El DeBarge (album) Last updated July 16, 2025
1986 studio album
El DeBarge Released May 6, 1986 Recorded 1985 Studio Garden Rake, Sherman Oaks Image Recording, Los Angeles Studio 55, Los Angeles Lion Share , Los Angeles Bill Schnee Studios, North Hollywood Conway , Hollywood Genre R&B , soul Label Gordy Producer Peter Wolf , Jay Graydon El DeBarge Gemini
"Who's Johnny " "Love Always" "Someone"
El DeBarge El DeBarge , released on May 6, 1986 by Gordy Records . This album was certified Gold in the US by the RIAA . [ 1]
Background This album was produced by both Peter Wolf and Jay Graydon . Singer/actress Vanity sang background vocals on the tune, "Secrets Of The Night". [ 2]
Critical reception Jason Elias of AllMusic wrote, "While the setup and idea are still exciting on paper, [the album] is a disappointment." He also stated that "the majority of the [...] tracks just don't do anything to enliven the product or accentuate his voice," and concluded by writing that "the fact that DeBarge didn't have a hand in producing or writing the songs all but made this ho-hum from the start." [ 4]
Jonathan Takiff of the Philadelphia Daily News found, "Sweet pop promises of romance match perfectly to El's lilting young man's voice and persona in new material borrowing inspiration from the likes of Kenny Loggins ("I Wanna Hear It from My Heart"), Stevie Wonder ("Someone"), and Mike McDonald ("Love Always," "Don't Say It's Over."). [ 7]
Track listing Title Writer(s) 1. "Who's Johnny " Peter Wolf , Ina Wolf 4:11 2. "Secrets Of The Night" Albert Hammond, Diane Warren 4:20 3. "I Wanna Hear It From My Heart" Diane Warren 4:25 4. "Someone" Jay Graydon , Mark Mueller , Robbie Nevil 4:45 5. "When Love Has Gone Away" Jack Conrad, Larry Henley 3:08 6. "Private Line" Diane Warren 3:48 7. "Love Always" Burt Bacharach , Bruce Roberts, Carole Bayer-Sager 5:32 8. "Lost Without Her Love" Randy Goodrum , Graydon 4:35 9. "Thrill Of The Chase" Alan Roy Scott, Roy Freeland, Gary Pickus 3:47 10. "Don't Say It's Over" Diane Warren 4:32
Personnel El DeBarge – lead vocals (all tracks), backing vocals (1, 3, 5–8, 10) Peter Wolf – various instruments (1, 3, 10), arrangements (1, 3, 10) Robbie Buchanan – keyboards (2), arrangements (2, 6), select instruments (6, 9), Fender Rhodes (7), Yamaha DX7 (7) Laythan Armor – additional synthesizer programming (2) David Boruff – additional synthesizer programming (2), saxophone (2, 6) Jay Graydon – all instruments (4), arrangements (4, 5, 8, 9), select instruments [synthesizers, guitar] (5, 8, 9) David Foster – select instruments (5), additional synthesizer (7) Randy Goodrum – select instruments (5, 8) Burt Bacharach – additional synthesizer (7), arrangements (7) Michael Boddicker – select instruments (9) Dann Huff – guitar (1–3, 6, 7, 10) Marty Walsh – guitar (7) Neil Stubenhaus – bass (7) Mike Baird – select instruments [presumably drums] (5, 9) John Robinson – drums (7) Paulinho da Costa – percussion (7) Ernie Watts – alto sax solo (10) Robbie Nevil – arrangements (4) Carole Bayer Sager – arrangements (7) Tata Vega - vocals (4) Siedah Garrett – backing vocals (1, 3, 10) Phillip Ingram – backing vocals (1, 3, 10) Dennis Lambert – backing vocals (1, 3, 10) Michael McDonald – backing vocals (1, 3, 10) Phil Perry – backing vocals (1, 3, 10) Julia Waters – backing vocals (1, 3, 10) Oren Waters – backing vocals (1, 3, 10) Ina Wolf – backing vocals (1, 3, 10) Vanity – backing vocals (2) Tommy Funderburk – backing vocals (6) Jim Gilstrap – backing vocals (6) Bunny Hull – backing vocals (6) Tom Kelly – backing vocals (6) Richard Page – backing vocals (8) Production Peter Wolf – producer (1, 3, 10) Robbie Buchanan – producer (2, 6) Jay Graydon – producer (4, 5, 8, 9), recording (4, 5, 8, 9) Burt Bacharach – producer (7) Carole Bayer Sager – producer (7) Toby Jones – executive producer Brian Malouf – recording (1, 3, 10), mixing (1, 3, 10) Barney Perkins – recording (2, 6), remixing (2, 6) Ian Eales – recording (4, 5, 8, 9) Dennis Mackay – mixing (4, 5, 8, 9), additional engineer (6) Michael Bowman – assistant engineer (1, 3, 10) Dan Garcia – assistant engineer (1, 3, 10) Stephen Krause – assistant engineer (1, 3, 10) Glen Holquin – assistant engineer (2) Craig Miller – assistant engineer (2) Mike Ross – additional engineer (6) Gail Pierson – album coordinator Johnny Lee – art direction Janet Levinson – design Greg Gorman – photography Studios
Recorded at Garden Rake Studio (Sherman Oaks, CA); Image Recording Studios, Studio 55 and Lion Share Recording Studio (Los Angeles, CA); Bill Schnee Studios (North Hollywood, CA); Conway Studios (Hollywood, CA). Mixed at Can-Am Recorders (Tarzana, CA); Conway Studios, Studio 55 and Lion Share Recording Studio. Tracks 2 & 6 remixed at Yamaha International Recording (Glendale, CA). References ↑ "El DeBarge" . riaa.com . RIAA . Retrieved April 18, 2025 . ↑ El DeBarge (1986). El DeBarge (album). Gordy Records . ↑ "El DeBarge - Chart history | Billboard" . Billboard . Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved May 28, 2021 . 1 2 Elias, Jason.El DeBarge - El DeBarge at AllMusic ↑ The Rolling Stone Album Guide . Random House. 1992. p. 186. ↑ Hull, Tom (April 19, 2021). "Music Week" . Tom Hull – on the Web . Retrieved April 20, 2021 . ↑ Takiff, Jonathan (May 29, 1986). "SOLO ALBUM MAKES A MARK FOR FAMILY MAN EL DEBARGE" . Philadelphia Daily News . Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via newsbank.com. ↑ "El DeBarge Chart History (Billboard 200)" . Billboard ↑ "El DeBarge Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)" . Billboard ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1986" . Billboard . January 2, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2021 . ↑ "American album certifications – El DeBarge – El DeBarge" . Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved February 18, 2021 .
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