It was Hancock’s first release without producer David Rubinson since 1969.
On this album, Hancock was influenced by his long-time friend, producer Quincy Jones and sessions included many musicians associated with Jones including Steve Lukather and Jeff Porcaro of Toto. The album was the first on which Hancock played the Synclavier, a digital polyphonic synthesizer.
By 1978, Hancock had another identity as a dance/fusion attraction with the albums Feets Don’t Fail Me Now and Sunlight.
Lite Me Up is an even more concerted effort to fuse jazz with pop. Hancock handled all of the production chores on all but two of the eight tracks.
His main arranger and lyricist here is Rod Temperton, the former Heatwave member who worked with Quincy Jones on albums Off the Wall and Light Up the Night. The title track and “The Bomb” are glossy, propulsive offerings reminiscent of prime Jones without his skill at making it all stick.
The biggest hit here, the sleek “Getting’ to the Good Part” adheres to the Steely Dan‘s Gaucho style, has a gorgeous bridge, and has Hancock doing his loved or hated vocoder lead vocals.
From a jazz perspective, there is precious little of it on Lite Me Up. In fact, the songs “The Fun Tracks” and the humorous “Motor Mouth” sound like Heatwave retreads.
The last song stands out, however.
The beautiful, hooky ballad “Give It All Your Heart” features both Hancock and Patrice Rushen both doing their vocal leads on vocoder.
The track perfectly captures both prime Temperton and Hancock’s ’78-’82 fusion ballad style. Songs with producers Jay Graydon and Narada Michael Walden both feature the artist doing vocals without the gadgetry, and, believe it or not, the vocoder is more definitive.
Despite the better tracks, Lite Me Up doesn’t have the adventurous nature of Hancock’s jazz/pop of the era.
Side A
A1. Lite Me Up - 3:41
A2. The Bomb - 3:59
A3. Gettin’ To The Good Part - 6:12
A4. Paradise - 4:30
Side B
B1. Can’t Hide Your Love - 3:53
B2. The Fun Tracks - 4:03
B3. Motor Mouth - 3:59
B4. Give It All Your Heart - 7:39
Personnel
- Herbie Hancock - clavinet, keyboards, Minimoog, piano, synthesizer, synthesizer drums, vocals, vocoder
- Jerry Hey - flugelhorn, trumpet
- Gary Herbig - saxophone, woodwind
- Chuck Findley - trombone, trumpet
- William Frank "Bill" Reichenbach, Jr. - trombone
- Michael Boddicker, Corrado Rustici, Frank Martin - synthesizer
- Steve Lukather, David Williams, Jay Graydon - guitar
- Louis Johnson, Randy Jackson, Abraham Laboriel, Sr. - bass
- Narada Michael Walden, Jeff Porcaro, John "J.R." Robinson - drums
- Paulinho da Costa - percussion
- Wayne Anthony - lead vocals (2, 6 & 7), Patrice Rushen - vocals, vocoder (8)
- Patti Austin, Paulette Williams, Jim Gilstrap, Venette Gloud, Linda Lawrence, John Lehman, Richard Page - backing vocals
- David Foster - piano
Notes
Release: 1982
Format: LP
Genre: Soul, Funk
Label: CBS Records
Catalog# 85650
Vinyl: Goed
Cover: Goed
Prijs: €10,00
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