The online archive of the music and songs of Richard Knight, Jr.
New album!
“Folks, this is amazing: feast your ears on well-crafted and adeptly arranged, singer-songwriter brilliance.” The Ark of Music
Richard Knight, Jr. - Love Is Possible: My first solo album in 41 years! While wandering through my musical past while archiving I found a lot of songs I'd left on the table or never finished. So, with my longtime collaborator, Mark MacLean, we began recording this long gestating solo album. Some of these songs date back to the dawn of my recording career, others are brand spanking new. All of them, I hope, demonstrate my love for different musical genres. That's reflected in the arrangements. Midway though the project, Curtis Allen Hager came onboard to help with arrangements on several of the tracks, adding even more musical flavor. I have never worried about boundaries when it comes to my recordings and you will find that philosophy reflected here.
Listen - Love Is Possible
CREDITS
Music, lyrics, piano and singing: Richard Knight, Jr.
"Daddy Was a Thin Man" music by Richard Knight, Jr., lyrics by Brian Daly
Produced by Mark MacLean
Background vocals, keyboard and musical enhancements: Mark MacLean
"Love Is Possible," "On," "Three Times Makes It True," "Day Was a Thin Man," "I'm Night" arranged, played and mixed by Curtis Allen Hager
Guitar: Steve Dollinger
Trumpet: Glenn Morimoto
Bass on "Imagine Me and Marcus": Geoff Lowe
"My Designs" French dialogue: Jennifer Estlin
Mixed by Mark MacLean and Curtis Allen Hager
Mastered by Gary Cobb
Photos: Kimberly Shade
THIS ALBUM IS FOR MARK with love and gratitude for all the years of laughs and support Richard
Listen, explore (lyrics, background on each song), purchase (digital or CD) here:
Richard Knight, Jr. - Edge of the Gloaming: My first all instrumental album, 15 selections composed over the course of my music career. The orchestral arrangements are by the musical jack of all trades otherwise known as Curtis Allen Hager. Four years in the making, this is the realization of a dream that began decades earlier. Released on September 22, 2022 -- the Fall Equinox. Available at all streaming sites and on CD via Bandcamp link below.
Composed and Produced by Richard Knight, Jr.
Orchestral Arrangements by Curtis Allen Hager
Programmed and Played by Curtis Allen Hager
Piano solos played by Richard Knight, Jr. and Karl Montzka
Violin solo on "In Spite of All the Things You've Said" by Koi Anunta
Mastered by Gary Cobb
Cover Painting: "Self Portrait in Profile" by RKJ
Richard Knight, Jr. - My Designs 4: Another group of solo recordings that focus on my continued exploration of different music genres. This time out there's 70s rock, 60s pop sugar, country rock, a symphonic story song, jazz noir, a lush, romantic instrumental, and a big band tune.
Music, Lyrics, Vocals, Piano: Richard Knight, Jr.
Produced by Richard Knight, Jr.
Arranged, Played (except where noted) and Engineered by Curtis Allen Hager
RKJ Vocals Produced by Mark MacLean
Mastered by Gary Cobb
Backing Vocals on "Custody Battle": Jen Zias, Curtis Allen Hager
Voice on phone message on "Custody Battle": Jim Bailey
Backing Vocals on "Candy Hearts and Choc'late Dreams": Katie Wiseman, Curtis Allen Hager
Guitars on "Old Style": Steve Dollinger
Backing Vocals on "Old Style": Curtis Allen Hager
"Life Walks the Edge" Jazz Quartet: Scott Stevenson (piano), Marty Metzger (guitar), Randy Henry (bass), Gerald Dowd (drums)
Richard Knight, Jr. – My Designs Part 3: The third installment in my long gestating solo album is here. I'm having a blast exploring multiple music genres as a writer and performer with the different songs for My Designs and this new crop - four songs and an instrumental - will make that abundantly clear. This line-up includes disco funk, bossa nova, goth metal, a heartbreak ballad, and an instrumental I'm labeling "jazz noir."
