Seawind -

Seawind was an American jazz-funk-soul septet, originally from Hawaii, that released two albums on CTI in 1976 and 1977, followed by three further albums on Horizon, A&M, and CBS/Sony between 1979 and 1982.

Members: Pauline Wilson (vocals), Bud Nuanez (guitar), Ken Wild (bass), Bob Wilson (drums), Larry Williams (keyboards, saxophone, flute), Kim Hutchcroft (saxophone, flute), Jerry Hey (trumpet, flugelhorn)

Background

Seawind evolved from Ox, a Hawaiian jazz-funk-soul band that released an undated single, “Gotta Be Willing to Lose” (b/w “Black Eyed Lady”), on one-press Warped Records. The a-side, marked by smooth Fender Rhodes and the lithe, emotive voice of Pauline Wilson, was written by her husband, drummer Bob Wilson. The arrangement, initially subdued and loungey, passes through an ARP-infused mid-section and concludes on a shaky, staccato rhythmic figure. It was recorded at Audissey Sound in Honolulu, the site of numerous island recordings (Olomana, Nohelani Cypriano).

By 1976, the band renamed itself Seawind. The founding lineup featured the Wilson’s plus keyboardist/reedist Larry Williams, trumpeter Jerry Hey, saxist/flautist Kim Hutchcroft, bassist Ken Wild, and guitarist Bud Nuanez.

Bob Wilson, an Arizonan, was visiting Honolulu with Larry Williams when they met Pauline, a native of Hakalau. Her and local resident Wild, a longtime jazz enthusiast who played all types of bass (electric, fretless, acoustic), were the only native islanders.

Williams attended New Mexico State, then Indiana University, where he met Hey and Hutchcroft. Collectively, they formed the “Seawind Horns,” which played on many recordings outside the band.

The last to join was Nuanez, a Phoenix native who attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston. He was summoned to the band just prior to a scheduled engagement in Alaska, before their name-change from Ox.

Seawind signed to jazz label CTI Records, then distributed by Motown. They recorded their first album at Record Plant and Chateau Recorders in California between July and September 1976.

Seawind

Seawind released their self-titled debut album in 1976 on CTI.

The album centers Pauline Wilson’s lead voice within a polished ensemble framework built from Rhodes, synthesizer, guitar, bass, drums, and a three-piece horn line. Bob Wilson and Ken Wild establish a light but exact rhythmic foundation, Bud Nuanez contributes clipped rhythm figures and restrained fills, and Larry Williams, Kim Hutchcroft, and Jerry Hey shape the arrangements through brass, reeds, and auxiliary color parts.

Seawind shifts between compact vocal pieces and longer instrumental stretches. “Make Up Your Mind,” “We Got a Way,” and “You Gotta Be Willing to Lose” move on brisk rhythms with sharp brass punctuation and a firmer vocal attack, while “The Devil Is a Liar” and “He Loves You” open into a fuller keyboard surface and a smoother pace. “Roadways” and “Seawind” widen the frame through longer lines and more intricate keyboard movement, and “Praise” eases the pressure with a softer, more polished surface. Horns and keyboards carry much of the album’s motion throughout.

A1. “We Got a Way” (3:35) — Seawind
A2. “You Gotta Be Willin’ to Lose (Part II)” (2:41) — Bob Wilson
A3. “He Loves You” (4:57) — Wilson
A4. “The Devil Is a Liar” (4:35) — Wilson
A5. “A Love Song / Seawind” (5:45) — Wilson, Bud Nuanez

B1. “Make Up Your Mind” (4:14) — Harvey Mason, Larry Williams
B2. “Praise (Part I)” (6:08) — Wilson
B3. “Roadways (Parts I & II)” (9:01) — Wilson

Seawind recorded the album at Record Plant and Chateau Recorders in California between July and September 1976 with producer Harvey Mason and associate producer Bob Wirtz. Phil Schier mixed the album at Record Plant. Ian Underwood programmed synthesizers, Paulinho Da Costa and Ralph MacDonald added percussion, and the package appeared in a gatefold sleeve with design by Rene Schumacher, cover photography by White Gate, and liner photography by Douglas Kirkland.

CTI issued “Make Up Your Mind” (b/w “The Devil Is a Liar”) as a single in 1977.

Window of a Child

Seawind released their second album, Window of a Child, in 1977 on CTI.

Their second album keeps the septet’s core layout intact while giving more space to softer harmonic writing, fuller keyboards, and selective string use. Pauline Wilson remains at the center, Bob Wilson and Wild maintain a gentle but exact rhythmic base, and Larry Williams widens the texture through keyboards, woodwinds, and string arrangements.

