Tag Archives: platinum

Tracy Chapman: New Beginning

Leave a comment

tracy_chapman_-_new_beginning

On November 14, 1995, “Elektra” label released “New Beginning”, the  fourth Tracy Chapman album. It was recorded 1994 – 1995, and was produced by Tracy Chapman and Don Gehman. The album was certified 3 x Platinum in Australia by “ARIA”; 7 x Platinum in Canada by “Music Canada”; Platinum in New Zealand by “RMNZ”, and 5 x Platinum in the US by “RIIA”.

Personnel:

  • Tracy Chapman – lead and backing vocals, organ, acoustic and electric guitar
  • Adam Levy – electric guitar, backing vocals
  • John Thomas– piano
  • John Philip Shenale– keyboard
  • Andy Stoller – bass, tanboura, backing vocals
  • Rock Deadrick – drums, percussion, backing vocals
  • Steve Ferrone– drums
  • Glenys Rogers – percussion, backing vocals
  • Eric Rigler – Tin whistle, Uilleann pipes
  • Scott Roewe – didgeridoo
  • Lili Haydn– violin
  • Cameron Stone – cello
  • Don Gehman – engineer
  • John Ewing, Jr., Kevin Scott, Doug Trantow – engineer assistant
  • Don Gehman – mixing
  • Eddy Schreyer – mastering
  • Lee Cantelon – art direction
  • Lee Cantelon – design
  • Lavonne Murlowski – layout
  • Christine Alicino – photography
  • Diane Medak – production coordinator

Track listing:

All tracks by Tracy Chapman.

  1. Heaven’s Here on Earth
  2. Start All Over
  3. Smoke and Ashes
  4. Cold Feet
  5. At This Point in My Life
  6. The Promise
  7. The Rape of the World
  8. Tell It Like It Is
  9. Give Me One Reason
  10. Remember the Tinman
  11. I’m Ready
  12. Save a Place For Me

Eurythmics: Touch

Leave a comment

eurythmics_-_touch

On November 14, 1983, “RCA” label released “Touch”, the third Eurythmics studio album. It was recorded in 1983. at “The Church” in London, and was produced by David A. Stewart. In 2012, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 493 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. The album was certified Platinum in UK by “BPI”, and Platinum in the US by “RIIA”.

Personnel:

  • Annie Lennox- vocals, flute, percussion, keyboard, arrangements
  • Dave Stewart- vocals, dulcimer, bass, guitar, drum programming, keyboard, xylophone, sequencing, arrangements
  • Dean Garcia – bass
  • Martin Dobson -baritone saxophone
  • Dick Cuthell- trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn
  • British Philharmonic– strings
  • Michael Kamen – string arrangements
  • Michael Kamen- conductor
  • Jon Bavin – engineer
  • Laurence Stevens – art direction, design
  • Andrew Christian – design
  • Brian Aris, Pete Ashworth – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart.

  1. Here Comes the Rain Again
  2. Regrets
  3. Right By Your Side
  4. Cool Blue
  5. Who’s That Girl
  6. The First Cut
  7. Aqua
  8. No Fear, No Hate, No Pain (No Broken Hearts)
  9. Paint a Rumour

Earth, Wind & Fire: Raise!

Leave a comment

earth_wind__fire_-_raise

On November 14, 1981, “CBS” label released “Raise!”, the eleventh Earth, Wind & Fire album. It was recorded May 1981, at “ARC/George Massenburg Studio” in Los Angeles and “Sunset Sounds Recording Studio” in Hollywood, and was produced by Maurice White. The album was certified Platinum in the US by “RIAA”.

