Atlantic Crossing
Encyclopedia
Atlantic Crossing is Rod Stewart's
sixth album, released in 1975, and peaking at number nine on the Billboard
Top Pop Albums chart. On June 30, 2009, Rhino released a two-disc version with bonus tracks.
The title indicated Stewart's new commercial and artistic direction, a double pun on both his crossing over to Warner Brothers and on his departure to escape the socialist tax system of the United Kingdom
for the sunnier pastures of the jet-set life in Los Angeles
, applying for American citizenship at this time. The album was divided into a slow side and a fast side, apparently at the suggestion of Stewart's then-girlfriend, Swedish actress Britt Ekland
. Stewart would repeat the format for his next two albums.
Stewart jettisoned his association with Ronnie Wood and the stable of musicians who had been his core collaborators on his classic run of albums fusing soul
and folk
on Mercury Records
. Instead, he used a group of high-ticket session musicians, including the cream from Memphis with The Memphis Horns
and three-quarters of Booker T. and the MG's. Produced by Tom Dowd
, the famous engineer and producer on records by so many of Rod's heroes during Dowd's time on staff at Atlantic Records
, the album continued his approach as at Mercury, but with more polish, more of a deliberate commercial sheen. Atlantic Crossing inaugurated the next phase of Stewart's career, that of a glamorous front-rank rock personality, a constant figure in various tabloids, underlining Stewart's appeal and star power. Stewart would confirm this new direction by the end of year with the announcement of his exit from the Faces
, a band of mates rather than hired hands, and as the decade progressed by embracing popular trends in hard rock
and disco
more fully.
Stewart continued his mastery of ballad singing as a track from this album, "I Don't Want to Talk About It," hit number one in the UK, in tandem with "The First Cut Is the Deepest
".
The design of the album was a bit of a marketing mistake. It did not have track listings on the outside and the cover was regularly ripped open.The album has sold more 7 million in worldwide.
Slow half
Disc Two:
String arrangements by Arif Mardin
and James Mitchell
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
sixth album, released in 1975, and peaking at number nine on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Top Pop Albums chart. On June 30, 2009, Rhino released a two-disc version with bonus tracks.
The title indicated Stewart's new commercial and artistic direction, a double pun on both his crossing over to Warner Brothers and on his departure to escape the socialist tax system of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for the sunnier pastures of the jet-set life in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, applying for American citizenship at this time. The album was divided into a slow side and a fast side, apparently at the suggestion of Stewart's then-girlfriend, Swedish actress Britt Ekland
Britt Ekland
Britt-Marie Ekland is a Swedish actress and singer, and a long time resident of the United Kingdom. She is best known for her roles as a Bond girl in The Man with the Golden Gun, and in the British cult horror film The Wicker Man, as well as her marriage to actor Peter Sellers, and her...
. Stewart would repeat the format for his next two albums.
Stewart jettisoned his association with Ronnie Wood and the stable of musicians who had been his core collaborators on his classic run of albums fusing soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
on Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
. Instead, he used a group of high-ticket session musicians, including the cream from Memphis with The Memphis Horns
The Memphis Horns
The Memphis Horns are an American horn section made famous by their many appearances on Stax Records. They have been called "arguably the greatest soul horn section ever." Originally a sextet, the Memphis Horns gradually slimmed down to a duo, Wayne Jackson on trumpet and Andrew Love on tenor...
and three-quarters of Booker T. and the MG's. Produced by Tom Dowd
Tom Dowd
Tom Dowd was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multi-track recording method. Dowd worked on a virtual "who's who" of recordings that encompassed blues, jazz, pop, rock and soul records.- Early years :Born in Manhattan, Dowd grew...
, the famous engineer and producer on records by so many of Rod's heroes during Dowd's time on staff at Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, the album continued his approach as at Mercury, but with more polish, more of a deliberate commercial sheen. Atlantic Crossing inaugurated the next phase of Stewart's career, that of a glamorous front-rank rock personality, a constant figure in various tabloids, underlining Stewart's appeal and star power. Stewart would confirm this new direction by the end of year with the announcement of his exit from the Faces
Faces (band)
Faces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of the Small Faces after Steve Marriott left that group to form Humble Pie...
, a band of mates rather than hired hands, and as the decade progressed by embracing popular trends in hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
and disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
more fully.
Stewart continued his mastery of ballad singing as a track from this album, "I Don't Want to Talk About It," hit number one in the UK, in tandem with "The First Cut Is the Deepest
The First Cut Is the Deepest
"The First Cut Is the Deepest" is a 1967 song written by Cat Stevens, originally released by P. P. Arnold in the spring of 1967. Stevens' own version of the song is technically a cover, and originally appeared on his album New Masters in December 1967....
