Along the Red Ledge
Along the Red Ledge is the seventh studio album by American pop music duo Hall & Oates. The album was released on August 21, 1978, by RCA Records. The biggest hit from the album was "It's a Laugh" (U.S. #20, Canada #23). The follow-up single was "I Don't Wanna Lose You" (U.S. #42).
| Along the Red Ledge | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 21, 1978 | |||
| Recorded | 1978 | |||
| Genre | Pop, rock | |||
| Length | 36:49 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Producer | David Foster | |||
| Hall & Oates chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B[2] |
The album foreshadowed what was to come in a few years for the duo, as they shed their previous producer Christopher Bond and went with a more polished sound with David Foster. Along the Red Ledge was the first studio album on which Hall & Oates used their road band (previously they had relied heavily on session musicians), a trend they would carry through their heyday of the early 1980s.
Former Beatle George Harrison played guitar on the track "The Last Time". Other contributors to the album include Rick Nielsen of the band Cheap Trick and rock musician Todd Rundgren. Robert Fripp of King Crimson played on the track "Don't Blame It on Love".
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "It's a Laugh" | Daryl Hall | 3:50 |
| 2. | "Melody for a Memory" | John Oates | 4:54 |
| 3. | "The Last Time" | Hall | 2:53 |
| 4. | "I Don't Wanna Lose You" | Hall, Oates | 3:49 |
| 5. | "Have I Been Away Too Long" | Hall | 4:24 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Alley Katz" | Hall, Oates | 3:05 |
| 7. | "Don't Blame It on Love" | Hall, Oates | 3:58 |
| 8. | "Serious Music" | George Bitzer, Oates | 4:10 |
| 9. | "Pleasure Beach" | Oates | 3:13 |
| 10. | "August Day" | Sara Allen, Hall | 3:06 |
Personnel
The Band
- Daryl Hall – lead vocals (1-7, 10), backing vocals, keyboards, percussion
- John Oates – rhythm guitars, backing vocals, lead vocals (2, 8, 9)
- David Kent – keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals
- Caleb Quaye – lead guitars
- Kenny Passarelli – bass
- Roger Pope – drums
- Charles DeChant – saxophone
Additional musicians
- George Bitzer – keyboards
- David Foster – keyboards
- Steve Porcaro – keyboards
- Jay Graydon – guitar
- Steve Lukather – guitar
- Rick Nielsen – guitar
- Todd Rundgren – guitar
- Dick Wagner – guitar
- George Harrison – guitar (3)
- Robert Fripp – guitar (7)
- Les Thompson – harmonica (10)
- Steve Forman – percussion
- Gene Page – string arrangements (4)
Production
- Produced by David Foster
- Arrangements by Daryl Hall, John Oates and David Foster.
- Engineers – Humberto Gatica, Tom Knox and Ed Sprigg.
- Assistant Engineers – Chris Desmond, Mark Linett, Jon Smith and Patrick Von Wiegandt.
- Recorded at Davlen Sound Studios (North Hollywood, CA), Sunset Sound (Los Angeles, CA) and The Hit Factory (New York, NY).
- Mixed by Ed Sprigg at The Hit Factory (New York, NY).
- Mastered by Pat Martin at Sterling Sound (New York, NY).
- Studio Assistants – Glen Lee and Alan Davis
- Art Direction – Dick Smith
- Cover Design – Sara Allen
- Cover Photography – Eric Kroll
- Group Photography – Barbara Gray
- Management and Direction – Tommy Mottola
References
- Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Along the Red Ledge – Daryl Hall & John Oates". AllMusic. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: H". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 24, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.