Tag Archives: Ralph MacDonald

Laura Nyro: Christmas and the Beads of Sweat

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On November 25, 1970, “Columbia” label released “Christmas and the Beads of Sweat”, the fourth Laura Nyro album. It was recorded in May 1970, in New York City, and was produced by Felix Cavaliere and Arif  Mardin.

Personnel:

  • Laura Nyro – vocals, piano, arrangements
  • Eddie Hinton– electric guitar
  • Cornell Dupree– electric guitar
  • Stuart Scharf– acoustic guitar
  • Duane Allman– guitar
  • Felix Cavaliere– organ, bells
  • Barry Beckett– vibraphone
  • Richard Davis– bass
  • Chuck Rainey– bass
  • David Hood– bass
  • Roger Hawkins– drums
  • Dino Danelli– drums
  • Jack Jennings – percussion
  • Ralph MacDonald– percussion
  • Alice Coltrane– harp
  • Joe Farrell– woodwinds
  • Ashod Garabedian – oud
  • Michael Szittai – cimbalin
  • Arif Mardin– arrangements, conductor
  • Roy Segal, Tim Geelan – engineer
  • Jerry Lee Smith, Doug Pomeroy – engineer assistant
  • Beth O’Brien – cover portrait

Track listing:

All tracks by Laura Nyro, except where noted.

  1. Brown Earth
  2. When I Was a Freeport and You Were the Main Drag
  3. Blackpatch
  4. Been on a Train
  5. Up on the Roof – Gerry Goffin, Carole King
  6. Upstairs by a Chinese Lamp
  7. Map to the Treasure
  8. Beads of Sweat
  9. Christmas in My Soul

Rod Stewart: A Night on the Town

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On June 18, 1976, “Riva” label released “A Night on the Town”, the seventh Rod Stewart album. It was recorded December 1975 – April 1976, at “Cherokee Recording Studios” in Hollywood, “Muscle Shoals Sound” in Sheffield, “Criteria” in  Miami” in Nederland, CO, and was produced by Tom Dowd. The cover art is based on Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s painting “Bal du moulin de la Galette”.

Personnel:

  • Rod Stewart – vocals
  • Steve Cropper, Billy Peek, Joe Walsh, Jesse Ed Davis, David Lindley, Fred Tackett– guitar
  • John Barlow Jarvis, David Foster, Barry Beckett, J. Smith – keyboards
  • Donald Dunn, Bob Glaub, David Hood, Willie Weeks, Lee Sklar– bass guitar
  • Roger Hawkins, Andy Newmark, Al Jackson Jr., Rick Shlosser– drums
  • Tommy Vig, Joe Lala– percussion
  • Jerry Jumonville, Plas Johnson– tenor saxophone
  • Tower of Power Horn section – French horn
  • Jimmy Horowitz, Mel Lewis, Arif Mardin– string arrangements

Track listing:

All tracks by Rod Stewart, except where noted.

Slow Side

  1. Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)
  2. The First Cut Is the Deepest – Cat Stevens
  3. Fool for You
  4. The Killing of Georgie (Part I and II)

Fast Side

  1. The Balltrap
  2. Pretty Flamingo – Mark Barkan
  3. Big Bayou – Gib Guilbeau
  4. The Wild Side of Life – Arlie Carter, William Warren
  5. Trade Winds – Ralph MacDonald, William Salter

The Philadelphia Experiment: Same

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On June 12, 2001, “Ropeadope Records” label released the self-titled, debut Philadelphia Experiment (The) album. It was recorded September 25-27, 2000, and was produced by Aaron Levinson and Andy Blackman Hurwitz.

Personnel:

  • Uri Caine– electric piano, acoustic piano, organ
  • Christian McBride– acoustic and electric bass
  • Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson– drums
  • Pat Martino– electric guitar
  • John Swana– trumpet
  • Larry Gold – cello, arrangements

Track listing:

  1. Philadelphia Experiment – Uri Caine
  2. Grover – Uri Caine
  3. Lesson #4 – Uri Caine, Christian McBride, Ahmir Thompson
  4. Call for All Demos – Sun Ra
  5. Trouble Man Theme – Marvin Gaye
  6. Ain’t It the Truth – Uri Caine, Christian McBride, Ahmir Thompson
  7. IIe Ife – Sherman Ferguson
  8. The Miles Hit – Uri Caine, Christian McBride, Ahmir Thompson
  9. (Re) Moved – Uri Caine, Christian McBride, Ahmir Thompson
  10. Philadelphia Freedom – Elton John, Bernie Taupin
  11. Mister Magic – Ralph MacDonald, William Salter

John Prine: Sweet Revenge

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In October 1973, “Atlantic” label released “Sweet Revenge”, the third John Prine album. It was recorded in 1973, and was produced by Arif Mardin.