Personnel:

  • Maurice White – lead and backing vocals, drums, kalimba
  • Phillip Bailey – lead and backing vocals, percussion, co-producer
  • Johnny Graham, Roland Bautista – guitar
  • Billy Meyers, David Foster, Wayne Vaughn – keyboards
  • Larry Dunn – piano, synthesizer, production assistant
  • Verdine White – bass, production assistant
  • Fred White – drums, percussion
  • Tom Saviano – saxophone
  • Andrew Woolfolk – tenor saxophone
  • Michael Boddicker – synthesizer, vocoder
  • Bill Reichenbach, Charles Loper, Dick Hyde, George Bohanon, Lew McCreary, Louis Satterfield – trombone
  • Chuck Findley, Gary Grant, Jerry Hey, Larry G. Hall, Michael Harris, Oscar Brashear, Rahmlee Michael Davis – trumpet
  • Anton Sen, Arkady Shindelman, Arnold Belnick, Betty LaMagna, Brian Leonard, Denyse Buffum, Endre Granat, Haim Shtrum, Henry Ferber, Irving Geller, Jerome Reisler, John Wittenbert, Mari Tsumura Botnick, Marvin Limonick, Myra Kestenbaum, Nathan Ross, Norman Leonard, Reginald Hill, Ronald Folsom, Sheldon Sanov, Thomas Buffum, William Hymanson, William Kurasch – violin
  • Alan DeVeritch, Allan Harshman, Gareth Nuttycombe, Pamela Goldsmith, Virginia Majewski – viola
  • Frederick Seykora, Jerome Kessler, Larry Corbett, Mary Louise Zeyen, Paula Hochhalter, Selene Burford – cello
  • Billy Meyers, Jerry Hey – horns arrangements
  • David Foster, Billy Meyers – string arrangements
  • Pluto, Beloyd Taylor, Ralph Johnson – backing vocals
  • Assa Drori, James Getzoff – concertmaster
  • Ken Fowler, Ron Pendragon, Tom Perry – engineer
  • Stephen McManus – engineer assistant
  • Mick Guzauski, Tom Perry – mixing
  • Mick Guzauski – design, art conception, engineer
  • Roger Carpenter – art direction, design
  • Shusei Nagaoka – illustration

Track listing:

  1. Let’s Groove – Wayne Vaughn, Maurice White
  2. Lady Sun – Beloyd Taylor
  3. My Love – Wayne Vaughn, Maurice White
  4. Evolution Orange – David Foster, O’Byrne, Maurice White
  5. Kalimba Tree – Maurice White
  6. You Are a Winner – Beloyd Taylor
  7. I’ve Had Enough – Philip Bailey, Greg Phillinganes, Brenda Russell
  8. Wanna Be With You – Wayne Vaughn, Maurice White
  9. The Changing Times – Beloyd Taylor

Jeff Lynn’s Electric Light Orchestra: Alone In The Universe

Leave a comment

alone_in_the_universe

On November 13, 2015, “Columbia” label released “Alone in the Universe”, the thirteenth Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) studio album. It was recorded 2014 – 2015, at “Bungalow Palace”, and was produced by Jeff Lynne. The album was certified Platinum in UK by “BPI”.

Personnel:

  • Jeff Lynne– lead and backing vocals,  guitar,  bass,  piano,  drums, keyboards, vibraphones,  mixing
  • Steve Jay– shaker, tambourine, engineer, mixing
  • Laura Lynne – backing vocals
  • Bob Ludwig– mastering
  • Ryab Corey – design, illustration
  • Rob Shanahan – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Jeff Lynne.

  1. When I Was a Boy
  2. Love and Rain
  3. Dirty to the Bone
  4. When the Night Comes
  5. The Sun Will Shine on You
  6. Ain’t It a Drag
  7. All My Life
  8. I’m Leaving You
  9. One Step at a Time
  10. Alone in the Universe

The O’Jays: Ship Ahoy

Leave a comment

ship_ahoy

On November 10, 1973, “Philadelphia International Records” label released “Ship Ahoy”, the eighth O’Jays studio album. It was recorded in 1973, at “Sigma Sound Studios” in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania, and was produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.  In 1992, the album was certified Platinum in the US by “RIAA”.

