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Play As It Lays

by Alicia Bridges

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Chris O
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Chris O This 1979 sophomore set is an amalgam of rhythm & blues, rock, soul, pop, funk, dance stylings and a bit of kitsch. Not unlike her debut only more accomplished. Songs by Bridges and Hutcheson at their creative peek as partners. Some fine musicians bring them to life. At the heart of it all is Alicia herself, a distinctive and talented singer who seems to have zero fear. She rocks, wails, croons, coos and riffs. The self-proclaimed diamond in the rough, but this time perhaps a bit more refined. Favorite track: Play It As It Lays.
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    Tracklist
    A1 Rex The Robot 3:45
    A2 Learned To Dance Too Soon 3:50
    A3 So Cozy 4:27
    A4 What Would You Do If Your Heart Stopped Beating Tonight ? 3:28
    A5 Starchild 3:41
    B1 Under The Cover Of Darkness 3:43
    B2 California Sunset 4:18
    B3 Play It As It Lays 4:10
    B4 Cheap Affairs 5:51

    Companies, etc.
    •Phonographic Copyright (p) – Polydor Incorporated
    •Copyright (c) – Polydor Incorporated
    •Produced For – The Lowery Group
    •Published By – Lowery Music Co. Inc.
    •Manufactured By – Polydor Incorporated
    •Marketed By – Polydor Incorporated
    •Distributed By – PolyGram Distribution
    •Recorded At – Studio One, Doraville
    •Recorded At – Record Plant, Sausalito
    •Mastered At – Masterdisk


    Credits

    Arranged By [Strings] – Wayne Mosley
    Arranged By [Synthesizer] – Alicia Bridges, Susan Hutcheson
    Arranged By, Piano – Dan Wall (tracks: B4)
    Art Direction, Design – Bob Heimall
    Background vocals: Alicia Bridges, Charles Chalmers, Susan Hutcheson, Donna Rhodes, Sandra Rhodes
    Contralto vocals: Alicia Bridges
    Lead vocals: Alicia Bridges
    Baritone Saxophone – Steven Krupka*
    Bass – Tom Robb
    Bass [Acoustic] – Neal Starkey (tracks: B4)
    Cello – Larry LeMaster
    Drums – Al Nicholson (tracks: B4), James Stroud
    Engineer – Alan Chinowsky
    Engineer, Mixed By – Rodney Mills (tracks: B1), Tad Bush (tracks: A1 to A5, B2 to B4)
    Executive-Producer – Bill Lowery
    Featuring – Tower Of Power Horn Section
    Guitar – John Fristoe, Ken Bell, Larry Byrom
    Keyboards – Alan Feingold, Randy McCormick, Steve McRay
    Percussion – Mickey Buckins
    Photography By – Judy Lesta
    Producer, Guitar – Steve Buckingham
    Soloist, Saxophone – Jay Scott
    Tenor Saxophone – Emilio Castillo, Lenny Pickett
    Trumpet, Arranged By [Horns] – Greg Adams
    Trumpet, Trombone – Mic Gillette
    Viola – Marian Kent, Peter Bertolino
    Violin – Ben Picone*, Martin Sauser, Oscar Pereira
    Written-By – Alicia Bridges, Susan Hutcheson

    Notes
    Issued with custom inner sleeve: Black and white picture on the front and lyrics on the back.
    Other pressings exist, manufactured at Keel Mfg. and PRC, Compton.
    Steve McRay appears courtesy of RCA Records
    Produced for The Lowery Group.
    Recorded at Studio One, Doraville, Georgia
    Horns recorded at Record Plant, Sausalito, California
    All songs published by Lowery Music Co., Inc.
    Distributed by PolyGram Distribution, Inc.
    Printed in U.S.A.

