THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER - Mecca For Moderns 12" Vinyl LP Album

- A Vocal Jazz Odyssey of 1981

The Manhattan Transfer's 'Mecca for Moderns' 12" Vinyl LP Album, released in 1981, stands as their crowning achievement. This vocal jazz group from New York City crafted their 7th studio album with unparalleled success. Boasting a fusion of harmonies and modern jazz, 'Mecca for Moderns' remains a timeless classic in the vocal jazz genre, showcasing the group's remarkable musical prowess

THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER – Mecca For Moderns

Jazz Harmony in the Era of Excess

In 1981, as America barreled deeper into the age of Reagan, neon, and network television, The Manhattan Transfer released Mecca For Moderns, an album that swirled together vocal jazz, pop precision, and genre-defiant polish. While synth-pop acts were discovering drum machines and MTV was revving its engines for launch, this vocal quartet stayed grounded in classic arrangements, delivered with studio gloss and razor-sharp timing. This was music for hi-fi systems, not Walkmans—a highbrow cocktail in a beer-chugging decade.

Stylistic Shape-Shifting

Mecca For Moderns is less an album than a curated voyage through musical architecture. Here, The Manhattan Transfer—Tim Hauser, Janis Siegel, Alan Paul, and Cheryl Bentyne— constructed a sonic metropolis built on swing foundations and postmodern facades. It’s jazz, yes, but it’s jazz touched with funk, glazed with doo-wop, and unapologetically slick with L.A. studio sheen.

The album flirts with contemporary pop in the opener “On the Boulevard,” then shape-shifts into vocalese brilliance with “Until I Met You (Corner Pocket),” a Basie number turned verbal acrobatics. “The Night That Monk Returned to Heaven” swings with reverence, but it’s the ensemble’s version of “Boy From New York City” that delivered the commercial punch, bridging generations and radio formats.

Production and Sonic Sculpting

At the heart of the record is producer Jay Graydon, a man who defined West Coast studio polish in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. His fingerprints are all over this release, sculpting vocals, layering textures, and maintaining the intricate balance between homage and innovation. Graydon's meticulous oversight turns the quartet’s harmonic complexity into airplay-friendly sophistication.

Recording took place primarily at Dawnbreaker Studios in San Fernando, California, a favorite among L.A.'s studio elite at the time. Engineered by industry veteran Ian Eales, the soundstage is wide but controlled, with a crystalline quality typical of post-disco jazz-pop productions.

Musicianship Behind the Curtains

Mecca For Moderns is more than vocal arrangements—it is a collaboration with a cadre of Los Angeles session royalty. Guitarist Steve Lukather (Toto), keyboardist David Foster, bassist Abraham Laboriel, and drummer Jeff Porcaro all lend their precision and flair, infusing the record with instrumental depth that rivals its vocal focus. Their contributions are restrained but essential, elevating what could be academic into something visceral.

Genre and Intent

The album resides in the rarefied air between vocal jazz and adult contemporary, but its heart is in vocalese—a genre where complex jazz instrumentals are reborn as lyrical explorations. This is evident in the Grammy-winning “Until I Met You,” where Count Basie’s horn parts become a vocal maze. The group didn’t just sing songs—they embodied arrangements.

And yet, the record never feels niche. It invites the casual listener with glossy hooks, then challenges them with harmonic puzzles. It's a balancing act of accessibility and ambition that few artists dared attempt in the FM-dominated early ‘80s.

Critical Reception and Mild Turbulence

Though not marred by overt controversy, Mecca For Moderns did attract occasional pushback from jazz purists who balked at its polish and crossover intent. To them, The Manhattan Transfer represented jazz-lite—well-dressed elevator music. But to its defenders, the album was proof that complex music could still charm the mainstream without dilution.

The group’s precise diction, polished aesthetics, and gleaming production became both their signature and a lightning rod. Were they reviving jazz or packaging it for the pop market? That duality remains the record’s most fascinating tension.

 

THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER - Mecca For Moderns Essential Information

Music Genre:

Jazz / Vocal

Label & Catalognr:

Atlantic ATL 50 791

Media Format:

Record Format: 12" Vinyl Stereo Gramophone Record
Total Album (Cover+Record) weight: 230 gram  

Year & Country:

1981 Netherlands

THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER - Mecca For Moderns Production & Recording Information

Producers:

Jay Graydon

Album Cover Design & Artwork:

Richard De Gussi - Album Cover Artwork

Sarah Richardson - Album Cover Artwork

Steven Arnold - Album Cover Artwork


Track-listing of: THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER - Mecca For Moderns

Tracklisting Side One:
  1. On The Boulevard 4:08
  2. A Boy From New York City 3:40
  3. (Wanted) Dead Or Alive 3:27
  4. Spies In The Night 3:59
  5. Smile Again 4:33
Tracklisting Side Two:
  1. Until I Met You (Corner Pocket) 5:17
  2. (The Word Of) Confirmation 3:14
  3. Kafka 4:08
  4. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square 3:46

Front Cover Photo Of THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER - Mecca For Moderns

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Front cover of THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER - Mecca For Moderns. Bright blue background with four pink theatrical masks floating, each featuring a band member's face. Orange ribbons connect the masks to the stylized ribbon-like text forming the band name.