Music, Lyrics, Vocals, Piano (on "Three Times Makes it True"): Richard Knight, Jr.
Produced by Richard Knight, Jr.
Arranged and Engineered by Curtis Allen Hager
RKJ Vocals Produced by Mark MacLean
Mastered by Gary Cobb
Guitar: Steve Dollinger
Backing Vocals on "I'd Like to Rest": Katie Wiseman
Backing Vocals on "Bird of Paradise": Katie Wiseman, Emily Hager and Teresa Bowen
Additional Guitar on "Golden": Chris Nyqvist
Cover Photo: Kim Shade
Richard Knight, Jr. - My Designs and My Designs 2: The 11 tracks that comprise these two digital only releases from 2018 and 2019 are now collected (along with "Three Times Makes It True" from "My Designs 3") in my 2023 solo album "Love is Possible." See details above.
A 3-disc (or download if you prefer) compilation of all 61 of rkj’s piano solos. CD version includes lavishly illustrated 24-page booklet. Available now!
The Faraway Nearby sheet music book: Play along with the CDs! The sheet music – in alphabetical order – of all 61 of rkj’s piano solos are collected in this sheet music folio, along with background notes on each piece and the transcriptions. 210 pages, coil bound for easy page turning. Available now!
The original 13 track release from 1990 remastered (with one alternate, never before released track substitution) plus a second disc of 12 bonus tracks of unreleased recordings, demos, and live recordings. Available as a download or 2-disc CD version (the latter includes a 24-page full color booklet).
The original 10 track release from 1987 remastered plus a second disc of six unreleased recordings and one re-mix. Available as a download or 2-disc CD version (the latter includes a 16-page full color booklet).
cries in whispers Deluxe 30th Anniversary Edition: The sheet music for all ten songs from the original 1987 release plus lyrics and five bonus songs.
The original nine track release from 1985 remastered plus a second disc of 12 bonus tracks of unreleased recordings, demos, and live recordings. Available as a download or 2-disc CD version (the latter includes a 24-page full color booklet).
I'm a Radio Lad: A whopping 42 track, 40th anniversary collection of songs from my first five years in the recording studio. Style-wise, the selections include ballads, new wave dance tracks, hard rock, art songs, funk, and even a couple of novelty numbers. The four tracks from my debut EP "Four Songs" are here, along with a quartet of selections from my first band, The Radio Lad Organization, recorded live in performance. Rare piano/vocal demos and other odds and ends are also part of this comprehensive overview. The digital version is being released on my birthday, July 16th and the 2-disc CD set (which includes a full color, 20 page booklet) will arrive soon.
Kirsten Gustafson - Wait Until Dark: I had the great privilege of producing this pop/jazz flavored recording for the critically acclaimed jazz singer Kirsten Gustafson. Kirsten puts her stamp on an assortment of songs from multiple genres, many of them receiving the jazz treatment for the first time. My original song “For One Alone,” a standard receiving a lush orchestral treatment from arranger Curtis Allen Hager, is among the 11 selections.
A 2-disc, 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of the debut CD from Samba Bamba, the wacky "Sergio Mendes meets the B-52's" 8-piece Latin-flavored, retro crazy band in which rkj plays front man Monty "Sugarloaf" Mattachine. The first disc includes 13 songs - eight rkj originals and five covers with Samba Bamba's unique arrangements - remixed and remastered from the 1997 CD, a bonus, never before released recording among them. The second disc features eight previously unreleased cover songs recorded in 1995. This Deluxe Edition also includes a lavishly illustrated, full color 20-page booklet detailing the history of Samba Bamba.
