AOTW: Brenda Russell (SP-739)

[Captain Bacardi]

Brenda Russell
BRENDA RUSSELL
A&M/Horizon SP-739

Released 1979

Format: Vinyl/Cassette/8-Track/CD

Produced by Andre Fischer for Sweet Street Productions

Songs:

• 1. So Good, So Right - 3:20
  2. In The Thick Of It - 3:56
  3. If Only For One Night - 4:13
  4. Way Back When - 4:23
  5. A Little Bit Of Love - 4:41
  6. You're Free (Brenda Russell & Andre Fischer) - 3:30
  7. Think It Over (Brian Russell & Brenda Russell) - 5:17
  8. God Bless You - 4:48
  
  All selections composed by Brenda Russell except where indicated.

Musicians:
Brenda Russell - Vocals and Piano
Andre Fischer - Drums
Ed Brown - Bass
Ron Stockert - Keyboards
Ian Underwood - Synthesizer
George Sopuch - Guitar
Fred Tackett - Guitar
David Wolfert - Guitar
Susaye Green Brown - Trumpet, Background Vocals
Jerry Hey - Trumpet
Steve Madaio - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Judd Miller - Trumpet
Gary Herbig - Flute, Baritone Sax
Doug Richardson - Tenor Sax
Tom Saviano - Soprano Sax
Larry Williams - Flute, Tenor Sax
Hector Andrade - Timbales
David McKelvy - Harmonica
Background Vocals - Kathy Collier, Venette Gloud, Elaine Hill, Carmen Twillie, Michelle Aller
Doublerock Baptist Junior Choir - Chorus
Harry Bluestone, Assa Drori, Gerald Vinci - Concertmasters

Associate Producer: Brenda Dash
Recorded by John Rhys
Mixed by Al Schmitt
Project Coordinators: Jeff Fura, Barry Korkin, Lynise Levine
Cover Photo: Norman Seeff
(No credit info for the alternative cover for the 90's re-issue shown above (right)).


Capt. Bacardi

 

[Dave]

"Half" of the Brian & Brenda duo, who spent the earlier part of the '70's doing back-up vocals for an array of artists and who have also made a pair of records on Elton John's Rocket Records label...

Brian Russell went back to doing Canadian session-work in Toronto (working with the likes of Anne Murray, Gordon Lightfoot, Terry Jacks, Dan Hill, Bill Amesbury and others...) where he (and I think Brenda, also) hails from...

Brenda Russell ably goes the Tammi Terrell route without him, accompanied by nearly every musical instrument, played by the large-scale Hollywood Studio Bunch, doing the "Cocktail R&B" rounds, territory usually occupied by the likes of Freda Payne, Nancy Wilson, Dianne Carroll and Sarah Dash...

I have seen and played some of Brenda's records, but suprisingly this is one I have never seen...


Dave

 

[jfiedler17]

I've never come across this one, either, though I own the 45 to "So Good, So Right" (and actually played it on my show just this past week!). I quite like it, but I like her other (and bigger) major hit ("Piano in the Dark") much better. (And love her even more for having written "Get Here," Oleta Adams' recording of which is easily one of my five favorite R&B ballads ever.)
I'm kinda puzzled why this one came out on Horizon, though; I'm hard-pressed to really call this one "jazz." (Although I'm sure the "jazz" stations near me would say otherwise. )

Jeff F.

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

I have a CD of this album, repackaged (from where I don't know, but definitely foreign) with the title "Piano In The Dark" - it's this full album, in order, with "Piano In The Dark" stuck at the end!! (All the more bizarre since that song came out so many years after - she recorded at least one album, maybe more, for other labels in the meantime.....) "If Only For One Night" was a profitable song for Brenda too, covered by Luther Vandross and I think a single for him (it's usually a part of his "Greatest Hits" collections).

JTCW

 

[Rudy]

I'm kinda puzzled why this one came out on Horizon, though; I'm hard-pressed to really call this one "jazz." (Although I'm sure the "jazz" stations near me would say otherwise. )

Puzzling for the same reason Yellow Magic Orchestra was on Horizon (when their later albums were on the main A&M label).

