''Thoroughfare Gap'' is the fifth studio
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
singer-songwriter
Stephen Stills
Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. As both a solo act and member of two successful bands, Stills has com ...
, released in 1978. It was a critical and commercial disappointment that only charted at number 84 in the US. This album is now available as a three-album set on two CDs with ''
Stills'' & ''
Illegal Stills
''Illegal Stills'' is an album released by American musician Stephen Stills on 7 May 1976. This was Stills second album on Columbia Records and his fourth solo album overall. After it was released he would start an album and tour with Neil Youn ...
,'' having never been released on its own on CD.
Content
In a radio interview at the time, Stills said he worked extremely hard on the album, and there were 12-inch mixes of "Can't Get No Booty" ready to be released. He recorded some disco tracks after playing percussion on
the Bee Gees
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
' "
You Should Be Dancing
"You Should Be Dancing" is a song by the Bee Gees, from the album ''Children of the World'', released in 1976. It hit No. 1 for one week on the American ''Billboard'' Hot 100, No. 1 for seven weeks on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart, and in S ...
", and subsequently hired their arranger Mike Lewis and used the group members' younger brother
Andy Gibb
Andrew Roy Gibb (5 March 1958 – 10 March 1988) was an English singer, songwriter, and actor. He was the younger brother of Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin and Maurice Gibb, Maurice, who went on to form the Bee Gees.
Gibb came to pr ...
on backing vocals.
Stephen Stills described the record as "disco and swamp rock". Stills said the song "Thoroughfare Gap" was him drawing upon his history, and
George Terry is quoted as saying he thinks it's about Neil Young's Lionel Trains.
Stills said about the perceived negative reception of going disco that "there are elements of disco I like - the percussion and the guitar. I have played on so many Bee Gees songs: I don't know which ones I played on and which ones I didn't. 'Cause Barry (Gibb) is an old friend of mine and I just sat in and played a chickum-chit, chickum-chit, a little wacka-wacka guitar, then said, 'Use 'em or don't use 'em, I had a great time. You don't even have to use my name.'"
He continued on ''Thoroughfare Gap'': "Maybe some of the tunes weren't as good as others I've written but I am just messing around trying to find something new. I can't do the same thing for eight years. That's called artistic suicide."
Stills said he recorded "Not Fade Away" after seeing ''
The Buddy Holly Story
''The Buddy Holly Story'' is a 1978 American biographical film which tells the life and career of rock and roll musician Buddy Holly. It features an Academy Award-winning musical score, adapted by Joe Renzetti and Oscar-nominated lead performan ...
'' and went into the studio the next night to record it - "Kind of a combination of the Stones version and the original version".
The song "Thoroughfare Gap", dates back to 1972, with
Chris Hillman
Christopher Hillman (born December 4, 1944) is an American musician. He was the original bassist of and one of the original members of the Byrds, which in 1965 included Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby and Michael Clarke.
With frequent ...
remembering
Manassas attempting to record it, but not being able to get the right take.
Reception
Critical reception was mixed, but generally negative. In a contemporary review,
''People'' magazine said "Stills succeeds handsomely in soldering his Southern Cal rock (scorching guitar, lavish harmonies, introspective lyrics) to an ultraswayed disco feel (thudding drums, Caribbean cowbells, congas, high-volume strings and horns). Against great odds, it adds up to a fresh sound, thanks to stalwart studio work by drummer Joe Vitale, percussionist Joe Lala, bassist George "Chocolate" Perry and Eric Clapton's guitarist George Terry. Their efforts are particularly noteworthy on You Can't Dance Alone, What's the Game and Can't Get No Booty. Especially reassuring is the title track, an acoustic ballad with a haunting fiddle solo by Al Gould. It harks back to Stills' finest work over the years, songs like Helplessly Hoping, 4 and 20 and As I Come of Age." ''
Trouser Press
''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to ...
'', in a largely negative review, called the songwriting "monotonous" and said he was enthusiastically "trying to renovate his sound for today's scene". They did have praise for "Thoroughfare Gap", but still noted that it was six years old, saying it was the only the song that had "the folksy funk style that once made him worthwhile". ''
Record World
''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...
'' said Stills was experimenting, and "You Can't Dance Alone" was geared for the Top 40.
In support of this album Stills formed the California Blues Band and toured throughout most of 1979.
Track listing
Personnel
* Stephen Stills – vocals, guitars (1, 3-10), percussion (1), horn and string arrangements (1, 4-8), acoustic guitar (2), bass (2, 10), synthesizers (3),
Moog synthesizer
The Moog synthesizer is a modular synthesizer developed by the American engineer Robert Moog. Moog debuted it in 1964, and Moog's company R. A. Moog Co. (later known as Moog Music) produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 20 ...
(7),
organ
Organ may refer to:
Biology
* Organ (biology), a part of an organism
Musical instruments
* Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone
** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument
** Hammond ...
(9), acoustic piano (10)
*
Mike Finnigan
Michael Kelly Finnigan (April 26, 1945 – August 11, 2021) was an American keyboard player and vocalist, his speciality being the B3 Hammond organ. Working primarily as a freelance studio musician and touring player, he played with a wide va ...
– acoustic piano (1, 3, 6, 8), organ (7), backing vocals (8)
*
Paul Harris – acoustic piano (2)
*
Kenny Kirkland
Kenneth David Kirkland (September 28, 1955 – November 12, 1998) was an American pianist and keyboardist.
Biography Early life
Born in Brooklyn, New York, United States, Kirkland was six when he first sat down at a piano keyboard. After years ...
