Rickie Lee Jones (album)
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| Rickie Lee Jones | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 28, 1979 | |||
| Recorded | September–December 1978 | |||
| Studio | Warner Bros. Recording Studios and The Burbank Studios Tracks 2, 11 recorded live December 22, 1978 at TBS | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 42:11 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Rickie Lee Jones chronology | ||||
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Rickie Lee Jones is the debut studio album album by American singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones, released on February 28, 1979 by Warner Bros. Records.
Background[]
Jones had begun playing live in the Los Angeles area at the age of 21, and after meeting singer-songwriter Alfred Johnson, the pair began writing and performing live together (most notably at the Ala Carte club.) Two of their collaborations, "Weasel and the White Boys Cool" and "Company," would later be recorded for Jones' debut album. She also sang jazz standards, as well as a song penned by her father ("The Moon Is Made of Gold") in her live sets.
Jones' performances around Los Angeles aroused interest from other local songwriters, as well as local record company executives. At a label showcase, Jones performed originals, including "Chuck E.'s in Love", "The Real Thing Is Back in Town" and "The Moon Is Made of Gold." This showcase performance, plus a demo containing "The Last Chance Texaco", "Easy Money", "Young Blood" and "After Hours" led to a record deal with Warner Bros.. For her major label debut, Jones scrapped "The Real Thing Is Back in Town," but used the titular line in one of the album's tracks - "Coolsville."
Recording sessions (which began in September 1978) yielded eleven songs for inclusion on an album. Two of the songs - "On Saturday Afternoons in 1963" and "After Hours" - were recorded live on December 22, 1978.
Reception[]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Smash Hits | 8/10[2] |
| The Village Voice | B−[3] |
Upon release, the album received mostly favorable reviews, and was supported by two singles. Lead single "Chuck E.'s in Love" peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the album, which went on to become a million seller, peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200. The album was further promoted by a performance on Saturday Night Live in April 1979, where she performed "Chuck E.'s in Love" and "Coolsville". A second single, "Young Blood," cracked the US Top 40 in late 1979, when Jones went on an international tour. By June 1981, the album had sold over two million copies in the U.S.
Image[]
The album cover photography and design was by Norman Seeff.
Awards[]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | |||
| Rickie Lee Jones | Best New Artist | Won | |
| "Chuck E.'s In Love" | Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female | Nominated | |
| Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
| "The Last Chance Texaco" | Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female | Nominated | |
| Tom Knox[4] | Best Engineered Recording - Non-Classical | Nominated |
Track listing[]
All songs written by Rickie Lee Jones, except where noted.
- "Chuck E.'s in Love" 3:28
- "On Saturday Afternoons in 1963" – 2:31
- "Night Train" – 3:14
- "Young Blood" – 4:04
- "Easy Money" – 3:16
- "The Last Chance Texaco" – 4:05
- "Danny's All-Star Joint" – 4:01
- "Coolsville" – 3:49
- "Weasel and the White Boys Cool" (Jones, Alfred Johnson) – 6:00
- "Company" (Jones, Alfred Johnson) – 4:40
- "After Hours (Twelve Bars Past Goodnight)" – 2:13
Personnel[]
- Rickie Lee Jones – vocals, keyboards, percussion, guitar, backing vocals, horn arrangements
- Dr. John – keyboards
- Michael McDonald – backing vocals
- Randy Newman – synthesizer
- Victor Feldman – percussion, drums, keyboards
- Tom Scott – horns
- Ralph Grierson – keyboards
- Michael "Bobby" Boddicker – synthesizer
- Red Callender – bass
- Nick DeCaro – accordion; orchestral arrangements on "On Saturday Afternoons in 1963", "Night Train" and "After Hours"
- Buzz Feiten – guitar
- Chuck Findley – horns
- Steve Gadd – drums
- Randy Kerber – keyboards
- Neil Larsen – keyboards
- Arno Lucas – backing vocals
- Johnny Mandel – orchestral arrangements on "Coolsville" and "Company"
- Andy Newmark – drums
- Jeff Porcaro – drums
- Leslie Smith – backing vocals
- Mark Stevens – drums, percussion
- Fred Tackett – guitar, mandolin
- Joe Turano – backing vocals
- Ernie Watts – horns
- Willie Weeks – Fender bass
- Matthew Weiner – backing vocals
- Technical
- Penny Ringwood - production assistant
- Lee Herschberg, Loyd Clifft – engineer
- Roger Nichols, Tom Knox - additional engineering
- Mike Salisbury – art direction, cover design
- Norman Seeff – cover photography
Charts[]
Weekly charts[]
Year-end charts[]
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Singles - Billboard
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Sample[]
Notes[]
- ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Rickie Lee Jones – Rickie Lee Jones". AllMusic. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
- ^ Starr, Red (August 9–22, 1979). "Albums". Smash Hits. Vol. 1 no. 18. p. 25.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (April 30, 1979). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
- ^ https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/tom-knox
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 431. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
Authority control  |
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- Rickie Lee Jones albums
- 1979 debut albums
- Albums arranged by Johnny Mandel
- Albums produced by Lenny Waronker
- Albums produced by Russ Titelman
- Warner Records albums