You're right though--music like Brenda Russell's would be played alongside Luther Vandross, Anita Baker and other R&B vocalists on $mooth Jazz stations.

 

[Mr Bill]

I'm kinda puzzled why this one came out on Horizon, though; I'm hard-pressed to really call this one "jazz." (Although I'm sure the "jazz" stations near me would say otherwise. )

Puzzling for the same reason Yellow Magic Orchestra was on Horizon (when their later albums were on the main A&M label). You're right though--music like Brenda Russell's would be played alongside Luther Vandross, Anita Baker and other R&B vocalists on $mooth Jazz stations.

The answer to these are simple:

Horizon started in 1976 as a "progressive jazz" imprint under the guidance of John Snyder. In 1980, after thirty LPs or so, A&M handed the imprint off to Tommy LiPuma at which time it bacame less a jazz label and more a label for music that defied specific categorization.

Remember the music industry was in a state of transition (some would say "disarray" but given its state today "disarray" would be overstatement at best) as disco was dying and New Wave/Punk had yet to break into the mainstream this side of the Atlantic.

As for later YMO LPs being on A&M proper as opposed to A&M/Horizon -- Horizon was "done" by the time the two US follow-ups were released. Horizon would go thru a brief third incarnation in the mid-80's as a Christian label with the acquisition of the Word family of labels...

--Mr Bill

 

[jfiedler17]

I have a CD of this album, repackaged (from where I don't know, but definitely foreign) with the title "Piano In The Dark" - it's this full album, in order, with "Piano In The Dark" stuck at the end!! (All the more bizarre since that song came out so many years after - she recorded at least one album, maybe more, for other labels in the meantime.....)

I've seen a similar CD, though it's not a foreign pressing, as far as I could tell. The cover art is completely different from the original vinyl, but the album title is still simply Brenda Russell, and "Piano in the Dark" is tacked on at the end. I just assume they simply added it as a way to sell more copies, since it's her most famous song, but, at the same time, you still gotta wonder what possessed them to tack a 1988 single onto the end of a 1979 album. Was no one concerned that the single would stand out like a sore thumb and/or bring the CD to a terribly awkward close?

Jeff F.

 

[Mr Bill]

I have a CD of this album, repackaged (from where I don't know, but definitely foreign) with the title "Piano In The Dark" - it's this full album, in order, with "Piano In The Dark" stuck at the end!!

I've seen a similar CD, though it's not a foreign pressing, as far as I could tell. The cover art is completely different from the original vinyl, but the album title is still simply Brenda Russell, and "Piano in the Dark" is tacked on at the end.

I've added the alternate cover image to Capt B's AOTW post above. I believe it was a 1988 (or later) reissue and was on A&M as opposed to A&M/Horizon. Last time I checked it was still available...

--Mr Bill

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

I've seen a similar CD, though it's not a foreign pressing, as far as I could tell. The cover art is completely different from the original vinyl, but the album title is still simply Brenda Russell, and "Piano in the Dark" is tacked on at the end. I just assume they simply added it as a way to sell more copies, since it's her most famous song, but, at the same time, you still gotta wonder what possessed them to tack a 1988 single onto the end of a 1979 album. Was no one concerned that the single would stand out like a sore thumb and/or bring the CD to a terribly awkward close?

Jeff F.

You're right....that is the one I have. I'm sure no one was concerned about the continuity issue - it's rather bizarre as a listening experience.....
JTCW

 

[Rudy]

You're right....that is the one I have. I'm sure no one was concerned about the continuity issue - it's rather bizarre as a listening experience.....
JTCW

It sounds like they threw the hit song on there to help bolster sales. Could be they were in the same record company vaults (Universal, I'm thinking) and to them, a no-brainer to throw it on there.

 

[Mr Bill]

Could be they were in the same record company vaults (Universal, I'm thinking) and to them, a no-brainer to throw it on there.

