The Life and Career Of Eric Gale.
Jazz guitarist, sideman, songwriter and producer Eric Gale was born in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York, on September 20th, 1938. His grandfather was English and he also had relatives in Venezuela and Barbados. During the holidays, Gale spent time in Britain visiting family. This gave him a different worldview.
Aged twelve, Gale started playing guitar. By then, he was a pupil at various private, single-sex Catholic schools. He excelled at math and was a talented linguist who was fluent in French, German and Spanish. However, whilst at junior high school the budding guitarist spent time with a legend of jazz, saxophonist John Coltrane.
Gale used to skip school to visit Coltrane at his home, and sometimes, took part in jam sessions. These sessions inspired Gale's inimitable style, and were part of his musical education.
After graduating high school, Gale enrolled at Niagara University, in New York. He graduated with a Masters degree in chemistry. However, much to his mother's disappointment, he pursued a musical career than study for a PhD in chemistry.
In 1961, twenty-three year old Gale made his debut as a session musician, playing on Bobby Lewis' 'Tossin' And Turnin.' This was the first of over 600 singles and albums that Gale played on.
Over the next few year, Gale continued to work as a session musicians, working with King Curtis and Red Holloway. However, by then his career as a songwriter was also underway.
When Noble Watts released his single 'Florida Shake' in 1962, the B-side 'Limbo Authentique,' was written by Gale. This was the start of his songwriting career.
By 1965, Doris Troy was looking to replicate the success of 'Just One Look' and 'What'cha Gonna Do About It.' Troy using her pen name Doris Payne, joined forces with Gregory Carroll and Gale to write 'One More Chance.' The single was released in the UK and US March 1965 and features a needy, emotive and hurt-filled vocal as she vows to give her partner 'One More Chance.' However, the single wasn't a commercial success in the US.
Payne and Gale wrote another song together, 'Think I'm Gonna Cry.' Sadly, the song was never recorded by Troy.
Despite trying to forge a career as a songwriter, Gale was always in demand as a session musician. Between 1965 and 1969 he played on albums by everyone from Esther Phillips and Van Morrison to Jimmy McGriff, Nina Simone, Herbie Mann, Jimmy Smith, Pretty Purdie, George Benson, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Chico Hamilton and Quincy Jones. Gale was already the go-to-guitarist for many artists.
In 1970, Gale played on Roberta Flack's classic sophomore album Chapter Two. He would play on other recordings by Flack.
Before that, Gale played on Aretha Franklin's album Young, Gifted and Black, which was released in 1972 and certified gold. Nowadays, it's regarded as one of her finest albums.
The same year, 1972, Gale played on Flack and Donny Hathaway's hit single 'Where Is the Love.' It reached number five on the US Billboard 100, and won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Gale was, by then, hugely in-demand as a sideman.
By then, Gale was the session guitarist for CTI Records and its Kudu imprint. During the seventies, he was sideman on albums by Grover Washington Jr, Stanley Turrentine, Phillips, Benson, Bob James, Johnny "Hammond" Smith and Hubert Laws. Still Gale found time to embark on a solo career.
Gale signed to Kudu, and released his debut album 'Forecast,' in 1973. It was well received by critics. He was still contracted to CTi Records by the time he released the followup.
'Negril' was Gale's sophomore album, and was released in 1975. It reflects his love of the beach and Negril, a beautiful Jamaican village. Gale wrote seven of the eight tracks. They were recorded in the Harry J Studio, in Kingston, Jamaica, and featured some of the country's best known musicians, including members of The Wailers. The result was one of Gale's finest albums.
Whilst working on the 'Negril' sessions, Flack phoned Gale to ask him to return to New York to play on her 1973 album 'Killing Me Softly.' Gale was reluctant to leave Jamaican and return to New York, so Flack flew members of her band to him. Eventually, Gale was persuaded to return to New York and played on what's now regarded as a classic album. It reached number two on the US Billboard 200, and the title-track topped the US Billboard 100. It also won a Grammy Award for the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Gale's guitar playing played its part in the success of Flack's fourth solo album.
Gale continued to combine his work as session guitarist at CTi with his solo career, and played on albums by some by Ashford and Simpson, Randy Crawford, Joe Cocker, Richard Holmes and on Van McCoy's 1975 hit 'The Hustle'. Still, Gale found time to cofound a new group, Stuff.
