We're the Best of Friends

We're the Best of Friends
Studio album by
Natalie Cole and Peabo Bryson
ReleasedNovember 2, 1979
Recorded1979
Studio
Genre
Length36:09
LabelCapitol
Producer
Peabo Bryson chronology
Crosswinds
(1978) 		We're the Best of Friends
(1979) 		Paradise
(1980)
Natalie Cole albums chronology
I Love You So
(1979) 		We're the Best of Friends
(1979) 		Don't Look Back
(1980)

We're the Best of Friends is a 1979 duet album by American vocalists Natalie Cole and Peabo Bryson. It was released on November 2, 1979, by Capitol Records.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Variety(favourable)[2]

The album reached peak positions of number 44 on the Billboard 200 and number 7 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart.[3]

Track listing

  1. "Gimme Some Time" (Natalie Cole) - 3:19
  2. "This Love Affair" (Marvin Yancy, Natalie Cole) - 4:37
  3. "I Want To Be Where You Are" (Peabo Bryson) - 4:15
  4. "Your Lonely Heart" (Natalie Cole) - 4:30
  5. "What You Won't Do for Love" (Alfons Kettner, Bobby Caldwell) - 6:02
  6. "We're the Best of Friends" (Edward Howard, Thomas Campbell) - 4:14
  7. "Let's Fall in Love /You Send Me” (Medley) (Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler/Sam Cooke) - 4:08
  8. "Love Will Find You" (Peabo Bryson) - 6:09

Personnel

  • Natalie Cole – lead and backing vocals
  • Peabo Bryson – lead vocals, backing vocals (3, 5, 8), keyboards (3, 5, 6, 8), percussion (3, 5, 6, 8), horn arrangements (3, 5, 6, 8), rhythm arrangements (3, 5, 6, 8)
  • Michael Wycoff – keyboards (1, 2, 4, 7)
  • Marvin Yancy – keyboards (1, 4, 7)
  • Thomas Campbell – keyboards (3, 5, 6, 8)
  • Jim Boling – ARP synthesizer (3, 8), Minimoog (3, 8), Prophet-5 (3, 8), horn arrangements (3, 5), trumpet (3, 5, 6, 8), flugelhorn solo (5)
  • Robert Palmer – guitar (1, 2)
  • Phil Upchurch – guitar (1, 2, 4, 7)
  • Richard Horton – guitar (3, 5, 6, 8)
  • Keni Burke – bass (1, 2, 4, 7)
  • Bobby Eaton – bass (1, 2, 4, 7)
  • Dwight W. Watkins – bass (3, 5, 6, 8), backing vocals (3, 5, 8)
  • James Gadson – drums (1, 2, 4, 7)
  • Andre Robinson – drums (3, 5, 6, 8)
  • Eddie "Bongo" Brown – percussion (1)
  • Chuck Bryson – percussion (3, 5, 6, 8), backing vocals (3, 5, 8)
  • Terry Dukes – percussion (3, 5, 6, 8), backing vocals (3, 5, 8)
  • Bill Green – saxophone (2, 4)
  • Fred Jackson, Jr. – saxophone (2, 4, 7)
  • Fred Smith – saxophone (2, 4, 7)
  • Ernie Watts – saxophone (2, 4, 7)
  • Ron Dover – saxophone (3, 5, 6, 8), horn arrangements (3, 5), tenor saxophone solo (8)
  • George Bohanon – trombone (2, 4, 7)
  • Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone (2, 4, 7)
  • Chris Riddle – trombone (2, 4, 7)
  • Daniel Dillard – trombone (3, 5, 6, 8), horn arrangements (3, 5)
  • Oscar Brashear – trumpet (2, 4, 7)
  • Bobby Bryant – trumpet (2, 4, 7)
  • Thaddeus Johnson – trumpet (3, 5, 6, 8), horn arrangements (3, 5)
  • Gayle Levant – harp (6, 8)
  • David Blumberg – horn and string arrangements (2), conductor (2)
  • Mark Davis – arrangements (2, 4, 7)
  • Benjamin Barrett – orchestra contractor (2, 4, 7)
  • Harry Bluestone – concertmaster (2, 4, 7)
  • Johnny Pate – string arrangements and conductor (3, 5, 6, 8)
  • Assa Drori – concertmaster (3, 5, 6, 8)
  • Linda Williams – horn and string arrangements (4)
  • Nelson Riddle – horn and string arrangements (7), conductor (7)

Production

  • Producers – Mark Davis and Marvin Yancy (Tracks 1, 2, 4 & 7); Peabo Bryson and Johnny Pate (Tracks 3, 5, 6 & 8).
  • Recorded and Mixed by Rik Pekkonen
  • Horns, rhythm and strings recorded by Butch Lynch and Steve Reyes.
  • Vocals recorded by Gordon Shyrock
  • Recorded at Hollywood Sound Recorders, Sound Factory and United Western Recorders (Hollywood, CA).
  • Mastered by Bernie Grundman at A&M Studios (Hollywood, CA).
  • Art Direction – Melissa Tormé-March
  • Design – John Ernsdorf
  • Photography – V. Hughes Frye

Charts

Chart (1980) Peak
position
Billboard Pop Albums[4] 44
Billboard Top Soul Albums[4] 7

Singles

Year Single Chart positions[5]
US
R&B
1980 "Gimme Some Time" 8
"What You Won't Do for Love" 16

References

  1. ^ Henderson, Alex. Peabo Bryson & Natalie Cole: We're The Best Of Friends > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  2. ^ Murphy, Fred (28 November 1979). "Music Records: DISCO TRAX". Variety. Vol. 297, no. 4. p. 75. ProQuest 1286039845.
  3. ^ "We're the Best of Friends". Allmusic. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Peabo Bryson US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-08-29.
  5. ^ "Peabo Bryson US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-08-29.