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The Joker
Studio album / live album by
Steve Miller Band
ReleasedOctober 19, 1973
Studio Capitol (Hollywood)
Genre Blues rock
Length35:57
Label Capitol
Producer Steve Miller
Steve Miller Band chronology
Recall the Beginning...A Journey from Eden
(1972) 		The Joker
(1973) 		Fly Like an Eagle
(1976)
Singles from The Joker
  1. " The Joker"
    Released: October 1973
  2. "Your Cash Ain't Nothin' but Trash"
    Released: 11 February 1974 (US) [1]

The Joker is a part live album, part (eighth) studio album by Steve Miller Band. The album was recorded at Capitol Studios [2] and released by Capitol Records in October 1973. The album marked a period of significant change for the group as the band abandoned their psychedelic-oriented music for a more melodic, smooth rock/blues sound. It was also their first solid commercial success due to the strong radio-play of the title track. The album reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and has been certified Platinum in the United States. It reached No. 1 on the Cash Box Albums Charts on January 8, 1974. [3]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [4]
Christgau's Record GuideB− [5]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music [6]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated The Joker three out of five stars, calling it "all bright and fun, occasionally truly silly". He also stated that it "isn't mind-expanding", but concluded by saying that it "nevertheless maintains its good-time vibe so well that it's hard not to smile along...provided you're on the same wavelength as Miller, of course." [4]

Record World said of the single "Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash" "A dynamic rocker, it ain't nothin' but the best!" [7]

Track listing

Side 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sugar Babe" Steve Miller4:35
2."Mary Lou" Obie Jessie, Sam Ling2:24
3."Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma"Steve Miller5:41
4."Your Cash Ain't Nothin' but Trash" Chuck Calhoun3:21
Side 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1." The Joker"Steve Miller, Eddie Curtis, Ahmet Ertegun4:26
2."The Lovin' Cup"Steve Miller2:10
3." Come On in My Kitchen" (Live at Tower Theater, Philadelphia) Robert Johnson4:06
4."Evil" (Live at Aquarius Theatre, Boston)Steve Miller4:35
5."Something to Believe In"Steve Miller4:41

Personnel

  • Steve Miller – guitar, vocals, harmonica
  • Gerald Johnson – bass guitar (all but 8), vocals
  • Dick Thompson – organ, clavinet
  • Jack King – drums

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart performance for The Joker
Chart (1973–1974) Peak
position
Australian Albums ( Kent Music Report) [8] 38
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM) [9] 1
US Billboard 200 [10] 2

Certifications

Certifications for The Joker
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States ( RIAA) [11] 5× Platinum 5,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Steve Miller singles".
  2. ^ Nichols, Paul (26 December 2014). "The Joker". prsformusic.com. PRS for Music. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Top albums from Tuesday January 8, 1974". ultimate70s.com. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  4. ^ a b Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "The Joker - Steve Miller Band". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  5. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN  089919026X. Retrieved March 8, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  6. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN  978-0195313734.
  7. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. February 16, 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  8. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992: 23 years of hit singles & albums from the top 100 charts. St Ives, N.S.W, Australia: Australian Chart Book. p. 201. ISBN  0-646-11917-6.
  9. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4976a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  10. ^ "The Steve Miller Band Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  11. ^ "American single certifications – Steve Miller Band – The Joker". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
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