Straight from the Heart (Peabo Bryson album)
| Straight from the Heart | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 15, 1984 | |||
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 35:05 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer |
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| Peabo Bryson chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Straight from the Heart | ||||
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Straight from the Heart is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Peabo Bryson. It was released in 1984 on Elektra Records, his first of four projects for the label. The album peaked at number 44 on the US Billboard 200 and produced three singles, including his first pop top ten hit "If Ever You're in My Arms Again", which also topped the Adult contemporary chart. Bryson co-produced the record as well as writing five of the eight songs himself and playing keyboards throughout the album.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [1] |
In a retrospective review, William Ruhlmann of AllMusic called Straight from the Heart "a good mix of slow and uptempo tunes."[1]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Slow Dancin'" | Peabo Bryson | Bryson | 3:55 |
| 2. | "If Ever You're in My Arms Again" | Masser | 4:14 | |
| 3. | "Straight from the Heart" | Bryson | Bryson | 4:35 |
| 4. | "There's No Getting Over You (La Theme De Sharon)" | Bryson | Bryson | 4:02 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "I Get Nervous" |
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| 4:10 |
| 6. | "Learning the Ways of Love" |
| Bryson | 3:12 |
| 7. | "Real Deal" | Bryson | Bryson | 4:32 |
| 8. | "Love Means Forever" | Bryson | Bryson | 4:21 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Peabo Bryson – lead vocals, Memorymoog (1, 3, 7, 8), percussion solo (1), arrangements (1, 3, 4, 7, 8), Memorymoog solo (3), backing vocals (3, 7), Yamaha DX7 (4, 7), Oberheim DX (7)
- Myra Walker – acoustic piano (1, 3, 7, 8), Fender Rhodes (1, 3, 7, 8), Oberheim DX (3, 7), backing vocals (3, 7), Yamaha DX7 (4)
- Mark Parrish – Memorymoog (1, 8), Prophet-5 (7)
- Trammell Starks – Memorymoog (1, 3, 4, 7, 8), Yamaha DX7 (4, 7)
- Randy Kerber – acoustic piano (2, 6), Yamaha DX7 (2, 6)
- Tom Snow – Fender Rhodes (2)
- Rick Kelly – keyboards (5)
- John Hauser – electric guitar (1, 3)
- Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars (2, 6)
- Richard Horton – electric guitar (3, 7), acoustic guitar (8)
- Richard Feldman – guitars (5)
- Dwight W. Watkins – Alenbic bass (1, 8), bass (3), Oberheim DX (3), backing vocals (3), flugelhorn (8)
- Neil Stubenhaus – bass (2, 6)
- Louis Johnson – bass (5)
- Andre Robinson – Simmons drums (1, 3, 7, 8)
- Carlos Vega – drums (2, 6)
- John Robinson – drums (5)
- Charles Bryson – percussion (1)
- Michael Fisher – percussion (5)
- Ron Dover – tenor saxophone (3, 8), soprano saxophone (8), flute (8)
- James Bowling – flute (8)
- Michael Masser – rhythm track arrangements (2, 6)
- Gene Page – rhythm track arrangements (2, 6)
- Lee Holdridge – string arrangements and conductor (2, 6)
- Richard Marx – backing vocals (2, 6)
- Deborah Thomas – backing vocals (2, 6)
- Lynn Davis – backing vocals (5)
- Josie James – backing vocals (5)
- Marcy Levy – backing vocals (5)
- Samuel T. Dukes – backing vocals (7)
Production
- Peabo Bryson – producer (1, 3, 4, 7, 8), mixing (1, 3, 4, 7, 8), remixing (5)
- Dwight W. Watkins – assistant producer (1, 3, 4, 7, 8), mixing (1, 3, 4, 7, 8), remixing (5)
- Michael Masser – producer (2, 6)
- Richard Feldman – producer (5), engineer (5)
- Rick Kelly – producer (5)
- Russ Fowler – engineer (1, 3, 4, 7, 8), mixing (1, 3, 4, 7, 8), remixing (5)
- Michael Mancini – engineer (2, 6)
- Rick Ricco – string engineer (2, 6)
- Bill Schnee – mixing (2, 6)
- Kevin Reach – engineer (5)
- Don M. Radick – assistant engineer (1, 3, 4, 7, 8)
- Dean – assistant engineer (2, 6)
- Doug Sax – mastering at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California)
- Bobby Sanders – session coordinator (1, 3, 4, 7, 8)
- HSU – art direction
- Beverly Parker – photography
- David Franklin & Associates – management
- Ed Howard – management
- Skip Williams – management
Charts
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[2] | 47 |
| US Billboard 200[3] | 44 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[4] | 12 |
References
- ^ a b Straight from the Heart at AllMusic. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Peabo Bryson – Straight from the Heart". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- ^ "Peabo Bryson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- ^ "Peabo Bryson Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2021.