Here in Southern California, yacht rock enthusiasts have been excited by the prospect of seeing three of the music style’s prominent figures – Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins and Christopher Cross – perform together at the Hollywood Bowl today and Saturday.
This past spring, several new entertainment media titles related to yacht rock – which basically encompasses mid-1970s to early 1980s jazz and R&B-influenced soft rock - came out.
Garfunkel, Clapton, Collins, Phoebe Snow, Willie Weeks, Steve Gadd, Hugh McCracken and Lenny Castro were among the guests, while mixer Scott Litt (who’d go onto fame helming R.E.M. albums), Grammy winning producer Tommy LiPuma, engineers Renate (Elton John) and Jason Corsaro (Paul Simon, Madonna) handled the sound. The result is an album that doesn’t sound dated compared to similar releases from the era and one that should’ve been a hit back then.
Bishop’s lyrics were partially inspired by his breakup with actress Karen Allen (“Animal House” – which he also had a bit part in, “Raiders of the Lost Ark”). Opening cut “The Big House,” a jaunty “Living in the Land of Abe Lincoln” and the short barroom romp “Sex Kittens Go to College” showcase the artist’s sense of humor. The romantic “Send a Little Love My Way” and mild rocker “Let Her Go” are highlights. Elsewhere, “Little Moon” boasts a nice cascading harmony section and the title track, a nifty Bishop trombone solo.
The half dozen bonus tracks comprise demos, a single version of “Send a Little Love My Way” and a quick cover of “Hit the Road Jack.”
“Hot Rod Hearts,” another top 20 hit from what became the Robbie Dupree LP, was another slice of upbeat catchy pop about “young love/born in a backseat,” with billowy keyboards. Amazingly, as Dupree also explains in the Prato book, the song was “an afterthought” - a late addition to the album completed in 24 hours because he was being pressured to finish recording immediately. It ended up netting him a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.
The sleek 1980 debut album, digitally re-mastered from the original tapes, is a frequently romantic gem. In addition to the standout singles, the upbeat “I’m No Stranger” and “Nobody Else” contain ample sax and soulful backing vocals. Other highlights include the sprightly “Love is a Mystery,” with lovely guitarwork and the haunting “Lonely Runner.” Notably, the guitars are handled by a young Brian Ray, who’d go onto tour and record with Paul McCartney decades later as well as future Cracker producer Dennis Herring. Intriguingly, the four previously unreleased bonus tracks (the aforementioned hits among them) are sung in Spanish.
The title track, likely inspired by Dupree’s teenage years singing doo wop on street corners in New York City, gets everything rolling on a spirited note. “Brooklyn Girls,” the single, is effusive with sax flourishes. A fast-paced “All Night Long” is done a capella in doo wop style, while another standout, “I’ll Be the Fool Again,” is akin to Doobie Brothers with prominent keyboards. The R&B-styled “Are You Ready for Love” has a sultry vibe; “Saturday Night” contains an enticing slow build party groove, punchy horns and a harmonica solo. A single edit of the song serves as the lone bonus track.
The Yacht Rock Book, published by Jawbone Press (paperback; 320 pages), examines the genesis of soft rock through interviews with the major players (and others who intersected it), including John Oates, Christopher Cross, Boz Scaggs, Kenny Loggins, Jim Messina, Rupert Holmes, members of The Eagles, America, Captain & Tennille, Air Supply, Steely Dan, Three Dog Night, Blood Sweat & Tears, Ambrosia, Toto, Chicago, Poco, Earth, Wind & Fire and others.
Following a foreword by actor/musician Fred Armisen (“Saturday Night Live,” “Portlandia”), Prato hits all the relevant bases as the musicians discuss their roots and eventual successes - and bewilderment at the whole yacht rock phenomenon.
This past spring, several new entertainment media titles related to yacht rock – which basically encompasses mid-1970s to early 1980s jazz and R&B-influenced soft rock - came out.
Blixa Sounds, a new Los Angeles based record label, just reissued Stephen Bishop’s third LP Red Cab to Manhattan (1980), as well as Robbie Dupree’s eponymous debut (1980) and its follow-up Street Corner Heroes (1981).
Meanwhile, The Yacht Rock Book: The Oral History of the Soft, Smooth, Sounds of the 70s and 80s, by Greg Prato, examines the style’s popularity and impact through multiple interviews. And SiriusXM is still offering its yacht rock channel to subscribers.
Stephen Bishop, a San Diego native, first got a leg up in the music business when a pair of tunes he wrote were recorded by Art Garfunkel for the hit 1975 LP Breakaway. Then Barbra Streisand also recorded a Bishop song. His own success as a solo recording artist began in ‘77 with “Save it for a Rainy Day” and “On and On,” both of which went top 10 on the Adult Contemporary charts and were top 20 pop hits. “Everybody Needs Love” drew similar radio play.
After he signed to Warner Bros. Records for Red Cab to Manhattan, the label apparently didn’t do much to promote the album and it unfortunately faded quickly. Soon after, the artist landed an AC chart topper in “It Might Be You,” appeared on a bunch of soundtracks, did more film cameos, had songs recorded by Kenny Loggins, Eric Clapton, David Crosby, Phil Collins, Steve Perry and many more.