Personnel

  • Eddie Levert– vocals
  • William Powell– vocals
  • Walter Williams– vocals
  • MFSB– orchestra
  • Leon Huff– keyboards
  • Anthony Jackson– bass
  • Rocco Bene- trumpet solos
  • Lenny Pakula, Norman Harris, Bobby Martin, Lenny Pakula – arranger
  • Joe Tarsia –engineer
  • Joseph M. Palmaccio, Darcy Proper – mastering
  • James Barkley –illustration
  • Don Hunstein– photography
  • Ed Lee –art direction

Track listing:

All tracks by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, except where noted.

  1. Put Your Hands Together
  2. Ship Ahoy
  3. This Air I Breathe – Kenneth Gamble,Bunny Sigler
  4. You Got Your Hooks in Me – Bunny Sigler
  5. For the Love of Money – Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, Anthony Jackson
  6. Now That We Found Love
  7. Don’t Call Me Brother – Kenneth Gamble, Bunny Sigler
  8. People Keep Tellin’ Me – John Whitehead,Gene McFadden, Victor Carstarphen

J. J. Cale & Eric Clapton: The Road To Escondido

Leave a comment

the_road_to_escondido

On November 7, 2006, “Duck” label released “The Road to Escondido”, album by J.J. Cale, Eric Clapton and Simon Climie. It was recorded in August 2005, and was produced by J.J. Cale and Eric Clapton. The album features the final Billy Preston recordings, to whom the “The Road to Escondido” Is dedicated. In 2008, the album won “Grammy Award” for “Best Contemporary Blues Album”. “The Road to Escondido” was certified Platinum in Denmark by “IFPI Denmark”; Platinum in Germany by “BVMI”; 2 x Platinum in Greece by “IFPI Greece”, and 2 x Platinum in New Zealand by “RMNZ”.

Personnel:

  • JJ Cale – vocals, guitars, keyboards
  • Eric Clapton – vocals, guitars, concept.
  • Derek Trucks – guitar
  • John Mayer – guitar
  • Doyle Bramhall II – guitar
  • Christine Lakeland – vocals, guitar
  • Albert Lee – guitar
  • Billy Preston – Hammond Organ, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer.
  • Walt Richmond – piano
  • Simon Climie – piano
  • David Teegarden – piano
  • Taj Mahal – harmonica
  • Pino Palladino – bass guitar
  • Gary Gilmore – bass guitar
  • Willie Weeks – bass guitar
  • Jim Karstein – drums, percussion.
  • James Cruce – drums, percussion.
  • Steve Jordan – drums
  • Abe Laboriel, Jr – drums
  • Nathan East – bass guitar
  • Dennis Caplinger – fiddle
  • Bruce Fowler – horns
  • Marty Grebb – horns
  • Steve Madaio – horns
  • Jerry Peterson – horns
  • Simon Climie – programming, digital editing
  • Alan Douglas – engineer
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering
  • Catherine Roylance – art direction
  • Joel Evenden – digital editing
  • Lee Dickson – guitar techician

Track listing:

All tracks by J.J. Cale except where noted.

  1. Danger
  2. Heads in Georgia
  3. Missing Person
  4. When This War Is Over
  5. Sporting Life Blues – Brownie McGhee
  6. Dead End Road
  7. It’s Easy
  8. Hard to Thrill – Eric Clapton,John Mayer
  9. Anyway the Wind Blows
  10. Three Little Girls – Eric Clapton
  11. Don’t Cry Sister
  12. Last Will and Testament
  13. Who Am I Telling You?
  14. Ride the River

Grace Jones: Living My Life

Leave a comment

living-my-life

On November 7, 1982, “Island” label released “Living My Life”, the sixth Grace Jones studio album. It was recorded in 1982, at “Compass Point Studios” in Bahamas, and was produced by Chris Blackwell and Alex Sadkin.  The album was certified Platinum in New Zealand by “RMNZ”.

