Thoroughfare Gap
Studio album by
Stephen Stills
ReleasedOctober 31, 1978
RecordedJune 1978
StudioCriteria Studios (Miami, FL); The Record Plant (Los Angeles, CA); The Record Plant (Sausalito, CA).
GenreRock, disco
Length35:32
LabelColumbia
ProducerStephen Stills, The Albert Brothers
Stephen Stills chronology
Still Stills: The Best of Stephen Stills
(1976)		 Thoroughfare Gap
(1978)		 Right by You
(1984)
Singles from Thoroughfare Gap
  1. "Can't Get No Booty / Lowdown"
    Released: September 9, 1978
  2. "Thoroughfare Gap / Lowdown"
    Released: December 30, 1978
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

Thoroughfare Gap is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Stephen Stills, released in 1978. It was a critical and commercial disappointment that only charted at number 84 in the US. This album is now available as a three-album set on two CDs with Stills & Illegal Stills, having never been released on its own on CD.

Content

In a radio interview at the time, Stills said he worked extremely hard on the album, and there were 12-inch mixes of "Can't Get No Booty" ready to be released.[2] He recorded some disco tracks after playing percussion on the Bee Gees' "You Should Be Dancing", and subsequently hired their arranger Mike Lewis and used the group members' younger brother Andy Gibb on backing vocals.

Stephen Stills described the record as "disco and swamp rock". Stills said the song "Thoroughfare Gap" was him drawing upon his history, and

the title of the album was named after an escape route used during the Civil War. Mosby's guerrillas used to run through Thoroughfare Gap when they felt harassed. They'd just disappear into the Blue Ridge Mountains. For me, the record represents a little gap between one part of my career and the other, a cut in the pass.[3]

George Terry is quoted as saying he thinks it's about Neil Young's Lionel Trains.[3]

Stills said about the perceived negative reception of going disco that "there are elements of disco I like - the percussion and the guitar. I have played on so many Bee Gees songs: I don't know which ones I played on and which ones I didn't. 'Cause Barry (Gibb) is an old friend of mine and I just sat in and played a chickum-chit, chickum-chit, a little wacka-wacka guitar, then said, 'Use 'em or don't use 'em, I had a great time. You don't even have to use my name.'"[3]

He continued on Thoroughfare Gap: "Maybe some of the tunes weren't as good as others I've written but I am just messing around trying to find something new. I can't do the same thing for eight years. That's called artistic suicide."[3]

Stills said he recorded "Not Fade Away" after seeing The Buddy Holly Story and went into the studio the next night to record it - "Kind of a combination of the Stones version and the original version".[3]

The song "Thoroughfare Gap", dates back to 1972, with Chris Hillman remembering Manassas attempting to record it, but not being able to get the right take.

Reception

Critical reception was mixed, but generally negative. In a contemporary review, People magazine said "Stills succeeds handsomely in soldering his Southern Cal rock (scorching guitar, lavish harmonies, introspective lyrics) to an ultraswayed disco feel (thudding drums, Caribbean cowbells, congas, high-volume strings and horns). Against great odds, it adds up to a fresh sound, thanks to stalwart studio work by drummer Joe Vitale, percussionist Joe Lala, bassist George "Chocolate" Perry and Eric Clapton's guitarist George Terry. Their efforts are particularly noteworthy on You Can't Dance Alone, What's the Game and Can't Get No Booty. Especially reassuring is the title track, an acoustic ballad with a haunting fiddle solo by Al Gould. It harks back to Stills' finest work over the years, songs like Helplessly Hoping, 4 and 20 and As I Come of Age."[4] Trouser Press, in a largely negative review, called the songwriting "monotonous" and said he was enthusiastically "trying to renovate his sound for today's scene". They did have praise for "Thoroughfare Gap", but still noted that it was six years old, saying it was the only song that had "the folksy funk style that once made him worthwhile".[5] Record World said Stills was experimenting, and "You Can't Dance Alone" was geared for the Top 40.[6]

In support of this album Stills formed the California Blues Band and toured throughout most of 1979.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Stephen Stills except where indicated

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You Can't Dance Alone" 4:14
2."Thoroughfare Gap" 3:31
3."We Will Go On" 2:41
4."Beaucoup Yumbo"Stills, Joe Vitale3:33
5."What's the Game" 3:32
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Midnight Rider"Gregg Allman3:39
7."Woman Lleva" 3:13
8."Lowdown" 3:46
9."Not Fade Away"Buddy Holly, Norman Petty3:26
10."Can't Get No Booty"Danny Kortchmar, Stills3:44
Total length:35:32