– acoustic piano (5)
*
Albhy Galuten
Albhy Galuten (born Alan Bruce Galuten; December 27, 1947) is an American technology executive and futurist, Grammy Award-winning record producer, composer, musician, orchestrator and conductor. He has numerous inventions and has produced 18 ...
– acoustic piano (7)
* Joey Murcia – guitars (1)
*
George Terry – guitars (3, 5, 7)
* Gerry Tolman – guitars (6)
*
Danny Kortchmar
Daniel "Danny Kootch" Kortchmar (born April 6, 1946) is an American guitarist, session musician, producer and songwriter. Kortchmar's work with singer-songwriters such as Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, David Crosby, Carole King, David Cassidy, ...
– guitars (10), percussion (10), backing vocals (10)
*
George Perry – bass (1, 3-6, 8, 9), backing vocals (8, 9)
*
Gerald Johnson – bass (7)
*
Joe Vitale –drums (1, 3-6, 8, 9, 10), backing vocals (9)
* Paul Lee – drums (2)
* Richard O'Connell – drums (7)
*
Joe Lala
Joseph Anthony Lala (November 3, 1947 – March 18, 2014) was an American musician and actor. In 1966, he co-founded the rock band Blues Image.
Life and career
Lala was born in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida, to parents from Contessa Entellina (an e ...
– percussion (1, 3, 6, 10)
* Al Gould –
fiddle
A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...
(2)
* Whit Sidener –
flute
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
s (3)
* Mike Lewis – horn and string arrangements (1, 4-8), flute arrangements (3)
*
Andy Gibb
Andrew Roy Gibb (5 March 1958 – 10 March 1988) was an English singer, songwriter, and actor. He was the younger brother of Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin and Maurice Gibb, Maurice, who went on to form the Bee Gees.
Gibb came to pr ...
– backing vocals (1, 5)
*
Dave Mason
David Thomas Mason (born 10 May 1946) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic. Over the course of his career, Mason has played and recorded with many notable pop and rock mu ...
– backing vocals (1, 5, 6)
*
John Sambataro
Johnne "John" Sambataro (born August 27, 1953, in South Florida) is an American rock musician. In 1975, he began working as a session vocalist and musician at Criteria Recording Studios in Miami, where he worked with Andy Gibb, Barry Gibb, Step ...
– backing vocals (1, 3, 5)
* Brooks Hunnicutt – backing vocals (8)
* Kitty Pritikin (aka Kitty Woodson Terry) – backing vocals (name misprint) (8)
* Verna Richardson – backing vocals (8)
* Lisa Roberts – backing vocals (8)
Production
* Stephen Stills – producer, album design
* Howard Albert – producer, engineer
* Ron Albert – producer, engineer
* Michael Braunstein – engineer, recording (4, 6-9)
* Steve Gursky – engineer
* Mike Fuller – mastering at Criteria Studios
*
John Berg – album design
* Jim McCrary – photography
* Michael John Bowen – management
Special thanks to Guillerma Giachetti, Gerry Tolman, Armando Hurley, Harper Dance, Home At Last
Charts
Tour
Stephen Stills California Blues Band Tour 1979 was a
concert tour
A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...
by American musician Stephen Stills. It was in support of his 1978 album ''Thoroughfare Gap''. During the tour he also recorded another album that was rejected by his record label, many songs from this projected album were played on this tour. On this tour Stills was backed by his group the California Blues Band. The 1979 run at The Roxy, Los Angeles, was professionally recorded.
Stephen Stills and the California Blues Band
*
Stephen Stills
Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. As both a solo act and member of two successful bands, Stills has com ...
– guitar, percussion, vocals
*
Dallas Taylor – drums (Roxy Theater 1979 only)
*
Mike Finnigan
Michael Kelly Finnigan (April 26, 1945 – August 11, 2021) was an American keyboard player and vocalist, his speciality being the B3 Hammond organ. Working primarily as a freelance studio musician and touring player, he played with a wide va ...
– keyboards, Vocals
*
Joe Lala
Joseph Anthony Lala (November 3, 1947 – March 18, 2014) was an American musician and actor. In 1966, he co-founded the rock band Blues Image.
Life and career
Lala was born in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida, to parents from Contessa Entellina (an e ...
– percussion, vocals
* Billy Meeker – drums
* Michael Sturgis – guitar
* Trey Thompson – bass
*
Bonnie Bramlett
Bonnie Bramlett (born Bonnie Lynn O'Farrell, November 8, 1944) is an American singer and occasional actress known for performing with her husband, Delaney Bramlett, as Delaney & Bonnie. She continues to sing as a solo artist.
Life and career ...
– vocals
*
Graham Nash
Graham William Nash (born 2 February 1942) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, photographer, and activist. He is known for his light tenor voice and for his contributions as a member of the Hollies and the supergroups Crosby, Stills ...
– appeared during some dates of the European 1980 tour
Typical setlist
All songs written by Stephen Stills, except where noted.
# "Precious Love"
# "For What It's Worth"
# "You Can't Dance Alone"
# "Cuba Al Fin"
# "Go Back Home"
# "How Wrong Can You Be" (Mike Finnigan)
# "Love The One You're With"
# "Make Love To You"
# "Cherokee"
# "Rock And Roll Crazies/Cuban Bluegrass" (Stills, Dallas Taylor/ Stills, Joe Lala)
# "Jet Set (Sigh)"
# "Thoroughfare Gap"
# Come On In My Kitchen (Robert Johnson)
References
{{Authority control
Stephen Stills albums
1978 albums
Columbia Records albums