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Charity Ball

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Charity Ball
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 1971
StudioVillage Recorders, Los Angeles
Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood
Larrabee Sound Studios, Hollywood
GenreRock
Length38:52
LabelReprise
ProducerRichard Perry
Fanny chronology
Fanny
(1970)
Charity Ball
(1971)
Fanny Hill
(1972)
Singles from Charity Ball
  1. "Charity Ball"
    Released: 1971

Charity Ball is the second studio album by the American rock group Fanny, released in July 1971 on Reprise.[1][2] The album's title track became the group's first top 40 hit.

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Robert ChristgauB+[4]

Background

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The album was, like the previous year's debut Fanny, produced by Richard Perry. The songs were all written by the group, with the exception of a cover of Buffalo Springfield's "Special Care". The group experimented with a wider range of musical styles than the first album, including ballads and funk in addition to straightforward rock 'n' roll. The photograph of the band used in the front cover artwork was taken by Candice Bergen.[3]

Critical reception

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Music critic Robert Christgau wrote, "This record exploits [drummer Alice de Buhr's] chops and presence, sinking the pop harmonies in a harder, funkier frame. The title tune is a pure raver that oughta be a hit, but almost every song has something—or several somethings—to recommend it."[4]

In a retrospective review, AllMusic's Mark Deming said that Charity Ball, in comparison with the group's first album, is a "stronger, more confident, and more enjoyable disc," writing that "the push and pull between June Millington's tough guitar figures and Nickey Barclay's rollicking keyboards yield more exciting results here." He felt that the band has better songs on Charity Ball, but that the production is "sometimes a bit more polished than this music needed."[3]

Release

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The album reached No. 150 on the Billboard 200.[5] The title track was released as a single,[6] reaching No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.[7]

Track listing

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Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Charity Ball"June Millington, Jean Millington, Alice de Buhr2:30
2."What Kind of Lover"Nickey Barclay2:58
3."Cat Fever"Barclay3:23
4."A Person Like You"Barclay2:58
5."Special Care"Stephen Stills4:23
6."What's Wrong With Me"Jean Millington1:42
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Soul Child"Barclay, Millington, Millington3:49
8."You're the One"Millington, Millington4:09
9."Thinking of You"June Millington3:24
10."Place in the Country"Barclay4:04
11."A Little While Later"Barclay5:39
Total length:38:52
2014 expanded edition CD bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Charity Ball" (single version)Millington, Millington, de Buhr2:29
13."Charity Ball" (live version)Millington, Millington, de Buhr5:47
14."Place in the Country" (live version)Barclay3:39
Total length:50:54

Personnel

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Adapted from the album's liner notes.[8]

Fanny
  • June Millington – guitar, vocals
  • Jean Millington – bass, vocals
  • Nickey Barclay – piano, organ, vocals
  • Alice de Buhr – drums, percussion, vocals
Technical

References

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  1. ^ "The Music: Charity Ball". fannyrocks.com. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  2. ^ "Album Reviews – Charity Ball". Billboard. July 17, 1971. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Deming, Mark. "Charity Ball | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Christgau, Robert. "CG: Fanny". Robert Christgau. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  5. ^ "Fanny Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  6. ^ "Charity Ball". Billboard. November 13, 1971. p. 9.
  7. ^ "Fanny Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  8. ^ Charity Ball (Album liner notes). Fanny. Reprise. 1971.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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