Personnel:

  • John Prine – vocals, guitar
  • Steve Goodman- guitar, backing vocals
  • Grady Martin- guitar, dobro
  • Steve Burgh, Johnny Christopher – guitar
  • Judy Clay – steel guitar, backing vocals
  • Doyle Grisham – steel guitar
  • Leo LeBlanc – guitar, steel guitar
  • Raun MacKinnon – gut string guitar, harmony vocals
  • Dave Prine – guitar, banjo, dobro, fiddle
  • Reggie Young- guitar
  • David Briggs- organ, piano
  • Bobby Wood, Kenny Ascher- keyboards, piano
  • Jerry Shook – harmonica
  • Mike Leech – bass, upright bass
  • Hugh McDonald – bass, percussion
  • Bill Slater – bass
  • Kenny Malone– drums
  • Steve Mosley – drums
  • Ralph MacDonald- percussion
  • Cissy Houston- backing vocals
  • Deirdre Tuck Corley – backing vocals
  • Arif Mardin- horn arrangements
  • Brad Davis, Jimmy Douglass, Steve Ham, Frank Hubach, Bob Liftin – engineer

Track listing:

All tracks by John Prine, except where noted.

  1. Sweet Revenge
  2. Please Don’t Bury Me
  3. Christmas in Prison
  4. Dear Abby
  5. Blue Umbrella
  6. Often is a Word I Seldom Use
  7. Onomatopoeia
  8. Grandpa Was a Carpenter
  9. The Accident (Things Could Be Worse)
  10. Mexican Home
  11. A Good Time
  12. Nine Pound Hammer – traditional

Paul Simon: One-Trick Pony

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In August 1980, “Warner Bros” label released “One-Trick Pony”, the fifth Paul Simon studio album. It was recorded 1979 – 1980, at “A&R Studios” in New York City and  “Agora Club” in Cleveland, Ohio, and was produced by Paul Simon and Phil Ramone. The album was released concurrently with the film of the same name, in which Paul Simon also starred.

Personnel:

  • Paul Simon – vocals, nylon string and electric guitar, percussion, horn and string arrangements
  • John Tropea– acoustic guitar
  • Joe Beck– electric guitar
  • Eric Gale– electric and nylon string guitar
  • Hiram Bullock– electric slide guitar
  • Hugh McCracken– acoustic guitar
  • Jeff Mironov – electric guitar
  • Richard Tee – co-lead and backing vocals, Fender Rhodes electric piano, tambourine
  • Don Grolnick– string synthesizer
  • Anthony Jackson, Tony Levin– bass
  • Steve Gadd– drums
  • Ralph MacDonald– percussion
  • Jon Faddis– flugelhorn
  • Irwin “Marky” Markowitz – trumpet
  • Patti Austin– vocals
  • Lani Groves – backing vocals
  • Dave Grusin– horn and string arrangements
  • Bob Friedman – horn and string arrangements
  • Jim Boyer – recording, mixing
  • Ted Jensen- mastering

Track listing:

All tracks by Paul Simon.

  1. Late in the Evening
  2. That’s Why God Made the Movies
  3. One-Trick Pony
  4. How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns
  5. Oh, Marion
  6. Ace in the Hole
  7. Nobody
  8. Jonah
  9. God Bless the Absentee
  10. Long, Long Day

Quincy Jones: Mellow Madness

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In August 1975, “A&M” label released “Mellow Madness”, the twenty – fifth Quincy Jones album. It was recorded in 1975, at “Record Plant” and “Westlake Audio” and was produced by Quincy Jones.

Personnel:

  • Quincy Jones – lead and backing vocals, arranger, keyboards, trumpet
  • Toots Thielemans- guitar, harmonica
  • Minnie Riperton, Leon Ware, Jesse Kirkland, Myrna Matthews, Paulette McWilliams, Joseph Greene, Jim Gilstrap, Paulette Williams, Carolyn Willis, Watts Prophets, George Johnson – vocals
  • Wah Wah Watson, George Johnson, Dennis Budimir – guitar
  • Dave Grusin, Don Grusin, Mike Melvoin, Jerry Peters– keyboards
  • Ian Underwood– synthesizer
  • Louis Johnson, Max Bennett, Chuck Rainey– bass
  • Grady Tate, Harvey Mason– drums
  • Ralph MacDonald- conga, drums, percussion
  • Tommy Morgan – harmonica
  • Ernie Krivda, Sahib Shihab– saxophone
  • Bill Lamb, Chuck Findley, Tom Bahler – trumpet
  • Frank Rosolino- trombone, trumpet
  • George Bohanon– trombone
  • Hubert Laws– flute
  • Jerome Richardson– wind

Track listing:

All tracks by Quincy Jones, except where noted.

