Randy Crawford
| Randy Crawford | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Veronica Crawford |
| Born | February 18, 1952 Macon, Georgia, United States |
| Genres | Jazz, R&B, disco |
| Occupations | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
| Labels | Warner Bros. Records |
Randy Crawford (born Veronica Crawford, February 18, 1952, Macon, Georgia)[1] is an American jazz and R&B singer. She has been more successful in Europe than in the United States, where she has not entered the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist.[1] She has had multiple top five hits in the UK, including her 1980 #2 hit, "One Day I'll Fly Away".
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[edit] Career
Crawford first performed at club gigs from Cincinnati to Saint-Tropez, but made her name in mid 1970s in New York, where she sang with jazzmen George Benson and Cannonball Adderley.[2] Adderley invited her to sing on his album, Big Man (1975).[3] Crawford recorded "Don't Get Caught in Love's Triangle," produced by Johnny Bristol, during her short stint on the Fantasy label.[3]
In 1978 former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett had Crawford perform on his second solo album Please Don't Touch. Hackett discovered Crawford in a Chicago club and was so impressed that he had her sing vocals on "Hoping Love Will Last", the opening song on side two of the album. "I first saw her playing at Park West in Chicago where she was supporting Jaco Pastorius. I was impressed by her agile vocal style and poignant tone", Hackett said in a July 7, 2010 email interview for this Wikipedia entry.
She led R&B veterans The Crusaders on the transatlantic hit "Street Life" (1979).[2] This song stayed atop the U.S. jazz chart for twenty weeks and has since become both a rare groove and disco classic.[citation needed] It was featured in the soundtrack for the film, Sharky's Machine,[3] and appeared in commercials in the early 2000s. She moved to Warner Bros. and after "Street Life," recorded and toured Europe with the Crusaders. Crawford was named the 'Most Outstanding Performer' at the 1980 Tokyo Music Festival.[3]
Her follow-up solo efforts included "One Day I'll Fly Away" (1980); "You Might Need Somebody" (1981); and "Rainy Night in Georgia" (1981); which all became soul standards. The album, Secret Combination (1981) stayed on the UK Albums Chart for sixty weeks, after which her profile dipped, despite a return to the UK Top Ten with "Almaz" in 1986.[2] She remained with Warner Bros. through to the early 1990s, but was unable to score either a big R&B hit or major crossover success, despite having one of the most readily identifiable voices and distinctive approaches of any contemporary female vocalist.[3]
Naked And True (1995) brought Crawford back to her roots: it included George Benson's "Give Me the Night", and confirmed her soul heritage by featuring Funkadelicists Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell and the Fred Wesley Horns.[2] She enjoyed her highest profile of the decade when rising starlet, Shola Ama, had a worldwide hit with her 1997 cover of "You Might Need Somebody".[2]
Crawford recorded a live session with Joe Sample on 24 July 2007 at Abbey Road Studios for Live from Abbey Road. The episode she shared with David Gilmour and Amos Lee was screened on the Sundance Channel in the U.S. and Channel 4 in the UK.
She has sung with Bootsy Collins, Johnny Bristol, Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau, Rick Springfield, Steve Hackett, and Joe Sample amongst others. The soundtrack of The Competition, entitled "People Alone", was revived by Filipina singer Jamie Rivera in 1999.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles
Most of the following singles charted in various countries.
