Gears (album)

Gears
Gears
Studio album by Johnny Hammond
Released	1975
Recorded	July 1975 at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California
Genre	Jazz-funk
Length	33:19
Label	Milestone
Producer	Larry and Fonce Mizell
Johnny Hammond chronology

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[2]

Gears is an album by jazz keyboardist Johnny Hammond. It was released in 1975 and produced by Larry and Fonce Mizell.

Track listing

Tell Me What to Do 5:16
Los Conquistadores Chocolates 5:56
Lost on 23rd Street 6:36
Fantasy 6:06
Shifting Gears 5:19
Can't We Smile 4:35

Personnel

Johnny "Hammond" Smith - Organ, Synthesizer, Electric Piano
Larry Mizell - Keyboards (Solina), Backing Vocals
Fonce Mizell - Clarinet, Backing Vocals
Jerry Peters - Electric Piano, Piano
Harvey Mason - Drums
Chuck Rainey - Electric Bass
Craig McMullen, John Rowin - Guitar
Roger Glenn - Flute, Vibraphone
Kenneth Nash - Cymbal, Gong, Percussion
Hadley Caliman - Tenor Saxophone
Julian Priester - Trombone
Michael White - Violin

Charts

Chart (1975)	Peak position
Billboard Top Jazz Albums ^[3]	31

Samples

Several tracks have either sampled or taken inspiration from tracks on the album, most notably "Los Conquistadores Chocolates". A track titled "When You Gonna Learn" by UK group Jamiroquai, led by founding member Jay Kay, has chord progressions that bear a striking resemblance to the original chord progressions of a Smith's track "Los Conquistadores Chocolates". However, this was not by accident, as the booklet of the Acid Jazz Records release of the single bears a "special thanks" note to Smith, who gave permission to Jay Kay to use the composition's structure.

References

^ Gorton, TJ (July 30, 2018). "BeatCaffeine's 100 Best Jazz-Funk Songs". BeatCaffeine. Archived from the original on August 25, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
^ Theakston, Rob. Johnny Hammond: Gears > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
^ "Johnny Hammond US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-11-04.

External links

Gears at Discogs (list of releases)

[1] Gorton, TJ (July 30, 2018). "BeatCaffeine's 100 Best Jazz-Funk Songs". BeatCaffeine. Archived from the original on August 25, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2021.

[2] Theakston, Rob. Johnny Hammond: Gears > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 4 November 2011.

[allmusic_albums-3] "Johnny Hammond US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-11-04.

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[2]

[3]

v t e Johnny "Hammond" Smith
Years given are for the recording(s), not first release.
As leader or co-leader	All Soul (1959) That Good Feelin' (1959) Talk That Talk (1960) Opus De Funk (1961) Stimulation (1961) Gettin' the Message (with Lem Winchester, 1961) Johnny "Hammond" Cooks with Gator Tail (with Willis Jackson, 1960) Black Coffee (with Seldon Powell, 1962) Look Out! (with Seldon Powell, 1962) A Little Taste (1963) Mr. Wonderful (1963) The Stinger (1965) Love Potion #9 (1966) The Stinger Meets the Golden Thrush (with Byrdie Green, 1966) Gettin' Up (1967) Soul Flowers (1967) Dirty Grape (1968) Nasty! (1968) Black Feeling! (1969) Soul Talk (1969) Here It 'Tis (1970) Breakout (1971) What's Going On (1971) Wild Horses Rock Steady (1971) The Prophet (1972) Higher Ground (1973) Gambler's Life (1974) Gears (1975)
With others	Angel Eyes (Gene Ammons, 1960–62) Velvet Soul (Gene Ammons, 1960–62) Night Life (Billy Butler, 1970) Taking Care of Business (Oliver Nelson, 1960) For Once in My Life (Sylvia Syms, 1967)