".
The design of the album was a bit of a marketing mistake. It did not have track listings on the outside and the cover was regularly ripped open.The album has sold more 7 million in worldwide.
Track listing
Fast half- "Three Time Loser" (Stewart) – 4:03
- "Alright For An Hour" (Stewart, Jesse Ed DavisJesse Ed DavisJesse Edwin Davis was an American guitarist. He was well regarded as a session artist. His death in 1988 is attributed to a drug overdose.-Biography:...
) – 4:17 - "All In The Name Of Rock & Roll" (Stewart) – 5:02
- "Drift AwayDrift Away"Drift Away" is a song written by Mentor Williams and originally recorded by John Henry Kurtz on his 1972 album Reunion. In 1973 the song became Dobie Gray's biggest hit, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, though it did not enter the charts in the United Kingdom.This song is also a...
" (Mentor WilliamsMentor WilliamsMentor Williams is an American songwriter and producer. He is best known for writing "Drift Away", a middle-of-the-road playlist classic performed by Dobie Gray in 1973. He is the brother of famed songwriter Paul Williams.-Background:...
) – 3:43 - "Stone Cold Sober" (Stewart, Steve CropperSteve CropperSteve Cropper , also known as Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T...
) – 4:12
Slow half
- "I Don't Want To Talk About ItI Don't Want to Talk About It"I Don't Want to Talk About It" is the name of a song written by Danny Whitten. Whitten's band, Crazy Horse released it as a track on their 1971 eponymous album....
" (Danny WhittenDanny WhittenDaniel Ray Whitten was an American musician and songwriter best known for his work with Neil Young and Crazy Horse, and for the song "I Don't Want To Talk About It", a hit for Rita Coolidge, Rod Stewart and Everything but the Girl.- Biography :Whitten was born on May 8, 1943, in Columbus, Georgia....
) – 4:47 - "It's Not The Spotlight" (Barry GoldbergBarry GoldbergBarry Goldberg is a blues and rock keyboardist, songwriter and record producer.-Career:As a teenager in Chicago, Goldberg sat in with Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, and Howlin' Wolf. He played keyboards in the band supporting Bob Dylan during his 1965 'electrified' appearance at the Newport Folk Festival...
, Gerry GoffinGerry GoffinGerry Goffin is an American lyricist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 with former songwriting partner and first wife, Carole King. he has co-written six Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers.-Career:Goffin enlisted with the Marine Corps Reserve after graduating from...
) – 4:21 - "This Old Heart of MineThis Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)"This Old Heart of Mine " is an Isley Brothers song from 1966 that was a hit for them during their brief tenure on Motown's Tamla label...
" (Holland-Dozier-HollandHolland-Dozier-HollandHolland–Dozier–Holland is a songwriting and production team made up of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Edward Holland, Jr. They are considered to be one of the greatest songwriting teams in popular music...
, Sylvia MoySylvia MoySylvia Moy is a songwriter and record producer, formerly associated with the Motown Records group. The first woman at the Detroit-based music label to write and produce for Motown acts, she is probably best known for her songs written for Stevie Wonder....
) – 4:04 - "Still Love You" (Stewart) – 5:08
- "SailingSailing (Rod Stewart song)"Sailing" is a song written by Gavin Sutherland and recorded by The Sutherland Bros. Band . Released in June 1972, it can be found on their album 'Lifeboat' released in the same year....
" (Gavin Sutherland) – 4:37
Track Listing for 2009 Two Disc Re-release
Disc One:- Three Time Loser 4:05
- Alright For An Hour 4:16
- All In The Name Of Rock 'N' Roll 5:01
- Drift Away 3:45
- Stone Cold Sober 4:12
- I Don't Want To Talk About It 4:52
- It's Not The Spotlight 4:27
- This Old Heart Of Mine 4:06
- Still Love You 5:12
- Sailing 4:36
- Skye Boat Song 4:13
Disc Two:
- To Love SomebodyTo Love Somebody (song)"To Love Somebody" is the second single released by the Bee Gees from their third LP, Bee Gees 1st.The band's manager Robert Stigwood wanted Barry Gibb to write a soul song for Otis Redding. Barry, along with Robin wrote "To Love Somebody," a soulful ballad in the style of Sam & Dave or The Rascals...
