ProJazz.net

Lite Me Up is an album with a strong disco-funk feel by Herbie Hancock. It was Hancock’s twenty-eighth album and first release without producer David Rubinson since 1969. On this album, Hancock was influenced by his long-time friend, producer Quincy Jones and sessions included many musicians associated with Jones including songwriter Rod Temperton, and Steve Lukather and Jeff Porcaro of Toto. The album was the first on which Hancock played the Synclavier, a digital polyphonic synthesizer.

Reception

By 1978, Hancock had another identity as a dance/fusion attraction with the albums Feets Don’t Fail Me Now and Sunlight. Lite Me Up is an even more concerted effort to fuse jazz with pop. Hancock handled all of the production chores on all but two of the eight tracks. His main arranger and lyricist here is Rod Temperton, the former Heatwave member who worked with Quincy Jones on albums Off the Wall and Light Up the Night. The title track and “The Bomb” are glossy, propulsive offerings reminiscent of prime Jones without his skill at making it all stick. The biggest hit here, the sleek “Getting’ to the Good Part” adheres to the Steely Dan’s Gaucho style, has a gorgeous bridge, and has Hancock doing his loved or hated vocoder lead vocals. From a jazz perspective, there is precious little of it on Lite Me Up. In fact, the songs “The Fun Tracks” and the humorous “Motor Mouth” sound like Heatwave retreads. The last song stands out, however. The beautiful, hooky ballad “Give It All Your Heart” features both Hancock and Patrice Rushen both doing their vocal leads on vocoder. The track perfectly captures both prime Temperton and Hancock’s ’78-’82 fusion ballad style. Songs with producers Jay Graydon and Narada Michael Walden both feature the artist doing vocals without the gadgetry, and, believe it or not, the vocoder is more definitive. Despite the better tracks, Lite Me Up doesn’t have the adventurous nature of Hancock’s jazz/pop of the era (AllMusic).

Track listing
1. “Lite Me Up!” Rod Temperton 3:41
2. “The Bomb” Herbie Hancock, Rod Temperton 3:59
3. “Gettin’ to the Good Part” Herbie Hancock, Rod Temperton 6:12
4. “Paradise” Bill Champlin, David Foster, Jay Graydon, Herbie Hancock 4:30
5. “Can’t Hide Your Love” Jeffrey Cohen, Herbie Hancock, Narada Michael Walden 3:53
6. “The Fun Tracks” Rod Temperton 4:03
7. “Motor Mouth” Rod Temperton 3:59
8. “Give It All Your Heart” Herbie Hancock, Rod Temperton 7:39

Personnel
Herbie Hancock – lead vocals (4, 5), background vocals (1–3, 6–8), lead vocoder vocal (3, 7–8), Fender Rhodes, Clavitar, Yamaha CS-80, Moog Source, Mini Moog, Waves Mini Moog, Prophet 5, ARP 2600, ARP Odyssey, Emu digital keyboard, Oberheim 8-voice synthesizer, Roland Jupiter-8, Hohner Clavinet, Sennheiser vocoder, Synclavier digital synthesizer, Linn Drum synthesizer, piano
John Robinson – drums (1–3, 6–8)
Jeff Porcaro – drums (4)
Narada Michael Walden – drums (5), arrangements (5)
Louis Johnson – bass (1–3, 6–8)
Abraham Laboriel – bass (4)
Randy Jackson – bass (5)
Steve Lukather – guitar (1)
David Williams – guitar (2, 3, 6–8)
Jay Graydon – guitar (4)
Corrado Rustici – guitar (5)
Michael Boddicker – synthesizer (3), additional synthesizer programming (2, 3, 6)
David Foster – acoustic piano (4), background vocal and keyboard arrangements (4)
Rick Kelly – Synclavier programming (4)
Frank Martin – synthesizers (5)
Jerry Hey – trumpet and flugelhorn (1–3, 5–8), horn arrangements (1–4, 6–8), string arrangements (1, 3, 6–8)
“The Dr. Negroidal” – trumpet (1–3, 5–8)
Chuck Findley – trumpet and trombone (1–3, 5–8)
Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone (1–3, 5–8)
Gary Herbig – saxophone and woodwinds (1–3, 5–8)
Larry Williams – saxophone and woodwinds (1–3, 5–8)
Wayne Anthony – lead vocals (1, 2, 6, 7)
Patti Austin – background vocals (1–3, 6–8)
Jim Gilstrap – background vocals (1–3, 5–8)
Paulette Williams – background vocals (1–3, 6–8)
John Lehman – background vocals (1–3, 5–8)
Edie Lehmann – background vocals (1–3, 6–8)
Bill Champlin – background vocals (4)
Richard Page – background vocals (4)
Venette Gloud – background vocals (4)
Scherrie Payne – background vocals (5)
Linda Lawrence – background vocals (5)
Patrice Rushen – vocoder vocals (8)
Rod Temperton – rhythm and vocal arrangements (1–3, 6–8)

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Released: April 15, 1982
Recorded: 1981–1982 by George Massenburg
Studios George Massenburg Studio, L.A. Additional recording at El Dorado Studios, Hollywood; Garden Rake Studios, Studio City
Length: 37:56
Label: Columbia
Producers: Herbie Hancock, Jay Graydon, Narada Michael Walden