Breakin' Away (album)
| Breakin' Away | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 30, 1981 | |||
| Recorded | 1981 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:07 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Jay Graydon | |||
| Al Jarreau chronology | ||||
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Breakin' Away is an album by Al Jarreau, released on June 30, 1981, through the Warner Bros. Records label. To quote AllMusic, "Breakin' Away became the standard bearer of the L.A. pop and R&B sound."[1]
The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA.[2]
Chart performance
Breakin' Away remains Al Jarreau's most popular album. It spent two years on the Billboard 200 and peaked at #9.[3] The album also hit #1 on both the Jazz and R&B charts.
Four single releases made the charts: "We're in This Love Together", "Breakin' Away", "Teach Me Tonight", and "Roof Garden", the latter being only released in The Netherlands, Belgium and France.
At the Grammy Awards in 1982 the album was given the prize for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, while "(Round, Round, Round) Blue Rondo à la Turk" received the award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male. The album was also nominated for Album of the Year.
Track listing
All tracks were written by Tom Canning, Jay Graydon and Al Jarreau, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Closer to Your Love" | 3:54 | |
| 2. | "My Old Friend" | Steve George, John Lang, Richard Page | 4:26 |
| 3. | "We're in This Love Together" | Roger Murrah, Keith Stegall | 3:44 |
| 4. | "Easy" | 5:23 | |
| 5. | "Our Love" | 3:53 | |
| 6. | "Breakin' Away" | 4:12 | |
| 7. | "Roof Garden" | 6:19 | |
| 8. | "(Round, Round, Round) Blue Rondo à la Turk" | Dave Brubeck, lyrics by Al Jarreau | 4:44 |
| 9. | "Teach Me Tonight" | Sammy Cahn, Gene De Paul | 4:13 |
Personnel
Musicians and vocalists
- Al Jarreau – vocals, backing vocals (1, 3–7, 9)
- Jay Graydon – synthesizer programming (1, 2), electric guitars (1–7, 9)
- Tom Canning – acoustic piano (1), Fender Rhodes (1, 4, 9), synthesizers (1–4, 8)
- David Foster – acoustic piano (2, 5, 6), Fender Rhodes (2, 5, 6), synthesizers (2, 5, 6)
- Michael Omartian – synthesizers (3), Fender Rhodes (3)
- Michael Boddicker – synthesizer programming (2, 8), synthesizers (3–6, 8)
- J. Peter Robinson – synthesizers (4)
- Larry Williams – synthesizer solo (4)
- George Duke – Fender Rhodes (7)
- Milcho Leviev – acoustic piano (8)
- Steve Lukather – electric guitar (2, 3)
- Dean Parks – electric guitar (9)
- Abraham Laboriel – bass (1–5, 7–9)
- Neil Stubenhaus – bass (6)
- Steve Gadd – drums (1–5, 7–9)
- Jeff Porcaro – drums (6)
- Bob Zimmitti – percussion (4)
- Tom Scott – horns (1)
- Lon Price – alto sax solo (3, 9)
- Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone (6, 7)
- Jerry Hey – flugelhorn (2), trumpet (6, 7)
- Chuck Findley – trumpet (6, 7)
- Richard Page – backing vocals (2, 5, 7)
- Steve George – backing vocals (2, 5, 7)
- Bill Champlin – backing vocals (7)
Music arrangements
- Al Jarreau – rhythm arrangements (1–7, 9), vocal arrangements (8)
- Tom Canning – rhythm arrangements (1–7, 9), vocal arrangements (8)
- Jay Graydon – rhythm arrangements (1–7, 9), vocal arrangements (8)
- David Foster – string arrangements (5)
- Jerry Hey – horn arrangements (6, 7)
- Milcho Leviev – rhythm arrangements (8)
- Billy Byers – string arrangements (9)
Production
- Jay Graydon – producer, mixing, overdubs
- Tom Canning – associate producer
- Joe Bogan – basic track engineer (1–5, 7–9)
- Larry Brown – basic track engineer (6)
- Debbie Thompson – second basic track engineer (1–5, 7–9)
- Mikey Davis – second basic track engineer (6)
- Csaba Petocz – second basic track engineer (6)
- Humberto Gatica – string recording (5, 9) at Sunset Sound (Hollywood, California)
- Bernie Grundman – mastering at A&M Studios (Hollywood, California)
- Frank DeCaro – musician contractor
- Christine Sauers – art direction, design
- Susan Jarreau – cover photography
- Patrick Rains & Associates – management
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1982–83) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[4] | 80 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[5] | 3 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[6] | 7 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[7] | 36 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[8] | 9 |
| US Billboard 200[9] | 9 |
| US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[10] | 23 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[11] | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Year End Chart (1982) | Peak position[12] |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 21 |
| R&B | 13 |
| Jazz | 1 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications |
|---|---|
| France | Gold [13] |
| USA | Platinum [14] |
Notes
- ^ "AllMusic review". AllMusic.
- ^ "RIAA – Searchable Database: Al Jarreau". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top Pop Albums 1955-1985, Record Research Inc., 1985, p. 183, 495.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 155. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Al Jarreau – Breakin' Away" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 260. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Al Jarreau – Breakin' Away". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Al Jarreau – Breakin' Away". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "Al Jarreau Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "Al Jarreau Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "Al Jarreau Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums of 1982". Billboard.com. Billboard Magazine. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ "Les certifications - SNEP". SNEP.
- ^ "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America.