Thoroughfare Gap is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Stephen Stills, released in 1978. It was a critical and commercial disappointment that only charted at number 84 in the US. This album is now available as a three-album set on two CDs with Stills & Illegal Stills, having never been released on its own on CD.
Content In a radio interview at the time, Stills said he worked extremely hard on the album, and there were 12-inch mixes of "Can't Get No Booty" ready to be released. He recorded some disco tracks after playing percussion on the Bee Gees' "You Should Be Dancing", and subsequently hired their arranger Mike Lewis and used the group members' younger brother Andy Gibb on backing vocals.
Stephen Stills described the record as "disco and swamp rock". Stills said the song "Thoroughfare Gap" was him drawing upon his history, and
George Terry is quoted as saying he thinks it's about Neil Young's Lionel Trains.
Stills said about the perceived negative reception of going disco that "there are elements of disco I like - the percussion and the guitar. I have played on so many Bee Gees songs: I don't know which ones I played on and which ones I didn't. 'Cause Barry (Gibb) is an old friend of mine and I just sat in and played a chickum-chit, chickum-chit, a little wacka-wacka guitar, then said, 'Use 'em or don't use 'em, I had a great time. You don't even have to use my name.'"
He continued on Thoroughfare Gap: "Maybe some of the tunes weren't as good as others I've written but I am just messing around trying to find something new. I can't do the same thing for eight years. That's called artistic suicide."
Stills said he recorded "Not Fade Away" after seeing The Buddy Holly Story and went into the studio the next night to record it - "Kind of a combination of the Stones version and the original version".
The song "Thoroughfare Gap", dates back to 1972, with Chris Hillman remembering Manassas attempting to record it, but not being able to get the right take.
Reception
Critical reception was mixed, but generally negative. In a contemporary review, People wrote that "Stills succeeds handsomely in soldering his Southern Cal rock (scorching guitar, lavish harmonies, introspective lyrics) to an ultraswayed disco feel (thudding drums, Caribbean cowbells, congas, high-volume strings and horns). Against great odds, it adds up to a fresh sound, thanks to stalwart studio work by drummer Joe Vitale, percussionist Joe Lala, bassist George "Chocolate" Perry and Eric Clapton's guitarist George Terry. Their efforts are particularly noteworthy on You Can't Dance Alone, What's the Game and Can't Get No Booty. Especially reassuring is the title track, an acoustic ballad with a haunting fiddle solo by Al Gould. It harks back to Stills' finest work over the years, songs like Helplessly Hoping, 4 and 20 and As I Come of Age." Trouser Press, in a largely negative review, called the songwriting "monotonous" and said he was enthusiastically "trying to renovate his sound for today's scene". They did have praise for "Thoroughfare Gap", but still noted that it was six years old, saying it was the only song that had "the folksy funk style that once made him worthwhile". Record World said Stills was experimenting, and "You Can't Dance Alone" was geared for the Top 40.
In support of this album Stills formed the California Blues Band and toured throughout most of 1979.
Track listing
Personnel
Stephen Stills – vocals, guitars (1, 3–10), percussion (1), horn and string arrangements (1, 4–8), acoustic guitar (2), bass (2, 10), synthesizers (3), Moog synthesizer (7), organ (9), acoustic piano (10) Mike Finnigan – acoustic piano (1, 3, 6, 8), organ (7), backing vocals (8) Paul Harris – acoustic piano (2) Kenny Kirkland – acoustic piano (5) Albhy Galuten – acoustic piano (7) Joey Murcia – guitars (1) George Terry – guitars (3, 5, 7) Gerry Tolman – guitars (6) Danny Kortchmar – guitars (10), percussion (10), backing vocals (10) George Perry – bass (1, 3–6, 8, 9), backing vocals (8, 9) Gerald Johnson – bass (7) Joe Vitale –drums (1, 3–6, 8, 9, 10), backing vocals (9) Paul Lee – drums (2) Richard O'Connell – drums (7) Joe Lala – percussion (1, 3, 6, 10) Al Gould – fiddle (2) Whit Sidener – flutes (3) Mike Lewis – horn and string arrangements (1, 4–8), flute arrangements (3) Andy Gibb – backing vocals (1, 5) Dave Mason – backing vocals (1, 5, 6) John Sambataro – backing vocals (1, 3, 5) Brooks Hunnicutt – backing vocals (8) Kitty Pritikin ( Kitty Woodson Terry) – backing vocals (name misprint) (8) Verna Richardson – backing vocals (8) Lisa Roberts – backing vocals (8)
Production Stephen Stills – producer, album design Howard Albert – producer, engineer Ron Albert – producer, engineer Michael Braunstein – engineer, recording (4, 6–9) Steve Gursky – engineer Mike Fuller – mastering at Criteria Studios John Berg – album design Jim McCrary – photography