    Barcode and Other Identifiers
    Rights Society: BMI
    Matrix / Runout (Runout A): A-2 ⊳ P⊲--1-6219-AS-K -MASTERDISK-BK
    Matrix / Runout (Runout B): A-2 ⊳ P⊲--1-6219-BS-K -MASTERDISK-BK

    Includes unlimited streaming of Play As It Lays via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.     ... more
    ships out within 30 days

      $1 USD or more 

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Tracklist .


    A Rex The Robot 3:22
    B Starchild 3:41


    Companies, etc.

    Published By – Lowery Music Co. Inc.
    Produced For – The Lowery Group
    Manufactured By – Polydor Incorporated
    Marketed By – Polydor Incorporated
    Record Company – BGO Records (2)
    Mastered At – Masterdisk
    Pressed By – Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Pitman


    Credits

    Mastered By – Rob Ludwig
    Producer – Steve Buckingham
    Written-By – Alicia Bridges, Susan Hutcheson


    Notes

    From the album "Play It As It Lays"


    Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Other (Pressing Plant ID): 56
    Rights Society: BMI
    Matrix / Runout (A-Side Label): 79 NP 4663
    Matrix / Runout (B-Side Label): 79 NP 4667
    Matrix / Runout (A-Side Runout Etching): p PD-2044-79-NP-4663-CP MASTERDISK RL
    Matrix / Runout (B-Side Runout Etching): p PD-2044-79-NP-4667-CP

    Includes unlimited streaming of Play As It Lays via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.     ... more
    ships out within 30 days

      $1 USD or more 

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 4 Alicia Bridges releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Hungry Eyes [SINGLE], Hocus Pocus, Play As It Lays, and Alicia Bridges. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      $18.20 USD or more (35% OFF)

     

