''It's My Pleasure'' is the tenth studio album by
Billy Preston, released in June 1975 (July in the UK) on
A&M Records
A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...
.
[ The album shows the modernisation of Preston's music, placing a heavier emphasis on synthesizers. It was also his first collaboration with the singer ]Syreeta Wright
Syreeta Wright (February 28, 1946 – July 6, 2004), who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was an American singer-songwriter, best known for her music during the early 1970s through the early 1980s. Wright's career heights we ...
who sings on one track. The album is notable for featuring harmonica by Stevie Wonder on two tracks. George Harrison (credited as "Hari Georgeson") also appears, playing guitar on "That's Life".
"Song of Joy" would later be covered by Preston's A&M label mates Captain & Tennille
Captain & Tennille were American recording artists whose primary success occurred in the 1970s. The husband-and-wife team were "Captain" Daryl Dragon (1942–2019) and Toni Tennille (born 1940). They have five albums certified gold or platinu ...
for their album of the same name.
Track listing
All songs by Billy Preston, except where noted.
Side one − ''Program''
# "Fancy Lady" (Preston, Syreeta Wright
Syreeta Wright (February 28, 1946 – July 6, 2004), who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was an American singer-songwriter, best known for her music during the early 1970s through the early 1980s. Wright's career heights we ...
) – 5:40
# "Found the Love" – 3:58
# "That's Life" – 3:36
# "Do It While You Can" (Preston, Bruce Fisher) – 6:42
Side two − ''Intermission''
# "It's My Pleasure" – 3:51
# "Song of Joy" – 3:22
# "I Can't Stand It" – 6:23
# "All of My Life" (Preston, Russ Rasputin) – 5:52
Personnel
*Billy Preston – vocals, keyboards, piano
* George Harrison – guitar (3, credited as "Hari Georgeson")
*Tony Maiden – guitar (8)
*Shuggie Otis
Johnny Shuggie Otis (born Johnny Alexander Veliotes, Jr.; November 30, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, and multi-instrumentalist.
Otis's composition " Strawberry Letter 23" (as recorded by The Brothers Johnson) toppe ...
– guitar (2, 4, 7)
* Kenny Burke – bass guitar (8), guitar (5, 8)
*Reggie McBride
Reggie McBride (born September 17, 1954) is an American bass player.
Biography
McBride was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, United States; listening to Motown records, he began to play bass at the age of 8. At the age of 14, he played in ...
– bass guitar (2, 4, 7)
* Stevie Wonder – harmonica (4, 5)
*Syreeta Wright
Syreeta Wright (February 28, 1946 – July 6, 2004), who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was an American singer-songwriter, best known for her music during the early 1970s through the early 1980s. Wright's career heights we ...
– vocals (1)
* Ollie E. Brown – drums, percussion (1-5, 7, 8)
*Rocky Dijon
Kwasi Dzidzornu (1935 – March 13, 1993), also known as Rocky Dijon, was a Ghanaian percussionist known for his playing on recordings by The Rolling Stones, Nick Drake, Ginger Baker, Stevie Wonder, Billy Preston and Joe Walsh. During the 1970s h ...
– congas (1)
*Lorna Maxine Waters – backing vocals
*Julia Waters – backing vocals
*Luther Waters – backing vocals
*Oren Waters
Oren Waters is an American vocalist best known for his work with the backup singing group The Waters, his siblings: Luther, Maxine and Julia. As an ensemble, Waters has been a part of 260 gold and over 100 platinum albums with artists ranging from ...
– backing vocals
*Malcolm Cecil
Malcolm Cecil (9 January 193728 March 2021) was a British jazz bassist, record producer, engineer and electronic musician. He was a founding member of a leading UK jazz quintet of the late 1950s, the Jazz Couriers, , Robert Margouleff
Robert Margouleff is an American record producer, recording engineer, electronic music pioneer, audio expert, and film producer.
Career The Birth of TONTO
Margouleff was an early customer, friend and collaborator of fellow New Yorker and music in ...
(TONTO
Tonto is a fictional character; he is the Native American (either Comanche or Potawatomi) companion of the Lone Ranger, a popular American Western character created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker. Tonto has appeared in radio and tele ...
: The Original New Timbral Orchestra) – synthesizers
Technical
*Junie Osaki - art direction
*Benno Friedman - photography
References
{{Authority control
Billy Preston albums
1975 albums
A&M Records albums
Albums produced by Billy Preston
Albums produced by Malcolm Cecil
Albums produced by Robert Margouleff