High-Rise is a studio album by American vocal duo Ashford & Simpson, released in 1983 on Capitol Records.[1] It was their second album for Capitol.[2]
| High-Rise | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 1983 | |||
| Recorded | 1983 | |||
| Studio | Penny Lane, El Paso, Texas | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Producer | Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson | |||
| Ashford & Simpson chronology | ||||
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| Singles from High-Rise | ||||
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Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [2] |
Hugh Wyatt of the New York Daily News found that the duo "manage on this latest vehicle to put back the word rhythm before blues through their powerful percussive, and at times, 'sanctified' singing styles... This is one of Ashford and Simpson's more compelling works."[4]
The Virginia Pilot called High-Rise "a fine transitional record for the duo, where A&S added more dazzle and lights to their urbane sound without compromising its soulful essence."[5]
Chart performance
editThe album peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard R&B albums chart and No. 84 on the Billboard top albums chart. Three singles were released. The album's title track peaked at No. 17 on the Hot Black Singles chart, "It's Much Deeper" and "I'm Not That Tough" charted 45 and 78 respectively on the Hot Black Singles chart.
Track listing
editAll writing by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson.
- "High-Rise" - 5:35
- "Side Effect" - 4:07
- "Experience (Love Had No Face)" - 4:38
- "It's a Rush" - 5:06
- "My Kinda Pick Me Up" - 3:09
- "I'm Not That Tough" - 4:34
- "It's Much Deeper" - 6:30
- "Still Such a Thing" - 5:13
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 9. | "High-Rise" (single version) | 4:01 |
| 10. | "It's Much Deeper" (single version) | 3:50 |
| 11. | "I'm Not That Tough" (single version) | 4:03 |
| 12. | "High-Rise" (12" version) | 6:06 |
| 13. | "High-Rise" (12" M+M instrumental mix) mixed by John Morales & Sergio Munzibai) | 5:27 |
Personnel
edit- Nickolas Ashford – lead vocals, backing vocals, rhythm and vocal arrangements
- Valerie Simpson – lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic piano, rhythm and vocal arrangements
- Ray Chew – Yamaha electric piano (1–5, 7, 8), vibraphone solo (1), Oberheim OB-X (4), Fender Rhodes (6), horns (6), strings (6); horn, rhythm and string arrangements
- Peter Cannarozzi – synthesizers (1, 6, 7), synth bass line (4)
- Ed Walsh – synthesizers (1, 4)
- Sid McGinnis – guitars (1, 2, 4, 5, 8), side effects (2), guitar solo (7)
- Francisco Centeno – bass
- Yogi Horton – drums (1, 2, 4, 6, 8)
- Steve Gadd – drums (3, 5, 7)
- Errol "Crusher" Bennett – percussion (1, 4)
- Ralph MacDonald – percussion (2, 3, 5–8)
- George Young – horns (2, 5), horn solo (5)
- Leon Pendarvis – horns (3), strings (3), horn and string arrangements
- Paul Riser – horns (8), strings (8), horn and string arrangements
- Sephra Herman – horns
- Alfred Brown – strings
- Vivian Cherry – backing vocals (1, 4, 7)
- Ullanda McCullough – backing vocals (2, 5, 6, 8)
Charts
edit| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[6] | 84 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[7] | 14 |
References
edit- ↑ Holden, Stephen (September 9, 1983). "Exploring the Pop-Soul of Ashford and Simpson". The New York Times.
- 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 271.
- ↑ Wynn, Ron. High-Rise review at AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-08-29.
- ↑ Wyatt, Hugh (June 1, 1984). "R'n'B, nothin' to be sad about". Daily News. p. 470. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ↑ Ollison, Rashod (August 3, 2011). "Crate-Dig Dusty: "High-Rise," Ashford & Simpson". The Virginia Pilot.
- ↑ "Ashford & Simpson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ↑ "Ashford & Simpson Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 August 2020.