Tonin'

Performer: Manhattan Transfer
Artist: Phil Collins; Bette Midler; James Taylor; Laura Nyro; Chaka Khan; Ruth Brown; B.B. King; Frankie Valli
Engineer: David Richards; Ed Cherney; Jack Joseph Puig; Jeremy Smith; Michael O'Reilly
Producer: Arif Mardin
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Manhattan Transfer: Cheryl Bentyne, Tim Hauser, Alan Paul, Janis Siegel (vocals). Additional guest artists: Ben E. King, Smokey Robinson, Felix Cavaliere (vocals); Paul Jackson, Jr. (guitar); Jimmy Johnson (bass); Luis Conte, Paulinho Da Costa (percussion). Additional personnel includes: Rene Toledo, Mike Landau, Dean Parks (guitar); Tommy Morgan (harmonica); Chris Hunter, Roger Rosenberg (saxophone); Jim Hines, Tony Cadlic (trumpet); Herb Besson (trombone); Robbie Buchanan (synthesizer, keyboards); Clay Ostwald (keyboards, programming); Abe Laboriel, Will Lee (bass); Jorge Casas (bass, programming); John Robinson, Mike Baird, Chris Parker, Carlos Vega (drums); Edwin Bonila, Lenny Castro (percussion); Steve Skinner (programming). One would suspect that the Manhattan Transfer had as much fun recording TONIN' as the listener will have savoring its many attributes. This album is an uninhibited tribute to the Transfer's pop influences and favorite recording artists, effectively achieved by recording the golden oldies with the original artists. The familiar falsetto of Frankie Valli permeates "Let's Hang On," while the smooth '60s pop-soul voice of Felix Cavaliere carries the Young Rascals' "Groovin'." But there are many surprises. In one of her best recorded efforts, the reclusive Laura Nyro reminds us of her own great past reworkings of oldies. And things really heat up with the dynamic vocals of R&B great Ruth Brown, B.B. King and Chaka Khan, who rips "Hot Fun In The Summertime" to awesome bits. But two songs performed on their own show the true talent and the sophisticated harmonies of Manhattan Transfer. The songs are both strongly identified with their original artists, and yet the quartet honors and interprets them properly. Personnel: Laura Nyro (vocals, piano); Cheryl Bentyne, Felix Cavaliere, Frankie Valli, Janis Siegel, Alan Paul, Phil Collins, Ruth Brown, Tim Hauser, Ben E. King, Bette Midler, Smokey Robinson, Chaka Khan (vocals); David Spinozza, Dean Parks, David Williams , Michael Landau, Michael Thompson, Paul Jackson, Jr. , Rene Toledo, B.B. King (guitar); Joel Peskin (flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Tommy Morgan (harmonica); Danny Wilensky (saxophone, tenor saxophone); Chris Hunter, Roger Rosenberg (saxophone); Jim Hines (trumpet); Herb Besson (trombone); Robbie Buchanan, Randy Kerber (keyboards, synthesizer); Steve Skinner, Robbie Kondor (keyboards, programming); Clay Ostwald, Greg Phillinganes (keyboards); Tom Ranier (synthesizer); Joe Mardin (drums, cymbals, hi-hat, percussion, programming); Chris Parker , Michael Baird , John "J.R." Robinson , Harvey Mason, Sr. , Carlos Vega (drums); Lenny Castro, Luis Conte, Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Marc Mann (programming). Audio Remixer: Michael O'Reilly. Recording information: Conway Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Crescent Moon St; Hit Factory, New York, NY; Unique Recording Studios, New York, NY. Photographer: Firooz Zahedi. Arrangers: Clay Ostwald; Janis Siegel; Jorge Casas; Laura Nyro; Alan Paul; Arif Mardin; Steve Skinner; Robbie Kondor. The idea on Tonin' was to turn the Manhattan Transfer loose on a baker's dozen of good old 1960s pop and R&B hits in league either with the original artists or prominent guests from that period and beyond. And yes, it's a stellar list, guaranteed to stir warm and fuzzy memories, and the tunes echo the old lament of an earlier age, "They don't write songs like they used to." ~ Richard S. Ginell The idea on Tonin' was to turn the Manhattan Transfer loose on a baker's dozen of good old 1960s pop and R&B hits in league either with the original artists or prominent guests from that period and beyond. And yes, it's a stellar list, guaranteed to stir warm and fuzzy memories, and the tunes echo the old lament of an earlier age, "they don't write songs like they used to." For almost any other vocal group, this would be an entertaining coup, yet for the hugely gifted, compulsively adventurous Transfer, this is just a detour into the tent of nostalgia that they had long outgrown (though they would do better in the retro arena with 1997's buoyant Swing). Moreover, they really have nothing new to bring to these tunes; they serve as background singers to Smokey Robinson on his "I Second That Emotion," to Felix Cavaliere on his "Groovin'," or -- good grief -- Phil Collins subbing for Marvin Gaye on "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby." Indeed, "The Thrill Is Gone" can serve as its own epitaph; even with B.B. King's authentic guitar obbligato and Ruth Brown's rap, the Transfer's smooth vocal harmonies turn this gritty blues into pap. However gutsy Arif Mardin's productions were in Atlantic's 1960s heyday, he just goes through the crisp-sounding motions here. ~ Richard S. Ginell

The Manhattan Transfer are one of the most popular and acclaimed vocal ensembles in all of contemporary music, with numerous platinum albums and eight Grammy Awards to their credit. While jazz is now only a part of their repertoire (pop, R&B, Brazilian, and doo-wop stylings have added to their far-reaching appeal), when the group first formed, the idea was to arrange their voices as if they were the saxophone section of the Basie Big Band. Their best work in the jazz realm also features the contributions of lyricist and fellow singer Jon Hendricks.

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