Break Out (Pointer Sisters album)

Last updated
Break Out
PointerSistersBreakOut.jpg
Studio album by
the Pointer Sisters
ReleasedNovember 1, 1983 [1]
Recorded1983 [2]
Studio
  • Studio 55
  • Baby 'O Recorders
  • The Music Grinder
  • Brian Elliot Studios (Los Angeles, California)
Genre
Length43:17
Label
Producer
The Pointer Sisters chronology
So Excited!
(1982)		Break Out
(1983)		 Contact
(1985)
Singles from Break Out
  1. "I Need You"
    Released: October 1983
  2. "Automatic"
    Released: January 13, 1984
  3. "Jump (For My Love)"
    Released: April 11, 1984
  4. "Neutron Dance"
    Released: December 30, 1984
  5. "Baby Come and Get It"
    Released: March 31, 1985
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [4]
Robert Christgau B+ [5]

Break Out is the tenth studio album by American female vocal group the Pointer Sisters, released on November 1, 1983, on Planet Records, distributed by RCA Records. It is the Pointer Sisters' most successful album to date, peaking at number eight on the Billboard 200 and being certified triple-platinum by the RIAA.

Contents

Overview

Featuring mostly electro dance tunes, the album gave the Pointer Sisters the biggest success of their recording career, spawning four U.S. top 10 hits—"Jump (For My Love)", "Automatic", "Neutron Dance" and a slightly remixed version of their 1982 hit "I'm So Excited". The latter was included on later editions of the album in the place of the track "Nightline". "Automatic" also became the group's biggest UK hit, peaking at No. 2 and certified "Silver" by the BPI. "Jump" also made the UK top 10, peaking at No. 6.

With the remix of "I'm So Excited" added to pressings of the album in mid-1984, a total of six singles were issued from Break Out. The first release was "I Need You", featuring shared lead vocals by the three Pointer Sisters. A mid-tempo number, it was atypical of the album's overall dance sound; the choice of the song as lead single was based on producer Richard Perry's hope that the track would reinstate the Pointer Sisters' presence at R&B radio. "I Need You" did become a major hit on the Billboard R&B chart but did not reach the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, stalling at No. 48.

The dance track "Jump (For My Love)" (titled simply "Jump" on the first version of the album), with June Pointer on lead, was intended to be the second single from Break Out; however, another dance track, "Automatic", was substituted in its place, after garnering heavy airplay on radio and in dance clubs as an album track. [6] The first major hit to feature the distinctive contralto of Ruth Pointer on lead, "Automatic" became the first Top 40 hit from Break Out, its No. 5 peak ending a three-year absence by the Pointer Sisters from the Top 10 of the Hot 100. "Automatic" also became the most successful R&B hit by the Pointer Sisters as a trio—its No. 2 R&B peak was bested by "How Long (Betcha' Got a Chick on the Side)", a 1975 No. 1 R&B hit by the group in its original four-woman format. "Jump (For My Love)" was afforded a single release as the follow-up to "Automatic" and, with a No. 3 peak, became the most successful single from Break Out.

The re-release of "I'm So Excited"—the one single from Break Out to feature a lead vocal by Anita Pointer, who sang lead on most Pointer Sisters hits—resulted in a third consecutive Top Ten hit for the group, peaking at No. 9. Prior to Break Out, the Pointers had accumulated three earlier Top 10 hits over a 12-year recording career. After the Break Out track "Neutron Dance", with Ruth Pointer on lead vocal, was optioned for the soundtrack of the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop , it became the album's fifth single and fourth consecutive Top Ten hit, reaching No. 6 on the Hot 100 in February 1985. A sixth single, "Baby, Come and Get It", featuring June Pointer on lead, became a minor hit in the spring of 1985 (No. 44 Hot 100/No. 24 R&B).

"Nightline", the track dropped from Break Out as originally formatted to allow inclusion of "I'm So Excited", was originally written for and recorded by Michael Jackson but was never released, although a leaked recording has been circulating for many years. The Pointer Sisters' version was utilized as the B-side of the "Automatic" single.

Break Out sold over three million copies in the U.S. and won the group two Grammy Awards and two American Music Awards. The 1983 original release and the 1984 re-release were both remastered and issued in a deluxe expanded edition with bonus tracks on CD in 2011 by Big Break Records.

According to Ruth Pointer, she and her sisters were not happy with the title Break Out. "We kept thinking of it as a rash or jail", [7] she said.

