David Spinozza


David Spinozza is an American guitarist and producer. He worked with former Beatles Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and John Lennon during the 1970s, and had a long collaboration with singer-songwriter James Taylor, producing Taylor's album Walking Man.

Career

Spinozza worked with McCartney during sessions for McCartney's Ram album during 1971. When the chance came to work with Lennon two years later, as Yoko Ono prepared her Feeling the Space album and Lennon his Mind Games, Spinozza discovered that Lennon was not aware he had previously worked with McCartney, and was afraid he would be fired if Lennon found out, given their recent feuding in the media. When Lennon did learn of it, his only comment was that McCartney "knows how to pick good people." The same story is related about Hugh McCracken.
Spinozza sessioned on Tim Weisberg's 1972 Hurtwood Edge and Cashman & West's 1974 Lifesong. Spinozza contributed to Ono's album A Story, recorded during 1974, served as her bandleader during a residency at Kenny's Castaways, and rehearsed Ono's band to tour her native Japan, but parted ways with her when the tour began. After no communication for several years, Ono contacted Spinozza late in 1980, for his permission to release "It Happened", a track from A Story, as a B-side to "Walking on Thin Ice", her tribute to the recently assassinated John Lennon and the last song they had recorded together. Spinozza gave his permission. The track appeared with a new coda, recorded by Lennon and Ono's band from Double Fantasy.
Spinozza appeared on Ringo Starr's 1977 album Ringo the 4th, earning him the distinction of having recorded with three of the four Beatles.
Spinozza played acoustic guitar on the song "Honesty" on the 1978 Billy Joel album 52nd Street.
In 1978 he released Spinozza on the A&M label, a jazz-oriented album with some vocal tracks.
Spinozza played the guitar solo on Dr. John's hit, "Right Place, Wrong Time", played on Paul Simon's albums Paul Simon and There Goes Rhymin' Simon, Don McLean's American Pie, and later made contributions to the soundtracks of the movies Dead Man Walking, Happiness, and Just the Ticket. The first album David produced in its entirety was the folk rock trio Arthur, Hurley & Gottlieb who were signed by Clive Davis during his ten years as president of Columbia Records. Spinozza was a member of the Saturday Night Live band from 1980 to 1982. He also conducted the band in 1980 and 1981.
He held the first guitar chair in the Broadway orchestra of Hairspray and, in 2009, reunited with his band from 1973, L'Image, which also includes Mike Mainieri, Warren Bernhardt, Tony Levin and Steve Gadd.

Selected discography

With Alessi BrothersAll For a Reason
With Peter AllenContinental American I Could Have Been a Sailor
With David BatteauHappy in Hollywood
With Harry BelafontePlay Me
With George BensonIn Your Eyes
With Stephen BishopRed Cab to Manhattan
With Laura BraniganOver My Heart
With Rusty BryantUntil It's Time for You to Go
With Merry ClaytonKeep Your Eye on the Sparrow
With Marc CohnMarc Cohn
With Judy CollinsJudith
With Elvis CostelloPainted from Memory
With Jim CroceLife and Times
With Lou Courtney
With Patti DahlstromThe Way I Am
With Ron DaviesU.F.O.
With Richard DavisDealin'
With John DenverWhose Garden Was This
With DeodatoVery Together
With Céline DionLet's Talk About Love
With Craig DoergeCraig Doerge
With Yvonne EllimanYvonne Elliman
With Faith, Hope and CharityFaith, Hope & Charity Life Goes On
With Art FarmerYama with Joe Henderson
With Jean-Pierre Ferland Jaune Soleil
With Roberta Flack and Donny HathawayRoberta Flack & Donny Hathaway
With Roberta FlackFeel Like Makin' Love Blue Lights in the Basement Roberta Flack
With Aretha FranklinLet Me in Your Life
With Michael FranksOne Bad Habit Time Together The Music in My Head
With Richie HavensConnections
With Donny HathawayExtension of a Man
With Johnny Hodges3 Shades of Blue
With Jennifer HollidaySay You Love Me Get Close to My Love
With Paul JabaraPaul Jabara & Friends
With Garland JeffreysGhost Writer One-Eyed Jack
With Billy Joel52nd Street
With Dr. JohnIn the Right Place
With The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis OrchestraConsummation
With Margie JosephMargie Joseph Sweet Surrender
With Patricia KaasDans ma chair
With Michael Kenny
With Robin Kenyatta Gypsy Man
With B.B. KingB.B. King in London
With Morgana KingNew Beginnings
With LabelleLabelle Moon Shadow
With Yusef LateefHush 'N' Thunder
With Donal LeaceDonal Leace
With John LennonMind Games
With Johnny LytleThe Soulful Rebel
With Melissa ManchesterSingin'... Hey Ricky
With Barry ManilowThis One's for You
With Herbie MannPush Push Turtle Bay
With Arif MardinJourney
With Charlie MarianoMirror
With Percy MayfieldBlues... and Then Some
With Les McCannInvitation to Openness
With Paul McCartneyRam
With Kate & Anna McGarrigleKate & Anna McGarrigle Pronto Monto Entre la jeunesse et la sagesse
With Don McLeanAmerican Pie Homeless Brother
With Van McCoySoul Improvisations Van McCoy and His Magnificent Move Machine
With Bette MidlerThe Divine Miss M Bette Midler Songs for the New Depression Thighs and Whispers
With Stephanie MillsStephanie
With Mark MurphyWhat a Way to Go
With David "Fathead" NewmanThe Weapon
With Yoko OnoFeeling the Space A Story
With Tony Orlando and DawnTo Be With You
With David Pomeranz
  • Time to Fly
With Bonnie RaittStreetlights
With Ray ReppHear the Cryin
With David SanbornHeart to Heart
With Shirley ScottSuperstition
With Gil Scott-HeronFree Will
With Carly SimonSpy Torch
With Lucy SimonLucy Simon
With Paul SimonPaul Simon
With Bert SommerBert Sommer Bert Sommer
With Ringo StarrRingo the 4th
With Rod StewartAs Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook, Volume II
With Howard TateHoward Tate
With James TaylorWalking Man
With Kate TaylorKate Taylor
With Carla ThomasMemphis Queen
With The Manhattan TransferTonin'
With Frankie ValliLady Put the Light Out
With Dionne WarwickDionne Warwick Sings Cole Porter
With Charles WilliamsStickball
With Paul WilliamsJust an Old Fashioned Love Song Life Goes On
With Cris Williamson
  • ''Cris Williamson''