City Life (The Blackbyrds album)

City Life
City Life
Studio album by the Blackbyrds
Released	November 1975
Recorded	1975
Studio	Sound Factory (Hollywood)
Genre	Jazz-funk
Label	Fantasy
Producer	Donald Byrd
The Blackbyrds chronology

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[2]

City Life is the third studio album by the American rhythm and blues and jazz-funk fusion group the Blackbyrds. It was produced by Donald Byrd and includes the popular singles "Happy Music" and "Rock Creek Park." "Happy Music" was first given a limited released as a six-minute remix on 12-inch vinyl for club deejays,^[3] then in early 1976 was released on standard 7-inch vinyl. "Rock Creek Park" has been sampled repeatedly by hip hop musicians.^[4]

Background

Three members of the band had left sometime after the completion of the previous album: Allan Barnes, Barney Perry, and Perk Jacobs. Guitarist Orville Saunders was brought on in place of Perry, who had left the band to form his own group, Malone & Barnes and Spontaneous Simplicity, while saxophonist Stephen Johnson replaced Barnes.

Track listing

Song credits and timings taken from original LP.^[5]

Side One
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Rock Creek Park"	Joe Hall, Keith Killgo, Kevin Toney, Orville Saunders, Stephen Johnson	4:35
2.	"Thankful 'Bout Yourself"	Saunders	5:11
3.	"City Life"	Toney	5:22
4.	"All I Ask"	Toney	3:50

Side Two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5.	"Happy Music"	Donald Byrd	4:32
6.	"Love So Fine"	Hall	5:00
7.	"Flying High"	Killgo	3:29
8.	"Hash and Eggs"	Fonce Mizell, Larry Mizell	5:06

Personnel

The Blackbyrds

Kevin Toney – keyboards
Stephen Johnson – saxophone
Orville Saunders – guitar
Joe Hall – bass
Keith Killgo – drums

Additional musicians

The original LP doesn't credit any musicians individually and instead gives a general "very special thanks" to them. Vocals for the album are also uncredited.

Merry Clayton – vocals on "Rock Creek Park" and "Happy Music"^[6]
George Bohanon
Ernie Watts
Patrice Rushen
Gary Bartz
Larry Mizell
Fonce Mizell
Tommy Morgan

Charts

Album

Chart (1976)	Peak position
Billboard Top LPs	16
Top Soul LPs	3
Jazz LPs	1

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1975	"City Life"	Disco Singles	4
	"Flying High"	Billboard Hot 100	70
	"Flying High"	Hot Soul Singles	22
1976	"Happy Music"	Billboard Hot 100	19
		Hot Soul Singles	3
		Disco Singles	6
	"Rock Creek Park"	Billboard Hot 100	93
	"Rock Creek Park"	Hot Soul Singles	37

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.
^ Mason, Stewart. The Blackbyrds: City Life > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
^ Niebur, Louis (2022). Menergy: San Francisco's Gay Disco Sound. Oxford University Press. p. 49. ISBN 9780197511077.
^ "Donald Byrd, Producer of "Rock Creek Park," Dead at 80". Archived from the original on 2022-07-05. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
^ City Life (album). The Blackbyrds. Berkeley, California: Fantasy Records. 1975. F-9490.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/artists/1151/merry-clayton

External links

[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] Mason, Stewart. The Blackbyrds: City Life > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 3 September 2011.

[3] Niebur, Louis (2022). Menergy: San Francisco's Gay Disco Sound. Oxford University Press. p. 49. ISBN 9780197511077.

[4] "Donald Byrd, Producer of "Rock Creek Park," Dead at 80". Archived from the original on 2022-07-05. Retrieved 2022-07-04.

[5] City Life (album). The Blackbyrds. Berkeley, California: Fantasy Records. 1975. F-9490.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[6] ttps://www.laphil.com/musicdb/artists/1151/merry-clayton

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