Sign of the Times (Bob James album)

Sign of the Times is the ninth album by jazz keyboardist Bob James.[3]

Sign of the Times
Studio album by Bob James
Released	October 15, 1981
Genre	Jazz fusion
Length	36:39
Label	Tappan Zee
Producer	Bob James, Hilary James
Bob James chronology
H (1980) Sign of the Times (1981) Hands Down (1982)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[2]

The title track has been sampled by De La Soul and Warren G.[4]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Hypnotique"	Rod Temperton	5:52
2.	"The Steamin' Feeling"	Temperton	5:23
3.	"Enchanted Forest"	Bob James	5:33
4.	"Unicorn"	James	9:03
5.	"Sign of the Times"	Temperton	5:41
6.	"Love Power"	James	5:31

Personnel

• Bob James – acoustic piano, Rhodes piano, all synthesizers, horn and string arrangements, rhythm track and synthesizer arrangements (3, 4, 6), calliope solo (5)
• Steve Khan – guitar (1-5)
• Bruce Dunlap – guitar (6)
• Eric Gale – guitar (6)
• Gary King – bass (1, 2, 5, 6)
• Marcus Miller – bass (3, 4)
• Major Holley – scat contrabass solo (5)
• John Robinson – drums (1, 2, 5)
• Rick Marotta – drums (3, 4)
• Buddy Williams – drums (6)
• Leonard "Doc" Gibbs – percussion (1-5)
• Ralph MacDonald – percussion (2)
• Airto Moreira – percussion (6)
• Tabby Andriello – special effects (5)
• Rod Temperton – rhythm track and synthesizer arrangements (1, 2, 5); horn, string and vocal arrangements

Brass and Woodwinds

• Jay Beckenstein – alto saxophone (3, 4)
• Grover Washington Jr. – tenor saxophone (6)
• Phil Bodner, Eddie Daniels, Wally Kane, George Marge and Whit Sidener – woodwinds
• Jim Pugh and Dave Taylor – trombone
• Jon Faddis, Mike Lawrence and Ron Tooley – trumpet

Strings

• Max Ellen, Barry Finclair, Charles Libove, Jan Mullen, David Nadien, Joseph Rabushka, Richard Sortomme and Gerald Tarack – violin

Vocals

• Patti Austin, Vivian Cherry, Kasey Cysik, Babi Floyd, Milt Grayson, Hilary James, Yvonne Lewis and Luther Vandross

Production

• Bob James – producer
• Joe Jorgensen – associate producer, recording, mixing
• Nancy Byers – assistant engineer
• Marc Chusid – assistant engineer
• Chaz Clifton – assistant engineer
• Bruce Robbins – assistant engineer
• Don Wershba – assistant engineer
• Vlado Meller – mastering
• Paula Scher – art direction, design
• Bill King – photography

Studios

• Recorded at Mediasound, A&R Recording and CBS Recording Studios (New York City, NY); Minot Sound (White Plains, NY).
• Mixed and Mastered at CBS Recording Studios.

References

1. "Sign of the Times - Bob James | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
2. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. US: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 111. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
3. Pitman, Jed (June 7, 2017). Invisible Man: The Story of Rod Temperton, the 'Thriller' Songwriter. The History Press. ISBN 9780750983297 – via Google Books.
4. "Five Songs By The 'Rhodes Scholar' Keyboardist Of Hip-Hop". NPR.org.