Nighttime Lovers Vol.19/20

LIEN 19

LIEN 20

Collection of Luther Vandross

Luther Vandross

Luther Vandross was one of the most successful R&B artists of the 1980s and '90s. Not only did he score a series of multi-million-selling albums containing chart-topping hit singles and perform sold-out tours of the U.S. and around the world, but he also took charge of his music creatively, writing or co-writing most of his songs and arranging and producing his records. He also performed these functions for other artists, providing them with hits as well. He was, however, equally well known for his distinctive interpretations of classic pop and R&B songs, reflecting his knowledge and appreciation of the popular music of his youth. Possessed of a smooth, versatile tenor voice, he charmed millions with his romantic music.Vandross was born in New York City on April 20, 1951, and grew up in the Alfred E. Smith housing projects in lower Manhattan. Both of his parents, Luther Vandross, Sr., an upholsterer, and Mary Ida Vandross, a nurse, sang, and they encouraged their children to pursue music as a career. Vandross Sr.'s older sister Patricia Van Dross was an early member of the Crests in the mid-'50s (appearing on their early singles, but leaving before they achieved success with "Sixteen Candles"), and Vandross himself began playing the piano at the age of three and took lessons at five, although he remained a largely self-taught musician. After the death of his father in 1959 when he was eight years old, he was raised by his mother, who moved the family to the Bronx. While attending William Howard Taft High School, he formed a vocal group, Shades of Jade, with friends Carlos Alomar, Robin Clark, Anthony Hinton, Diane Sumler, and Fonzi Thornton. All five, along with 11 other teenage performers, were also part of a musical theater workshop, Listen, My Brother, organized by the Apollo Theater in Harlem that recorded a single, "Listen, My Brother"/"Only Love Can Make a Better World," and appeared on the initial episodes of the children's television series Sesame Street in 1969. After graduating from high school that year, Vandross attended Western Michigan University, but dropped out after a year and returned home. He spent the next few years working at odd jobs while trying to break into the music business.In 1973, Vandross got two of his compositions, "In This Lovely Hour" and "Who's Gonna Make It Easier for Me," recorded by Delores Hall on her album Hall-Mark, singing the latter song with her as a duet. In 1974, though uncredited, he sang background vocals on Maggie Bell's Queen of the Night, and in August of the same year Carlos Alomar, who had become David Bowie's guitarist, invited him to attend a Bowie recording session at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. He quickly became more than an observer, singing background vocals, serving as a vocal arranger, and co-writing the song "Fascination" with Bowie. The session resulted in the album Young Americans, released in March 1975, and Vandross also went on tour with Bowie in September 1974 as both backup singer and opening act. Meanwhile, Vandross' 1972 composition "Everybody Rejoice (A Brand New Day)" was featured in the Broadway musical The Wiz, which opened a run of 1,672 performances on January 5, 1975. (It was later made into a 1978 film.) The show starred Stephanie Mills, who used Vandross as a background singer on her 1975 album Movin' in the Right Direction. (He also sang, uncredited, on Gary Glitter's self-titled 1975 album.)Through Bowie, Vandross met Bette Midler, who hired him to arrange vocals for her Broadway revue Bette Midler's Clams on the Half Shell, which played ten weeks at the Minskoff Theater starting on April 14, 1975. Midler also introduced him to her record producer, Arif Mardin, at Atlantic Records, and Vandross began to get steady work as a background singer and vocal arranger. In 1976, he appeared on albums by Midler (Songs for the New Depression), the Brecker Brothers Band (Back to Back), Roy Buchanan (A Street Called Straight), Andy Pratt (Resolution), and Judy Collins (Bread and Roses). He also put together a vocal quintet called Luther, consisting of himself, former Shades of Jade members Anthony Hinton and Diane Sumler, Theresa V. Reed, and Christine Wiltshire, which