Menagerie (album)
| Menagerie | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Bill Withers | ||||
| Released | 1977 | |||
| Recorded |
1977 The Record Plant, Los Angeles, California A&R Studios, New York City, New York | |||
| Genre | Soul, R&B | |||
| Length | 38:30 | |||
| Label | Columbia Records | |||
| Producer | Bill Withers, Keni Burke, Clarence McDonald, Cliff Coulter | |||
| Bill Withers chronology | ||||
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Menagerie is the sixth studio album by American R&B singer Bill Withers, released in 1977 on the Columbia label.
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Menagerie is overall more uptempo and less introspective in feel than Withers' previous albums. None of the songs tackle intensely personal emotions of the kind which lent a dark edge to earlier Withers tracks such as "Use Me", "Better Off Dead" or "Who Is He (And What Is He to You)". The arrangements are also generally upbeat and breezy, with "I Want to Spend the Night" and "Tender Things" having a distinct Latin feel, and "Lovely Night for Dancing" and "She Wants To (Get On Down)" showing disco influences. The lead single "Lovely Day" has gone on to become one of Withers' signature songs, particularly in the UK, where it was a top 10 hit both on its original release and again in a remixed version in 1988.
Menagerie peaked at #16 on the R&B chart and #39 on the Billboard 200. It was Withers' biggest-selling album in the UK, where it reached #27.
Track listing
- "Lovely Day" (Bill Withers, Skip Scarborough) – 4:15
- "I Want to Spend the Night" (Withers) – 3:41
- "Lovely Night for Dancing" (Withers) – 5:51
- "Then You Smile at Me" (Withers, Clarence McDonald) – 4:54
- "She Wants To (Get On Down)" (Withers, L. Nash) – 3:15
- "It Ain't Because of Me Baby" (Withers, M. Jones) – 3:31
- "Tender Things" (Withers) – 5:02
- "Wintertime" (Cliff Coulter) – 3:17
- "Let Me Be the One You Need" (Withers, Scarborough) – 4:44
Personnel
- Bill Withers – Lead Vocals, Guitar
- Clarence McDonald, Cliff Coulter, Dean Grant – Keyboards
- Ray Parker, Jr. – Guitar
- Jerry Knight, Keni Burke – Bass
- Russ Kunkel – Drums, Shaker
- Ralph McDonald – Percussion
- Alvin Taylor – Drums
- Mike Jones – Synthesizer
- Charles Veal – Concert master
- Pat Hodges, Denita James, Jessica Smith – Background vocals
Charts
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Pop Albums[2] | 39 |
| Billboard Top Soul Albums[2] | 16 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions[3] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 | US R&B |
US A/C | ||
| 1977 | "Lovely Day" | 30 | 6 | 25 |
| 1978 | "Lovely Night for Dancing" | — | 75 | — |
External links
References
- ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Bill Withers: Menagerie > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Bill Withers US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-08-29.
- ↑ "Bill Withers US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-08-29.
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