The Essential Bill Withers

~ Release by Bill Withers (see all versions of this release, 3 available)

Tracklist

1▶CD: Disc One
2▼CD: Disc Two
#TitleArtistRatingLength
1Family Table
Bill Withers3:14
2The Best You Can
Bill Withers2:25
3Hello Like Before
producer:
Larry Nash (piano) and Bill Withers
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
Columbia Records (not for release label use! company owned by Sony Music Entertainment, only use for manufacturing/distribution and copyright holding) (in 1975)
recording of:
Hello Like Before
writer:
John Collins (songwriter) and Bill Withers
publisher:
Golden Withers Music
Bill Withers5:30
4I Wish You Well
recording of:
I Wish You Well
lyricist and composer:
Bill Withers
Bill Withers3:59
5Don't You Want to Stay?
Bill Withers4:05
6I'll Be With You
Bill Withers3:12
7My Imagination
recording of:
My Imagination
lyricist and composer:
Bill Withers
Bill Withers4:53
8Lovely Day
producer:
Clarence McDonald and Bill Withers
bass guitar:
Jerry Knight (in 1977)
drums (drum set) and shakers:
Russell Kunkel (session drummer) (in 1977)
guitar:
Ray Parker (in 1977)
keyboard:
Clarence McDonald (in 1977)
percussion:
Ralph MacDonald (in 1977)
lead vocals:
Bill Withers (in 1977)
arranger:
Clarence McDonald
concertmaster:
Charles Veal (violinist, conductor and arranger) (in 1977)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
CBS Records Ltd. (UK record company, subsidiary of CBS United Kingdom Ltd.) (in 1977), CBS, Inc. (US broadcasting company; file no releases here!) (in 1977) and Columbia Records (not for release label use! company owned by Sony Music Entertainment, only use for manufacturing/distribution and copyright holding) (in 1977)
part of:
Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: 2021 edition (number: 402)
recording of:
Lovely Day (in 1977)
writer:
Skip Scarborough and Bill Withers
publisher:
Chappell Music Ltd., Chelsea Music Publishing Co., Ltd., Golden Withers Music, Plaid Flowers Music, Sweet Cookie Music, Unichappell Music, Inc., Warner–Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (publisher; do NOT use as release label), フジパシフィックミュージック (Fujipacific Music, Inc.), ヤマハミュージックエンタテインメントホールディングス (Yamaha Music Entertainment Holdings, Inc., holding company – do not use as release label) and ワーナー・チャペル音楽出版 Synch事業部 (Warner/Chappell Music Japan K.K., Synch Division)
Bill Withers4.64:16
9I Want to Spend the Night
producer:
Keni Burke and Bill Withers
bass guitar:
Keni Burke
drums (drum set):
Russell Kunkel (session drummer)
guitar:
Bill Withers
keyboard:
Dean Gant
percussion:
Ralph MacDonald
vocals:
Bill Withers
brass [horns] and strings arranger:
Paul Riser
concertmaster:
Charles Veal (violinist, conductor and arranger)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
CBS, Inc. (US broadcasting company; file no releases here!) (in 1977)
recording of:
I Want to Spend the Night
lyricist and composer:
Bill Withers
publisher:
Golden Withers Music and フジパシフィックミュージック (Fujipacific Music, Inc.)
Bill Withers3:42
10Tender Things
producer:
Clarence McDonald and Bill Withers
bass guitar:
Keni Burke
drums (drum set):
Russell Kunkel (session drummer)
guitar:
Ray Parker
keyboard:
Clarence McDonald
percussion:
Ralph MacDonald
vocals:
Bill Withers
arranger:
Clarence McDonald
concertmaster:
Charles Veal (violinist, conductor and arranger)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
CBS, Inc. (US broadcasting company; file no releases here!) (in 1977)
recording of:
Tender Things
lyricist and composer:
Bill Withers
publisher:
Golden Withers Music and フジパシフィックミュージック (Fujipacific Music, Inc.)
Bill Withers25:02
11Let Me Be the One You Need
producer:
Keni Burke, Clarence McDonald and Bill Withers
bass guitar:
Keni Burke
congas and drums (drum set):
Russell Kunkel (session drummer)
keyboard:
Clarence McDonald
percussion:
Ralph MacDonald
vocals:
Bill Withers
brass [horns] and strings arranger:
Paul Riser
concertmaster:
Charles Veal (violinist, conductor and arranger)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
CBS, Inc. (US broadcasting company; file no releases here!) (in 1977)
recording of:
Let Me Be the One You Need
writer:
Skip Scarborough and Bill Withers
publisher:
