''Sharon O'Neill'' is the second

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

by New Zealand singer and songwriter

Sharon O'Neill Sharon Lea O'Neill (born 23 November 1952) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and pianist, who had an Australasian hit single in 1983 with "Maxine (Sharon O'Neill song), Maxine" which reached No. 16 on both the Australian Kent Music Report and Re ...

. ''Sharon O'Neill'' peaked at No. 5 in New Zealand in March 1980. The album was released in Australia in August 1980 under the title Words, with the inclusion of "

How Do You Talk to Boys "How Do You Talk to Boys" is a song by New Zealand singer and songwriter Sharon O'Neill. The song was released in August 1980 as the final single from the international edition of her second studio album ''Sharon O'Neill'' titled ''Words'' (1980) ...

Background and reception

CBS Records' manager

John McCready John McCready was the founder of the RTC record label in New Zealand. He was also the general manager of CBS Records, New Zealand. Background Prior to mid-1974, McCready was working at Phonogram in New Zealand as the GM of their creative divisio ...

recruited US producer Jay Lewis to work on the album. McCready recalls, “Jay with his brilliant production managed to enhance Sharon’s wonderful songs.” Gordon Campbell from the NZ Listener said “There are at least four tracks on ''Sharon O'Neill ''that are the equal of anything

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is an American singer who has performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin music. Ronstadt has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three A ...

is capable of. Two songs "

Asian Paradise "Asian Paradise" is a song by New Zealand singer and songwriter Sharon O'Neill. The song was released in April 1980 as the third single from her second studio album, ''Sharon O'Neill'' (1980) Track listing New Zealand 7" (BA 461975) *Side A ...

" and "Southern Blues" are marvelously evocative mood pieces.” adding “CBS deserve a lot of credit for having both the interest and the courage to put up the $30,000 that it took to make this album.”

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from vinyl record liner notes, which omit the musicians on "How Do You Talk To Boys." *

– lead vocals (1, 3-11), arrangements (1-11), backing vocals (1, 3-11), piano (1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11),

Yamaha Yamaha may refer to: People * Torakusu Yamaha, a Japanese businessman and founder of the Yamaha Corporation Companies * Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese musical instrument and audio equipment manufacturer ** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organi ...

synthesizer (1, 2), clarinet (8) *Clinton Brown – bass guitar (1-11) *

Ross Burge Ross Elliott Burge is a New Zealand musician, who started playing drums with the Nelson College rock band Mandias in 1973. He decided that this was to be the life for him, and called the NZPO to ensure back-up. He has since played drums for band ...

– drums (1, 2, 4-11) *Peter Dawkins –

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stat ...

(12) *Steve Garden – drums (3) *Jim Hall – string arrangement (7) *Jay Lewis – arrangements (all tracks), electric guitar (1, 2, 4-11),

pedal steel The pedal steel guitar is a console steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings, enabling more varied and complex music to be played than with other steel guitar designs. Like all steel guitars, it can play ...

(1, 6), tambourine (4, 11), backing vocals (5, 7, 8, 10, 11), steel drum (8), production (1, 2, 4-11) *Dennis Mason – percussion (2, 5, 7),

congas The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are stave (wood), staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (drum), quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), an ...

(4, 8, 10, 11), saxophone (5, 9, 11), backing vocals (8) *

Wayne Mason Wayne Ashley Mason (born 1949) is a New Zealand musician. Biography Mason was born in New Plymouth in 1949. He was a founding member of 1960s pop group The Fourmyula and later formed Rockinghorse and The Warratahs before embarking on a solo c ...

– electric piano (1, 5-7, 9, 10),

Minimoog The Minimoog is an analog synthesizer first manufactured by Moog Music between 1970 and 1981. Designed as a more affordable, portable version of the modular Moog synthesizer, it was the first synthesizer sold in retail stores. It was first popul ...

(1), piano (2, 3, 8), Yamaha synthesizer (5), acoustic guitar (10) *Simon Morris – backing vocals (3) *

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Wellington, New Zealand. The national orchestra of New Zealand, the NZSO is an autonomous Crown entity owned by the New Zealand Government, per the New Zealand Symphony ...

– strings (7) *Steve Robinson – acoustic guitar (1, 3, 5-8),

ARP Odyssey The ARP Odyssey is an analog circuit, analog synthesizer introduced by ARP Instruments in 1972. History ARP developed the Odyssey as a direct competitor to the Minimoog, Moog Minimoog and an answer to the demand for more affordable, portable, a ...

(1), backing vocals (3-7, 11), string machine (3), tambourine (3), electric guitar (9), production (3) *Jerry Smith –

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

Jon Stevens Jon Stevens (born 8 October 1961) is a New Zealand singer, best known as the lead singer of the band Noiseworks in 1986–1992, the portrayal of Judas in a 1992 Australian production of '' Jesus Christ Superstar'', and as the lead singer fo ...

– backing vocals (8) *Brent Thomas – electric guitar (2, 3, 6, 11), backing vocals (8)

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1980 albums CBS Records albums Sharon O'Neill albums