Tag Archives: Sweet Pea Atkinson

Michael McDonald: Take It To Heart

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On May 15, 1990, “Reprise” label released “Take It to Heart”, the third Michael McDonald studio album. It was recorded in 1989, at “A&M” in Hollywood, “Can-Am” in Tarzana, “Smoketree Ranch” in Chatworth, “One on One” in Hollywood, “Axis” in New York City, and was produced by Ted Templeman, Michael McDonald, Don Was, David Gamson and Gardner Cole.

Personnel:

  • Michael McDonald – lead and backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizer programming and sequencing
  • Peter Leinheiser – synthesizer programming and sequencing, guitars
  • Michael Hanna – keyboards, synthesizer programming and sequencing
  • John Tesh – synthesizer programming and sequencing
  • Don Was – synthesizer programming and sequencing
  • Michael Mason – synthesizer programming and sequencing
  • Gardner Cole – synthesizer programming and sequencing
  • David Gamson – synthesizer programming and sequencing
  • Bernie Chiaravalle – guitars, sitar
  • Michael Landau – guitars 
  • Charles Frichtel – bass
  • Abraham Laboriel – bass, acoustic guitar
  • George Perilli – drums
  • Jeff Porcaro – drums, percussion, African log drum
  • Debra Dobkin – congas
  • Paulinho da Costa – percussion
  • Terry McMillan – percussion, backing vocals
  • Vince Denham – saxophone and solo
  • Kirk Whalum – saxophone
  • Stan Getz – saxophone
  • Paul Riser – string arrangements
  • Brian McKnight – backing vocals
  • Chuck Sabatino – backing vocals
  • Sweet Pea Atkinson – backing vocals
  • Harry Bowens – backing vocals
  • David Lasley – backing vocals
  • Kathy Walker – backing vocals
  • Amy Holland – backing vocals
  • David Pack – backing vocals
  • Maureen McDonald – backing vocals
  • Ed Cherney, Jeff Hendricksen, Ross Pallone, Bob Schaper – engineer
  • Ed Goodreau, Bob Schaper, Brian Schuble – additional engineering
  • Elaine Anderson, Michael Douglass, Lori Fumar, John Jackson, Rob Jaczko, Calvin Loser, Michael Mason, Eric Rudd, Scott Symington, Michael Tacci, Toby Wright – engineer assistant
  • Shep Pettibone – remix
  • George Marino – mastering
  • Martyn Atkins – art direction
  • Andy Earl – photography
  • Joan Parker – production coordinator

Track listing:

  1. All We Got – Peter Leinheiser, Michael McDonald
  2. Get the World Started – Michael McDonald, David Pack
  3. Love Can Break Your Heart – Paul Carrack, Michael McDonald
  4. Take it to the Heart – Michael McDonald, Diane Warren
  5. Tear It Up – Gardner Cole, Seth Swirsky
  6. Lonely Talk – Michael McDonald, Chuck Sabatino
  7. Searchin’ for Understanding – Darrell Brown, Michael McDonald
  8. Homeboy – Michael McDonald, Ed Sanford
  9. No Amount of Reason – Michael McDonald, George Hawkins
  10. One Step Away – Chris Thompson, Tom Whitlock
  11. You Show Me – Harry Garfield, Michael McDonald

Was (Not Was): Boo!

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On April 8, 2008, “Rykodisc” label released “Boo!”, the fifth Was (Not Was) studio album. It was recorded in 2007, at “Henson Recording Studios”, “Cello Studios” and “Ocean Way Recording” in Hollywood, “Record Plant” and “Chomsky Ranch” in Los Angeles, “Karma Farm” in Manhattan Beach, California, and was produced by David Was and Don Was.

