Steve Arrington - Dancin´ In The Key Of Life (1985) LP - €10,00

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Steven Ralph Arrington (born March 5, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, drummer, record producer, engineer and minister, who grew up in Dayton, Ohio. 

 He joined the funk group Slave (founded 1975) on their third LP, called The Concept, in 1978 – originally to play percussion, then later becoming the drummer and a backing vocalist. 

Eventually Arrington took over lead vocals, singing on the hit singles “Just a Touch of Love”, “Watching You”.

Dancin’ in the Key of Life is the debut solo studio album by American R&B/soul singer Steve Arrington. 

It was released in 1985 via Atlantic Records, and was produced by Keg Johnson and Wilmer Raglin. The album peaked at number 185 on the Billboard 200.

Steve Arrington's artistic and commercial zenith post-Slave -- with whom he had an outstanding four-album run and involvement with the spin-off group Aurra -- Dancin' in the Key of Life was also quite transitional. 

Having cut two LPs with his Hall of Fame, the funk legend was moved to Atlantic Records from its Cotillion subsidiary, matched with established producers Keg Johnson and Wilmer Raglin, and went all-the-way solo in name. 

He worked in Los Angeles with a crew including many session keyboardists and background vocalists, guitarist George Johnson (of the Brothers Johnson), and first-call percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, whose nimble handiwork smartly intertwines with driving drum machines. 

Dancin' in the Key of Life doesn't induce as many satisfied grimaces as Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame I, yet its festive spirit and nonstop forward motion more than make up for the reduction of pure funk. 

The album's sense of communal joy can be attributed to Arrington's foregrounding of spirituality and desire to make widely embraced message music. Two shining examples are front-loaded: the rolling "Feel So Real," a song of thanks with a trumpet solo from Freddie Hubbard, and the feel-great title track (the finest unconcealed gospel crossover since Alicia Myers' "I Want to Thank You"). 

Both of those and four additional songs -- ranging thematically to the tragic narrative "Willie Mae" -- were written by Arrington with India Arrington, his then-new wife. 

The other selections were instead either written or co-written by Michael Terry; "She Just Don't Know," the better of the two, perhaps had too much in common with Stevie Wonder's "Go Home" to fare well as a single. 

Side A

A1.  Feel So Real - 5:08  

        Backing Vocals – Dani Johnson, Marti McCall, Pattie Brooks

        Guitar – George Johnson

        Keyboards – Joey Gallo, Steve Arrington

        Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa

        Trumpet [Solo] – Freddie Hubbard

A2.  Dancin’ In The Key Of Life - 4:55  

        Backing Vocals – Dani Johnson, India Arrington, Marti McCall, Pattie Brooks, Steve Arrington

        Guitar – George Johnson

        Keyboards – Anthony Johnson, Carlos Murguia, Joey Gallo, William F. Zimmerman

        Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa

        Written-By – India Arrington, Steve Arrington

A3.  She Just Don’t Know - 5:16

        Backing Vocals – Michael Terry, Steve Arrington, Wilmer Raglin

        Keyboards – Ramsey Embick

        Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa

        Written-By – Michael Terry

A4.  Willie Mae - 6:00

        Backing Vocals – Dani Johnson, India Arrington, Marti McCall, Steve Arrington

        Guitar, Bass [Electric] – George Johnson

        Harp – Stella Castellucci

        Keyboards – Carlos Murguia, Joey Gallo, William F. Zimmerman

        Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa

        Written-By – India Arrington, Steve Arrington

Side B

B1.  Gasoline - 6:09  

        Backing Vocals – Steve Arrington

        Guitar, Bass [Electric] – George Johnson

        Keyboards – Ramsey Embick, William F. Zimmerman

        Written-By – Dani Johnson, Michael Terry

B2.  Stand With Me - 4:43  

        Backing Vocals – Dani Johnson, India Arrington, Marti McCall, Pattie Brooks, Steve Arrington

        Keyboards – Anthony Johnson, Carlos Murguia, William F. Zimmerman

        Written-By – Gary Johnson, India Arrington, Steve Arrington

B3.  Brown Baby Boy - 4:50 

        Backing Vocals – Dani Johnson, Marti McCall, Pattie Brooks, Steve Arrington

        Guitar – Eric Williams, George Johnson

        Keyboards – Joey Gallo, Steve Arrington

        Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa

        Written-By – India Arrington, Steve Arrington

B4.  Turn Up Love - 4:34

        Backing Vocals – Dani Johnson, Marti McCall, Pattie Brooks

        Guitar, Bass [Electric] – George Johnson

        Keyboards – Anthony Johnson, Carlos Murguia, William F. Zimmerman

        Written-By – George Johnson, India Arrington, Steve Arrington

 Companies, etc.

• Published By – Screen Gems-EMI Music Ltd.
• Published By – Copyright Control
• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Atlantic Records
• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – WEA International Inc.
• Copyright © – Atlantic Recording Corporation
• Recorded At – Dawnbreaker Studios
• Recorded At – Devonshire Studios
• Mixed At – Dawnbreaker Studios
• Produced For – Producers Alliance
• Mastered At – Bernie Grundman Mastering
• Pressed By – Record Service Alsdorf
• Manufactured By – WEA Musik GmbH

Credits

• Arranged By – George Johnson (tracks: B4), Keg Johnson (tracks: A1, A2, A4 to B4), Michael Terry (tracks: A3, B1), Ramsey Embick (tracks: A3), Steve Arrington (tracks: B2), Wilmer Raglin (tracks: A1, A2, A4 to B4)
• Art Direction – Bob Defrin
• Engineer [Additional Engineering] – Gary Dobins
• Engineer, Mixed By – Jim Shifflett
• Mastered By – Bernie Grundman
• Other [Costume By] – Linda Stokes
• Other [Makeup By] – Tara
• Photography By – Aaron Rapoport
• Producer – Keg Johnson, Wilmer Raglin

Recorded at Dawnbreaker Recording & Devonshire Sound Studios
Engineered by: Jim Shifflett
Additional engineering by Gary Dobins
Mixed at: Dawnbreaker Recording
Mastered at Bernie Grundman Studios by Bernie Grundman
Photography: Aaron Rapaport
Art direction: Bob Defrin
Costume by: Linda Stokes/Makeup by: Tara
PRODUCED BY KEG JOHNSON & WILMER RAGLIN FOR:
THE PRODUCERS ALLIANCE

Notes

Release: 1985

Format:  LP, Vinyl

Genre:  Funk / Soul

Label:  Atlantic Records

Catalog#  781245-1

Vinyl:  Goed (VG)

Cover:  Goed (VG)

Prijs: €10,00