El DeBarge
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 14, 1986
Recorded1985
StudioGarden Rake Studio (Sherman Oaks, CA); Image Recording Studios, Studio 55 and Lion Share Recording Studio (Los Angeles, CA); Bill Schnee Studios (North Hollywood, CA); Conway Studios (Hollywood, CA)
GenreR&B, soul
LabelGordy
ProducerPeter Wolf, Jay Graydon
El DeBarge chronology
El DeBarge
(1986)
Gemini
(1989)

El DeBarge is the debut album by El DeBarge. It was released in 1986 on Gordy Records (a sub-label of Motown) 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.[1] 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.[2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[4]
Tom Hull – on the WebB+ ((1-star Honorable Mention))[5]

Jason Elias of AllMusic stated: "While the setup and idea are still exciting on paper, [the album] is a disappointment." He also stated that "the majority of the [...] tracks just don't do anything to enliven the product or accentuate his voice," and concluded by writing that "the fact that DeBarge didn't have a hand in producing or writing the songs all but made this ho-hum from the start."

Track listing

  1. "Who's Johnny" (Peter Wolf, Ina Wolf) – 4:11
  2. "Secrets Of The Night" (Albert Hammond, Diane Warren) – 4:20
  3. "I Wanna Hear It From My Heart" (Warren) – 4:25
  4. "Someone" (Jay Graydon, Mark Mueller, Robbie Nevil) – 4:45
  5. "When Love Has Gone Away" (Jack Conrad, Larry Henley) – 3:08
  6. "Private Line" (Diane Warren) – 3:48
  7. "Love Always" (Burt Bacharach, Bruce Roberts, Carole Bayer-Sager) – 5:32
  8. "Lost Without Her Love" (Randy Goodrum, Graydon) – 4:35
  9. "Thrill Of The Chase" (Alan Roy Scott, Roy Freeland, Gary Pickus) – 3:47
  10. "Don't Say It's Over" (Diane Warren) – 4:32

Personnel

Production

  • Peter Wolf – producer (1, 3, 10)
  • Robbie Buchanan – producer (2, 6)
  • Jay Graydon – producer (4, 5, 8, 9), recording (4, 5, 8, 9)
  • Burt Bacharach – producer (7)
  • Carole Bayer Sager – producer (7)
  • Toby Jones – executive producer
  • Brian Malouf – recording (1, 3, 10), mixing (1, 3, 10)
  • Barney Perkins – recording (2, 6), remixing (2, 6)
  • Ian Eales – recording (4, 5, 8, 9)
  • Dennis Mackay – mixing (4, 5, 8, 9), additional engineer (6)
  • Michael Bowman – assistant engineer (1, 3, 10)
  • Dan Garcia – assistant engineer (1, 3, 10)
  • Stephen Krause – assistant engineer (1, 3, 10)
  • Glen Holquin – assistant engineer (2)
  • Craig Miller – assistant engineer (2)
  • Mike Ross – additional engineer (6)
  • Gail Pierson – album coordinator
  • Johnny Lee – art direction
  • Janet Levinson – design
  • Greg Gorman – photography

Studios

  • Recorded at Garden Rake Studio (Sherman Oaks, CA); Image Recording Studios, Studio 55 and Lion Share Recording Studio (Los Angeles, CA); Bill Schnee Studios (North Hollywood, CA); Conway Studios (Hollywood, CA).
  • Mixed at Can-Am Recorders (Tarzana, CA); Conway Studios, Studio 55 and Lion Share Recording Studio.
  • Tracks 2 & 6 remixed at Yamaha International Recording (Glendale, CA).

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[9] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. "El DeBarge - Chart history | Billboard". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2017-06-30. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  2. "Gold & Platinum". RIAA.
  3. Elias, Jason. El DeBarge - El DeBarge at AllMusic
  4. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 186.
  5. Hull, Tom (April 19, 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  6. "El DeBarge Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  7. "El DeBarge Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  8. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1986". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  9. "American album certifications – El DeBarge – El DeBarge". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.