Right On Time

Album: Right On Time (1977)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Right On Time" is the title track to the second Brothers Johnson album. The song is all about dancing and having a good time; most of the lyric is the line, "In a minute, you'll be right on time" repeated.

    Like many Brothers Johnson songs, the lyric is in service to the groove. They were one of the top R&B/funk acts of the late '70s, with their first four albums going Platinum.
  • Quincy Jones produced the Right On Time album and co-wrote this song with George and Louis Johnson of the Brothers Johnson.
  • Quincy Jones brought in the Tower of Power horn section, who have played on many hit records by artists like Huey Lewis, Bonnie Raitt, Santana, Elton John and Aaron Neville, to play on this track. Emilio Castillo told Songfacts about working with Jones:

    "There was a real kinship there musically. He knew us from before because we had traveled with him on the road. It was a Quincy Jones and Tower of Power tour. He also was the one who gave me my first gold record. He was talking to us after the session with The Brothers Johnson and he said, 'You guys must have tons of Gold records,' and we told him, 'No we don't even have one.' He was amazed. He said, 'You guys don't have a Gold record? I can't believe that. This record is going to go Gold and when it does you're getting one.' He was true to his word, he sent me one."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Does Jimmy Page Worship The Devil? A Look at Satanism in Rock

Does Jimmy Page Worship The Devil? A Look at Satanism in RockSong Writing

We ring the Hell's Bells to see what songs and rockers are sincere in their Satanism, and how much of it is an act.

Vanessa Carlton

Vanessa CarltonSongwriter Interviews

The "A Thousand Miles" singer on what she thinks of her song being used in White Chicks and how she captured a song from a dream.

Justin Timberlake

Justin TimberlakeFact or Fiction

Was Justin the first to be Punk'd by Ashton Kutcher? Did Britney really blame him for her meltdown? Did his bandmates think he was gay?

Billy Gould of Faith No More

Billy Gould of Faith No MoreSongwriter Interviews

Faith No More's bassist, Billy Gould, chats to us about his two new experimental projects, The Talking Book and House of Hayduk, and also shares some stories from the FNM days.

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?Song Writing

A big list of musical marriages and family relations ranging from the simple to the truly dysfunctional.

Dino Cazares of Fear Factory

Dino Cazares of Fear FactorySongwriter Interviews

The guitarist/songwriter explains how he came up with his signature sound, and deconstructs some classic Fear Factory songs.