Bish is the second album by singer/songwriter Stephen Bishop. The lead single, "Everybody Needs Love", peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[1] and number five on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart. It did better in Canada, reaching No. 29 and peaking at number two on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart.[2] The album itself rose to No. 35 on the Billboard pop albums chart.[3]

Bish
Studio album by
Released1978
Recorded
GenrePop
Length44:25
LabelABC
ProducerStephen Bishop
Stephen Bishop chronology
Careless
(1976)
Bish
(1978)
Red Cab to Manhattan
(1980)

Notable contributors to the album include Art Garfunkel, Chaka Khan, Natalie Cole and Michael McDonald. At the end of the track "Vagabond from Heaven", a large group, "The Whistling Bishettes", is heard. The group includes several famous non-musicians: actress Carrie Fisher, film director John Landis and then-Rolling Stone writer Cameron Crowe.

"Looking for the Right One"

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"Looking for the Right One" was the second single from Bish. It was released in both Canada and the UK but it did not chart. Three years earlier, Art Garfunkel had recorded the song. His original rendition [1] of Bishop's composition was included as the B-side of his 1975 cover hit, "I Only Have Eyes For You" (U.S. #18, #1 AC). Bishop contributed backing vocals on Garfunkel's version, who returned the favor on Bishop's rendition.

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [4]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music     [5]

Rolling Stone's Ken Tucker wrote, "Stephen Bishop's second album is so ambitious and self-assured that it's easy to overlook the chances it takes." Adding that its "mixture of sentiment and aggressiveness... makes it so intriguing a pop disc." Concluding that "Stephen Bishop is well on his way, and he possesses something all his exemplars lack: a serenely nutty sense of humor."[6]

Track listing

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All songs written by Stephen Bishop, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."If I Only Had a Brain"Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg1:40
2."Losing Myself in You" 3:58
3."Looking for the Right One" 3:50
4."Everybody Needs Love" 3:42
5."Guitar Interlude" 0:27
6."A Fool at Heart" 5:34
7."What Love Can Do" 2:53
8."Vagabond from Heaven" 4:24
9."Bish's Hideaway" 3:57
10."Only the Heart Within You" 4:11
11."Recognized" 0:53
12."I've Never Known a Nite Like This" 4:24
13."When I Was in Love" 4:32

Personnel

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Musicians

Backing vocals

"The Whistling Bishettes" on "Vagabond from Heaven"

Production

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  • Produced by Stephen Bishop
  • Co-produced by Dee Robb
  • Engineered by Joe Robb and Dee Robb
  • Assistant Engineers – Joe Chiccarelli, Anthony D'Amico, Steve Gursky, Steve Katz, Richard Leech, Kevin Ryan and George Tutko.
  • Mixed by Jerry Masters
  • Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound (New York, NY).
  • Production Coordination and Art Direction – Michelle Horie
  • Design – Matthew Bitton
  • Photography – David Alexander

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[7] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2000) The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 7th Edition, p. 65. Billboard Books, New York. ISBN 0-8230-7690-3
  2. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013.
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1995). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Albums, 3rd Edition, p. 35. Billboard Books, New York. ISBN 0-8230-7631-8.
  4. ^ Bish at AllMusic
  5. ^ Larkin, Colin (1999). The Virgin Encyclopedia Of Popular Music, Concise 3rd Edition, p. 135. Virgin Books, London. ISBN 1-85227-832-3
  6. ^ Tucker, Ken. "Bish", Rolling Stone, November 2, 1978, p. 62.
  7. ^ "American album certifications – Stephen Bishop – Bish". Recording Industry Association of America.