Guitarist Jay Graydon and keyboardist David Foster were both already West Coast studio pros with deep credits by the time they recorded their polished 1980 album Airplay. Prior to this, they worked with an impressive array of artists from across the pop and R&B spectrum, including Boz Scaggs, Barbra Streisand, George Harrison, Michael Jackson, and others. Graydon famously beat out both Larry Carlton and Robben Ford to play the guitar solo on Steely Dan's 1977 hit "Peg." They brought all this experience to bear on Airplay's 1980 debut, bringing on board vocalist Tommy Funderburk, drummer Jeff Porcaro, bassist David Hungate, and other longtime studio associates. Airplay is the kind of pop album only the most confident, virtuosic musicians can make. These are players who've recorded on so many hits they can't help but overplay their hand as insiders who know not only how to write a perfect chorus hook (and there are several here), but also drench it in as much vocal and guitar stank as they can muster. The album is loaded front to back with stacked laser beam vocal harmonies, proto-metal guitar riffs, Chicago-style horns, and a tidal wave of keyboards. Along with Toto-meets-Queen anthems like "Stranded" and the jazzy "Bix," they also play several songs they had written for other artists, including their original version of "After the Love Has Gone" (with lyrics by Chicago's Bill Champlin), which was a Grammy-winning hit for Earth, Wind & Fire in 1979. They also offer an alternate take on their Manhattan Transfer number "Nothin' You Can Do About It." While Airplay remained a one-off project, Graydon and Foster enjoyed highly successful careers in the years that followed. Airplay remains a somewhat overlooked gem of smooth West Coast adult-contemporary pop.
| Airplay Primary Artist | |
| Bill Champlin Composer | |
| B.J. Cook Foster Composer | |
| Tommy Funderburk Group Member, Interviewee | |
| Harry Garfield Composer | |
| Jay Graydon Arranger, Composer, Group Member, Interviewee, Producer, Remastering | |
| Jerry Hey Horn Arrangements | |
| Ira Ingber Composer | |
| Steve Kipner Composer | |
| Tetsuya Moriguchi Help | |
| Toshiki Nakada Interviewer, Liner Notes | |
| Allee Willis Composer |
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