Personnel:

  • Grace Jones– vocals
  • Mikey Chung– guitar
  • Barry Reynolds– guitar
  • Wally Badarou– keyboards
  • Alex Sadkin– organ, engineer, mixing
  • Robbie Shakespeare– bass guitar
  • Sly Dunbar– drums, syndrum
  • Uziah Thompson– percussion
  • Steven Stanley– engineer, mixing
  • Benji Armbrister– engineer assistant
  • Michael Brauer– mixing
  • Ted Jensen– mastering
  • Jean-Paul Goude – cover art, design, photography
  • Rob O’Connor – cover art, design
  • Trevor Rogers – photography

Track listing:

  1. My Jamaican Guy- Grace Jones
  2. Nipple to the Bottle – Grace Jones, Sly Dunbar
  3. The Apple Stretching – Melvin Van Peebles
  4. Everybody Hold Still – Grace Jones, Barry Reynolds
  5. Cry Now, Laugh Later – Grace Jones, Barry Reynolds
  6. Inspiration – Grace Jones, Barry Reynolds
  7. Unlimited Capacity for Love – Grace Jones, Barry Reynolds

Queen: Made In Heaven

Leave a comment

made-in-heaven

On November 6, 1995, “Parlaphone” label released “Made in Heaven”, the fifteenth Queen studio album. Until the release of “Queen Forever” in 2014, it was the final album containing original material featuring the band’s original line up. Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon worked with vocal and piano parts that Mercury recorded before his death, adding new instrumentation to the recordings. The recordings were made in 1980, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993 – 1995, at “Mountain Studios” in Allerton Hill, Cosford Mill, and “Metropolis Studios”, and were produced by Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon. The album was certified 2 x Platinum in Austria by “IFPI Austria”; Platinum in Canada by “Music Canada”; Platinum in Finland by “Musiikkituottajat”; 2 x Platinum in France by “SNEP”; 3 x Platinum in Germany by “BVMI”; Platinum in Japan by “RIAJ”; 2 x Platinum in Netherlands by “NVPI”; Platinum in Norway by “IFPI Norway”; Platinum in Poland by “ZPAV”; 2 x Platinum in Spain by “PROMUSICAE”; 3 x Platinum in Switzerland by “IFPI Switzerland”, and 4 x Platinum in UK by “BPI”.

Personnel:

  • Freddie Mercury– lead and backing vocals,  piano,  keyboards,  programming
  • Brian May – lead and backing vocals, guitars, keyboards, piano
  • Roger Taylor– lead and backing vocals, drums, percussion, keyboards
  • John Deacon– bass guitar, guitar, keyboards
  • Rebecca Leigh-White, Gary Martin, Catherine Porter, Miriam Stockley– backing vocals
  • David Richards– keyboards, engineer, mixing supervision, co-production
  • Justin Shirley-Smith – engineer, co-production
  • Josh Macrae– engineer, co-production
  • Reinhold Mack– recording of additional material in the 80’s
  • Kevin Metcalfe – mastering
  • Richard Gray – artwork, cover photography of Irena Sedlecká’s Mercury sculpture in Montreux

Track listing:

  1. It’s a Beautiful Day – Freddie Mercury, John Deacon
  2. Made in Heaven – Freddie Mercury
  3. Let Me Live – Queen
  4. Mother Love – Freddie Mercury, Brian May
  5. My Life Has Been Saved – Queen, John Deacon
  6. I Was Born to Love You – Freddie Mercury
  7. Heaven for Everyone – Roger Taylor
  8. Too Much Love Will Kill You – Brian May, Frank Musker, Elizabeth Lamers
  9. You Don’t Fool Me – Queen
  10. A Winter’s Tale – Queen, Freddie Mercury
  11. Yeah – Queen
  12. Untitled, Hidden Track – Queen, Brian May, John Taylor, David Richards

Beck: Mutations

Leave a comment

mutations

On November 3, 1998, “DGC Records” label released “Mutations”, the third Beck studio album. It was recorded March – April 1998, and was produced by Beck Hansen and Nigel Godrich. “Mutations” won “Grammy Award” for “Best Alternative Music Album”. “Mutations” was certified Platinum in Canada by “Music Canada”.