  1. Is It Love That We’re Missing? – George Johnson, Debbie Smith
  2. Paranoid
  3. Mellow Madness – Tom Bahler, Al Ciner, Quincy Jones, Paulette McWilliams
  4. Beautiful Black Girl – Quincy Jones, Otis Smith
  5. Listen (What It Is)
  6. Just a Little Taste of Me
  7. My Cherie Amour – Henry Cosby, Sylvia Moy, Stevie Wonder
  8. Tryin’ to Find Out About You
  9. Cry Baby
  10. Bluesette – Norman Gimbel, Toots Thielemans

Avarage White Band: AWB

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In August 1974, “Atlantic” label released “AWB”, the second Average White Band studio album. It was recorded in 1974, at “Atlantic Recording Studios” in New York City and “Cand Criteria Sound Studios” in Miami, and was produced by Arif Mardin.

Personnel:

  • Alan Gorrie– lead and co-lead vocals, backing vocals, bass, guitar
  • Hamish Stuart– lead and backing vocals, guitar, bass
  • Onnie McIntyre – guitar, backing vocals
  • Roger Ball– keyboards, alto and baritone saxophones, horns arrangements
  • Molly Duncan– tenor saxophone
  • Robbie McIntosh– drums, percussion
  • Ralph MacDonald– congas, percussion
  • Michael Brecker– tenor saxophone
  • Randy Brecker, Marvin Stamm, Mel Davis – trumpet
  • Glenn Ferris– trombone
  • Ken Bichel– mellotron
  • Gene Paul- mixing, engineer
  • Lewis Hahn, Karl Richardson, Steve Klein, Ron Albert, Howard Albert, Jimmy Douglass, Bobby Warner – engineer
  • Arif Mardin– mixing
  • Dennis King – mastering
  • Alan Pariser – direction
  • Alan Gorrie – logo concept
  • Tim Bruckner – front cover drawing
  • Barry Feinstein- design, photography

Track listing:

  1. You Got It – Roger Ball, Hamish Stuart, Alan Gorrie
  2. Got the Love – Hamish Stuart, Roger Ball, Robbie McIntosh
  3. Pick Up the Pieces – Alan Gorrie, Hamish Stuart, Roger Ball, Molly Duncan, Onnie McIntyre, Robbie McIntosh, Ralph MacDonald
  4. Person to Person – Alan Gorrie, Hamish Stuart, Roger Ball, Molly Duncan, Onnie McIntyre, Robbie McIntosh, Ralph MacDonald
  5. Work to Do – O’Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley
  6. Nothing You Can Do – Alan Gorrie, Hamish Stuart, Roger Ball
  7. Just Wanna Love You Tonight – Roger Ball, Alan Gorrie
  8. Keepin’ It to Myself – Alan Gorrie
  9. I Just Can’t Give You Up – Hamish Stuart
  10. There’s Always Someone Waiting – Alan Gorrie

The Manhattan Transfer: Coming Out

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On August 19, 1976, “Atlantic” label released “Coming Out”, the third Manhattan Transfer (The) album. It was recorded in 1975, and was produced by Richard Perry.

Personnel:

  • Tim Hauser– vocals, arrangements
  • Laurel Massé– vocals, arrangements
  • Alan Paul– vocals, arrangements
  • Janis Siegel– vocals, arrangements
  • Ira Newborn– guitar, autoharp, arrangements
  • Ben Benay, Robert Bowles – guitar
  • Dave Frishberg– Clavinet, keyboards, piano
  • Paul Griffin– keyboards, organ, synthesizer
  • Dr. John– piano, keyboards
  • John Barnes, Clarence McDonald– piano
  • Arthur Jenkins– piano, arranger
  • Mike Melvoin– piano
  • Bill Payne, Roger Steinman – piano
  • Steve Paietta – accordion
  • Andy Muson – double bass, bass guitar
  • Jim Gordon, Jim Keltner, David Kemper, Roy Markowitz, Jim Nelson, Rick Shlosser, Ringo Starr– drums
  • Ralph MacDonald– congas, percussion
  • Nicky Marrero – percussion, timbales
  • Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez Jr– bongos, percussion
  • Bobbye Hall, Doug Thorngren – percussion
  • Michael Brecker– soprano and tenor saxophone
  • Jackie Kelso– tenor and baritone saxophone
  • Jay Migliori– tenor saxophone
  • Randy Brecker– trumpet
  • Douglas Botnick, Lewis Hahn, Rick Rowe – engineer
  • Douglas Botnick, Lewis Hahn, Rick Rowe – engineer
  • Howard Steele – engineer, remixing
  • Dennis Devlin, Dan Latham, Tim Sadler – engineer assistant
  • Allen Zentz – mastering
  • Tim Hauser– assistant producer
  • Tim Hauser– assistant producer