| Year | Song title | U.S. R&B[4] | UK Singles Chart[1] | NL Top 40 | SE Top 20 | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "Street Life" - with The Crusaders | 17, 36 Pop | 5 | 13 | 8 | Street Life |
| 1980 | "Same Old Story (Same Old Song)" | 34 | - | 23 | - | Now We May Begin |
| "Last Night at Danceland" | 68 | 61 | - | - | ||
| "One Day I'll Fly Away" | - | 2 | 1 | - | ||
| 1981 | "People Alone" (Love Theme from The Competition) | - | - | 25 | - | The Competition |
| "When I Lose My Way" | 58 | - | - | - | Secret Combination | |
| "You Might Need Somebody" | - | 11 | - | - | ||
| "Rainy Night in Georgia" | - | 18 | 17 | - | ||
| "Secret Combination" | 70 | 48 | - | - | ||
| 1982 | "Imagine" (Live) - with the Yellowjackets | 69,108 BUB UNDER | 60 | - | 15 | Casino Lights |
| "One Hello" | 50,110 BUB UNDER | 48 | 35 | - | Windsong | |
| "Look Who's Lonely Now" | 68 | - | - | - | ||
| "Your Precious Love" (Live) - with Al Jarreau | 16,102 BUB UNDER | - | - | - | Casino Lights | |
| "Give Peace a Chance" (Live) | - | - | - | 6 | Windsong | |
| 1983 | "He Reminds Me" | - | 65 | - | - | |
| "Nightline" | 91 | 51 | 19 | 15 | Nightline | |
| 1984 | "Taxi Dancing" - with Rick Springfield | 58 POP, 16 A/C | - | - | - | |
| 1986 | "Can't Stand the Pain" | 58 | - | - | - | Abstract Emotions |
| "Desire" | 90 | - | - | - | ||
| "Almaz" | - | 4 | - | - | ||
| 1989 | "Knocking on Heaven's Door" - featuring Eric Clapton and David Sanborn | 4 | 77 | 10 | - | Rich and Poor |
| 1990 | "Wrap-U-Up" | 15 | - | - | - | |
| "I Don't Feel Much Like Crying" | 16 | - | - | - | ||
| "Cigarette in the Rain" | 38 | - | - | - | ||
| 1992 | "Diamante" (with Zucchero) | - | 44 | - | - | Through the Eyes of Love |
| "Who's Crying Now" - featuring Joe Sample | 30 | - | - | - | ||
| "A Lot That You Can Do" | 74 | - | - | - | ||
| 1995 | "Forget Me Nots" | - | - | - | - | |
| 1996 | "Give Me the Night" | 47 | 60 | - | - | Naked and True |
| "Cajun Moon" | 65 | - | - | - | ||
| 1998 | "Bye Bye" | - | - | - | - | Every Kind of Mood: Randy, Randi, Randee |
| "Silence" | 76 | - | - | - | ||
| "Wishing on a Star" | - | - | - | - |
[edit] Albums
- Everything Must Change (1976)
- Miss Randy Crawford (1977)
- Raw Silk (1979)
- Now We May Begin (1980)
- Secret Combination (1981)
- Windsong (1982)
- Nightline (1983)
- Abstract Emotions (1986)
- Rich and Poor (1989)
- Through the Eyes of Love (1992)
- Don't Say It's Over (1993)
- Naked and True (1995)
- Every Kind of Mood: Randy, Randi, Randee (1997)
- Play Mode (aka Permanent) (2000)
- Feeling Good (with Joe Sample) (2006)
- No Regrets (with Joe Sample) (2008)
[edit] Compilation albums
- The Competition (1980, soundtrack, Oscar nominated theme song "People Alone")
- Sharky's Machine (1981 soundtrack, new version of "Street Life")
- Greatest Hits (1984)
- Wildcats (1986 soundtrack, song "Don't Wanna Be Normal")
- Love Songs (1987)
- The Very Best of Randy Crawford (1993)
- Best of Randy Crawford (1996)
- Jackie Brown (1997, soundtrack, "Street Life" - Sharky's Machine newer version)
- Best of Randy Crawford and Friends (2000)
- Love Songs: The Very Best of Randy Crawford (2000)
- Hits (2002)
- The Ultimate Collection (2005)
- Pop-Jazz Volume One (2006)
- The Best of Randy Crawford (2011)
[edit] Guest appearances
- "Hoping Love Will Last", on Steve Hackett's album, Please Don't Touch.
- "Come Il Sole All'improvviso" and "Imagine" on Zucchero's album, Zucchero Live at the Kremlin.
- "Taxi Dancing", on Rick Springfield's album, Hard to Hold.
- "Fallen", on Presuntos Implicados' live album, La Noche
[edit] Awards
- 1982 BRIT Awards - Best female solo artist.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 125. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ a b c d e Roberts, David (1998). Guinness Rockopedia (1st ed.). London: Guinness Publishing Ltd.. p. 100. ISBN 0-85112-072-5.
- ^ a b c d e "Biography by Ron Wynn". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p3979/biography. Retrieved September 8, 2009.
- ^ "Allmusic ((( Randy Crawford > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p3979/charts-awards/billboard-singles.
