Commodores (album)

Commodores is the fifth studio album by the Commodores, released in 1977. The album spent eight weeks at the top of the R&B/soul albums chart, the second of their albums to do so, and was their first Top 5 pop album. There is also a previously released extended version.

Commodores
Studio album by Commodores
Released	March 30, 1977 (1977-03-30)
Recorded	1976–1977
Studio	Motown Recording Studios, Hollywood, California
Genre	Soul funk
Length	38:22
Label	Motown
Producer	James Anthony Carmichael Commodores
Commodores chronology
Hot on the Tracks (1976) Commodores (1977) Commodores Live! (1977)
Singles from Commodores
"Easy" Released: March 18, 1977 "Brick House" Released: August 26, 1977 "Zoom" Released: 1978 (UK)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide	[2]

The band employed a variety of musical styles for the album, highlighted by the popular anthem "Brick House". With Walter Orange's deep voice on the lead, and Ronald LaPread's bassline, this track peaked on the U.S. Hot 100 at #5, and the U.S. R&B Chart at #4. "Brick House" means a "stacked" woman with an hour-glass figure.

In contrast to "Brick House", "Easy" is a pop ballad with mellow vocals by Lionel Richie.

"Zoom" is one of the Commodores' best known tunes, despite not being released as a single in the US. It reached #38 on the UK singles chart. Fergie sampled "Zoom" in her song "All That I Got (The Make-Up Song)" on the album The Dutchess.

In the UK and other Western European countries this album was released as Zoom on Tamla Motown.

The album was dedicated to Kathy Faye LaPread, bass guitarist Ronald LaPread's wife, who died from cancer around that time.^[3]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Extended length	Length
1.	"Squeeze the Fruit"	Walter Orange	3:03	3:00
2.	"Funny Feelings"	Lionel Richie Thomas McClary	5:57	4:51
3.	"Heaven Knows"	Richie McClary	6:16	4:41
4.	"Zoom"	Richie Ronald LaPread	7:06	6:43

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Extended time	Length
1.	"Won't You Come Dance with Me"	Richie McClary	4:08	3:47
2.	"Brick House"	Shirley Hanna-King [uncredited] Richie Milan Williams Orange LaPread McClary William King	3:46	3:27
3.	"Funky Situation"	King	4:12	3:39
4.	"Patch It Up"	Williams	4:03	3:58
5.	"Easy"	Richie	4:50	4:16

Personnel

Commodores

• Lionel Richie – vocals, saxophones, keyboards
• Milan Williams – keyboards
• Thomas McClary – vocals, guitars
• Ronald LaPread – vocals, bass
• Walter Orange – vocals, drums, percussion
• William King – vocals, trumpet

Additional musicians

• Cal Harris – synthesizers
• Darrell Jones – guitars

Production

• Commodores – producers, arrangements
• James Anthony Carmichael – producer, arrangements
• Cal Harris – engineer, mixing
• Jane Clark – engineer
• Jack Andrews – mastering
• Carl Overr – graphics director
• Stan Martin – design
• Tom Nikosey – illustration
• Gene Gurley – photography
• Benjamin Ashburn – album coordinator, manager

Charts

Year	Chart positions[4]
	US	US R&B	Aus[5]
1977	3	1	62

Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions[6]
		US	US R&B	US Dance
1977	"Brick House"	5	4	34
	"Easy"	4	1	—

See also

• List of number-one R&B albums of 1977 (U.S.)