The newly-founded all-star jazz-fusion band released their debut album 'Stuff' in 1976. It was released to critical acclaim and certified gold. So was the followup 'More Stuff,' when it was released in 1977. The group then released 'Live Stuff' in 1978, and then 'Stuff It' in 1979 which became their third album to be certified gold. 'Live in New York,' which was released in 1980, was the group's last album for fourteen years.
Meanwhile, Gale continued to combine session work with his solo career. He had signed to Columbia, and between 1977 and 1980 released four albums for the label. The first was 'Ginseng Woman,' an album of smooth jazz released in 1977. This was followed by 'Multiplication' later that year and 'Part Of You' in 1979. Stylistically it was similar to 'Ginseng Woman.' However, Gale changed direction on 1980s 'Touch Of Silk,' which veered between funky to dark and bluesy. Although the album was well received by critics, it wasn't a commercial success. It marked the end of Gale's Columbia years.
During that three year period, he had played on albums by Ashford and Simpson, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Charles Earland, Kenny Loggins, Carly Simon, Melba Moore, Teddy Pendergrass and disco diva Loleatta Holloway. Gale also played on two hugely successful albums during the late-seventies.
The first was Billy Joel's sixth studio album '52nd Street,' released in 1978. It topped the US Billboard 200, and won two Grammy Awards.
Then in 1979, Gale played on Diana Ross' album 'The Boss.' It was a mixture of disco, R&B and soul. The album reached number fourteen on the Billboard 200, and was certified gold. Gale would be reunited with both Joel and Ross in the future.
Gale worked with Ross on her 1981 album 'Why Do Fools Fall in Love.' it marked her production debut, and became Ross' second album to be certified platinum. The success continued with Ross' 1982 album 'Silk Electric,' which was certified gold. Gale returned to play on her 1983 album 'Ross.' By then, Gale had played on one of the biggest albums of the early eighties.
That year, 1983, Billy Joel released 'An Innocent Man.' It was a captivating combination of doo wop, soul, pop and rock 'n' roll that caught the imagination of the record buying public worldwide. It was certified gold in Australia and Hong Kong; platinum in New Zealand; triple platinum in the UK and was certified seven times platinum in the US after selling seven million copies. It was the most successful album Gale had played on.
Meanwhile, Gale had released a further three solo albums. He had signed to Elektra, and released 'Blue Horizon' in 1982. It found Gale exploring various genres, and was one of the most eclectic albums of his career. Despite being well received by critics it wasn't a commercial success.
Gale then released 'In The Shade Of A Tree' for the Japanese label JVC later in 1982. The album was released to critical acclaim and was a commercial success. It was ironic that Gale was more popular in Japan than in the US.
Then in 1983, Gale returned with 'Island Breeze' his second album for Elektra. It featured a new band who flitted between beautiful ballads to funk, jazz, smooth fusion and soul. This was another eclectic album. Sadly, despite its quality and positive reviews the album wasn't a commercial success and Gale left Elektra after two albums.
He didn't release another album for four years, and during that period, he continued to work as a session musician. He played guitar on 'The Way You Make Me Feel,' which featured on Michael Jackson's 1987 album 'Bad.' When the song was released as a single it topped the US Billboard 100 chart, while the album sold forty-five million copies worldwide.
A year later, in 1988, Gale released two albums, 'In a Jazz Tradition' and 'Let's Stay Together.' Sadly, they were the last solo albums released during his lifetime.
In November 1993, Stuff reformed and recorded 'Made In America (A Remembrance Of Richard Tee). The album was released in 1994, the same year that Eric Gale passed away.
Gale was just fifty-five when he died of lung cancer on May 25th, 1994, in Baja, California. He had enjoyed a career that spanned four decades. During his carer, Gale released eleven solo albums and played on over 600 singles and albums. Eric Gale was a musician's musician who played alongside the great and good of music. His versatility was one of the reasons Gale was constantly in demand as a session musician. Seamlessly he could switch between musical genres. This he often did on the eleven albums he released during his career.
Although Gale is best remembered as a solo artist and sideman, he was also a producer and talented songwriter. The songs he wrote over four decades a reminder of that, while his eleven solo albums feature one of the most talented jazz guitarists of his generation.
The Life and Career Of Eric Gale.
