Energy (Pointer Sisters album)

Energy
Studio album by the Pointer Sisters
Released	October 24, 1978
Studio	Studio 55 (Los Angeles, California)
Genre	R&B, rock, soul
Label	Planet
Producer	Richard Perry
The Pointer Sisters chronology
Having a Party (1977) Energy (1978) Priority (1979)
Singles from Energy
"Fire" Released: October 2, 1978 "Happiness" Released: March 1979

Energy is the fifth studio album by the Pointer Sisters, released in 1978 on the Planet label.

History

After a brief split following sister Bonnie's departure from the group, a musically reinvented and recharged Pointer Sisters returned composed of Ruth, Anita and June. Their first album for Planet, this was also the first album produced by Richard Perry. The record spawned a number two pop smash (and gold-certified single) with a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Fire". "Happiness" also scored on the US pop Top 40.

Energy became the group's first gold-certified release since 1974's That's a Plenty . The album was remastered and issued on CD with bonus tracks in 2009 by Wounded Bird Records.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Christgau's Record Guide	B− [2]
Music Week	[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[4]
Smash Hits	6/10 [5]

The Rolling Stone Album Guide praised "Fire" as an "absolute killer single." ^[4]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Lay It on the Line"	Patrick Henderson, Wornell Jones	3:16
2.	"Dirty Work"	Walter Becker, Donald Fagen	3:33
3.	"Hypnotized"	Bob Welch	5:02
4.	"As I Come of Age"	Stephen Stills	2:42
5.	"Come and Get Your Love"	Russ Ballard	3:40

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Happiness"	Allen Toussaint	4:19
7.	"Fire"	Bruce Springsteen	3:41
8.	"Angry Eyes"	Ken Loggins, Jim Messina	2:42
9.	"Echoes of Love"	Patrick Simmons, Willie Mitchell, Earl Randle	3:06
10.	"Everybody Is a Star"	Sylvester Stewart	3:15

2009 remastered bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"Love Is Like a Rolling Stone"	Jean Anne Chapman, Brian Cadd	3:34
12.	"If You Wanna Get Back Your Lady" (Dance Mix)	John Lewis Parker, Brian Potter	6:09
13.	"Happiness" (12" Version)		5:47

Personnel

The Pointer Sisters

• Anita Pointer – lead vocals (2–4, 7, 9, 10), backing vocals, tambourine (5)
• Ruth Pointer – lead vocals (3–5, 10), backing vocals
• June Pointer – lead vocals (1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10), backing vocals

Musicians

• David Paich – acoustic piano (1, 4, 6), electric piano (2, 3, 5, 10), organ (7), high piano (7)
• James Newton Howard – Hohner clavinet (3), synthesizers (3, 6, 9, 10), electric piano (4)
• Steve Porcaro – organ (4), synthesizers (9)
• Jimmy Phillips – organ (5), synthesizers (5), acoustic piano (8), organ (8)
• Jai Winding – acoustic piano (7)
• Danny Kortchmar – rhythm guitar (1, 5), electric guitar (3, 4), guitar (8, 10)
• Waddy Wachtel – lead guitar (1, 4, 5), electric guitar (2), slide guitar (3), guitar (6, 10)
• Fred Tackett – acoustic guitar (2), guitar (6, 8), rhythm guitar (9)
• Randy Bachman – acoustic guitar (3)
• Davey Johnstone – slide guitar (5), guitar (7), lead guitar (9)
• David Hungate – bass (1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 10)
• Eddie Watkins Jr. – bass (3)
• Mike Porcaro – bass (4)
• Gerald Johnson – bass (7)
• Abraham Laboriel – bass (9)
• Jeff Porcaro – drums (1, 3–6, 9, 10)
• Rick Jaeger – drums (2, 7)
• Mike Baird – drums (8)
• Lenny Castro – percussion (1, 9), tambourine (7)
• Richard Perry – percussion (8)
• Bryan Cumming – saxophone solo (2)

Production

• Richard Perry – producer
• Dennis Kirk – recording engineer
• Bill Schnee – remix engineer
• Gabe Veltri – assistant engineer
• Doug Sax – mastering engineer at The Mastering Lab (Los Angeles, CA).
• Robin Rinehart – production coordinator
• Kathleen Carey – song coordinator
• Marylin Vance – fashion coordinator
• Kosh – design, art direction
• James M. Shea – photography

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Energy Chart (1978–1979) Peak position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [6] 21 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [7] 1 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [8] 38 US Billboard 200 [9] 13 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [10] 9

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for Energy Chart (1979) Position Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [11] 14 US Billboard 200 [12] 68

Certifications

Certifications for Energy

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [13]	Platinum	100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI) [14]	Platinum	100,000^
United States (RIAA) [15]	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Hanson, Amy. Energy review at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: P". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved March 10, 2019– via robertchristgau.com.
3. "Album Preview: Pointer Sisters — "Energy"" (PDF). Music Week . Gwent: Pensord Press Ltd. February 10, 1979. p. 36. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 5, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2025– via WorldRadioHistory.com.
4. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 550.
5. Starr, Red. "Albums". Smash Hits (February 22 - March 7, 1979): 25.
6. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 235. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
7. "Dutchcharts.nl – Pointer Sisters – Energy" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
8. "Charts.nz – Pointer Sisters – Energy". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
9. "The Pointer Sisters Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
10. "The Pointer Sisters Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
11. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1979". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
12. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1979". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
13. "Canadian album certifications – Pointer Sisters – Energy". Music Canada . Retrieved December 26, 2019.
14. "Dutch album certifications – Pointer Sisters – Energy" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers . Retrieved December 26, 2019.Enter Energy in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1980 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
15. "American album certifications – Pointer Sisters – Energy". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved December 26, 2019.

External links

• Energy at Discogs (list of releases)