''The Manhattan Transfer'' is the second album by

The Manhattan Transfer The Manhattan Transfer is a Grammy award–winning vocal group founded in 1969 that has explored a cappella, vocalese, swing, standards, Brazilian jazz, rhythm and blues, and pop music. There have been two editions of the Manhattan Transfer, ...

. However, it is the first of four albums to be released by the lineup of

Tim Hauser Timothy DuPron Hauser (December 12, 1941 – October 16, 2014) was a singer and founding member of the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer. He won 10 Grammy Awards as a member of The Manhattan Transfer. Early life Hauser was born in Troy, New Y ...

Laurel Massé Laurel Massé (born December 29, 1951) is an American jazz singer and former member of The Manhattan Transfer. Career Massé was born in Holland, Michigan, grew up in Westchester County, New York, and lived in Europe during her teens. Early in s ...

Alan Paul Alan Paul Wichinsky (born November 23, 1949, Newark, New Jersey) is a Grammy Award-winning singer and composer, best known as one of the founding members of the current incarnation of the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer. Education Raised in ...

, and

Janis Siegel Janis Siegel (born July 23, 1952) is an American jazz singer, best known as a member of the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer. Musical career In 1965, Siegel made her recording debut with a group called Young Generation on Red Bird Records. A ...

, and the first to establish the sound and style for which the group would become known. It was released on April 2, 1975, by

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

and was produced by

Ahmet Ertegün Ahmet Ertegun (, Turkish spelling: Ahmet Ertegün; ; – December 14, 2006) was a Turkish-American businessman, songwriter, record executive and philanthropist. Ertegun was the co-founder and president of Atlantic Records. He discovered and ch ...

and Tim Hauser. This incarnation of the group had been together for three years before this album was released. Ertegün, founder and chairman of Atlantic, attended one of their performances at the New York City cabaret Reno Sweeney. He offered them a contract, which they accepted.

Reviews

Shaun Considine reviewed the album in May 1975 for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'': :"Vocally, The Manhattan Transfer is one of the slickest group's on today's market. Their intro number, "Tuxedo Junction", is a precise recreation of the 1940

Glenn Miller Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Arm ...

oldie, with the group's four part vocal harmonies and jazz riffs supplanting the Miller instrumentals. They have done their homework; they have studied their old 78s in detail. In the honors section, "Blue Champagne", a Dorsey beauty, and "Candy" evoke all of the magic and hazy charm of the 30s and 40s."

Charts

''The Manhattan Transfer'' debuted on Billboard's Top Pop album chart on May 3, 1975, reaching #33. The single "Operator" went to #22 on

Billboard's Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

singles chart. "

Tuxedo Junction "Tuxedo Junction" is a popular song written by Erskine Hawkins, Bill Johnson, and Julian Dash with lyrics by Buddy Feyne. The song was introduced by Erskine Hawkins & His Orchestra, a college dance band previously known as the Bama State Collegi ...

" reached #24 on the British pop charts.

Track listing

# "

" (

Erskine Hawkins Erskine Ramsay Hawkins (July 26, 1914 – November 11, 1993) was an American trumpeter and big band leader from Birmingham, Alabama, dubbed "The 20th Century Gabriel". He is best remembered for composing the jazz standard "Tuxedo Junction" (1 ...

, William Johnson,

Buddy Feyne Buddy Feyne (born Bernard Feinstein, June 9, 1912 – December 10, 1998) was an American lyricist during the swing era. He wrote the lyrics for "Tuxedo Junction", which went to No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' chart in 1940 when Glenn Miller recorded ...

Julian Dash Julian Dash (April 9, 1916 – February 25, 1974) was an American swing music jazz tenor saxophonist born in Charleston, South Carolina, United States, probably better known for his work with Erskine Hawkins and Buck Clayton. Dash was a member o ...

) - 3:01 # "Sweet Talking Guy" (

Doug Morris Doug Morris (born November 23, 1938) is an American record executive. He is the current chairman of 12Tone Music Group. He previously served as chairman and CEO of the Universal Music Group from 1995 to 2011 and Sony Music Entertainment from 20 ...

, Elliot Greenberg) - 2:25 # "Operator" (William Spivery) - 3:09 (derived from "Operator, Operator" by

Sister Wynona Carr Wynona Merceris Carr (August 23, 1923 – May 11, 1976) was an American gospel, R&B and rock and roll singer-songwriter, who recorded as Sister Wynona Carr when performing gospel material. Biography Carr was born in Cleveland, Ohio, where she ...