signed to Atlantic's Cotillion Records subsidiary. Their self-titled debut album was released in June 1976. It did not sell well enough to reach the charts, but the tracks "It's Good for the Soul," "Funky Music (Is a Part of Me)," and "The Second Time Around" reached the R&B Top 40. Reed and Wiltshire dropped out, and the remaining trio made a second Luther album, This Close to You (April 1977), with Vandross given top billing, while Hinton and Sumler were credited as featured soloists. The title song reached the R&B charts, but that wasn't enough to keep Cotillion from dropping the group, which then broke up. (Vandross acquired the rights to the Luther recordings and saw to it that they remained out of print.)Meanwhile, Vandross continued doing sessions. In 1977, he appeared on albums by Nils Lofgren (I Came to Dance), Geils (aka the J. Geils Band; Monkey Island), the Average White Band and Ben E. King (Benny and Us), Andy Pratt (Shiver in the Night), Ringo Starr (Ringo the 4th), and Chic (Chic). He also entered the lucrative world of writing and singing commercial jingles, and before long was the musical voice of everything from telephones, fast food, and beverages to various branches of the U.S. military on radio and television. And the recording sessions continued. In 1978, he appeared on albums by Garland Jeffreys (One Eyed Jack), Carly Simon (Boys in the Trees), Roy Buchanan (You're Not Alone), Quincy Jones (Sounds...and Stuff Like That!!), Norma Jean (Norma Jean), T. Life (That's Life), Roberta Flack (Roberta Flack), Odyssey (Hollywood Party Tonight), the soundtrack to the movie version of The Wiz, Chic (C'est Chic), Cat Stevens (Back to Earth), David Spinozza (Spinozza), Carole Bayer Sager (Too), Sean Delaney (Highway), the Good Vibrations (I Get Around), and Lemon (Lemon). And he was the uncredited lead singer on the song "Get on Up (Get on Down)," by Roundtree, an R&B chart entry that fall.Vandross began to gain greater attention in 1979. During the year, he appeared on albums by Sister Sledge (We Are Family), the Average White Band (Feel No Fret), Chic (Risqué), Bette Midler (Thighs and Whispers), Jay Hoggard (Days Like These), Revelation (Get in Touch), John Tropea (To Touch You Again), the Charlie Calello Orchestra (Calello Serenade), Charme (Let It In), Cher (Prisoner), Roberta Flack (Featuring Donny Hathaway), Delores Hall (Delores Hall, Evelyn "Champagne" King (Music Box), Ben Sidran (The Cat and the Hat), and Soirée (Soirée), and on the soundtracks to the films Sunnyside and The Warriors. Especially on the jazz and disco recordings, he was just as likely to be a featured vocalist as a background singer. And he got a prominent credit when he arranged the background vocals for Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer's duet "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)," which became a number one pop hit in November 1979. He gained even more recognition in 1980, a year in which he appeared on studio albums by Chaka Khan (Naughty), Melba Moore (Closer), Mtume (In Search of the Rainbow Seekers), Dave Valentin (Land of the Third Eye), the Brecker Brothers (Detente), Terumasa Hino (Daydream), Cissy Houston (Step Aside for a Lady), Jimmy Maelen (Beats Workin'), the Jess Roden Band (Stonechaser), and the Michael Zager Band (Zager), as well as live albums by Bette Midler (Divine Madness) and the duo of Roberta Flack and Peabo Bryson (Live & More), and on the soundtrack to the film Fame. But the most important credit for him that year was his work as lead vocalist of the studio group Change. He sang on the band's tracks "Searching," a Top 40 R&B hit, and "The Glow of Love," which also reached the R&B charts, and his name was listed prominently on the discs. This increased his profile even more, and he began circulating a demo tape to recording companies, seeking a solo deal that would allow him to write and produce his own records. On April 21, 1981, he signed with the Epic Records subsidiary of the major label CBS Records.Vandross immediately began work on his debut album, cutting down on sideman sessions, although during 1981 he appeared on albums by Bob James (All Around the Town), Bernard Wright ('Nard), Change (Miracles), the J. Geils Band (Freeze Frame), Hi Gloss (You'll Never Know), the Brooklyn, Bronx & Queens Band (The Brooklyn, Bronx & Queens Band), Stephanie Mills (Stephanie), and the Spinners (Can't Shake This Feelin'), and in June 1981 his composition "You Stopped Loving Me" was sung by Roberta Flack, with him arranging and singing background vocals, on the soundtrack to the film Bustin' Loose and became a Top 40 R&B hit for her. (Damaris revived the song for an R&B chart entry in 1984.) Vandross' own version was included on his debut solo album, Never Too Much, released in August. The LP was a tour de force for him; he produced it and wrote six of its seven songs, the exception being a cover of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's Dionne Warwick hit "A House Is Not a Home." Vandross expressed his musical vision on Never Too Much, and that vision was of a smooth neo-soul style that recalled the pop/R&B of his youth, particularly the music of such predecessors as Warwick, Aretha Franklin, the softer Motown artists, like Smokey Robinson, and some of the girl groups of the early '60s, such as the Shirelles. To those influences, Vandross added some contemporary elements of jazz and disco. But his approach was steeped in tradition; he was a stylist, harking back to the past, yet pointing to a possible post-disco future for R&B music. And R&B fans responded warmly. The title song, "Never Too Much," topped the R&B charts; second single "Don't You Know That?" reached the R&B Top Ten; and third single "Sugar and Spice (I Found Me a Girl)" also charted R&B. The album hit number one R&B in November and was certified gold in December. (It went platinum five years later and double platinum in 1997.) But Vandross encountered more resistance in the pop realm, where the album reached only the Top 20 and the single "Never Too Much" only made the Top 40. Artistically and commercially, these results set a pattern for Vandross' career. Appearing regularly, his albums showed great consistency in style and content, even to the point of featuring a cover of a classic pop/R&B song on each disc. And while they also sold consistently to the R&B audience, they rarely received equal support from pop fans.Having successfully launched his solo career, Vandross might have been expected to abandon session work; certainly, he had less time for it. But he still enjoyed working as a background singer, so he still did it selectively. In 1982, for example, he appeared on albums by Irene Cara (Anyone Can See), Michael Franks (Objects of Desire), Kleeer (Taste the Music), Bob James (Hands Down), Linda Clifford (I'll Keep on Loving You, and Ullanda McCullough (Watching Me, Watching You). At the same time, Vandross' demonstrated abilities as songwriter, producer, and vocal arranger opened up to him the opportunity to work in these capacities with some of the artists he had grown up idolizing, as well as his contemporaries. He first turned his attention to Cheryl Lynn, producing her R&B Top Ten album Instant Love (June 1982); writing the title song, which became a Top 20 R&B hit; and singing a duet with her on a revival of the 1968 Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell hit "If This World Were Mine," which reached the R&B Top Five. ("Look Before You Leap," from the album, also made the R&B charts.) Next, he turned to Aretha Franklin, producing her July 1982 LP Jump to It, and writing or co-writing four of its eight songs, including the title track, an R&B number one; "Love Me Right," which went Top 40 R&B; and "This Is for Real," an R&B chart entry. Topping the R&B chart, it was her first gold album in six years. He also sang on Diana Ross' October 1982 LP Silk Electric. Somehow, he found time to make his second solo album, Forever, for Always, for Love, released in September, again serving as his own producer and writing or co-writing all the tracks except for covers of Smokey Robinson's 1965 hit for the Temptations "Since I Lost My Baby" and, in a medley with his own "Bad Boy," Sam Cooke's "Having a Party." Vandross' co-writers on some of the songs were bassist Marcus Miller and keyboard player Nat Adderley, Jr. (a former member of Listen, My Brother), musical associates who would work with him throughout his career. A musical complement to Never Too Much, Forever, for Always, for Love was another R&B chart-topper for Vandross, throwing off