Arista Records Album Discography, Part 19: GRP Records
In 1978, producers Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen, who had been highly successful on the jazz scene, made a deal with Arista chief Clive Davis, which saw the formation of GRP Records. The acronym of that company officially stands for Grusin-Rosen Productions. The label’s long story had been covered in detail by th Dave Grusin Archive website (each part of it, including the one relevant to the Arista discography, is available to read there, but only via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine), but the gist of it is that the GRP label had been founded with the intent of serving as a talent pool for young jazz musicians.
On the Arista GRP roster were flautist Dave Valetin, his singing girlfriend Angela Bofill, piano prodigy Bernard Wright, vibraphonist Jay Hoggard, and trumpeter Tom Browne, who gave the label its most prolific time on the charts with his single “Funkin’ For Jamaica (N.Y.)”, which topped the Billboard R&B chart and made it to #9 on the disco end in 1980, and also made it to #10 in the U.K. Grusin himself also pioneered the art of digital recording on the label with his 1981 album MOUNTAIN DANCE.
In 1982, Arista and GRP amicably parted ways with each other due to creative differences, particularly those that related to marketing, with Arista retaining ownership of most of the GRP recordings it had distributed. In its years of independence, GRP pioneered the use of CDs as a consumer introduction to jazz music. In 1987, GRP signed a distribution deal with MCA; the deal was so successful that MCA bought the label for $40 million in 1990. The label is now owned by MCA’s successors, the Universal Music Group, and managed by UMG’s Verve Records imprint.
Arista GRP albums used a plain almond label with a stylized, lowercased “grp” logo onto which the name Arista was enclosed. The text ring at the bottom read “MANUFACTURED AND DISTRIBUTED BY ARISTA RECORDS, INC./6 WEST 57TH ST./NEW YORK, N.Y. 10019”. Canadian copies used the same label, but with text reading “MANUFACTURED AND DISTRIBUTED IN CANADA BY CAPITOL RECORDS-EMI OF CANADA LIMITED”. International releases of Arista GRP albums were on the Arista label proper and used its graphics. Promotional copies came in a plain sleeve which read “NOT FOR SALE” and “FOR PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY”.
This discography centers exclusively on the Arista era of the label.
GRP 5000 series
GRP/GR8/GRC 5000 — Angie — Angela Bofill [1978] Under The Moon And Over The Sky/This Time I’ll Be Sweeter/Baby, I Need Your Love/Rough Times//The Only Thing I Would Wish For/Summer Days/Share Your Love/Children Of The World United
GRP/GR8/GRC 5001 — Legends — Dave Valentin [1978] Legends/Bouree In E Minor/Sea Pines/Crystal Silence//Afro Blue/Masquerade/Patterns For The Sky/I Want To Be Where You Are
GRP/GR8/GRC 5002 — The Music Of Roland Vazquez — Urban Ensemble [1979] Music For A Flowered Pig/Long Gone Bird/The Visitor//Return To Congolia/Some Friends/Soul Force/Stephanie
GRP/GR8/GRC 5003 — Browne Sugar — Tom Browne [1979] Throw Down/I Never Was A Cowboy/Herbal Scent/Brother, Brother//The Closer I Get To You/What’s Going On/Promises For Spring/Antoinette Like
GRP/GR8/GRC 5004 — Days Like These — Jay Hoggard [1979] West End Dancer/Takin’ It To The Streets/Kalima’s Garden Song//Samba Pa Negra/We Got By/Brown Lady/Days Like These
GRP/GR8/GRC 5005 — Angel Of The Night — Angela Bofill [unissued] Transferred to GRP 5501 prior to release.
