Rickie Lee Jones (album)

Rickie Lee Jones
Studio album by Rickie Lee Jones
Released	March 1979
Recorded	1978 Warner Bros. Recording Studios and The Burbank Studios Tracks 2, 11 recorded live December 22, 1978 at TBS
Genre	Rock
Length	42:11
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Lenny Waronker and Russ Titelman
Rickie Lee Jones chronology
Rickie Lee Jones (1979) Pirates (1981)

Rickie Lee Jones is the eponymous debut album of singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones. After arriving in California in the mid-70s, Jones started taking songwriting more seriously, and by 1977 had met singer-songwriters Chuck E. Weiss and Tom Waits (Jones consequently became romantically involved with Waits.)

Overview

Jones had begun playing live in the Los Angeles area at the age of 21, and after meeting singer-songwriter Alfred Johnson, the pair began writing and performing live together (most notably at the Ala Carte club.) Two of their collaborations, "Weasel and the White Boys Cool" and "Company," would later be recorded for Jones' debut album. She also sang jazz standards, as well as a song penned by her father ("The Moon is Made of Gold") in her live sets.

Jones' performances around Los Angeles aroused interest from other local songwriters, as well as local record company executives. At a label showcase, Jones performed originals, including "Chuck E.'s In Love", "The Real Thing is Back in Town" and "The Moon is Made of Gold." This showcase performance, plus a demo containing "The Last Chance Texaco", "Easy Money", "Young Blood" and "After Hours" led to a record deal with Warner Bros.. For her major label debut, Jones scrapped "The Real Thing is Back in Town," but used the titular line in one of the album's tracks - "Coolsville."

Recording sessions (which began in September 1978) yielded eleven songs for inclusion on an album. Two of the songs - "On Saturday Afternoons in 1963" and "After Hours" - were recorded live on December 22, 1978.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic

The album was released in the spring of 1979 to favourable reviews, propelled by the substantial jazz-pop hit single "Chuck E.'s in Love," based on a rumoured romance of her friend Weiss. The single became a US #4 hit during the summer, while the album, which went on to become a million seller, hit US #3. Jones was supported by a memorable slot on Saturday Night Live in April 1979, where she performed "Chuck E.'s in Love" and "Coolsville." A second single, "Young Blood," cracked the US Top 40 in late 1979, when Jones went on an international tour. By June 1981, the album had sold over two million copies in the US alone.

Image

The album cover contributed to the image of Jones as a stylish beret-wearing beatnik; it was reported at the time that Jones was a heavy drinker and also a drug addict, and she and Tom Waits were, in some quarters, known as rock music's bohemian couple. The music videos for the album's two hit singles also contribute to Jones' "hipster chic" image, and she was featured on the August 9, 1979 cover of Rolling Stone magazine, becoming one of the most successful music stars of the year. The album cover photography and design was by Norman Seeff.

Track listing

Songs written by Rickie Lee Jones, except where noted.

1. "Chuck E.'s In Love" 3:28
2. "On Saturday Afternoons in 1963" – 2:31
3. "Night Train" – 3:14
4. "Young Blood" – 4:04 (Rickie Lee Jones, Alfred Johnson)
5. "Easy Money" – 3:16
6. "The Last Chance Texaco" – 4:05
7. "Danny's All-Star Joint" – 4:01
8. "Coolsville" – 3:49
9. "Weasel and the White Boys Cool" (Rickie Lee Jones, Alfred Johnson) – 6:00
10. "Company" (Rickie Lee Jones, Alfred Johnson) – 4:40
11. "After Hours (Twelve Bars Past Midnight)" – 2:13

Personnel

Rickie Lee Jones - vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion, horn arrangements

• Dr. John - keyboards
• Michael McDonald - vocals
• Randy Newman - synthesizer
• Victor Feldman - percussion, drums, keyboards
• Tom Scott - horns
• Ralph Grierson - keyboards
• Michael Boddicker - synthesizer
• Red Callender - bass
• Nick DeCaro - accordion, orchestral arrangements
• Buzz Feiten - guitar
• Chuck Findley - horns
• Steve Gadd - drums
• Randy Kerber - keyboards
• Neil Larsen - keyboards
• Arno Lucas - background vocals
• Johnny Mandel - orchestral arrangements
• Andy Newmark - drums
• Jeff Porcaro - drums
• Leslie Smith - background vocals
• Mark Stevens - drums, percussion
• Fred Tackett - guitar, mandolin
• Joe Torano - background vocals
• Ernie Watts - horns
• Willie Weeks - bass
• Matthew Weiner - background vocals

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1979	US	3
1979	UK	18
1979	Australia	1

Singles - Billboard

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1979	"Chuck E's In Love"	Black Singles	79
1979	"Chuck E's In Love"	Pop Singles	4
1979	"Young Blood"	Pop Singles	40

Notes

Preceded by The Bob Seger Collection by Bob Seger

Australian Kent Music Report number-one album June 11 – July 22, 1979

Succeeded by Discovery by Electric Light Orchestra