Workin' It Back | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | December 4, 1985 | |||
Recorded | 1984–1985 | |||
Length | 37:09 | |||
Label | Asylum Records [1] | |||
Producer |
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Teddy Pendergrass chronology | ||||
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Singles from Workin' It Back | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Robert Christgau | B+ [3] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
The Philadelphia Inquirer | [5] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
Workin' It Back is a studio album by the American R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass, released in 1985. [7] [8] 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. [9] It did reach US R&B #6, only two spots lower than his previous album. The album spawned two singles, "Love 4/2" (#6 R&B) and "Let Me Be Closer" (#67 R&B), though none made the Billboard Hot 100. The album has been certified gold. [10]
Pendergrass cowrote and coproduced two of the album's songs. [11]
The Globe and Mail wrote that "the spasmodic anguish of the final cut, 'Love Emergency', is the most innovative song on the album, with the backup male chorus growling a chant over the groove as the background to Pendergrass's vocal flights." [12] The Gazette thought that "even the Womacks can't raise a head of steam from the one-time Sound of Philadelphia." [13]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Theodore DeReese Pendergrass was an American singer. Born in Kingstree, South Carolina, Pendergrass spent most of his life in the Philadelphia area, and initially rose to musical fame as the lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. After leaving the group in 1976, Pendergrass launched a successful solo career under the Philadelphia International label, releasing five consecutive platinum albums. Pendergrass's career was suspended after a March 1982 car crash left him paralyzed from the shoulders down. Pendergrass continued his successful solo career until announcing his retirement in 2007. Pendergrass died from respiratory failure in January 2010.
Cecil Dale Womack was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He was one of the musical Womack brothers, and had success both as a songwriter and recording artist, notably with his wife Linda as Womack & Womack. In later years he took the name Zekkariyas.
Linda Womack, now known as Zeriiya Zekkariyas, is an American singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of soul singer Sam Cooke. She later had a successful career as half of the duo Womack & Womack with her husband Cecil Womack.
Tracie Spencer is the eponymous debut album of American singer Tracie Spencer, released on January 16, 1988 on Capitol Records.
Chemistry is the second solo album by singer Johnny Gill. It was released on April 22, 1985.
Womack & Womack was the singing and songwriting partnership of American musicians Linda Womack and her husband, Cecil Womack. The duo were successful as songwriters for other artists, and had several international hits as a singing duo in the 1980s and 1990s. Later recordings, with other members of their family, were credited to The House of Zekkariyas.
Love Wars is the 1983 debut album by musical duo Womack & Womack. The album, described by Chris Rizik of SoulTracks as "a critical favorite", charted at number 34 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In his review of the album, music critic Robert Christgau praised husband Cecil Womack and wife Linda Womack as "[a]ce singers and songwriters ", noting that "their lyrics about loss and conflict are sharper than those about love and happiness".
"Love T.K.O." is a song written by Cecil Womack and Gip Noble, Jr. It was written for soul singer David Oliver and appeared first on his album Here's to You in 1980.
Teddy Pendergrass is the debut solo album from the American R&B/soul singer Teddy Pendergrass, released in 1977.
Teddy is the third album by R&B crooner Teddy Pendergrass, released in 1979. It included more "bedroom ballads," comparable to Marvin Gaye's I Want You album.
Live! Coast to Coast is a live album by the R&B crooner Teddy Pendergrass. It was recorded in Philadelphia in 1978 and Los Angeles in 1979. It did rather well on the Billboard album charts, reaching #33 Pop and #5 R&B.
It's Time for Love is an album by the R&B crooner Teddy Pendergrass. It did quite well, peaking at #19 on the Billboard albums chart and #6 on the R&B album charts. It also spawned three singles: "I Can't Live Without Your Love", "You're My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration" and "Nine Times Out of Ten/The Gift of Love". This was the last album released by Pendergrass before being paralyzed in a car accident the following year.
Love Language is the eighth album by R&B/Soul crooner Teddy Pendergrass. It was his first record for Asylum Records after being a longtime artist on Philadelphia International Records. It did much better on the Billboard 200 than his last two records, peaking at #38. He had not reached the top 40 on the album charts since 1981's It's Time for Love. The album was composed and produced by Michael Masser, with the exception of the track You're My Choice Tonight , which was produced by Luther Vandross and featured Cissy Houston on background vocals and as "Solo Female Voice".
The Valentinos was an American family R&B group from Cleveland, Ohio, best known for launching the careers of brothers Bobby Womack and Cecil Womack. Bobby went on to find greater fame as a solo artist while Cecil became successful as a member of the husband and wife duo of Womack & Womack with Linda Cooke. The group was well known for R&B hits such as the original versions of "Lookin' for a Love", notably covered by the J. Geils Band and later a solo hit for Bobby Womack, and "It's All Over Now", covered by the Rolling Stones.
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".
Joy is the tenth studio album by R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass, released in 1988 on the Elektra label. Production credits on the album were split between Reggie and Vincent Calloway, Nick Martinelli, Miles Jaye and Pendergrass himself.
A Little More Magic is the twelfth studio album by American R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass. It was released by Elektra Records on September 14, 1993 in the United States. This was the third and last album Pendergrass recorded for Elektra, and was commercially the least successful of the three despite featuring songwriting and production credits from well-known names such as Barry White, Gerald Levert and Leon Huff as well as Reggie and Vincent Calloway.
You and I is the thirteenth studio album by American singer Teddy Pendergrass. It was released on April 15, 1997, on Wind-Up Records. Pendergrass, who had a hand in writing and producing all the tracks except for the interlude, the title track and "One in a Million You", which was a cover of the 1980 Larry Graham song of the same name, consulted Terry Coffey, Dennis Matkosky, Jon Nettlesbey, and Jim Salamone to work with him on You and I.
"Hold Me" is a ballad duet performed by American singers Teddy Pendergrass and Whitney Houston. The song appears on Pendergrass's eighth studio album Love Language (1984) and Houston's first studio album Whitney Houston (1985). It was written by Linda Creed and Michael Masser, with production overseen by Masser. "Hold Me" was the first ever single release of Houston's career when it was released as a single from Pendergrass's album in 1984.
20/20 is the 22nd 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 numerous 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.