Window of a Child alternates between tight vocal songs and broader instrumental passages. “Angel of Mercy” and “Do Listen To” press forward on a firmer pulse with bright horn accents and Pauline Wilson set clearly at the front, while the title track and “Wings of Love” move at a smoother pace shaped by fuller keyboards and a more expansive solo presence. “Campanas de Invierno” closes side one in a calm instrumental register, with the horns stretched across an easy, unhurried line. The album favors polished surfaces and clean ensemble control throughout.

A1. “One Sweet Night” (2:58)
A2. “Wings of Love” (5:42)
A3. “Do Listen To” (3:52)
A4. “Campanas de Invierno (Bells of Winter)” (5:53)

B1. “Window of a Child” (3:18)
B2. “Angel of Mercy” (3:18)
B3. “Lovin’ You” (4:43)
B4. “Hallelujah” (3:45)
B5. “Countin’ the Days” (3:25)

Seawind recorded the album at Conway Studios and Producers Workshop with production for Love-Zager Productions. Electric Lady handled the remix. Michael Zager arranged A1 and B5, Larry Williams arranged the strings, Ian Underwood programmed synthesizers, Bill Reichenbach added trombone on selected tracks, Charles Veal played strings, and Bill Summers plus Harvey Mason added percussion.

CTI issued “One Sweet Night” (b/w “Do Listen To”) as a single in November 1977. A promo single paired mono and stereo versions of “One Sweet Night.”

Light the Light

Seawind released their third album, Light the Light, in 1979 on Horizon.

The album adopts a sleeker studio profile, with tighter song forms, brighter keyboard colors, and clearer separation between rhythm section, horns, and lead voice. Bob Wilson and Ken Wild keep the center firm, Bud Nuanez places lean guitar figures around the edges, and Larry Williams with Kim Hutchcroft fill the upper register with synthesizers, reeds, flutes, and wind-synth textures.

Light the Light centers on Pauline Wilson’s voice, then breaks that pattern with two instrumentals. “Hold On to Love” opens with a steady uplifting pull, while “Follow Your Road” leans more intimate and direct through a warmer vocal line. “Morning Star” and “Enchanted Dance” shift the album into instrumental space, where keyboard detail, horn writing, and ensemble precision take over. The record stays bright and fluid without losing rhythmic shape. Bob Wilson composed everything apart from “Sound Rainbow,” a Williams contribution.

A1. “Hold On to Love” (4:23)
A2. “Free” (4:21)
A3. “Sound Rainbow” (3:47) — Williams
A4. “Follow Your Road” (5:43)

B1. “Light the Light” (3:33)
B2. “Morning Star” (5:23)
B3. “Imagine” (4:10)
B4. “Enchanted Dance” (5:06)

Seawind recorded the album at Sound Labs in Hollywood with producer Tommy LiPuma and engineers Al Schmitt and Armin Steiner. Capitol handled the mix, and The Mastering Lab cut the final master. Larry Williams arranged strings for “Follow Your Road.” Bill Champlin and Benard Ighner added backing vocals, Paulinho Da Costa joined on percussion, Bill Reichenbach played trombone, Gary Grant added trumpet and flugelhorn, and Israel Baker led the strings.

Horizon issued “Hold On to Love” (b/w “Sound Rainbow”) as a single in April 1979, with a promo edit in mono and stereo. Horizon followed with “Follow Your Road” (b/w “Free”) in July 1979.

Seawind

Seawind released their self-titled fourth album in 1980 on A&M.

The album moves deeper into polished crossover soul under producer George Duke. Pauline Wilson remains at the center, while layered backing vocals, added percussion, and more formal horn and string writing broaden the setting around her. Bob Wilson and Wild keep the rhythmic pull taut, Nuanez shares guitar space with Roland Bautista, and Williams with Hutchcroft work inside a denser ensemble texture.

Seawind tightens the band’s sound into shorter, cleaner song forms while leaving room for one instrumental detour. “What Cha Doin’” opens with a brisk snap and more pointed vocal phrasing, “Shout” keeps the pace firm and bright, and “Still in Love” with “The Two of Us” ease into a softer flow with smoother phrasing and less percussive pressure. “Pra Vose” gives the band its broadest instrumental stretch, with lighter rhythmic motion and more open keyboard movement. The album favors polished surfaces, exact horn placement, and tighter pacing throughout.

