City Lights (Dr. John album) explained

City Lights
Type:	studio
Artist:	Dr. John
Cover:	dr john - city lights.jpg
Released:	1978
Recorded:	1978
Length:	38:29
Label:	Horizon (SP-732)
Producer:	Tommy LiPuma, Hugh McCracken
Prev Title:	Hollywood Be Thy Name
Prev Year:	1975
Next Title:	Tango Palace
Next Year:	1979

City Lights is an album by Dr. John, his first for Horizon Records.^[1] It was released in 1978.^[2]

Neon Park provided the album artwork.

Production

Doc Pomus collaborated with Dr. John on a few of the album's songs.^[3]

Critical reception

The Globe and Mail wrote that Dr. John's "honky-tonk piano sounds especially fine and strange against the lushness of strings - the title song virtually drips with sweet decadence."^[4]

Entertainment Weekly wrote that the album "established Dr. John as a skilled songwriter."^[5] Phoenix New Times deemed "He's a Hero" " the ultimate hipster-in-the-night song."^[6] Writing after the musician's death, Billboard thought that the title track, "combining stride piano, strings and an evocative lyric, displays a subtlety Dr. John wouldn’t fully commit to again."^[7]

Track listing

All songs written by Mac Rebennack (Dr. John) except where noted

Side One

1. "Dance the Night Away with You" (Rebennack, Doc Pomus) – 4:06
2. "Street Side" – 6:01
3. "Wild Honey" (Rebennack, Bobby Charles) – 4:10
4. "Rain" – 4:48

Side Two

1. "Snake Eyes" – 6:44
2. "Fire of Love" (Rebennack, Alvin Robinson) – 3:58
3. "Sonata (instrumental)/He's a Hero" (Pomus, Rebennack) – 5:20
4. "City Lights" (Pomus, Rebennack) – 3:22

Personnel

Musicians

• Dr. John – piano, vocals, Fender Rhodes and clavinet on "Street Side", Fender Rhodes on "Rain"
• Hugh McCracken – acoustic & electric guitars, Moog synthesizer on "Fire of Love", harmonica on "Street Side"
• John Tropea – acoustic & electric guitars
• Will Lee – bass guitar
• Steve Gadd – drums
• Richard Tee – Fender Rhodes, Hammond organ, clavinet, synthesizer, piano
• Arthur Jenkins – percussion
• Charlie Miller – cornet
• Neil Larsen – Hammond organ on "Street Side" and "Fire of Love"
• George Young – tenor saxophone
• David Sanborn – alto saxophone
• Ronnie Cuber – baritone saxophone
• Barry Rogers – trombone
• Ronnie Barron – background vocals
• George & Nancy Jones – background vocals
• Tamiya Lynn – background vocals
• Alvin Robinson – background vocals
• Plas Johnson – tenor saxophone on "Fire of Love" and "He's a Hero"
• Alvin Batiste – clarinet solo on "He's a Hero"
• Buzz Feiten – guitar solo on "Snake Eyes"

Technical

• Tommy LiPuma – producer
• Hugh McCracken – producer
• Hank Cicalo – engineer
• Kevin Herron – engineer
• Al Schmitt – engineer, mixing
• Don Henderson – assistant engineer
• David Prentice – assistant engineer
• Erick Labson – mastering
• Mike Reese – mastering
• Christine Martin – production assistant
• Cameron Mizell – production coordination
• Hollis King – art direction
• Isabelle Wong – design
• Neon Park – cover painting

Arrangements

• Dr. John – horn arrangements, rhythm arrangements
• Hugh McCracken – horn arrangements, rhythm arrangements
• Claus Ogerman – string arrangements, conductor

Notes and References

1. Web site: Dr. John | Biography & History. AllMusic.
2. Book: Buckley, Peter. The Rough Guide to Rock. April 5, 2003. Rough Guides. 9781843531050 . Google Books.
3. Book: Friedman, Josh Alan. Tell the Truth Until They Bleed: Coming Clean in the Dirty World of Blues and Rock 'n' Roll. April 5, 2008. Hal Leonard Corporation. 9780879309329 . Google Books.
4. Gilday . Katherine . INSIDE THE SLEEVE City Lights . The Globe and Mail . 7 Feb 1979 . F9.
5. Web site: Dr. John. EW.com.
6. Web site: HIGH PRIEST OF EVERYTHINGDOC POMUS CRAFTED ENOUGH MAGIC MOMENTS TO FILL A MILLION JUKEBOXES. Josh Alan. Friedman. April 6, 1995. Phoenix New Times.
7. R.I.P. Dr. John: 10 Essential Cuts from the Soul, Funk and Boogie Woogie Great. Billboard.