Golden Withers Music, Plaid Flowers Music, Sweet Cookie Music, Unichappell Music, Inc., Warner–Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (publisher; do NOT use as release label), フジパシフィックミュージック (Fujipacific Music, Inc.), ヤマハミュージックエンタテインメントホールディングス (Yamaha Music Entertainment Holdings, Inc., holding company – do not use as release label) and ワーナー・チャペル音楽出版 Synch事業部 (Warner/Chappell Music Japan K.K., Synch Division)
Bill Withers4:45
12Memories Are That Way
Bill Withers15:04
13Soul Shadows
vocals:
Bill Withers
recording of:
Soul Shadows
writer:
Will Jennings and Joe Sample
The Crusaders with Bill Withers6:25
14Just the Two of Us
producer:
Ralph MacDonald and Grover Washington, Jr.
drums (drum set):
Steve Gadd (drummer) (from 1980-06 until 1980-07)
electric bass guitar:
Marcus Miller (jazz musician) (from 1980-06 until 1980-07)
electric guitar:
Eric Gale (from 1980-06 until 1980-07)
percussion:
Ralph MacDonald (from 1980-06 until 1980-07)
Rhodes piano:
Richard Tee (from 1980-06 until 1980-07)
saxophone:
Grover Washington, Jr. (from 1980-06 until 1980-07)
lead vocals:
Bill Withers (from 1980-06 until 1980-07)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
Elektra Entertainment Group (not for release label use! a division of Warner Communications, Inc. for the United States, and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the United States) (in 1980), Elektra Records (not for release label use! please use its imprint “Elektra” instead) (in 1980) and Elektra/Asylum Records (not for release label use! copyrights holder, distributor within the US) (in 1980)
edit of:
Just the Two of Us (original studio mix) by Bill Withers & Grover Washington, Jr.
recording of:
Just the Two of Us (Bill Withers song) (from 1980-06 until 1980-07)
writer:
Ralph MacDonald, William Salter and Bill Withers
publisher:
Antisia Music Inc. and Bleunig Music
Grover Washington, Jr. with Bill Withers3.53:58
15In the Name of Love
Ralph MacDonald with Bill Withers5:02
16We Could Be Sweet Lovers
engineer:
Keith Seppanen (Engineer)
producer:
Bill Withers
drums (drum set):
John Robinson (session drummer)
flute [flutes]:
Paul Smith (keyboardist/producer, worked with Bill Withers and Idris Muhammad) and Bill Withers
glockenspiel [bells] and steelpan [steel drums]:
Don Freeman
percussion:
Paulinho da Costa (Brazilian percussionist)
synthesizer [Yamaha DX-7]:
Don Freeman, Paul Smith (keyboardist/producer, worked with Bill Withers and Idris Muhammad) and Bill Withers
background vocals:
Edie Lehman, Kate Markowitz and Phil Perry (US R&B/jazz singer, songwriter & musician)
other vocals [ad-lib]:
Alex Brown (US soul vocalist, member of Raelets)
vocals:
Bill Withers
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
CBS, Inc. (US broadcasting company; file no releases here!) (in 1985)
recorded at:
Yamaha R&D Recording Studios
recording of:
We Could Be Sweet Lovers
lyricist and composer:
Bill Withers
publisher:
フジパシフィックミュージック (Fujipacific Music, Inc.) and Bleunig Music (from 1982 to present)
Bill Withers3:29
17Something That Turns You On
engineer:
Keith Seppanen (Engineer)
producer:
Bill Withers
bass guitar, Rhodes piano and synthesizer [DX-7]:
Bill Withers
clavinet and synthesizer [synthesizer horns]:
Paul Smith (keyboardist/producer, worked with Bill Withers and Idris Muhammad)
cymbal and electronic drum set [Simmons toms]:
M.B. Gordy
drum machine [Linn drum synthesizer]:
Keith Seppanen (Engineer)
strings:
Paul Smith (keyboardist/producer, worked with Bill Withers and Idris Muhammad) and Bill Withers
background vocals:
Edie Lehman, Kate Markowitz and Phil Perry (US R&B/jazz singer, songwriter & musician)
other vocals [ad-lib]:
Phil Perry (US R&B/jazz singer, songwriter & musician)
vocals:
Bill Withers
background vocals arranger:
Alex Brown (US soul vocalist, member of Raelets), Phil Perry (US R&B/jazz singer, songwriter & musician) and Denise Routt
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
CBS, Inc. (US broadcasting company; file no releases here!) (in 1985)
recorded at:
Yamaha R&D Recording Studios
recording of:
Something That Turns You On
lyricist and composer:
Bill Withers
publisher:
フジパシフィックミュージック (Fujipacific Music, Inc.) and Bleunig Music (from 1982 to present)
Bill Withers4:27

Credits

Release group

part of:The Essential (Sony/Legacy compilations) (order: 167)
Discogs:https://www.discogs.com/master/1025566 [info]
Allmusic:https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0002558461 [info]
Wikidata:Q60787790 [info]