The front cover of "Mecca For Moderns" by The Manhattan Transfer features a surreal and stylized design set against a vivid cobalt blue background. Dominating the image are four disembodied, pink theatrical face masks, each bearing a photorealistic rendering of the face of a band member. These masks appear to float, untethered by gravity, and are connected at the top by thin, swirling orange ribbons.

The ribbons elegantly spell out the band’s name—The Manhattan Transfer—in sweeping cursive that stretches across the upper half of the image. The album title, Mecca For Moderns, appears in small uppercase white type in the top right corner, contrasting sharply with the otherwise elaborate graphic composition.

The four faces are stylized with theatrical makeup—smoky eyes, sharply contoured cheekbones, and a glossy, airbrushed aesthetic. Each face gazes in a different direction: one to the left, two forward, one upward, evoking a sense of theatrical performance, mystery, and multidimensional identity.

At the bottom right is the Atlantic Records logo in white, grounding the otherwise ethereal imagery. The overall mood of the cover blends jazz-era sophistication with postmodern surrealism.

Photo Of The Back Cover THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER - Mecca For Moderns

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Back cover of THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER - Mecca For Moderns. Features four pink airbrushed floating masks with closed eyes on blue background, tracklist printed in center, and credits below.

The back cover of "Mecca For Moderns" by The Manhattan Transfer continues the visual surrealism of the front. Set against the same rich blue background, it showcases four disembodied pink face masks arranged in a grid. Each mask features a photorealistic rendering of the band members with closed eyes, giving a serene, dreamlike effect.

Positioned centrally between the upper two faces, in small uppercase type, is the credit PRODUCED BY JAY GRAYDON in white. Below this, the track listing is neatly printed in white and light blue sans-serif font, separated into "Side One" and "Side Two." Track names include On The Boulevard, Boy From New York City, Kafka, and A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square.

At the top right, catalog numbers are listed for Germany and France, and at the bottom left, production and distribution credits are printed in small white type, including mentions of photography by Steven Arnold, album concept by Richard De Gussi and Steven Arnold, and cover design by Sarah Richardson.

The layout is symmetrical and visually restrained, contrasting with the expressive ribbonwork on the front cover. The use of closed eyes and soft lighting gives the back cover a tranquil, almost meditative tone.

First Photo Of Custom Inner Sleeve THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER - Mecca For Moderns

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Custom inner sleeve of THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER - Mecca For Moderns. Features full track details, blue-tinted studio photo of the band recording vocals, and facsimile signatures.

The custom inner sleeve of "Mecca For Moderns" by The Manhattan Transfer is printed on soft white paper and features a clean two-column layout in blue ink, containing the complete tracklist, composer credits, musician lineups, and production notes.

Centered at the top is the catalog number ATL 50 791. Each side of the album is introduced with a bolded "Side One" and "Side Two" header, followed by the track titles and detailed credits for writing, arranging, and performance. Contributors such as Jay Graydon, David Foster, and Steve Lukather are credited for multiple instrumental and arrangement roles.

Prominently featured in the center of the layout is a blue-tinted photograph of the four band members—Janis Siegel, Tim Hauser, Alan Paul, and Cheryl Bentyne—gathered joyfully around a single studio microphone. The image captures an intimate, behind-the-scenes recording moment, reinforcing the harmony-focused ethos of the group.

Below the photo is the dedication: “We dedicate the harmony in our music to the quest for harmony in the world.” Beneath this quote are printed facsimile signatures of the four members, appearing as blue pen-style autographs.

The production credits along the bottom cite Jay Graydon as producer, with mentions of Dawnbreaker Studios in San Fernando, California, mastering at A&M, and sleeve photography by Tim Hauser and Steven Arnold. The entire design is functional yet elegant, offering fans rich insight into the album’s creative process.

Close up of Side One record's label THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER - Mecca For Moderns

"Mecca For Moderns" Green,White and Orange Colour Atlantic Record Label Details:  ATL 50 791 © & ℗ 1981 Atlantic Recording Corporation Sound Copyright

Close-up of Side One label from THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER - Mecca For Moderns vinyl LP. Features green, white, and orange Atlantic label design with track titles, credits, and catalog number ATL 50791.

This is the close-up of Side One from the vinyl label of "Mecca For Moderns" by The Manhattan Transfer, released by Atlantic Records in 1981. The label is divided horizontally into three bold color bands: green on the top, white in the middle, and orange at the bottom—one of Atlantic Records’ iconic label designs.

At the very top sits the Atlantic logo in bold black and orange with the catalog circle number LC 0121 to the right. Beneath it, printed in black, is the band name MANHATTAN TRANSFER and the album title MECCA FOR MODERNS.

To the left of the spindle hole, the label notes "STEREO" and "STEMRA" in boxed text. On the right, it reads SIDE 1. Below this, the full track list for Side One is printed in black text against the orange background, including the titles, durations, composers, lyricists, and arrangers.

Songs listed include: On The Boulevard (4:08), Boy From New York City (3:40), (Wanted) Dead Or Alive (3:27), Spies In The Night (3:59), and Smile Again (4:33). The final line notes the producer Jay Graydon for Garden Rake Music and copyright © ℗ 1981 Atlantic Recording Corporation.

Along the outer edge, the label includes legal text in microprint: "Unauthorized copying, public performance, and broadcasting prohibited." The catalog number ATL 50791 and matrix number (MS/MT 56341) are printed at the bottom center. The vinyl’s glossy black surface is faintly visible surrounding the label, indicating a well-preserved copy.