Sun Goddess is a jazz album by Ramsey Lewis, released on Columbia Records in 1974. The album reached No. 12 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart and No. 1 on both the Billboard Top Jazz Albums and Top Soul Albums charts. Sun Goddess was also certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.
About the album After his classic acoustic albums in the 1960s, Ramsey Lewis wanted to head in a new musical direction in the 1970s. As the mid-70s approached, he reunited with Maurice White, who at that time was with his own band, Earth, Wind & Fire. Members of EW&F including White played on the album sessions, while Philip Bailey added vocals.
The album became a crossover hit, charting at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B and jazz album charts, while peaking at No. 12 on the pop album chart. The tracks, "Hot Dawgit" and "Sun Goddess", charted on the R&B, pop and disco singles charts. Sun Goddess was certified gold by the RIAA.
For years, the identity of the woman on the album cover, photographed by Herb Breuer, had been a mystery among fans, as there was no credit on the album cover. Lewis revealed on his Facebook page in June 2011 that the model was Susan Leigh Scott, now Susan Maxon.Ramsey Lewis reunites with SUN GODDESS cover model Maxon had moved to Seattle, where Lewis was performing during his 2011 Sun Goddess Tour, and decided to attend one of his performances. A photo was taken of the backstage meeting between Lewis and Maxon, which Lewis posted on his page.
Track listing
Personnel
Philip Bailey - Conga, vocals Cleveland Eaton - Bass, bass guitar Johnny Graham - Guitar Byron Gregory - Guitar Maurice Jennings - percussion, conga, drums, tambourine Ramsey Lewis - Synthesizer, guitar, piano, electric guitar, electric piano, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, string machine Don Myrick - Tenor Saxophone Derf Reklaw-Raheem - Conga, drums, vocals Charles Stepney - Guitar, electric guitar, Fender Rhodes Maurice White - Drums, timbales, vocals Verdine White - Bass, vocals Technical Dave Antler - Engineer Richard Evans - Horn arrangements, string arrangements
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1975) Peakposition
Year-end charts Chart (1975) Position US Billboard 200 42 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 4
Singles Year Single Chart Position 1975 Sun Goddess Billboard Soul Singles 20 1975 Sun Goddess Billboard Pop Singles 44 1975 Hot Dawgit Billboard Pop Singles 50 1975 Hot Dawgit Billboard Soul Singles 61
See also List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 1975
References