''Christmas and the Beads of Sweat'' is the fourth album by New York-born singer, songwriter, and pianist

Laura Nyro Laura Nyro ( ; born Laura Nigro; October 18, 1947 – April 8, 1997) was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist. She achieved critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums ''Eli and the Thirteenth Confession'' (1968 ...

. The album was released on the Columbia Records label in November 1970 after Nyro had recorded it in the early summer with producers

Felix Cavaliere Felix Cavaliere (born November 29, 1942) is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known for being the lead vocalist and keyboard player for the Young Rascals. Although he was a member of Joey Dee and the Starliters, known for ...

and

Arif Mardin Arif Mardin (March 15, 1932 – June 25, 2006) was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco and country. He worked at Atlantic Records for o ...

. Whilst Nyro had handed over production reins, she was still in control of the project and co-arranged her compositions. The album is the closing part of a trilogy that also comprises 1968's ''

Eli and the Thirteenth Confession ''Eli and the Thirteenth Confession'' is the second album by New York City-born singer, songwriter, and pianist Laura Nyro, released in 1968. History Nyro premiered some of the songs that were to appear on the album at the 1967 Monterey Pop Fes ...

'' and 1969's '' New York Tendaberry''. Musically, the album is a bridge between the two, balancing the lighter and more joyful tones of ''Eli'' with the dark, sensual, and piano-dominated ''Tendaberry''. The presence of

The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section is a group of American session musicians based in the northern Alabama town of Muscle Shoals. One of the most prominent American studio house bands from the 1960s to the 1980s, these musicians, individually or as ...

on side one lends the album a more easygoing, rock-inspired sound, but this is countered by Nyro's evocative lyrics and moody piano delivery. Nyro had by this time built up a strong reputation as a songwriter, and the album features star turns from

Duane Allman Howard Duane Allman (November 20, 1946 – October 29, 1971) was an American rock guitarist, session musician, and the founder and original leader of the Allman Brothers Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame i ...

, who adds a guitar solo to the driving "Beads of Sweat," and

Alice Coltrane Alice Coltrane (' McLeod; August 27, 1937January 12, 2007), also known by her adopted Sanskrit name Turiyasangitananda, was an American jazz musician and composer, and in her later years a swamini. An accomplished pianist and one of the few har ...

, who adds harp to side two. The album, buoyed by Nyro's popularity as a songwriter, became her second commercially successful album in succession, peaking at #51 on the ''Billboard'' 200, known as the Pop Albums chart. The album is also responsible for spawning Nyro's sole chart hit single, with a cover of Gerry Goffin and Carole King's "Up on the Roof," which peaked at #92 on the Pop Singles chart, now known as the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Track listing

All songs written by

, except where noted. Side one #"Brown Earth" – 4:09 #"When I Was a Freeport and You Were the Main Drag" – 2:42 #"Blackpatch" – 3:33 #"Been on a Train" – 5:49 #" Up on the Roof" ( Gerry Goffin, Carole King) – 3:13 Side two #

"Upstairs by a Chinese Lamp" – 5:34 #"Map to the Treasure" – 8:08 #"Beads of Sweat" – 4:47 #"Christmas in My Soul" – 7:00

Personnel

*Laura Nyro – piano, vocals, arrangements Additional musicians on side one *

Barry Beckett Barry Edward Beckett (February 4, 1943 – June 10, 2009) was an American keyboardist, session musician, record producer, and studio founder. He is best known for his work with David Hood, Jimmy Johnson, and Roger Hawkins, his bandmates in ...

– vibraphone *

– organ, bells, producer * Roger Hawkins – drums *

Eddie Hinton Eddie Hinton (15 June 1944 – 28 July 1995) was an American songwriter and session musician, best known for his work with soul music and R&B singers. He played lead guitar for Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section from 1969 to 1971 and after leaving th ...

– electric guitar * David Hood – bass *Jack Jennings – percussion *

Stuart Scharf Stuart Scharf (1941 – November 8, 2007) was an American composer, guitarist, and record producer. Scharf grew up in Crown Heights and attended Winthrop Junior High School. Scharf graduated, with honors, from CCNY in 1962 (mathematics majo ...

– acoustic guitar Other musicians The album credits these musicians but does not indicate which tracks they played on. *

– guitar * Richard Davis – bass Additional musicians on side two *

– harp *

Dino Danelli Dino Danelli (July 23, 1944 – December 15, 2022) was an American drummer. Danelli was best known as an original member and the drummer in the rock group The Young Rascals. He has been called "one of the great unappreciated rock drummers in his ...

– drums *

Cornell Dupree Cornell Luther Dupree (December 19, 1942 – May 8, 2011) was an American jazz and R&B guitarist. He worked at various times with Aretha Franklin, Bill Withers, Donny Hathaway, King Curtis and Steve Gadd, appeared on David Letterman,

– electric guitar *

Joe Farrell Joseph Carl Firrantello (December 16, 1937 – January 10, 1986), known as Joe Farrell, was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who primarily performed as a saxophonist and flutist. He is best known for a series of albums under his own name o ...

– woodwinds *Ashod Garabedian – oud *

Ralph MacDonald Ralph Anthony MacDonald (March 15, 1944 – December 18, 2011) was a Trinbagonian-American percussionist, songwriter, musical arranger, record producer, steelpan virtuoso and philanthropist. His compositions include "Where Is the Love", a Gra ...

– percussion * Chuck Rainey – bass *Michael Szittai – cimbalon Technical *

– arrangements, conductor, producer *Roy Segal – engineer *Tim Geelan – engineer *Jerry Lee Smith – assistant engineer *Doug Pomeroy – assistant engineer *Beth O'Brien – cover portrait

References

Michele Kort's biography ''Soul Picnic: The Music and Passion of Laura Nyro'' ()

External links

AllMusic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Christmas And The Beads Of Sweat Laura Nyro albums 1970 albums Albums produced by Arif Mardin Albums produced by Felix Cavaliere Columbia Records albums Albums arranged by Arif Mardin Albums conducted by Arif Mardin