Leon Ware is the second self-titled and overall fifth studio album by American musician Leon Ware, released in 1982. It was his second and final release for Elektra Records. The album was produced by Ware and Marty Paich.
This is the follow-up to 1981's much loved Rockin' You Eternally. While that effort had Ware engaged and willing to do rich and melodic work with no commercial consideration, Leon Ware more often than not seems to be overly concerned with making a big hit.
Leon Ware was co-produced by Ware and the legendary Marty Paich. Although Paich had everyone from young Ella Fitzgerald to Boz Scaggs on his resumé, there wasn't much he could do with Ware.
Paich also arranged the rhythm here, which is undoubtedly Ware's forte. That's not to say Leon Ware is a dismal failure -- far from it. The first track "Slippin' Away" is Ware's best track here but it's reminiscent of a so-so track from Earth, Wind & Fire's Faces.
In fact, Leon Ware employs some of the same players and writers from that effort.
The oddly peppy "Lost in Love With You" was no doubt aiming for the charts but it possesses little or nothing of what makes Ware musically special.
The track that comes closest to Ware's style is "Deeper Than Love" despite its smoldering sax solos from Gato Barbieri; the song is a little overdone. Perhaps the most telling is the duet with Flora Purim, "Somewhere."
The track's promise seems to evaporate with the intro.
If Purim wasn't going to light a fire under the proceedings, no one could. Throughout this effort, Ware's sounds wan and hemmed in.
Given the fact that this didn't include many great songs, Leon Ware isn't the best way to get acquainted with the artist.
Tracklist
- Slippin' Away (David Foster, David Paich, Leon Ware) - 4:11
- Lost In Love With You (Geoffrey Leib) - 3:52
- Shelter (Allee Willis, Leon Ware) - 3:56
- Why I Came To California (Janis Siegel, Leon Ware) - 4:10
- Deeper Than Love (Leon Ware, Marcos Valle) - 3:23
- Can I Touch You There (William Beck, Chet Willis, James Williams, Leon Ware) - 4:05
- Words Of Love (Marti Sharron, Zenobia Conkerite) - 4:35
- Miracles (Bill Champlin, Leon Ware) - 4:06
- Somewhere (Laudir de Oliveira, Leon Ware, Marcos Valle) - 4:15
- Where Are They Now (John Bettis, Richard Kerr) - 4:21
Musicians:
- Leon Ware – lead and background vocals
- Marty Paich – electric piano, piano
- David Foster – electric piano
- Geoffrey Leib – electric piano & synthesizer
- Roland S. Burke – piano
- Gary Chang – synthesizer
- David T. Walker, Dean Parks, Steve Lukather – guitar
- Nathan East, Chuck Rainey, Abraham Laboriel – bass guitar
- Lenny Castro, Laudir de Oliveira – percussion
- Kurt McGettrick, Gato Barbieri – saxophone
- Airto Moreira – backing vocals, percussion
- Jeff Porcaro, James Gadson – drums
- Eddie "Bongo" Brown – bongos
- Bill Champlin, Tamara Champlin, Bonnie Bramlett, Chris Bennett, Joann Harris, Rita Coolidge, Janis Siegel, Flora Purim – background vocals
Production:
- Leon Ware – producer
- Marty Paich – producer, string and rhythm arranger
- Sid Sharp – concert master
- Jerry Hey – horn arranger
- Allen Sides – recording engineer, mixing engineer
- John Hanlon – overdub engineer, vocal engineer
- Robin Laine, Mark Ettel – assistant engineer
- Kathy Morphesis – designer
- Ron Coro – art director
- Bobby Holland – photographer
- Isao Kikuchi – digital remastering engineer
Notes
Released: 1982
Recorded: 1982 Studio Ocean Way, Los Angeles; The Village, Los Angeles
Genre: Soul, funk, R&B
Length: 41:23
Producer(s): Leon Ware, Marty Paich
Label - Elektra
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