Airplay (album)

Last updated
Airplay
Airplay (album).jpg
Studio album by
Airplay
Released1980
Recorded1979 – 1980
Genre
Label RCA
Producer

Airplay is the eponymous debut and only studio album by American band Airplay. The project was created by David Foster and Jay Graydon in 1979 after working on many sessions together starting in the mid 1970s. [1] They started writing songs that would inevitably end up on the album as early as 1978, such as "After the Love Has Gone", which was recorded by Earth, Wind & Fire that same year (the original title for the track was "After the Love Is Gone", which is the title they used on this album). [2] [3]

Contents

Background

In a 2005 interview, David Foster recalls: "We started working together. I think it's actually Jay's idea to do an album. Back in the '70s, we were both studio musicians. And Jay figured out before I did that we can be more than just studio musicians. So it was his idea that we should do an album together. And that was even before we had a singer. You were gonna be the only singer in the beginning." [4]

Graydon added: "There's more than that. We were on a date with Maurine McGovern, I think, at the Dawn Breaker studios. David came up with the start for "Should We Carry On," and as soon as the session was over, we went over to my house. I can't remember if it was 8 tracks or 16 tracks. I don't remember. Anyway, we demoed the song up."

Foster continued: "I can only speak for myself, but I never felt myself as an artist. Even with Airplay, it felt like just 2 musicians making a record. And we had no idea that we would have any impact really. I never really believed that we would be successful as artists. Even when we were shooting the album cover and all that, It felt weird that we were actually trying to be the real artists."

Graydon noted that they were highly influenced in their decision to form the group by Toto, who, as session musicians, had formed a similar group a few years earlier in 1977 (members of Toto also contributed to this album). He notes: "Yeah, it made us jealous. We wanted the same thing they had. They were studio guys, why can't we have that? [But] they had more accessible tunes. We got too musical."

Production

"Stranded"

In the same interview, background vocalist Tom Kelly recalls: "Jay played me the track for "Stranded" when I was at his studio singing background vocals for one of his projects. He explained that he and David had written this power track and asked if I could finish the song by coming up with a melody & lyrics. I remember Jay had one line he wanted in the song..."and I don't know how I'll ever survive.” OK, here's a challenge... I was a budding songwriter at the time, but I had never written a melody and lyrics to a track. I always wrote melodies and chords together. Later with Billy Steinberg, I wrote melodies and chords after he started a lyric, but I had never started with a track. It was such a strong, driving track that I immediately got inspired and wrote the whole thing very quickly. The boys were pleased, and Tommy Funderburk and I sang the vocals soon after. Those were fun, productive times." [4]

"Nothin' You Can Do About It"

Graydon recalls Jeff Porcaro's drum part on the track: "Absolutely. Nobody could play that groove. Jeff thought he couldn't play a shuffle. I mean it's a funk shuffle, but still a shuffle."

Foster asks about the horns on the track, to which Graydon responds: "We started at midnight and went until 6 am. That was the only time with Jeff. 3 trumpets and 3 trombones. [I programmed an] ARP 2600. I didn't use the click. I'm sure we didn't."

American vocal group The Manhattan Transfer recorded a version of the song on their 1979 album Extensions, produced by Graydon.

In reference to their version, Graydon notes: "You know it's funny, I think I sounded way better than Alan, and he's a singer. I gave the arrangement with Greg and they used synth horns."

Cover art

Graydon talks about the cover art and photoshoot in the same interview: "First of all, here we are making a record. And the pictures was a perfect example. It was 110°F out in middle of the summer. My hair melted. I didn't have a comb or mirror, and I let it slide. l let the picture go on there as weird as it was, because I thought, "Who would give a shit. Whatever." You know? And yeah, I wouldn't fly back then, so how were we going to promote the thing being scared to death about lying. It was a joke." [4]

