Kites Are Fun
The debut album, arranged by Chris Dedrick for New York's top session musicians.
The Free Design, 1967
Wikipedia dates the release to April 6, 1967, while JazzRockSoul says February 1968; the Billboard single reviews are from October 1967. Enoch Light produced and Phil Ramone engineered at A&R Studios. Chris wrote all the charts, and Project 3 hired only the top musicians in New York, in sessions of two or three songs in three hours, sometimes with the ink still wet, Sandy recalled. Light suggested a few covers but gave free rein. Wikipedia credits Russ Savakus on bass, Bill LaVorgna on drums, Tony Mottola, Ralph Casale and Jay Berliner on guitars, Dick Hyman and Paul Griffin on organ, Stan Freeman on harpsichord, and the trumpeter Rusty Dedrick, among others.
AllMusic's Bruce Eder gave it 4 of 5, as summarized in a search result, and Crawdaddy! was favorable. Sandy told Record Collector in 2021 it was very reflective of our family and the place we grew up in, just light and joyful. The Light in the Attic reissue (LITA 004), a Record Store Day edition for the 50th anniversary, added liner notes by Michael White, and Lantern Editions pressed a 180-gram LP on September 19, 2022.
Track listing
- Kites Are Fun2:42
- Make the Madness Stop3:08
- When Love Is Young2:54
- The Proper Ornaments2:49
- My Brother Woody2:35
- 59th Street Bridge Song2:52
- Don't Turn Away3:59
- Umbrellas2:28
- Michelle3:13
- Never Tell the World2:32
- A Man and a Woman3:04
- Stay Another Season4:37
More from The Free Design
You Could Be Born Again (1968), There Is A Song (1972), Cosmic Peekaboo (2001)
Sources
- Kites Are Fun, Wikipedia
- Kites Are Fun, Light in the Attic
- Free Design interview with Sandra Dedrick, Psychedelic Baby (2012-05)