Gravity (James Brown album)

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Gravity
Gravity (James Brown album) cover art.jpg
Studio album by James Brown
Released September 15, 1986
Recorded 1985–86
Genre Funk[1]
Length 60:19
Label Scotti Bros. Records
Producer Dan Hartman
James Brown chronology
Bring It On!
(1983)Bring It On!1983
Gravity
(1986)
I'm Real
(1988)I'm Real1988
Singles from Gravity
  1. "Living in America"
    Released: December 1985
  2. "Gravity"
    Released: 1986
  3. "How Do You Stop"
    Released: January 1987

Gravity is the 56th studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released on September 15, 1986, by Scotti Bros. Records. It was largely written and produced by Dan Hartman and Charlie Midnight, the authors of the album's previously released hit single "Living in America", which had reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was prominently featured in the film Rocky IV. It was Brown's first album for the Scotti Brothers record label.

The album's title track became a minor hit on both the pop and R&B charts, while the tango-based slow jam "How Do You Stop" cracked the R&B top ten. The album track "Turn Me Loose, I'm Dr Feelgood" was used as the theme song for the Australian TV sketch comedy series The Late Show (1992–93) and is often played by Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies when one of their batters hits a home run at Citizens Bank Park.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 3/5 stars[2]
Robert Christgau C+[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide 3.5/5 stars[4]
The Milwaukee Sentinel (favorable)[1]

Gravity earned a lukewarm reception from critics. Robert Christgau went so far as to describe it as "[n]ot a James Brown album--a James Brown-influenced Dan Hartman record, with James Brown on vocals", and urged readers to seek out recent reissues of Brown's earlier work instead.[3] Ron Wynn of Allmusic.com described the album as "moderately interesting" but that, ultimately, Brown was trying to "catch up" with contemporary trends.[5]

Track listing

No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Gravity"   Dan Hartman, Charlie Midnight 5:58
2. "Let's Get Personal"   Hartman, Midnight, Alison Moyet 4:29
3. "How Do You Stop"   Hartman, Midnight 4:49
4. "Turn Me Loose, I'm Dr. Feelgood"   Hartman, Midnight 3:09
5. "Living in America"   Hartman, Midnight 5:58
6. "Goliath"   Hartman, Midnight 6:14
7. "Repeat the Beat (Faith)"   Hartman, Midnight 4:20
8. "Return to Me"   Hartman, Midnight 4:39

2012 BBR Expanded Remaster

9. Living In America (12" Version)
10. Gravity (12" Version)
11. How Do You Stop (12" Version)
12. Goliath (12" Version)
13. Living In America (Single Version)
14. Gravity (Single Version)
15. How Do You Stop (Single Version)
16. Living In America (Instrumental)[6]

Personnel

  • James Brown: All Main Vocals, Organ solo on track 8
  • Steve Winwood: Synthesizers (listed in liner notes as "Lead & Backing Synthesizer") on track 3
  • Dan Hartman: Guitars, Keyboards, Programming, Background vocals, Fairlight Programming (listed as "Eddie Fairlight III"), All instruments except drums & horns on track 7 "Repeat the Beat (Faith)"
  • Stevie Ray Vaughan: Guitars on track 5
  • T. M. Stevens: Bass (on all tracks except 7), Background vocals
  • Ray Marchica, Art Wood, George Recile: Drums, Percussion
  • Trazi Williams: Congas
  • The Uptown Horns (Arno Hecht, Bob Funk, Crispin Cioe, "Hollywood" Paul Litteral): All Brass Instruments
  • Maceo Parker- alto saxophone
  • Alison Moyet: Ad-Libs/vocal trade-offs & Background vocals
  • Charlie Midnight, Gail Boggs: Background vocals
  • Chris Lord-Alge - mixing

References

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