dimanche 8 mars 2026
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vendredi 27 février 2026
jeudi 26 février 2026
Rhythm of the Night (1985)
Rhythm of the Night is the fourth studio album by DeBarge, released by Gordy Records on March 14, 1985. It reached #19 on the Billboard 200 and #3 on the R&B Album Chart. The album was also certified Gold by the RIAA.
DeBarge continued their success streak with their third album, 1983's In a Special Way. They went back into the studio to record what became Rhythm of the Night. Although the group had creative control, the group's managers Tony Jones and Suzanne de Passe elected to have outside producers to helm the project.[1] Producers included Richard Perry, Giorgio Moroder and Jay Graydon with the members of DeBarge on a few songs.[1] Rhythm of the Night contained six new songs, which were recorded specifically for the album. The remaining songs were old material that had been previously released. "Single Heart" originally appeared in the 1983 film D.C. Cab, while "Share My World" originally appeared on their 1981 debut The DeBarges.[1] When asked why the group's contributions were minimal on Rhythm of the Night, El noted that it was largely due to them being busy touring with singer Luther Vandross.[1]
However, in a 2008 episode of TV One's Unsung, the group members revealed that drugs were the real reason behind their limited involvement.[2] Most of the members were drug addled - much like their brothers in the group Switch.[2] El DeBarge was zero tolerance when it came to drug use, and as such, Motown solely relied on him to complete the album.[2] As the remaining members of the group were increasingly affected by their drug use, El threatened to attempt a solo career on the Vandross tour.[2] Motown then handed El the task of recording and finishing Rhythm of the Night with little to no input from his siblings.[2] Most of the backing vocals were performed by El with an array of session vocalists.[2] James DeBarge mentioned that he had no idea where the studios were to record his vocals and the only song he actually sang on was the title track, while Bunny was asked to sing over the background singers' parts.[2]
When the album was released in early 1985, the label made it obvious about the future of the group. El's picture was enlarged while the other members' photos were downsized.[2] Also, on the singles released from the album, the group was billed as El DeBarge with DeBarge. Despite the success of the album, Motown released the group from their recording contract and offered solo deals to El, Bunny and the youngest member of the DeBarge family, Chico.[2] After modest sales of all three solo efforts, Motown dropped Bunny and Chico, while El left Motown for Warner Bros. Records.
DeBarge gained airplay on MTV, VH1 and BET with the release of their single "Rhythm of the Night". The song reached #1 on the R&B chart and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their biggest hit and jump-starting the career of its writer, Diane Warren. The single was certified gold. This hit single also made an appearance in the film The Last Dragon, which was primarily financed by Motown president Berry Gordy.
The second single "Who's Holding Donna Now" would become the group's second most successful single. The song reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the R&B chart. The single was certified gold.
The third single "You Wear It Well" was a moderate hit for DeBarge, reaching #46 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the R&B chart. This song also went to #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.
The fourth and final single was the ballad "The Heart Is Not So Smart", which was another moderate hit for the group. It reached #75 on the Pop chart and #29 on the R&B chart. It still gains occasional airplay on radio stations in the U.S.
In a Special Way (1983)
In a Special Way is the third studio album by American R&B group DeBarge, released by Gordy Records on September 23, 1983. It was recorded at Kendun Records in Burbank and Westlake Audio in West Hollywood;[2] written and produced by lead vocalist El DeBarge with additional writing by Mark, James and Bunny DeBarge.
In a Special Way was certified gold in the United States after the release of the singles "Time Will Reveal" and "Love Me in a Special Way", which hit number one on the Billboard R&B and adult contemporary singles chart. The album is most memorable for not only its singles but album tracks such as "Stay with Me" and "A Dream" - largely due to subsequent sampling in modern hip-hop and R&B tracks. The album has been regarded by some critics as the "classic" in the family group's catalog.
Group member Bunny DeBarge revealed the group were given complete creative control because Motown Records founder Berry Gordy liked their sound.[3] Gordy also liked the sound of their brothers' band Switch – who were also signed to Motown – which prompted him to sign DeBarge as well.[3] Originally performing as a gospel group, the siblings changed to performing secular music after gospel music labels were unsure how to market them.[3] After making the move to Los Angeles, DeBarge signed with a small label Source Records- much to Bunny's chagrin.[3] She asked the record company CEO to let them out of their contract, to which he obliged.[3] Their older brother Bobby DeBarge set up a meeting with Jermaine Jackson and Hazel Gordy to sign with Motown,[3] as Jermaine and Hazel were also responsible for bringing Switch to the label. Due to them still being contractually obligated to another label at the time, they could not speak to the group, as it would have been seen as a breach of contract.[3] After waiting out the label release, the group met with Jackson and were signed to Motown.[3]
The group recorded their 1981 debut album, The DeBarges, which failed to chart due to lack of promotion. Things changed for them with the release of their second album, All This Love, due to the success of the singles "I Like It" and the album's title track. They went back in the studio in 1983 to record the follow-up In a Special Way. The siblings recorded the album with the promise that each member would get a song to sing by themselves.[3] In the end, it was determined that each member would be given two songs to perform for the album.[3] According to Bunny, In a Special Way took a few months to record. The reason for the lengthy recording process was to give the group time to work out the songs before recording and decide their intended execution of the material.[3]
Mark DeBarge was initially scheduled to sing lead on "Stay With Me", although no one could locate his whereabouts.[3] At the time, the song was unfinished and the group was hoping to get Mark's input.[3] In the end, Bunny and El were forced to complete the song, with El having to perform lead vocals at the last minute.[3] Bunny also liked the song "Need Somebody", but was critical of its mixing, which she felt watered down the song's sound.[3] She also revealed that "Love Me In a Special Way" was originally conceived as a gospel song.[3] The group also wanted to revisit the material from their debut album, for which they felt was mishandled.[3] They decided to use two songs from the album: "Queen of My Heart", which was included on In a Special Way,[3] while "Share My World" would be included on their next album, Rhythm of the Night. The song "I Give Up On You" was written by James DeBarge with their labelmate Billy Preston, and was recorded at Preston's house.[3]
Recording engineer Barney Perkins was particularly fond of the album's closing track, "A Dream", and played it every time the group came to the studio to record.[3] As they were close to finishing the project, Berry Gordy imposed a deadline for them to complete the album.
