Bonnie Raitt - Give It Up (1972)

“Give It Up” by Bonnie Raitt (1972)

Release Date: September 1972
Produced by Michael Cuscuna
Chart Positions: #138 (US)
Certifications: Gold (US)
Singles: “Too Long At The Fair”

“Give It Up” was the second album release for the 22-year-old Bonnie Raitt. Her first album, a straight up blues affair titled “Bonnie Raitt,” released in 1971 failed to chart but managed to capture the attention of several music luminaries of the time.

“Give It Up” by Bonnie Raitt (Click Here)

Transitioning to her second album Raitt strengthened her recognizable style. When she went into the studio to record “Give It Up” Raitt had a new advantage from the attention she garnered with her first album. She hired producer Michael Cuscuna, a musician with a strong background in jazz. Along with recording Bonnie Raitt, Cuscuna’s also produced several albums throughout the 70s for jazz musician Dave Brubeck. Cuscuna’s brought in notable musicians such as Paul Butterfield (Butterfield Blues Band), Eric Kaz (songwriter of “Love Has No Pride” and several other hits), and Dave Holland (prolific jazz musician).

“Give It Up” maintained Raitt’s R&B and blues background melding it with a contemporary Californian soft-rock and folk sound.

“Too Long At The Fair” was released as a promo single in the US, Canada and the UK to promote the album. Early in the 1970s Bonnie Raitt's manager, Dick Waterman, dropped into Passim (Club 47) in Cambridge, attempting to get a booking for Raitt. While Waterman and the club owner were discussing the booking, he heard Joel Zoss sing "Too Long at the Fair." After the show Waterman introduced himself and asked for a tape of the song to play for Raitt. Raitt recorded the song along with another Zoss composition “I Gave My Love A Candle” which appeared on her 1973 album “Takin’ My Time.”

The title track, “Give It Up or Let Me Go,” written by Bonnie Raitt, opens with Raiit’s blues filled acoustic guitar and quickly works into a New Orleans Dixieleand Jazz celebration.

"Give It Up Or Let Me Go"

Eric Kaz’s “Love Has No Pride” closes the album. Raitt’s somber folksy blues rendition gave life to a song which was recorded a year later by Linda Ronstadt for her 1973 album “Don’t Cry Now.” Ronstadt released the song as a single and achieved minor chart success with it.

Link to “Give It Up” (Click Here)

BONNIE RAITT

Michael Johnson - The Michael Johnson Album (1978)

“The Michael Johnson Album” by Michael Johnson (1978)

Release Date: 1978
Produced by Steve Gibson and Brent Maher
Chart Positions: #81 (US), #83 (Canada)
Certifications: N/A
Singles: “Bluer Than Blue” (US #12, Canada #6, #1 on US and Canada Adult Contemporary), (New Zealand #24)
“Almost Like Being In Love” (US #32, Canada #40, US Adult Contemporary #4, Canada Adult Contemporary #10)
Sailing Without A Sail (US Adult Contemporary #44)

Michael Johnson, a Colorado born singer, songwriter and guitarist is best known for his 1978 Top Ten hit “Bluer Than Blue.” By that time he had been on the music scene for five years releasing music. “The Michael Johnson Album” was his fourth album, but the first that most people heard.

"The Michael Johnson Album" by Michael Johnson (1978)(Click Here)

With producers Steve Gibson and Brent Maher, Johnson created a two-song demo consisting of "Bluer Than Blue" and "Almost Like Being in Love" (first made famous by Frank Sinatra in 1947 and later recorded by Nat King Cole in 1955). EMI America took one listen and wasted no time in signing him, quickly getting The Michael Johnson Album out in 1978. The first single, "Bluer Than Blue", became Johnson's first Top 40 hit, peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the summer of 1978; the song became a chart-topping single on the Adult Contemporary chart. "Almost Like Being in Love" went to No. 91 on the R&B chart while hitting #4 on the AC chart and the #32 on the pop chart.

“Bluer Than Blue,” Johnson’s breakout single was written by Bernice Parks and veteran songwriter Randy Goodrum. Goodrum has written a string of Top 40 hits including “It’s Sad To Belong” by England Dan & John Ford Coley, “You Needed Me” and “Broken Hearted Me” both by Anne Murray, “Before My Heart Finds Out” by Gene Cotton, “Oh Sherrie” by Steve Perry and several others. Michael Johnson recorded a second Goodrum song for his 1979 album “Dialog” called “The Very First Time.”

In 1978, Johnson was quoted as saying, "I knew “Bluer Than Blue” was potentially a successful song but I didn't think it would go this far. It seemed, well, too mature. The experience of being married or living with someone is hard to identify with for younger people.

Michael Johnson (1978)

Johnson’s next single “Almost Like Being In Love” was written by Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner, a duo that composed the music for several Broadway musicals including “My Fair Lady” and “Camelot.” “Almost Like Being In Love” was written for the musical “Brigadoon.” Johnson took the jazz influenced musical tune and revived it as a downbeat ballad.

"Almost Like Being In Love"

The third single “Sailing Without A Sail” did not fare so well but did receive a minor amount of airplay.

Another album highlight is a Latin influenced pop-jazz recording of Curtis Mayfield’s “Gypsy Woman.” The mournful ballad “When You Come Home,” written by Eric Kaz and Tom Snow, was considered by many to be strong enough to have been a single release and received moderate airplay on MOR and adult contemporary radio stations.

Link to “The Michael Johnson Album” (Click Here)

MICHAEL JOHNSON