Sign of the Times (Bob James album) explained

Sign of the Times
Type:	studio
Artist:	Bob James
Cover:	Sign of the Times (Bob James album).jpg
Released:	October 15, 1981
Genre:	Jazz fusion
Length:	36:39
Label:	Tappan Zee
Producer:	Bob James, Hilary James
Prev Title:	All Around the Town
Prev Year:	1981
Next Title:	Hands Down
Next Year:	1982

Sign of the Times is the ninth album by jazz keyboardist Bob James.^[1]

The title track has been sampled by De La Soul ("Keepin' The Faith") and Warren G ("Regulate").^[2]

Personnel

Bob James – acoustic piano, Rhodes piano, all synthesizers, horn and string arrangements, rhythm track and synthesizer arrangements (3, 4, 6), calliope solo (5)
Steve Khan – guitar (1-5)
Bruce Dunlap – guitar (6)
Eric Gale – guitar (6)
Gary King – bass (1, 2, 5, 6)
Marcus Miller – bass (3, 4)
Major Holley – scat contrabass solo (5)
John Robinson – drums (1, 2, 5)
Rick Marotta – drums (3, 4)
Buddy Williams – drums (6)
Leonard "Doc" Gibbs – percussion (1-5)
Ralph MacDonald – percussion (2)
Airto Moreira – percussion (6)
Tabby Andriello – special effects (5)
Rod Temperton – rhythm track and synthesizer arrangements (1, 2, 5); horn, string and vocal arrangements

Brass and Woodwinds

Jay Beckenstein – alto saxophone (3, 4)
Grover Washington Jr. – tenor saxophone (6)
Phil Bodner, Eddie Daniels, Wally Kane, George Marge and Whit Sidener – woodwinds
Jim Pugh and Dave Taylor – trombone
Jon Faddis, Mike Lawrence and Ron Tooley – trumpet

Strings

Max Ellen, Barry Finclair, Charles Libove, Jan Mullen, David Nadien, Joseph Rabushka, Richard Sortomme and Gerald Tarack – violin

Vocals

Patti Austin, Vivian Cherry, Kasey Cisyk, Babi Floyd, Milt Grayson, Hilary James, Yvonne Lewis and Luther Vandross

Recorded at Mediasound, A&R Recording and CBS Recording Studios (New York City, NY); Minot Sound (White Plains, NY).
Mixed and Mastered at CBS Recording Studios.