Scrooge & Marley Soundtrack: In addition to co-writing and co-directing the 2012 LGBTQ themed holiday movie "Scrooge & Marley," I also produced the accompanying soundtrack. The 20 track collection includes my original song, "Christmas Eve is Coming Soon," the theme song for the film as well as other original songs and holiday themed contributions from renowned recording artists Matt Alber, Betty, Amber de Laurentis, The Plush Interiors, Jen Zias, Kirsten Gustafson, and The Joans. A symphonic suite of the film's score by the composer Lisa McQueen is part of the line-up as is "Amazing," the gorgeous end credit song written especially for the film by Grammy award winning Marsha Malamet, Liz Vidal and Stephan Oberhoff and hauntingly performed by Jason Gould is included. Available in digital and CD versions. Add this to your holiday collection!
Beginning in 1976 and for about the following 25 years I wrote hundreds of songs, over 60 piano solos (or “musical essays” as I like to call them), a couple of musicals, and a batch of other musical pieces that don’t fall in any particular category. I entered my first recording studio in 1979 and in the subsequent years recorded my music with several different groups of musicians, releasing the end results under different group names, depending on the project.
rkjmusic.xyz was created to be a place for everything to do with my music. Through it, I’m re-releasing both my solo and group recordings, the majority long out of print and many never before publicly available, along with new editions of my songs as the transcribing, digitizing and remixing work progresses. I explored a lot of different musical genres throughout my writing and recording years and it’s been wonderful to go back and rediscover things I’d long forgotten.
Wandering through my musical past has also inspired me. I left a lot of songs on the table, as it were, and so I’ve returned to the studio to begin recording anew. Of course, in this day and age the definition of “studio” has changed which has made it a lot easier to creatively explore. I am thrilled that Mark MacLean, my longtime collaborator, is back as my producer and fellow musical traveler.
I hope you enjoy the music as much as I enjoyed writing and playing it and half as much as my fellow musicians and I did recording it – then and now. I thank them – and you – for listening.
Richard Knight, Jr.
Musical History
Music Releases:
1982
Four Songs (7” EP) (mixed genres)
1985
Knightklub – Mixed Emotions (LP) (new wave-artsy)
1987
cries in whispers — cries in whispers (cassette) (new wave-artsy)
1990
cries in whispers – Night of the Hunter (cassette) (alternative-artsy)
1990
Fever Dreams: 15 Years at the Piano (cassette/CD) (piano solos)
1991
Easdale – The Moon Spinners (cassette/CD) (new age goth trio)
1992
Four on the Floor – Bitch Queens (12” dance single) (industrial dance)
1996
Sharkskin – Break on Through (CD) (“jazz noir” covers and original)
1997
Samba Bamba! – Lust for Samba (CD) (Latin flavored originals and covers)
2001
Now At Last (CD) (piano standards and original)
The Show Biz Kids from Hell! (CD) (audio version of the musical comedy cabaret act)
2002
Like Honeysuckle in the Wind (CD) (piano standards and original)
2003
Christmas Eve Is Coming Soon (CD) (holiday standards and original with guest vocalists)
2012
Scrooge & Marley soundtrack (CD/download) (holiday standards and originals)
2017
The Faraway Nearby (CD/download) (3 CD archive of rkj’s 61 piano solos)
My Designs, Part III – five additional rkj solo recordings (download)
cries in whispers – Night of the Hunter/30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (CD/download) (2 CDS)
2022
My Designs, Part IV – seven additional rkj solo recordings (download)
Edge of the Gloaming – rkj’s orchestral album (CD/download)
2023
Love Is Possible, rkj’s first solo album in 41 years (includes all the tracks from My Designs 1 and 2, and an additional track from My Designs 3) (CD/download)
Music Perfomances:
1982 – 1990
Multiple club appearances in Chicago and surrounding areas with original music groups of various configurations and musical styles (band names: radio lad organization, radio lads, knightklub, cries in whispers, easdale)
1991 – present
Solo piano gigs
1992 – present
Show Biz Kids from Hell (comedy cabaret duo)
1994 – present
Samba Bamba! (founder, leader of 8-piece Latin flavored band)
1995 – 1997
Sharkskin (founder, lead singer of 5-piece “jazz noir” group)
1998 – 2000
Richard Knight Society Band (founder, leader of 8-piece corporate group)
