Niki Nana
Encyclopedia
Niki Nana, is Yanni
's fifth album, released on the Private Music
label in 1989, (see 1989 in music
). It peaked at #2 on Billboard's "Top New Age Albums" chart in the same year.
The liner notes dedicate the album to his father and mother respectively:
"Dedicated to Sotiri and Felitsa Hrisomallis".
Yanni
Yanni , born Yiannis Hrysomallis is a Greek self-taught pianist, keyboardist, and composer who has spent most of his life in the United States.He earned Grammy nominations for his 1992 album, Dare to Dream, and the 1993 follow-up, In My Time...
's fifth album, released on the Private Music
Private Music
Private Music is a United States record company founded in 1984 by experimental musician Peter Baumann, as a home for instrumental music. Initially signing such artists as Yanni, Suzanne Ciani, Patrick O'Hearn, and Baumann's former bandmates Tangerine Dream, the record label specialized in New Age...
label in 1989, (see 1989 in music
1989 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989.-Events:*January 14 – Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР exclusively in the USSR...
). It peaked at #2 on Billboard's "Top New Age Albums" chart in the same year.
The liner notes dedicate the album to his father and mother respectively:
"Dedicated to Sotiri and Felitsa Hrisomallis".
Track listing
- "Niki Nana (We're One)" (Sterling, Yanni) – 5:19
- "Dance with a Stranger" – 4:59
- "Running Time" – 5:57
- "Someday" – 4:34
- "Human Condition" – 5:09
- "First Touch" – 2:58
- "Nightbird" – 6:00
- "Quiet Man" – 4:32
Personnel
- All music composed and produced by YanniYanniYanni , born Yiannis Hrysomallis is a Greek self-taught pianist, keyboardist, and composer who has spent most of his life in the United States.He earned Grammy nominations for his 1992 album, Dare to Dream, and the 1993 follow-up, In My Time...
- Produced by Peter BaumannPeter BaumannPeter Baumann formed the core line-up of the German electronic group Tangerine Dream with Edgar Froese and Christopher Franke in 1971. While touring with the band, Baumann composed his first solo album in 1976...
- "Niki Nana":
- LyricsLyricsLyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
: Tom Sterling and Yanni - Vocal Arrangement: Morgan Ames
- ChoirChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
recorded by Hank CicaloHank CicaloHank Cicalo is an American recording engineer, most notable for his work in the 1960s and 1970s. Among the artists Cicalo recorded are The Monkees, Carole King and George Harrison.-The Monkees:...
at Alpha Studios, Los Angeles, CA - Lead Vocal - Carmen TwillieCarmen Twillie (actress)Carmen Twillie is a studio singer and actress. She is a long time friend of Tommy Morgan and has appeared as guest soloist with Morgan's choir. She is best known for singing the Elton John and Tim Rice song "Circle of Life" in the 1994 Disney animated feature The Lion King...
- 2nd Lead Vocal - Venette Gloud
- Guitars - Joaquin Lievano
- Morgan Ames Choir - Venette Gloud, Clydene Jackson-Edwards, Angel Rogers, Carmen TwillieCarmen Twillie (actress)Carmen Twillie is a studio singer and actress. She is a long time friend of Tommy Morgan and has appeared as guest soloist with Morgan's choir. She is best known for singing the Elton John and Tim Rice song "Circle of Life" in the 1994 Disney animated feature The Lion King...
, Randy Crenshaw, Arnold McCullerArnold McCullerArnold McCuller is an American vocalist, record producer, born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. While establishing his own career as a singer, and working as a very busy session musician, McCuller has become best known for his work as a back-up singer for famous artists with long careers, including...
, Josef Powell, Tim Stone, Terry Young. - Special thanks to Bo Russell and Bonnie Fury for their help on this song.
- "Dance with a Stranger":
- FlugelhornFlugelhornThe flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus...
and TrumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Nolan Smith, Jr. - Flugelhorn - Ralf Rickert
- GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s - Joaquin Lievanno - "Running Time":
- Trumpet - Jerry HeyJerry HeyJerry Hey is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, horn arranger, string arranger, orchestrator and session musician who has played on hundreds of commercial recordings, including Thriller and the distinctive flugelhorn solo on Dan Fogelberg's hit Longer....
- Trumpet - Gary Grant
- SaxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
- Dan HigginsDan HigginsDan Higgins is an American saxophone and woodwind player. He has worked with such artists as Aerosmith, Stevie Wonder, Neil Diamond, Al Jarreau, Maroon 5, Kenny Loggins, Barry Manilow, Elton John, Go West, The Temptations, Lionel Richie, Joe Cocker and Eros Ramazzotti. He's also got over 300 motion... - TromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
- Bill Reichenbach Jr. - Guitars - Joaquin Lievanno
- Vocals - Carolyn Johnson-White
- Horns recorded at John TeshJohn TeshJohn Frank Tesh is an American pianist and composer of pop music, as well as a radio host and television presenter. His 10-year-old 'Intelligence for Your Life Radio Show' reaches 14.2 Million listeners/week, and is syndicated by Teshmedia on 400 stations in US, Canada, and the UK...
's private studio - "Human Condition":
- Lead Vocals - Carmen TwillieCarmen Twillie (actress)Carmen Twillie is a studio singer and actress. She is a long time friend of Tommy Morgan and has appeared as guest soloist with Morgan's choir. She is best known for singing the Elton John and Tim Rice song "Circle of Life" in the 1994 Disney animated feature The Lion King...
- Additional Vocals - Venette Gloud
- "Nightbird":
- BouzoukiBouzoukiThe bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
- Spiro Katsemeges - Guitars - Joaquin Lievano
- Sound effect design by Larson Sound Center
- Sound effect created by Russell BrowerRussell BrowerRussell Brower is an American music composer and three-time Emmy Award-winning sound designer who has created sounds for Animaniacs and Batman: The Animated Series and video game music for Joint Operations, World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, World of...
- Acoustic, electronic drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s and percussion - Charlie AdamsCharlie Adams (drummer)Charlie Adams is an American drummer, percussionist, drum engineer, composer, music producer, and film producer. He formed the rock band Chameleon in the 1980s, and was known for his revolving, upside-down drum set. He has been drum lead for Yanni through nine major concert tours...
Production
- Engineered by YanniYanniYanni , born Yiannis Hrysomallis is a Greek self-taught pianist, keyboardist, and composer who has spent most of his life in the United States.He earned Grammy nominations for his 1992 album, Dare to Dream, and the 1993 follow-up, In My Time...
- Assistant Engineer - Charlie AdamsCharlie Adams (drummer)Charlie Adams is an American drummer, percussionist, drum engineer, composer, music producer, and film producer. He formed the rock band Chameleon in the 1980s, and was known for his revolving, upside-down drum set. He has been drum lead for Yanni through nine major concert tours...
- Mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, CA
- Original art: Duardo/Evans
- Photography for cover art: Mark Hanauer
- Back cover photography: Lynn Goldsmith
- Design by Norman Moore