🎵 AotW Jerry Knight - JERRY KNIGHT (SP-4788)

[LPJim]

Jerry Knight
JERRY KNIGHT
A&M SP-4788

Jerry Knight founded the band Raydio with Ray Parker Jr., best known for their hit "Jack and Jill."

TRACKS:

Freak Show
Good Times
Joy Ride
Let Me Be the Reason

Monopoly
Now That She's Rockin'
Overnight Sensation
Sweetest Love

Released 1980 and remained in the Billboard Top 200 for 7 weeks, peaking at # 165

JB

 

[Rudy]

As I'm researching a 12" single, I didn't realize that the "Overnight Sensation" on this recording was the one I knew from 1980. It is a good late-disco-era dance track, but the remainder of the album straddles a line between R&B and rock, which actually alienated the remainder of the album with both rock and R&B stations. A shame really, since there are some good crossover tunes on this disc. (I have since heard it, after this AOTW was first posted. )

 

[Dave]

• Side 1
• 1. Good Times (Arnell Carmichael, Jerry Knight) 5:19
• 2. Monopoly (Jerry Knight, Thurlene Johnson) 3:57
• 3. Overnight Sensation (Jerry Knight) 5:02
• 4. Sweetest Love (Jerry Knight) 3:57
• Side 2
• 1. Joy Ride (Jerry Knight) 3:44
• 2. Let Me be The Reason (Jerry Knight) 3:46
• 3. Freek Show (Jerry Knight) 4:13
• 4. Now That She's Rockin' (Jerry Knight) 6:14

• Arranged By – Jerry Knight
• Backing Vocals – Jerry Knight (Side 1, Track 4; Side 2, Track, 2), Mark Bensi (Side 1, Track 4), Petsye Powell (Side 2, Track 2), Skip Adams (Side 1, Track 4)
• Design (Cover Photo) – Artrouble
• Drums – Larry Tolbert (Side 2, Track 4), Mark Bensi (Side 1, Track 2 to Track 4; Side 2, Track 1), Quentin Dennard (Side 1, Track 1; Side 2, Track 2; Side 2, Track 3)
• Engineer – Gary Skardina
• Engineer, Mixed By – Rik Pekkonen
• Guitar – Art Phillips (Side 2, Track 4), Michael McGloiry (Side 2, Track 4), Skip Adams (Side 1, Track 2 to Track 4; Side 2, Track 1; Side 2, Track 4)
• Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Instruments (All Other) – Jerry Knight
• Mastered By – Bernie Grundman
• Piano – Vincent Bonham (Side 1, Track 1)
• Producer – David Kershenbaum
• Synthesizer (Moog Bass, Yamaha CS-80) – Patrick Moten (Side 1, Track 3; Side 2, Track 1)

-- Dave

 

[Rudy]

Interesting choice of producer: Kershenbaum was known for Joe Jackson's albums back in the day.

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

And Tracy Chapman's albums later in the day....

 

[Rudy]

 

[jfiedler17]

Thanks for sharing this album! I've never heard the full album before - I'd only been familiar with "Overnight Sensation," which I had on 45 at one point and lost somewhere along the way, so even that song I haven't heard in years. Was happy to hear that one again! Underrated single. I'm not sure why it wasn't bigger.

 

[Rudy]

Thanks for sharing this album! I've never heard the full album before - I'd only been familiar with "Overnight Sensation," which I had on 45 at one point and lost somewhere along the way, so even that song I haven't heard in years. Was happy to hear that one again! Underrated single. I'm not sure why it wasn't bigger.

It had constant airplay here when it came out, but wasn't a big hit chart-wise. I do hear more of the rock edge throughout the album and can hear the similarities to Ray Parker Jr.'s recordings (Knight was an early member of Raydio).

 

[AM Matt]

NO NOT "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" by The Raspberries (with Eric Carmen) which was their last Top 40 & Hot 100 song on November 9, 1974 that went to # 18. Rolling Stone magazine critics loved that song & so did the late John Lennon!!

 

[Mr Bill]

Thanks for posting... While Knight never got the recognition he deserved, he was certainly NOT my cup of the at that time... In hindsight, were I more (musically) open-minded then, I would've likely embraced his soulful pop...

--Mr Bill
thinking back on how my musical tasted have changed over the decades...

 

[Rudy]

This music was always in my wheelhouse, as the only other major choice in this area for popular music was arena/corporate rock. Consider that when Prince first broke out big, we were one of the small number of cities where his music make a big impression, before the mainstream caught on. George Clinton/Parliament/Funkadelic were popular here also, and of course Motown Records lived here until they bailed for the west coast in the 70s.