| City Lights | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Dr. John | ||||
| Released | 1978 | |||
| Recorded | 1978 | |||
| Studio |
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| Length | 38:29 | |||
| Label | Horizon (SP-732) | |||
| Producer | Tommy LiPuma, Hugh McCracken | |||
| Dr. John chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
City Lights is an album by Dr. John, his first for Horizon Records. It was released in 1978.
Neon Park provided the album artwork.
Production
Doc Pomus collaborated with Dr. John on a few of the album's songs.
Critical reception
The Globe and Mail wrote that Dr. John's "honky-tonk piano sounds especially fine and strange against the lushness of strings - the title song virtually drips with sweet decadence."
Entertainment Weekly wrote that the album "established Dr. John as a skilled songwriter." Phoenix New Times deemed "He's a Hero" " the ultimate hipster-in-the-night song." Writing after the musician's death, Billboard thought that the title track, "combining stride piano, strings and an evocative lyric, displays a subtlety Dr. John wouldn’t fully commit to again."
Track listing
All songs written by Mac Rebennack (Dr. John) except where noted
Side One
- "Dance the Night Away with You" (Rebennack, Doc Pomus) – 4:06
- "Street Side" – 6:01
- "Wild Honey" (Rebennack, Bobby Charles) – 4:10
- "Rain" – 4:48
Side Two
- "Snake Eyes" – 6:44
- "Fire of Love" (Rebennack, Alvin Robinson) – 3:58
- "Sonata (instrumental)/He's a Hero" (Pomus, Rebennack) – 5:20
- "City Lights" (Pomus, Rebennack) – 3:22
Personnel
Musicians
- Dr. John – piano, vocals, Fender Rhodes and clavinet on "Street Side", Fender Rhodes on "Rain"
- Hugh McCracken – acoustic & electric guitars, Moog synthesizer on "Fire of Love", harmonica on "Street Side"
- John Tropea – acoustic & electric guitars
- Will Lee – bass guitar
- Steve Gadd – drums
- Richard Tee – Fender Rhodes, Hammond organ, clavinet, synthesizer, piano
- Arthur Jenkins – percussion
- Charlie Miller – cornet
- Neil Larsen – Hammond organ on "Street Side" and "Fire of Love"
- George Young – tenor saxophone
- David Sanborn – alto saxophone
- Ronnie Cuber – baritone saxophone
- Barry Rogers – trombone
- Ronnie Barron – background vocals
- George & Nancy Jones – background vocals
- Tamiya Lynn – background vocals
- Alvin Robinson – background vocals
- Plas Johnson – tenor saxophone on "Fire of Love" and "He's a Hero"
- Alvin Batiste – clarinet solo on "He's a Hero"
- Buzz Feiten – guitar solo on "Snake Eyes"
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Technical
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Arrangements
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References
- Jurek, Thom. "City Lights - Dr. John" at AllMusic. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
- Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 112.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 204–205.
- "Dr. John | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- Buckley, Peter (April 5, 2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. ISBN 9781843531050 – via Google Books.
- Friedman, Josh Alan (April 5, 2008). Tell the Truth Until They Bleed: Coming Clean in the Dirty World of Blues and Rock 'n' Roll. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780879309329 – via Google Books.
- Gilday, Katherine (7 Feb 1979). "INSIDE THE SLEEVE City Lights". The Globe and Mail: F9.
- "Dr. John". EW.com.
- Friedman, Josh Alan (April 6, 1995). "HIGH PRIEST OF EVERYTHINGDOC POMUS CRAFTED ENOUGH MAGIC MOMENTS TO FILL A MILLION JUKEBOXES". Phoenix New Times.
- "R.I.P. Dr. John: 10 Essential Cuts from the Soul, Funk and Boogie Woogie Great". Billboard.
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