1.
Rex the Robot 03:48
lyrics
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Rex the Robot Mechanical man He can turn you around with mechanical hands With eyes of steel He can make you feel Like you never thought you would When he takes you for a spin In his heavy metal automated automobile Rex the Robot We dig what you got Rex the Robot Go robot go He’s Rex the Robot Mechanical man He can lift your spirit and make you understand That his digital brain could drive you insane But you know he never will Cause he plays his music loud In his heavy metal automated automobile Rex the Robot We dig what you got Rex the Robot Go robot go Transitor master Chromatic static Razzle dazzle daddy-o Go robot go Rex the Robot Mechanical man He can shape your future with computer plans His aluminum smile could drive you wild And you know it surely will Cause you love it at the wheel Of his heavy metal automated automobile Rex the Robot We dig what you got Rex the Robot Go robot go
2.
Learned To Dance Too Soon 03:49
lyrics
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Don’t blame me, baby If I jiggle your table When the fancy dancing band begins to play Don’t cry to me ‘cause you’re not able Cause you can’t move and shimmy And shake this way No, don’t try to stop me Cause I was raised this way Oh, honey I learned to dance too soon To stop dancing now I learned to dance too soon To stop dancing now Do the boogie woogie with me, sugar We can dance away our cares Don’t you look for me at the ladies’ parlor Where the ladies fix their pretty hair You won’t find me shootin’ up the pinball Cause there’s not enough commotion there No, don’t you bother looking You know where I will be I told you my mama was a dancer And my daddy was a dancing bear You know I was born in the dance hall And got my education there No use trying to change me I was raised in a dancing way
3.
So Cozy 04:19
lyrics
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Here we are together again So cozy Feeling your sin Touch my body this way I can’t shake it You make it so cozy here Here I go falling for you Oh, baby I never meant to How could I turn away When you take me and make me so cozy here I never had a place to be Until we found each other Every day I love you more than yesterday And for the first time in my life It’s alright It’s alright It’s alright It’s alright to kiss you like this It’s alright to hold you like this Oh, so cozy I can’t shake it You make it so cozy here Your cigarette glows in the dark The sound of your voice pulls at my heart I want to stay here forever Together So cozy with you
4.
What Would You Do If Your Heart Stopped Beating Tonight 03:31
lyrics
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What would you do if your heart stopped beating tonight Would it be alright with you Would it be alright with you, my love What do you do with the love they try to give you What did you do with the love they gave before I get high ‘cause I loved you But you never did destroy me And I cry for those who long for something more What would you do if your heart stopped beating tonight Who would hold you, oh, my love Who would be there when your heart stops beating What would you do if I laid beside you tonight Would you feel it if you found the feeling What do you do with the love I try to give you What did you do with the love I gave before I get high ‘cause I loved you But I never did destroy you And I cry for those who long for something more
5.
Starchild 03:41
lyrics
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Starchild Will you stay for a while And pretend to be mine for another day Starchild You could keep me alive When my will to survive goes the other way Gentle child of a midnight fire Keep me warm with a burning flame Burning high as the sky You are the star of my life Oh, baby love You are the star of my life Oh, baby love Starchild If you don’t go away I could live everyday in the light of you Starchild When I wake up and see That you’re still here with me Oh, it’s heavenly You are the star of my life Oh, baby love You are the star of my life Oh, baby love You came walking out of a dream You’re a mystery to me Will you stay with me Stay with me Stay with me Say you’ll stay with me Starchild
6.
Under the Cover of Darkness 03:45
lyrics
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I got hoo-doo voo-doo I got news for you I know where you’re coming from I know what you’re doing, baby You do like you want to Such a clever man But I can chain you to my sofa Cause I got hocus pocus I never close my eyes I see all the wickedness there is Under the cover of darkness Hoo-doo gonna get you Voo-doo Hoo-doo Voo-doo I’ve seen so many jokers like you way down here Under the cover of darkness I got mumbo-jumbo I got tricks I never used I got power I got glory I got blue suede shoes You may not believe me You just laugh and gain But I can put you out of focus Cause I got hocus pocus I never close my eyes I see all the wickedness there is Under the cover of darkness Hoo-doo gonna get you Voo-doo I’ve been elected to fix every joker like you And I will Under the cover of darkness
7.
California Sunset 04:11
lyrics
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California Sunset Setting down on me Purple skies at surfside everywhere I see Sweet memories like shadows Waiting in my room They try to bring me back to you It’s more than I can do To keep from coming through your window Sleeping by your door Or calling you at midnight to say I love you so much more than I did before I love you so I love you so I love you so much more than I did before New York City winters Bring me to my knees Harbour lights on cold nights Faces that I see Just make me want to be your shadow Walking on with you I tried to keep my distance now But it’s more than I can do To keep from coming through your window Sleeping by your door Or calling you at midnight to say I love you so much more than I did before
8.
Play It As It Lays 04:05
lyrics
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You say you want to find your place Say it out loud Say it, sister Pull back your hair Take a look at your face See it right now See it, sister Watch while we dissect your brain And lead you to your final breakdown See yourself And go insane It could be your biggest letdown I play it as it lays every time I say it as I play every time And in this escapade You will play it as it lays And you will lose the masquerade in your mind You’ve got the voice I want to hear Would you sing it out loud Sing it, sister Sing it so everybody can hear Sing it out loud Sing it, sister The stiff booze we made for you It would be good for your depression Play the part we wrote for you You could lose your inhibitions
9.
Cheap Affairs 05:45
lyrics
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There’s an oh-so bitter shady side to romance Where one cheap affair is followed by another It was my misfortune to suffer there But I don’t care Now that you’re here to love me Before I found my way to you I rolled and tumbled through some cheap affairs Way down where life is loose You lose I’ve been the victim of some cheap affairs Every once in a while Someone would smile And I would take another chance every once in a while I went through the motions of making love Cheap affairs Living in the loneliness Cheap affairs Living out the blues Oh, baby Can you love a woman like me After all this time I’ve been around I may not be the virgin lover your mother talked about I have been touched by human hands It was my misfortune to suffer there But I don’t care Now that you really love me Before I found my way to you Every interlude became a cheap affair And every raunchy rendezvous Was nothing more than just a cheap affair Yes, I know I’ve been low down But I am the woman you’ve been waiting for I’m a tough mama now I can blow your whistle ’til you say no more (No more)

