Images (Dan Hartman album)

Images is Dan Hartman's second full-length release but his first album of new material. It features an interesting mix of players to assist the multi-instrumentalist continue his pop rock themes featured in his tenure with the Edgar Winter Group and fittingly has Edgar Winter, Rick Derringer and Ronnie Montrose as guests. Montrose appears on two songs which was in exchange for the two Hartman written songs, "What are You Waiting For?" and "Rich Man", that appeared on Jump On It, the same year. Drummer John Wilcox and bassist John Siegler, both of Utopia, were the principal rhythm section.

Other guests include Clarence Clemons, Randy Brecker, Hartman's father Carl, and from his hometown band The Legends, drummer Larry Sadler. Supplying background vocals on two songs was RSO Records' soul group, Revelation.^[1]

Continuing themes heard on They Only Come Out at Night, Hartman follows up with two Montrose-assisted straight-ahead rockers. "High Sign" sounds like the son of "Free Ride" with Ronnie supplying a revving sports car sound reminiscent of "Bad Motor Scooter". "The Party's in the Back Room" has the party continuing from "We All Had a Real Good Time". "Alta Mira"'s reggae flavor resurfaces on "Love It Too Much". The soothing acoustic sounds of "Autumn" echo back on "Thank You for the Good Times" and "My Love".

Newer soul and R&B sounds appear on "If Only I Were Stronger" and "Can't Stand in the Way of Love" while "Shake It Down", with great sax by Clarence Clemons, is a precursor to the dance sounds soon to follow on Instant Replay. "Shake It Down" appears on the collection Super Hits (2004).

Personnel

• Dan Hartman - lead & backing vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion, string arrangements, conductor
• John "Willie" Wilcox - drums, percussion
• John Siegler - bass

with:

• Alan Shulman, Alfred Brown, Gene Orloff, Jesse Levy, Julien Barber, Tony Posk - strings

Track listing

All songs written by Dan Hartman: except "Hear My Song" which was written by Dan Hartman and Edgar Winter

1. "Hear My Song" (3:13)
2. "High Sign" (3:17) - Ronnie Montrose - lead guitar and "sports car" solo, Dan Hartman - all other instruments and vocals
3. "On the Telephone" (4:18) - Dan Hartman - bass
4. "Thank You for the Good Times" (3:03) - Rick Derringer - acoustic lead and rhythm guitars, Carl Hartman - whistler
5. "Lighthouse" (2:58)
6. "My Love" (3:57)
7. "Shake It Down" (3:53) - Clarence Clemons - saxophone, Revelation - background vocals
8. "Love It Too Much" (2:58) - Revelation - background vocals, Dan Hartman - kalimba
9. "If Only I Were Stronger" (4:30) - Tom Strohman - flutes
10. "Can't Stand in the Way of Love" (3:44) - Randy Brecker, George Young, Tony Pagano, Edgar Winter - horns
11. "The Party's in the Back Room" (3:12) - Larry Sadler - drums, Joe Abbondanza - bass, Ronnie Montrose - lead guitar

Production

• Produced By Dan Hartman
• Sound By Dave Still
• Mixed By Dave Still and Dan Hartman

References

Sources

• Dan Hartman; "Images" liner notes; Blue Sky 1976