Numbers (Rufus album)

Numbers
Studio album by Rufus
Released	January 1979
Studio	Dawnbreaker (San Fernando)
Genre	Funk, soul
Length	40:32
Label	ABC
Producer	Rufus, Roy Halee
Rufus chronology
Street Player (1978) Numbers (1979) Masterjam (1979)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The New Rolling Stone Record Guide	[2]

Numbers is the seventh studio album by funk band Rufus, released on the ABC Records label in 1979. It was the band's first album without Chaka Khan on lead vocals. ^[3] Instead, band members Tony Maiden and David "Hawk" Wolinski shared lead vocal duties, with additional female leads by Helen Lowe and Maxayne. The album reached #15 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart, #81 on Pop and included the single release "Keep It Together (Declaration of Love)" (US R&B #16).

Khan returned to the band for the recording of the following album Masterjam, produced by Quincy Jones.

Numbers would be Rufus' final album on ABC Records. The label would be purchased and subsequently dissolved by MCA Records, and the band transferred to its roster.

Numbers also marked the debut of drummer John "J.R." Robinson to the lineup. He would remain Rufus's drummer for the rest of their run.

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Ain't Nobody Like You"	Tony Maiden, Elainea Robbins	4:28
2.	"You're to Blame"	David "Hawk" Wolinski	3:51
3.	"Keep It Together (Declaration of Love)"	Allen Toussaint	4:16
4.	"Dancin' Mood"	Wolinski	3:52
5.	"Red Hot Poker"	Bobby Watson	4:30

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Don't You Sit Alone"	Wolinski	4:41
7.	"Bet My Dreams"	Wolinski	5:04
8.	"Pleasure Dome"	Maiden, Robbins	4:11
9.	"Are We?"	Wolinski	3:32
10.	"Life in the City"	Watson	4:54

Personnel

• Tony Maiden – guitar, lead vocals on "Ain't Nobody Like You", "Keep It Together (Declaration of Love)", "Bet My Dreams", "Pleasure Dome", and "Life in the City", background vocals, clavinet
• Kevin Murphy – keyboards
• Bobby Watson – bass, guitar, clavinet
• John Robinson – drums, percussion
• David "Hawk" Wolinski – keyboards, lead vocals on "You're to Blame", "Don't You Sit Alone" and "Are We?", background vocals, guitar
• Rufus – lead vocals on "Dancin' Mood"
• Everett Bryson – percussion
• Richard Mikuls – guitar
• Truman Thomas – piano on "Keep It Together (Declaration of Love)"
• Chuck "The German" Brooke – tenor saxophone, flute
• John "Iron Lips" Erwin – trombone
• Bob "The Professor" Greve – baritone saxophone, flute
• Dave Grover – trumpet, slide trumpet, trombone
• Bill Lamb – trumpet, slide trumpet, trombone, bass trombone
• Helen Lowe – lead vocals on "Ain't Nobody Like You", background vocals
• Lalomie Washburn – background vocals
• Maxayne – lead vocals on "Are We?", background vocals
• Freddie Hubbard – trumpet on "Bet My Dreams"
• Harvey Mason – drums on "Pleasure Dome"

Production

• Rufus – producer, mixing
• Roy Halee – producer, engineer, mixing
• Thom Wilson – engineer
• Allen Zentz – audio mastering
• Ernie Freeman – string arrangements and conductor

Charts

Album

Chart (1979)	Peak [4]
U.S. Billboard Top LPs	81
U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs	15

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions
		US [4]	US R&B [4]
1979	"Keep It Together (Declaration of Love)"	109	16
	"Ain't Nobody Like You"	—	—

References

1. "Numbers review". AllMusic . Retrieved 2011-10-18.
2. Gersten, Russell (1983). "Rufus". In Marsh, Dave; Swenson, John (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Record Guide . Random House/Rolling Stone Press. p.  438. ISBN   0394721071.
3. Thompson, Dave (2001). Funk. Backbeat Books. p. 182.
4. "US Charts > Rufus". Allmusic . Retrieved 2011-10-19.

External links

• Numbers at Discogs