Reddy (album)

Reddy
Studio album by Helen Reddy
Released 1979
Recorded 1979 at
Conway Recording Studios
Hollywood, California
Genre Vocal
Pop/Rock[1]
Length 33:52
Label Capitol
Producer Frank Day
Helen Reddy chronology
Live In London
(1978)		 Reddy
(1979)		 Take What You Find
(1980)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Billboardpositive[2]

Reddy is an album by Australian-American pop singer Helen Reddy that was released in 1979 by Capitol Records and noted by Billboard magazine for what set it apart from its predecessors: "It's the three disco tracks on the first side of this album that will probably draw the most attention, but more interesting from the point of view of Reddy's artistic growth are covers of soul ballads by Gamble & Huff ('Sing My Heart Out') and Eugene Record ('Trying to Get to You') and rock material by the likes of The Doobie Brothers ('Minute by Minute')."[2] That same review from the issue dated June 2 of that year also mentioned the exposure she received[2] from The Helen Reddy Special, which had just aired on ABC on May 22,[3] but, as with her previous two releases, Reddy did not reach Billboard's Top LP's & Tapes chart.[4] It was also her last album to chart in Canada's RPM magazine when it peaked at number 97 there in August of that year.[5]

Singles

The seven-minute album version of "Make Love to Me" was released as a 12-inch single and given high marks in Billboard's "Disco Mix" column: "Reddy belts out this song with the right combination of orchestration and arrangements that have no need for a break as the tune never lets down in energy level through its 7:02-minute length."[6] The 7-inch version of the song, which had a running time of 3:48, made its first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 in the issue of the magazine dated May 19 and got as high as number 60 during its 10 weeks there.[7] It also peaked at number 57 on the RPM singles chart.[8] Its debut on the newly-titled Adult Contemporary chart in Billboard came three weeks later, in the June 9 issue, and led to a number 41 showing there over the course of five weeks.[9] It also provided Reddy with her only hit on the magazine's R&B chart when it started its seven weeks there in the July 28 issue and reached number 59.[10] A second song from the album, "Let Me Be Your Woman", made it to number 43 Adult Contemporary during a five-week run that began later that year, in the November 10 issue,[9] but did not reach the pop chart.[7]

Reception

Both Allmusic and Billboard suggested that this should have been Reddy's comeback album, the latter noting that her "album sales have tapered off in the past few years, but this LP proves that she is staying on top of trends rather than being content to stay in a cozy but confining MOR rut."[2] And Allmusic's Charles Donovan writes, "Her Top Ten days were over, but on the strength of this set, they shouldn't have been."[1]

Track listing

Side 1

  1. "Trying to Get to You" (Eugene Record) – 3:36
  2. "Perfect Love Affair" (Pat Upton) – 3:34
  3. "The Magic Is Still There" (Garry Paige, Mark Punch) – 2:58
    • Ed Greene – drums
    • Teddy Randazzo – keyboards
    • Jai Winding – keyboards
    • Robert White – guitar
    • Bill Neale – guitar
    • Scott Edwards – bass guitar
  4. "Make Love to Me" (Michael Tinsley, Steven Voice, Peter Yellowstone) – 7:00
    • James Gadson – drums
    • Teddy Randazzo – keyboards
    • Pete Robinson – keyboards
    • Paul Jackson, Jr. – guitar
    • Robert Bowles – guitar
    • Thom Rotella – guitar
    • Eddie Watkins, Jr. – bass guitar

Side 2

  1. "Minute by Minute" (Lester Abrams, Michael McDonald) – 3:50
    • Danny Seraphine – drums
    • Teddy Randazzo – keyboards
    • Jai Winding – keyboards
    • Ira Newborn – guitar
    • Bill Neale – guitar
    • Chuck Rainey – bass guitar
  2. "Let Me Be Your Woman" (Ed Fournier) – 3:00
    • Ed Greene – drums
    • Bill Cuomo – keyboards
    • Thom Rotella – guitar
    • Eddie Watkins, Jr. – bass guitar
  3. "You're So Good" (Fred Freeman, Harry Nehls) – 2:59
    • James Gadson – drums
    • Teddy Randazzo – keyboards
    • Paul Jackson, Jr. – guitar
    • Robert Bowles – guitar
    • Eddie Watkins, Jr. – bass guitar
    • Tower of Power horn section – horns
    • Lenny Pickett – sax solo
  4. "Words Are Not Enough" (Garry Paige, Mark Punch) – 3:07
    • Ed Greene – drums
    • Chet McCracken – drums
    • Robert Lamm – keyboards
    • Teddy Randazzo – keyboards
    • Robert White – guitar
    • Bill Neale – guitar
    • Thom Rotella – guitar
    • Chuck Rainey – bass guitar
    • Leon Gaer – bass guitar
    • James Pankow – horns
    • Lee Loughnane – horns
    • Ernie Watts – horns
  5. "Sing My Heart Out" (Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff) – 3:48
    • Danny Seraphine – drums
    • Jai Winding – keyboards
    • Ira Newborn – guitar
    • Bill Neale – guitar
    • Chuck Rainey – bass guitar
Rarities from the Capitol Vaults tracks

