🎵 AotW AOTW: Quincy Jones - MELLOW MADNESS (SP-4526)

[Captain Bacardi]

Quincy Jones
MELLOW MADNESS
A&M SP-4526

Released 1975
Peaked at #1 on Jazz Charts, #3 on the R&B Charts, #16 on the Top 200 Charts (1975)

Format: Vinyl/8-Track/Cassette/CD/Quad

Produced by Quincy Jones for Quincy Jones Productions

Songs:

• 1. Is It Love That We're Missin' (George Johnson/Debbie Smith) - 3:43
  2. Paranoid (Joe Greene) - 2:55
  3. Mellow Madness (Quincy Jones/Tom Bahler/Paulette McWilliams/Al Ciner) - 3:27
  4. Beautiful Black Girl (Quincy Jones/Otis Smith) - 6:13
  5. Listen (What It Is) (George Johnson/Louis Johnson) - 4:16
  6. Just A Little Taste Of Me (George Johnson/Louis Johnson) - 3:27
  7. My Cherie Amour (Stevie Wonder/Henry Cosby/Sylvia May) - 5:25
  8. Tryin' To Find Out About You (George Johnson/Louis Johnson) - 3:00
  9. Cry Baby (Quincy Jones/Wah Wah Watson/Robert Bryant) - 4:19
  10. Bluesette (Norman Gimbel/Jean "Toots" Thielemans) - 7:00
  
  Arranged by Quincy Jones, Tom Bahler and Paul Riser

Musicians:
Quincy Jones - Trumpet, Keyboards
Guitars - Wah Wah Watson, George Johnson, Dennis Budimir (7), Toots Thilemans (10)
Bass - Louis Johnson, Max Bennett (7), Chuck Rainey (10)
Keyboards - Don Grusin, Dave Grusin, Jerry Peters, Mike Melvoin (7)
Trumpets - Bill Lamb, Chuck Findley, Tom Bahler
Trombones - Frank Rosolino, George Bohanon
Saxophones - Ernie Krivda, Sahib Shihab, Jerome Richardson
Flute - Hubert Laws (7)
Bass Harmonica - Tommy Morgan (6)
Drums - Harvey Mason, Grady Tate (10)
Conga & Percussion - Ralph MacDonald
Synthesizer Programming - Ian Underwood
Background Vocals - Tom Bahler, Paulette McWilliams, Jim Gilstrap, Joe Greene, Jesse Kirkland, Myrna Matthews, Carolyn Willis, Leon Ware, Quincy Jones, Minnie Riperton
Lead Vocals - George Johnson (1, 5, 6), Leon Ware (2, 7), Paulette McWilliams (3, 5, 7), Minnie Riperton (7), Wah Wah Watson (9), The Watts Prophets (Poetry Recitation on #4)

Recorded at Record Plant, Los Angeles, Westlake Audio, Los Angeles
Mastered at Kendun Recorders, Burbank California
Engineered by Phil Schier
Assisted by Joan DeCola

Art Direction by Roland Young
Album Design by Chuck Beeson
Photography by Norman Seeff



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Dave]

The only Quincy Jones product I ever really, everlastingly, truly enjoyed...

The last jazz project he made which was on the strength of "Bluesette" (and I clearly hear Tom Bahler singing on that one)...

And despite the over-representation of The Brothers Johnson's "Is It Love That We're Missin'?" on the myriad compilations by "Q" & their "greatest hits-type stuff", it still ranks as my all-time favorite...

And next to that, would be the last two songs on Side 1 (least while I fell asleep to 'em playin'...!) coming as my second fav'...

Dave