| Winelight | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 24, 1980 | |||
| Recorded | June & July 1980 | |||
| Studio | Rosebud Recording Studio, New York City | |||
| Genre | Smooth jazz | |||
| Length | 39:01 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer | Grover Washington Jr., Ralph MacDonald | |||
| Grover Washington Jr. chronology | ||||
| ||||
Winelight is a 1980 studio album by jazz musician Grover Washington Jr. The record received the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance in 1982. The album was released by Elektra Records. It includes the Grammy Award-winning[1] hit "Just the Two of Us" sung by Bill Withers. The track "In the Name of Love" from the album was also released in rearranged form, without Washington's saxophone track, under the name of Ralph MacDonald and Bill Withers (on vocals).
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [4] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [3] |
The album, propelled by "Just the Two of Us", is often credited for leading to the 1980s smooth jazz explosion.[5]
Scott Yanow of AllMusic describe the album as "a memorable set of high-quality and danceable soul-jazz".[2]
Track listing
Side One
- "Winelight" (William Eaton) – 7:32
- "Let It Flow (For "Dr. J")" (Grover Washington Jr.) – 5:52
- "In the Name of Love" (William Salter, Ralph MacDonald) – 5:26
Side Two
- "Take Me There" (Washington) – 6:16
- "Just the Two of Us" (Bill Withers, William Salter, Ralph MacDonald) – 7:23
- "Make Me a Memory (Sad Samba)" (Washington) – 6:32
Personnel
- Grover Washington Jr. – alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
- Richard Tee – Fender Rhodes electric piano (1, 3, 5, 6)
- Ray Chew – clavinet (1)
- Paul Griffin – clavinet (1), Fender Rhodes (2, 4)
- Ed Walsh – Oberheim Eight Voice (1–4, 6)
- Bill Eaton – Oberheim Eight Voice (5), arrangements and conductor
- Eric Gale – guitars
- Marcus Miller – bass
- Steve Gadd – drums
- Ralph MacDonald – congas, percussion, Syndrums
- Robert Greenidge – steel drums
- Hilda Harris, Yvonne Lewis, Ullanda McCullough – backing vocals
- Bill Withers – lead vocals (5)
Production
- Grover Washington Jr. – producer
- Ralph MacDonald – producer
- Richard Alderson – engineer
- Ed Heath – assistant engineer
- Vlado Meller – mastering at CBS Studios (New York City).
- Paul Silverthorn – production coordinator
- Ron Coro – art direction, design
- Jim Shea – cover photography
- Don Hunstein – inner sleeve photography
Charts
Album
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions[15] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop |
US R&B |
US AC |
UK | ||
| 1981 | "Just the Two of Us" | 2 | 3 | 2 | 34 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[16] | Gold | 25,000* |
| Spain (Promusicae)[17] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[18] | Silver | 60,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[19] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ Elsworth, Catherine (August 10, 2006). "Still a lovely day". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
- ^ a b Yanow, Scott. Grover Washington Jr.: Winelight > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 203. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1468. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^ Micucci, Matt (June 17, 2020). "Song of the Day: Grover Washington, Jr. and Bill Withers, "Just the Two of Us"". JAZZIZ Magazine. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 333. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Image 0347". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Grover Washington, Jr. – Winelight". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Grover Washington, Jr. – Winelight". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ^ a b c "Grover Washington Jr. US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
- ^ "GROVER WASHINGTON JR | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2025. 28. hét". MAHASZ. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Image 4687". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ^ "Top US Billboard 200 Albums - Year-end 1981". BestSellingAlbums.org. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
- ^ "Grover Washington Jr. US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
- ^ "Austrian album certifications – Groover Washington – Winelight" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ Salaverri, Fernando (2005). Sólo éxitos. Año a año. 1959–2002 (in Spanish). Madrid, Spain: Iberautor Promociones Culturales. p. 962. ISBN 9788480486392.
- ^ "British album certifications – Grover Washington Jr. – Winelight". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 31, 2022. Select albums in the Formats field. Type Winelight Grover Washington Jr. in the "Search:" field.
- ^ "American album certifications – Grover Washington Jr. – Winelight". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