Personnel:

  • David Was – vocals, keyboards, flute, harmonica, illustration
  • Don Was – vocals, keyboards, bass, percussion, programming, engineer, mixing, graphic design
  • Sweet Pea Atkinson – lead vocals
  • Sir Harry Bowens – lead vocals
  • Donald Ray Mitchell – lead vocals
  • Kris Kristofferson – special guest vocals
  • Jamie Muhoberac – keyboards
  • Luis Resto – keyboards
  • Booker T. Jones – Hammond B3 organ
  • Randy Jacobs – guitars
  • Wayne Kramer – guitars
  • Val McCallum – guitars
  • Greg Leisz – pedal steel guitar
  • Tim Drummond – bass
  • Marcus Miller – bass
  • Curt Bisquera – drums
  • James Gadson – drums
  • Lenny Castro – percussion
  • Stephen Kupka – baritone saxophone
  • Dave McMurray – saxophones, horn arrangements
  • Rayse Biggs – trumpet
  • Lee Thornton – trumpet
  • David Campbell – string arrangements
  • Sally Dworsky – backing vocals
  • Portia Griffin – backing vocals
  • Arnold McCuller – backing vocals
  • Myrna Smith – backing vocals
  • Rik Pekkonen – engineer, mixing
  • Krish Sharma – engineer, mixing
  • Dan Bosworth – engineer assistant
  • Kevin Mills – engineer assistant
  • Louie Teran – mastering
  • Jamie Hoyt-Vitale – package design
  • Ron Meckler – graphic design
  • Ellen Stone – band photography
  • Jamie Muhoberac – club photography
  • Ruby Marchand – A&R

Track listing:

All tracks by David Was and Don Was, except where noted.

  1. Semi-Interesting Week
  2. It’s a Miracle
  3. Your Luck Won’t Last
  4. From the Head to the Heart
  5. Big Black Hole
  6. Needletooth
  7. Forget Everything
  8. Crazy Water
  9. Mr. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore – Bob Dylan, David Was, Don Was
  10. Green Pills in the Dresser

Jackson Browne: I’m Alive

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On October 11, 1993, “Elektra” label released “I’m Alive”, the tenth Jackson Browne album. It was recorded in 1992, at “Groove Masters” in Santa Monica, CA, and was produced by Jackson Browne, Scott Thurston, and Don Was. The album was in “Q” magazine list of “The 50 Best Albums Of 1993”.

Personnel:

  • Jackson Browne – lead and backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, piano
  • David Lindley – guitar, bouzouki, oud
  • John Leventhal – acoustic and electric guitar
  • Scott Thurston – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
  • Mike Campbell – guitar
  • Mark Goldenberg – guitar
  • Dean Parks – acoustic guitar
  • Waddy Wachtel – guitar
  • Jai Winding – piano
  • Benmont Tench – Hammond organ 
  • James “Hutch” Hutchinson – bass guitar
  • Kevin McCormick – bass guitar
  • Jim Keltner – drums
  • Mauricio-Fritz Lewak – drums
  • Lenny Castro – percussion
  • Luis Conte – percussion
  • Sweet Pea Atkinson – backing vocals
  • Sir Harry Bowens – backing vocals
  • Ryan Browne – backing vocals
  • Katia Cardenal – backing vocals
  • Valerie Carter – backing vocals
  • David Crosby – backing vocals
  • Doug Haywood – backing vocals
  • Don Henley – backing vocals
  • William “Bill” Greene – backing vocals
  • Arnold McCuller – backing vocals
  • Steven Soles – backing vocals
  • Jennifer Warnes – backing vocals
  • Paul Dieter; Rik Pekkonen – engineer
  • Steve Onuska, Bob Salcedo, Kathy Yore – engineer, assistant
  • Ed Cherney – mixing
  • Gavin Lurssen – mastering
  • Robin Lynch – art direction, design
  • Alli Truch – design
  • Bruce Weber – photography
  • Susann McMahon – producer assistant

Track listing:

All tracks by Jackson Browne.

  1. I’m alive
  2. My Problem Is You
  3. Everywhere I Go
  4. I’ll Do Anything
  5. Miles Away
  6. Too Many Angels
  7. Take This Rain
  8. Two of Me, Two of You
  9. Sky Blue and Black
  10. All Good Things

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Was Not Was: Same

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In July 1981, “ZE” label released the self-titled, debut “Was Not Was album. It was recorded January-March 1981;at “Sound Suite” in Detroit, Michigan, and was produced by David Was, Don Was, Jack Tann and Michael Zilkha.

