Hero (Clarence Clemons album)

Hero
Studio album by Clarence Clemons
Released	November 8, 1985
Recorded	March−August 1985
Studio	Tarpan Studios (San Rafael, CA) The Plant (Sausalito, CA) Shore Fire Studios (Long Branch, NJ) Carnegie Hill Studios, Mediasound Studios and Shakedown Sound (New York City, NY) Mission Control Studios, (Boston, MA)
Genre	Pop
Length	41:56
Label	Columbia/CBS Records
Producer	Narada Michael Walden Michael Jonzun Arthur Baker Morrie Brown
Clarence Clemons chronology
The Chief (1984) Hero (1985) A Night With Mr. C (1989)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Hero is a studio album by Clarence Clemons. Known for his saxophone work with Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, Clemons released this pop album at the height of Springsteen's popularity following the success of Born in the U.S.A. It spawned two hit singles, 1985's "You're a Friend of Mine", a duet with Jackson Browne also featuring Browne's then-girlfriend Daryl Hannah on background vocals, and 1986's "I Wanna Be Your Hero".

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"You're a Friend of Mine"	Narada Michael Walden, Jeffrey Cohen	4:49
2.	"Temptation"	Narada Michael Walden, Jeffrey Cohen	4:53
3.	"It's Alright With Me Girl"	Clarence Clemons, Michael Jonzun	4:08
4.	"Liberation Fire (Mokshagun)"	Narada Michael Walden	3:59
5.	"The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore"	Bob Crewe, Bob Gaudio	4:26
6.	"I Wanna Be Your Hero"	Clarence Clemons, Jeffrey Cohen, Preston Glass, Narada Michael Walden	4:49
7.	"Cross The Line"	Morrie Brown, Clarence Clemons, Jude Johnstone, Lloyd Landesman	3:59
8.	"Kissin' On U"	Narada Michael Walden, Jeffrey Cohen	5:13
9.	"Christina"	Narada Michael Walden, Jeffrey Cohen	5:51
Total length:			41:56

Charts

Chart (1986)	Peak position
Australian (Kent Music Report)	55 [2]

Personnel

• Clarence Clemons ^[a] – saxophone, lead vocals (1–3, 6, 8), backing vocals (3, 7, 9), vocals (5), lead rap (8)
• David Sancious – keyboards (1, 2, 6, 9)
• Preston Glass – additional keyboards (1, 2, 6), vibraphone (4), keyboard vibes (8), keyboards (9), acoustic guitar (9)
• Booker T. Jones – organ (1, 2, 6, 9)
• Michael Jonzun – keyboards (3), synthesizer programming (3), drums (3), marimba (3), backing vocals (3)
• Gordon Worthy – Hammond B3 organ (3)
• Frank Martin – keyboards (4)
• Richard Scher – keyboards (5)
• Lloyd Landesman – keyboards (7), LinnDrum programming (7), backing vocals (7)
• Walter Afanasieff – keyboards (8), keyboard bass sequencer (8), sound effects (8)
• Corrado Rustici – guitars (1, 2, 4, 8), electric guitars (9)
• Billy Loosigian – lead guitar (3), acoustic guitar (3)
• Tony "Rocks" Cowans – rhythm guitar (3)
• Carlos Pepper – rhythm guitar (3)
• Lewis West – rhythm guitar (3)
• Vernon "Ice" Black – guitars (4)
• Stuart Kimball – guitars (5)
• Bobby Messano – guitars (7)
• Randy Jackson – bass (1, 2, 4, 6, 9), electric bass (8), drums (9), percussion (9)
• Maurice Starr – bass (3)
• Doug Wimbish – bass (5)
• John Siegler – bass (7)
• Narada Michael Walden – drums (1, 2, 4, 6, 8), percussion (1, 2, 6, 8), church bells (1), keyboards (4)
• Billy Beard – drums (5)
• Anton Fig – drums (7)
• Greg "Gigi" Gonaway – glockenspiel (1), electronic percussion (8)
• Bill Sebastian – glockenspiel (3)
• Bashiri Johnson – percussion (5)
• Premik McFly – baritone saxophone (1)
• Michael Rado – harp (1)
• David Frazer – sound effects (8)
• Stuart "Satoshi" Hirotsu – sound effects (8)
• Jackson Browne – lead vocals (1)
• Daryl Hannah – backing vocals (1)
• Craig Thomas – backing vocals (1, 7, 9), additional vocals (2, 6), additional saxophone (4), lead vocals (7, 9)
• Hangsa – backing vocals (1)
• Sundan – backing vocals (1)
• Princess Loria – backing vocals (3)
• Charles Robins – backing vocals (3)
• Richard "Hock" Walsh – backing vocals (3)
• Mark Weiner – spiritual advisor (3)
• Darlene Love – vocals (5)
• Tina B. – backing vocals (5)
• Lotti Golden – backing vocals (5)
• B.J. Nelson – backing vocals (5)
• Norman Mershon – backing vocals (7)
• Kitty Beethoven – backing vocals (8)
• Jennifer Hall – backing vocals (8)
• Liz Jackson – backing vocals (8)

Production

• Narada Michael Walden – producer (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9), arrangements (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9), reducing (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9)
• Michael Jonzun – producer (3), arrangements (3), engineer (3)
• Gordon Worthy – associate producer (3)
• Arthur Baker – producer (5)
• Morrie Brown – producer (7), arrangements (7)
• Lloyd Landesman - co-producer (7), arrangements (7)
• Michael H. Brauer – chief engineer (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9)
• David Frazer – chief engineer (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9)
• Sidney Burton – engineer (3)
• Frank Heller – engineer (3)
• Tom Moore – engineer (3)
• Ed Stasium – mix engineer (3)
• Alvin Meyerson – engineer (5)
• Rob Taustin – engineer (5)
• Andy Wallace – engineer (5)
• Tom Lord-Alge – mixing (5)
• Steve Goldman – engineer (7)
• Dana Jon Chappelle – assistant engineer (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9)
• Tim Hatfield – assistant engineer (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9)
• Stuart "Satoshi" Hirotsu – assistant engineer (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9)
• Michael Hommel – assistant engineer (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9)
• Geoff Keehn – assistant engineer (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9)
• Gordon Lyon – assistant engineer (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9)
• Arthur Payson – assistant engineer (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9)
• Scott Yetka – assistant engineer (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9)
• George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York, NY)
• Clarence Clemons – cover concept
• Caroline Greyshock – photography
• Christopher Austopchuk – art direction

Notes

1. The album's liner notes credit Clemons' performing and songwriting to "Mokshagun Clarence Clemons"; ^[3] Mokshagun is a spiritual name given to Clemons by Sri Chinmoy. ^[4]

References

1. Allmusic review
2. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 66. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
3. Hero at Discogs
4. Clarence Clemons and Don Reo. Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales. Grand Central Publishing, 2009. p. 104. ISBN   9780446558242

External links

• Clarence Clemon's official web site