) # "

Candy Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies (Australian English Australian English (AusE, AusEng, AuE, AuEng, en-AU) is the set of varieties of the English language native to Australia. It is the country's common language an ...

" (

Mack David Mack David (July 5, 1912 – December 30, 1993) was an American lyricist and songwriter, best known for his work in film and television, with a career spanning the period between the early 1940s and the early 1970s. David was credited with writing ...

, Joan Whitney,

Alex Kramer Alex J. Kramer (May 30, 1903 – February 10, 1998) was a Canadian songwriter. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His parents were Adolph and Freda Kramer. At age 17 he was hired as a pianist in a silent movie theater in Montreal. He tr ...

) - 3:26 # "

Gloria Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins) ...

" (Esther Navarro) - 2:57 # "Clap Your Hands" (

Ira Newborn James Ira Newborn (born December 26, 1949) is an American musician, actor, orchestrator and composer, best known for his work composing motion picture soundtracks. Life and career Newborn was born in New York City. References to him as James I ...

, The Manhattan Transfer) - 2:55 # "That Cat Is High" (J. M. Williams) - 2:53 # "You Can Depend on Me" (

Earl Hines Earl Kenneth Hines, also known as Earl "Fatha" Hines (December 28, 1903 – April 22, 1983), was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. He was one of the most influential figures in the development of jazz piano and, according to one source, " ...

, Charles Carpenter) - 3:30 # "

Blue Champagne "Blue Champagne" is a song written by Grady Watts, Jimmy Eaton and Frank L. Ryerson and recorded by American bandleader Jimmy Dorsey, featuring vocals by singer Bob Eberly. Background It was first released by Jimmy Dorsey on Decca Records in 1 ...

" ( Frank Ryerson,

Grady Watts Grady Watts (June 30, 1908 – January 1986)"Grady Watts". '' The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz''. 2nd edition, 2004. was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. Early life and education Watts was born in Texarkana, Texas. He attended the Allen A ...

, Jimmy Eaton) - 2:21 # "

Java Jive Java Jive is a song written by Ben Oakland and Milton Drake in 1940 and most famously recorded by The Ink Spots. The lyrics speak of the singer's love of coffee. The lyrics also reflect the slang of the day, including a reference to "Mr. Moto", a ...

" (Milton Drake,

Ben Oakland Ben Oakland (September 24, 1907 – August 26, 1979) was an American composer, lyricist, and pianist, most active from the 1920s through the 1940s. He composed mainly for Broadway and vaudeville, though he also worked on several Hollywood scores ...

) - 2:44 # "Occapella" (

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, descri ...

) - 3:04 # "Heart's Desire" ( Hugh X. Lewis, George Cox, James Dozier, Ralph Ingram,

Bernard Purdie Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie (born June 11, 1939) is an American drummer, and an influential R&B, soul and funk musician. He is known for his precise musical time keeping and his signature use of triplets against a half-time backbeat: the "Purdie ...

) - 2:36Atlantic Album, 1975, SD 18133

Personnel

The Manhattan Transfer *

– vocals, vocal arrangements, arrangements (2) *

– vocals, vocal arrangements, tambourine (2, 6) *

– vocals, vocal arrangements *

– vocals, vocal arrangements Musicians *

Don Grolnick Don Grolnick (September 23, 1947 – June 1, 1996) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and record producer. He was a member of the groups Steps Ahead and Dreams, both with Michael Brecker, and played often with the Brecker Brothers. As a sessi ...

– acoustic piano, electric piano (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 12),

clavinet The Clavinet is an electrically amplified clavichord invented by Ernst Zacharias and manufactured by the Hohner company of Trossingen, West Germany, from 1964 to 1982. The instrument produces sounds by a rubber pad striking a point on a tension ...

(2, 11) * Murray Weinstock – organ (2, 5) *

Richard Tee Richard Edward Tee (born Richard Edward Ten Ryk; November 24, 1943 – July 21, 1993) was an American pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger, who had several hundred studio credits and played on such notable hits as "In Your Eyes", "Slip ...

– organ (3), electric piano (11) *

– guitar, musical director, conductor, arrangements * Jerry Friedman – guitar (3, 6, 11) * Andy Muson – bass guitar (1–9, 11, 12) * Roy Markowitz – drums (1–9, 11, 12) * Daniel Ben Zebulon – congas (11) * Mike Rod – tenor sax solo (1) *

Michael Brecker Michael Leonard Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He was awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of M ...

– tenor sax solo (3) *

Zoot Sims John Haley "Zoot" Sims (October 29, 1925 – March 23, 1985) was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor but also alto (and, later, soprano) saxophone. He first gained attention in the "Four Brothers" sax section of Woody Herman's big ...