All This Love (1982)
All This Love is the second studio album by DeBarge, released by Gordy Records on July 22, 1982.
After their first album saw limited success, this album featured productions and compositions by the DeBarge members, primarily led by singer El DeBarge, whose countertenor vocals (a mixture of tenor and falsetto) would lead the group to success throughout the mid-1980s. Due to the release of the hit singles "I Like It" reaching number two on the R&B charts and the title track "All This Love" reaching number 5 on the R&B charts and number one on the Adult Contemporary charts, the album eventually reached gold status.
The DeBarges (1981)
The DeBarges is the debut album by DeBarge, released by Gordy Records on April 6, 1981. It saw limited success and stalled on the charts; the group felt it was not properly promoted.[4] As a result, they revisited The DeBarges by including two songs on their subsequent recordings: "Queen of My Heart" was included on their third album, In a Special Way,[5] while "Share My World" was included on their fourth, Rhythm of the Night.
mercredi 25 février 2026
mardi 24 février 2026
Aquarian Dream - Chance To Dance (1979)
With Aquarian Dream's first two albums having bombed commercially, the band decided to shift gears and try something different on their third album, Chance to Dance. This LP marked the first time that an Aquarian Dream album wasn't produced by Norman Connors -- Jeff Lane handled the production this time, and a new female vocalist, Connie Harvey, came on board as well. Disco was huge in 1979, so that year, Dream reasoned that the way to finally have a hit was to be as disco-minded as possible. Instead of continuing to sound like a cross between Connors, New Birth, and Earth, Wind & Fire, Dream goes for maximum disco appeal on uptempo numbers like "Big Boy," "Disco Juice," "Love Slave," and "Gettum Up and Dance." The result is an album that often sounds mechanical and insincere and isn't as strong as Dream's two previous albums -- nothing on Chance to Dance is in a class with "You're a Star" from Fantasy or "I'll Always Love You, T" from Norman Connors Presents Aquarian Dream. However, the Chic-ish "Dirty Trick" is rather catchy, and the gritty "Why Can't We Do It Like We Used To" is an enjoyable funk item that employs guitarist Eddie Hazel of Parliament/Funkadelic fame. So while Chance to Dance is Dream's least impressive album, it has its moments.
Aquarian Dream - Fantasy (1978)
Aquarian Dream moved from Buddah to Elektra with their second album, Fantasy. With lead vocalist Gloria Jones having left the band, a new singer, Sylvia Striplin, was added. (Striplin would be gone by the third album, Chance to Dance). Despite changing labels and undergoing some personnel changes, however, Dream hadn't changed their sound much; this LP is fairly similar to its predecessor, Norman Connors Presents Aquarian Dream. Connors can take some of the credit for that -- the producer knew how he thought Aquarian Dream should sound, and on sleek, Connors-produced material such as "Gentle Thoughts," "Do You Realize," and the Earth, Wind & Fire-flavored "You're a Star," his guidance clearly serves the band well. Arguably, Fantasy is Aquarian Dream's finest album, but even so, it wasn't the commercial breakthrough that the band was hoping for.
Norman Connors Presents Aquarian Dream (1976)
In 1976, Norman Connors was hot in the R&B market. Having enjoyed major hits with "Valentine Love" and "You Are My Starship," the Philadelphia jazz improviser-turned-soul-star was being denounced as a sellout by jazz's hardcore while commanding a lot of respect in R&B circles. So when Connors produced Aquarian Dream's debut album, Norman Connors Presents Aquarian Dream, in 1976, it should have done well. However, this little-known LP was a commercial disappointment (by R&B standards) despite Connors' presence and despite the fact that the material is generally respectable. The album detours into instrumental jazz-funk on "East 6th Street," but for the most part, it favors a sleek, sophisticated soul/funk approach that could be described as Connors-meets-New Birth-meets-Earth, Wind & Fire. Dream has an impressive lead singer in Gloria Jones, whose gospel-influenced belting serves the band well on cuts that range from the exuberant yet sentimental "I'll Always Love You, T" and the mystical "Phoenix" to the gritty "Guitar Talk." Like Dream's two subsequent albums, Norman Connors Presents Aquarian Dream has long been out of print and it's unlikely that it will ever be reissued on CD, but it's worth obtaining if you're able to track down a copy.
lundi 23 février 2026
samedi 21 février 2026
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