Description
Take Me Back is the fourth studio album – and the fifth album overall – by the American gospel group Andraé Crouch & The Disciples (featuring Andraé’s twin sister Sandra, Danniebelle Hall, Bili Thedford, and Perry Morgan), released on Light Records in the spring of 1975. The album was recorded by Billy Taylor, Chuck Johnson, and Tom Trefethen at Mama Jo’s Recording Studio in North Hollywood, California; with Andraé Crouch and Bill Maxwell producing. Mixed by Billy Taylor at Mama Jo’s. All songs written by Andraé Crouch who also provided vocal arrangements.
It is a very eclectic album covering lot of different styles. When producer Bill Maxwell turned it in to the record company, they actually thought it was a mishmash, that it had no continuity and that Maxwell had ruined Crouch. Never the less, the album won a Grammy in the Best Soul Gospel Performance category at the 18th Annual Grammy Awards, 1976, a first for Andrae Crouch & the Disciples. (“Andrae told me, ‘Man, you’re producing this record more than me, so I’ll split the credit with you.’ And so he split the credit, that’s what gave me credit as producer. And that’s what got me started.” – Bill Maxwell)
According to a note published in the September 6, 1975 issue of Billboard Magazine “Andrae Crouch has been named Best Soul Gospel Artist of the year in Billboard’s Radio Programmers Artists Popularity Poll. His ‘Andrae Crouch Live at Carnegie Hall’ LP is still among the top 10 after more than six years in the charts. His current ‘Take Me Back’ LP went No. 1 just recently. Coming soon from the Word/Light label is a two-record album bringing together ‘The Best of Andrae Crouch and The Disciples’.”
One of Andrae Crouch’s earliest albums, 1975’s ‘Take Me Back’ finds the beloved gospel performer gilding many of his faith-based songs with inviting R&B/light-funk arrangements. Featuring a stellar cast of supporting musicians, including organ player Billy Preston and keyboardist Joe Sample, the record ranges from the smooth «I’ll Still Love You» and the lively «Just Like He Said He Would» to the more traditionally minded, church-oriented «Praises». For listeners wanting to explore Crouch’s discography, this is an excellent place to start. [AMG]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/classic-gold-take-me-back-andrae-crouch-and-the-disciples/305496479)
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “I’ll Still Love You” – 3:55
A2. “Praises” – 4:26
A3. “Just Like He Said He Would” – 4:33
A4. “All I Can Say (I Really Love You)” – 4:10
A5. “You Can Depend On Me” – 3:25
Side Two
B1. “Take Me Back” – 4:11
B2. “Sweet Love Of Jesus” – 3:20
B3. “It Ain’t No New Thing” – 3:23
B4. “They Shall Be Mine” – 3:58
B5. “Oh Saviour” – 3:57
B6. “Tell Them” – 3:42
Note: Simultaneously released on 8-track tape, cassette, and 12-inch vinyl LP by Light Records. Later re-issued on CD.
100 Greatest CCM Albums of the ’70s – TAKE ME BACK by Andrae Crouch and the Disciples (1975).
Back in the day Ralph Carmichael had always done Andrae Crouch’s records with the entire orchestra in the room at the same time – very old school, a la 40’s to 60’s. But this was the new era of recording so this time around Crouch was using some of the best session musicians in Los Angeles, and recording in layers – first the basic tracks, later the horns, strings and overdubs. ‘Take Me Back’ was recorded at Mama Jo’s Recording Studio in North Hollywood; it was engineered by Bill Taylor, Chuck Johnson and Tom Trefethen (Taylor served as the mix down engineer). Side Two begins with Billy Preston‘s organ and the album’s title track. It’s a classic that has stood the test of time.
A small army of established session players helped shape the sound of ‘Take Me Back’. Bill Maxwell had a growing network of musician friends in Oklahoma, Texas and California and was tasked with putting a good team of players together for the ‘Take Me Back’ project. “Before I was a Christian I played a lot in Texas,” said Bill, “and I had friends that were from Texas and attended North Texas State University. One of my friends at NTSU was a saxophone player and guitarist named Dean Parks. Dean and I were very close. When I became a Christian I moved to Los Angeles but I still stayed close with Dean. One of Dean’s good friends who came out to play with him for Sonny & Cher was David Hungate. He was a friend of Dean’s and Fletch Wiley had known him, too. So I hired Dean and Dave, and then I had always liked Joe Sample, so I hired Joe Sample and got Wilton Felder to play bass. Billy Preston was Andrae’s friend, and he played organ on the song ‘Take Me Back’. So that was my job, to hire the musicians. I picked who was going to play on the album.”
In addition to the excellent musicians mentioned were guitarists David T. Walker, Fred Tackett, Mike O’Neil and Larry Carlton; keyboardists Larry Muhoberac and Tom Hensley; and percussionists Burleigh Drummond and Gary Denton. Phyllis St. James and the Christ Memorial COGIC Radio Choir added some extra background vocals. The horn section consisted of Ernie Watts on sax and english horn; Fred Jackson, Jr. on saxophone; Charles Loper and George Bohanon on Trombone; and trumpet players Chuck Findley, Dalton Smith, and Mark Underwood. Mike Granger handled synthesizer programming. Of course, The Disciples played on the album, too. Andrae played piano, organ and synthesizers, with sister Sandra on tambourine, Fletch Wiley on trumpet, Bill Maxwell on drums and Bili Thedford adding some percussion. Andrae, Sandra and Bill Maxwell played some additional percussion instruments as well.
And then Andrae turned to me and he said, ‘Man, you’re producing this record more than me, so I’ll split the credit with you.’ And so he split the credit, that’s what gave me credit as producer. And that’s what got me started.” Andrae Crouch arranged the vocals, while most of the musical arrangements were handled by Andrae, Fletch Wiley, Larry Muhoberac, and Clark Gassman.
Since the album was gonna be called ‘Take Me Back’, Andrae though it would be great if the album cover would feature some old country church. The sepia-toned photo of Andrae and crew standing in front of an old country church was taken by Bill Grein, the husband of Janny (it’s actually the church of Bill Maxwell’s grandfather, Union Chapel Methodist Church in Athens, Tennessee), and the iconic gatefold album cover was designed by Thel Eichmann. [Excerpt from Scott Bachmann’s blog “100 Greatest CCM Albums of the ’70s,” a post published June 6, 2017]
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