Nightshift (album)
| Nightshift | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 15, 1985 | |||
| Recorded | 1984 | |||
| Studio | Soundcastle, Los Angeles, California | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 38:41 | |||
| Label | Motown | |||
| Producer | Dennis Lambert | |||
| Commodores chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
Philadelphia Inquirer |   [3] |
| Record Mirror | [4] |
| Rolling Stone |  [5] |
| Smash Hits | 3/10[6] |
Nightshift is the 11th studio album by the
Background
Nightshift is the Commodores' second studio album without Lionel Richie, who left the band in 1982, and their last studio album with their original bass guitarist Ronald LaPread. Their previous album Commodores 13 (1983) had featured interim lead vocalist Harold Hudson of Mean Machine.[7] For Nightshift the Commodores permanently replaced Richie with British-born J.D. Nicholas, formerly of Heatwave. Dennis Lambert was chosen as producer, the Commodores hoping to find the same magic created by producer/arranger James Anthony Carmichael, with whom they had worked since 1974 and who was a major impetus in their earlier success.[8][9]
Other musicians that play on the album include: Peter Wolf, Paul Fox, John Robinson, Neil Stubenhaus, Jeff Lorber, Peter Maunu, Harold Hudson, Dennis Lambert, Paulinho da Costa, Vinnie Colaiuta, Jerry Hey, Gary Grant, Gary Herbig and Larry Williams.
Chart performance
Despite the album's middling reviews, it remained in the top of the
Though not as successful as the "Nightshift" single, two other tracks from the album were released. Regarded as an out-of-the-ordinary track for the Commodores, "Animal Instinct", with Orange on lead vocals, was released almost six months after "Nightshift", and reached No. 23 on the R&B charts, and only No. 43 on the pop charts.[13] The single, "Janet", barely made Billboard's Top 100 and never made it into the R&B top 50. However, it did reach No. 8 on the Adult Contemporary charts.[14]
With the following album, United, only reaching No. 17 on the R&B charts, Nightshift became The Commodores' last album to enter the top ten;[15] the song "Nightshift" was their second-to-last to reach the singles top ten, "Goin' to the Bank" being their last, in 1986.[14]
Track listing
- "Animal Instinct" (Martin Page) – 4:54
- "Nightshift" (Dennis Lambert, Franne Golde, Walter Orange) – 5:03
- "I Keep Running" (Harold Hudson, Shirley King, William King) – 4:11
- "Lay Back" (Dennis Lambert, Franne Golde, Martin Page, Milan Williams) – 5:01
- "Slip of the Tongue" (Lenny Macaluso, Peter Beckett) – 3:53
- "Play This Record Twice" (Kevin Smith, Ronald LaPread) – 4:22
- "Janet" (Bobby Caldwell, Franne Golde, Paul Fox) – 3:41
- "Woman in My Life" (Keith Stegall, Patrick Henderson) – 3:34
- "Lighting Up the Night" (Diane Warren, Jeff Lorber) – 4:02
Charts
| Year | Chart positions[16] |
|---|---|
| Aus[17] | |
| 1985 | 44 |
Personnel
Commodores
- William King – keyboards, backing vocals, arrangements (3)
- Ronald LaPread – bass, backing vocals
- J. D. Nicholas – lead vocals (2, 3, 4), backing vocals
- Walter Orange – drums, lead vocals (1, 2, 5-9), backing vocals
- Milan Williams – keyboards
Additional musicians
- Gregory Alexander – backing vocals
- Tracee Augcomfor – backing vocals
- Vinnie Colaiuta – drums
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion
- Paul Fox – arrangements (3, 7), synthesizers, bass programming, drum programming
- Doris Garrett – backing vocals
- Siedah Garrett – backing vocals
- Gary Grant – trumpet (9), flugelhorn (9)
- Patricia Hamlin – backing vocals
- Gary Herbig – saxophones (9)
- Jerry Hey – horn arrangement (9), trumpet (9), flugelhorn (9)
- Harold Hudson – arrangements (3), synthesizers
- Phillip Ingram – backing vocals
- Paul Jackson Jr. – arrangements (6), synthesizers, guitars, bass programming, drum programming
- Dennis Lambert – synthesizers, percussion, backing vocals, BGV arrangements
- Jeff Lorber – arrangements (9), synthesizers, bass programming, drum programming
- Peter Maunu – guitars
- Darryl Phinnessee – backing vocals
- Ambrose Price – backing vocals
- Sheldon Reynolds – backing vocals
- John Robinson – drums
- Neil Stubenhaus – bass
- David Swanson – backing vocals
- "Ready" Freddie Washington – bass
- Larry Williams – saxophones (9)
- Peter Wolf – arrangements (1, 2, 4, 5, 8), keyboards, synthesizers, bass programming, drum programming
Production
- Producer – Dennis Lambert
- Co-Producer on "I Keep Running" – William King
- Associate Producer, Engineer – Jeremy Smith
- Associate Engineer – Paul Ericksen
- Assistant Engineers – Bino Espinoza and Fred Law
- Mastered by John Matousek at Motown/Hitsville U.S.A Recording Studios (Hollywood, CA).
- Album Coordination – Marrianne Pellicci and Gail Pierson
- Art Direction – Johnny Lee
- Design – Janet Levinson
- Photography – Ron Slenzak
- Management – BNB Associates, Dan Cleary
References
- Allmusic.
- ProQuest 386332790.
- ProQuest 1823041952.
- ISSN 0144-5804. Archived from the original(PDF) on 23 June 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023 – via World Radio History.
- ^ Rolling Stone review
- ISSN 0260-3004. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
- ^ Allmusic.com: Commodores 13 Overview Retrieved Nov. 6, 2007.
- ^ a b AllMusic.com Nightshift Overview Retrieved November 6, 2007
- ^ AllMusic.com: James Anthony Carmichael Retrieved Nov. 6, 2007.
- ^ a b Allmusic.com Song Review: Nightshift. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ^ Allmusic.com: Nightshift Billboard Singles Charts & Awards. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ^ Allmusic.com: Commodores Biography. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ^ Allmusic.com: "Animal Instinct" Song Review. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ^ a b Allmusic.com: Full List of Commodores Billboard Singles. Retrieved November 6, 2007
- ^ Allmusic.com: Commodores full list of Billboard albums. Retrieved November 6, 2007
- ^ "The Commodores US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