Track listing

Original 1983 release

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalistLength
1."Jump"Stephen Mitchell, Marti Sharron, Gary Skardina June Pointer 4:23
2."Automatic"Brock Walsh, Mark Goldenberg Ruth Pointer 4:48
3."Baby, Come and Get It" Barry Mann, James Ingram, Cynthia Weil June Pointer4:19
4."I Need You"Nan O'Byrne, Richard Feldman, John Black Anita, June & Ruth Pointer4:01
5."Dance Electric" Glen Ballard, Brock WalshRuth Pointer4:25
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalistLength
6."Neutron Dance" Allee Willis, Danny Sembello Ruth Pointer4:12
7."Easy Persuasion"Bruce Roberts, Andy GoldmarkAnita Pointer4:34
8."Nightline"Ballard, Davey Faragher, Brie Howard June Pointer4:36
9."Telegraph Your Love"GoldmarkAnita Pointer4:01
10."Operator"Howie Rice, O'ByrneAnita Pointer3:58
2011 deluxe expanded edition remastered bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Automatic" (12" Special Remix)6:06
12."Jump (for My Love)" (12" Long Version)6:24
13."I Need You" (UK 12" Special Remix)5:24
14."I'm So Excited" (12" Mix)5:41
15."Neutron Dance" (12" Mix)5:33
16."Baby Come and Get It" (12" Extended Version)7:13

1984 re-release

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalistLength
1."Jump (For My Love)"Stephen Mitchell, Marti Sharron, Gary SkardinaJune Pointer4:23
2."Automatic"Brock Walsh, Mark GoldenbergRuth Pointer4:48
3."I'm So Excited" Anita Pointer, June Pointer, Ruth Pointer, Trevor Lawrence Anita Pointer4:54
4."I Need You"Nan O'Byrne, Richard Feldman, John BlackAnita, June & Ruth Pointer4:01
5."Neutron Dance" Allee Willis, Danny Sembello Ruth Pointer4:12
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalistLength
6."Dance Electric" Glen Ballard, Brock WalshRuth Pointer4:25
7."Easy Persuasion"Bruce Roberts, Andy GoldmarkAnita Pointer4:34
8."Baby, Come and Get It" Barry Mann, James Ingram, Cynthia Weil June Pointer4:19
9."Telegraph Your Love"GoldmarkAnita Pointer4:01
10."Operator"Howie Rice, O'ByrneAnita Pointer3:58
2011 deluxe expanded edition remastered bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."I Need You" (Single Remix)3:43
12."Automatic" (Single Edit)4:00
13."Jump (For My Love)" (Single Remix)3:38
14."I'm So Excited" (Single Remix)3:50
15."Neutron Dance" (Single Edit)3:51
16."Baby, Come and Get It" (Single Edit)4:00
17."I Need You" (USA 12" Version)5:51
18."Jump (For My Love)" (12" Instrumental Mix)6:08

Personnel

The Pointer Sisters

Musicians

Production

Singles

Charts

Chart performance for Break Out
Chart (1983–1984)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [8] 17
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [9] 15
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [10] 6
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [11] 27
UK Albums (OCC) [12] 9
US Billboard Top Pop Albums [13] 8
US Billboard Top R&B Albums [14] 6

Certifications

Certifications for Break Out
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ) [15] Gold7,500^
United States (RIAA) [16] 3× Platinum3,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Pointer Sisters</span> American family R&B vocal group

The Pointer Sisters are an American girl group from Oakland, California, which achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Their repertoire has included such diverse genres as R&B, pop, jazz, electronic music, bebop, blues, soul, funk, dance, country, and rock. The Pointer Sisters have won three Grammy Awards and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994. The group had 13 US top 20 hits between 1973 and 1985.

"I Feel for You" is a song written by American musician Prince that originally appeared on his 1979 self-titled album. The most successful and best-known version was recorded by R&B singer Chaka Khan and appeared on her 1984 album of the same name. It became the recipient of two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for Khan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jump (For My Love)</span> 1984 single by the Pointer Sisters

"Jump (For My Love)" is an electro-pop song by American vocal group the Pointer Sisters, released on April 11, 1984, as the third single from their tenth studio album Break Out (1983). The song hit the top ten on the US Billboard Hot 100, R&B, and Dance charts, and it was the best-selling American dance single of 1984, sold as a trio of songs including "I Need You" and "Automatic". The song features June Pointer on lead vocals and scored global chart success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Pointer</span> American singer (born 1946)

Ruth Esther Pointer is an American singer best known as the eldest and last surviving original member of the family vocal group the Pointer Sisters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anita Pointer</span> American singer and songwriter (1948–2022)

Anita Marie Pointer was an American singer and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the vocal group the Pointer Sisters. She co-wrote and was the lead singer on their hit song "Fairytale", which garnered them their first Grammy Award in 1975. She was also the lead singer on many of their other hits, including "Yes We Can Can", "Fire", "Slow Hand", and "I'm So Excited".

<i>Contact</i> (Pointer Sisters album) 1985 studio album by Pointer Sisters

Contact is the eleventh studio album by the American vocal group The Pointer Sisters, released in 1985 by RCA Records.