Depending on when this reissue occurred it could also have been under PolyGram...

--Mr Bill

 

[Captain Bacardi]

You're right though--music like Brenda Russell's would be played alongside Luther Vandross, Anita Baker and other R&B vocalists on $mooth Jazz stations.

As a matter of fact there is a concert DVD of Brenda Russell from the BET On Jazz company. I wouldn't call her jazz, although I think she's a good enough singer to try jazz. She has a new album out called Between The Sun & The Moon that has gotten some rave reviews. I may pick this one up.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

By the way, Brenda and Allee Willis (more A&M connections....) have written a atage musical based on "The Color Purple" that is either in rehearsals or somewhere being workshopped on the road, starring Jesse Martin from "Law & Order"; they want to eventually take it to Broadway......

 

[jimac51]

I knew that producer Andre Fischer was the son of jazz composer/arranger Clare Fischer and Andre was the brains behind Natalie Cole's UNFORGETTABLE(while Andre was Mr. Natalie Cole). On a Google search I discovered the possible link with this album & A&M( Richard Evans) and that Mr. Fischer's ties to the music business went as far back as the American Breed,which evolved into Rufus. Lots of production credits,including Janet Jackson during her A&M days. Mac

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

I knew that producer Andre Fischer was the son of jazz composer/arranger Clare Fischer and Andre was the brains behind Natalie Cole's UNFORGETTABLE(while Andre was Mr. Natalie Cole). On a Google search I discovered the possible link with this album & A&M( Richard Evans) and that Mr. Fischer's ties to the music business went as far back as the American Breed,which evolved into Rufus. Lots of production credits,including Janet Jackson during her A&M days. Mac

All true, with one exception - Clare Fischer is Andre's uncle, not dad. Also, basically everyone connected with UNFORGETTABLE takes credit for being the 'brains' behind that one (when something is that successful, that's usually how it works....)

 

[W.B.]

I also noticed another ex-Rufus-ite in the credits: Ron Stockert. Verrrry interesting.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

This is a fairly good album. I think Brenda Russell is underrated as a songwriter. There's some nice tunes here. This is one of those late 70's - early 80's makeout albums. Something to get you in the mood. I really like "In The Thick Of It" and "If Only For One Night". Sometimes the strings get a bit syrup-y (is that a word? ) which detracts from a couple of tunes. There's nothing earth-shattering here, but it's a pleasant album.


Capt. Bacardi
...getting ready for Saturday's Record Show in Austin, online...

 

[Dave]

...Horizon started in 1976 as a "progressive jazz" imprint... ...In 1980, it bacame less a Jazz label and more a label for music that defied specific categorization... ...The music industry was in a state of transition... (some would say "disarray"...)

...Horizon would (later) go thru a brief third-incarnation in the mid-80's, as a Christian label, with the acquisition of the Word family of labels...

--Mr Bill

Wasn't GRP, which was (Dave) Grusin- (Larry) Rosen Productions, the next off-shoot of this? I'm sure A&M didn't give up entirely on Jazz, or maybe EVERYTHING, then, was a "regular" A&M-release, after this "phase" of Horizon folded, did it not?

By the way, DMP is another current "specialty" Jazz-label, much like impulse!, Verve, CTi, et. al.


Dave

...Still enjoying our discussion on this "Non-Jazz", Jazz-Album-of-The-Week, which I still haven't seen for a number of years...

 

[Mr Bill]

Wasn't GRP, which was (Dave) Grusin- (Larry) Rosen Productions, the next off-shoot of this? ...

Nope. A&M had nothing to do with GRP, though Larry and Dave may have been inspired by Horizon and A&M itself -- both are "artist-run" labels with a keen business sense (though A&M's was "keener" thanks to Jerry Moss).

--Mr Bill

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

I really like "In The Thick Of It" and "If Only For One Night".

Andre Fischer said he always liked "In The Thick Of It"; last year he recut it with Eloise Laws (Ronnie's sister) on her album......