– tenor sax solo (8) *

Gene Orloff Gene Orloff (June 14, 1921 – March 23, 2009) was an American violinist, concertmaster, arranger, contractor and session musician. Background The son of a Russian immigrant violin maker, Orloff would try and get his father's violin down from th ...

– concertmaster (6, 12) ;Brass Section * Clarinets –

Phil Bodner Philip L. Bodner (June 13, 1917 – February 24, 2008) was an American jazz clarinetist and studio musician who also played flute, oboe, saxophone, and English horn. Career A native of Waterbury, Connecticut, Bodner worked as a studio musician ...

, Wally Kane and

Seldon Powell Seldon Powell (15 November 1928 – 25 January 1997) was an American soul jazz, swing, and R&B tenor saxophonist and flautist born in Lawrenceville, Virginia. He worked with Tab Smith (1949), Lucky Millinder (1949–51), Neal Hefti, and Louis Be ...

* Alto saxophones – Phil Bodner, Jerry Dodgion, George Dorsey, Harvey Estrin,

David Sanborn David William Sanborn (born July 30, 1945) is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album ''Taking Off'' in 1 ...

and George Young * Baritone saxophones – Lew Del Gatto and Wally Kane * Tenor saxophones – Michael Brecker, Seldon Powell, Mike Rod and

Frank Vicari Frank Vicari (April 11, 1931 – October 20, 2006) was a jazz saxophonist. Career After serving in the Air Force from 1951–55, where he played in service bands, Vicari returned to New York City and played in bands until he joined Maynard Fergu ...

* Trombones –

Wayne Andre Wayne Andre (November 17, 1931 – August 26, 2003) was an American jazz trombonist, best known for his work as a session musician. Andre's father was a saxophonist, and he took private music lessons from age 15. He played with Charlie Spivak in ...

Garnett Brown Garnett Brown (January 31, 1936 – October 9, 2021) was a jazz trombonist who worked with The Crusaders, Herbie Hancock, Lionel Hampton, Earth Wind and Fire and others. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, he graduated from the University of Arkans ...

, Paul Favlise, Mickey Gravine,

Quentin Jackson Quentin "Butter" Jackson

and

Alan Raph Alan Raph (born July 3, 1933, in New York City ) is a bass trombonist, composer, arranger, and conductor who founded and conducts the Danbury Brass Band. He has recorded with many popular musicians and for television, movies, and ballet. He was ...

* Trumpets –

Randy Brecker Randal Edward Brecker (born November 27, 1945) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. His versatility has made him a popular studio musician who has recorded with acts in jazz, rock, and R&B. Early life Brecker was born on Nov ...

Mel Davis Melvyn Jerome Davis (born November 9, 1950) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'6" power forward from St. John's University, Davis played four seasons (1973–1977) in the National Basketball Association as a member of the ...

Jon Faddis Jon Faddis (born July 24, 1953) is an American jazz trumpet player, conductor, composer, and educator, renowned for both his playing and for his expertise in the field of music education. Upon his first appearance on the scene, he became known ...

Marky Markowitz Irvin "Marky" Markowitz (aka Irwin Markowitz, Irving Markowitz; December 11, 1923 - November 18, 1986) was an American jazz trumpeter. Born the youngest of seven children of Russian-Jewish immigrants who disembarked in Baltimore, and settled on ...

, Bob McCoy,

Alan Rubin Alan Rubin (February 11, 1943 – June 8, 2011), also known as Mr. Fabulous, was an American musician. He played trumpet, flugelhorn, and piccolo trumpet. Early life and education Rubin was born in Brooklyn. He began attending Juilliard S ...

and

Marvin Stamm Marvin Louis Stamm (born May 23, 1939) is an American jazz trumpeter. Career Stamm was born in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Stamm began on trumpet at age twelve. He attended North Texas State University, where he was a member of the One O ...

Production

* Producers – Tim Hauser and Ahmet Ertegun * Production Assistance – Geoffrey Haslam 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 ov ...

* Engineer and Remix – Lew Hahn * Additional Engineers – Geoffrey Haslam and Gene Paul * Art Direction – Bob Defrin * Artwork – Fred Eric Spione * Liner Photography – David Gahr * Management – Aaron Russo

References

References / Sources

The Manhattan Transfer Official Website

Retrieved from discogs February 1, 2011 {{DEFAULTSORT:Manhattan Transfer (album), The 1975 debut albums The Manhattan Transfer albums Albums produced by Ahmet Ertegun Atlantic Records albums Vocal jazz albums