Rod Stewart: Foot Loose & Fancy Free Album (1977)

A Rocker's Fancy Footwork

Rod Stewart’s Foot Loose & Fancy Free LP, was released in the UK on November 4, 1977, on Riva Records (catalogue: RVLP 5). This 8-track album, his eighth studio effort, blended rock, soul. Produced by Tom Dowd it peaked at No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart remaing for for 26 weeks. Initial release Included a 12-page illustrated booklet, it’s a vibrant snapshot of Stewart’s post-Faces solo peak.

Album Overview

Vinyl LP (Catalogue: RVLP 5):

Fast Side

A1 Hot Legs 5:06

Guitar – Billy Peek

Saxophone – Phil Kenzie

Written-By – Stewart

A2 You're Insane 4:37

Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa, Tommy Vig

Saxophone – Phil Kenzie

Written-By – Chen, Stewart

A3 You're In My Heart 4:42

Acoustic Guitar – Fred Tackett

Synthesizer [String Synthesizer] – Nicky Hopkins

Violin – Richard Greene

Written-By – Stewart

A4 Born Loose 5:51

Blues Harp [Harp] – John Mayall

Guitar – Billy Peek

Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa

Written-By – Grainger, Cregan, Stewart

Slow Side

B1 You Keep Me Hangin' On 8:21

Arranged By [Strings] – Del Newman

Written-By – Holland, Dozier, Holland

B2 (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right 4:12

Arranged By [Strings] – Del Newman

Drums – Roger Bethelmy

Electric Piano – David Foster

Guitar – Steve Cropper

Saxophone – Phil Kenzie

Written-By – Hampton, Banks, Jackson

B3 You Really Got A Nerve 4:48

Written-By – Grainger, Stewart

B4 I Was Only Joking 5:55

Written-By – Grainger, Stewart

Packaging: 33⅓ RPM, stereo, with 12-page color illustrated cartoon booklet. Sleeve: Made in England.

Notes:

Published By – Jobete Music (UK) Ltd.

Published By – Island Music Ltd.

Published By – Riva Music Ltd.

Published By – Warner Bros. Music Ltd.

Published By – Skylark Music Ltd.

Bass – Phil Chen

Drums – Carmine Appice (tracks: A1 to B1, B3, B4)

Engineer – Andy Johns

Engineer [Mastering] – Lee Hulko

Guitar – Gary Grainger (tracks: A1, A2, A4, B1, B3, B4), Jim Cregan

Lacquer Cut By – AC

Mastered By – Arun Chakraverty

Organ – John Jarvis

Photography By [Cover] – David Alexander

Photography By [Sleeve] – Kent Gavin

Piano – John Jarvis

Producer – Tom Dowd

Side "A" (otherwise known as "Fast Side") Riva Music Ltd (1-3), Riva Music Ltd/Skylark Music/Warner Bros. Music Ltd. (4). Side "B" (otherwise known as "Slow Side") Jobette Music (UK) Ltd. (1), Island Music Ltd. (2), Riva Music Ltd. (3,4). Transition from track 1 to track 2 (side 2), composed by John Jarvis.

All songs arranged by Rod and the Boys. Special effects Aphex Aural Exciter.

Issued with a booklet containing lyrics and credits.

Matrix / Runout (Runout, A-side, etched variant 1): RVLP 5 - A4

Matrix / Runout (Runout, B-side, etched variant 1): RVLP 5 - B4 AC

Matrix / Runout (Runout A side etched variant 2): RVLP-5-A2

Matrix / Runout (Runout B side etched variant 2): RVLP-5-B1

Additional personnel

Fred Tackett – acoustic guitar (A3)

Steve Cropper – guitar

David Foster – keyboards

Nicky Hopkins – synthesizer

Roger Bethelmy – drums (B2)

Paulinho Da Costa, Tommy Vig – percussion

John Mayall – harmonica on "Born Loose"

Phil Kenzie – saxophone

Richard Greene – violin

Mark Stein – background vocals on "You Keep Me Hangin' On"

Andy Johns – background vocals, recording and mixing

Wally Heider – engineering

John Naslen – engineering

Sy Potma – engineering

Lee Hulko – mastering

Kosh – art design and direction

Cassette Album (Catalogue: RV4 5):

Label: Riva

Format: Cassette, Album

A1 Hot Legs

A2 You're Insane

A3 Born Loose

A4 I Was Only Joking

B1 You Keep Me Hanging On

B2 If Loving You Is Wrong

B3 You Got A Nerve

B4 You're In My Heart

Same 8-track sequence.

Packaging: Standard cassette case with J-card.

Cartridge Album 8-Track (RV8-5 )

Label: Riva

Format: 8-Track Cartridge, Album

A1 Hot Legs

A2 Born Loose

B1 You Keep Me Hanging On

B2 If Loving You Is Wrong (Part 1)

C1 If Loving You Is Wrong (Part 2)

C2 You're Insane

C3 You're In My Heart

D1 You Got A Nerve

D2 I Was Only Joking

Published By – Jobete Music (UK) Ltd.

Published By – Island Music Ltd.

Published By – Riva Music Ltd.

Published By – Warner Bros. Music Ltd.

Published By – Skylark Music Ltd.

Producer – Tom Dowd

Chart (1977-78) Peak position

Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) 1

Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)1

Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 1

German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) 34

Japanese Albums (Oricon) 19

New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)] 1

Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) 6

Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)] 6

UK Albums (OCC) 3

US Billboard 200 2

Country Variations

The album was released worldwide with minor variations:

Album Chart Performance

US: No. 2 (Billboard 200, 24 weeks).

Australia: No. 2 (Kent Music Report, 16 weeks).

Canada: No. 2 (RPM, 20 weeks).

Germany: No. 8 (GfK, 12 weeks).

Netherlands: No. 3 (Dutch Album Top 100, 10 weeks).

New Zealand: No. 1 (RMNZ, 12 weeks).

France: No. 5 (SNEP, 8 weeks).

Sweden: No. 10 (Sverigetopplistan, 6 weeks).

Norway: No. 4 (VG-lista, 7 weeks).

Austria: No. 7 (Ö3 Austria Top 40, 6 weeks).

Switzerland: No. 6 (Swiss Hitparade, 7 weeks).

Singles Released and Chart Performance

"You're in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)"

Released: September 1977

"Hot Legs"

Released: January 1978

"I Was Only Joking"

Released: April 1978

"You Keep Me Hangin' On"

Released: August 1978 (Japan)

Do you have Foot Loose & Fancy Free in your vinyl stack? Which track strums your heart? Share in the comments!

Sources

Discogs: Foot Loose & Fancy Free (1977)

45cat: Rod Stewart Singles

YouTube: Foot Loose & Fancy Free Full Album

Wikipedia: Foot Loose & Fancy Free

Official Charts Company: Rod Stewart Albums

AllMusic: Foot Loose & Fancy Free

Billboard Chart History: Rod Stewart