''Nightshift'' is the 11th studio album by the
Commodores
Commodores are an American funk and soul band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in ...
, released by
Motown Records on January 15, 1985. It was the group's last album on the Motown label before switching to
Polydor
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States ...
.
Background
''Nightshift'' is the Commodores' second album without
Lionel Richie, who left the band in 1982, and their last album with their original bass guitarist
Ronald LaPread
Commodores are an American funk and soul band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in ...
. Their previous album ''
Commodores 13
''Commodores 13'' is the tenth studio album (and thirteenth overall, including two greatest-hits compilations and a live album) by the Commodores, released in 1983 on Motown Records. It's also the first album by the band after the departure of ...
'' (1983) had featured interim lead vocalist Harold Hudson of Mean Machine. For ''Nightshift'' the Commodores permanently replaced Richie with British-born J.D. Nicholas, formerly of
Heatwave
A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in th ...
.
Dennis Lambert
Dennis Earle Lambert (born 1947 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer.
Career
Lambert began his music career in 1960 when he signed to Capitol Records as a recording artist. By the mid-1960s, he was w ...
was chosen as producer, the Commodores hoping to find the same magic created by producer/arranger
James Anthony Carmichael
James Anthony Carmichael (born September 14, 1941) is an American Grammy-winning musician, arranger, and record producer. At first he started off in Los Angeles as an arranger and producer for Motown acts like The Temptations and the Jackson 5. ...
, with whom they had worked since 1974 and who was a major impetus in their earlier success.
[ AllMusic.com Nightshift OverviewRetrieved November 6, 2007]
Other musicians that play on this album include:
Peter Wolf, Paul Fox,
John Robinson,
Neil Stubenhaus,
Jeff Lorber
Jeffrey H. Lorber (born November 4, 1952) is an American keyboardist, composer, and record producer. After six previous nominations, Lorber won his first Grammy Award on January 28, 2018 for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for ''Prototype'' ...
, Peter Maunu, Harold Hudson, Dennis Lambert,
Paulinho da Costa,
Vinnie Colaiuta
Vincent Peter Colaiuta (born February 5, 1956) is an American drummer who has worked as a session musician in many genres. He was inducted into the '' Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 1996 and the ''Classic Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 2014. Cola ...
,
Jerry Hey
Jerry Hey (born 1950) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, horn arranger, string arranger, orchestrator and session musician who has played on hundreds of commercial recordings, including Michael Jackson's ''Thriller'', '' Rock with You'' ...
,
Gary Grant, Gary Herbig and
Larry Williams
Larry Williams (born Lawrence Eugene Williams, a.k.a. Lawrence Edward Williams; May 10, 1935 – January 7, 1980) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, producer, and pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana. Williams ...
.
Chart performance
Despite the album's middling reviews, it remained in the top of the
R&B charts in the US for a month, and it peaked at #3 on the pop chart.
By and large, the album's popularity was due to its hit title track, "
Nightshift". Written by Walter Orange,
Dennis Lambert
Dennis Earle Lambert (born 1947 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer.
Career
Lambert began his music career in 1960 when he signed to Capitol Records as a recording artist. By the mid-1960s, he was w ...
and
Franne Golde
Francine Vicki Golde, better known as Franne Golde or Frannie Golde, is an American songwriter, musician, singer and writer. Her songs have appeared on more than 100 million records sold worldwide. Golde has received BMI awards for singles with ...
, "Nightshift" was the band's biggest post-Lionel Richie hit, reaching #3 on
The Billboard
The Billboard () is a massive granite monolith in the Sarnoff Mountains of the Ford Ranges of Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica, standing just west of Mount Rea between Arthur Glacier and Boyd Glacier. It was discovered in November 1934 by a Secon ...
Hot 100, and #1 on ''
Billboard's
''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...
'' chart for top R&B/hip-hop singles.
[ Allmusic.com Song Review: Nightshift.Retrieved November 6, 2007.][ Allmusic.com: Nightshift Billboard Singles Charts & Awards.Retrieved Nov. 6, 2007.] Paying tribute to the late soul singers
Marvin Gaye and
Jackie Wilson, who both died in 1984, "Nightshift" also earned the group its only
Grammy.
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 #23 on the R&B charts, and only #43 on the pop charts. The single, "Janet," barely made Billboard's Top 100 and never made it into the R&B top 50. However, it did reach #8 on the
Adult Contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
charts.
[ Allmusic.com: Full List of Commodores Billboard Singles Retrieved November 6, 2007]
With the following album, ''
United
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
'', only reaching #17 on the R&B charts, ''Nightshift'' became The Commodores last album to enter the top ten,
[ Allmusic.com: Commodores full list of Billboard albums Retrieved November 6, 2007] and the song "Nightshift" was their second-to-last song to reach the top ten, with "Goin' to the Bank" being their last, in 1986.
