Rickie Lee Jones (album)

Rickie Lee Jones is the debut album of singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones. After arriving in California in the mid-1970s, Jones started taking songwriting more seriously, and by 1977 had met singer-songwriters Chuck E. Weiss and Tom Waits (Jones consequently became romantically involved with Waits).

Overview
Jones had begun playing live in the Los Angeles area at the age of 21, and after meeting singer-songwriter Alfred Johnson, the pair began writing and performing live together (most notably at the Ala Carte club.) Two of their collaborations, "Weasel and the White Boys Cool" and "Company," would later be recorded for Jones' debut album. She also sang jazz standards, as well as a song penned by her father ("The Moon Is Made of Gold") in her live sets.

Jones' performances around Los Angeles aroused interest from other local songwriters, as well as local record company executives. At a label showcase, Jones performed originals, including "Chuck E.'s in Love", "The Real Thing Is Back in Town" and "The Moon Is Made of Gold." This showcase performance, plus a demo containing "The Last Chance Texaco", "Easy Money", "Young Blood" and "After Hours" led to a record deal with Warner Bros.. For her major label debut, Jones scrapped "The Real Thing Is Back in Town," but used the titular line in one of the album's tracks - "Coolsville."

Recording sessions (which began in September 1978) yielded eleven songs for inclusion on an album. Two of the songs - "On Saturday Afternoons in 1963" and "After Hours" - were recorded live on December 22, 1978.

Reception
The album was released in the spring of 1979 to mostly favorable reviews propelled by the substantial jazz-pop hit single "Chuck E.'s in Love," based on a rumored romance of her friend Chuck E. Weiss. The single became a US #4 hit during the summer, while the album, which went on to become a million seller, hit US #3. Jones was supported by a memorable slot on Saturday Night Live in April 1979, where she performed "Chuck E.'s in Love" and "Coolsville." A second single, "Young Blood," cracked the US Top 40 in late 1979, when Jones went on an international tour. By June 1981, the album had sold over two million copies in the US alone.

Image
The album cover contributed to the image of Jones as a stylish beret-wearing beatnik. With her, at that time unique trad/jazz sensibility,  the beret lended a certain mystery to her debut,  propelling her look as a mainstay of hipster chic and branding her image in the process. Despite Jones' beautiful looks and street gamine wildness, she would recall that people seemed to only recognize her in public when she was wearing the beret. The album cover photography and design was by Norman Seeff.

Awards
22nd Annual Grammy Awards


 * rowspan="6"|1980
 * Rickie Lee Jones
 * Best New Artist
 * Won
 * rowspan="2"|"Chuck E.'s In Love"
 * Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female
 * Nominated
 * Song of the Year
 * Nominated
 * "The Last Chance Texaco"
 * Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
 * Nominated
 * Tom Knox
 * Best Engineered Recording - Non-Classical
 * Nominated
 * }
 * Nominated
 * Tom Knox
 * Best Engineered Recording - Non-Classical
 * Nominated
 * }
 * }

Track listing
Songs written by Rickie Lee Jones, except where noted.


 * 1) "Chuck E.'s in Love"  3:28
 * 2) "On Saturday Afternoons in 1963" – 2:31
 * 3) "Night Train" – 3:14
 * 4) "Young Blood" – 4:04
 * 5) "Easy Money" – 3:16
 * 6) "The Last Chance Texaco" – 4:05
 * 7) "Danny's All-Star Joint" – 4:01
 * 8) "Coolsville" – 3:49
 * 9) "Weasel and the White Boys Cool" (Rickie Lee Jones, Alfred Johnson) – 6:00
 * 10) "Company" (Rickie Lee Jones, Alfred Johnson) – 4:40
 * 11) "After Hours (Twelve Bars Past Goodnight)" – 2:13

Personnel

 * Rickie Lee Jones - vocals, keyboards, percussion, guitar, horn arrangements
 * Dr. John - keyboards
 * Michael McDonald - vocals
 * Randy Newman - synthesizer
 * Victor Feldman - percussion, drums, keyboards
 * Tom Scott - horns
 * Ralph Grierson - keyboards
 * Michael Boddicker - synthesizer
 * Red Callender - bass
 * Nick DeCaro - accordion, orchestral arrangements
 * Buzz Feiten - guitar
 * Chuck Findley - horns
 * Steve Gadd - drums
 * Randy Kerber - keyboards
 * Neil Larsen - keyboards
 * Arno Lucas - background vocals
 * Johnny Mandel - orchestral arrangements
 * Andy Newmark - drums
 * Jeff Porcaro - drums
 * Leslie Smith - background vocals
 * Mark Stevens - drums, percussion
 * Fred Tackett - guitar, mandolin
 * Joe Turano - background vocals
 * Ernie Watts - horns
 * Willie Weeks - bass
 * Matthew Weiner - background vocals
 * Technical
 * Lee Herschberg, Loyd Clifft - engineer
 * Mike Salisbury - art direction, cover design
 * Norman Seeff - photography

Charts
Album

Singles - Billboard