Tag Archives: Pointer Sisters

Pointer Sisters: Black & White

On June 12, 1981, “Planet” label released “Black & White” the eighth Pointer Sisters studio album. It was recorded in 1981, at “Studio 55” in Los Angeles, “Celebration Recording” in New York City, and was produced by Richard Perry.

Personnel:

  • Anita Pointer – lead and backing vocals, vocal arrangements
  • June Pointer – lead and backing vocals, vocal arrangements
  • Ruth Pointer – lead and backing vocals, vocal arrangements
  • Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar
  • Tim May – guitar
  • James Newton Howard – keyboards, synthesizers
  • John Barnes – keyboards, electric piano, acoustic piano
  • Ed Walsh – synthesizers
  • William Smith – organ
  • Mike Cotten – synthesizers, synthesizer programming
  • David Foster – keyboards, arrangements
  • Greg Phillinganes – electric piano
  • Danny Faragher – organ
  • Nathan Watts – bass
  • Mike Porcaro – bass
  • John Robinson – drums
  • Paulinho da Costa – percussion, congas
  • Trevor Lawrence – tenor saxophone
  • Gabe Veltri – recording
  • Piers Plaskitt – additional recording
  • Tim Dennen – engineer assistant
  • Stuart Furusho – engineer assistant
  • Bobby Gerber – engineer assistant
  • Bill Schnee – remix
  • Larry Emerine – mastering
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering
  • Michael Barackman – music coordinator
  • Kosh – art direction, design
  • Aaron Rapoport – photography
  • Trevor Lawrence – associate producer
  • David Foster – production assistant
  • Susan Epstein – production coordinator
  • Michael Solomon – production coordinator

Track listing:

  1. Sweet Lover Man – Jerry Ragovoy, Len Roberts
  2. Someday We’ll Be Together – Russ Ballard
  3. Take My Heart, Take My Soul – Ken Gold, Mickey Denne
  4. Slow Hand – Michael Clark, John Bettis
  5. We’re Gonna Make It – David Foster, Mike Cotton, Anita Pointer, June Pointer
  6. What a Surprise – Anita Pointer, June Pointer, Trevor Lawrence
  7. Got to Find Love – David Lasley, Willie Wilcox
  8. Fall in Love Again – Patrick Henderson, Wornell Jones
  9. Should I Do It – Layng Martine Jr.

Melvin Ragin

On October 24, 2018, Melvin M. Ragin aka Wah Wah Watson died aged 67. He was musician (guitar), famous for his unique skills with wah-wah pedal. He was member of The Funk Brothers, the studio band for “Motown Records”, recorded and performed with Dizzy Gillespie, John Lee Hooker, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Vanessa Williams, Thelma Houston, The Four Tops, The Jackson 5, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Michael Jackson, Maxwell, The Beach Boys, George Benson, Bobbi Humphrey, Janet Jackson, Yung Berg, Blondie, Norman Whitfield, The Undisputed Truth, Donald Byrd, Labelle, Love Unlimited, Cher, Meshell Ndegeocello, Gloria Gaynor, The Temptations (his guitar work on “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”), Pointer Sisters, Martha Reeves, Rose Royce, Bob Scaggs and Herbie Hancock. As leader, Wah Wah Watson released one solo album (Elementary, 1976).

The Pointer Sisters: Same

In May 1973, “Blue Thumb” label released the self-titled, debut Pointer Sisters (The) album. It was recorded in 1973, at “Wally Heider Studios” in San Francisco, and was produced by David Rubinson & Friends, Inc.

Personnel:

  • Anita Pointer, Ruth Pointer, Bonnie Pointer, June Pointer– vocals
  • Willie Fulton– electric guitar
  • Tom Salisbury– piano
  • Norman Landsberg– piano
  • Ron McClure– acoustic and electric bass
  • Ed Marshall– drums Rod Ellicott – bass
  • Gaylord Birch – drums
  • The Hoodoo Rhythm Devils – backing band
  • David Rubinson & Friends, Inc. – mixing
  • Fred Catero, Jeremy Zatkin– recording, mixing
  • George Horne – mastering
  • B. Greene– portraiture, design
  • Norman Landsberg – associate producer

Track listing:

  1. Yes We Can Can – Allen Toussaint
  2. Cloudburst – Leroy Kirkland, Jimmy Harris
  3. Jada – Pointer Sisters, Bruce Good, Jeff Cohen
  4. River Boulevard – Barbara Mauritz
  5. Old Songs – John Shine, Bruce Good
  6. That’s How I Feel – Wilton Felder
  7. Sugar – Pointer Sisters
  8. Pains and Tears – Norman Landsberg
  9. Naked Foot – Neal Tate
  10. Wang Dang Doodle – Willie Dixon

The Pointer Sisters: That’s a Plenty

thats-a-plenty

In February 1974, “Blue Thumb” label released “That’s a Plenty”, the second Pointer Sisters (The) album. It was recorded in 1973, at “Wally Heider Studios” in San Frabcisco; “Quadraphonic Studios” in Nashville, and “Western Recording Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by David Rubinson & Friends, Inc.

Personnel:

  • Anita Pointer, Ruth Pointer, Bonnie Pointer, June Pointer– vocals
  • Bonnie Raitt– slide guitar
  • Weldon Myrick – pedal steel guitar
  • Jack Viertell, Jesse Ed Davis– electric guitar
  • John Shine – guitar
  • Robert Thompson – acoustic guitar
  • Norman Spicher – fiddle
  • David Briggs– piano
  • Tom Salisbury – keyboards, silverton accordion
  • David Grisman– mandolin
  • Herbie Hancock– piano, electric piano, clavinet, arp synthesizer
  • Harry “Sweets” Edison– trumpet
  • Britt Woodman– trombone
  • Jim Rothermel – clarinet
  • Floyd Cooley – tuba
  • Gordon Messick – trombone
  • James Goodwin – trumpet
  • John Neumann – bass
  • Norbert Putnam– bass
  • Paul Jackson– bass
  • Ron McClure– bass
  • Gaylord Birch– drums
  • Ken Buttrey– drums
  • Bill Summers– African talking drum, shekere, congas
  • David Rubinson – arrangements
  • Norman Landsberg, Jeffrey Cohen, Bruce Good – vocal arrangement
  • Tom Salisbury, Jeffrey Cohen, Bruce Good – associate producers
  • Jeremy Zatkin, Fred Catero, David Rubinson – recording
  • George Horn, Phil Brown – mastering
  • Randy Tuten – cover art
  • Herb Greene– art direction, photography

Track listing:

  1. Bangin’ on the Pipes / Steam Heat (Medley) – Bruce Good, Jeffrey Cohen, Richard Adler, Jerry Ross
  2. Salt Peanuts – Bruce Good, Jeffrey Cohen, Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Clarke
  3. Grinning in Your Face – Son House
  4. Shaky Flat Blues – June Pointer, Anita Pointer, Bonnie Pointer
  5. That’s a Plenty / Surfeit, U.S.A. (Medley) – Ray Gilbert, Lew Pollack/ Good, Cohen
  6. Little Pony – Neal Hefti, Jon Hendricks, Dave Lambert
  7. Fairytale – A.Pointer, B.Pointer
  8. Black Coffee – Paul Francis Webster, Sonny Burke
  9. Love in Them There Hills – Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, Roland Chambers