Keni Burke
on Dark Horse Records
by Tom Brennan
created 09/26/2018
last updated: 04/24/2022



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DARK HORSE RECORDS
Keni Burke (from Stairsteps and The Five Stairsteps)

Kenneth M. Burke was born on 28 September 1953 in Chicago, IL. "Keni" was the bass player for The Five Stairsteps. After the group disbanded, he became a solo artist and a session musician. It was while working with Billy Preston on his ranch that Keni was introduced to George Harrison, who, after listening to a tape of the funky instrumental "From Me To You," decided to sign Keni to his Dark Horse label. This is his first solo album, filled with bass-propelled funk and R&B magic, recorded for George Harrison's Dark Horse Records label in 1977.


Keni Burke LP
Catalog #: Dark Horse DH 3022 (promo stickered), released August 16, 1977 (U.S.) [ LP cover ]
Catalog #: Dark Horse DH 3022, released August 16, 1977 (U.S.) [ side I label | side II label ]
Catalog #: Dark Horse DH 3022, released August, 1977 (Canada) [ side I label | side II label | back cover credits ]

Keni Burke cassette
Catalog #: Dark Horse DAH M5 3022, released August 16, 1977 (U.S.) [ cover | side 1 | side 2 ]

Keni Burke CD
Catalog #: Solaris Sol-CD-1202, released 2013 [ CD label | tray card | outer booklet | inner booklet ]

SIDE 1:
1. Keep On Singing [Keni Burke, Day Askey] (4:38)
lead vocals: Keni Burke
background vocals: Keni Burke, Day Askey
guitar: Keni Burke
bass: Keni Burke
Fender Rhodes: Keni Burke
Mini Moog: Keni Burke
drums: Alvin Taylor
percussion: Mayuto

2. You Are All Mine [Keni Burke, Day Askey] (3:04)
lead vocals: Keni Burke
background vocals: Keni Burke, Day Askey
lead guitar: John McGhee
rhythm guitar: Ronnie Vann
bass: Keni Burke
keyboards, ARP string ensemble: Bob Farrell
Mini Moog: Keni Burke
drums: Alvin Taylor

3. Day [Keni Burke] (2:50)
(instrumental)
lead guitar: John McLain
acoustic guitar: Keni Burke
bass: Keni Burke
keyboards: Jim Studer
drums: Alvin Taylor
percussion: Alibe Sledge

4. It's The Last Time [Keni Burke, Day Askey] (4:03)
lead vocals: Keni Burke
background vocals: Keni Burke, Day Askey
guitars: Keni Burke
bass: Keni Burke
keyboards: Dean Gant
drums: Alvin Taylor

5. Shuffle [Keni Burke, Day Askey] (3:39)
lead vocals: Keni Burke
background vocals: Keni Burke, Ivory Stone, Day Askey, Ricky Williams
lead guitar: John McGhee
rhythm guitars: Keni Burke, John McGhee
bass: Keni Burke
drums: Ted Sparks


SIDE 2:
1. Give All You Can Give [Keni Burke, Ronnie Vann] (3:58)
lead vocals: Keni Burke
background vocals: Keni Burke, Ronnie Vann, Day Askey
lead guitar: John McLain
rhythm guitar: Keni Burke
bass: Keni Burke
keyboards: Keni Burke, Jim Studer
drums: Ted Sparks
percussion: Babatunde

2. Tell Me That You Love Me [Keni Burke, Ronnie Vann] (4:05)
lead vocals: Keni Burke
background vocals: Keni Burke, Ronnie Vann, Day Askey
lead guitar: Keni Burke
rhythm guitar: Keni Burke
bass: Keni Burke
keyboards: Sonny Burke
drums: Ted Sparks

3. Something New (Like A Sweet Melody) [Keni Burke, Ronnie Vann] (4:25)
lead vocals: Keni Burke
background vocals: Keni Burke, Day Askey, Ronnie Vann
lead guitar: John McLain
acoustic guitar: Keni Burke
bass: Keni Burke
ARP Odyssey: Sonny Burke
Fender Rhodes: Jim Studer
drums: Alvin Taylor
percussion: Alibe Sledge

4. From Me To You [Keni Burke] (4:07)
(instrumental)
guitar effects: John McLain
rhythm guitar: Keni Burke
bass: Keni Burke
keyboards: Jim Studer
ARP Odyssey: Dean Gant
drums: Ted Sparks

Timings listed above are from the CD.
From Me To You is an instrumental version of The Stairsteps song From Us To You.
Highlights on the Warner Brothers Dark Horse album are: Keep On Singing, You Are All Mine, Shuffle, and Tell Me That You Love Me.


Keni Burke 8-Track tape
Catalog #: Dark Horse DAH M8 3022, released August 16, 1977 (U.S.) [ front in box ]

PROGRAM 1:
1. Keep On Singing
2. Tell Me That You Love Me

PROGRAM 2:
1. You Are All Mine
2. Day [instrumental]
3 . It's The Last Time [beginning]

PROGRAM 3:
1 . It's The Last Time [conclusion]
2. Shuffle
3. Give All You Can Give

PROGRAM 4:
1. Something New (Like A Sweet Melody)
2. From Me To You [instrumental]


published ©1977, Ganga Publishing B.V., BMI

Produced by Keni Burke

Recorded at Sound Factory West, Los Angeles, CA
Recording engineer: Steve Maslow (Total Experience, Los Angeles, CA)
Assistant engineers: Frank Clark, Bob Hughes
Thanks to: Lonnie Simmons and Mark Davis

Re-mix: Quadrafonic Sound Studios, Nashville, TN. [ Recent recording activity at Quadafonic Studio from Cash Box, 1977 September 03 ]
Engineer: Marty Lewis
Assistant Engineer: Jim Stroud
Technical Adviser: Norbert Putnam

Mastered at: Masterfonics, Nashville, TN
Designer, photographer: Bob Cato

Special thanks to: George Harrison and Dennis Morgan for making this album possible.

Dedicated to: Day, Sean, Keni II.


KENI BURKE LP REVIEWS
Review from The Daily News, NYC: 1977 September 09
Keni Burke LP review from Cash Box, 1977 September 10
New Faces To Watch - Cash Box interview, 1977 September 24
Review from Calgary Herald: 1977 November 26
Review by Emanuel E. Parker from News-Pilot, San Pedro, California: 1978 January 06


SINGLES

Catalog #: Dark Horse DRC-8474 (promo), released October 11, 1977 (U.S.) [ label A | label B ]

SIDE A:
Shuffle [mono promo] (3:38)
SIDE B:
Shuffle [stereo promo] (3:39)

Same as LP version, except mono side is a fold down of the stereo mix.


Catalog #: Dark Horse DRC-8474, released October 11, 1977 (U.S.) [ label A | label B ]
Catalog #: Dark Horse DRC-8474, released 1977 (Canada) [ label A | label B ]

SIDE A:
Shuffle
SIDE B:
From Me To You [instrumental]


Catalog #: Dark Horse DRC-8522 (promo), released 1978 (U.S.) [ label A | label B ]

SIDE A:
Keep On Singing [mono edit] (3:26)
SIDE B:
Keep On Singing [stereo edit] (3:27)

The timings listed here are 1:11-1:12 shorter than the LP version.


Catalog #: Dark Horse DRC-8522, released 1978 (U.S.) [ label A | label B ]

SIDE A:
Keep On Singing (3:18)
SIDE B:
Day [instrumental]

KENI BURKE AS A SESSION MUSICIAN
Review of Bill Withers LP, Menagerie from The Daily News, NYC: 1977 October 07

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