three singles, the Top Five "Bad Boy/Having a Party," the Top 20 "Since I Lost My Baby," and the chart entry "Promise Me." That, of course, was as far as the R&B charts were concerned. On the pop side, the album went Top 20 and only "Bad Boy/Having a Party" charted. Nevertheless, the LP was certified gold in two months and platinum in six.Vandross' multiple career tracks continued apace in 1983. He sang on albums by David Sanborn (Backstreet), James Ingram (It's Your Night), former Shades of Jade member Fonzi Thornton (The Leader), Linda Lewis (A Tear and a Smile), Stephanie Mills (Merciless), and Betty Wright (Back at You). He produced Aretha Franklin's next album, Get It Right, composing the title song, which hit number one R&B, with Marcus Miller, and its follow-up, "Every Girl (Wants My Guy)," a Top Ten R&B hit. Then, he turned to another idol of his youth, Dionne Warwick, producing her album How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye. He and Warwick sang the title song as a duet that became her first R&B Top Ten hit in eight years; it also made the pop Top 40. "Got a Date," the Vandross/Miller composition released as a second single from the album, also made the R&B charts. And, although it took until December, Vandross managed to come up with his third solo album, the aptly titled Busy Body. On this album, he co-produced several of the tracks with Miller, also writing most of the material with Miller and Nat Adderley, Jr., the exceptions being "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye" and a medley of the Leon Russell/Bonnie Bramlett standard "Superstar" with Stevie Wonder's "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)." As usual, there were three singles: "I'll Let You Slide" and "Superstar/Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" made the R&B Top Ten, and "Make Me a Believer" was a chart entry (of the three, only the medley scraped into the pop chart); as usual, the album hit number one R&B, but only the Top 40 of the pop chart; and as usual, sales certifications poured in, the album going gold in two months and platinum in January 1985.Vandross finally eased off on his recording schedule during 1984, if only because he was now a major concert attraction and toured in both North America and Europe. His only credit for the year was his composing (with Marcus Miller), arranging, producing, and singing background vocals on the song "You're My Choice Tonight (Choose Me)" for Teddy Pendergrass, a Top 20 R&B hit. Vandross thus was able to lavish more time on his fourth album, The Night I Fell in Love, released in March 1985. Overall producer credit again went to him, with three of the eight tracks co-produced by Miller. Six of the songs were written by Vandross alone or co-written with Miller or Nat Adderley, Jr., the exceptions being covers of Brenda Russell's "If Only for One Night" and Stevie Wonder's "Creepin'." The album spawned four R&B single hits: "'Til My Baby Comes Home" (Top Ten and a Top 40 pop hit); "It's Over Now" (Top Five); "Wait for Love" (Top 20); and "If Only for One Night." The album spent seven weeks atop Billboard's R&B LP list, going gold and platinum simultaneously as soon as it was eligible for certification in May and double platinum in 1990. It also reached number 14 in the pop charts, Vandross' best showing yet. With his own album out of the way, he made some selected appearances on other albums during 1985, contributing a song, "She's So Good to Me," to the soundtrack of the film The Goonies and singing on albums by Carly Simon (Spoiled Girl), Patti Austin (Gettin' Away with Murder), and Wonder (In Square Circle). He also sang background vocals on the Temptations' "Do You Really Love Your Baby," a song he co-wrote with Miller that peaked in the R&B Top 20 in early 1986.Vandross spent much of 1986 working on his own material, only pausing to contribute background vocals on David Bowie's soundtrack to the film Labyrinth. The results of his efforts were first heard in June when "Give Me the Reason" was included on the soundtrack to the film Ruthless People and released as a single that went Top Five R&B and reached the pop chart. Vandross' fifth album, also titled Give Me the Reason, followed in September. His fifth consecutive R&B chart-topper, it included additional