GRP/GR8/GRC 5006 — The Hawk — Dave Valentin [1979] Marcosinho/Blackbird/Do It Again/What A Wonderful World//We’ll Make Love [Featuring Angela Bofill]/Windows/The Hawk
GRP/GR8/GRC 5007 — Without Rhyme Or Reason — Scott Jarrett [1980] Miles Of Sea/I Was A Fool/Never My Fault/Without Rhyme Or Reason/On Looking Back//Doctor-Nurse/Lady/The Image Of You/Pictures
GRP/GR8/GRC 5008 — Love Approach — Tom Browne [1980] Funkin’ For Jamaica (N.Y.)/Her Silent Smile/Forever More/Dreams Of Lovin’ You//Nocturne/Martha/Moon Rise/Weak In The Knees
GRP/GR8/GRC 5009 — Land Of The Third Eye — Dave Valentin [1980] Sidra’s Dream/Astro-March/Open Your Eyes/Fantasy//Land Of The Third Eye/The Tellers/Pana Fuerte (Strong Friendship)
GRP/GR8/GRC 5010 — Mountain Dance — Dave Grusin [1981] Rag Bag/Friends And Strangers/City Lights/Rondo-If You Hold Out Your Hand//Mountain Dance/Thanksong/Captain Caribé/Either Way
GRP/GR8/GRC 5011 — ‘Nard — Bernard Wright [1981] Master Rocker/Firebolt Hustle/Haboglabotribin’/Spinnin’//Just Chillin’ Out/Bread Sandwiches/Music Is The Key/We’re Just The Band/Solar
GRP 5500 series
GRP/GR8/GRC 5501 — Angel Of The Night — Angela Bofill [1979] I Try/People Make The World Go Round/Angel Of The Night/Rainbow Child (Little Pas)//What I Wouldn’t Do (For The Love Of You)/The Feelin’s Love/Love To Last/The Voyage
GRP/GR8/GRC 5502 — Love Approach — Tom Browne [1980] Reissue of GRP 5008. Funkin’ For Jamaica (N.Y.)/Her Silent Smile/Forever More/Dreams Of Lovin’ You//Nocturne/Martha/Moon Rise/Weak In The Knees
GRP/GR8/GRC 5503 — Magic — Tom Browne [1981] Let’s Dance/Magic/I Know/Midnight Interlude//God Bless The Child/Night Wind/Thighs High (Grip Your Hips And Move)/Making Plans
GRP/GR8/GRC 5504 — Clean Sweep — Bobby Broom [1981] Clean Sweep/No Bad Vibes/Remember When/She’s My Reason//Saturday Night/Niqui/Share My Love/Con Alma
GRP/GR8/GRC 5505 — Pied Piper — Dave Valentin [1981] Pied Piper (Man Of Song)/Seven Stars/This Time/Sambiando//Shamballa/Los Altos/Dragon Fly
GRP/GR8/GRC 5506 — Live In Japan — Dave Grusin And GRP All-Stars [1981] Modaji/Trade Winds/Shamballa//Friends And Strangers/Band Introduction/Uh, Oh!/Don And Dave/Captain Caribe
GRP/GR8/GRC 5507 — Yours Truly — Tom Browne [1981] Fungi Mama-Bebopafunkadiscolypso/Bye Gones/Charisma/Can’t Give It Away//Lazy Bird/Naima/Come For The Ride/My Latin Sky/A Message (Pride And Pity)
GRP/GR8/GRC 5508
GRP/GR8/GRC 5509 — Don Blackman — Don Blackman [1982] Yabba Dabba Doo/Heart’s Desire/Holding You, Loving You/Deaf Hook-Up Connection/You Ain’t Hip/Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide/Since You Been Away So Long/Never Miss A Thing
GRP/GR8/GRC 5510 — Out Of The Shadows — Dave Grusin [1982] Last Train To Paradiso/She Could Be Mine/Crystal Morning/Five Brothers//Anthem Internationale/Serengeti Walk (Slippin’ In The Back Door)/Hokkaido/Sweetwater Nights
GRP/GR8/GRC 5511 — In Love’s Time — Dave Valentin [1982] Street Beat/In Love’s Time/I Don’t Wanna Fall In Love (I Just Wanna Dance)/I Got It Right This Time//Clove And Cinnamon/Dansette/The Flight/Leo And The Sun
Miscellaneous release:
GRP/GR8/GRC 5010 — Mountain Dance — Dave Grusin [1981] Direct-to-digital release. Selected copies were pressed on translucent vinyl. Rag Bag/Friends And Strangers/City Lights/Rondo-If You Hold Out Your Hand//Mountain Dance/Thanksong/Captain Caribé/Either Way
