1978 Pockets – Take It On Up
Take It On Up is the second studio album from the group of Baltimore. Members are Al McKinney (lead vocals), Larry Jacobs, Gary Grainger, Charles C. Williams, Kevin Barnes, George Gray, Irving Madison, and Jacob R. Sheffer.
The Pockets were an eight-man group who were signed to Columbia in 1977. Their debut album was produced by Verdine White who is credited as having discovered them.According to FunkMySoul website, the group that time, a septet had recorded some demos in 1975 at Sheffield Studios and made 200 cassettes containing top 40 covers as well as four of their originals. They didn’t make any real headway. One day Al McKinney happened to meet John Mackey of the Baltimore Colts. Mackey happened to be Verdine White’s next-door neighbor, so the cassette tape was passed on and it apparently made an impression on White. White brought in Larry Jacobs from San Francisco to be the group’s lead vocalist. The band’s name is said to have been Luther Ingram which was a description of their music.
Tracks
1 Heaven Only Knows (Leroy Bell, Casey James) 3:25
2 Take It On Up (Kevin Barnes, Louis Satterfield, Robert Wright, Verdine White) 3:13
3 Tell Me Why (James Burke, Keni Burke) 4:16
4 Got To Find My Way (Al McKinney, Gary Grainger, Jacob Sheffer, Robert Wright, Verdine White) 3:46
5 Happy For Love (Robert Wright, Verdine White) 4:46
6 Funk It Over (Dorian Holley, Pockets, Robert Wright, Verdine White) 3:50
7 You And Only You (Ray Parker Jr) 3:40
8 Sphinx (Gary Grainger) 1:55
9 Lay Your Head (On My Shoulder) (Allee Willis, Robert Wright, Verdine White) 5:39
10 In Your Eyes (Jacob Sheffer, Larry Jacobs, Robert Wright, Verdine White) 2:12
Musicians
| Bass | Gary Grainger |
| Drums | George Gray |
| Guitar | Jacob Sheffer |
| Keyboards | Albert McKinney |
| Keyboards | Larry Dunn |
| Sax | Irving Madison |
| Trumpet | Charles Williams |
| Trumpet | Rahmlee Michael Davis |
| Trumpet | Bobby Findley |
| Trumpet | Gary Grant |
| Trumpet | Michael Harris |
| Trombone | Kevin Barnes |
| Percussion | Larry Jacobs |
| Percussion | Paulinho Da Costa |
| Keyboards | Albert McKinney |
| Background Vocals | Carolyn Dennis |
| Background Vocals | Elisecia Wright |
| Background Vocals | Gary Glenn |
| Background Vocals | Phyllis St. James |
| Background Vocals | Zedric Turnbough |
| Vocals | Charles Williams |
| Vocals | Gary Grainger |
| Vocals | George Gray |
| Vocals | Kevin Barnes |
| Vocals | Larry Jacobs |
| Vocals | Muffy Hendrix |
Other Musicians
8 Sphinx
| Piano | Dean Gant |
9 Lay Your Head (On My Shoulder)
| Guitar (solo) | Steve Lukather |
Strings
Cello – Armand Kaproff, Douglas Davis
French Horn – Arthur Maebe, David Duke, Henri Sigismonti, Vincent De Rosa
Viola – David Schwartz, Gareth Nuttycombe, Harry Hyams, Richard Dickler
Violin – Don Palmer, Endra Granat, Glenn Dicterow, Harry Bluestone, Ilkka Tolvi, Israel Baker, Joseph Livoti, Murray Adler, Paul Shure, Ralph Silverman, Sally Leverenz, Sheldon Sanov, William Henderson
Liner Notes
Producer – Robert Wright, Verdine White
Producer (Executive) – Maurice White
Arranged By (Horns, Strings) – Tom Tom 84
Engineer (Associate) – Bob Mockler, James Isaacson, Kent Nebergall, Mark Linett, Peggy McCreary, Ross Pallone, Wendi Bluth
Engineer (Recording, Remix) – Warren Dewey
Management – Cavallo-Ruffalo Management
Mastered By – Bernie Grundman
Design – Nancy Donald
Photography By – David Alexander
Produced for Kalimba Productions
Recorded at Hollywood Sound Recorders
Recorded at Sunset Sound Studio
Recorded at Westlake Audio
Recorded at All studios in Los Angeles, California