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
A singer-songwriter is a musician who writes, composes, and performs their own musical material, including lyrics and melodies. In the United States, the category is built on the folk-acoustic tradition, although this role has transmuted thr ...
John Sebastian
John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonicist who founded the rock band The Lovin' Spoonful. He made an impromptu appearance at the Woodstock festival in 19691976 in music). It reached number 79 on
The Billboard 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artis ...
chart. Two singles were released from the album with the title song " Welcome Back" reaching number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts. It also reached number 93 on the Country Singles chart. The second single, "Hideaway" peaked at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100.
History
Following the commercial failure of his 1974 album ''Tarzana Kid'', Sebastian owed one more record on his contract with
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels.
Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Enya, Michael ...
. When his
theme song
Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at so ...
for the television series ''
Welcome Back, Kotter
''Welcome Back, Kotter'' is an American sitcom starring Gabe Kaplan as a high-school teacher in charge of a racially and ethnically diverse remedial education class called the "Sweathogs." Recorded in front of a live studio audience, the series ...
'' became a hit, Reprise wanted an LP to capitalize on the song's success. With his contract fulfilled, Reprise dropped him from the label. It would be seventeen years before Sebastian's next studio album was released.
Reception
In his retrospective
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
review, critic William Ruhlmann called ''Welcome Back'' "…an uneven collection filled out with a near-instrumental ("Let This Be Our Time to Get Along"), a folk-blues song he'd written in the early '60s ("Warm Baby"), and a remake of one of his old
Lovin' Spoonful
Loving may refer to:
* Love, a range of human emotions
* Loving (surname)
* '' Loving v. Virginia'', a 1967 landmark United States Supreme Court civil rights case
Film and television
* ''Loving'' (1970 film), an American film
* ''Loving'' ( ...
songs ("Didn't Wanna Have to Do It"). The new material tended to be craftsman-like pop songs, the melodies simple and catchy, the lyrics light verse."
Reissues
''Welcome Back'' was reissued on CD in 2004 by Vivid Sound, in 2007 by
Collectors' Choice Music
Collectors' Choice Music (CCM) is an Itasca, Illinois, company originally primarily in two businesses, but since 2010 only in the second.
CCM was best known for reissuing albums originally recorded in LP record form as compact disc
The com ...
and in 2008 by
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company founded in 1978. It is currently the catalog division for Warner Music Group. Its current CEO is Mark Pinkus.
History
Founded in 1978, Rhino was original ...
.
Track listing
All songs written by John Sebastian unless otherwise noted.
#"Hideaway" – 2:55
#"She's Funny" – 3:34
#"You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine" – 2:57
#"Didn't Wanna Have to Do It" – 3:22
#"One Step Forward, Two Steps Back" (Sebastian, John Charles Lewis) – 4:36
#" Welcome Back" – 2:51
#"I Needed Her Most When I Told Her to Go" – 2:56
#"A Song a Day in Nashville" – 4:00
#"Warm Baby" – 2:34
#"Let This Be Our Time to Get Along" – 3:10
Personnel
*
John Sebastian
John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonicist who founded the rock band The Lovin' Spoonful. He made an impromptu appearance at the Woodstock festival in 1969David Hungate
William David Hungate (born August 5, 1948) is an American bass guitarist noted as a member of the Los Angeles pop-rock band Toto from 1976 to 1982 and again from 2014 to 2015, and the son of judge William L. Hungate. Along with most of his T ...
– bass guitar
* Richard Bell – acoustic piano, electric piano, clavinet, organ
*
Jeff Porcaro
Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro (; April 1, 1954 – August 5, 1992) was an American drummer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his work with the rock band Toto but is one of the most recorded session musicians in history, working on ...
– drums
(except on "Welcome Back" which is sung and played by The Stone Warblers)
Additional Musicians
*
Jeff "Skunk" Baxter
Jeffrey Allen "Skunk" Baxter (born December 13, 1948) is an American guitarist, known for his stints in the rock bands Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers during the 1970s and Spirit in the 1980s. More recently, he has worked as a defense consu ...
– pedal steel guitar on "A Song a Day in Nashville"
*
Michael Omartian
Michael Omartian (born November 26, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, keyboardist, and music producer. He produced number-one records in three consecutive decades. He has earned 11 Grammy Awards nominations and won three. He sp ...
– ARP synthesizer, Marimba
* Reggie Knighton – electric guitar on "I Needed Her Most When I Told Her to Go"
*The Blintzes (
Jon Lind
Jonathan Gus Lind (April 14, 1948 – January 15, 2022), professionally known as Jon Lind, was an American songwriter, performer and A&R Executive
Biography
Lind was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 14, 1948, and raised in New York City. H ...
, Reggie Knighton) – harmony vocals on ("She's Funny", "You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine" and "I Needed Her Most When I Told Her to Go" )
The Stone Warblers
*John Sebastian – lead vocal, electric lead guitar, acoustic guitar, Indian drum, harmonica
*Murray Weinstock - piano
*Ron Koss - electric rhythm guitar
*Ken Altman - bass guitar
*The Stone Warblers (John Sebastian, Murray Weinstock, Ron Koss, Ken Altman) - harmony vocals, handclaps