Betcha (album)
| Betcha | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1979 | |||
| Recorded | May & June 1979 | |||
| Studio | Dawnbreaker Recording Studios, San Fernando, CA | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:16 | |||
| Label | Elektra 6E-217 LP | |||
| Producer | Stanley Turrentine | |||
| Stanley Turrentine chronology | ||||
| ||||
Betcha is a studio album by American saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, recorded in May and June 1979 and released later that year by Elektra Records, his first for the label.[1][2] It features Turrentine backed by R&B vocalists and a string orchestra.[3]
In 1980, Betcha was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental.[4]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [1] |
| Jazzwise | [5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
The AllMusic review by Steve Leggett stated, "things don't heat up too much and Turrentine's sax coasts over the embedded synthesized strings and orchestrated background vocals, [...] although the synthesizers and massed guitars provide enough fanfare to make it all sound bigger than it really is. In the end, Turrentine plays great, like he always does, but it all gets muted by the soaring arrangements, leaving Betcha sounding majestic but somehow strangely empty."[1]
Alyn Shipton of Jazzwise wrote, "Compared to Turrentine's Blue Note work, this 1979 set with orchestra and singers is saccharine and cloying—definitely not his best work."[5]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Stanley Turrentine except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Take Me Home" |
| 4:24 |
| 2. | "Love Is the Answer" | Todd Rundgren | 4:57 |
| 3. | "Betcha" | 6:28 | |
| 4. | "Concentrate on You" | 4:32 | |
| 5. | "You" | Marlena Shaw | 5:52 |
| 6. | "Hamlet (So Peaceful)" | 4:56 | |
| 7. | "Long Time Gone" | 4:25 | |
| 8. | "Together Again" | 4:42 | |
| Total length: | 40:16 | ||
Personnel
Music
- Stanley Turrentine – tenor saxophone; producer
- Lynn Davis, Jim Gilstrap, Marlena Jeter, John Lehman, Andrea Robinson, Zedric Turnbough – background vocals
- Charles Fearing, Lee Ritenour, Thom Rotella, David T. Walker, Wah Wah Watson – electric guitar
- Sonny Burke – keyboards
- Todd Cochran – synthesizer
- Earl Watkins – electric bass
- James Gadson, Jeff Porcaro – drums
- Eddie "Bongo" Brown – percussion, synthesizer
- Gary Coleman – bells, vibraphone
- Billy Page – conductor, contractor
- Gene Page – conductor, arranger
- Harry Bluestone – concertmaster, violin
Technical
- Richard Carpenter – production coordinator
- Debbie Thompson – assistant recording engineer
References
- ^ a b c Leggett, Steve. "Betcha – Stanley Turrentine | Album". AllMusic. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
- ^ Gliožeris, Slava. "STANLEY TURRENTINE — Betcha". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
- ^ "Stanley Turrentine". JazzRockSoul. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ "Stanley Turrentine | Artist". Grammy Awards. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ a b Shipton, Alyn (July 2014). "Stanley Turrentine: Betcha". Jazzwise. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
- ^ H.B. (1999). Swenson, John (ed.). The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (2nd ed.). Random House. p. 194. ISBN 0-679-76873-4. Retrieved March 17, 2026 – via Internet Archive.