''Slow Dancer'' is the sixth album by
Boz Scaggs
William Royce "Boz" Scaggs (born June 8, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was a bandmate of Steve Miller (musician), Steve Miller in the Ardells in the early 1960s and a member of the Steve Miller Band from 1967 to 196 ...
, originally released by
Columbia in 1974. It was produced by former
Motown
Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
er
Johnny Bristol
John William Bristol (February 3, 1939 – March 21, 2004) was an American musician, most famous as a songwriter and record producer for the Motown label in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was a native of Morganton, North Carolina, about wh ...
of "
Hang On In There Baby" fame.
The album was initially released with a cover photo of Scaggs walking alone on the beach,
with the back of the album framing a head and shoulders shot of Scaggs lying on the beach. The photographs were taken by
Annie Leibovitz
Anna-Lou Leibovitz ( ; born October 2, 1949) is an American Portrait photography, portrait photographer best known for her portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses. Leibovitz's Polaroid ...
. After the breakout success of 1976's ''
Silk Degrees
''Silk Degrees'' is the seventh studio album by American musician Boz Scaggs, released on February 18, 1976, by Columbia Records. The album peaked at No. 2 and spent 115 weeks on the ''Billboard'' 200. It has been certified five times platinum ...
'', ''Slow Dancer'' was re-released with a new cover showing Scaggs and a woman in fine clothing, Scaggs bending to kiss her bosom. This photo was taken by
Ethan Russell
Ethan Allen Russell (born November 26, 1945, in Mount Kisco, New York) is an American photographer, author and video director, mostly of musicians. He is known as "the only rock photographer to have shot album covers for The Beatles, The Rolli ...
.
Track listing
All tracks composed by Boz Scaggs, except where indicated
Side One
# "You Make It So Hard (To Say No)" - 3:31
# "Slow Dancer" (
George Daly, Scaggs) - 3:13
# "Angel Lady (Come Just In Time)" (
Johnny Bristol
John William Bristol (February 3, 1939 – March 21, 2004) was an American musician, most famous as a songwriter and record producer for the Motown label in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was a native of Morganton, North Carolina, about wh ...
, Jim McDonough, Scaggs) - 3:28
# "There Is Someone Else" - 4:32
# "Hercules" (
Allen Toussaint
Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descr ...
) - 4:03
Side Two
# "Pain of Love" (Johnny Bristol) -3:11
# "Sail on White Moon" (Johnny Bristol) - 3:13
# "Let It Happen" (Johnny Bristol, Scaggs) - 3:18
# "I Got Your Number" (Johnny Bristol,
Gregory Reeves) - 3:43
# "Take It for Granted" - 4:19
Charts
Personnel
*Boz Scaggs –
vocals
Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...
,
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
*
David Cohen,
David T. Walker,
Dennis Coffey, Greg Poree,
Jay Graydon
Jay Joseph Graydon (born October 8, 1949, Burbank, California) is an American songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, singer, keyboardist, producer, arranger, and recording engineer. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards (in the R&B category) ...
,
Wah Wah Watson,
Red Rhodes
Orville J. Rhodes, better known as Red Rhodes or O. J. Rhodes (December 30, 1930 – August 20, 1995), was an American pedal steel guitarist.
Early life
Rhodes' mother taught him to play the Dobro resonator guitar when he was five years old. ...
– guitars
*
Clarence McDonald
Clarence Kermit "Mac" McDonald (February 24, 1945 – July 21, 2021) was a Los Angeles-based American pianist, composer, arranger, and producer. McDonald was known for his musical diversity, enduring melodies and signature groove.
His most famous ...
,
Jerry Peters,
Joe Sample
Joseph Leslie Sample (February 1, 1939 – September 12, 2014) was an American jazz keyboardist and composer. He was one of the founding members of The Jazz Crusaders in 1960, whose name was shortened to "The Crusaders" in 1971. He remained a p ...
,
Mike Melvoin
Mike Melvoin (May 10, 1937February 22, 2012) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He served as chairman and president of The Recording Academy and worked as a prolific studio musician, recording with Frank Sinatra, John Lennon, ...
, Russell Turner - keyboards
*
James Jamerson
James Lee Jamerson (January 29, 1936 – August 2, 1983) was an American bassist. He was the uncredited bassist on most of the Motown Records hits in the 1960s and early 1970s (Motown did not list session musician credits on their releases un ...
,
Jim Hughart – bass guitar
*
Ernie Watts
Ernest James Watts (born October 23, 1945) is an American jazz and R&B saxophonist who plays soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone. He has worked with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and toured with the Rolling Stones. On Frank Zappa's album '' ...
,
Fred Jackson,
John Kelson – saxophone
*
George Bohanon
George Roland Bohanon Jr. (August 7, 1937 – November 8, 2024) was an American jazz trombonist and session musician from Detroit, Michigan.
Biography
In the early 1960s, he participated in Detroit's Workshop Jazz ensemble, with Johnny Griffith, ...
, Lon Norman – trombone
*
Chuck Findley
Charles B. Findley (born December 13, 1947, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania) is an American trumpet player known for his diverse work as a session musician. He also plays other brass instruments such as flugelhorn and trombone. His technical ab ...
, Jack H. Laubach, Paul Hubinon, Warren Roché – trumpet, flugelhorn
*
Gene Estes
The Wrecking Crew, also known as the Clique and the First Call Gang, was a loose collective of American session musicians based in Los Angeles who played on many studio recordings in the 1960s and 1970s, including hundreds of top 40 hits. The ...
, John Arnold – percussion, vibraphone
*
Ed Greene
Ed Greene is an American drummer and session musician.
In 1971 he recorded with Donald Byrd ('' Ethiopian Knights'', 1972), together with Thurman Green, Harold Land, Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Sample, Bobbye Porter Hall, David T. Walker, and Wi ...
,
James Gadson
James Edward Gadson (born June 17, 1939) is an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B. He is also a singer and songwriter.
...
– drums
*Joe Clayton, King Errison – congas
*
Carolyn Willis,
Julia Tillman Waters, Lorna Willard, Myrna Matthews, Pat Henderson - background vocals
*
H.B. Barnum – string arrangements, conductor
;Technical
*Producer –
Johnny Bristol
John William Bristol (February 3, 1939 – March 21, 2004) was an American musician, most famous as a songwriter and record producer for the Motown label in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was a native of Morganton, North Carolina, about wh ...
*Engineer – Greg Venable
*Remix –
Al Schmitt
Albert Harry Schmitt (April 17, 1930 – April 26, 2021) was an American recording engineer and record producer. He won twenty Grammy Awards for his work with Henry Mancini, Steely Dan, George Benson, Toto (band), Toto, Natalie Cole, Quincy Jone ...
*Photography –
Ethan Russell
Ethan Allen Russell (born November 26, 1945, in Mount Kisco, New York) is an American photographer, author and video director, mostly of musicians. He is known as "the only rock photographer to have shot album covers for The Beatles, The Rolli ...
*Artwork by
Tony Lane
References
External links
Slow Dancer Lyrics*
Boz Scaggs albums
1974 albums
Albums arranged by H. B. Barnum
Albums produced by Johnny Bristol
Columbia Records albums
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