<i>Right Rhythm</i> 1990 studio album by Pointer Sisters

Right Rhythm is the fourteenth studio album by the Pointer Sisters, released on June 12, 1990, by the Motown label.

<i>Black & White</i> (Pointer Sisters album) 1981 studio album by Pointer Sisters

Black & White is the eighth studio album by the Pointer Sisters, released in 1981 on the Planet label.

<i>Starchild</i> (Teena Marie album) 1984 studio album by Teena Marie

Starchild is the sixth studio album by American R&B singer Teena Marie, released on November 11, 1984, by Epic Records. Following the relative commercial failure of her previous album, Robbery, Starchild became the highest-selling album of Marie's career. It peaked at #9 on the US Black Albums chart and #31 on the Billboard Albums chart. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on April 1, 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm So Excited</span> 1982 single by the Pointer Sisters

"I'm So Excited" is a song by American vocal group the Pointer Sisters. Jointly written and composed by the sisters in collaboration with Trevor Lawrence, it was originally released in September 1982, reaching number 30 on the US Billboard Hot 100. This was followed by a remixed re-release in July 1984, reaching number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. Billboard named the song number 23 on their list of "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs Of All Time".

<i>Energy</i> (Pointer Sisters album) 1978 studio album by the Pointer Sisters

Energy is the fifth studio album by the Pointer Sisters, released in 1978 on the Planet label.

<i>Special Things</i> 1980 studio album by the Pointer Sisters

Special Things is a studio album by the Pointer Sisters, released in 1980 on Planet Records.

<i>So Excited!</i> 1982 studio album by The Pointer Sisters

So Excited! is the ninth studio album by the Pointer Sisters, released in 1982 on the Planet label.

<i>Hot Together</i> 1986 studio album by Pointer Sisters

Hot Together is the title of the twelfth studio album by the Pointer Sisters released in October 1986 by RCA Records.

<i>Serious Slammin</i> 1988 studio album by Pointer Sisters

Serious Slammin' is the thirteenth studio album by the Pointer Sisters, released in 1988 by RCA Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">He's So Shy</span> 1980 single by Pointer Sisters

"He's So Shy" is a song by the American vocal group Pointer Sisters from their seventh studio album, Special Things (1980). Written, originally as "She's So Shy" and intended for Leo Sayer, in December 1979 by Tom Snow and Cynthia Weil, "He's So Shy" was released as the lead single from Special Things on July 23, 1980 through the Planet label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automatic (Pointer Sisters song)</span> 1983 song by the Pointer Sisters

"Automatic" is a song recorded by American vocal group the Pointer Sisters for their tenth studio album Break Out (1983). The song was released by the Planet label on January 13, 1984 as the second single from the album. It was written by Brock Walsh and Mark Goldenberg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neutron Dance</span> 1984 single by the Pointer Sisters

"Neutron Dance" is a song written by Allee Willis and Danny Sembello which was introduced by the Pointer Sisters on their 1983 album Break Out. The song became a Top Ten hit in 1985, its success augmented by being prominently featured on the soundtrack of the motion picture Beverly Hills Cop.

<i>Best Kept Secret</i> (Sheena Easton album) 1983 studio album by Sheena Easton

Best Kept Secret is the fourth album by Scottish singer Sheena Easton. It was released in 1983 on EMI Records.

<i>Everlasting</i> (Natalie Cole album) 1987 studio album by Natalie Cole

Everlasting is the eleventh studio album by American singer Natalie Cole, released on June 14, 1987 by Manhattan Records. The album peak to number 8 on Billboards Top R&B Albums chart, and number 42 on the Billboard 200 chart.

References

  1. ↑ "RIAA".
  2. ↑ On this day in music history: November 6, 1983 – "Break Out"
  3. ↑ Rolling Stone Staff (September 17, 2014). "100 Best Singles of 1984: Pop's Greatest Year". Rolling Stone . Retrieved August 31, 2023. ...the Pointer Sisters' late-1983 Break Out, their synth-pop summation...
  4. ↑ Hanson, Amy. Break Out review at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
  5. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Break Out review". Robert Christgau . Retrieved 2011-11-12.
  6. ↑ Billboard vol 96 No. 46 (17 November 1984) p. 78
  7. ↑ Fort Lauderdale News 22 February 1985 "Potent Pointer Sisters Roll On" by Scott Benarde p.3S
  8. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 235. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  9. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Pointer Sisters – Break Out" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Charts.nz – Pointer Sisters – Break Out". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Pointer Sisters – Break Out". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  13. ↑ "The Pointer Sisters Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard . Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  14. ↑ "The Pointer Sisters Chart History: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard . Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  15. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Pointer Sisters – Break Out". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  16. ↑ "American album certifications – Pointer Sisters – Break Out". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved November 29, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.