Red Cab to Manhattan

Red Cab to Manhattan is the third album by singer/songwriter Stephen Bishop and his first for Warner Bros. Unlike his previous two albums, Careless and Bish, none of its tracks nor the album itself cracked the top 100 on the Billboard singles or albums charts. Like his previous albums, Bishop had some big names help on the album. Notable contributors include Eric Clapton, Phil Collins and Art Garfunkel.

Red Cab to Manhattan
Studio album by Stephen Bishop
Released	1980
Recorded	1979
Studio	The Power Station and Penny Lane Studios (New York, NY); Sound Labs (Hollywood, CA); AIR Studios (London, England)
Genre	Pop
Length	42:55
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Mike Mainieri, Tommy LiPuma
Stephen Bishop chronology
Bish (1978) Red Cab to Manhattan (1980) Sleeping with Girls (1985)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[2]
Rolling Stone	[3]

Rolling Stone's Stephen Holden wrote that "[t]he new album is a dazzling breakthrough." Stating that "[o]n Red Cab to Manhattan, Stephen Bishop—pop music's most endearing wimp and an unabashed acolyte of Paul Simon and Paul McCartney—adds Steely Dan to his roster of idols." Noting that "[i]t's been ages since Paul McCartney wrote a love song as fetching as "Don't You Worry"... [a]nd "Red Cab to Manhattan" is as delicately shaded a mood piece as any of Paul Simon's miniatures." Concluding that "[t]hough Stephen Bishop still wears his idols on his sleeve, his sense of humor is unique."^[3]

Track listing

All songs written by Stephen Bishop, except where noted.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The Big House"		3:45
2.	"Don't You Worry"		3:59
3.	"Thief in the Night"	Bishop, Judy Maizel	2:27
4.	"Send a Little Love My Way (Like Always)"		3:48
5.	"Let Her Go"		3:42
6.	"Little Moon"		3:08
7.	"The Story of a Boy in Love"		5:02
8.	"Living in the Land of Abe Lincoln"		3:06
9.	"Red Cab to Manhattan"		4:40
10.	"Sex Kittens Go to College"		1:19
11.	"City Girl"		4:58
12.	"My Clarinet"		3:01

Personnel

• Stephen Bishop – lead vocals, rhythm track arrangements, backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 6–8), acoustic guitar (1, 2, 4–12), electric guitar (1–3, 7), acoustic piano (2), trombone (9)
• Ed Walsh – synthesizer, programming, koto (9)
• Don Grolnick – acoustic piano (1, 3, 5), Fender Rhodes (1, 8, 9)
• Warren Bernhardt – Fender Rhodes (4, 7, 11), clavinet (11)
• Gary Brooker – Fender Rhodes (6, 10), acoustic piano (10)
• Chris Stainton – acoustic piano (6, 7), Fender Rhodes (10)
• Neil Larsen – acoustic piano (7)
• Sid McGinnis – electric guitar (1, 5, 11)
• David Spinozza – electric guitar (1–3, 5, 8, 9), acoustic guitar (2)
• Hugh McCracken – slide guitar (2)
• Dean Parks – electric guitar (4)
• Eric Clapton – electric guitar (6, 10)
• Jeff Mironov – electric guitar (7, 11)
• Buzz Feiten – electric guitar (11)
• Willie Weeks – bass (1, 3, 5, 8, 9)
• Jeffrey Stanton – bass (2), backing vocals (2, 4)
• Dennis Belfield – bass (4)
• John Giblin – bass (6, 10)
• Neil Jason – bass (7, 11)
• Andy Newmark – drums (1–3, 5, 8, 9)
• Steve Gadd – drums (4)
• Phil Collins – drums (6, 10)
• Chris Parker – drums (11)
• Lenny Castro – percussion (4, 7, 8, 11)
• Mike Mainieri – rhythm track arrangements, marimba (1, 12), synthesizers (4, 11), vibraphone (4, 12), cymbal (8), timpani (8), arrangements (8), vocoder (11), contrabass (12)
• Clive Anstree – cello (6)
• Don Sebesky – horn arrangements and conductor (3)
• Gene Page – arrangements (4)
• Jeremy Lubbock – string and woodwind arrangements (9)
• Phoebe Snow – backing vocals (3)
• David Lasley – backing vocals (4, 11)
• Arnold McCuller – backing vocals (4, 11)
• Art Garfunkel – backing vocals (9)

Production

• Producers – Tommy LiPuma and Mike Mainieri
• Recorded by Steve Churchyard, Scott Litt and Alan Vonner.
• Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk (New York, NY).
• Art Direction and Design – John Kosh
• Cover Photo – Lynn Goldsmith
• Sleeve Photo – Elizabeth Lennard

References

1. Red Cab to Manhattan at AllMusic
2. Larkin, Colin (1999). The Virgin Encyclopedia Of Popular Music, Concise 3rd Edition, p. 135. Virgin Books, London. ISBN 1-85227-832-3
3. Holden, Stephen. "Red Cab to Manhattan", Rolling Stone, April 2, 1981, p. 61.