You Are The Meaning Of This Song

I feel a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for arrangers. One of the many reasons I started this blog was to try to give a little more attention to the folks who contributed so much to the music I love, yet very often are overlooked. Charles Stepney was one of those people. He was in a class all his own. He's a hero of mine. In my opinion, Stepney stands right up there with Duke Ellington.

Gene Page (1938-1998) was arguably not as gifted as Stepney, but he was a damn fine artist. Everybody knows his work with Barry White - the 8-minute LP version of Never Never Gonna Give Ya Up on STONE GON' and Strange Games and Things from Love Unlimited's MY SWEET SUMMER SUITE are utterly devastating; BLACULA is justly celebrated, but SOULWALKING will teach you a little bit more about what he did for music, and THIS SITE will tell you even more. The man had an amazing career! Now I'll shut up and let his music speak for itself!



Love Starts After Dark, Arista LP, 1980



[Photos scanned off album cover, courtesy of SOULWALKING. I'll have a scanner very soon, I swear!]

Out of print. Ripped @ 320. Somewhat noisy, with a couple of gigantic pops, but no skips, as I recall. If you find any let me know!

1. Love Starts After Dark (Leon Silver) 5:32
2. With You In The Dark (Leon Ware, Herb Alpert) 4:00
3. Put A Little Love In Your Lovin' (Ray Parker Jr.) 5:40
4. Second Time Around (Emmett North, Robert Jackson, Tony Churchill) 4:50
5. You Are The Meaning Of This Song (Leon Siver, Nidra Beard) 3:33
6. Hold On To That Groove (Eddy Watkins, Phillys St. James) 5:54
7. Hollywood (Joe Sample, Wil Jennings) 4:35
8. I Wanna Dance (Gerard, Lon Van Eaton) 3:45

Produced by Billy and Gene Page

Arranged and Conducted by Gene Page

"Put A Little Love In Your Lovin'" produced By Ray Parker Jr

Horns arranged by Edward Meyers and Kinsman Dazz, except "Love Starts After Dark", arranged by Gene Page

Production coordinator: Sara Gene Page

Music Preparation: George Annis' Music Suite

Recorded at The Sound Factory

Special thanks to Leon Sylver for his Platinum

Guest Artists: Merry Clayton, Jackye Gerard, Phyllis St. James, Charmaine Sylvers

Ed Greene, d; Eddie Watkins, b; Charles Fearing, Paul Jackson Jr., Emmett North, Ray Parker Jr., Thom Rotella, Tommy Tedesco, Wah Wah Watson, g; Alex Brown, Mercy Clayton, Sylvia Cox, Jackye Gerard, Yvonne Hill, Ray Parker Jr., Francy Pearlman, Pat Powdrill, Dorie Pride, Phyllis St. James, Charmaine Silvers, Sybil Thomas, Carla Vaughn, voc; Sonny Burke, Gene Page, keyb; Jack Ashford, Eddie Brown, Olie Brown, Gary Coleman, perc; Darren Carmichael, Kurt Mc Gettrick, Allen Mc Grier, Edward Meyers, John Mitchell, Wayne Preston, Les Thaler, John Thomas, horns; Todd Cochran, Steve Caplan, synth; Harry Bluestone, concertmaster; Merry Clayton, vocal contractor

LINK

Viva Maestro Gene Page!

In harmony,
Chris