''Lite Me Up'' is a pop album with a strong disco-funk feel by
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...
. It was Hancock's twenty-eighth album and first release without producer David Rubinson since 1969. On this album, Hancock was influenced by his long-time friend, producer
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...
and sessions included many musicians associated with Jones including
Steve Lukather
Steven Lee "Luke" Lukather (born October 21, 1957) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer, best known as the sole continuous founding member of the rock band Toto. His reputation as a skilled guitarist led to ...
and
Jeff Porcaro
Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro (April 1, 1954 – August 5, 1992) was an American drummer. He is best known for being the co-founder and drummer of the rock band Toto, but is also one of the most recorded session musicians in history, working on hundr ...
of
Toto. The album was the first on which Hancock played the
Synclavier
The Synclavier is an early digital synthesizer, polyphonic digital sampling system, and music workstation manufactured by New England Digital Corporation of Norwich, Vermont. It was produced in various forms from the late 1970s into the ea ...
, a digital polyphonic synthesizer.
Track listing
#"Lite Me Up!" (
Rod Temperton
Rodney Lynn Temperton (9 October 1949 – 25 September 2016) was an English musician, songwriter, and record producer.
Temperton was the keyboardist and principal songwriter for the 1970s funk band Heatwave, writing songs including "Star of a ...
) - 3:41
#"The Bomb" (Herbie Hancock, Temperton) - 3:59
#"Gettin' to the Good Part" (Hancock, Temperton) - 6:12
#"Paradise" (
Bill Champlin
William Bradford Champlin (born May 21, 1947) is an American singer, keyboardist, guitarist and songwriter. He formed the band Sons of Champlin in 1965, which still performs today, and was a member of the rock band Chicago (band), Chicago from 1 ...
,
David Foster
David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian record producer, composer, arranger, and musician. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His career began as a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark in the early 1970s befor ...
,
Jay Graydon
Jay Joseph Graydon (born October 8, 1949, Burbank, California) is an American songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, singer, keyboardist, producer, arranger, and recording engineer. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards (in the R&B category) ...
, Hancock) - 4:30
#"Can't Hide Your Love" (
Jeffrey Cohen, Hancock,
Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden ( ; Michael Walden; born April 23, 1952) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He acquired the nickname Narada from Sri Chinmoy.
He began his career as a drummer, working primarily in the jazz ...
) - 3:53
#"The Fun Tracks" (Temperton) - 4:03
#"Motor Mouth" (Temperton) - 3:59
#"Give It All Your Heart" (Hancock, Temperton) - 7:39
Personnel
Musicians
* Herbie Hancock – lead vocals (4, 5), background vocals (1–3, 6–8), lead
vocoder
A vocoder (, a portmanteau of ''vo''ice and en''coder'') is a category of speech coding that analyzes and synthesizes the human voice signal for audio data compression, multiplexing, voice encryption or voice transformation.
The vocoder wa ...
vocal (3, 7),
Fender Rhodes
The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, t ...
,
Clavitar,
Yamaha CS-80
The Yamaha CS-80 is an analog synthesizer introduced by Yamaha Corporation in 1977. It supports true 8-voice polyphony, with two independent synthesizer layers per voice each with its own set of front panel controls, in addition to a number of ha ...
,
Moog Source
The Moog Source is a monophonic Z80 microprocessor-controlled analog synthesizer manufactured by Moog Music from 1981 to 1985. The Source was Moog's first synthesizer to offer patch memory storage. The design was also the first (and only) Moog ...
,
Mini Moog, Waves Mini Moog,
Prophet 5
The Prophet-5 is an analog synthesizer manufactured by the American company Sequential. It was designed by Dave Smith and John Bowen in 1977. It was the first polyphonic synthesizer with fully programmable memory.
Before the Prophet-5, synth ...
,
ARP 2600
The ARP 2600 is a subtractive synthesizer first produced by ARP Instruments in 1971.
History
Developed by a design team headed by ARP namesake Alan R. Pearlman and engineer Dennis Colin, the ARP 2600 was introduced in 1971 as the successor to ...
,
ARP Odyssey
The ARP Odyssey is an analog circuit, analog synthesizer introduced by ARP Instruments in 1972.
