Touchdown is the sixth album by Bob James, released in 1978 on his Tappan Zee label through Columbia Records.
The album's title is a reference to this being James' sixth solo album (a touchdown being worth six points in American football), a pattern also followed by his previous album Heads (featuring a five cent coin on its cover) and next album Lucky Seven.
Taxi
Touchdown contains the song "Angela", the popular theme to the 1970s television sitcom Taxi. The song was named after a guest character in the third episode of the first season ("Blind Date"), but after hearing the song, the producers made this the show's main theme, replacing their previous choice, which became this album's title track.
Track listing All songs written by Bob James
"Angela (Theme from Taxi)" – 5:48 "Touchdown" – 5:44 "I Want to Thank You (Very Much)" – 7:07 "Sun Runner" – 6:17 "Caribbean Nights" – 8:46
Personnel Bob James – acoustic piano, Yamaha electric grand piano, Fender Rhodes, Oberheim Polyphonic synthesizer, arrangements and conductor Eric Gale – guitar solo (1), electric guitar (2, 5) Hiram Bullock – electric guitar (2–5), guitar solo (5), vocal solo (5) Earl Klugh – acoustic guitar (3–5) Richard Resnicoff – acoustic rhythm guitar (3) Gary King – electric bass (1, 2) Ron Carter – acoustic bass (3–5), piccolo bass solo (5) Idris Muhammad – drums (1) Steve Gadd – drums (2–5) Ralph MacDonald – percussion (1–4) Mongo Santamaria – percussion (5)
Brass and Woodwinds Phil Bodner – alto saxophone, flute, oboe Jerry Dodgion – alto saxophone, flute David Sanborn – alto saxophone solo (2) Howard Johnson – baritone saxophone, contrabass clarinet Harvey Estrin – tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute George Marge – tenor saxophone, English horn, flute, oboe, recorder Hubert Laws – flute solo (3–5) Wayne Andre – trombone Dave Bargeron – trombone Alan Raph – trombone Randy Brecker – trumpet Jon Faddis – trumpet Mike Lawrence – trumpet Ron Tooley – trumpet
Strings David Nadien – concertmaster Jonathan Abramowitz, Seymour Barab, Richard Locker and Charles McCracken – cello Jean Dane, Theodore Israel, Sue Pray and Emanuel Vardi – viola Harry Cykman, Lewis Eley, Max Ellen, Louis Gabowitz, Diana Halprin, Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, John Pintavalle, Matthew Raimondi, Herbert Sorkin and Richard Sortomme – violin
Production Bob James – producer Jay Chattaway – associate producer Joe Jorgensen – associate producer, engineer Tim Bomba – assistant engineer Ted Bronson – assistant engineer Lou Jannone – assistant engineer Harold Tarowsky – assistant engineer Vlado Meller – mastering at Columbia Mastering (New York, NY) Marion Orr – production coordinator Paula Scher – art direction, design Buddy Endress – photography
Charts Chart (1978) Peakposition Billboard Pop Albums37 Billboard Top Jazz Albums1
References
External links Bob James-Touchdown at Discogs