Sun Goddess (album)

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Sun Goddess
Studio album by Ramsey Lewis
Released	1974
Recorded	1973-1974
Genre	Jazz fusion, R&B
Length	36:05 (Original LP)
Label	Columbia Records
Producer	Teo Macero, Ramsey Lewis, Maurice White
Professional reviews
All Music Guide (4/5) link
Ramsey Lewis chronology
Funky Serenity (1973) Sun Goddess (1974) Salongo (1976)

Sun Goddess is a 1974 Jazz album by Ramsey Lewis.

Contents 1 About the Album 2 Track listing 3 Personnel 4 Charts 4.1 Singles

[edit] About the Album

After his classic acoustic albums in the 1960s, Ramsey Lewis wanted to head into a new direction in his music. He reunited with Maurice White who at that time was with his own R&B band, Earth, Wind & Fire. Having the EW&F band play in the background, was what made this album work. Lewis wrote and created what can be considered his top electric jazz song Sun Goddess. The song was one of Lewis' greatest triumphs in the Jazz world as well as the R&B world.

The album became a huge cross-over hit, charting #1 on the Billboard Black Albums chart as well as the Jazz album chart. The album also charted #12 in the Pop chart. While the album charted in the top 15, the songs Hot Dawgit and Sun Goddess charted in the Black Singles, the Pop Singles and the Disco singles charts.

The title track bares a strong resemblance to the theme song from Reading Rainbow.

[edit] Track listing

1. "Sun Goddess" (Lind, White) - 8:29
2. "Living for the City" (Wonder) - 5:20
3. "Love Song" (Lewis) - 5:53
4. "Jungle Strut" (Lewis) - 4:40
5. "Hot Dawgit" (Stepney, White) - 3:00
6. "Tambura" (Lewis) - 2:53
7. "Gemini Rising" (Lewis) - 5:50

[edit] Personnel

• Dave Antler - Engineer
• Philip Bailey - Conga, Vocals
• John Berg - Cover Design
• Cleveland Eaton - Bass, Guitar (Bass)
• Richard Evans - Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
• Johnny Graham - Guitar
• Byron Gregory - Guitar
• Maurice Jennings - Percussion, Conga, Drums, Tambourine
• Ramsey Lewis - Synthesizer, Guitar, Piano, Guitar (Electric), Piano (Electric), Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, String Machine
• Don Meyrick - Sax (Tenor)
• Derf Reklaw-Raheem - Conga, Drums, Vocals
• Charles Stepney - Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Fender Rhodes
• Maurice White - Drums, Timbales, Vocals
• Verdine White - Bass, Vocals

[edit] Charts

Year	Chart	Position
1975	Billboard Black Albums	1
1975	Billboard Jazz Albums	1
1975	Billboard Pop Albums	12

[edit] Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1975	Sun Goddess	Billboard Disco Singles	5
1975	Sun Goddess	Billboard Black Singles	20
1975	Sun Goddess	Billboard Pop Singles	44
1975	Hot Dawgit	Billboard Pop Singles	50
1975	Hot Dawgit	Billboard Black Singles	61