Mass Production - In A City Groove (1982) (LP) - €10,00

posted by ad-vinylrecords

Mass Production is an American funk/disco musical group, best known for their 1979 hit, "Firecracker." Based in Norfolk, Virginia, the ten-piece group had a series of minor R&B hits in the late 1970s and early 1980s. 

Although they never achieved the notoriety they deserved, pound for pound  Mass Production was one of the hardest-working outfits in pop/R&B's heady era of self-contained funk bands.

 It was also one of the largest. In a pop music genre where a five-ember outfit could have easily been considered a combo, Mass Production, sometimes standing I I members  strong (including Agnes "Tiny" Kelly, lead vocals and vocoder; Larry "Rockstarr" Marshall, lead vocals; Rodney "Bunny" Phelps, lead guitar and keyboards; LeCoy "Coy" Bryant, guitar; Tyrone Williams, keyboard; Kevin "D' No" Douglas, bass guitar keyboards, and vocals; Ricardo "Ricky" Williams, drums, percussion, keyboards and vocals Emmanuel  "Joe Rock" Redding, percussion; James "Otiste" Drumgole,  trumpet, flugelhorn, and vocals;  Gregory McCoy, sex and keyboards; and Samuel "The Banger" Williams, drums),  was just short of an orchestra.

While some funk band aficionados remember Mass Production as the vehicle of multitalented Tyrone Williams and lead   vocalisi/songwriter/drummer/percussionist Ricardo Williams, the band was a virtual workshop of capable players  and writers. Music entrepreneur Ed  A. Ellerbe actually jump-started the  crew (through six albums, he would serve either as the group's producer, manager, and/or executive producer): he brought the unit to the attention of Cotillion records chief Henry Allen, who, eager to make a foray into R&B's burgeoning funk movement, signed the group to his Atlantic-distributed label.

"Firecracker" is commonly misattributed to the similarly named (and sonically/stylistically similar) band Brass Construction.

In 1982, Mass Production followed up their two very successful albums “In The Purest Form” and “Massterpiece” with “In A City Groove”. 

It marked a slight change of tack for the band, with an overall much smoother sound and the use of a lot of strings and slap bass. 

These innovations are best represented here by the marvellous, flowing, near-title track “Inner City”, almost what you would call “break-beat ready” as you can also hear the influence of Hip Hop and what it might take from them too.

Side A

A1.  Maybe Maybe - 5:17  

A2.  Never Ever - 3:34  

A3.  One More Chance - 5:25  

A4.  I Should Have Known Better - 4:09  

Side B

B1.  Rock - 6:17  

B2.  Inner City - 5:55  

B3.  Solid Love - 4:52  

B4.  Weird - 3:32 

Companies, etc.

• Mixed At – Atlantic Studios
• Recorded At – Skyline Studios
• Pressed By – Specialty Records Corporation

Credits

• Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Gregory McCoy
• Backing Vocals, Bass, Strings [Electric], Synthesizer [Mini-moog, Prophet 5] – Kevin "D'No" Douglas
• Backing Vocals, Flugelhorn, Trumpet – James "Otiste" Drumgole
• Backing Vocals, Guitar [Lead, Rhythm] – Lecoy "Coy" Bryant
• Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals – Larry "Rockstarr" Marshall, Ricardo "Ricky" Williams, Agnes "Tai" Kelly
• Concertmaster – Gene Orloff
• Drums – Samuel "The Banger" Williams
• Engineer – Michael MacDonald, Glenn Paoli
• Engineer [Assistant] – Arthur Payson, Eleanor Zimmer, Steve "Doc. Drum's" Goldman
• Executive-Producer – Ed A. Ellerbe
• Keyboards – Tyrone Williams 
• Mastered By – Herbie Jr
• Mixed By – Jimmy Douglass
• Percussion – Emanuel "Joe Rock" Redding
• Producer, Arranged By [Rhythm, Vocals] – Mass Production
• Strings, Horns, Conductor – Cengiz Yaltkaya
• Trombone – Harold C. Watkins
• Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Joseph "Sly" Simters
• Vocals – Dean Williams

Recorded at Skyline Studios, NYC
Mixed at Atlantic Studios
Mastered at Frankford/Wayne, New York 

Notes

Release: 1982

Format:  LP, Vinyl

Genre:  Soul, Funk

Label:  Cotillion

Catalog#  COT 50877

Vinyl:  Goed (VG)

Cover:  Goed (VG)

Prijs: €10,00