The Pointer Sisters

by The Pointer Sisters

Overview

With a big push from their Blue Thumb label, who introduced the band by way of a full-page ad in Billboard magazine, the Pointer Sisters took their eponymous debut straight to the top of the R&B charts in summer 1973 on the strengths of their penchant for mixing classic '60s R&B with fresh forward-thinking grooves. Add the sisters' harmonies and complex vocal moves, and there's no doubt the group was destined for a fast rise. Produced by David Rubinson, The Pointer Sisters contained effusive covers that cradled two of the Pointers' own compositions. That remarkable combo, then, allowed the Allen Toussaint classic "Yes We Can Can" to rub shoulders with the original "Jada," a boogie blues-shaded slab of jazz, and a perfect fingerprint of the eclectic style that would define the Pointers' core. That same bent also allowed them to give equal energy to the Willie Dixon gem "Wang Dang Doodle," a song which quickly became a live set favorite, and also to their own "Sugar." Other high points include "River Boulevard," a mid-tempo vocal that gives way to a light rock riot. It was easy to see exactly where the Pointer Sisters were headed. With talent to spare and an energy that was fresh and unending, this set emerges a cohesive and joyous cabaret, allowing the quartet to do what it does best. Listening to these earliest gems, it's no surprise, then, that the band would spend the better part of the next two decades in the charts. ~ Amy Hanson

Product Details

Release Date:	11/20/2001
Label:	Mca / Geffen / Universal Special Products
UPC:	0076743137723

Tracks

1. Yes We Can Can
2. Cloudburst
3. Jada
4. River Boulevard
5. Old Songs
6. That's How I Feel
7. Sugar
8. Pains and Tears
9. Naked Foot
10. Wang Dang Doodle

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Pointer Sisters   Primary Artist
Hoodoo Rhythm Devils   Guest Artist
Ron McClure   Guest Artist,Bass,Bass (Acoustic),Bass (Electric)
Tom Salisbury   Piano,Keyboards
Bonnie Pointer   Vocals
Ed Marshall   Drums
Eddie Marshall   Drums
Ruth Pointer   Vocals
Skip Mesquite   Saxophone
June Pointer   Vocals
Brock Walsh   Synthesizer
Glen Ballard   Synthesizer
Gaylord Birch   Drums
Anita Pointer   Vocals
Jerome Kimsey   Drums
John Rewind   Guitar
Rod Ellicott   Bass
Joe Crane   Piano,Keyboards
Willie Fulton   Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
Norman Landsberg   Piano,Keyboards
Dexter C. Plates   Bass

Technical Credits

Robert Nathan   Composer
Bonnie Pointer   Composer
Fred Catero   Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Bruce Good   Composer
Ruth Pointer   Composer
Jon Hendricks   Composer
David Rubinson   Arranger,Engineer,Producer,Mixing Engineer
Jeremy Zatkin   Engineer,Mixing Engineer
June Pointer   Composer
Jimmy Harris   Composer
Prez Tyus-the students   Composer
Wilton Felder   Composer
Leroy Kirkland   Composer
The Pointer Sisters   Arranger,Composer,Vocal Arrangement
Anita Pointer   Composer
Allen Toussaint   Composer
Willie Dixon   Composer
Barbara Mauritz   Composer
Neal Tate   Composer
John Shine   Composer
Norman Landsberg   Arranger,Composer,Vocal Arrangement,Associate Producer
J. Cohen   Composer
Geoff Horne   Engineer,Mastering
B. Good   Arranger
John Hendricks   Composer
Jeffrey Cohen   Composer