3614 Jackson Highway is the sixth album by American singer-actress Cher, released on June 20, 1969, by ATCO. This album was a commercial failure, peaking at 160, although it received praise and positive reviews from the music critics. 3614 Jackson Highway was the address of Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. The album is by and large a covers album.
| 3614 Jackson Highway | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 20, 1969 | |||
| Recorded | April 1969 | |||
| Studio | Muscle Shoals (Sheffield, Alabama) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 33:08 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| Cher chronology | ||||
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| Singles from 3614 Jackson Highway | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Album information
edit3614 Jackson Highway was released in the summer of 1969. It remains Cher's first and last solo studio album for Atco, and was produced by Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin. The cover is a photograph of Cher with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section musicians featured on the album. They are: front row, left to right: guitarist Eddie Hinton, bassist David Hood, Sonny Bono, Cher, producer Jerry Wexler, background vocalist Jeannie Greene, background vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux, and producer Tom Dowd. Back row, left to right: lead guitarist Jimmy Johnson, producer Arif Mardin, drummer Roger Hawkins and keyboardist Barry Beckett. Missing were background vocalists Mary Holiday and Sue Pilkington.
The ambitious record was conceived as a way to bring success to Cher, as well as her group Sonny & Cher, after a two-year period of commercial failure. The constant evolution of pop culture left the formulaic nature of Sonny & Cher's musical endeavors obsolete; pop music had continued to transform into a more political style marked by anti-war songs protesting the conflict in Vietnam. For months the duo maintained a nightclub act, but audience response was less than positive.
Although the album was largely ignored by the public, critical reception was enthusiastic. Cher's maturing vocals, along with the sophisticated instrumentation and arrangements, garnered praise.
In 1968 and 1969 Cher recorded songs for an album with a tentative release in 1970. For unknown reasons the album was cancelled and five of the tracks were released as singles. The remaining five remained unreleased until 2001 when Rhino Records released a limited edition of 3614 Jackson Highway with the unreleased songs as bonus tracks.
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "For What It's Worth" | Stephen Stills | 2:22 |
| 2. | "(Just Enough to Keep Me) Hangin' On" |
| 3:18 |
| 3. | "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" | 2:41 | |
| 4. | "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You" | Bob Dylan | 3:08 |
| 5. | "I Threw It All Away" | Dylan | 2:49 |
| 6. | "I Walk on Guilded Splinters" | Dr. John Creaux | 2:32 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lay, Baby, Lay[2]" | Bob Dylan | 3:36 |
| 2. | "Please Don't Tell Me" |
| 3:36 |
| 3. | "Cry Like a Baby" | 2:46 | |
| 4. | "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" |
| 2:46 |
| 5. | "Save the Children" | Eddie Hinton | 2:54 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Easy to Be Hard" | 3:44 | |
| 13. | "I Believe" |
| 3:55 |
| 14. | "Danny Boy" | Frederic Weatherly | 5:20 |
| 15. | "Momma Look Sharp" | Sherman Edwards | 3:33 |
| 16. | "It Gets Me Where I Want to Go" |
| 3:10 |
| 17. | "You've Made Me So Very Happy" | 2:43 | |
| 18. | "Yours Until Tomorrow" | 2:51 | |
| 19. | "The Thought of Loving You" | David White | 2:24 |
| 20. | "The First Time" | Sonny Bono | 3:24 |
| 21. | "Chastity's Song (Band of Thieves)" | Elyse J. Weinberg | 3:08 |
| 22. | "Chastity's Song (Band of Thieves)" (stereo album version) | Weinberg | 3:05 |
| 23. | "Superstar" | 3:07 |
Personnel
edit- Cher – lead vocals
- Jimmy Johnson – rhythm guitar
- Eddie Hinton – lead guitar
- Barry Beckett – keyboards
- David Hood – bass guitar
- Roger Hawkins – drums
- Jeanie Greene, Donna Jean Godchaux (née Thatcher), Mary Holladay, Sue Pilkington – backing vocalists
Production
- Jerry Wexler – record producer
- Tom Dowd – record producer
- Arif Mardin – record producer
- Stan Vincent – record producer
- Greg Poree – arrangement assistance
Design
- Stephen Paley – photography
- Bryan Lasley – art direction
- Patrick Pending – art direction
Charts
edit| Chart (1969) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| United States Billboard 200[3] | 160 |
References
edit- ^ "3614 Jackson Highway Review". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
- ^ "Cher - 3614 Jackson Highway | Rhino".
- ^ "Atco Album Discography, Part 2". Bsnpubs.com. 2005-10-06. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-03.