Dedication | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 1981 | |||
Recorded | 1980 | |||
Genre | Rock, pop | |||
Length | 41:30 | |||
Label | EMI America Records Razor & Tie BGO Records | |||
Producer | Steven Van Zandt Bruce Springsteen Gary U.S. Bonds Rob Parissi | |||
Gary U.S. Bonds chronology | ||||
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Singles from Dedication | ||||
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Dedication is a 1981 album by American singer Gary U.S. Bonds.
The album was a critical and commercial success, marking a comeback for Bonds after several years out of the limelight. Dedication was the first of two albums on which he collaborated with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, the second being On the Line , released the following year, 1982. The musicians accompanying Bonds on the album include many members of the E Street Band and the Asbury Jukes. [1] The album includes three songs written by Bruce Springsteen, one written by Steve Van Zandt, and several covers of songs from the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, and others. It also features a duet between Bonds and Springsteen on the track "Jole Blon". Bonds' early 1960s sound had been a major influence on both Springsteen and Van Zandt. [2] The songs written by Springsteen, including the cover of "Jole Blon", were originally intended for his 1980 album, The River , but he felt they fit better with Bonds and his versions of them have never been released although he has performed most of them live, often featuring Bonds as a special guest. [3]
The album produced several singles. The Springsteen-penned "This Little Girl" was a major success, peaking at No. 7 in Cash Box and at No. 11 on the Billboard pop chart. It also reached No. 5 on the mainstream rock chart, as well as the Cajun traditional "Jole Blon", [4] [5] which garnered some album-oriented rock airplay. The album itself reached No. 27 on the pop album chart and No. 34 on the R&B album chart.
The album was re-released in 1994 on the Razor Edge label of Razor & Tie music, and then again in 2009 on BGO Records, paired with On the Line .
In a 2016 career retrospective interview with Pods & Sods, Gary revealed that a few additional songs and outtakes recorded during this time may eventually be released. [6]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [7] |
Christgau's Record Guide | C+ [8] |
The Rolling Stone Record Guide | [2] |
Music writer Dave Marsh called Dedication "one of the most successful comeback albums in rock & roll history". [2]
Musicians:
Production:
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. is the debut studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. It was produced from June through October 1972 by Mike Appel and Jim Cretecos at the budget-priced 914 Sound Studios. The album was released January 5, 1973, by Columbia Records to average sales but a positive critical reception.
Gary U.S. Bonds is an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, known for his hits "New Orleans" and "Quarter to Three".
The E Street Band is an American rock band that has been the primary backing band for rock musician Bruce Springsteen since 1972. In 2014, the E Street Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing career, the band included guitarists Steven Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren, and Patti Scialfa, keyboardists Danny Federici and Roy Bittan, bassist Garry Tallent, drummer Max Weinberg and saxophonist Clarence Clemons.
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes are an American musical group from the Jersey Shore formerly led by Southside Johnny. They have been recording albums since 1976 and are closely associated with Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. They have recorded or performed several Springsteen songs, including "The Fever" (1973) and "Fade Away" (1980). Springsteen has also performed with the band on several occasions. In 1991, Springsteen and the E Street band appeared on Southside Johnny's Better Days album.
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Men Without Women is the debut solo studio album by American musician Steven Van Zandt, credited as Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. It was released on October 1, 1982 by EMI America. The title track was inspired by the Ernest Hemingway collection of short stories of the same name.
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On the Line is an album released by Gary U.S. Bonds in 1982, the second of two on which he collaborated with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, the first being Dedication, released the previous year, 1981.
Standing in the Line of Fire is an album by Gary U.S. Bonds, released in 1984. It is credited to Gary U.S. Bonds and the American Men. The album was a followup to his two Springsteen/Van Zandt-produced albums Dedication and On the Line, though the only carry-over from the previous two albums was Steven Van Zandt, who wrote, sang backing vocals for, and played lead guitar on the title track.
Better Days is an album by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, released in 1991. It yielded minor hits "It's Been a Long Time" and "I've Been Workin' Too Hard". The song "It's Been a Long Time" features shared lead vocals by Southside Johnny, Steven Van Zandt, and Bruce Springsteen and is a reflection back on their early years together in the music business. "I've Been Working Too Hard" features a duet with Jon Bon Jovi. Eight of the eleven songs were written by Van Zandt, harkening back to the Jukes' first three albums which also featured Van Zandt writing, playing guitar, and singing harmony and sometimes duet vocals. One track, "All the Way Home", was written by Bruce Springsteen who later recorded his own version of it for his 2005 solo album Devils and Dust.
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