Commodores (album)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Commodores" album – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

1977 studio album by Commodores

Commodores

Studio album by

Commodores

Released| March 30, 1977 (1977-03-30)
Recorded| 1976–1977
Studio| Motown Recording Studios, Hollywood, California
Genre|

* Soul
* funk

Length| 38:22
Label| Motown
Producer|

* James Anthony Carmichael
* Commodores

Commodores chronology
| Hot on the Tracks
(1976)  | Commodores
(1977)  | Commodores Live!
(1977)

|
|

Singles from  Commodores

1. "Easy"
Released: March 18, 1977
2. "Brick House"
Released: August 26, 1977
3. "Zoom"
Released: 1978 (UK)

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [1]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide| [2]

Commodores is the fifth studio album by the Commodores, released in 1977. The album spent eight weeks at the top of the R&B/soul albums chart, the second of their albums to do so, and was their first Top 5 pop album. There is also a previously released extended version.

The band employed a variety of musical styles for the album, highlighted by the popular anthem "Brick House". With Walter Orange's deep voice on the lead, and Ronald LaPread's bassline, this track peaked on the U.S. Hot 100 at #5, and the U.S. R&B Chart at #4. "Brick House" means a "stacked" woman with an hour-glass figure.

In contrast to "Brick House", "Easy" is a pop ballad with mellow vocals by Lionel Richie.

"Zoom" is one of the Commodores' best known tunes, despite not being released as a single in the US. It reached #38 on the UK singles chart. Fergie sampled "Zoom" in her song "All That I Got (The Make-Up Song)" on the album The Dutchess.

In the UK and other Western European countries this album was released as Zoom on Tamla Motown.

The album was dedicated to Kathy Faye LaPread, bass guitarist Ronald LaPread's wife, who died from cancer around that time.[3]

## Track listing

[edit]

Side oneNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Extended length| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Squeeze the Fruit"| Walter Orange| 3:03| 3:00
2.| "Funny Feelings"|

* Lionel Richie
* Thomas McClary

| 5:57| 4:51
3.| "Heaven Knows"|

* Richie
* McClary

| 6:16| 4:41
4.| "Zoom"|

* Richie
* Ronald LaPread

| 7:06| 6:43

Side twoNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Extended time| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Won't You Come Dance with Me"|

* Richie
* McClary

| 4:08| 3:47
2.| "Brick House"|

* Shirley Hanna-King [uncredited]
* Richie
* Milan Williams
* Orange
* LaPread
* McClary
* William King

| 3:46| 3:27
3.| "Funky Situation"| King| 4:12| 3:39
4.| "Patch It Up"| Williams| 4:03| 3:58
5.| "Easy"| Richie| 4:50| 4:16

## Personnel

[edit]

Commodores

* Lionel Richie – vocals, saxophones, keyboards
* Milan Williams – keyboards
* Thomas McClary – vocals, guitars
* Ronald LaPread – vocals, bass
* Walter Orange – vocals, drums, percussion
* William King – vocals, trumpet

Additional musicians

* Cal Harris – synthesizers
* Darrell Jones – guitars

## Production

[edit]

* Commodores – producers, arrangements
* James Anthony Carmichael – producer, arrangements
* Cal Harris – engineer, mixing
* Jane Clark – engineer
* Jack Andrews – mastering
* Carl Overr – graphics director
* Stan Martin – design
* Tom Nikosey – illustration
* Gene Gurley – photography
* Benjamin Ashburn – album coordinator, manager

## Charts

[edit]

Year  | Chart positions[4]

|

US | US
R&B | Aus[5]
1977  | 3  | 1  | 62

### Singles

[edit]

Year  | Single  | Chart positions[6]

|
|

US | US
R&B | US
Dance
1977  | "Brick House"  | 5  | 4  | 34
"Easy"  | 4  | 1  | --

## See also

[edit]

* List of number-one R&B albums of 1977 (U.S.)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Wynn, Ron. "Commodores \- Commodores Review". AllMusic. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
2. ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 159.
3. ^ The Story Behind the Song: "Zoom" by the Commodores SoulTracks
4. ^ "The Commodores US albums chart history". AllMusic. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
5. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 72\. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
6. ^ "The Commodores US singles chart history". Allmusic. Retrieved July 15, 2011.

* v
* t
* e

Commodores

* William King
* Walter Orange
* J. D. Nicholas

* Milan Williams
* Thomas McClary
* Lionel Richie
* Andre Callahan
* Michael Gilbert
* Ronald LaPread
* James Ingram
* Skyler Jett
* Sheldon Reynolds

Albums|

* Machine Gun
* Caught in the Act
* Movin' On
* Hot on the Tracks
* Commodores
* Commodores Live!
* Natural High
* Midnight Magic
* Heroes
* In the Pocket
* Commodores 13
* Nightshift
* United
* Rock Solid
* Commodores Christmas
* No Tricks

Compilations|

* Greatest Hits
* Love Songs
* All the Great Hits
* The Very Best of Commodores
* The Very Best of The Commodores
* Gold

Singles|

* "Slippery When Wet"
* "Sweet Love"
* "Just to Be Close to You"
* "Easy"
* "Brick House"
* "Too Hot ta Trot"
* "Three Times a Lady"
* "Sail On"
* "Still"
* "Lady (You Bring Me Up)"
* "Oh No"
* "Painted Picture"
* "Only You"
* "Nightshift"
* "Janet"
* "Goin' to the Bank"
* "Take It from Me"
* "United in Love"

Related articles|

* Discography

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

*[No.]: Number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template