History
ARP developed the Odyssey as a direct competitor to the Minimoog, Moog Minimoog and an answer to the demand for more affordable, portable, a ...
,
Emu digital keyboard,
Oberheim 8-voice synthesizer,
Roland Jupiter-8
The Jupiter-8, or JP-8, is an eight-voice polyphonic analog subtractive synthesizer introduced by Roland Corporation in early 1981.
The Jupiter-8 was Roland's flagship synthesizer for the first half of the 1980s. Approximately 3,300 units have ...
,
Hohner Clavinet
The Clavinet is an electric clavichord invented by Ernst Zacharias and manufactured by the Hohner company of Trossingen, West Germany, from 1964 to 1982. The instrument produces sounds with rubber pads, each matching one of the keys and respo ...
,
Sennheiser vocoder
A vocoder (, a portmanteau of ''vo''ice and en''coder'') is a category of speech coding that analyzes and synthesizes the human voice signal for audio data compression, multiplexing, voice encryption or voice transformation.
The vocoder wa ...
,
Synclavier digital synthesizer,
Linn Drum synthesizer,
piano
A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
*
John Robinson – drums (1–3, 6–8)
*
Jeff Porcaro
Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro (April 1, 1954 – August 5, 1992) was an American drummer. He is best known for being the co-founder and drummer of the rock band Toto, but is also one of the most recorded session musicians in history, working on hundr ...
– drums (4)
*
Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden ( ; Michael Walden; born April 23, 1952) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He acquired the nickname Narada from Sri Chinmoy.
He began his career as a drummer, working primarily in the jazz ...
– drums (5), arrangements (5)
*
Louis Johnson – bass (1–3, 6–8)
*
Abraham Laboriel
Abraham Laboriel López (born July 17, 1947) is a Mexican-American bassist who has played on over 4,000 recordings and soundtracks. ''Guitar Player'' magazine called him "the most widely used session bassist of our time". Laboriel is the fathe ...
– bass (4)
*
Randy Jackson
Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive, television presenter and musician, best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013.
Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing b ...
– bass (5)
*
Steve Lukather
Steven Lee "Luke" Lukather (born October 21, 1957) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer, best known as the sole continuous founding member of the rock band Toto. His reputation as a skilled guitarist led to ...
– guitar (1)
*
David Williams – guitar (2, 3, 6–8)
*
Jay Graydon
Jay Joseph Graydon (born October 8, 1949, Burbank, California) is an American songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, singer, keyboardist, producer, arranger, and recording engineer. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards (in the R&B category) ...
– guitar (4)
*
Corrado Rustici – guitar (5)
*
Michael Boddicker
Michael Lehmann Boddicker (born January 19, 1953) is an American film composer and session musician, specializing in electronic music. He is a three times National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (N.A.R.A.S.) Most Valuable Player "Synthes ...
– synthesizer (3), additional synthesizer programming (2, 3, 6)
*
David Foster
David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian record producer, composer, arranger, and musician. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His career began as a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark in the early 1970s befor ...
– acoustic piano (4), background vocal and keyboard arrangements (4)
* Rick Kelly – Synclavier programming (4)
* Frank Martin – synthesizers (5)
*
Jerry Hey
Jerry Hey (born 1950) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, horn arranger, string arranger, orchestrator and session musician who has played on hundreds of commercial recordings, including Michael Jackson's '' Thriller'', '' Rock with Y ...
– trumpet and flugelhorn (1–3, 5–8), horn arrangements (1–4, 6–8), string arrangements (1, 3, 6–8)
* "The Dr. Negroidal" – trumpet (1–3, 5–8)
*
Chuck Findley
Charles B. Findley (born December 13, 1947, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania) is an American trumpet player known for his diverse work as a session musician. He also plays other brass instruments such as flugelhorn and trombone. His technical ab ...
– trumpet and trombone (1–3, 5–8)
*
Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone (1–3, 5–8)
* Gary Herbig – saxophone and woodwinds (1–3, 5–8)
*
Larry Williams
Lawrence Eugene Williams (May 10, 1935 – January 7, 1980) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, and pianist from New Orleans. He is best known for writing and recording some rock and roll classics from 1957 to ...
