City Streets (album)

City Streets is an album by American singer-songwriter Carole King, released in 1989. It was the first album after 6-year hiatus from her recording career, co-produced by Rudy Guess who supported her as a backing guitarist in later years.

City Streets
Studio album by
Released1989
StudioSkyline Studios New York, NY
GenreRock
Length42:50
LabelCapitol
ProducerCarole King, Rudy Guess
Carole King chronology
Speeding Time
(1983)
City Streets
(1989)
Colour of Your Dreams
(1993)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Chicago Tribune[2]
Deseret News(Mixed)[3]
Rolling Stone[4]

The title track features a guitar solo by Eric Clapton. It was released as a single and became a top-20 hit on the U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Clapton also played the guitar on "Ain't That the Way". Another notable guest musician is Branford Marsalis, who played the saxophone on "Midnight Flyer".

Before making a comeback record, King fostered an acting career. "I Can't Stop Thinking About You" is a collaboration work with an actor Paul Hipp, who co-starred with her in the off-Broadway show A Minor Incident in 1988. "Midnight Flyer" and "Someone Who Believes in You" were co-written by her former songwriting partner and husband Gerry Goffin. The latter was originally written for Air Supply vocalist Russell Hitchcock. His interpretation was initially featured on his eponymous solo debut released in 1987, and he remade the song on Air Supply's The Earth Is... album four years later. It was also covered by Martha Wash in 1993 on her solo album.

Like her other efforts released in the 1980s, City Streets received mixed critical reviews and resulted in a commercial flop, only reaching #111 on the Billboard album chart. The album has been out of print worldwide since 1993, although reissue was once planned by American Beat Records in 2007.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."City Streets"Carole King5:00
2."Sweet Life"King, Rudy Guess4:34
3."Down to the Darkness"King4:17
4."Lovelight"King4:28
5."I Can't Stop Thinking About You" (Duet with Paul Hipp)King, Paul Hipp5:00
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Legacy"King, Guess5:04
7."Ain't That the Way"King3:09
8."Midnight Flyer"King, Gerry Goffin4:27
9."Homeless Heart" (Duet with Sherry Goffin)King, John Bettis4:05
10."Someone Who Believes in You"King, Goffin2:56

Personnel

  • Carole King – lead vocals, backing vocals (1-4, 6, 7, 8), synthesizer (1, 2, 3), rhythm guitar (2), acoustic piano (3, 7), keyboards (4, 6, 8, 9, 10), Hammond organ (7)
  • Robbie Kondor – synthesizer (2, 4, 6, 9, 10), piano (5), Hammond organ (6, 8)
  • Teddy Andreadis – acoustic piano (6)
  • Eric Clapton – lead guitar (1), guitar (7)
  • Rudy Guess – rhythm guitar (1, 2), lead guitar (2), guitar (3, 4, 6, 8, 9), electric guitar (5), mandolin (8)
  • Mark Bosch – acoustic guitar (5), electric guitar (5)
  • Paul Hipp – acoustic guitar (5), backing vocals (5)
  • Wayne Pedzwater – bass guitar (1, 2, 5-10)
  • Seth Glassman – bass guitar (3, 4)
  • Steve Ferrone – drums (1, 3, 6, 7, 9)
  • Max Weinberg – drums (2)
  • Omar Hakim – drums (5, 8), cymbal (10)
  • Jimmy Bralower – tambourine (1, 8), cowbell (2), timpani (3), electronic drums (4), percussion (4)
  • Sammy Figueroa – percussion (3, 6, 7, 9, 10)
  • Michael Brecker – saxophone (1)
  • Jimmy Roberts – saxophone (5)
  • Branford Marsalis – saxophone (8)
  • Nick Lane – trombone (5)
  • Jimmy Zavala – harmonica (8)
  • Richard Hardy – flute (10)
  • Heidi Berg – backing vocals (9)
  • Angela Capell – backing vocals (9)
  • Kacey Cisyk – backing vocals (9)
  • Sherry Goffin – backing vocals (9)

Production

  • Producers – Carole King and Rudy Guess
  • Executive Producer – Tom Whalley
  • Recorded and Mixed by James Farber at Skyline Studios (New York, NY).
  • Second Engineer – Eugene "UE" Nastasi
  • Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound (New York, NY).
  • Art Direction – Tommy Steele
  • Design – Jeffrey Fey
  • Photography – Caroline Grayshock

Chart positions

Chart (1989) Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 40
Canadian RPM Albums Chart[6] 66
Dutch Albums Chart[7] 67
U.S. Billboard 200[8] 111

References

  1. Allmusic Review
  2. Van Matre, Lynn (1989-04-13). "Carole King City Streets (Capitol)". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2011-10-20.
  3. Sprangler, Jerry (1989-05-06). "FOLK MUSIC IS MAKING A COMEBACK TO THE SURPRISE OF INDUSTRY INSIDERS". deseretnews.com. Deseret News. Retrieved 2011-10-20.
  4. Hoerburger, Rob (May 18, 1989), "City Streets by Carole King", Rolling Stone
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 166/167. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 50, No. 4". RPM. May 22, 1989. Archived from the original (PHP) on January 6, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  7. "dutchcharts.nl Carole King - City Streets" (ASP). Hung Medien. MegaCharts. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  8. Allmusic - Charts & Awards
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