An Innocent Man

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For the 1989 movie starring Tom Selleck, see An Innocent Man (film).
An Innocent Man
An Innocent Man cover
Studio album by Billy Joel
Released August, 1983
Recorded Chelsea Sound and A&R Recording, Inc., New York, NY
Genre Rock
Length 40:25
Label Columbia
Producer(s) Phil Ramone
Professional reviews
Billy Joel chronology
The Nylon Curtain
(1982)
An Innocent Man
(1983)
Greatest Hits, Vols. 1 & 2
(1973-1985)


An Innocent Man is an album by American singer/songwriter Billy Joel, released in 1983 (see 1983 in music). It featured three Billboard Top 10 hit singles: "Tell Her About It", which reached #1, "Uptown Girl", which peaked at #3 and "An Innocent Man", which peaked at #10. A further three songs were released from the album, including "The Longest Time", "Leave A Tender Moment Alone", and "Keeping the Faith".

This album is Joel's tribute to the music of his childhood. Joel considers this a "singer's album," and pays homage to a number of different musical styles, including:

  • "Tell Her About It" - An homage to Motown
  • "The Longest Time" - An homage to the doo-wop style made popular in the mid-1950's. This song required 14 background vocal tracks, each of which were done by Joel and pieced together in production.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

All songs by Billy Joel, except for the chorus for "This Night" by Beethoven

  1. "Easy Money" – 4:04
  2. "An Innocent Man" – 5:17
  3. "The Longest Time" – 3:42
  4. "This Night" – 4:19
  5. "Tell Her About It" – 3:52
  6. "Uptown Girl" – 3:17
  7. "Careless Talk" – 3:48
  8. "Christie Lee" – 3:31
  9. "Leave a Tender Moment Alone" – 3:56
  10. "Keeping the Faith" – 4:41

[edit] Personnel

  • Billy Joel - Baldwin acoustic piano (SF-10), Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3, vocals, background vocals
  • Liberty DeVitto - drums
  • Doug Stegmeyer - bass
  • David Brown - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, lead guitar
  • Russell Javors - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, rhythm guitar
  • Mark Rivera - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, percussion
  • Ralph MacDonald - percussion on "Leave a Tender Moment Alone" and "Careless Talk"
  • Leon Pendarvis - Hammond B-3 on "Easy Money"
  • Richard Tee - acoustic piano on "Tell Her About It"
  • Eric Gale - electric guitar on "Easy Money"
  • "String Fever" - strings
  • Ronnie Cuber - baritone saxophone on "Easy Money", "Careless Talk", "Tell Her About It" and "Keeping the Faith"
  • Jon Faddis - trumpet on "Easy Money"
  • David Sanborn - alto saxophone on "Easy Money"
  • Joe Shepley - trumpet on "Easy Money", "Careless Talk", "Tell Her About It" and "Keeping the Faith"
  • Michael Brecker - tenor saxophone on "Careless Talk", "Tell Her About It" and "Keeping the Faith"
  • John Gatchell - trumpet on "Careless Talk", "Tell Her About It" and "Keeping the Faith"
  • Tom Bahler - background vocals
  • Rory Dodd - background vocals
  • Frank Floyd - background vocals
  • Lani Groves - background vocals
  • Ullanda McCullough - background vocals
  • Ron Taylor - background vocals
  • Terry Textor - background vocals
  • Eric Troyer - background vocals
  • Mike Alexander - background vocals

Solos

  • "Toots" Thielemans - harmonica on "Leave a Tender Moment Alone"
  • Mark Rivera - alto saxophone on "Keeping the Faith", "This Night" and "Christie Lee"

[edit] Production

  • Producer: Phil Ramone
  • Engineers: Jim Boyer, Bradshaw Leigh
  • Assistant engineers: Mike Allaire, Scott James
  • Production coordinator: Laura Loncteaux
  • Mastering: Ted Jensen
  • Horn and string arrangements: David Matthews
  • Background vocal arrangements: Tom Bahler
  • Musical advisor: Billy Zampino
  • Photography: Gilles Larrain
  • Cover design: Christopher Austopchuk, Mark Larson
  • Recorded at Chelsea Sound and A & R Recording, Inc., New York, NY
  • Mixed at A & R Recording, Inc., New York, NY
  • Mastered at Sterling Sound, New York, NY

[edit] Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1983 Pop Albums 4
1983 The Billboard 200 4

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position
1983 "Tell Her About It" Club Play Singles 38
1983 "Tell Her About It" Mainstream Rock 17
1983 "Tell Her About It" Pop Singles 1
1983 "Tell Her About It" The Billboard Hot 100 27
1983 "Uptown Girl" Adult Contemporary 2
1983 "Uptown Girl" Adult Contemporary 14
1983 "Uptown Girl" Mainstream Rock 22
1983 "Uptown Girl" Pop Singles 3
1983 "Uptown Girl" The Billboard Hot 100 3
1983 "An Innocent Man" The Billboard Hot 100 10
1984 "Leave a Tender Moment Alone" The Billboard Hot 100 27
1984 "The Longest Time" The Billboard Hot 100 14
1985 "Keeping the Faith" The Billboard Hot 100 18
1985 "The Longest Time" The Billboard Hot 100 34


Billy Joel Albums
Studio Albums
Cold Spring HarborPiano ManStreetlife SerenadeTurnstilesThe Stranger52nd StreetGlass Houses
The Nylon CurtainAn Innocent ManThe BridgeStorm FrontRiver of DreamsMy Lives
Greatest Hit Collections
Greatest Hits, Vols. 1 & 2Billy Joel - The Ultimate CollectionThe Essential Billy JoelGreatest Hits, Vol. 3
The Complete Hits Collection: 1973–1997Piano Man: The Very Best of Billy Joel
Live Albums
Songs in the AtticКОНЦЕРТ2000 Years: The Millennium Concert12 Gardens Live
Other Albums and Projects
Fantasies & Delusions (performed by Richard Joo)Movin' Out
See also: Billy Joel
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