View source for Mecca for Moderns

{{short description|1981 studio album by the Manhattan Transfer}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Mecca for Moderns
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[the Manhattan Transfer]]
| cover      = Mecca_for_Moderns.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = May or June 1981
| recorded   =
| studio     = Dawnbreaker Studio, San Francisco, California
| genre      = [[Vocal jazz]], [[pop music|pop]]
| length     = 36:12
| label      = [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]
| producer   = [[Jay Graydon]]
| prev_title = [[Extensions (The Manhattan Transfer album)|Extensions]]
| prev_year  = 1979
| next_title = [[The Best of The Manhattan Transfer]]
| next_year  = 1981
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1      = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}} <ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mecca-for-moderns-r132379|first=Richard S.|last=Ginell}}</ref>
| rev2      =
| rev2Score =
| noprose   = yes
}}
'''''Mecca for Moderns''''' is the sixth studio album by [[the Manhattan Transfer]].  It was released in 1981 by [[Atlantic Records]].
This album was the highest-charting album to date for the group, peaking on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine's [[Top Pop Catalog Albums]] chart at No. 22. With this album, the Manhattan Transfer became the first group to win [[Grammy Award]]s in both the pop and jazz categories in [[1982 Grammy Awards|the same year]].
== Awards ==
The song "[[The Boy from New York City]]" became their first top 10 hit, reaching number 7 on [[Billboard Magazine]]'s [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]] chart. This  song also won the group the Grammy for [[Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals#1980s|Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals]].
The song "Until I Met You (Corner Pocket)" also earned them a Grammy for [[Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group#1980s|Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Manhattan Transfer |url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/manhattan-transfer/7826 |website=[[The Recording Academy]] |access-date=August 3, 2024 }}</ref>
The song "[[A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square]]" which was arranged by [[Gene Puerling]], won the Grammy [[Grammy Award for Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices#1980s|Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices]].
The song "Spies in the Night", which incorporates the "[[James Bond Theme]]", also charted on [[Billboard Magazine]]'s [[Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles|Bubbling Under]] chart, peaking at number 103.
==Album name==
According to [[Tim Hauser]], he picked up the name for this album from a [[Duke Ellington]] album entitled ''Live at the Blue Note 1952''.  "While reading the cover, he noticed it said 'The Blue Note was a haven for the smart set, in fact, the real mecca for moderns.'  The group liked the phrase, and it fit well with the album concept."<ref>"Mecca For Moderns." The Manhattan Transfer. February 7, 2011. Accessed July 22, 2015. http://manhattantransfer.net/discography/mecca-for-moderns/</ref>
==Track listing==
{{track listing
|title1 = On the Boulevard
|writer1 = [[Richard Page (musician)|Richard Page]], [[Jay Graydon]], [[Marc Jordan]]
|length1 = 4:08
|title2 = [[The Boy from New York City]]
|writer2 = George Davis, John T. Taylor
|length2 = 3:40
|title3 = (Wanted) Dead or Alive
|writer3 = Art DeCoteau, [[Slinger Francisco]]
|length3 = 3:27
|title4 = Spies in the Night
|writer4 = [[David Foster]], Jay Graydon
|length4 = 3:59
|title5 = Smile Again
|writer5 = [[Bill Champlin]], [[David Foster]], Jay Graydon, [[Alan Paul]]
|length5 = 4:33
|title6 = Until I Met You (Corner Pocket)
|writer6 = [[Freddie Green]], Don Wolf
|length6 = 5:17
|title7 = (The Word of) Confirmation
|writer7 = [[Charlie Parker]]
|length7 = 3:14
|title8 = Kafka
|writer8 = Bernard Kafka, Jay Graydon
|length8 = 4:08
|title9 = [[A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square]]
|writer9 = [[Eric Maschwitz]], [[Manning Sherwin]]
|length9 = 3:46
| total_length    = 36:12
}}
== Personnel ==
=== The Manhattan Transfer ===
* [[Cheryl Bentyne]] – vocals
* [[Tim Hauser]] – vocals
* [[Alan Paul]] – vocals, vocal arrangement (2, 4)
* [[Janis Siegel]] – vocals, vocal arrangement (6)
=== Musicians ===
* [[Victor Feldman]] – Fender Rhodes (1), acoustic piano (1)
* [[Jay Graydon]] – synthesizers (1, 3), guitar (1-4, 8), arrangements (1, 3, 5, 8), horn arrangements (2), rhythm arrangements (2, 4, 6), vocal arrangements (4, 6)
* [[David Foster]] – acoustic piano (2, 4, 5), keyboards (5), synthesizers (5)
* Greg Mathieson – organ (3), synthesizers (3)
* [[Michael Boddicker]] – synthesizers (4, 8)
* Yaron Gershovsky – acoustic piano (6, 8)
* [[Milcho Leviev]] – acoustic piano (7, 8), arrangements (7)
* [[Steve George (keyboardist)|Steve George]] – synthesizers (8)
* [[Steve Lukather]] – guitar (1, 4, 5)
* [[Dean Parks]] – guitar (2, 8)
* [[Al Viola]] – guitar (6)
* [[Abraham Laboriel]] – bass (1-8)
* [[Steve Gadd]] – drums (1, 3–8)
* [[Mike Baird (musician)|Mike Baird]] – drums (2)
* [[Alex Acuña]] – percussion (3)
* [[Andy Narell]] – cowbell (3), steel drums (3)
* Don Roberts – saxophone (2)
* [[Tom Scott (saxophonist)|Tom Scott]] – saxophone (3), [[Lyricon]] (3)
* [[Richie Cole (musician)|Richie Cole]] – saxophone (7)
* [[Jerry Hey]] – trumpet (2)
* Bernard Kafka – arrangements (8)
* [[Gene Puerling]] – arrangements (9)
* [[Jon Hendricks]] – [[Scat singing|scatting]] (7)
=== Production ===
* Producer, Remix – Jay Graydon
* Engineer – Joseph Bogan
* Assistant Engineers – Bob Bullock and Deborah Thompson
* Recorded at Dawnbreaker Studios (San Fernando, CA).
* Overdubbed and Mixed at Garden Rake Studios (Studio City, CA).
* Mastered by Bernie Grundman at [[A&M Studios]] (Hollywood, CA).
* Musical Contractor – Frank DeCaro
* Art Direction – Steve Arnold, Richard DeGussie and Sarah Richardson.
* Photography – Steve Arnold
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101225234606/http://manhattantransfer.net/ The Manhattan Transfer Official Website]
* [http://www.discogs.com/Manhattan-Transfer-Mecca-For-Moderns/release/1836376 Mecca for Moderns] Retrieved from discogs October 16, 2010
{{The Manhattan Transfer}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1981 albums]]
[[Category:The Manhattan Transfer albums]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records albums]]