AOTW: Dr. John - City Lights (SP-732)

[Captain Bacardi]

Dr. John
CITY LIGHTS
A&M/Horizon SP-732

Released 1978

Format: Vinyl/Cassette/CD

Produced by Hugh McCracken
Assistant Producer: Christine Martin

Songs:

• 1. Dance The Night Away With You (Pomus/Rebennack) 4:07
  2. Street Side (Rebennack) 6:01
  3. Wild Honey (Guidry/Rebennack) 4:10
  4. Rain (Rebennack) 4:46
  5. Snake Eyes (Rebennack) 6:44
  6. Fire Of Love (Rebennack/Robinson) 3:58
  7. Sonata/He's A Hero (Pomus/Rebennack) 5:20
  8. City Lights (Pomus/Rebennack) 3:24

Musicians:
Dr. John (Mac Rebennack) - Keyboards, Vocals
Steve Gadd - Drums
Will Lee - Bass
Hugh McCracken - Guitar
John Tropea - Guitar
Richard Tee - Keyboards
Arthur Jenkins - Percussion
Ronnie Cuber - Baritone Sax
David Sanborn - Alto Sax
George Young - Tenor Sax
Barry Rogers - Trombone
Charlie Miller - Cornet
Ronnie Barron, George Jones, Tamiya Lynn, Alvin Robinson - Background Vocals

String Arrangements - Claus Ogerman
Horn & Rhythm Arrangements - Hugh McCracken and Dr. John

Engineered by Kevin Herron and Hank Cicalo
Assistant Engineer: Don Henderson and David Prentice
Mixing Engineer: Al Schmitt
Mastered by Mike Reese
Art Direction: Pete Tytler
Recorded July & August 1978

CD Re-release in 2000, pictured above (right) with alternate typography.

Capt. Bacardi

 

[Dave]

Eh, a kind of "Pop" direction for Mac Mac Rebennack a/k/a Dr. John; if the Naw'Leans stuff he started off with, is a bit too much hard to get into, then you turn to the more commercial route--ie. EZ Listening--with arranger/guitarist Hugh McCracken and The Hit Factory Recording Studio-Crew...!!

"Rain" was covered by Bette Midler and "Fire Of Love" has a good, mean Moog solo by McCracken, and I think, you can easily hear country singer George Jones (who avoided HIS career being recorded in this manner with these "heavy" arrangements) in the chorus on some of those songs, along with the other background singers... ...Fire Of Love, burn ever bright; Pleasure or pain, makes everything alright...

"Dance...", the opening cut is my favorite and "Wild Honey", as well, as the closing-cut "City Lights" smack of "The Doctor's" Allen Touissant-influenced musical roots, but the record tends to be a bit uneven, despite all the inspired sweetenings and a few nudgings by the New York City Hot-Shots who back him up...

Got this along with a stack of other LP's (Laura Nyro, Van McCoy, etc.) I had listed on a "want-list", I handed over to the owner of a "newly discovered" used record haunt and on another visit, picked up Mac's Tango Palace, Still-Sealed...

Beware: Dr. John's Tango Palace, his second and Last for A&M/Horizon is EVEN MORE "over-the-top"... :scared:



Dave