Now, nearly 40 years later, the great new version of Red Cab to Manhattan has been digitally re-mastered from the original tapes, with previously unreleased bonus tracks, the original cover artwork and high-quality gatefold CD packaging.
Garfunkel, Clapton, Collins, Phoebe Snow, Willie Weeks, Steve Gadd, Hugh McCracken and Lenny Castro were among the guests, while mixer Scott Litt (who’d go onto fame helming R.E.M. albums), Grammy winning producer Tommy LiPuma, engineers Renate (Elton John) and Jason Corsaro (Paul Simon, Madonna) handled the sound. The result is an album that doesn’t sound dated compared to similar releases from the era and one that should’ve been a hit back then.
Bishop’s lyrics were partially inspired by his breakup with actress Karen Allen (“Animal House” – which he also had a bit part in, “Raiders of the Lost Ark”). Opening cut “The Big House,” a jaunty “Living in the Land of Abe Lincoln” and the short barroom romp “Sex Kittens Go to College” showcase the artist’s sense of humor. The romantic “Send a Little Love My Way” and mild rocker “Let Her Go” are highlights. Elsewhere, “Little Moon” boasts a nice cascading harmony section and the title track, a nifty Bishop trombone solo.
The half dozen bonus tracks comprise demos, a single version of “Send a Little Love My Way” and a quick cover of “Hit the Road Jack.”
Back when I was in junior high school and dutifully compiled my own listings of American Top 40 with Casey Kasem, I was somewhat infatuated with Robbie Dupree’s breezy pop hit “Steal Away,” which reached the top 10 in 1980.
In Prato’s book, Dupree explains the lyric didn’t mean that much to him; the words just fit nicely with the melody. That song was included on demo that was initially rejected by several record labels. So, the Brooklyn musician returned home. Then, by chance, Dupree’s drummer’s brother passed it along to a record exec and a label deal commenced.
“Hot Rod Hearts,” another top 20 hit from what became the Robbie Dupree LP, was another slice of upbeat catchy pop about “young love/born in a backseat,” with billowy keyboards. Amazingly, as Dupree also explains in the Prato book, the song was “an afterthought” - a late addition to the album completed in 24 hours because he was being pressured to finish recording immediately. It ended up netting him a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.
The sleek 1980 debut album, digitally re-mastered from the original tapes, is a frequently romantic gem. In addition to the standout singles, the upbeat “I’m No Stranger” and “Nobody Else” contain ample sax and soulful backing vocals. Other highlights include the sprightly “Love is a Mystery,” with lovely guitarwork and the haunting “Lonely Runner.” Notably, the guitars are handled by a young Brian Ray, who’d go onto tour and record with Paul McCartney decades later as well as future Cracker producer Dennis Herring. Intriguingly, the four previously unreleased bonus tracks (the aforementioned hits among them) are sung in Spanish.
On his remastered sophomore album, Street Corner Heroes, from 1981, Dupree slightly expanded his sonic palette with most of the same studio musicians. Although it didn’t match the debut’s success, the results were equally terrific.
The title track, likely inspired by Dupree’s teenage years singing doo wop on street corners in New York City, gets everything rolling on a spirited note. “Brooklyn Girls,” the single, is effusive with sax flourishes. A fast-paced “All Night Long” is done a capella in doo wop style, while another standout, “I’ll Be the Fool Again,” is akin to Doobie Brothers with prominent keyboards. The R&B-styled “Are You Ready for Love” has a sultry vibe; “Saturday Night” contains an enticing slow build party groove, punchy horns and a harmonica solo. A single edit of the song serves as the lone bonus track.
The Yacht Rock Book, published by Jawbone Press (paperback; 320 pages), examines the genesis of soft rock through interviews with the major players (and others who intersected it), including John Oates, Christopher Cross, Boz Scaggs, Kenny Loggins, Jim Messina, Rupert Holmes, members of The Eagles, America, Captain & Tennille, Air Supply, Steely Dan, Three Dog Night, Blood Sweat & Tears, Ambrosia, Toto, Chicago, Poco, Earth, Wind & Fire and others.
Following a foreword by actor/musician Fred Armisen (“Saturday Night Live,” “Portlandia”), Prato hits all the relevant bases as the musicians discuss their roots and eventual successes - and bewilderment at the whole yacht rock phenomenon.
There are chapters devoted to Daryl Dragon, who describes his experience touring with the Beach Boys (whose “Sloop John B.” is considered a precursor to yacht rock); one about the Doobies, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and Steely Dan; Michael McDonald’s singular influence, Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks; the formula for making soft rock classics; the session musicians who played on many of the hits; Seventies fashion; drugs and partying; one devoted to Holmes’ “Escape (The Pina Colada Song),” what Prato amusingly calls “The yacht rock national anthem”; memorable album covers; the genre’s decline and recent resurgence. The most interesting chapters are devoted the background behind classic tunes from the 1970s and early ‘80s. Twenty color and black and white pages of photos help illustrate everything. If you're a fan of any of the above artists, I'd highly recommend picking up this book.
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