[with Booker T. & The MG's] 4:12 - Holy Cow [with Booker T. & The MG's] 3:16
- Return To Sender [with Booker T. & The MG's] 3:42
- Three Time Loser [Alternate Version] 4:40
- Alright For An Hour [Alternate Version] 4:36
- All In The Name Of Rock 'N' Roll [Alternate Version] 5:00
- Drift Away [Alternate Version] 3:58
- Too Much Noise [Early Version Of "Stone Cold Sober"] 3:24
- I Don't Want To Talk About It [Alternate Version] 4:56
- It's Not The Spotlight [Alternate Version] 4:27
- This Old Heart Of Mine [Alternate Version W/Booker T. & The MG's] 3:54
- Still Love You [Alternate Version] 4:57
- Sailing [Alternate Version] 4:39
- Skye Boat Song [Alternate Version] 4:20
Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Australian Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... Albums Chart |
1 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
Personnel
- Rod Stewart - vocals
- Pete CarrPete CarrJesse Willard "Pete" Carr is an American guitarist. Carr has contributed to hit recordings by Joan Baez, Luther Ingram, Bob Seger, Joe Cocker, Boz Scaggs, Paul Simon, The Staple Singers, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Wilson Pickett, Hank Williams, Jr., and many more over the past four decades...
- guitars - Jesse Ed DavisJesse Ed DavisJesse Edwin Davis was an American guitarist. He was well regarded as a session artist. His death in 1988 is attributed to a drug overdose.-Biography:...
- guitars - Steve CropperSteve CropperSteve Cropper , also known as Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T...
- guitars - Fred TackettFred TackettFred Tackett, an American native of Arkansas, is an accomplished songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Originally a session player on guitar, mandolin, and trumpet, he is best known for his longevity as a member of the band Little Feat....
, guitars - Jimmy JohnsonJimmy Johnson (musician)Jimmy Johnson is an American a member of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section that was attached to FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama for a period in the 1960s and 1970s, and later was the a founder of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio located at first on 3614 Jackson Highway in Sheffield, Alabama and at...
- guitars - Barry BeckettBarry BeckettBarry Edward Beckett was a keyboardist who worked as a session musician with several notable artists on their studio albums...
- keyboards - Albhy GalutenAlbhy GalutenAlbhy Galuten is a Grammy Award-winning American record producer, composer, musician, orchestrator and technology executive.He produced 18 number 1 singles with songs and albums selling over 100,000,000 copies...
- keyboards - Donald "Duck" Dunn - bass
- Lee SklarLeland SklarLeland "Lee" Bruce Sklar is an American musician, singer-songwriter and film score composer. A prominent bass guitarist, Sklar has contributed to thousands of albums as a session musician...
- bass - Bob GlaubBob GlaubBob Glaub is an American bass player and session musician. He's played with such artists and bands as Journey, Jackson Browne, Bee Gees, Eric Carmen, Linda Ronstadt, Leo Sayer, Warren Zevon, Rod Stewart, Donna Summer, Bonnie Raitt and many others....
- bass - David HoodDavid HoodDavid Hood , is a bassist from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He also plays the trombone and is a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame....
- bass - David LindleyDavid Lindley (musician)David Perry Lindley is an American musician who is notable for his work with Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, and other rock musicians. He has worked extensively in other genres as well, performing with artists as varied as Curtis Mayfield and Dolly Parton...
- mandolin, violin - Al Jackson, Jr. - drums
- Roger HawkinsRoger HawkinsRoger G Hawkins , is an American drummer best known for playing as part of the studio backing band known as The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section of Alabama...
- drums - Nigel OlssonNigel OlssonNigel Olsson is an English rock drummer, who is best known for his work with Elton John. Olsson helped establish the Elton John sound as one of the first members of John's band, on drums, percussion and backing vocals. When not working with Elton, Olsson has taken up the role of a session musician...
- drums - Willie Correa - drums
- The Memphis HornsThe Memphis HornsThe Memphis Horns are an American horn section made famous by their many appearances on Stax Records. They have been called "arguably the greatest soul horn section ever." Originally a sextet, the Memphis Horns gradually slimmed down to a duo, Wayne Jackson on trumpet and Andrew Love on tenor...
- trumpet, trombone, saxophone - Cindy & Bob Singers, The Pets & The Clappers - backing vocals
String arrangements by Arif Mardin
Arif Mardin
Arif Mardin was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco, and country...
and James Mitchell
James Mitchell
-Arts, entertainment, and sports :*James Mitchell , American actor who played Palmer Cortlandt on All My Children*James Mitchell , American athlete who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics...