Sonlight

Description

The self-titled, sole album by the American R&B combo Sonlight was released on Light Records in 1973. The album was recorded by Ami Hadani, Eddie Brackett and Nye Morton at T.T.G. Studios in Hollywood, California; with Bill Cole producing. (T.T.G. was a well-known studio used by legendary recording artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, The Doors and Velvet Underground.) All songs, arrangements, and background vocals by Sonlight. (Half of the tunes on the album were written by the band’s guitarist/bassist Hadley Hockensmith and the other half by the keyboardist, Harlan Rogers.)

During the 1970s Sonlight was known as the backup band of Andrae Crouch (both live and in the studio), consisting of guitarist Hadley Hockensmith, keyboardist Harlan Rogers, drummer Bill Maxwell, as well as brass player Fletch Wiley. In the 1960s Rogers, Maxwell, and Hockensmith actually played together in a band called The 3rd Avenue Blues Band, which later on added a horn section consisting of Fletch Wiley and Lon Price. (Their sole full-length album, Fantastic, features production assistance from T-Bone Burnett, who also did produce a couple of the band’s late ’60s singles.)

In the beginning of the 1980s Hockensmith, Rogers, and Maxwell joined forces with a couple of other well known studio musicians – Abraham Laboriel and Alex Acuna – to form the legendary jazz-rock/fusion band Koinonia which released several albums.

How many countless Christian LPs have the Sonlight boys appeared on over the years? Although keyboardist Harlan Rogers, drummer Bill Maxwell and guitarist Hadley Hockensmith would record several jazz albums in the ‘80s as Koinonia, this is their only ‘70s collective effort under this particular moniker. At the time Fletch Wiley was also in the group, contributing trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone and flute. Wherever these guys appear as session musicians there’s usually a jazzy pop-rock atmosphere, and that’s the case here as well. Songs like «Day Of Salvation» and «I Saw His Face» have that soft-breeze jazz-pop vibe with easy vocals and airy harmonies. Also a few MOR ballads in here typical of the Light label. The brass works well on «Walk In The Spirit», a slow funk tune with fuzz guitar. On other tracks the horns take a back seat: like the gospel-edged «Standing In The Liberty» or the slow-rocking «Freedom Bells», both with Band-like classic rock influence. In the heavier category are «The Way» (with good muscular guitar work) and «The Truth Of Salvation», an energetic jazz-rock workout where the guitar and organ truly get down and jam. Sharp cover art, the four guys’ heads fused into what looks like an orange psychedelic fireball. [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th edition]

LP tracklist:

Side One
A1. “The Day Of Salvation” – 3:46
A2. “Freedom Bells” – 4:03
A3. “The Way” – 4:00
A4. “Pathways” – 4:10
A5. “Standing In The Liberty” – 2:29

Side Two
B1. “Saw His Face” – 3:28
B2. “The Son” – 4:42
B3. “Walk In The Spirit” – 2:54
B4. “In Remembrance” – 4:25
B5. “The Truth Of Salvation” – 5:04

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by Light Records. Re-issued on CD by Retroactive Records’ sub-label Born Twice Records in 2014.

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CREDITS. Produced by Bill Cole. Recorded at T.T.G. Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. Engineered by Ami Hadani, Eddie Brackett and Nye Morton. Photography by Frank Raymond. Album Design by Perri & Smith. All songs and arrangements by Sonlight. Track A1, A3, B1, B2, and B4 written by Hadley Hockensmith, and track A2, A4, A5, B3, and B5 written by Harlan Rogers.

Musicians: Hadley Hockensmith (Lead Vocals, Guitars, Bass), Harlan Rogers (Lead Vocals, Piano, Organ), Fletch Wiley (Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Valve Trombone, Flute), Bill Maxwell (Percussion). All background vocals by Sonlight.