- Mecca for Moderns
-
Mecca for Moderns 
Studio album by The Manhattan Transfer Released May 1981 Recorded 1980-1981 Genre Jazz Length 36:12 Label Atlantic Producer Jay Graydon Professional reviews The Manhattan Transfer chronology Extensions
(1979)Mecca for Moderns
(1981)The Best of the Manhattan Transfer
(1981)Mecca For Moderns is the sixth album by The Manhattan Transfer. It was released in 1981 on the Atlantic records label.
This album was the highest charting album to date for the group, peaking on Billboard Magazine's Top Pop Catalog Albums chart at #22. Additionally, the album helped the Manhattan Transfer make music history: they became the first group to win Grammy Awards in both the pop and jazz categories in the same year.
Contents
Awards
The song, Boy From New York City became their first top 10 hit, reaching #7 on Billboard Magazine's Hot 100 chart. This song also won the group the Grammy for "Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal."
The song, Until I Met You (Corner Pocket) also earned them a Grammy Award for "Best Jazz Performance, Duo or Group."
The song 'Spies In The Night also charted on Billboard Magazine's Bubbling Under chart, peaking at #103.
The song, "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square," which was arranged by Gene Puerling, won the "Best Vocal Arrangement" Grammy in 1981.
Album name
According to Tim Hauser, he picked up the name for this album from a Duke Ellington album entitled Live At The Blue Note 1952. While reading the cover, he noticed it said "The Blue Note was a haven for the smart set, in fact, the real mecca for moderns." The group agreed that the phrase fit the concept of the album quite well.
Track listing
- "On The Boulevard" (4:08)
- "Boy From New York City" (3:40)
- "(Wanted) Dead Or Alive" (3:27)
- "Spies In The Night" (3:59)
- "Smile Again" (4:33)
- "Until I Met You (Corner Pocket)" (5:17)
- "(The Word Of) Confirmation" (3:14)
- "Kafka" (4:08)
- "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" (3:46)
Personnel
The Manhattan Transfer
- Cheryl Bentyne, Alan Paul, Janis Siegel, Tim Hauser: Lead & Backing Vocals
Musicians
- Mike Baird, Steve Gadd: Drums
- Alex Acuña: Percussion
- Andy Narell: Steel Drums, Cowbell
- Abraham Laboriel: Bass
- Jay Graydon: Guitars, Synthesizers
- Al Viola, Dean Parks, Steve Lukather: Guitars
- David Foster: Keyboards, Synthesizers
- Michael Boddicker, Steve George: Synthesizers
- Greg Mathieson: Organ, Synthesizers
- Victor Feldman: Keyboards & Piano
- Milchio Leviev, Yaron Gershovsky: Piano
- Tom Scott: Saxophone & Lyricon
- Don Roberts, Richie Cole: Saxophone
- Jerry Hey: Trumpet
- Jon Hendricks: Scatting
Production
- Arranged By Jay Graydon & Gene Puerling
- Produced, Engineered & Mixed By Jay Graydon
References / Sources
- The Manhattan Transfer Official Website (requires Flash)
- Mecca for Moderns Retrieved from discogs October 16, 2010
Cheryl Bentyne · Tim Hauser · Laurel Massé · Alan Paul · Janis Siegel Albums Jukin' · The Manhattan Transfer · Coming Out · Pastiche · Extensions · Mecca for Moderns · Bodies and Souls · Bop Doo-Wopp · Vocalese · Brasil · The Offbeat of Avenues · The Christmas Album · The Manhattan Transfer Meets Tubby the Tuba · Tonin' · Swing · The Spirit of St. Louis (album) · Vibrate · An Acapella Christmas · The Symphony Sessions · The Chick Corea Songbook
Live Albums Compilation Albums The Best of The Manhattan Transfer (1981) · Anthology: Down in Birdland · The Very Best of The Manhattan Transfer · Boy from New York City and Other Hits · The Definitive Pop Collection
Singles Tuxedo Junction (1976) · Chanson D'Amour (1977) · On a Little Street in Singapore (1978) · Where Did Our Love Go/Je Voulais Te Dire (Que Je T'Attends) (1978) · The Boy from New York City (1981) · Route 66 (1982) ·
Categories:- 1981 albums
- The Manhattan Transfer albums
- Atlantic Records albums
- 1980s jazz album stubs
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