– saxophone and woodwinds (1–3, 5–8)
* Wayne Anthony – lead vocals (2, 6, 7)
*
Patti Austin
Patti Austin (born August 10, 1950) is an American Grammy Award-winning R&B, pop, and jazz singer and songwriter best known for " Baby, Come to Me", her 1982 duet with James Ingram, which topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 after its re-release ...
– background vocals (1–3, 6–8)
*
Jim Gilstrap
James Gilstrap is an American singer and session musician. He is best known for his 1975 solo hit single " Swing Your Daddy", as well as singing co-lead to the theme from the TV series ''Good Times''.
Career
Gilstrap was born November 10, 1946 ...
– background vocals (1–3, 5–8)
* Paulette Williams – background vocals (1–3, 6–8)
* John Lehman – background vocals (1–3, 5–8)
* Edie Lehmann – background vocals (1–3, 6–8)
*
Bill Champlin
William Bradford Champlin (born May 21, 1947) is an American singer, keyboardist, guitarist and songwriter. He formed the band Sons of Champlin in 1965, which still performs today, and was a member of the rock band Chicago (band), Chicago from 1 ...
– background vocals (4)
*
Richard Page
Richard Lewis Page (born 22 February 1941) is a former Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979, and from 1979 to 2005.
Early life
Born the so ...
– background vocals (4)
* Venette Gloud – background vocals (4)
*
Scherrie Payne
Scherrie Ann Payne (born November 4, 1944) is an American singer. Payne is best known as a member and the co lead singer of the R&B/Soul vocal group the Supremes from 1973 until 1977. Payne is the younger sister of singer Freda Payne. Payne con ...
– background vocals (5)
* Linda Lawrence – background vocals (5)
*
Patrice Rushen
Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist, R&B singer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director.
At the 25th Annual Grammy Awards, her 1982 single, "Forget Me Nots", received a no ...
– vocoder vocals (8)
*
Rod Temperton
Rodney Lynn Temperton (9 October 1949 – 25 September 2016) was an English musician, songwriter, and record producer.
Temperton was the keyboardist and principal songwriter for the 1970s funk band Heatwave, writing songs including "Star of a ...
– rhythm and vocal arrangements (1–3, 6–8)
Technical
* Herbie Hancock – producer (1–3, 6–8)
*
Jay Graydon
Jay Joseph Graydon (born October 8, 1949, Burbank, California) is an American songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, singer, keyboardist, producer, arranger, and recording engineer. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards (in the R&B category) ...
– producer (4), engineer
ocal track(4)
*
Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden ( ; Michael Walden; born April 23, 1952) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He acquired the nickname Narada from Sri Chinmoy.
He began his career as a drummer, working primarily in the jazz ...
– producer (5)
*
George Massenburg – engineer, mixing, engineer
eyboard overdubs and background vocals(4)
*
Leslie Ann Jones – engineer
asic track(4)
* Ron Pendragon – additional engineering, engineer
eyboard overdubs and background vocals(4)
* Murray Dvorkin – second engineer, second engineer
eyboard overdubs and background vocals(4)
* Barbara Rooney – second engineer
* Robert Spano – second engineer
* Sarco – second engineer
asic track(4), second engineer
ackground vocals and additional keyboard overdubs(5)
* Ian Eales – second engineer
ocal track(4)
* Ken Kessie – engineer and mixing (5)
* Maureen Droney – second engineer
asic track and overdubs(5)
* Wayne Lewis – second engineer
asic track and overdubs(5)
* David Frazer – second engineer
asic track and overdubs(5)
* Tony Meilandt – associate producer
* Bryan Bell – keyboard engineer
* Lee Ethier – keyboard engineer
* Mike Reese – mastering
*
Mick Haggerty
Mick Haggerty is an English graphic designer, illustrator, art director, video director and artist. Haggerty has received four Grammy Award nominations for Best Recording Package for the album Worship and Tribute and in 1980 was jointly awarded, w ...
– front cover design
* Kaz Tsuruta – back cover photography
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lite Me Up (Album)
1982 albums
Columbia Records albums
Albums produced by Narada Michael Walden
Herbie Hancock albums