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Overview
What do you do when you're a connected and funded musician/producer who, like many others pushing 40 or greater, is disappointed with commercial music made by and for people born after your favorite era of music? If you're Mark Ronson, you dial a Pulitzer-winning novelist, snare a sympathetic group of stars, session giants, and unknowns, including a singer discovered during a talent quest through churches from New Orleans to Chicago, and record another tribute to your childhood soundtrack. Indeed, apart from the involvement of Michael Chabon, whose lyrics color nine of the 11 songs, Uptown Special is business as usual for Ronson and co-pilot Jeff Bhasker. The two songs that don't involve Chabon made the earliest and deepest impressions. Bruno Mars showcase "Uptown Funk," despite aiming for early Time and landing closer to a second-tier trifle -- One Way's "Let's Talk," for instance -- topped pop charts in a number of territories and went platinum in Ronson's native U.K. "Feel Right," led by Mystikal at his vulgar and ebullient best, splits the difference between Bobby Byrd and Son of Bazerk. Everything else was co-written with Chabon, whose somewhat surreal scenes are matched with predominantly hazier and freewheeling sounds. These songs, including two highlights that boast the dynamite rhythm section of Willie Weeks and Steve Jordan, as well as lazing vocals from relative youngsters Andrew Wyatt and Kevin Parker, tend to evoke summery soft rock/smooth soul hybrids of the mid- to late '70s, or certain songs by later practitioners like Phoenix and Daft Punk. "I Can't Lose" is the lone Chabon song that breaks a sweat -- thick, twisted synth funk that borrows from Soho's "Hot Music" and (cleanly) lifts from Snoop Dogg's "Ain't No Fun," featuring newcomer Keyone Starr in the role of Evelyn King (or maybe Mary Jane Girls' JoJo McDuffie). Neatly tied together by opening and closing cuts that include Stevie Wonder on harmonica, because Ronson could swing it, Uptown Special is another nostalgic fantasy that provides light entertainment and provokes backtracking.
Product Details
Release Date: | 01/13/2015 |
---|---|
Label: | Rca |
UPC: | 0888750531025 |
catalogNumber: | 505310 |
Rank: | 33933 |
Tracks
Album Credits
Performance Credits
Mark Ronson Primary Artist,Bass,Guitar,Percussion,Keyboards,Linn Drum,Electric BongosCarlos Alomar Guitar
Kevin Parker Bass,Guitar,Drums,Keyboards,Vocals,Background Vocals
Willie Weeks Bass
Stevie Wonder Harmonica
Mystikal Vocals
Ray Mason Trombone
Karl Van Den Bossche Percussion
Geoff Zanelli Synthesizer Strings
Andrew Wyatt Vocals,Background Vocals
Steve Jordan Drums,Hi Hat
Neal Sugarman Tenor Saxophone
Ian Hendrickson-Smith Baritone Saxophone
Kameron Whalum Trombone
Nick Movshon Bass
Jeff Bhasker Percussion,Keyboards,Vocals,Background Vocals,Clavinet,Talk Box,Juno
James Ford Keyboards
Homer Steinweiss Drums
Zane Lowe Background Vocals
Thomas Brenneck Guitar
Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews Trombone,Trumpet
Phred Brown Keyboards
Bruno Mars Drums,Vocals,Background Vocals
Philip Lawrence Background Vocals
Dave Guy Trumpet
Shontelle Norman Background Vocals
Tim McFatter Tenor Saxophone
Dan Oestreicher Baritone Saxophone
Brody Brown Bass
Dwayne Dugger Tenor Saxophone
Sharisse Norman Background Vocals
Kirin J. Callinan Guitar
Michael Leonhard Trumpet
Peter Cottontale Keyboards
Nico Segal Trumpet
Teenie Hodges Guitar
Keyone Starr Vocals,Background Vocals
Candise Rayborn-Marshall Background Vocals
Jimmy King Trumpet
Jamareo Artis Bass
Technical Credits
Kevin Parker ComposerDJ Zinc Additional Production
Ken Lewis Engineer
Rufus Wainwright Composer
Michael Tyler Composer
Andre Young Composer
Calvin Broadus Composer
Ricardo Brown Composer
Andrew Wyatt Composer,Programming
Alex Greenwald Composer
Nathaniel Hale Composer
Riton Additional Production
Charles Moniz Engineer
Josh Blair Engineer
Mark Ronson Composer,Programming,Producer,Engineer,drum programming
Inaam Haq Engineer
Joseph Longo Composer
Nick Movshon Composer
Chris Vatalaro Composer
Jeff Bhasker Composer,Producer,Engineer
Warren Griffin Composer
James Ford Engineer,Additional Production
Homer Steinweiss Composer
Boys Noize Additional Production
Michael Chabon Composer
Thomas Brenneck Composer,Engineer
Bruno Mars Composer,Producer
Emile Haynie Composer,Additional Production
Cristian Pérez Engineer
Philip Lawrence Composer
Boo Mitchell Engineer
Artie Smith Engineer
Wayne Gordon Engineer
Brody Brown Composer
Rhys Downing Engineer
Nicholaus Williams Composer
Devon "M.E." Gallaspy Composer
Joe Visciano Engineer
TEED Additional Production
Devin Nakao Engineer
Riccardo Damian Engineer
Michale Chabon Composer
Matthew Stevens Engineer
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