Dedication (Gary U.S. Bonds album)

Dedication
Studio album by
Gary U.S. Bonds
ReleasedApril 1981
Recorded1980
GenreRock, pop
Length41:30
LabelEMI America Records
Razor & Tie
BGO Records
Producer
Gary U.S. Bonds chronology
Twist Up Calypso
(1962) 		Dedication
(1981) 		On the Line
(1982)
Singles from Dedication
  1. "This Little Girl"
    Released: April 1981
  2. "Jolé Blon"
    Released: July 1981
  3. "Your Love"
    Released: Oct 1981

Dedication is a 1981 album by American singer Gary U.S. Bonds.

The album was a critical and commercial success, marking a comeback for Bonds after several years out of the limelight. Dedication was the first of two albums on which he collaborated with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, the second being On the Line, released the following year, 1982. The musicians accompanying Bonds on the album include many members of the E Street Band and the Asbury Jukes.[1] The album includes three songs written by Bruce Springsteen, one written by Steven Van Zandt, and several covers of songs from the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, and others. It also features a duet between Bonds and Springsteen on the track "Jolé Blon". Bonds' early 1960s sound had been a major influence on both Springsteen and Van Zandt.[2] The songs written by Springsteen, as well as the cover of "Jolé Blon", were originally intended for his 1980 album, The River, but he felt they fit better with Bonds and his versions of them have never been released although he has performed most of them live, often featuring Bonds as a special guest.[3]

The album produced several singles. The Springsteen-penned "This Little Girl" was a major success, peaking at No. 7 in Cash Box and at No. 11 on the Billboard pop chart. It also reached No. 5 on the mainstream rock chart, as well as the Cajun traditional "Jolé Blon",[4][5] which garnered some album-oriented rock airplay. The album itself reached No. 27 on the pop album chart and No. 34 on the R&B album chart.

The album was re-released in 1994 on the Razor Edge label of Razor & Tie music, and then again in 2009 on BGO Records, paired with On the Line.

In a 2016 career retrospective interview with Pods & Sods, Bonds revealed that a few additional songs and outtakes recorded during this time may eventually be released.[6]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Christgau's Record GuideC+[8]
The Rolling Stone Record Guide[2]

Music writer Dave Marsh called Dedication "one of the most successful comeback albums in rock & roll history".[2]

Track listing

[edit]
  1. "Jolé Blon" (Traditional; arranged by Moon Mullican) – 3:25
  2. "This Little Girl" (Bruce Springsteen) – 3:42
  3. "Your Love" (Springsteen) – 3:28
  4. "Dedication" (Springsteen) – 3:11
  5. "Daddy's Come Home" (Steven Van Zandt) – 6:22
  6. "It's Only Love" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 3:04
  7. "The Pretender" (Jackson Browne) – 6:12
  8. "Way Back When" (Gary U.S. Bonds, George Bruno) – 3:58
  9. "From a Buick 6" (Bob Dylan) – 4:25
  10. "Just Like a Child" (Bonds, John Clemente, Lou Conte) – 3:43

Personnel

[edit]

Musicians:

Production:

  • Gary U.S. Bonds, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt, Rob Parissi, Lanny Lambert – producers
  • Garry Tallent – producer, associate producer
  • Larry Alexander, Tony Bongiovi, Bob Clearmountain, Neil Dorfsman, Bill Scheniman – engineers
  • Raymond Willhard, Dave Greenberg, Jeffry Hendirkcson, Garry Rindfuss – assistant engineers
  • Larry Emerine & Stephen Marcussen – mastering
  • Jimmy Wachtel – design, photography
  • Gloria Von Jansky – hand lettering
  • Dane Lawing – art direction[9]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Bruce Springsteen guest appearances
  2. ^ a b c Marsh, Dave; Swenson, John, eds. (1983). The New Rolling Stone Record Guide. Random House/Rolling Stone Press. p. 51. ISBN 0-394-72107-1.
  3. ^ "The River – Studio Sessions – Brucebase Wiki".
  4. ^ www.garyusbonds.com
  5. ^ www.allmusic.com
  6. ^ Article title[usurped] Pods & Sods – A Conversation with Gary US Bonds
  7. ^ Allmusic review
  8. ^ Christgau, Robert (1990). "B". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved August 17, 2020 – via robertchristgau.com.
  9. ^ Gary U.S. Bonds – Dedication
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