Balin (album)

Balin is Marty Balin's 1981 debut solo album. Two top-40 singles were released, "Hearts" (a U.S. #8 hit, and also his biggest as a solo artist) and "Atlanta Lady (Something About Your Love)" (U.S. #27). The album rose to #35 on the Billboard charts.

Balin
Studio album by Marty Balin
Released	May 11, 1981
Recorded	1981 at The Village Recorder, Los Angeles, California, The Record Plant, Sausalito, California, and White Rabbit Studios, Sausalito, California
Genre	Rock
Length	35:34
Label	EMI America
Producer	John Hug
Marty Balin chronology
Balin (1981) Lucky (1983)
Singles from Balin
"Hearts"/"Freeway" Released: May 1981 "Atlanta Lady (Something About Your Love)"/"Lydia!" Released: August 1981

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Track listing

Side one

1. "Hearts" (Jesse Barish) – 4:32
2. "You Left Your Mark on Me" (Terry Turrell/Eric J. Burgeson) – 4:40
3. "Lydia!" (Rick Nowels/Marty Balin) – 3:36
4. "Atlanta Lady" (Barish) – 3:46

Side two

1. "Spotlight" (Turrell/Burgeson) – 3:30
2. "I Do Believe in You" (Richard Page/John Lang/Steve George/Jerry Manfredi) – 3:23
3. "Elvis and Marilyn" (Leon Russell/Kim Fowley/Dyan Diamond) – 3:05
4. "Tell Me More" (Obren Bokich/John Whitney) – 3:48
5. "Music Is the Light" (Barish) – 4:17

CD releases

"Balin" was released by American Beat on CD in 2008 and by EMI in 2009. Both editions featured the shorter, single version of "Hearts" rather than the longer album version.

In March 2013 BGO reissued the album along with the follow up release "Lucky" on one CD. Mastered by Andrew Thompson the BGO edition is the only CD version that features the full-length album version of "Hearts".

Charts

Chart (1981)	Peak position
US Pop	35

Singles[2]

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1981	"Hearts"	US Pop	8
		US AC	9
		US Rock	20
	"Atlanta Lady (Something About Your Love)"	US Pop	27
		US AC	11

Personnel

• Marty Balin – vocals, acoustic guitar
• Johnny De Caro – guitar, background vocals
• Mark Cummings – piano, synthesizer, vocoder, background vocals
• Billy Lee Lewis – drums, percussion, background vocals
• Richard Bassil – bass, background vocals

Additional Personnel

• John Javis – piano on "Spotlight" and "I Do Believe"
• Neil Larsen – electric piano, synthesizer on "Music Is the Light"
• Michael Boddicker – vocoder on "You Left Your Mark On Me"
• John Hug – guitar
• Ken Watson – cymbals on "Hearts"
• Bobbye Hall – percussion
• Steve Forman – percussion
• Bill Champlin – background vocals on "Hearts"
• Rick Nowels – background vocals
• David E Landau – background vocals

Production

• A Great Pyramid Ltd. Production
• John Hug – producer, string arrangement and conductor
• Tom Flye – engineer
• Clif Jones – assistant engineer
• Ann Fry – assistant engineer
• David E. Landau – production coordinator
• Joe Buchwald – chief executive, manager
• Recorded at The Village Recorders, Los Angeles, and The Record Plant, Sausalito
• Mixed at The Record Plant
• "Elvis and Marilyn" recorded at White Rabbit Studios, Sausalito
• Mastered at Sterling Sound, New York City
• Greg Calbi – mastering engineer
• Harry Bluestone – concertmaster
• Frank De Caro – contractor
• Bill Burks – art direction
• Richard Avedon – Marty Balin photography
• Tom Gibson – other photography

References

1. Balin at AllMusic
2. "Marty Balin, Singles Chart Positions". Retrieved November 24, 2016.