Personnel:

  • David Was- vocals, alto saxophone, piano
  • Don Was- vocals, bass, vibraphone, Moog synthesizer, clavinet,
  • Sir Harry Bowens – vocals
  • Sweet Pea Atkinson – vocals
  • Bruce Nazarian, Ricardo Rouse, Wayne Kramer- guitar
  • Jervonny Collier, Lamont Johnson, Bruce Nazarian – bass
  • Franklin K. Funklyn McCullers, Jerry Jones – drums
  • Larry Fratangelo, Kevin Tschirhart, Carl “Butch” Small – percussion
  • Gary Stuck, Jim Matthews, Les Chambers – additional percussion
  • Irwin Krinsky – piano
  • Luis Resto, Raymond Johnson, Mark Johnson – keyboards
  • David McMurray, Armand Angeloni – saxophone
  • Marcus Belgrave- trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Mack Pitt – mandolin
  • Carol Hall, Carolyn Crawford, Kathy Kosins, Michelle Goulet, Sheila Horne – backging vocals
  • Anthony Was, Kim Heron, Lamont Zodiac, Mark J. Norton, Mitchell Jacobs, Mrs. Martinez’s Fifth Hour Vocal Music Class, Birney Middle School, Pam Schlom, Richard Pinkston, Rick Cushingberry, Rubin Weiss, Ruth Seymore, Tom Brzezina – additional vocals
  • Johnny Allen- string arrangement
  • Michael Zilkha- executive producer

Track listing:

All tracks by David Was and Don Was; except where noted.

  1. Out Come the Freaks
  2. Where Did Your Heart Go?
  3. Tell Me That I’m Dreaming
  4. Oh, Mr. Friction
  5. Carry Me Back to Old Morocco – David Was, Don Was, Doug Fieger
  6. It’s an Attack! – David Was, Don Was, Goss
  7. The Sky’s Ablaze
  8. ..Now! – David Was, Don Was, Ron Banks

Bob Dylan: Under The Red Sky

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bob_dylan_-_under_the_red_sky

On September 10, 1990, “Columbia” label released “Under the Red Sky”, the twenty-seventh Bob Dylan studio album. It was recorded January 1990, March–May 1990, and was produced by Jack Frost (Bob Dylan) and Don Was.

Personnel:

  • Bob Dylan – vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, piano, accordion, harp
  • George Harrison– slide guitar
  • Jimmie Vaughan– guitar
  • Stevie Ray Vaughan– guitar
  • Waddy Wachtel– guitar
  • Robben Ford– guitar
  • David Lindley– bouzouki, guitar, slide guitar
  • Elton John– piano
  • Bruce Hornsby– piano
  • Jamie Muhoberac– organ
  • Al Kooper– organ, keyboards
  • David McMurray – saxophone
  • Rayse Biggs – trumpet
  • Randy “The Emperor” Jackson– bass guitar
  • David Was– bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Kenny Aronoff – drums
  • Paulinho Da Costa – percussion
  • Sweet Pea Atkinson – backing vocals
  • Donald Ray Mitchell – backing vocals
  • Sir Harry Bowens – backing vocals
  • David Crosby – backing vocals
  • Ed Cherney – engineer, mixing
  • Dan Bosworth – engineer assistant
  • Jim Mitchell – engineer assistant
  • Brett Swain – engineer assistant
  • Steve Deutsch – engineer assistant
  • Judy Kirshner – engineer assistant
  • Marsha Burns – production coordination

Track listing:

All tracks by Bob Dylan.

  1. Wiggle Wiggle
  2. Under the Red Sky
  3. Unbelievable
  4. Born in Time
  5. V. Talkin’ Show
  6. 000 Men
  7. 2 x 2
  8. God Knows
  9. Handy Dandy
  10. Cat’s in the Well