Personnel

  • Stephen Stills – vocals, guitars (1, 3-10), percussion (1), horn and string arrangements (1, 4-8), acoustic guitar (2), bass (2, 10), synthesizers (3), Moog synthesizer (7), organ (9), acoustic piano (10)
  • Mike Finnigan – acoustic piano (1, 3, 6, 8), organ (7), backing vocals (8)
  • Paul Harris – acoustic piano (2)
  • Kenny Kirkland – acoustic piano (5)
  • Albhy Galuten – acoustic piano (7)
  • Joey Murcia – guitars (1)
  • George Terry – guitars (3, 5, 7)
  • Gerry Tolman – guitars (6)
  • Danny Kortchmar – guitars (10), percussion (10), backing vocals (10)
  • George Perry – bass (1, 3-6, 8, 9), backing vocals (8, 9)
  • Gerald Johnson – bass (7)
  • Joe Vitale –drums (1, 3-6, 8, 9, 10), backing vocals (9)
  • Paul Lee – drums (2)
  • Richard O'Connell – drums (7)
  • Joe Lala – percussion (1, 3, 6, 10)
  • Al Gould – fiddle (2)
  • Whit Sidener – flutes (3)
  • Mike Lewis – horn and string arrangements (1, 4-8), flute arrangements (3)
  • Andy Gibb – backing vocals (1, 5)
  • Dave Mason – backing vocals (1, 5, 6)
  • John Sambataro – backing vocals (1, 3, 5)
  • Brooks Hunnicutt – backing vocals (8)
  • Kitty Pritikin (aka Kitty Woodson Terry) – backing vocals (name misprint) (8)
  • Verna Richardson – backing vocals (8)
  • Lisa Roberts – backing vocals (8)

Production

  • Stephen Stills – producer, album design
  • Howard Albert – producer, engineer
  • Ron Albert – producer, engineer
  • Michael Braunstein – engineer, recording (4, 6-9)
  • Steve Gursky – engineer
  • Mike Fuller – mastering at Criteria Studios
  • John Berg – album design
  • Jim McCrary – photography
  • Michael John Bowen – management

Special thanks to Guillerma Giachetti, Gerry Tolman, Armando Hurley, Harper Dance, Home At Last

Charts

Chart performance for Thoroughfare Gap
Chart (1978) Peak

position

US Billboard Top LPs & Tape[7] 83
Canadian RPM 100 Albums[8] 82
US Cash Box Top 100 Albums[9] 135
US Record World Album Chart[10] 140

Tour

California Blues Band 1979 Tour
Tour by Stephen Stills
Start dateJanuary 25, 1979
End dateDecember, 1979
Legs3
Stephen Stills concert chronology

Stephen Stills California Blues Band Tour 1979 was a concert tour by American musician Stephen Stills. It was in support of his 1978 album Thoroughfare Gap. During the tour he also recorded another album that was rejected by his record label, many songs from this projected album were played on this tour. On this tour Stills was backed by his group the California Blues Band. The 1979 run at The Roxy, Los Angeles, was professionally recorded.[11]

