| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
City Life is the third studio album by the American R&B/jazz-funk fusion group the Blackbyrds, released in 1975 on Fantasy Records.[3] This album peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Top Jazz LPs, No. 3 on the Top R&B Albums and No. 16 on the Top Pop LPs charts. City Life has also been certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.[4][5]
Background
City Life was produced by Donald Byrd and includes singles "Happy Music" and "Rock Creek Park." "Happy Music" peaked at No. 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Hot R&B Songs charts. The tune also got to No. 11 on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. What's more, Rock Creek Park peaked at No. 37 on the US Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart.[4]
Critical reception
Stewart Mason of AllMusic proclaimed, "The Blackbyrds -- a jazz-funk outfit formed in a university class taught by jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd, who produced the albums and wrote most of the tunes -- were more of an Earth, Wind & Fire-style horn band than a purist jazz crew, but few groups were better in their chosen style, and 1975's City Life is probably their best album...This is often-sublime stuff ripe for rediscovery by fans of '70s funk, soul, and fusion."[2]
Track listing
Song credits and timings taken from original LP.[6]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rock Creek Park" | Joe Hall, Keith Killgo, Kevin Toney, Orville Saunders, Stephen Johnson | 4:35 |
| 2. | "Thankful 'Bout Yourself" | Saunders | 5:11 |
| 3. | "City Life" | Toney | 5:22 |
| 4. | "All I Ask" | Toney | 3:50 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Happy Music" | Donald Byrd | 4:32 |
| 6. | "Love So Fine" | Hall | 5:00 |
| 7. | "Flying High" | Killgo | 3:29 |
| 8. | "Hash and Eggs" | Fonce Mizell, Larry Mizell | 5:06 |
Personnel
- The Blackbyrds
- Kevin Toney – keyboards
- Stephen Johnson – saxophone
- Orville Saunders – guitar
- Joe Hall – bass
- Keith Killgo – drums
- Additional musicians
The original LP doesn't credit any musicians individually and instead gives a general "very special thanks" to them. Vocals for the album are also uncredited.
- Merry Clayton – vocals on "Rock Creek Park" and "Happy Music"[7]
- George Bohanon
- Ernie Watts
- Patrice Rushen
- Gary Bartz
- Larry Mizell
- Fonce Mizell
- Tommy Morgan
Charts
Album
| Chart (1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Top LPs | 16[4] |
| US Billboard Top Soul LPs | 3[4] |
| US Billboard Top Jazz LPs | 1[4] |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | "City Life" | Disco Singles | 4 |
| "Flying High" | Billboard Hot 100 | 70 | |
| Hot Soul Singles | 22 | ||
| 1976 | "Happy Music" | Billboard Hot 100 | 19 |
| Hot Soul Singles | 3 | ||
| Disco Singles | 6 | ||
| "Rock Creek Park" | Billboard Hot 100 | 93 | |
| Hot Soul Singles | 37 |
References
- ^ Gorton, TJ (July 30, 2018). "BeatCaffeine's 100 Best Jazz-Funk Songs". BeatCaffeine. Archived from the original on August 25, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
- ^ a b Mason, Stewart. The Blackbyrds: City Life > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
- ^ The Blackbyrds: City Life. Fantasy Records. November 1975.
- ^ a b c d e "The Blackbyrds: Billboard Charts (Archived)". AllMusic. Retrieved January 14, 2025 – via archive.org.
- ^ "The Blackbyrds". RIAA. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
- ^ City Life (album). The Blackbyrds. Berkeley, California: Fantasy Records. 1975. F-9490.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/artists/1151/merry-clayton
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