about

It's unfortunate that Alicia Bridges' commercial success was so short-lived, for there's much more to her output than 1978's "I Love the Nightlife (Disco Round)." This overlooked sophomore set features an impressive cast of session musicians, including the Tower of Power horns and background vocalists Rhodes-Chalmers-Rhodes. Bridges and writing partner Susan Hutcheson prove they are apt in a number of styles, ranging from the gutsy soul of "Learned to Dance Too Soon" to the fiery rock of "What Would You Do if Your Heart Stopped Beating Tonight?" Vocally, Bridges covers wide terrain, too: She's sassy on "Under the Cover of Darkness," lighthearted and sultry on the cool "So Cozy," and mellow on the fine jazz arrangement of "Cheap Affairs." Meanwhile, tunes like "Rex the Robot" and "Learned to Dance..." effectively blend disco elements with straight-ahead rock and funk ingredients. More adventurous and better-produced than her self-titled debut (which wasn't bad at all), this is a must-have for any Bridges fan.

credits

released July 31, 1979

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Polydor Incorporated
Copyright (c) – Polydor Incorporated
Produced For – The Lowery Group
Published By – Lowery Music Co. Inc.
Manufactured By – Polydor Incorporated
Marketed By – Polydor Incorporated
Distributed By – PolyGram Distribution
Recorded At – Studio One, Doraville
Recorded At – Record Plant, Sausalito
Mastered At – Masterdisk

Credits
Arranged By [Strings] – Wayne Mosley
Arranged By [Synthesizer] – Alicia Bridges, Susan Hutcheson
Art Direction, Design – Bob Heimall*
Lead Contralto vocals: Alicia Bridges
Background vocals: Alicia Bridges, Charles Chalmers, Susan Hutcheson, Donna Rhodes, Sandra Rhodes
Baritone Saxophone – Steven Krupka*
Bass – Tom Robb
Cello – Larry LeMaster
Drums – James Stroud
Engineer – Alan Chinowsky
Engineer, Mixed By – Tad Bush
Executive-Producer – Bill Lowery
Featuring – Tower Of Power Horn Section
Guitar – John Fristoe, Ken Bell, Larry Byrom
Keyboards – Alan Feingold, Randy McCormick, Steve McRay
Percussion – Mickey Buckins
Photography By – Judy Lesta
Producer, Guitar – Steve Buckingham
Soloist, Saxophone – Jay Scott
Tenor Saxophone – Emilio Castillo, Lenny Pickett
Trumpet, Arranged By [Horns] – Greg Adams
Trumpet, Trombone – Mic Gillette
Viola – Marian Kent, Peter Bertolino
Violin – Ben Picone*, Martin Sauser, Oscar Pereira
Written-By, – Alicia Bridges, Susan Hutcheson

Notes
Issued with custom inner sleeve: Black and white picture on the front and lyrics on the back.
Other pressings exist, manufactured at Keel Mfg. and PRC, Compton.

Steve McRay appears courtesy of RCA Records
Produced for The Lowery Group.
Recorded at Studio One, Doraville, Georgia
Horns recorded at Record Plant, Sausalito, California
All songs published by Lowery Music Co., Inc.
Distributed by PolyGram Distribution, Inc.
Printed in U.S.A.

Barcode and Other Identifiers
Rights Society: BMI
Matrix / Runout (Runout A): A-2 ⊳ P⊲--1-6219-AS-K -MASTERDISK-BK
Matrix / Runout (Runout B): A-2 ⊳ P⊲--1-6219-BS-K -MASTERDISK-BK

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Alicia Bridges Charlotte, North Carolina

Alicia Bridges (born July 15, 1953) is an American pop/disco singer and songwriter who co-wrote and performed her international hit "I Love the Nightlife (Disco 'Round)" in 1978.

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