Back on the Block is a 1989 studio album by Quincy Jones. The album features musicians and singers from across three generations, including Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul, Ice-T, Big Daddy Kane, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, George Benson, Luther Vandross, Dionne Warwick, Barry White, Chaka Khan, Take 6, Bobby McFerrin, Al Jarreau, Al B. Sure!, James Ingram, El DeBarge, Ray Charles and a 13-year-old Tevin Campbell.
Contact is the eleventh studio album by the American vocal group The Pointer Sisters, released in 1985 by RCA Records.
Donna Summer is the tenth studio album by American songwriter Donna Summer, released on July 19, 1982, by Geffen Records. It featured the Top 10, Grammy-nominated "Love Is in Control " single. The album itself saw a drop in chart position from her previous album, peaking at No.20, but ultimately outsold it by remaining on the Billboard 200 for 37 weeks - nearly 20 weeks more. Its longevity was aided by follow-up singles "State of Independence" and "The Woman in Me", which charted at 41 and 33 respectively.
Vocalese is the ninth studio album by Jazz band The Manhattan Transfer, released on September 3, 1985 on Atlantic Records. Recording sessions took place during 1985. Production came from Tim Hauser and Martin Fischer. This album is considered to be The Manhattan Transfer's most critically acclaimed album. It received 12 Grammy nominations, making it second only to Michael Jackson's Thriller as the most nominated individual album. It also received extremely high ratings from music critics, including a 4.5 out of 5 stars rating from Allmusic. The album peaked at number 2 on the Top Jazz Albums and number 74 on the Billboard 200. The album's title Vocalese refers to a style of music that sets lyrics to previously recorded jazz instrumental pieces. The vocals then reproduce the sound and feel of the original instrumentation. Jon Hendricks, proficient in this art, composed all of the lyrics for this album.
"Ai No Corrida" is a song by the English singer and multi-instrumentalist Chaz Jankel, written by Jankel and Kenny Young. The title is based on the Japanese title of the erotic film In the Realm of the Senses. It was first recorded in 1980 and featured on Chaz Jankel's debut studio album Chas Jankel for A&M Records.
El DeBarge is the debut solo album by El DeBarge. It was released on May 6, 1986 through 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.
Emotional is the fourth album by American singer Jeffrey Osborne. It was released by A&M Records on May 27, 1986. Produced by Osborne, Rod Temperton, Richard Perry, T. C. Campbell, Michael Masser, and George Duke, Emotional reached number five on the US Billboard R&B Albums chart and number 27 on the Billboard 200. It spawned one of Osborne's biggest pop hits, "You Should Be Mine " which peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Other tracks that charted include "In Your Eyes", "Soweto", and "Room with a View."
Q's Jook Joint is an album by Quincy Jones, released in 1995 by Qwest Records. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard jazz albums chart on December 30, 1995. Q's Jook Joint won the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical in 1997.
Oasis is Roberta Flack's first solo album of newly recorded songs since 1982's I'm the One. Released 1 November 1988, Oasis features the number-one U.S. singles, "Oasis" (R&B), and "Uh-uh Ooh-ooh Look Out ".
Shine Through It is American actor Terrence Howard's debut studio album, released by Sony Music on September 2, 2008. All tracks were written by Howard, four of which were co-written by Miles Mosley, and one by Ilsey Juber. Howard and Mosley also produced the album and played many of the instruments on it. Critical reception of the album was middling, with critics agreeing that similar material had been handled better by Terence Trent D'Arby, while commercially, the album charted in the top 40 of the Billboard 200 and the top ten of Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
The Spirit's in It is the fifth studio album by American singer Patti LaBelle. It was released by Philadelphia International Records on August 28, 1981, in the United States, her first with the label.
Be Yourself is the ninth solo album by American singer-songwriter Patti LaBelle. It was released by MCA Records on June 26, 1989 in the United States. Her second album with the company following her 1986 platinum album Winner in You, it features the single, "If You Asked Me To" which was also featured on the soundtrack to the James Bond movie, Licence to Kill (1989), and the R&B top ten Prince-written hit "Yo Mister." The album marked LaBelle's foray into new jack swing music with the tracks "I Got It Like That", produced by Full Force, and "Love 89", another Prince contribution.
Jeffrey Osborne is the debut studio album by American singer Jeffrey Osborne. It was released by A&M Records on May 18, 1982. His solo debut after leaving his band L.T.D. for a solo career, Osborne worked with George Duke on the majority of the album, though legal issues had initially prevented him from signing his solo deal with A&M for a whole year.
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.
Light Up the Night is the fourth album by the Los Angeles, California-based duo the Brothers Johnson, released in 1980. The album topped the U.S. R&B albums chart and reached number five on the pop albums chart. The single "Stomp!" became a dance hit, reaching number one on both the R&B singles and disco charts and top ten on the pop singles chart.
Every Home Should Have One is the fourth studio album by American R&B/jazz singer Patti Austin, released on September 28, 1981, by Qwest Records. The album includes the number-one hit duet with James Ingram, "Baby Come to Me", and the title track, "Every Home Should Have One", which peaked at number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100. She also scored with "Do You Love Me?", a #24 R&B & #1 Dance Chart hit.
Mathematics is the twelfth studio album by singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester, issued in April 1985.
Stephanie Mills is the tenth studio album by the American R&B singer Stephanie Mills, released in 1985 on MCA Records. Following her last release I've Got the Cure on Casablanca Records, Mills self-titled new album was the first release upon signing a new recording contract with MCA Records.
Positive is a studio album by the American singer Peabo Bryson, released in January 1988 by Elektra Records. The album peaked at number 157 on the US Billboard 200 and number 42 on the Billboard R&B albums chart. It was the last album Bryson recorded for Elektra before he briefly returned to Capitol Records. Positive was supported by the single "Without You", which was also the theme song to Leonard Part 6.
Looking at You, Looking at Me is the seventh full-length studio recording from singer/songwriter/drummer/producer Narada Michael Walden. It was Walden's last album to be released by Atlantic Records and peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard Top R&B albums chart.
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