Track listing:

  1. Don’t Let Go – Jesse Stone
  2. Zindy Lou – Johnny Moore, Eddie Smith
  3. Chanson D’Amour – Wayne Shanklin
  4. Helpless – Holland-Dozier-Holland
  5. Scotch and Soda – Dave Guard
  6. The Speak Up Mambo (Cuentame) – Al Castellanos
  7. Poinciana(The Song Of The Tree) Nat Simon, Buddy Bernier
  8. O.S – Ron Roker, Gerry Shury, Phil Swern
  9. Popsicle Toes – Michael Franks
  10. It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference – Todd Rundgren
  11. The Thought of Loving You – David White

Billy Joel: An Innocent Man

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On August 8, 1983, “Family Productions” label released “An Innocent Man”, the ninth Billy Joel studio album. It was recorded in 1983, at “Chelsea Sound” and “A&R Recording, Inc.” in New York, and was produced by Phil Ramone.

Personnel:

  • Billy Joelv– lead and backing vocals, Baldwin acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3 organ
  • David Brown – lead electric and acoustic guitars
  • Eric Gale– electric guitar
  • Russell Javors– rhythm electric and acoustic guitars
  • Leon Pendarvis – Hammond B3 organ
  • Toots Thielemans– harmonica
  • Richard Tee– acoustic piano
  • Doug Stegmeyer– bass guitar
  • Liberty DeVitto– drums
  • Ralph MacDonald– percussion
  • Mark Rivera– alto and tenor saxophone, percussion
  • David Sanborn– alto saxophone
  • Michael Brecker– tenor saxophone
  • Ronnie Cuber– baritone saxophone
  • Jon Faddis– trumpet
  • Joe Shepley – trumpet
  • John Gatchell – trumpet
  • String Fever – strings
  • Tom Bahler, Rory Dodd, Frank Floyd, Lani Groves, Ullanda McCullough, Ron Taylor, Terry Textor, Eric Troyer, Mike Alexander – backing vocal
  • David Matthews – horn and strings arrangements
  • Tom Bahler – backing vocals arrangements
  • Billy Zampino – musical advisor
  • Jim Boyer, Bradshaw Leigh – engineer
  • Mike Allaire, Scott James – engineer assistant
  • Ted Jensen – mastering
  • Christopher Austopchuk, Mark Larson – design
  • Gilles Larrain – photography
  • Laura Loncteaux – production coordinator

Track listing:

All tracks by Billy Joel, except for the chorus for “This Night,” credited to L. v. Beethoven.

  1. Easy Money
  2. An Innocent Man
  3. The Longest Time
  4. This Night
  5. Tell Her About It
  6. Uptown Girl
  7. Careless Talk
  8. Christie Lee
  9. Leave a Tender Moment Alone
  10. Keeping the Faith

Roberta Flack: Killing Me Softly

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On August 1, 1973, “Atlantic” label released “Killing Me Softly”, the fifth Roberta Flack album. It was recorded 1972 – 1973, and was produced by Joel Dorn. “Killing Me Softly” won the 1974 “Grammy Award for Record of the Year”. In 2006, the album was certified 2 x Platinum in US by the “RIIA”.

Personnel:

  • Roberta Flack – arranger, piano, vocals
  • Deodato– conductor, string arrangements
  • William Eaton – brass arrangement
  • Alfred Ellis – brass arrangement, conductor
  • Kermit Moore – arranger, cello
  • Don Sebesky– conductor, horn arrangements, string arrangements
  • Eric Gale– guitar
  • Ron Carter– bass
  • Grady Tate– drums
  • Ralph MacDonald– congas, percussion, tambourine
  • Bob Liftin, Gene Paul– engineer
  • Barry Diament – mastering
  • Rod Dyer – design
  • Burt Goldblatt – photography
  • David Redfern – inside photo
  • Jack Shaw – associate producer

Track listing:

  1. Killing Me Softly with His Song – Charles Fox, Norman Gimbel
  2. Jesse – Janis Ian
  3. No Tears (In the End) – Ralph MacDonald, William Salter
  4. I’m the Girl – James Alan Shelton
  5. River – Gene McDaniels
  6. Conversation Love – Terry Plumeri, Bill Seighman
  7. When You Smile – Ralph MacDonald, William Salter
  8. Suzanne – Leonard Cohen