1976 Billy Preston – Billy Preston
Billy Preston (sometimes referred to Do What You Want) is the eleventh studio album by American soul musician Billy Preston, released in 1976 on A&M Records. It includes the singles “I’ve Got the Spirit” and “Girl”, both of which were top 50 hits on Billboard’s Soul Singles chart in the US. Preston recorded the album in Malibu, California in March 1976, shortly before joining the Rolling Stones on their two-month European tour.
Tracks
1 Do What You Want (Billy Preston) 02:56
2 Girl (Billy Preston) 03:16
3 Bells (Billy Preston; Bruce Fisher) 03:21
4 I’ve Got The Spirit (Billy Preston; Doug Jones) 03:57
5 When You Are Mine (Billy Preston) 02:46
6 Bad Case Of Ego (Billy Preston) 02:58
7 Take Time To Figure It Out (Billy Preston; Doug Jones) 03:16
8 Let The Music Play (Billy Preston) 03:00
9 Simplify Your Life (Louis Johnson; George Johnson) 03:47
10 Let’s Make Love (Billy Preston; Bruce Fisher) 02:46
11 Ecstasy (Instrumental) (Billy Preston) 04:05
Biography
Musicians
1 Do What You Want
| Drums | Ollie E. Brown |
| Clavinet | Billy Preston |
| Electric Piano | Billy Preston |
| Synthesizer | Billy Preston |
| Organ | Billy Preston |
| Vocals | Billy Preston |
2 Girl
| Bass | Keni Burke |
| Drums | Alvin Taylor |
| Guitar | Steve Beckmeier |
| Fender Rhodes | Billy Preston |
| Hammond Organ | Billy Preston |
| Synthesizer | Billy Preston |
| Vocals | Billy Preston |
3 Bells
| Bass | Keni Burke |
| Drums | Alvin Taylor |
| Fender Rhodes | Billy Preston |
| Synthesizer | Billy Preston |
| Vocals | Billy Preston |
4 I’ve Got The Spirit
| Bass | Keni Burke |
| Drums | Alvin Taylor |
| Drums | Ollie E. Brown |
| Guitar | Steve Beckmeier |
| Clavinet | Billy Preston |
| Organ | Billy Preston |
| Piano | Billy Preston |
| Flugelhorn | Greg Adams |
| Flugelhorn | Mic Gillette |
| Horn | Mic Gillette |
| Sax | Stephen Kupka |
| Sax | Emilio Castillo |
| Sax | Lenny Pickett |
| Trumpet | Greg Adams |
| Trumpet | Mic Gillette |
| Tambourine | Billy Preston |
| Background Vocals | Merry Clayton |
| Background Vocals | Olivia Foster |
| Background Vocals | Stephanie Spruill |
| Vocals | Billy Preston |
5 When You Are Mine
| Drums | Ollie E. Brown |
| Guitar | Billy Preston |
| Clavinet | Billy Preston |
| Piano | Billy Preston |
| Synthesizer | Billy Preston |
| Background Vocals | Merry Clayton |
| Background Vocals | Olivia Foster |
| Background Vocals | Stephanie Spruill |
| Vocals | Billy Preston |
6 Bad Case Of Ego
| Bass | Keni Burke |
| Drums | Ollie E. Brown |
| Guitar | Jeff Beck |
| Guitar | Tony Maiden |
| Piano | Billy Preston |
| Flugelhorn | Greg Adams |
| Flugelhorn | Mic Gillette |
| Horn | Mic Gillette |
| Sax | Stephen Kupka |
| Sax | Emilio Castillo |
| Sax | Lenny Pickett |
| Trumpet | Greg Adams |
| Trumpet | Mic Gillette |
| Background Vocals | Merry Clayton |
| Background Vocals | Olivia Foster |
| Background Vocals | Stephanie Spruill |
| Vocals | Billy Preston |
7 Take Time To Figure It Out
| Bass | Keni Burke |
| Drums | Ollie E. Brown |
| Guitar | Steve Beckmeier |
| Clavinet | Billy Preston |
| Fender Rhodes | Billy Preston |
| Organ | Billy Preston |
| Synthesizer | Billy Preston |
| Vocals | Billy Preston |
8 Let The Music Play
| Drums | Ollie E. Brown |
| Synthesizer | Billy Preston |
| Hammond Organ | Billy Preston |
| Piano | Billy Preston |
| Clavinet | Billy Preston |
| Tambourine | Billy Preston |
| Vocals | Billy Preston |
9 Simplify Your Life
| Bass | George Johnson |
| Drums | Ollie E. Brown |
| Guitar | Steve Beckmeier |
| Clavinet | Billy Preston |
| Organ | Billy Preston |
| Piano | Billy Preston |
| Flugelhorn | Greg Adams |
| Flugelhorn | Mic Gillette |
| Horn | Mic Gillette |
| Sax | Stephen Kupka |
| Sax | Emilio Castillo |
| Sax | Lenny Pickett |
| Trumpet | Greg Adams |
| Trumpet | Mic Gillette |
| Vocals | Billy Preston |
10 Let’s Make Love
| Drums | Ollie E. Brown |
| Fender Rhodes | Billy Preston |
| Piano | Billy Preston |
| Synthesizer | Billy Preston |
| Vocals | Billy Preston |
11 Ecstasy (Instrumental)
| Bass | Keni Burke |
| Drums | Ollie E. Brown |
| Guitar | Steve Beckmeier |
| Fender Rhodes | Billy Preston |
| Organ | Billy Preston |
| Synthesizer | Billy Preston |
| Flugelhorn | Greg Adams |
| Flugelhorn | Mic Gillette |
| Horn | Mic Gillette |
| Sax | Stephen Kupka |
| Sax | Emilio Castillo |
| Sax | Lenny Pickett |
| Trumpet | Greg Adams |
| Trumpet | Mic Gillette |
Liner Notes
Producer – Billy Preston, Robert Margouleff
Arranged By – Billy Preston (Track 3)
Arranged By (Horns) – Greg Adams (Tracks 4, 6, 12)
Arranged By (Horns) – Billy Preston (Track 9)
Engineer (Assistant) – Bart Johnson, Howard Karl Siegel
Art Direction – Roland Young
Design – Norman Seeff, Phil Shima
Photography – Norman Seeff
Mixed At Indigo Ranch Studios
Recorded At Indigo Ranch Studios
Recorded At Record Plant Mobile Studio
Phonographic Copyright A&M Records Inc
Copyright A&M Records Inc