Heart of the City (album)
Encyclopedia
Heart of the City is the fourth album
by the Spanish group Barrabás
, released in 1975. The album charted at #149 on the Billboard 200
in the USA, and was later re-released on CD in Spain as Check Mate.
This album was the first to feature Daniel Louis on drums
, after the departure of José María Moll.
"Checkmate" / "Family Size" and "Make It Easy" / "Take a Wild Ride" were released as singles. The instrumental "Mellow Blow" was one of the first 12-inch single
s to be released, and the first ever on Atlantic Records
.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by the Spanish group Barrabás
Barrabás
Barrabás are a Spanish musical group, most successful in the 1970s and 1980s, when they were led by drummer Fernando Arbex. The group's musical style was initially Latin rock with jazz and funk influences, and later developed into a more disco-orientated sound.-History:Arbex formed Barrabás in 1971...
, released in 1975. The album charted at #149 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in the USA, and was later re-released on CD in Spain as Check Mate.
This album was the first to feature Daniel Louis on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, after the departure of José María Moll.
"Checkmate" / "Family Size" and "Make It Easy" / "Take a Wild Ride" were released as singles. The instrumental "Mellow Blow" was one of the first 12-inch single
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
s to be released, and the first ever on 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...
.
Track listing
- "Checkmate" (Fernando ArbexFernando ArbexJosé Fernando Arbex Miró was an influential Spanish musician and songwriter from Madrid, who enjoyed success both with his own groups and also with other artists....
) – 4:28 - "Take a Wild Ride" (E. Morales, M. Morales, Ernesto Duarte, Daniel Louis) – 4:00
- "Along the Shore" (Duarte, José Luís Tejada) – 6:06
- "Make It Easy" (E. Morales, M. Morales) – 3:54
- "Family Size" (Arbex) – 3:21
- "Mellow Blow" (E. Morales) – 4:12
- "Thank You Love" (E. Morales, M. Morales) – 4:45
- "Four Season Woman" (Arbex) – 3:57
Personnel
- José Luís Tejada – lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Enrique "Ricky" Morales – lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, vocals - Miguel Morales – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - Ernesto "Tito" Duarte – saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, bass guitar - Juan Vidal – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals - Daniel Louis – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- "The Waters" (Maxine, Julia & Patti) – backing vocals
- Produced by Fernando ArbexFernando ArbexJosé Fernando Arbex Miró was an influential Spanish musician and songwriter from Madrid, who enjoyed success both with his own groups and also with other artists....
- Recorded at Blue Rock Studios, New York
Release information
- Spain – AriolaAriola RecordsAriola Records is a German record label. As of the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of BMG which in turn has since become a part of the international media conglomerate Sony Music Entertainment...
Eurodisc - Germany – Ariola 89 267 XOT
- USA & Canada – AtcoAtco RecordsATCO Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, currently operating through WMG's Rhino Entertainment.-Beginnings:Atco Records was founded in 1955 as a division of Atlantic Records. It was devised as an outlet for productions by one of Atlantic's founders, Herb Abramson, who...
SD 36-118 - Italy – AtlanticAtlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
W50165
- Disconforme DISC 1993CD (2001 CD) – (as Check Mate)
- Wounded BirdWounded Bird RecordsWounded Bird Records is a CD only, re-issue record label, that was founded in 1998 in Guilderland, New York. They re-release lesser known albums from both popular and lesser known artists, including Deborah Harry, Chic, David Blue, Marilyn Martin, Gordon Haskell, Jon Anderson, Adrian Belew, Ellen...
WOBR6118 (2008 CD)