Tracie Spencer is the debut album of American singer Tracie Spencer, released on June 25, 1988 on Capitol Records.
Lite Me Up is a pop album with a strong disco-funk feel by Herbie Hancock. It was Hancock's twenty-eighth album and first release without producer David Rubinson since 1969. On this album, Hancock was influenced by his long-time friend, producer Quincy Jones and sessions included many musicians associated with Jones including Steve Lukather and Jeff Porcaro of Toto. The album was the first on which Hancock played the Synclavier, a digital polyphonic synthesizer.
The Paul Simon Anthology is the fourth greatest hits compilation album by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon, which was released in 1993. It featured one previously unreleased track, "Thelma".
Bodies and Souls is the seventh studio album by The Manhattan Transfer, released in September 1983 on the Atlantic Records label.
El DeBarge is the debut solo album by El DeBarge. It was released in 1986 on Gordy Records and featured the three hit singles, "Who's Johnny," which peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, "Love Always," which reached #43, and "Someone," which was a Top 20 Billboard A/C hit and made it to #70 on the Hot 100. Singer/actress Vanity featured on backing vocals on the track, "Secrets Of The Night". This album was certified by RIAA as gold in September, 1986, selling over 500,000 copies.
Nightshift is the 11th studio album by the Commodores, released by Motown Records on January 15, 1985. It was the group's last album on the Motown label before switching to Polydor.
Bossa Nova Hotel is the 1983 debut album of rock singer/guitarist Michael Sembello. The album was a continuation of the work that Sembello began with producer Phil Ramone on "Maniac," which became a number one US pop hit after it was featured in the film Flashdance and on its soundtrack album. Bossa Nova Hotel peaked at number 80 on the US album chart and included the soundtrack hit in addition to two more chart entries, "Automatic Man" and "Talk."
Workin' It Back is a studio album by the American R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass, released in 1985. It was his second record for Asylum Records. The album didn't do nearly as well on the Billboard 200 as his last record, peaking at #96. It did reach US R&B #6, only two spots lower than his previous album. The album spawned two singles, "Love 4/2" and "Let Me Be Closer", though none made the Billboard Hot 100. The album has been certified gold.
Hits! is a compilation album by Boz Scaggs, first released in 1980. It focuses primarily on material released in 1976 and 1980. The album has been certified platinum by the RIAA.
I'll Be Thinking of You is a 1979 album by Andraé Crouch, released on the Elektra and Light record labels. The album won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album.
Robbery is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Teena Marie, released in September 18, 1983. It is her first album for Epic Records, following her acrimonious departure from Motown the previous year. The album was written and produced by Marie herself and features contributions from Patrice Rushen, Paulinho da Costa, and Steve Ferrone among others. However, the album did not repeat the success of her last Motown release It Must Be Magic (1981) stalling at number 13 on the Black Albums chart and only reaching number 119 on the Billboard Albums chart.
It's Real is the third full-length recording by American R&B singer-songwriter James Ingram. It was released in May 1989 on Qwest/Warner Bros. Records, and features the smash hit single "I Don't Have the Heart", which peaked at number 1 for 1 week. It also features a remake of the classic song "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", re-written with different lyrics and entitled "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Man".
Sergio Mendes is an album by Brazilian keyboardist Sérgio Mendes, released in 1983 on A&M Records. It was his first top 40 album in nearly a decade and a half, his second self-titled album, and was accompanied by his biggest chart single ever, "Never Gonna Let You Go", a song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and with a lead vocal performed by Joe Pizzulo and Leeza Miller that reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was released with Spanish-language versions of the songs as Picardía.
20/20 is a studio album by George Benson, released on the Warner Bros. record label in 1985. The lead single by the same name reached #48 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA. "You Are the Love of My Life" is a duet with Roberta Flack. It was one of a number of songs used for Eden Capwell and Cruz Castillo on the American soap opera Santa Barbara. Also included on 20/20 is the original version of the song "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You" which would later become a smash hit for Hawaiian singer Glenn Medeiros.
Everlasting is the eleventh studio album by American singer Natalie Cole, released on June 14, 1987 by Manhattan Records. The album peaked at number 8 on Billboards Top R&B Albums chart and number 42 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Stay with Me Tonight is the second studio album by American singer Jeffrey Osborne. It was released on July 22, 1983, on A&M Records. Osborne reteamed with frequent collaborator George Duke to work on the album which reached #25 on the US Billboard 200 and #3 on the R&B chart. The title track, "Stay with Me Tonight", was a #4 R&B hit in 1983, while three other singles, "Don't You Get So Mad", "We're Going All the Way", and "Plane Love", entered the top twenty.
Merciless is the seventh studio album by American R&B singer Stephanie Mills. It was released in 1983 and Stephanie's second release on Casablanca Records. The album features two Billboard R&B hits in "Pilot Error", a cover version of Prince's "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" as well as "My Body" written by singer Luther Vandross. Merciless received a nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female at the 26th Grammy Awards in 1984.
Twice the Love is a 1988 studio album by American guitarist and singer George Benson that was recorded with six production teams. The two main singles off the record were the title track "Twice the Love" and the Curtis Mayfield song "Let's Do It Again" which was a No. 1 hit for The Staple Singers in 1975.
Right from the Heart is an album by the American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on March 18, 1985, by Columbia Records. It was his first album without songs that were previously recorded by other artists. The title track is one of the album's four ballads that, along with four of the remaining six up-tempo tracks, delve into the subject of relationships, but it is the synth-driven "Step by Step" and the anthemic "Hold On" on which Mathis take a break from the usual focus on love songs. The former offers the hope that can be found in change that comes gradually until "I can see the way free from yesterday to a new beginning". The latter stresses the importance of being oneself: "Life is a party. Why don't you come the way you are?"
Smoke Signals is a studio album by the American singer Smokey Robinson, released in 1986 by Motown. "Be Kind to the Growing Mind", featuring the Temptations, encourages songwriters to avoid distasteful lyrics. "Hold On to Your Love" was written with Stevie Wonder. Robinson supported the album with a North American tour.
