Plantation Harbor

Plantation Harbor
Studio album by Joe Vitale
Released	1981 (1981)
Recorded	1979–1980
Studio	show Various Bayshore Recording (Coconut Grove, Florida) Rudy Records (Los Angeles, California) Santa Barbara Sound (Santa Barbara, California) The Vinylrosa (Little Switzerland, North Carolina) Home-Brew Studio (The Third Ring of Venus)
Genre	Rock pop rock soft rock reggae fusion
Length	39:37
Label	Asylum
Producer	Bill Szymczyk for Pandora Productions, Ltd
Joe Vitale chronology
Roller Coaster Weekend (1974) Plantation Harbor (1981) Speaking in Drums (2008)
Singles from Plantation Harbor
"Lady on the Rock" Released: 1981 "Never Gonna to Leave You Alone (Crazy 'Bout You Baby)" Released: 1981

Plantation Harbor is the second solo studio album by the American recording artist Joe Vitale. It was originally released in 1981, on the label Asylum. The album was his only album to chart reaching No. 181 on the Billboard 200.

The album was released at the height of the popularity of the new wave music movement. The song "Lady on the Rock" received some airplay in the US on album-oriented rock radio, but the album was generally poorly received.

The album features guest performances by Joe Walsh, Don Felder, Timothy B. Schmit, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, Mickey Thomas, Paul Harris, George "Chocolate" Perry, Joe Lala, and Marilyn Martin, and horns arranged by James Pankow.

Composition[]

The instrumental "Theme from Cabin Weirdos" is another in the series of "Weirdo" instrumentals, "Theme from Boat Weirdos," "Theme from Island Weirdos," among other instrumentals that Joe Walsh and Vitale had placed on former albums.

The Echo drums on the track "Theme from Cabin Weirdos" were recorded on top of Mount Mitchell, which is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak in the eastern United States, the mountain reaches an elevation of 6,684 ft (2,037 m).^[1]

Recording[]

In 1981, Bill Szymczyk had produced The Who's Face Dances, and Vitale had made commitments to Who bassist John Entwistle's fifth solo album Too Late the Hero (which he had been committed to since 1979) with Joe Walsh. Vitale also made commitments to Walsh's fifth solo album There Goes the Neighborhood, all of which tied into Vitale and Szymczyk's commitments of this album.^[2][3][4]

Critical reception[]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[5]

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, critic Rob Caldwell called the album "a dated sounding, but decent, collection of light and airy late 1970s/early 1980s rock." He likened it to Joe Walsh's solo albums, but disclaimed that it does not have the "strong hooks or the bite."^[5]

Track listing[]

All songs written by Joe Vitale, except where noted.

Side one

1. "Plantation Harbor" - 4:14
2. "Never Gonna Leave You Alone (Crazy 'Bout You Baby)" - 5:04
3. "Laugh-Laugh" - 4:29
4. "Man Gonna Love You" - 5:01

Side two

5. "Theme from Cabin Weirdos" - 2:48
6. "Lady on the Rock" (Vitale, Bill Szymczyk, Stephen Stills) - 5:30
7. "Bamboo Jungle" - 3:16
8. "Sailor Man" - 3:58
9. "I'm Flyin'" - 5:17

Personnel[]

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.^[6]

• Joe Vitale – vocals (track 1-4, 6-9); drums (track 1-9); clavinet (track 1-3, 4, 7-9); flute (track 3, 7); organ (track 1, 2); percussion (track 1-9); electric piano (track 4, 5); grand piano (track 5); synthesizer (track 1, 2, 6-9); vibraphone (track 3)

Additional personnel

• Joe Walsh – guitar (track 1-3, 6-9)
• Don Felder – guitar (track 4, 6, 8)
• Willie "Little Beaver" Hale – rhythm guitar (track 1)
• George "Chocolate" Perry – bass guitar (track 1-4, 6-9); backing vocals (track 1, 2, 7)
• Walter Parazaider – tenor saxophone (track 8)
• Marty Grebb – alto saxophone (track 8); solo saxophone (track 8)
• Paul Harris – clavinet (track 6); piano (track 2, 3, 8)
• Bob Mayo – lead clavinet (track 7); piano (track 9)
• Jimmy Pankow – trombone (track 8)
• Lee Loughnane – trumpet (track 8)
• Graham Nash – piano (track 9)
• Joe Lala – congas (track 3)
• Marilyn "Mini" Martin – backing vocals (track 1, 4, 6)
• Timothy B. Schmit – backing vocals (track 3, 8)
• Joan Perry – backing vocals (track 1, 2)
• Stephen Stills – backing vocals (track 9)
• Mickey Thomas – backing vocals (track 2)
• Greg Droman – backing vocals (track 4)
• Ricky "Goona" Washington – backing vocals (track 1, 2)

Production team

• Bill Szymczyk – producer; engineer; inner sleeve photography; album cover concept
• Buddy Thornton – assistant engineer; maintenance engineer; truck driver; C.B. Maintenance; Mobile Monsters; fish dinners; Space Invaders maintenance; console customizing; one pound-o-lony
• Allan Blazek – assistant engineer
• James Geddes – assistant engineer
• Ed Mashal – assistant engineer
• Jay Parti – assistant engineer
• Jimmy Patterson – assistant engineer
• John Swain – assistant engineer
• Ted Jensen – mastering (at Sterling Sound, New York City)
• Jimmie "Jim" Haskell – string arrangements
• Jimmy Pankow – horn arrangements
• Paul Harris – horn arrangements
• Sid Sharp – concertmaster
• Jimmy Wachtel – art direction; design
• Joe Vitale – album cover concept; inner sleeve photography
• Scherley Busch – cover photography
• Jage Jackson – inner sleeve photography
• Buddy Thornton – inner sleeve photography

Notes

Stephen Stills, Jimmy Pankow, Lee Loughnane, Walt Parazaider and Marty Grebb appear courtesy of Columbia Records

Chart performance[]

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year	Chart	Position
1981	Billboard 200	181

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1981	"Lady on the Rock"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	47[7]

References[]

External links[]

• Plantation Harbor at Discogs (list of releases)