown – drums, bongos
  • Paul Humphrey, Uriel Jones – drums
  • Emil Richards, Bobbye Hall Porter, Ernie Watts, Plas Johnson – percussion
  • Emil Richards, Victor Feldman – vibraphone
  • David Van DePitte , Gene Page, Rene Hall – arrangements, orchestra conducting
  • The Originals – backing vocals

Track listing:

  1. Let’s  Get it On – Marvin Gaye, Ed Townsend
  2. Please Stay – Marvin Gaye, Ed Townsend
  3. If I Should Die Tonight – Marvin Gaye, Ed Townsend
  4. Keep Getting’ it On – Marvin Gaye, Ed Townsend
  5. Come Get to This – Marvin Gaye
  6. Distant Lover – Marvin Gaye, Gwen Gordy, Sandra Green
  7. You Sure Love to Ball – Marvin Gaye
  8. Just to Keep You Satisfied – Marvin Gaye, Anna Gordy Gaye, Elgie Stover