Track listing
# "Animal Instinct" (
Martin Page
Martin George Page (born 23 September 1959) is an English singer-songwriter and bassist. Page has collaborated with artists such as Paul Young, Starship, Robbie Robertson, Earth, Wind & Fire, Heart, Robbie Williams and Go West.
Early life
P ...
) - 4:54
# "
Nightshift" (
Dennis Lambert
Dennis Earle Lambert (born 1947 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer.
Career
Lambert began his music career in 1960 when he signed to Capitol Records as a recording artist. By the mid-1960s, he was w ...
,
Franne Golde
Francine Vicki Golde, better known as Franne Golde or Frannie Golde, is an American songwriter, musician, singer and writer. Her songs have appeared on more than 100 million records sold worldwide. Golde has received BMI awards for singles with ...
, Walter Orange) - 5:03
# "I Keep Running" (Harold Hudson, Shirley King,
William King) - 4:11
# "Lay Back" (Dennis Lambert, Franne Golde, Michael Page,
Milan Williams
Milan B. Williams (March 28, 1948 – July 9, 2006) was an American keyboardist and a founding member of The Commodores.
Biography
Williams was born in Okolona, Mississippi, and began playing the piano after being inspired by his older brother Ea ...
) - 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
Robert Hunter Caldwell (born August 15, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He released several albums spanning R&B, soul, jazz and adult contemporary. He is known for his soulful and versatile vocals. Caldwell released the ...
, Franne Golde,
Paul Fox) - 3:41
# "Woman in My Life" (
Keith Stegall,
Patrick Henderson
Reverend Patrick Henderson is a gospel keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He has written several songs in collaboration with Michael McDonald, playing on a number of his and the Doobie Brothers albums. Henderson has long associations with ...
) - 3:34
# "Lighting Up the Night" (
Diane Warren,
Jeff Lorber
Jeffrey H. Lorber (born November 4, 1952) is an American keyboardist, composer, and record producer. After six previous nominations, Lorber won his first Grammy Award on January 28, 2018 for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for ''Prototype'' ...
) - 4:02
Charts
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
Milan B. Williams (March 28, 1948 – July 9, 2006) was an American keyboardist and a founding member of The Commodores.
Biography
Williams was born in Okolona, Mississippi, and began playing the piano after being inspired by his older brother Ea ...
– keyboards
Additional musicians
* Gregory Alexander – backing vocals
* Tracee Augcomfor – backing vocals
*
Vinnie Colaiuta
Vincent Peter Colaiuta (born February 5, 1956) is an American drummer who has worked as a session musician in many genres. He was inducted into the '' Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 1996 and the ''Classic Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 2014. Cola ...
– drums
*
Paulinho da Costa – percussion
*
Paul Fox – arrangements (3, 7), synthesizers, bass programming, drum programming
* Doris Garrett – backing vocals
*
Siedah Garrett
Deborah Christine "Siedah" Garrett (born June 24, 1960) is an American singer and songwriter who has written songs and performed backing vocals for many recording artists in the music industry, such as Michael Jackson, the Pointer Sisters, Brand N ...
– backing vocals
*
Gary Grant – trumpet (9), flugelhorn (9)
* Patricia Hamlin – backing vocals
* Gary Herbig – saxophones (9)
*
Jerry Hey
Jerry Hey (born 1950) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, horn arranger, string arranger, orchestrator and session musician who has played on hundreds of commercial recordings, including Michael Jackson's ''Thriller'', '' Rock with You'' ...
– horn arrangement (9), trumpet (9), flugelhorn (9)
* Harold Hudson – arrangements (3), synthesizers
*
Phillip Ingram
Phillip Ingram (born 1958) is an American musician. He is perhaps best known as one of the founding members of the Motown Group "Switch" and is the younger brother of James Ingram.
Biography
Ingram was raised in Akron, Ohio. He came from a mus ...
– backing vocals
*
Paul Jackson Jr. – arrangements (6), synthesizers, guitars, bass programming, drum programming
*
Dennis Lambert
Dennis Earle Lambert (born 1947 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer.
Career
Lambert began his music career in 1960 when he signed to Capitol Records as a recording artist. By the mid-1960s, he was w ...
– synthesizers, percussion, backing vocals, BGV arrangements
*
Jeff Lorber
Jeffrey H. Lorber (born November 4, 1952) is an American keyboardist, composer, and record producer. After six previous nominations, Lorber won his first Grammy Award on January 28, 2018 for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for ''Prototype'' ...
– 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
Larry Williams (born Lawrence Eugene Williams, a.k.a. Lawrence Edward Williams; May 10, 1935 – January 7, 1980) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, producer, and pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana. 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
External links
The official Commodores website*
AllMusic.com: ''Nightshift'' Overview
{{Authority control
Commodores albums
1985 albums
Motown albums