L.T.D. - Shine On 1980

 Shine On is the seventh studio album by Los Angeles, California -based band, L.T.D., released in 1980 on the A&M label. This was the last album to feature frontman Jeffrey Osborne and his brother Billy Osborne, as they quit the group to start solo careers a year later.

 The album peaked at No. 6 on the R&B albums chart. It also reached No. 28 on the Billboard 200. The album features the singles "Where Did We Go Wrong", which peaked at No. 7 on the Hot Soul Singles chart, and the title track, which charted at No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 19 on the Hot Soul Singles chart. 

 Since the group's first national hit "Love Ballad," Jeffrey Osborne had been the featured vocalist for LTD. However, this recording would be his last one with the group before pursuing a solo career. This album spawned two upstanding singles -- "Where Did We Go Wrong" and "Shine On" -- the fomer being a rhythmic ballad enhanced by some stylish background vocals, leaving Jeffrey Osborne substantial space to demonstrate his commanding vocal ability. In spite of having all the right ingredients to attain that number one status, the single peaked at number seven after 20 weeks on the Billboard R&B charts. It would be the group's last single to crack the Top Ten. The latter composition is arranged with noticeable crossover appeal augmented by Osborne's crooning vocals; the single peaked at 19 before fizzling out after 18 weeks. 

 Massively solid boogie work from Jeffrey Osborne and LTD – still grooving beautifully at the end of the 70s, and working here with top-shelf production from Bobby Martin! The set's got that buoyant LTD groove that was a perfect foil for Osborne's soaring vocals – a sound that never fell into the cliches of some of Osborne's later solo work, and which was a perfect match between ensemble funk, dancefloor rhythms, and the charisma of a strong lead singer. There's a few smoother ballads on the set that point the way towards later years, but the bulk of the set is very much in the group's best boogie mode – and titles include "You Gave Me Love", "Lovers Everywhere", "Don'tcha Know", "Shine On", "Where Did We Go Wrong", "Getaway" and "Lady Love".