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Two From Captain Fingers: Robinsongs Reissues Lee Ritenour’s “Rit” and “Rit 2”

December 9, 2015 By Joe Marchese 3 Comments

Lee Ritenour - Rit and Rit 2In a solo career now numbering five decades and counting, California’s Lee Ritenour – a.k.a. Captain Fingers – remains one of music’s most virtuosic and prolific guitarists.  An in-demand session guitarist who has played for artists including Johnny Mathis, Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin, Ritenour released his first recording as a leader in 1975 with First Course; his most recent, A Twist of Rit, was issued earlier this year.  Now, Cherry Red’s Robinsongs imprint has looked back to Ritenour’s first two albums of the 1980s to combine Rit and Rit 2 on one CD.

With his fusion of jazz, funk, R&B and pop, Ritenour’s albums fit comfortably into the radio-friendly groove of his contemporaries including Bob James, David Sanborn, The Brecker Brothers, Tom Scott and George Benson.  After recording for labels including Epic and the Japanese-based JVC, he signed with Elektra Records.   1981’s Rit was his third album for Elektra (and eleventh overall).  Ritenour called upon an array of heavy hitters.  The guitarist’s supporting cast included such ubiquitous luminaries of the era including David Foster, Greg Phillinganes, Richard Tee and Don Grusin (keyboards), Harvey Mason (digital drums/percussion), David Hungate and Abe Laboriel (bass), Jeff Porcaro (drums), Paulinho da Costa (percussion).  Foster and Johnny Mandel both penned arrangements, and Chuck Finley and Jerry Hey provided horns.

The first side of Rit featured songs written or co-written by Texas-born vocalist Eric Tagg.  Bill Champlin (Sons of Champlin, Chicago) co-wrote “Is It You” with Ritenour and Tagg, and the bright, infectious tune featuring Champlin on background vocals earned Ritenour a U.S. Top 20 Pop hit.  “Countdown (Captain Fingers)” featured Ritenour himself providing the vocoder-enhanced lead; it, too, charted as a Top 50 Dance hit.  The eclectic album also made room for original instrumentals and a smooth reworking of Sly and the Family Stone’s “(You Caught Me) Smilin'” with Champlin’s distinctive backgrounds.  Rit reached the Top 5 of the U.S. Jazz chart, and an impressive No. 26 berth on the Billboard 200.

Ritenour followed much of the same path for Rit 2, again enlisting Eric Tagg as lead vocalist and prominent collaborator.  Harvey Mason and Ritenour were jointly responsible for the modern, electronic-influenced arrangements.  Tagg, Harvey Mason, Don Grusin and Nathan East formed the core Lee Ritenour Band on the album, joined by returning guests such as da Costa, Porcaro, Phillinganes, Laboriel and Hey as well as drummer John Robinson and saxophonist Tom Scott.  Rit 2 again blended vocals and instrumentals, boasting both AOR-styled rock tracks and fusion ballads.  “Cross My Heart” aimed for the dancefloor and made it to No. 69 on the Hot 100.  Tom Scott had his featured slot on “Promises, Promises” (not the Burt Bacharach/Hal David song).  Despite the heavy wattage of the guests involved, Ritenour delivered potent solos on tracks including “Keep It Alive,” “A Fantasy” and “Roadrunner.”  (In addition to his electric and acoustic guitars, the versatile multi-instrumentalist also added keyboards, bass, guitar synthesizer and OBX drums to the sessions!)

Robinsongs’ two-fer of Rit and Rit 2 has new liner notes by Charles Waring detailing the albums’ histories and offering commentary on the songs.   Alan Wilson has remastered.  Rit/Rit 2 is available now and can be ordered at the links below!

Lee Ritenour, Rit/Rit 2 (Robinsongs WROBIN3CD, 2015) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

  1. Briefcase
  2. (Just) Tell Me Pretty Lies
  3. No Sympathy
  4. Is It You
  5. Dreamwalk
  6. Countdown (Captain Fingers)
  7. Good Question
  8. (You Caught Me) Smilin’
  9. On the Slow Guide
  10. No Sympathy (Reprise)
  11. Cross My Heart
  12. Promises, Promises
  13. Dreamwalkin’
  14. Keep It Alive
  15. A Fantasy
  16. Tied Up
  17. Voices
  18. On the Boardwalk
  19. Road Runner
  20. Malibu

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Jazz, Pop Tags: Bill Champlin, David Foster, Eric Tagg, Lee Ritenour

Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with Real Gone Music, has released newly-curated collections produced by Joe from iconic artists such as Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Chet Atkins, and many others. He has contributed liner notes to reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, B.J. Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, and Andy Williams, and has compiled releases for talents including Robert Goulet and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray. Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

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Comments

  1. Jimmy Arnett says

    December 9, 2015 at 6:53 pm

    These two have been reissued before. I would like to see his second album, “Captain Fingers”, remastered and reissued.

    Reply
  2. Mark H. says

    December 10, 2015 at 7:19 am

    Now if somebody would only reissue Tim Weisberg’s first two albums on CD.

    Reply
  3. Zubb says

    December 12, 2015 at 4:08 am

    I would love to see the soundtrack to American Flyers issued on CD.

    Reply

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