Reggie Lucas (February 25, 1953 – May 19, 2018) – Kiss Away (1977)
Lucas and James Mtume co-wrote and produced classics for Roberta Flack, Stephanie Mills and Phyllis Hyman, and co-wrote this stellar disco-funk jam for Vitamin E.
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The unsung guitarist, songwriter, and producer Reggie Lucas played with Miles Davis in the early 1970s, co-wrote and produced many R&B hits alongside James Mtume, and produced Madonna's 1983 debut LP.
See our earlier posts on Reggie Lucas and his songwriting and production partner James Mtume for more on their musical history.
In 1974, while Lucas and Mtume were still members of Miles Davis’ band, Lucas played guitar on Slewfoot, drummer Norman Connors’ second album for Buddah Records, where Connors was soon to become the A&R director. Lucas arranged the LP’s funky instrumental title track and co-wrote it together with bassist Anthony Jackson (who co-wrote “For The Love of Money” by the O’Jays).
The following year, he and Mtume both played on Gary Bartz’ The Shadow Do (1975), produced by Fonce and Larry Mizell. Lucas arranged the stellar jam “Gentle Smiles (Saxy)” which he co-wrote with Bartz. It was later memorably sampled by A Tribe Called Quest for “Butter” off their classic 1991 LP The Low End Theory.
On July 29, 1975, Lucas recorded his solo debut LP Survival Themes at Minot Studios in New York City, which he wrote or co-wrote every track for and produced himself. Besides himself on guitar, the all-star lineup included Mtume on congas and percussion, bassists Anthony Jackson and Michael Henderson, Hubert Eaves III on keyboards, John Stubblefield on tenor sax, Joe Gardner on trumpet, Clifford Adams on trombone, and Howard King on drums.
The opening cut was his own, even funkier version of “Slewfoot.” Other highlights included the mellow jam “Tender Years” and the epic jazz-funk workout “The Barefoot Song.” The album was originally released in 1976 as an import on the Japanese jazz label East Wind, then re-issued by the small New York label Inner City in 1978.
Lucas and Mtume’s song “The Closer I Get To You” appeared on Roberta Flack’s Blue Lights in the Basement LP (1977), which went to #1 R&B and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and launched their career as hit songwriters and producers. Earlier the same year, they played on and co-arranged the short-lived disco vocal group Vitamin E’s debut album Sharing, produced by Norman Connors and released on Buddah.
They co-wrote, arranged and conducted the LP’s superb disco-funk lead single “Kiss Away.”
After Mtume and Lucas had produced classics for Stephanie Mills, Phyllis Hyman, and their own group Mtume, Lucas was hired by Warner Bros. to produce the 1983 self-titled debut LP by a New York City-based singer named Madonna who had just signed to Sire Records. He wrote two of its songs, “Physical Attraction” and “Borderline,” the latter which became her first top-ten single and made her a bonafide pop star. His production of “Burning Up,” issued as the original single and 12” versions of the track before it was re-mixed by Jellybean Benitez for subsequent pressings, was an early 80s synth-pop dancefloor masterpiece.
In response to a New York Times opinion piece published in 2013 that asked, “Is Music the Key to Success?” Lucas posted an insightful short essay on his personal website.
He noted that from what he had observed throughout his career, musical ability absolutely translated into success in other fields, and therefore made a revolutionary proposal:
“The acknowledgement and encouragement of musical ability (should) be a universal principle in our society. This could result in both better music and a more harmonious, productive society. The misguided and unfortunate tendency of government at all levels to severely reduce or even eliminate funding for music and art programs in public school systems has been a tragic miscalculation.”
A year ago today would have been Lucas' 70th birthday. It was fitting that his conclusion about how misguided cuts to music and art programs have helped dumb down America was echoed by perceptive cultural observer Nelson George in his essay published on that very day, "How Defunding The School Systems Shaped Hip-Hop Culture."
Happy Cosmic Birthday to the great Reggie Lucas.
Further info:
“Not Just Funnin’, Mtume Mean Real Business,” interview with James Mtume & Reggie Lucas, by David Nathan, November, 1978.
“Reggie Lucas and The 'Vicious Competition for Credit' Over Launching Madonna's Career,” The Atlantic, July 27, 2013.
“Reggie Lucas, Who Worked With Miles Davis and Madonna,” obituary, Billboard, May 19, 2018.
“Reggie Lucas, Versatile Guitarist and Producer, Dies at 65,” obituary, The New York Times, May 20, 2018.
“Reggie Lucas 1953-2018,” by Tara Hanks, TaraHanks.com, May 20, 2018.
“James Mtume Talks Friend, Musical Partner Reggie Lucas,” GrownFolksMusic.com, June 7, 2018.
#jazz #soul #disco #funk #VitaminE #JamesMtume #Madonna #ReggieLucas
Wow. What a span of genius and contribution to a variety of genres and artists. Shared!