Personnel:

  • Beck – guitar, harmonica, piano, glockenspiel, synthesizer, vocals
  • Smokey Hormel– guitar, percussion, cuica, backing vocals
  • Warren Klein– sitar, tamboura
  • Roger Manning– synthesizer, organ, keyboards, harpsichord, percussion, backing vocals
  • Justin Meldal-Johnsen– bass, percussion, backing vocals
  • Joey Waronker– percussion, drums, synthesizer drums
  • Elliot Caine– trumpet
  • David Campbell – viola, arranger, conductor
  • Larry Corbett– cello
  • Bob Ludwig– mastering
  • David Ralicke– flute, trombone
  • Nigel Godrich– mixing
  • Robert Fisher– art direction
  • John Sorenson– engineer assistant
  • Charlie Gross– photography
  • Autumn de Wilde– photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Beck, except where noted.

  1. Cold Brains
  2. Nobody’s Fault but My Own
  3. Lazy Files
  4. Canceled Check
  5. We Live Again
  6. Tropicalia
  7. Dead Melodies
  8. Bottle of Blues
  9. O Maria
  10. Sing it Again
  11. Static

Donald Fagen: The Nightfly

Leave a comment

donald_fagen_-_the_nightfly

On October 29, 1982, “Warner Bros” label released “The Nightfly”, the  first Donald Fagen solo album. It was recorded 1981 – 1982, at “Soundworks Digital Audio/Video Recording Studios”, “Automated Sound” in N.Y; “Village Recorders” in L.A., and was produced by Gary Katz. The album was certified Platinum in UK by “BPI”, and in the US by “RIIA”.

  • Donald Fagen- lead and backing vocals, organ, synthesizer, synth blues harp, electric piano, horn arrangements, linear notes
  • Hugh McCracken- guitar, harmonica
  • Larry Carlton- lead guitar, guitar
  • Rick Derringer- guitar
  • Dean Parks- guitar
  • Steve Khan- acoustic guitar
  • Michael Omartian– piano, electric piano
  • Greg Phillinganes- synthesizer, piano, piano solo, electric piano ,  clavinet, synthesizer bass
  • Rob Mounsey- synthesizer, horn arrangements
  • Anthony Jackson- bass
  • Abraham Laboriel- bass
  • Marcus Miller- bass
  • Chuck Rainey- bass
  • Will Lee- bass
  • James Gadson- drums, additional drums
  • Ed Greene- drums
  • Jeff Porcaro- drums, additional drums
  • Roger Nichols- percussion, special effects
  • Starz Vanderlocket- percussion, backing vocals
  • David Tofani -alto saxophone
  • Michael Brecker- tenor saxophone
  • Ronnie Cuber- baritone saxophone
  • Randy Brecker- trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Dave Bargeron- trombone, euphonium
  • Frank “Harmonica Frank” Floyd- backing vocals
  • Gordon Grody – backing vocals
  • Leslie Miller – backing vocals
  • Daniel Lazerus – backing vocals
  • Zachary Sanders – backing vocals
  • Valerie Simpson- backing vocals
  • Daniel Lazerus,Roger Nichols, Elliot Scheiner – engineer
  • Robin Lane,  Cheryl Smith – engineer assistant
  • Mike Morongell – engineer assistant, digital editing assistant
  • Wayne Yurgelun – engineer assistant, digital editing assistant
  • Elliot Scheiner – mixing
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering
  • Daniel Lazerus – overdub engineer
  • Elliot Scheiner – tracking
  • Roger Nichols – sequencing
  • Ginger Dettman, Steve Pokorny, Steve Woolard – project assistant
  • David Dieckmann, George Lydecker – authoring
  • George Delmerico – art director
  • Greg Allen – design
  •  Gale Sasson, Vern Yenor – design
  • James Hamilton – photography
  • Cory Frye – editorial supervision
  • Andrew Thomas – screen design

Track listing:

All tracks by Donald Fagen, except where noted

  1. G.Y.
  2. Green Flower Street
  3. Ruby Baby – Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, arranged by Donald Fagen
  4. Maxine
  5. New Frontier
  6. The Nightfly
  7. The Goodbye Look
  8. Walk Between Raindrops