Many purists believe that the only true Yacht Rock contains elements of jazz music. While we tend to take more of a big-tent approach to the genre, it’s clear that many of the most beloved songs of the genre have a jazzy feel to them. In that respect, Al Jarreau, who was already a jazz giant before he crossed over the pop charts, was a perfect fit. His 1983 hit “Mornin’” included him singing on top of music created by some of the leading lights in the annals of Yacht Rock.
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Jarreau’s Jaunt
Al Jarreau was born in Milwaukee in 1940. He easily could have gone another career route, as he earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree as a young man. But the siren call of jazz kept beckoning the accomplished singer. He made music his full-time career by the late 60s.
He worked his way through the nightclub circuit, which eventually led to plentiful television appearances. Still, you could consider Jarreau a bit of a late bloomer when it came to his musical success. His record deal and first album didn’t come until 1975.
Again, it was more of a slow burn for him, even at that point, in terms of becoming a household name. But he quickly gained notoriety with jazz audiences thanks to his smooth, inviting vocals. Crossover success finally arrived with the 1981 single “We’re In This Love Together”, which appeared on his platinum album Breakin’ Away.
Getting Instrumental
If you read the credits of Breakin’ Away, you’ll notice plenty of names that have since become associated with the Yacht Rock genre. Al Jarreau utilized the best of the best of the LA session scene to make his records at this time. In particular, Jay Graydon, whose session work included folks like Christopher Cross, Hall & Oates, and Steely Dan (that’s him playing the guitar solo on “Peg”), worked closely with Jarreau, often producing his records.
In 1983, David Foster, another huge name on the soft rock circuit, released a solo album with an instrumental that was written by him and Graydon. The track included Jeff Porcaro of Toto on drums. Thanks to the Graydon connection, it was handed over for inclusion on the album Jarreau.
Jarreau wrote lyrics on top of the instrumental bed and added his flowing vocals. The video for the song stood out for its use of animation, one of the first music clips to do so. It all led to another crossover hit for Jarreau. “Mornin’” landed at No. 21 on the pop charts and helped the Jarreau album to become another huge success for this singular artist.
Behind the Lyrics of “Mornin’”
Al Jarreau’s lyrics for “Mornin’” are playful and cheeky, starting with this immortal trio of lines: “Mornin’ Mr. Radio / Mornin’ little Cheerios / Mornin’ sister oriole.” He wants to tell everyone about his buoyant state of being. “Did I tell you everything is fine / In my mind?” he asks.
The rest of the song progresses in that elated mood. ‘Scuse me if I sing,” Jarreau emotes. “My heart has found its wings.” “My heart will soar,” he promises. “With love that’s rare and real.” And then he achieves absolute bliss: “Reach out my hand / And touch the face of God.”
Al Jarreau continued to enjoy success in the 80s. That included a spot on “We Are The World” and singing the theme to the hit series Moonlighting. But “Mornin’” captures his joyous, jazzy essence as well as anything in his catalog.
Photo via Shutterstock
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