Somebody's Watching Me (album)

Last updated
Somebody's Watching Me
SomebodysWatchingMe.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 30, 1984 (1984-01-30)
Recorded1983
Genre R&B
Length36:29
Label Motown
Producer
  • Curtis Anthony Nolen
  • Rockwell
Rockwell Featuring Michael Jackson chronology
Somebody's Watching Me
(1984)
Captured
(1985)
Singles from Somebody's Watching Me
  1. "Somebody's Watching Me"
    Released: December 1983 [1]
  2. "Obscene Phone Caller"
    Released: April 1984
  3. "Taxman"
    Released: July 1984 (Europe) [2]
  4. "Knife"
    Released: 1984 (Brazil)

Somebody's Watching Me is the debut studio album by singer-songwriter Rockwell Featuring Michael Jackson released in 1984 on Motown. It features the title track as well as the US top 40 hit "Obscene Phone Caller". However the next two singles, the power ballad "Knife" and a cover of the Beatles' "Taxman" failed to reach the top 40.

Contents

Background

After being kicked out of the house by his father, Motown founder Berry Gordy, Kennedy Gordy moved in with Ray Singleton, Gordy's ex-wife. While living there, the younger Gordy began working on some music. Seeing the youngster's potential, Singleton successfully lobbied to get Kennedy a staff writing job at Jobete. [3]

One night, Singleton overheard Kennedy working on the track, "Somebody's Watching Me" and believed it was a song worthy of recording. When Motown staff producer Curtis Anthony Nolen took an interest in the song, he was hired as the producer on the project. While working on the song in the studio, Kennedy got the idea to get Michael Jackson to sing on the track. Without indicating his plans, Kennedy picked Jackson up and drove him into the studio. Once Jackson was in the studio, Kennedy asked him to record the chorus with him. Jackson agreed. [3]

Once the track was mixed, Singleton could not wait to play it for Berry Gordy, who thought one of the voices sounded familiar, but could not identify it. When Gordy found out it was Michael Jackson, he was elated. [3]

Not wanting the Gordy name to influence the outcome of the song (his half-brother Kerry Gordy, recorded under his own name five years earlier without success), Kennedy decided to use the name Rockwell on the record. The title cut was one of the biggest singles of 1984 and both the album and single were certified Gold. It was easily the most successful record by a Gordy as a recording artist. Rockwell now gained an exalted position among the Gordy offspring. [3]

In mid 2021, the full album was released on iTunes for the first time. A deluxe edition was also released, containing additional extended and instrumental mixes, as well as a new remix of the title track.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]

AllMusic's Rick A. Bueche called the record "an impressive debut set with an emphasis on rock instrumentals."

Track listing

  1. "Somebody's Watching Me" (Rockwell Feat. Michael Jackson) – 4:59
  2. "Obscene Phone Caller" (Rockwell) – 3:29
  3. "Taxman" (George Harrison) – 3:57
  4. "Change Your Ways" (Norman Dozier, Curtis Anthony Nolen, Rockwell) – 4:25
  5. "Runaway" (Dozier, Nolen, Rockwell) – 4:23
  6. "Wasting Away" (Dozier, Nolen, Rockwell) – 3:56
  7. "Knife" (Mitchell Bottler, Norma Helms, Rockwell) – 5:07
  8. "Foreign Country" (Dozier, Nolen, Rockwell) – 6:05

Deluxe Edition Bonus Tracks [5]

  1. "Somebody’s Watching Me" (John Morales M+M Extended Mix) – 7:06
  2. "Obscene Phone Caller" (12" Version) – 4:33
  3. "Change Your Ways" (12" Version) – 5:53
  4. "Runaway" (12" Version) – 5:36
  5. "Somebody’s Watching Me" (12" Instrumental) – 5:27
  6. "Obscene Phone Caller" (12" Instrumental) – 5:20
  7. "Taxman" (Instrumental) – 3:53
  8. "Change Your Ways" (12" Instrumental) – 5:53
  9. "Wasting Away" (Instrumental) – 3:58
  10. "Foreign Country" (12" Instrumental) – 6:02

Notes

An up-tempo version of "Knife" was released by another Motown artist, Monalisa Young. She also appears on this album as a background vocalist.

Personnel

Production

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [13] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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References

  1. "RIAA".
  2. "Rockwell singles".
  3. 1 2 3 4 Gordy Singleton, Raynoma (1990). "Super Three". Berry, Me and Motown (First ed.). Chicago: Contemporary Books. pp.  297–299. ISBN   0-8092-4340-7. Over the first year of its release, Rockwell became--in his father's eyes and in a dramatic reversal--the Winner, gaining an exalted position among the Gordy offspring.
  4. Somebody's Watching Me – Rockwell at AllMusic. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  5. Somebody’s Watching Me (Deluxe Edition) by Rockwell, 1984-01-30, retrieved 2022-01-22
  6. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 254. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  7. "Offiziellecharts.de – Rockwell – Somebody's Watching Me" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  8. "Swedishcharts.com – Rockwell – Somebody's Watching Me". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  9. "Swisscharts.com – Rockwell – Somebody's Watching Me". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
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  11. "Rockwell Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  12. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1984". Billboard. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  13. "American album certifications – Rockwell – Somebody's Watching Ne". Recording Industry Association of America.