Christopher Cross is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Christopher Cross. It was released on December 27, 1979, by Warner Bros. Records. Produced by Michael Omartian and recorded in mid-1979, the album was one of the first in popular music to be digitally recorded, utilizing the 3M Digital Recording System.[4]
| Christopher Cross | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 27, 1979[1] | |||
| Recorded | July 1979 | |||
| Studio | Warner Bros. Recording Studios (North Hollywood, California) Pecan Street Studios (Austin, Texas) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 38:32 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Michael Omartian | |||
| Christopher Cross chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Christopher Cross | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
Cited as one of the most influential soft rock albums of the late 1970s and early 1980s,[5][6] it won five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist, with Cross becoming the first artist to win the four major categories in the same year — a feat not replicated until Billie Eilish in 2020.
Reception
editAccording to Stephen Thomas Erlewine, the album was "a huge hit and widely acclaimed, at least among industry professionals (critics didn't give it a second listen), leading to multi-platinum success and Grammys." In his retrospective review for AllMusic, Erlewine says that while its success as a soft rock album has little cachet with most listeners, it "remains one of the best mainstream albums of its time" because of consistent song quality and Cross's skillful musicianship: "Yes, he does favor sentimentality and can be very sweet on the ballads, but his melodicism is rich and construction tight, so there's a sturdy foundation for the classy professional gloss provided by his studio pros and friends, including indelible backing vocals by Michael McDonald."[3]
In retrospective appraisals, Christopher Cross is regarded as a key release of yacht rock music. For Spin in 2009, Chuck Eddy lists it among the genre's eight essential albums.[7] Vinyl Me, Please magazine's Timothy Malcolm includes it in his 2017 list of the 10 best yacht rock albums, explaining that, "It’s actually a sonic outlier for the yacht rock genre, heavy on acoustic guitar and strings. But its message fits the genre (a fool searching for inner peace), and yeah, it’s still undeniably smooth."[8] For The Vinyl District's online publication in 2018, Michael H. Little calls it the genre's best album as well as one of its smoothest, crediting it for making Cross "the face of soft rock".[9]
Track listing
editAll tracks composed by Christopher Cross.
Side One
edit- "Say You'll Be Mine" – 2:53
- "I Really Don't Know Anymore" – 3:49
- "Spinning" (Duet with Valerie Carter) – 3:59
- "Never Be the Same" – 4:40
- "Poor Shirley" – 4:20
Side Two
edit- "Ride Like the Wind" – 4:32
- "The Light Is On" – 4:07
- "Sailing" – 4:14
- "Minstrel Gigolo" – 6:00
- "Mary Ann" (Bonus Track On The 2012 Japanese Remastered CD) – 2:52
'Mary Ann' was originally written for the YAMAHA World Music Festival in Japan and released in 1980 as a Japan only single.
Personnel
edit- Christopher Cross – lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar (1, 4, 6–9), backing vocals (1, 5–8), guitar solo (5, 6)
- Michael Omartian – acoustic piano (1–4, 6, 7, 8), synthesizers (9), backing vocals (9)
- Rob Meurer – synthesizers (2–4, 6–8), electric piano (3, 4, 7, 8), celesta (3), acoustic piano (5, 9), organ (5)
- Jay Graydon – guitar solo (1, 4)
- Larry Carlton – guitar solo (2, 7)
- Eric Johnson – guitar solo (9)
- Andy Salmon – bass
- Tommy Taylor – drums
- Lenny Castro – percussion (1, 2, 4–7, 9)
- Victor Feldman – vibraphone (3, 4), percussion (3, 7, 8)
- Jim Horn – saxophone (2, 6)
- Jackie Kelso – saxophone (2, 6)
- Don Roberts – saxophone (2, 6)
- Tomás Ramírez – sax solo (9)
- Lew McCreary – trombone (2, 6)
- Chuck Findley – trumpet (2, 6), flugelhorn (3)
- Assa Drori – concertmaster (3, 5, 6, 8)
- Nicolette Larson – backing vocals (1)
- Michael McDonald – backing vocals (2, 6)
- Valerie Carter – lead and backing vocals (3)
- Myrna Matthews – backing vocals (4)
- Marty McCall – backing vocals (4)
- Stormie Omartian – backing vocals (4)
- Don Henley – backing vocals (7)
- JD Souther – backing vocals (7)
Production
edit- Producer – Michael Omartian
- Assistant Producer – Michael Ostin
- Engineer and Mixing – Chet Himes
- Second Engineer – Stuart Gitlin
- Mastering – Bobby Hata
- Artwork – Danny Henderson and James Flournoy Holmes
- Design – James Flournoy Holmes and Wonder Graphics
- Flamingo Concept – Jim Newhouse
Charts
editCertifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[16] | 2× Platinum | 140,000^ |
| France (SNEP)[17] | Platinum | 300,000* |
| Germany (BVMI)[18] | Gold | 250,000^ |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[19] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[20] | Gold | 7,500^ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[21] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[22] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[1] | 5× Platinum | 5,000,000^ |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Accolades
editCross, the album and the hit "Sailing" won the following Grammy Awards:[23][24][25]
| Year | Category | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Album of the Year | Christopher Cross |
| Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) | "Sailing" | |
| Record of the Year | ||
| Song of the Year | ||
| Best New Artist | Christopher Cross |
Producer Michael Omartian accepted the Album of the Year award on behalf of Warner Bros. Records and the album's personnel.
References
edit- ^ a b "American album certifications – Christopher Cross – Christopher Cross". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
- ^ Malcolm, Timothy (February 20, 2017). "The 10 Best Yacht Rock Albums To Own On Vinyl". Vinyl Me, Please. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- ^ a b Christopher Cross at AllMusic
- ^ Jim McCullaugh (November 1, 1980), "Digital the Major Topic For N.Y. AES Parley", Billboard "The Christopher Cross LP, at number 32, uses the 3M digital technology"
- ^ Grammy Album of the Year winners 1959 – 2018-The Telegraph
- ^ Best New Artists Who Also Won Album Of The Year|GRAMMY.com
- ^ Eddy, Chuck (January 1, 2009). "8 Essential Yacht Rock Albums". Spin. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- ^ Malcolm, Timothy (February 20, 2017). "The 10 Best Yacht Rock Albums To Own On Vinyl". Vinyl Me, Please. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- ^ Little, Michael H. (July 11, 2018). "Graded on a Curve: Christopher Cross, Christopher Cross". The Vinyl District. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Christopher Cross – Christopher Cross" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Christopher Cross – Christopher Cross". Hung Medien.
- ^ "Christopher Cross | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
- ^ "Christopher Cross Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1980". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1981". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1996 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
- ^ "French album certifications – Christopher Cross – 1er Album" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Christopher Cross; 'Christopher Cross')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
- ^ "Dutch album certifications – Christopher Cross – Christopher Cross" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved August 26, 2019. Enter Christopher Cross in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1983 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
- ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Christopher Cross – 1er Album". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 16, 2019.[dead link]
- ^ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 957. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
- ^ "British album certifications – Christopher Cross – Christopher Cross". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ Christopher Cross|Artist|www.grammy.com
- ^ 23rd Annual GRAMMY Awards|1980|Grammy.com
- ^ 23rd Annual GRAMMY Awards|GRAMMY.com