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Rickie Lee Jones
Rickie Lee Jones 1979 debut album cover.jpg
Studio album by 
Rickie Lee Jones
ReleasedFebruary 28, 1979
RecordedSeptember–December 1978
StudioWarner Bros. Recording Studios and The Burbank Studios
Tracks 2, 11 recorded live December 22, 1978 at TBS
GenreRock
Length42:11
LabelWarner Bros.
Producer
Rickie Lee Jones chronology
Rickie Lee Jones
(1979)		Pirates
(1981)

Rickie Lee Jones is the debut studio album album by American singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones, released on February 28, 1979 by Warner Bros. Records.

Background

Jones had begun playing live in the Los Angeles area at the age of 21, and after meeting singer-songwriter Alfred Johnson, the pair began writing and performing live together (most notably at the Ala Carte club.) Two of their collaborations, "Weasel and the White Boys Cool" and "Company," would later be recorded for Jones' debut album. She also sang jazz standards, as well as a song penned by her father ("The Moon Is Made of Gold") in her live sets.

Jones' performances around Los Angeles aroused interest from other local songwriters, as well as local record company executives. At a label showcase, Jones performed originals, including "Chuck E.'s in Love", "The Real Thing Is Back in Town" and "The Moon Is Made of Gold." This showcase performance, plus a demo containing "The Last Chance Texaco", "Easy Money", "Young Blood" and "After Hours" led to a record deal with Warner Bros.. For her major label debut, Jones scrapped "The Real Thing Is Back in Town," but used the titular line in one of the album's tracks - "Coolsville."

Recording sessions (which began in September 1978) yielded eleven songs for inclusion on an album. Two of the songs - "On Saturday Afternoons in 1963" and "After Hours" - were recorded live on December 22, 1978.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic4/5 stars
Smash Hits8/10
The Village VoiceB−

Upon release, the album received mostly favorable reviews, and was supported by two singles. Lead single "Chuck E.'s in Love" peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the album, which went on to become a million seller, peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200. The album was further promoted by a performance on Saturday Night Live in April 1979, where she performed "Chuck E.'s in Love" and "Coolsville". A second single, "Young Blood," cracked the US Top 40 in late 1979, when Jones went on an international tour. By June 1981, the album had sold over two million copies in the U.S.

Image

The album cover photography and design was by Norman Seeff.

Awards

22nd Annual Grammy Awards

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1980
Rickie Lee JonesBest New ArtistWon
"Chuck E.'s In Love"Best Pop Vocal Performance, FemaleNominated
Song of the YearNominated
"The Last Chance Texaco"Best Rock Vocal Performance, FemaleNominated
Tom KnoxBest Engineered Recording - Non-ClassicalNominated

Track listing

All songs written by Rickie Lee Jones, except where noted.

  1. "Chuck E.'s in Love" 3:28
  2. "On Saturday Afternoons in 1963" – 2:31
  3. "Night Train" – 3:14
  4. "Young Blood" – 4:04
  5. "Easy Money" – 3:16
  6. "The Last Chance Texaco" – 4:05
  7. "Danny's All-Star Joint" – 4:01
  8. "Coolsville" – 3:49
  9. "Weasel and the White Boys Cool" (Jones, Alfred Johnson) – 6:00
  10. "Company" (Jones, Alfred Johnson) – 4:40
  11. "After Hours (Twelve Bars Past Goodnight)" – 2:13