Special thanks to Guillerma Giachetti, Gerry Tolman, Armando Hurley, Harper Dance, Home At Last
Charts +Chart performance for Thoroughfare GapChart (1978)Peak positionUS Billboard Top LPs & Tape83Canadian RPM 100 Albums82US Cash Box Top 100 Albums135US Record World Album Chart140
Tour
Stephen Stills California Blues Band Tour 1979 was a concert tour by American musician Stephen Stills. It was in support of his 1978 album Thoroughfare Gap. During the tour he also recorded another album that was rejected by his record label, many songs from this projected album were played on this tour. On this tour Stills was backed by his group the California Blues Band. The 1979 run at The Roxy, Los Angeles, was professionally recorded. DateCityCountryVenueAttendanceGrossNotes4 September 1978Los AngelesUnited StatesGreek TheatreBread and Roses Festival1979 California Blues Band TourDateCityCountryVenueAttendanceGrossNotes25 January 1979Los AngelesUnited StatesThe RoxySold Out26 January 197927 January 197928 January 1979Leg 13 March 1979HavanaCubaHavana Jam7 March 1979CincinnatiUnited StatesCincinnati Music Hall2 Shows9 March 1979ChicagoAuditorium Theatre10 March 1979OhioKent State University11 March 1979LouisvilleLouisville Gardens13 March 1979IndianapolisIndiana Convention Centre14 March 1979MichiganCentre Stage1,628$22,22816 March 1979ChicagoAuditorium Theatre17 March 1979Upper Darby Township, PennsylvaniaTower Theatre18 March 1979New York CityThe Palladium3,300$27,00019 March 1979OhioColumbus Veterans Memorial Auditorium22 March 1979BostonBoston College23 March 1979PassaicCapitol Theatre3.456$28,17224 March 1979PittsburghStanley Theatre7,442$71,5452 Shows26 March 1979MarylandDAR Constitution Center27 March 1979MiddletownWesleyen University3,010$22,11629 March 1979ReadingBollman Center30 March 1979AtlantaFox Theatre1 April 1979BlacksburgCassell Coliseum3 April 1979AtlantaFox Theatre4 April 1979NashvilleThe Grand Ole Opry House7 April 1979Kansas CityMemorial Hall2,880$23,0408 April 1979St. LouisKiel Opera House2,607$21,997Leg 24 June 1979IrvineUnited StatesCrawford Hall6 June 1979San DiegoSan Diego Sports Arena8 June 1979Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara Bowl4,888$32,6339 June 1979San FranciscoFox Warfield Theatre2,248$44,96010 June 1979Los AngelesGreek Theatre11 June 197912 June 197915 June 1979OhioBlossom Music Center16 June 1979Hara Arena17 June 1979Pine Knob Music Theatre19 June 1979EdwardsvilleMississippi River Festival20 June 1979East TroyAlpine Valley Music Theatre23 June 1979HolmdelGarden State Arts Centre24 June 1979New YorkBelmont Park15,00026 June 1979BroomeBroome County Arena27 June 1979BuffaloKleinhans Music Hall28 June 1979New YorkSaratoga Performing Arts Centre30 June 1979Norfolk Scope1 July 1979ColumbiaMerriweather Post Pavilion2 July 1979New YorkWollman Skating Ring7 July 1979New JerseyGarden States Arts CentreLeg 37 September 1979New YorkUnited StatesWoodstock '798 September 1979New YorkParr Meadows Racetrack16 November 1979San DiegoCasino Theatre17 November 1979SacramentoFreeborn Hall18 November 1979Stanford UniMemorial Hall9 December 1979NorthridgeCal State University15 December 1979Costa MesaLeBard Stadium16 December 1979Santa BarbaraAllen Hancock College Sports Pavilion31 December 1979RiversideBen H. Lewis Hall1980 Tour5 April 1980Laguna BeachUnited StatesIrvine Bowl1 June 1980ConcordConcord Pavilion2 June 1980Los AngelesGreek Theatre3 June 19801980 European Tour4 July 198014 July 1980MilanoItalyStadio San SiroSupported Angelo Branduardi15 July 1980TurinStadio Comunale17 July 1980NyonSwitzerlandParc Du LacNyon Folk Festival18 July 1980TurinItalyTurin Municipal StadiumSupported Angelo Branduardi21 July 1980Rimini22 July 1980NyonSwitzerlandLa Prairie De Colovray23 July 1980ItalyBolzano Stadium24 July 1980MunichGermanyOlympiahalle26 July 1980St. GoarshausenFreilichtbuhne Loreley27 July 1980Stadium Wurzburg29 July 1980NaplesItalyStadio San Paolo4 August 19801980 United States16 August 1980IllinoisUnited StatesRavinia Fest De Kalb19 August 1980Meadow Brook Music Festival23 August 1980IndianapolisHilton U. Brown Theatre27 August 1980PassaicParamount Theatre29 August 1980New YorkCentral Park Stephen Stills and the California Blues Band Stephen Stills – guitar, percussion, vocals Dallas Taylor – drums (Roxy Theater 1979 only) Mike Finnigan – keyboards, Vocals Joe Lala – percussion, vocals Billy Meeker – drums Michael Sturgis – guitar Trey Thompson – bass Bonnie Bramlett – vocals Graham Nash – appeared during some dates of the European 1980 tour Typical setlist
All songs written by Stephen Stills, except where noted.
"Precious Love" "For What It's Worth" "You Can't Dance Alone" "Cuba Al Fin" "Go Back Home" "How Wrong Can You Be" (Mike Finnigan) "Love The One You're With" "Make Love To You" "Cherokee" "Rock And Roll Crazies/Cuban Bluegrass" (Stills, Dallas Taylor / Stills, Joe Lala) "Jet Set (Sigh)" "Thoroughfare Gap" Come On In My Kitchen (Robert Johnson)
References