Arnold McCuller, Bill Payne, Bob Glaub, Craig Doerge, Danny Kortchmar, David Lasley, Phoebe Snow, Russ Kunkel, Ula Hedwig, Waddy Wachtel
Rock Away is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Phoebe Snow, recorded in 1980 and released in 1981.
Following her massively successful 1974 self-title debut album, Phoebe Snow had seen her fortunes dwindle over four subsequent albums over four subsequent years. In 1979, rather than recording the fifth and final album due to Columbia Records, Snow had asked the label for release. Snow negotiated with Polydor Records in the spring of 1980, but would in fact sign a two album deal with newly formed Mirage Records in October 1980, having reportedly commenced recording sessions for her sixth studio album over the summer.
Snow’s aspiration for her album Rock Away was what had been the failed aspiration for Snow’s 1978 Against the Grain album – and would remain Snow’s purported lifelong aspiration – : to trump her “wintry pop-folk-jazz chanteuse” musical persona with that of a “red-hot blues-and-rock-belting mama”. Produced by Greg Ladanyi – who had notably helmed albums by Jackson Browne and Warren Zevon- Rock Away featured Snow covering R&B-style songs – including her personal choice of the Don Covay number “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” – and vintage Rod Stewart (“Gasoline Alley”) as well as introducing three Snow originals (Snow judging that two of the five songs she wrote for the album were subpar). The Snow originals include the title cut which – despite being entitled “Rock Away” – is a “sparse acoustic song with a genuine pastoral feel…the only track featuring Snow on guitar…significantly, it’s the album’s only understated song”.
The majority of recording sessions for Rock Away took place at Manhattan’s Power Plant and featured members of Billy Joel’s band: Joel’s wife Elizabeth Joel was then managing Snow, although that association had ended by the release of Rock Away. “Games”, the track released as advance single in February 1981 was recorded at Record One (LA), featuring such stalwart LA session players as keyboardist Bill Payne, drummer Russ Kunkel, and electric guitarists Danny Kortchmar and Waddy Wachtel.
Tracks
1 Cheap Thrills (Bob McDill) 03:36
2 Baby Please (Carolyne Mas) 04:24
3 Gasoline Alley (Rod Stewart; Ron Wood) 03:07
4 Rock Away (Phoebe Snow) 02:50
5 Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Don Covay; Ronald Miller) 02:30
6 Games (Vince Melamed; Andrea Farber) 03:46
7 Down In The Basement (Phoebe Snow) 02:20
8 Shoo-Rah Shoo-Rah (Allen Toussaint) 02:36
9 Something Good (Phoebe Snow) 04:09
10 I Believe In You (Bob Dylan) 05:02
Musicians
1 Cheap Thrills
Bass | Doug Stegmeyer |
Drums | Liberty DeVitto |
Guitar | David Brown |
Guitar | David Landau |
Slide Guitar | David Brown |
Piano | Craig Doerge |
Background Vocals | Mark Clark |
Background Vocals | Richie Cannata |
Vocals | Phoebe Snow |
2 Baby Please
Bass | Doug Stegmeyer |
Drums | Liberty DeVitto |
Guitar | David Brown |
Guitar | David Landau |
Piano | Craig Doerge |
Sax | Richie Cannata |
Background Vocals | Lennie Delduca |
Background Vocals | Ula Hedwig |
Vocals | Phoebe Snow |
3 Gasoline Alley
Bass | Doug Stegmeyer |
Drums | Liberty DeVitto |
Guitar | David Brown |
Acoustic Guitar | David Landau |
Piano | Robbie Kondor |
Background Vocals | David Lasley |
Vocals | Phoebe Snow |
4 Rock Away
Bass | Doug Stegmeyer |
Drums | Liberty DeVitto |
Acoustic Guitar | David Brown |
Acoustic Guitar | Phoebe Snow |
Vocals | Phoebe Snow |
5 Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
Bass | Doug Stegmeyer |
Drums | Liberty DeVitto |
Guitar | David Brown |
Guitar | David Landau |
Keyboards | Ralph Schuckett |
Organ | Ralph Schuckett |
Piano | Ralph Schuckett |
Percussion | Richie Cannata |
Vocals | Henry Reel |
Vocals | Phoebe Snow |
6 Games
Bass | Bob Glaub |
Drums | Russ Kunkel |
Guitar (solo) | Waddy Wachtel |
Guitar | Danny Kortchmar |
Electric Piano | Craig Doerge |
Synthesizer | Bill Payne |
Background Vocals | Arnold McCuller |
Background Vocals | David Lasley |
Vocals | Phoebe Snow |
7 Down In The Basement
Bass | Doug Stegmeyer |
Bass | Mark Clark |
Drums | Bob Chounard |
Drums | Liberty DeVitto |
Organ | Ralph Schuckett |
Piano | Allen St John |
Vocals | Phoebe Snow |
8 Shoo-Rah Shoo-Rah
Bass | Doug Stegmeyer |
Drums | Liberty DeVitto |
Guitar | David Brown |
Guitar | David Landau |
Organ | Ralph Schuckett |
Sax | Richie Cannata |
Trumpet | Randy Brecker |
Percussion | Richie Cannata |
Background Vocals | Jocelyn Brown |
Background Vocals | Krystal Davis |
Vocals | Phoebe Snow |
9 Something Good
Bass | Doug Stegmeyer |
Drums | Liberty DeVitto |
Guitar | David Brown |
Guitar | David Landau |
Acoustic Guitar | David Brown |
Piano | Robbie Kondor |
Background Vocals | David Lasley |
Background Vocals | Ula Hedwig |
Vocals | Phoebe Snow |
10 I Believe In You
Bass | Doug Stegmeyer |
Drums | Liberty DeVitto |
Guitar | David Brown |
Guitar | David Landau |
Acoustic Guitar | David Brown |
Acoustic Guitar | David Brown |
Organ | Bill Payne |
Piano | Bill Payne |
Sax | Richie Cannata |
Background Vocals | Patti Austin |
Vocals | Phoebe Snow |
Liner Notes
Producer – Greg Ladanyi, Richie Cannata
Engineer (Assistant) – Jamie Ledner, Jeff Hendrickson
Mastered By – Doug Sax, Mike Reese
Mixed By – Greg Ladanyi
Recorded By – Greg Ladanyi
Art Direction – Bob Defrin
Photography By – Jim Houghton
Distributed By – Atlantic Recording Corporation
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Mirage Records Inc.
Copyright (c) – Mirage Records Inc.
Made By – Warner-Pioneer Corporation
October 25, 2023 @ 01:50
Such fond memories of this album. One of the sweetest souls in pop music of that era, Rock Away was one terrific album. Known for blowing the roof off the rafters, her tender quiet reading of the title cut and chilling reading of Bob Dylan’s I Believe In You were among her finest vocal readings. I miss her so much but am appreciative for her lovely lovely catalog