The Manhattans LOVE SONGS

The Manhattans: Gerald (Smut) Alston, Winifred (Blue) Lovett, Kenneth (Wally) Kelly, Edward (sonny) (Dip) Bivins (vocals).
Producers include: Leo Graham, James Mack, Dennis Lambert & Brian Potter, Teddy Randazzo.
Compilation producers: Leo Sacks, Winfred (Blue) Lovett.
Tracks recorded between 1976 and 1981. Includes liner notes by Elvis Mitchell.
Digitially remastered by Joseph M. Palmaccio (Sony Music Studios, New York, New York).
Personnel: Gerald Alston (vocals); Edward "Sonny" Bivins, Kenneth "Wally" Kelly (tenor); Winfred "Blue" Lovett (bass voice); Dennis Harris , Danny Leake, Eric Gale , Byron Gregory, Keith Henderson, Norman Harris, Roland Chambers, Bobby Eli (guitar); Liz Cifani (harp); Elliott Golub, Everett Mirsky, Adrian Da Prato, Florentina Ramniceanu, Philip Hilson, Carol Weiss, David K. Edge, David Hildner, Darrell Bloch, Marlou Johnston, Samuel Magad, Edward Green, Jerry Sabransky, Sam Feinzimer, Edgar Muenzer, Adrian Gola, Frank Fiatarone, Richard Ferrin, Phyllis McKenny, Richard Posner, Mary Ann Mumm, Sol Bobrov, Edmund Bauer, Joyce Noh, Arnie Roth, Theodore Silavin (violin); Martin Abrams, Roger Moulton, Robert Swan, Craig Mumm (viola); Karl B. Fruh, Elaine Mack, Barbara Haffner (cello); Seals Steele, Kenneth Soderblom, Kaye Clements (flute, saxophone); Paul Howard , Bobby Lewis , Elmer Brown, Dave Barber, Arthur Hoyle (trumpet); Thomas Howell, Melanie Kocher, Nancy Howell, Stephen Oldberg, Dale Clevenger (French horn); John Avant, Mike Meyers, Stephen Berry (trombone); James Mack (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Richard Tee, Ron Kersey (piano); Lenny Pakula (organ); Terry Fryer (synthesizer); Vince Montana (vibraphone); Earl Young, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, Morris Jennings (drums); Larry Washington (congas); Bobby Christian (percussion).
Liner Note Author: Elvis Mitchell.
Recording information: Advantage Studios, NY; Jennifudy Studios, Los Abgeles; Penny Lane Studios, NY; Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, PA; Total Experience Studios, Hollywood, CA; Universal Studios, Chicago, IL.
Photographer: Don Hunstein.
Arrangers: Dennis Harris ; Michael Foreman; James Mack; Bobby Martin ; Teddy Randazzo; Benjamin F. Wright; Bert Keyes.
Like Sony's other Love Songs compilations, this one runs the risk of overlapping too much with greatest-hits discs for some consumers' tastes. Seven of the 13 tracks here are on The Best of the Manhattans: Kiss and Say Goodbye, which, like Love Songs, surveys their recordings from the 1970s and early 1980s for Columbia. Still, this collection does retrieve three R&B chart singles that eluded The Best of the Manhattans...: "We Never Danced to a Love Song," "Girl of My Dream," and "The Way We Were/Memories." The disc is filled out by a couple of album tracks and their 1972 single "A Million to One," which was actually on the Deluxe label. ~ Richie Unterberger

• Format: CD
• Genre: R&B