In 2009 EMI Music Special Markets released Rarities from the Capitol Vaults, a 12-track CD of mostly what were previously unreleased Reddy recordings.[11] One of the songs included was taken from the recording sessions for Reddy:

Personnel

  • Helen Reddy – vocals
  • Frank Day – producer; basic track arranger ("Let Me Be Your Woman", "You're So Good")
  • Bruce Sperling – associate producer
  • McKinley Jackson – arranger
  • John Florez – basic track producer ("Let Me Be Your Woman", "You're So Good")
  • D'Arneill Pershing – basic track arranger ("Let Me Be Your Woman", "You're So Good")
  • James Pankow – horn arranger ("Words Are Not Enough")
  • Greg Adams – horn arranger ("You're So Good")
  • Buddy Brundo – recording and mixing engineer
  • Cris Gordon – assistant engineer
  • Phil Moores – assistant engineer
    • recording and mixing at Conway Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA
  • Ken Perry – mastering
    • mastered at Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA
  • Jeff Wald – management
  • Claude Mougin – photography
  • Roy Kohara – art direction
  • Ben Barrett – contractor
  • Robert Lamm – background vocals
  • Jon English – background vocals
  • Dan Hamilton – background vocals
  • Brenda Jones – background vocals
  • Shirley Jones – background vocals
  • Valorie Jones – background vocals
  • The Sweet Inspirations – background vocals
  • Lee Loughnane – trumpet
  • Steve Kupka – trumpet; trombone
  • Greg Adams – trumpet
  • Ricky Baptist – trumpet
  • Steve Madio – trumpet
  • Oscar Brashear – trumpet
  • Jerry Hey – trumpet
  • Gary Grant – trumpet
  • Alan Kaplan – trumpet
  • James Pankow – trombone
  • Charles Loper – trombone
  • Jack Redmond – trombone
  • Lew McCreary – trombone
  • Emilio Castillo – saxophone
  • Lenny Pickett – saxophone
  • Mic Gillette – saxophone
  • Bill Green – saxophone
  • Terry Harrington – saxophone
  • Ernie Watts – saxophone
  • Harry Bluestone – string concertmaster
  • Laudir de Oliveira – percussion

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 "Reddy - Helen Reddy". allmusic.com. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Billboard's Top Album Picks". Billboard. 1979-06-02. p. 70.
  3. ↑ Terrace 2009, p. 190.
  4. ↑ Whitburn 2010, p. 646.
  5. ↑ "RPM 100 Top Albums". RPM. 1979-08-11.
  6. ↑ Lederer, Barry (1979-06-09). "Disco Mix". Billboard. p. 84.
  7. 1 2 Whitburn 2009, p. 805.
  8. ↑ "100 Singles". RPM. 1979-07-07.
  9. 1 2 Whitburn 2007, p. 227.
  10. ↑ Whitburn 2004, p. 487.
  11. ↑ (2009) Rarities from the Capitol Vaults by Helen Reddy [CD booklet]. Hollywood: EMI Music Special Markets 509996-98493-2-9

References

  • Terrace, Vincent (1985), The Complete Encyclopedia of Television Series, Pilots, and Specials, 1974-1984, Zoetrope, ISBN 0918432618 
  • Whitburn, Joel (2004), Joel Whitburn Presents Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles, 1942-2004, Record Research Inc., ISBN 0-89820-160-8 
  • Whitburn, Joel (2007), Joel Whitburn Presents Billboard Top Adult Songs, 1961-2006, Record Research Inc., ISBN 0-89820-169-1 
  • Whitburn, Joel (2009), Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 1955-2008, Record Research Inc., ISBN 0-89820-180-2 
  • Whitburn, Joel (2010), Joel Whitburn Presents Top Pop Albums, Seventh Edition, Record Research Inc., ISBN 0-89820-183-7 
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