Take Me Home was Cher‘s first album of 1979, and also her first released by Casablanca Records. It was produced by Bob Esty and Ron Dante, and most of the songs were written by Michele Aller and Bob Esty. This marked the beginning of her brief venture into disco music. Much to Cher’s chagrin, she was pressured into recording an album of this genre. From the album came a major comeback hit, “Take Me Home”. She contributed a lyrically self-penned song about her failed marriage to Gregg Allman on the closing ballad, “My Song (Too Far Gone)”. This album is dedicated to “Butterfly”.
The success of the title track boosted sales of the album and the album is also known for its alluring cover photograph of a scantily clad Cher in a gold Viking outfit which received a lot of attention at the time. “Take Me Home” was also the first album to have three tracks mixed: “Take Me Home” (12″ Mix), “Wasn’t It Good” (12″ Mix) and “Git Down (Guitar Grupie)” (12″ Mix) available on the “Hell on Wheels” single. Gene Simmons, her boyfriend at the time, received a credit on the album owing to his presence on the track “Git Down (Guitar Groupie)”.
Take Me Home has been released on CD together with her second Casablanca Records album, Prisoner, numerous times in a CD entitled The Casablanca Years. This CD unites all the tracks from both albums, merging them onto one single CD. The album was released in 1993 and rereleased in 1996 with a different cover. unreleased songs from the sessions include Oh God America & Sometime Somewhere written by Cher But she didn’t like her contributions so they were left off the inclusion of Take Me Home.
Tracks
1 Take Me Home (Michele Aller, Bob Esty) 6:42 2 Wasn’t It Good (Michele Aller, Bob Esty) 4:22 3 Say the Word (Michele Aller, Bob Esty) 4:56 4 Happy Was the Day We Met (Peppi Castro) 3:56 5 Git Down (Guitar Groupie) (Michele Aller, Bob Esty) 3:45 6 Love and Pain (Richard Bear) 3:23 7 Let This Be a Lesson to You (Tom Snow) 3:15 8 It’s Too Late (To Love Me Now) (Rory Michael Bourke, Gene Dobbins, Johnny Wilson) 3:39 9 My Song (Too Far Gone) (Cher, Brett Hudson, Mark Hudson) 3:56
Musicians
1 Take Me Home Bass - Eddie Watkins Jr Drums - Ed Greene Guitar - Wah Wah Watson Fender Rhodes - Alan Lindgren Piano - Jai Winding Percussion - Victor Feldman Background Vocals - Bob Esty Background Vocals - David Lasley Background Vocals - Jon Joyce Vocals - Cher
2 Wasn’t It Good Bass - Eddie Watkins Jr Drums - Ed Greene Guitar - Wah Wah Watson Clavinet - Alan Lindgren Keyboards - Bob Esty Piano - Jai Winding Synthesizer - Bob Esty Programming - Dan Wyman Sax - Ernie Watts Percussion - Victor Feldman Background Vocals - Bob Esty Background Vocals - David Lasley Background Vocals - Jon Joyce Vocals - Cher
3 Say The Word Bass - Eddie Watkins Jr Drums - Ed Greene Guitar - Wah Wah Watson Fender Rhodes - Alan Lindgren Piano - Jai Winding Background Vocals - Bob Esty Background Vocals - David Lasley Background Vocals - Jon Joyce Vocals - Cher
4 Happy Was The Day We Met Bass - Bob Glaub Drums - Ed Greene Guitar - Wah Wah Watson Fender Rhodes - Alan Lindgren Piano - Jai Winding Sax - Ernie Watts Percussion - Victor Feldman Background Vocals - Bob Esty Background Vocals - Jon Joyce Background Vocals - Loren Farber Vocals - Cher
5 Git Down (Guitar Groupie) Bass - David Hungate Drums - Jeffrey Porcaro Guitar (solo) - Jerry Doucette Guitar - Jay Graydon Guitar - Steve Lukather Piano - Greg Mathieson Percussion - Victor Feldman Background Vocals - Bob Esty Background Vocals - Michele Aller Vocals - Cher
6 Love And Pain Bass - Will Lee Drums - Ronnie Zito Guitar - Ben Benay Guitar - Tim May Keyboards - Jai Winding Keyboards - Paul Schaffer Percussion - Alan Estes Vocals - Cher
7 Let This Be A Lesson to You Bass - Bob Glaub Drums - Ed Greene Guitar - Ira Newborn Guitar - Thom Rotella Accoustic Guitar - Ira Newborn Clavinet - Jai Winding Fender Rhodes - Alan Lindgren Percussion - Victor Feldman Vocals - Cher
8 It’s Too Late (To Love Me Now) Bass - Bob Glaub Drums - Ed Greene Guitar - Thom Rotella Accoustic Guitar - Ira Newborn Fender Rhodes - Alan Lindgren Steel Guitar - Al Perkins Piano - Jai Winding Percussion - Victor Feldman Background Vocals - Bob Esty Background Vocals - Jon Joyce Background Vocals - Stan Farber Vocals - Cher
9 My Song (Too Far Gone) Bass - Will Lee Drums - Ron Zito Guitar - Ben Benay Guitar - Tim May Keyboards - Greg Mathieson Keyboards - Paul Schaffer Percussion - Alan Estes Vocals - Cher
Liner Notes
Producer – Bob Esty (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) Producer – Ron Dante (Tracks 6, 8) Producer (Executive)- Charles Koppelman (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) Arranged By – Bob Esty (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8) Arranged By – Paul Shaffer (Tracks 6, 9) Arranged By (Background Vocals) – Bob Esty, Michele Aller (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8) Arranged By (Horns) – Jimmie Haskell (Track 6) Concert Master – Sidney Sharp (Track 1) Concert Master – James Getzoff (Tracks 3, 4) Concert Master – Murray Adler (Track 8) Conductor – Bob Esty (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8) Conductor – Paul Shaffer (Tracks 6, 9) Contractor (Musical) – Trevor Veitch (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8) Coordinator – Darryl Peck (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8) Coordinator – Linda Gerrity (Tracks 6, 9) Engineer (Additional) – Stephen Marcussen (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8) Engineer (Recording) – Larry Emerine (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8), Engineer (Recording) – Michael De Lugg (Tracks 6, 9) Engineer (Remix) – Larry Emerine Mastered By – Allen Zentz Graphics – Stephen Lumel/Gribbitt! Photography – Barry Levine Recorded At Studio 55, Los Angeles Remixed At Studio 55, Los Angeles Mastered At Allen Zentz Mastering Recorded At A&M Studios Phonographic Copyright Casablanca Record And Filmworks Inc Copyright Casablanca Record And Filmworks Inc
