The Pointer Sisters (album)

The Pointer Sisters
Studio album by the Pointer Sisters
Released	May 26, 1973
Studio	Wally Heider (San Francisco)
Genre	R&B soul funk jazz pop[1]
Length	46:47
Label	Blue Thumb
Producer	David Rubinson & Friends, Inc.
The Pointer Sisters chronology
The Pointer Sisters (1973) That's a Plenty (1974)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Christgau's Record Guide	B [3]

The Pointer Sisters is the debut studio album by the Pointer Sisters, released in 1973 on the Blue Thumb label.

History

The album yielded the hits "Yes We Can Can" and "Wang Dang Doodle" and became a success based on word of mouth after heralded performances at The Troubadour in Los Angeles and on the Helen Reddy Show. The album peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200 and reached number three on the R&B albums chart and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in February 1974. The album was remastered and issued on CD in 2001 by MCA Records.

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Yes We Can Can"	Allen Toussaint	6:02
2.	"Cloudburst"	Leroy Kirkland Jimmy Harris	3:12
3.	"Jada"	Pointer Sisters Bruce Good Jeffrey Cohen	4:40
4.	"River Boulevard"	Barbara Mauritz	5:52
5.	"Old Songs"	John Shine Bruce Good	4:01

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"That's How I Feel"	Wilton Felder	7:07
7.	"Sugar"	Pointer Sisters	2:19
8.	"Pains and Tears"	Norman Landsberg	2:36
9.	"Naked Foot"	Neal Tate	3:46
10.	"Wang Dang Doodle"	Willie Dixon	7:34

Personnel

• Anita Pointer, Ruth Pointer, Bonnie Pointer, June Pointer – vocals
• Tom Salisbury – acoustic piano
• Norman Landsberg – acoustic piano on "Old Songs"
• Willie Fulton – electric guitars
• Ron McClure – acoustic bass, electric bass
• Rod Ellicott – bass on "River Boulevard"
• Gaylord Birch – drums
• Ed Marshall – drums on "Cloudburst" and "Jada"
• The Hoodoo Rhythm Devils – backing band on "Wang Dang Doodle"

Production

• David Rubinson & Friends, Inc. –producer, mix-down engineer
• Norman Landsberg – associate producer
• Fred Catero – recording engineer, mix-down engineer
• Jeremy Zatkin – recording engineer, mix-down engineer
• George Horne – mastering
• Herb Greene – portraiture, design

Chart positions

Chart performance for The Pointer Sisters

Chart (1973)	Peak position
US Billboard 200[4]	13
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[5]	3

Certifications

Certification for The Pointer Sisters

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[6]	Gold	500,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Molanphy, Chris (June 16, 2023). "Yes We Can Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
2. Hanson, Amy. The Pointer Sisters review at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
3. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: P". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 10, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
4. "The Pointer Sisters Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
5. "The Pointer Sisters Chart History: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
6. "American album certifications – Pointer Sisters – The Pointer Sisters". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links

• The Pointer Sisters at Discogs (list of releases)