Date City Country Venue Attendance Gross Notes
4 September 1978 Los Angeles United States Greek Theatre Bread and Roses Festival
1979 California Blues Band Tour[12]
Date City Country Venue Attendance Gross Notes
25 January 1979 Los Angeles United States The Roxy[13] Sold Out
26 January 1979
27 January 1979
28 January 1979
Leg 1
3 March 1979 Havana Cuba Havana Jam
7 March 1979 Cincinnati United States Cincinnati Music Hall 2 Shows
9 March 1979 Chicago Auditorium Theatre
10 March 1979 Ohio Kent State University
11 March 1979 Louisville Louisville Gardens
13 March 1979 Indianapolis Indiana Convention Centre
14 March 1979 Michigan Centre Stage 1,628 $22,228[14]
16 March 1979 Chicago Auditorium Theatre
17 March 1979 Upper Derby Tower Theatre
18 March 1979 New York City The Palladium 3,300 $27,000[14]
19 March 1979 Ohio Columbus Veterans Memorial Auditorium
22 March 1979 Boston Boston College
23 March 1979 Passaic Capitol Theatre 3.456 $28,172[15]
24 March 1979 Pittsburgh Stanley Theatre 7,442 $71,545[15] 2 Shows
26 March 1979 Maryland DAR Constitution Center
27 March 1979 Middletown Wesleyen University 3,010 $22,116[16]
29 March 1979 Reading Bollman Center
30 March 1979 Atlanta Fox Theatre
1 April 1979 Blacksburg Cassell Coliseum
3 April 1979 Atlanta Fox Theatre
4 April 1979 Nashville The Grand Ole Opry House
7 April 1979 Kansas City Memorial Hall 2,880 $23,040[17]
8 April 1979 St. Louis Kiel Opera House 2,607 $21,997[17]
Leg 2
4 June 1979 Irvine United States Crawford Hall
6 June 1979 San Diego San Diego Sports Arena
8 June 1979 Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Bowl 4,888 $32,633[18]
9 June 1979 San Francisco Fox Warfield Theatre 2,248 $44,960[18]
10 June 1979 Los Angeles Greek Theatre
11 June 1979
12 June 1979
15 June 1979 Ohio Blossom Music Center
16 June 1979 Hara Arena
17 June 1979 Pine Knob Music Theatre
19 June 1979 Edwardsville Mississippi River Festival
20 June 1979 East Troy Alpine Valley Music Theatre
23 June 1979 Holmdel Garden State Arts Centre
24 June 1979 New York Belmont Park 15,000
26 June 1979 Broome Broome County Arena
27 June 1979 Buffalo Kleinhans Music Hall
28 June 1979 New York Saratoga Performing Arts Centre
30 June 1979 Norfolk Scope
1 July 1979 Columbia Merriweather Post Pavilion
2 July 1979 New York Wollman Skating Ring
7 July 1979 New Jersey Garden States Arts Centre
Leg 3
7 September 1979 New York United States Woodstock '79
8 September 1979 New York Parr Meadows Racetrack
16 November 1979 San Diego Casino Theatre
17 November 1979 Sacramento Freeborn Hall
18 November 1979 Stanford Uni Memorial Hall
9 December 1979 Northridge Cal State University
15 December 1979 Costa Mesa LeBard Stadium
16 December 1979 Santa Barbara Allen Hancock College Sports Pavilion
31 December 1979 Riverside Ben H. Lewis Hall
1980 Tour
5 April 1980 Laguna Beach United States Irvine Bowl
1 June 1980 Concord Concord Pavilion
2 June 1980 Los Angeles Greek Theatre
3 June 1980
1980 European Tour
4 July 1980
14 July 1980 Milano Italy Stadio San Siro Supported Angelo Branduardi
15 July 1980 Turin Stadio Comunale
17 July 1980 Nyon Switzerland Parc Du Lac Nyon Folk Festival
18 July 1980 Turin Italy Turin Municipal Stadium Supported Angelo Branduardi
21 July 1980 Rimini
22 July 1980 Nyon Switzerland La Prairie De Colovray
23 July 1980 Italy Bolzano Stadium
24 July 1980 Munich Germany Olympiahalle
26 July 1980 St. Goarshausen Freilichtbuhne Loreley
27 July 1980 Stadium Wurzburg
29 July 1980 Naples Italy Stadio San Paolo
4 August 1980
1980 United States
16 August 1980 Illinois United States Ravinia Fest De Kalb
19 August 1980 Meadow Brook Music Festival
23 August 1980 Indianapolis Hilton U. Brown Theatre
27 August 1980 Passaic Paramount Theatre
29 August 1980 New York Central Park

Stephen Stills and the California Blues Band[11]

Typical setlist

All songs written by Stephen Stills, except where noted.

  1. "Precious Love"
  2. "For What It's Worth"
  3. "You Can't Dance Alone"
  4. "Cuba Al Fin"
  5. "Go Back Home"
  6. "How Wrong Can You Be" (Mike Finnigan)
  7. "Love The One You're With"
  8. "Make Love To You"
  9. "Cherokee"
  10. "Rock And Roll Crazies/Cuban Bluegrass" (Stills, Dallas Taylor / Stills, Joe Lala)
  11. "Jet Set (Sigh)"
  12. "Thoroughfare Gap"
  13. Come On In My Kitchen (Robert Johnson)

References

  1. ↑ Chrispell, J. "Thoroughfare Gap - Stephen Stills | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  2. ↑ Stephen Stills 1978 Radio Interview, archived from the original on December 17, 2021, retrieved January 18, 2020
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Roberts, David; Gedge, David (October 28, 2016). Stephen Stills: Change Partners. This Day In Music Books. ISBN 978-1-78759-101-1.
  4. ↑ "Picks and Pans Review: Thoroughfare Gap Gap". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Trouser Press Magazine Archive". Trouser Press. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Record World 21 October 1978" (PDF).
  7. ↑ "Stephen Stills". Billboard. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  8. ↑ Canada, Library and Archives (April 16, 2013). "The RPM story". www.bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  9. ↑ "CASH BOX MAGAZINE: Music and coin machine magazine 1942 to 1996". worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  10. ↑ "RECORD WORLD MAGAZINE: 1942 to 1982". worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  11. 1 2 Zimmer, Dave (2000). Crosby Stills and Nash: The Biography. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0306809743.
  12. ↑ Roberts, David (2016). Stephen Stills: Change Partners.
  13. ↑ "Billboard Concert Review" (PDF).
  14. 1 2 "Billboard Magazine" (PDF).
  15. 1 2 "Billboard Box Office" (PDF).
  16. ↑ "Billboard Box Office" (PDF).
  17. 1 2 "Billboard Box Office" (PDF).
  18. 1 2 "Billboard Box Office" (PDF).
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