A1. “What Cha Doin’” (4:35) — Wilson, Mark Vieha
A2. “The Two of Us” (3:49) — Wilson, Vieha
A3. “Love Him, Love Her” (3:26) — Wilson
A4. “Everything Needs Love” (5:46) — Wilson

B1. “Shout” (4:26) — Wilson, Williams
B2. “Still in Love” (3:53) — Bunny Hull, Ken Wild
B3. “Pra Vosé” (4:16) — Bud Nuanez
B4. “I Need Your Love” (3:54) — Wilson
B5. “Long, Long Time” (3:58) — Wilson

Seawind recorded the album at Westlake Studios, Le Gonks West, Sound Labs, Sunset Sound, and United Western with producer George Duke and engineer Tommy Vicari. Fantasy Studios oversaw the mix. Bill Reichenbach and Jerry Hey handled the string and horn arrangements, Airto and Paulinho Da Costa added percussion, Gary Herbig joined the reed section, and George Duke, Greg Walker, Josie James, Lynn Davis, Carl Carlwell, and Pauline Wilson supplied backing vocals.

A&M issued “What Cha Doin’” (b/w “I Need Your Love”) as a single in September 1980, with a promo mono-stereo issue of the A-side. The album reached No. 20 on the R&B chart. A&M followed with “The Two of Us” (b/w “Pra Vosé”) in January 1981, alongside a promo mono-stereo pressing.

Somebody Loves You

Bob & Pauline Wilson released Somebody Loves You in 1981 on Myrrh.

Their album keeps most of the Seawind personnel in place but redirects the writing toward contemporary gospel, with Bob Wilson’s songs placing testimony and devotion at the front of the material.

The arrangements still draw on jazz-funk rhythm, bright horns, layered keyboards, and polished West Coast studio detail, yet Pauline Wilson’s lead voice now carries openly religious lyrics throughout. Bob Wilson handles much of the album’s shape from drums, percussion, keys, and production, while the familiar Seawind horn and rhythm players keep the sound continuous with the band’s prior records.

A1. “I’ll Keep My Eyes on Jesus” (3:44) — B. Wilson, G. Wilson
A2. “With Love in Your Eyes” (4:32) — B. Wilson
A3. “Joyful Melody” (4:29) — B. Wilson, M. Vieha
A4. “Vision: Power and Glory” (1:36) — B. Wilson, K. Clark
A5. “You Can’t Hide” (4:18) — B. Wilson, M. Vieha

B1. “Somebody Loves You” (4:24) — B. Wilson, G. Wilson
B2. “Lullabye of Love” (4:04) — B. Wilson, M. Vieha
B3. “In the Spirit” (4:18) — B. Wilson
B4. “Jesus Is My Lord” (4:12) — B. Wilson

Bob and Pauline Wilson recorded the album with producer Bob Wilson. Kevin Clark handled engineering and also contributed bass, guitar, and backing vocals. Ken Wild played bass, Bud Nuanez guitar, Larry Williams keyboards plus reeds, Kim Hutchcroft saxophone and flute, Jerry Hey trumpet and flugelhorn, Bill Reichenbach trombone and conducting, and Paulinho Da Costa percussion. Chris Bellman mastered the album, Leo McIntire directed the art, and Harry Langdon handled the photography.

Summer Nights

Marlene with Seawind released Summer Nights on July 21, 1982, on CBS/Sony in Japan.

Summer Nights places the Seawind band behind Filipina singer Marlene and shifts the balance toward Japanese-market fusion-pop and city-pop, with shorter song forms, brighter choruses, and a smoother studio sheen than the Wilson-led records. The band remains immediately recognizable through Wild’s bass, Bob Wilson’s crisp drumming, Nuanez’s light guitar placement, Williams’s keyboards, Hutchcroft’s saxophone, and Jerry Hey’s brass lines, but Marlene’s voice gives the material a cooler, silkier center than Pauline Wilson’s earthier delivery.

A1. “Summer Nights” (3:49)
A2. “I Could Dance Tonight” (3:16)
A3. “Semi-Forgotten Movie” (3:39)
A4. “Try” (3:17)
A5. “Good Enough for You” (3:52)

B1. “A Love Too Strong” (4:05)
B2. “Just Say I Love You” (3:54)
B3. “Let Yourself Go” (3:44) — Leon Ware, Richard Rudolph
B4. “My Song” (5:46)

The group recorded the album at Ocean Way in Hollywood and Alpha Studios in North Hollywood in May 1982, then completed recording and mixing at CBS/Sony Shinanomachi Studios in Tokyo in June 1982. Yasohach Itoh produced the album with Freddie Yamazaki assisting. Allen Sides handled the main engineering, Yoshihiro Suzuki mixed the Tokyo sessions, and Toshihiro Nakanishi arranged “My Song.”

Gary Grant joined Jerry Hey on trumpet and flugelhorn, Lew McCreary added trombone on “Semi-Forgotten Movie,” Ron Kalina played harmonica on “Try,” and Tim Schmit, Tom Kelly, George Hawkins, Tommy Funderburk, and Bill Mumy supplied backing vocals across selected tracks.

Discography: