Right on Time (Brothers Johnson album)
Right On Time is the second album by the Los Angeles, California-based duo Brothers Johnson. Released in 1977, the album peaked at number two on the R&B albums chart and number thirteen on the pop albums chart in the U.S. It includes the number-one R&B song, Strawberry Letter 23, and winner of a Grammy Award in 1978 for Best R&B Instrumental Performance, "Q".
| Right on Time | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 10, 1977 | |||
| Recorded | Feb 1, 1977 - Mar 21, 1977 at A&M Studios, Hollywood | |||
| Genre | Funk, pop | |||
| Length | 31:33 | |||
| Label | A&M Records | |||
| Producer | Quincy Jones | |||
| Brothers Johnson chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| The Village Voice | C+[2] |
Critical reception
In a contemporary review for The Village Voice, music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a "C+" grade and panned the duo for how "bland" and lifeless they made their funk: "Pop professionalism reduced to a concept in which all annoyances and other signs of life are eliminated".[2] In a retrospective review, Allmusic's Stephen Cook gave it four-and-a-half out of five stars and credited Quincy Jones for producing a "seamless mix of pop and funk".[1]
Track listing
- "Runnin' For Your Lovin'" - (George Johnson, Louis Johnson) 5:05
- "Free Yourself, Be Yourself" - (George Johnson, Louis Johnson) 4:14
- "Q" - (George Johnson, Louis Johnson) 3:25
- "Right On Time" - (George Johnson, Louis Johnson, Quincy Jones) 3:50
- "Strawberry Letter 23" - (Shuggie Otis) 4:58
- "Brother Man" - (Dave Grusin, George Johnson, Louis Johnson) 3:10
- "Never Leave You Lonely" - (Louis Johnson, Peggy Jones, Valerie Johnson) 3:02
- "Love Is" - (George Johnson, Louis Johnson, Peggy Jones, Quincy Jones) 4:20
Personnel
- George Johnson – Lead Guitar, Lead and Backing Vocals
- Louis Johnson – Bass, Guitar, Piano, Synthesizer, Lead and Backing Vocals
- Harvey Mason, Sr. – Drums
- Lee Ritenour, David T. Walker – Guitar
- Dave Grusin, Ian Underwood, Michael Boddicker – Keyboards, Synthesizer
- Ralph MacDonald – Percussion
- Mic Gillette – Trombone, Trumpet
- Emilio Castillo – Tenor Saxophone
- Stephen Kupka – Baritone Saxophone
- Lenny Pickett – Alto Saxophone
- Greg Adams – Trumpet
- Alex Weir, Jim Gilstrap, Richard Heath, Mortonette Jenkins, Stephanie Spruill, Oren Waters, Alexandra Brown – Backing Vocals
Charts and certifications
Charts
| Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | US Billboard Pop Albums[3] | 13 |
| US Billboard Top Soul Albums[3] | 2 | |
| US Billboard Jazz Albums[3] | 4 | |
| New Zealand[4] | 34 | |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions[5] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | ||
| 1977 | "Strawberry Letter 23" | 5 | 1 |
| "Runnin' For Your Lovin'" | 107 | 20 | |
| 1978 | "Love Is" | — | 50 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[6] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- Cook, Stephen. "Right on Time - The Brothers Johnson". Allmusic. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
- Christgau, Robert (September 5, 1977). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
- "The Brothers Johnson US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-08-27.
- "The Brothers Johnson: Right On Time". charts.nz. Official New Zealand Music Chart.
- "The Brothers Johnson US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-08-27.
- "The Brothers Johnson: Right On Time". riaa.com. RIAA.