They shot the photos at the Hollywood Burbank Airport and used Earth, Wind & Fire's Bicam airplane that was used on their tours.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Stranded"David Foster, Jay Graydon, Tom KellyTommy Funderburk4:28
2."Cryin' All Night"Harry Garfield, GraydonGraydon4:47
3."It Will Be Alright" Allee Willis, Foster, GraydonFunderburk4:01
4."Nothin’ You Can Do About It"Foster, Graydon, Steve Kipner Graydon4:47
5."Should We Carry On"B.J. Cook, Foster, GraydonGraydon3:46
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
6."Leave Me Alone"Willis, Foster, GraydonFunderburk4:35
7."Sweet Body"Foster, Ira Ingber, GraydonFunderburk4:40
8."Bix"Foster, Graydon, KipnerFunderburk, Bill Champlin 4:15
9."She Waits for Me"Garfield, GraydonGraydon3:41
10."After the Love Is Gone"Champlin, Foster, GraydonFunderburk, Champlin4:29
Total length:43:39
2018 Remastered Version
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
11."Should We Carry On (Demo)"Cook, Foster, GraydonGraydon3:57
12."She Waits for Me (Demo)"Garfield, GraydonGraydon3:33
13."You Can Count on Me (Demo)"Foster, Garfield, GraydonGraydon4:00
Total length:55:06

Personnel

Source: [5]

Production

Source: [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Outside Inside</i> (The Tubes album) 1983 studio album by The Tubes

Outside Inside is the sixth studio album by The Tubes, released in 1983. It was the second album by the group to be released by Capitol Records. The album was produced by David Foster. The Tubes had their biggest radio hit with the single from this album, "She's a Beauty".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">After the Love Has Gone</span> 1979 single by Earth, Wind & Fire

"After the Love Has Gone" is a song by Earth, Wind & Fire, released in 1979 as the second single from their ninth studio album I Am on ARC/Columbia Records. The song reached No. 2 on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, No. 3 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, and No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart. "After the Love Has Gone" was certified gold in the US by the RIAA and silver in the UK by the BPI.

<i>Lite Me Up</i> 1982 studio album by Herbie Hancock

Lite Me Up is a pop album with a strong disco-funk feel by Herbie Hancock. It was Hancock's twenty-eighth album and first release without producer David Rubinson since 1969. On this album, Hancock was influenced by his long-time friend, producer Quincy Jones and sessions included many musicians associated with Jones including Steve Lukather and Jeff Porcaro of Toto. The album was the first on which Hancock played the Synclavier, a digital polyphonic synthesizer.

<i>...Meanwhile</i> 1992 studio album by 10cc

...Meanwhile is the tenth studio album by the British rock band 10cc, released in 1992. It was the band's first in nine years and marked the brief comeback of the original 10cc members Kevin Godley and Lol Creme.

<i>Pastiche</i> (album) 1978 studio album by the Manhattan Transfer

Pastiche is an album by the Manhattan Transfer, released in 1978 by Atlantic Records. This was the last studio album the Manhattan Transfer recorded with Laurel Massé, who because of a car accident in early 1979 decided to end her association with the group. The album was re-issued on CD with Rhino as distributor in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turn Your Love Around</span> 1981 single by George Benson

"Turn Your Love Around" is a pop/R&B single by George Benson. The song was written by Grammy winners Bill Champlin of Chicago, Steve Lukather of Toto and producer and guitarist Jay Graydon to help fill out Benson's 1981 greatest hits album, The George Benson Collection. The song won a Best R&B Song Grammy Award at the 25th Grammy Awards in 1983 for Champlin, Graydon, and Lukather as its co-writers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosanna (song)</span> 1982 single by Toto

"Rosanna" is a song written by David Paich and performed by the American rock band Toto, the opening track and the first single from their 1982 album Toto IV. This song won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year at the 1983 ceremony. "Rosanna" was also nominated for the Song of the Year award. It is regarded for the half-time shuffle which drummer Jeff Porcaro developed for the song. The groove has become an important staple of drum repertoire and is commonly known as the "Rosanna shuffle".

<i>Blue Virgin Isles</i> 1978 studio album by Ted Gärdestad

Blue Virgin Isles is the fifth studio album and international debut album by Swedish singer-songwriter Ted Gärdestad, released on November 1978 by Epic Records in the UK and Polar Music in Scandinavia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airplay (band)</span>

Airplay was an American band, formed by David Foster and Jay Graydon. The band released a self-titled album in 1980, containing "Nothin' You Can Do About It" and the original recording of the Earth, Wind & Fire hit "After the Love Has Gone", written by Foster and Graydon with Bill Champlin.

