Winelight
1980 studio album by Grover Washington Jr.
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Winelight is a 1980 studio album by jazz musician Grover Washington Jr. The record received the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance in 1982. The album was released by Elektra Records. It includes the Grammy Award-winning[1] hit "Just the Two of Us" sung by Bill Withers. The track "In the Name of Love" from the album was also released in rearranged form, without Washington's saxophone track, under the name of Ralph MacDonald and Bill Withers (on vocals).
| Winelight | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 24, 1980 | |||
| Recorded | June & July 1980 | |||
| Studio | Rosebud Recording Studio, New York City | |||
| Genre | Smooth jazz | |||
| Length | 39:01 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer | Grover Washington Jr., Ralph MacDonald | |||
| Grover Washington Jr. chronology | ||||
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Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [3] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [4] |
The album, propelled by "Just the Two of Us", is often credited for leading to the 1980s smooth jazz explosion.[5]
Scott Yanow of AllMusic describe the album as "a memorable set of high-quality and danceable soul-jazz".[2]
Track listing
Side One
- "Winelight" (William Eaton) – 7:32
- "Let It Flow (For "Dr. J")" (Grover Washington Jr.) – 5:52
- "In the Name of Love" (William Salter, Ralph MacDonald) – 5:26
Side Two
- "Take Me There" (Washington) – 6:16
- "Just the Two of Us" (Bill Withers, William Salter, Ralph MacDonald) – 7:23
- "Make Me a Memory (Sad Samba)" (Washington) – 6:32
Personnel
- Grover Washington Jr. – alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
- Richard Tee – Fender Rhodes electric piano (1, 3, 5, 6)
- Ray Chew – clavinet (1)
- Paul Griffin – clavinet (1), Fender Rhodes (2, 4)
- Ed Walsh – Oberheim Eight Voice (1–4, 6)
- Bill Eaton – Oberheim Eight Voice (5), arrangements and conductor
- Eric Gale – guitars
- Marcus Miller – bass
- Steve Gadd – drums
- Ralph MacDonald – congas, percussion, Syndrums
- Robert Greenidge – steel drums
- Hilda Harris, Yvonne Lewis, Ullanda McCullough – backing vocals
- Bill Withers – lead vocals (5)
Production
- Grover Washington Jr. – producer
- Ralph MacDonald – producer
- Richard Alderson – engineer
- Ed Heath – assistant engineer
- Vlado Meller – mastering at CBS Studios (New York City).
- Paul Silverthorn – production coordinator
- Ron Coro – art direction, design
- Jim Shea – cover photography
- Don Hunstein – inner sleeve photography
Charts
Album
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Singles
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[16] | Gold | 25,000* |
| Spain (Promusicae)[17] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[18] | Silver | 60,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[19] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||