1979 Herb Alpert – Rise (US:#1 UK:#13)
“Rise” is an instrumental written by Andy Armer and Randy Badazz Alpert, and first recorded by trumpeter Herb Alpert. The instrumental track was included on Alpert’s solo album Rise and released as a single in 1979. It reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in October of that year and remained in the top position for two weeks. Herb Alpert thus became the first (and only) artist to reach the top of the Hot 100 with a vocal performance (“This Guy’s in Love with You”, 1968) as well as an instrumental performance. “Rise” also spent one week atop the adult contemporary chart. “Rise” was successful on the other charts, peaking at number four on the R&B chart and number seventeen on the disco chart. The recording also received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Songwriters Andy Armer and Randy Badazz Alpert were both nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition.
“Rise” was originally recorded as an uptempo dance number, however, while recording the master at A&M studios, the drummer on the session, Steve Schaefer, strongly suggested that Herb and Randy try slowing the tempo down to 100bpm. Upon release, the instrumental received an unexpected burst of promotion: Jill Farren Phelps, musical director of the ABC soap opera General Hospital, decided to use “Rise” as the musical backdrop for the rape of Laura Webber by Luke Spencer. For several weeks afterward, the recording was played on the show to evoke the memory of Luke’s act. The added exposure in an extremely popular program boosted sales to the point of selling more than one million copies.
Album
Rise is a 1979 album by Herb Alpert. The Rise album was conceived in 1979 after the worldwide success of both the 7″ & 12″ versions of the single “Rise”, a song written by Andy Armer and Randy Badazz Alpert which became a #1 million selling hit song on sales charts, radio, and in dance […]
Musicians
| Bass | Abraham Laboriel Sr |
| Drums | Steve Schaeffer |
| Fender Rhodes | Andy Armer |
| Guitar | Chris Pinnick |
| Guitar | Tim May |
| Piano | Mike Lang |
| Marimba | Julius Wechter |
Produced By
Herb Alpert
Randy Badazz
Songwriters
Andy Armer
Randy Badazz
Charts
US:#1
UK:#13