<i>Bi-Coastal</i> 1980 studio album by Peter Allen

Bi-Coastal is the sixth studio album released in 1980 by Australian singer and songwriter Peter Allen.

<i>Breakin Away</i> (album) 1981 studio album by Al Jarreau

Breakin' Away is an album by Al Jarreau, released on June 30, 1981, through the Warner Bros. Records label. To quote AllMusic, "Breakin' Away became the standard bearer of the L.A. pop and R&B sound."

<i>Friends in Love</i> (Dionne Warwick album) 1982 studio album by Dionne Warwick

Friends in Love is a studio album by the American singer Dionne Warwick. It was released by Arista Records on April 14, 1982, in the United States. Her third album for the label, it was recorded during the winter of 1981-82, with production by Jay Graydon. It peaked at number 87 on the US Billboard 200. Singles from the album include the title track, a duet with singer Johnny Mathis, which made the Top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and follow-up "For You," which peaked at number 14 on the adult contemporary chart.

<i>I Can Stand a Little Rain</i> 1974 studio album by Joe Cocker

I Can Stand a Little Rain is the fourth studio album by Joe Cocker, released in August 1974, and considered to be the singer's finest album in that decade.

<i>Hits!</i> (Boz Scaggs album) 1980 greatest hits album by Boz Scaggs

Hits! is a compilation album by Boz Scaggs, first released in 1980. It focuses primarily on material released in 1976 and 1980. The album has been certified platinum by the RIAA.

<i>Runaway</i> (Bill Champlin album) 1981 studio album by Bill Champlin

Runaway is an album by Bill Champlin, released on Elektra Records in 1981. It is notable as containing "Tonight Tonight", Champlin's minor hit as a solo artist, as well as "Sara", which also achieved a degree of chart success.

<i>Andy</i> (1976 album) 1976 studio album by Andy Williams

Andy is the thirty-sixth studio album by American pop singer Andy Williams, released in the fall of 1976 by Columbia Records. Williams is not as focused on covering pop hits and standards on this album and instead relies mainly on original or lesser-known songs. In the liner notes for the album's 2002 CD release, writer Richard M. Erickson explains that the album "was recorded at six different studios to accommodate Andy's touring schedule. One recording session was at a portable studio set up at a Marriott hotel."

<i>Jarreau</i> (album) 1983 studio album by Al Jarreau

Jarreau is the sixth studio album by Al Jarreau, released in 1983. It was his third consecutive #1 album on the Billboard Jazz charts, while also placing at #4 on the R&B album charts and #13 on the Billboard 200. In 1984 the album received four Grammy Award nominations, including for Jay Graydon as Producer of the Year (Non-Classical).

"It's the Falling in Love" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson with guest vocals by R&B singer–songwriter Patti Austin. It is the ninth track from his fifth studio album, Off the Wall (1979). It was written by Carole Bayer Sager and David Foster, with production by Quincy Jones.

<i>Wild Child</i> (Valerie Carter album) 1978 studio album by Valerie Carter

Wild Child is the second studio album by Valerie Carter. Some notable musicians on this album are Steve Porcaro, Jeff Porcaro, David Hungate and Steve Lukather of Toto, Mike Utley of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band, Jay Graydon of Airplay, Davey Johnstone of the Elton John Band, Verdine White of Earth Wind & Fire and Ray Parker Jr. The album was reissued in full as part of the 2019 compilation Ooh Child - The Columbia Years on Cherry Tree Records.

<i>...Too</i> 1978 studio album by Carole Bayer Sager

...Too is the second studio album by American songwriter Carole Bayer Sager, released in 1978 by Elektra Records. The album reached number 68 on the Australian chart.

References

  1. ↑ Hunt, Dennis (January 19, 1986). "DAVID FOSTER--TIME TO CHANGE HATS AGAIN?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2023-10-30. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  2. ↑ "Bill Champlin Interview - Writing His Classic Hit Songs". www.songwriteruniverse.com. January 14, 2021.
  3. ↑ "5 Essential David Foster Productions: Earth, Wind & Fire, Chicago, & More". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  4. 1 2 3 morten.teinum (2010-01-03), art-inlay6, archived from the original on 2024-04-22, retrieved 2024-04-22
  5. 1 2 "Discogs". Archived from the original on 2024-04-22. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.