Davis shocked the music world in 1985 when he left Columbia Records after 30 years to join Warner Bros. Records. In October of that year, he began recording the album Rubberband in Los Angeles at Ameraycan Studios with producers Hall and Giles. The musical direction Davis was taking during the sessions marked a radical departure, with the inclusion of funk and soul grooves; with plans to feature guest vocalists Al Jarreau and Chaka Khan. Eventually, the album was shelved and Davis went on to record Tutu, leaving the Rubberband songs unheard and untouched for decades.
The 12-song Rubberband album is available today on CD, digitally, and as a 180-gram 2-LP set. It was finished by Hall and Giles, with Wilburn, Jr., who played drums on the original sessions for the album in 1985-86. The cover art for the album is a Davis original painting from the time period. A limited edition Rhino.com bundle of the vinyl version featuring a limited edition 7-inch single of the track “Paradise”, containing two non-album edits, is also available.
“Uncle Miles would be proud. Randy, Zane and I, and everyone involved, put our heart and soul into Rubberband” says Wilburn, Jr.
RUBBERBAND
Track Listing
1. “Rubberband Of Life” – featuring Ledisi
2. “This Is It”
3. “Paradise”
4. “So Emotional” – featuring Lalah Hathaway
5. “Give It Up”
6. “Maze”
7. “Carnival Time”
8. “I Love What We Make Together” – featuring Randy Hall
9. “See I See”
10. “Echoes In Time/The Wrinkle”
12. “Rubberband”
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