Charity Ball

Charity Ball is the second studio album by the American rock group Fanny, released in July 1971 on Reprise. The album's title track became the group's first top 40 hit.

Background

The album was, like the previous year's debut Fanny, produced by Richard Perry. The songs were all written by the group, with the exception of a cover of Buffalo Springfield's "Special Care". The group experimented with a wider range of musical styles than the first album, including ballads and funk in addition to straightforward rock 'n' roll. The photograph of the band used in the front cover artwork was taken by Candice Bergen.

Critical reception

Music critic Robert Christgau wrote, "This record exploits chops and presence, sinking the pop harmonies in a harder, funkier frame. The title tune is a pure raver that oughta be a hit, but almost every song has something—or several somethings—to recommend it."
In a retrospective review, AllMusic's Mark Deming said that Charity Ball, in comparison with the group's first album, is a "stronger, more confident, and more enjoyable disc," writing that "the push and pull between June Millington's tough guitar figures and Nickey Barclay's rollicking keyboards yield more exciting results here." He felt that the band has better songs on Charity Ball, but that the production is "sometimes a bit more polished than this music needed."

Release

The album reached No. 150 on the Billboard 200. The title track was released as a single, reaching No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Track listing

Personnel

Adapted from the album's liner notes.
;Fanny

June Millington – guitar, vocals
Jean Millington – bass, vocals
Nickey Barclay – piano, organ, vocals
Alice de Buhr – drums, percussion, vocals

;Technical

Richard Perry – producer
Richard Moore – engineer, remixing
Bill Lazarus – engineer, remixing
Matt Hyde – engineer
Tom Harvey – remixing
Dean O. Torrence – album design
Candice Bergen – cover photo of Fanny
Kim Tucker – cover photo
Layton Huber – prop design