| Fantasy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1985 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Morris 'Butch' Stewart, Maurice White | |||
| Ramsey Lewis chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Fantasy is a studio album by American jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis, released in 1985 on Columbia Records. The album reached No. 13 on the Cashbox Jazz Albums chart. [2]
Fantasy was produced by Morris Stewart and Maurice White. [3]
Chris Albertson of Stereo Review wrote: "With a little help from Maurice White, his former drummer who hit pop gold with Earth, Wind & Fire, the fifty-year-old pianist has armed himself with synthesizers and come up with a set of sounds that will have a much younger generation gyrating and bopping in the strobe lights." [4] Peter Sleight of the Sun Sentinel stated: "Fantasy, by keyboardist Ramsey Lewis, could be found in any department of the music store. It'll probably show up in jazz simply because of Lewis' long affiliation with jazz. But the recording is clearly non- denominational, drawing equally from jazz, rock, New Wave and R&B." Sleight added: "It succeeds because Lewis has found the secret to electronic instruments: They must be used judiciously, and for the purpose to which they are best suited. To avoid the one-note, one-rhythm pounding that flaws most android music, Lewis creates many layers of electronic tracks. The result is intricate, exotic and unremittingly funky, with Lewis' keyboard melody always rising above the din." [5]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "This Ain't No Fantasy" | Morris "Butch" Stewart, Patrick Leonard | 4:15 |
| 2. | "Ram Jam" | Laney Stewart, Morris "Butch" Stewart | 3:59 |
| 3. | "It's Gonna Change" | Lonnie Reaves, Morris "Butch" Stewart | 4:23 |
| 4. | "Les Clefs of Mon Coeur" | Laney Stewart, Morris "Butch" Stewart, Ramsey Lewis | 3:50 |
| 5. | "Victim of a Broken Heart" | Brenda Mitchell, Morris "Butch" Stewart | 4:06 |
| 6. | "Slow Dancin'" | Morris "Butch" Stewart, Ramsey Lewis | 4:14 |
| 7. | "Never Give Up" | Brenda Mitchell, Morris "Butch" Stewart | 4:57 |
| 8. | "Part of Me feat. Maurice White" | Brenda Mitchell, Morris "Butch" Stewart | 4:33 |
| 9. | "The Quest" | Morris "Butch" Stewart, Ramsey Lewis | 5:27 |
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin, and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million records worldwide.
Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis Jr. was an American jazz pianist, composer, and radio personality. Lewis recorded over 80 albums and received five gold records and three Grammy Awards in his career. His album The In Crowd earned Lewis critical praise and the 1965 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance. His best known singles include "The 'In' Crowd", "Wade in the Water", and "Sun Goddess". Until 2009, he was the host of the Ramsey Lewis Morning Show on the Chicago radio station WNUA.
Christiern Gunnar Albertson was a New York City-based jazz journalist, writer and record producer.
Maurice White was an American musician, best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter and chief producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, also serving as the band's co-lead singer with Philip Bailey.
That's the Way of the World is the sixth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on March 3, 1975, by Columbia Records. It was also the soundtrack for a 1975 motion picture of the same name. The album rose to No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Soul Albums charts. That's the Way of the World has also been certified Triple Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA. In 2002, the band released live version of the album, recorded in 1975 – That's the Way of the World: Alive in '75.
Philip James Bailey is an American singer, songwriter and percussionist, best known as an early member and one of the two lead singers of the band Earth, Wind & Fire. Noted for his four-octave vocal range and distinctive falsetto register, Bailey was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame as a member of Earth, Wind & Fire. Bailey was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame for his work with the band.
Larry Dunn is an American keyboardist, producer and musical director. He was one of the early members of the music group Earth, Wind & Fire. Dunn was later inducted, as a former band member, into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. Within which he's also been bestowed with ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award, 7 Grammy Awards, 4 American Music Awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Dunn is a co-composer of EWF's "Shining Star", a song that's been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Sun Goddess is a jazz album by Ramsey Lewis, released on Columbia Records in 1974. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 12 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. Sun Goddess was also certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.
Another Voyage is a studio album by the Ramsey Lewis Trio issued in 1969 on Cadet Records. The album peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart and No. 34 upon the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart.
Salongo is an album by the jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis, released in 1976 by Columbia. The album rose to No. 7 on the Billboard magazine Top Jazz Albums chart and No. 17 on the Top Soul Albums chart.
Basie & Zoot is a studio album by the jazz pianist Count Basie and the saxophonist Zoot Sims, released in 1976 by Pablo Records. It was recorded on April 9, 1975, during a recording session organized by Norman Granz, the head of the label. Granz decided against using Basie's band Count Basie Orchestra, instead inviting Sims, who played with Basie a few years prior.
"Sun Goddess" is a smooth soul song by jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis featuring the band Earth, Wind & Fire issued as a single in 1975 on Columbia Records. The song peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart.
Pittsburgh is an album by the American jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal. It was recorded in 1989 and released on the Atlantic label. It is a tribute to Jamal's hometown. The album was recorded in Chicago.
We Meet Again is a jazz album by American jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis and Billy Taylor, released in 1989. Lewis and Taylor duet on songs composed by Taylor, Duke Ellington, Chick Corea, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, and Horace Silver, among others.
"Sailaway" is a song written by Maurice White, Eddie del Barrio, Philip Bailey, and Roxanne Seeman and recorded by American R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire for their 1980 album Faces. It was produced by White and recorded during the Faces sessions in Montserrat at George Martin's Air Studios and in Los Angeles at The Complex/ARC Studios 1980, engineered and mixed by George Massenburg.
"Touch" is a song by R&B/funk band Earth, Wind & Fire, released as a single in January 1984 by Columbia Records. The song reached No. 23 on the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and No. 36 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary Songs chart.
Keys to the City is a studio album by American jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis, released in May 1987 on Columbia Records. The album peaked at #22 on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and #11 on the Cashbox Jazz Albums chart.
"You" is a song by the band Earth, Wind & Fire, released as a single in November 1980 on Columbia Records. The single reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart and No. 30 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
Tequila Mockingbird is an album by the American jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis, released in 1977 on Columbia Records. The album peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.
Routes is a studio album by American jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis, released in 1980 on Columbia Records. The album reached No. 7 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.