singles "Stop to Love" (number one R&B and his first Top 20 pop hit); the duet with Gregory Hines "There's Nothing Better Than Love," co-written with John "Skip" Anderson, a synthesizer player in Vandross' band (also number one R&B and a pop chart entry); "I Really Didn't Mean It" (Top Ten R&B); and "So Amazing" (an R&B chart entry of a Vandross song previously recorded by Dionne Warwick, whose Burt Bacharach/Hal David hit "Anyone Who Had a Heart" was revived on the LP). Simultaneous gold and platinum certifications in December were followed by a double-platinum award in 1990.In 1987, Vandross contributed a song, "It's Hard for Me to Say," which he co-wrote with John "Skip" Anderson and co-produced, to Diana Ross' album Red Hot Rhythm & Blues, and worked as a background singer and arranger on Ava Cherry's Picture Me and Cheryl Lynn's Start Over. He also appeared on Irene Cara's Carasmatic, Nick Kamen's self-titled album, and Doc Powell's Love Is Where It's At. Meanwhile, Gerald Albright covered "So Amazing" and took it into the R&B Top 20. In 1988, Vandross sang background vocals on Patti Austin's The Real Me and Barbra Streisand's Till I Loved You, and he wrote "The Girl Wants to Dance with You," which became a Top Ten R&B hit for Gregory Hines. The song appeared on Hines' self-titled album, which Vandross produced. Otherwise, he spent the two-year interval between his fifth and sixth albums doing shows and working on that sixth album, Any Love, which appeared in October 1988 and was supported by a three-month U.S. tour. By now, Marcus Miller had been promoted to full co-producer, and other co-writers had joined the team, but the approach was still the same. And so was the success. Any Love topped the R&B charts and gave Vandross his first Top Ten pop album, with the usual simultaneous gold and platinum certifications two months after release. The title song topped the R&B list and penetrated the pop chart; second single "She Won't Talk to Me" went Top Five R&B and made the pop Top 40; and "For You to Love" was another Top Five R&B hit.Vandross had by now become an international success, and a record-breaking ten-night stand at London's Wembley Arena in March 1989 was commemorated with a home video, Live at Wembley. At the close of an enormously successful decade, Vandross and Epic determined to sum things up, and in October 1989 issued the two-LP greatest-hits compilation The Best of Luther Vandross: The Best of Love, which included two new tracks, "Here and Now" and "Treat You Right." With those additions, the collection didn't just summarize Vandross' career, it finally gave him his long-sought major crossover hit, as "Here and Now," a song co-written by Dionne Warwick's son David L. Elliott with Terry Steele, not only topped the R&B chart but also hit the pop Top Ten, going gold in the process. It also won Vandross his first Grammy Award, for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male. "Treat You Right" went Top Five R&B, and the set was a million seller by March 1990. (By 1997, it was triple platinum.) Between the release of the hits album and his next regular studio album, Power of Love, which appeared in April 1991, Vandross as usual lent his talents to other artists' recordings. He sang background vocals for Quincy Jones (Back on the Block), Paul Jackson, Jr. (Out of the Shadows), and David Lasley (Soldiers on the Moon). He contributed a song, "There's Only You," to the soundtrack of the 1990 film Made in Heaven. He wrote and produced the song "Who Do You Love" for Whitney Houston's album I'm Your Baby Tonight. And he served as an arranger, producer, and background vocalist on Lisa Fischer's So Intense, released the same day as Power of Love. Vandross' seventh album, Power of Love suggested that the pop breakthrough he had achieved with "Here and Now" would be sustained. The advance single, a medley of Vandross and Marcus Miller's song "Power of Love" with the Sandpebbles' 1967 hit "Love Power," not only topped the R&B charts, but also went Top Five pop, and the LP, Vandross' seventh R&B number one, was his second to penetrate the pop Top Ten. A million seller by June 1991, it went double platinum two years later in the wake of the further singles "Don't Want to Be a Fool" (Top Five R&B, Top Ten pop), "The Rush" (Top Ten R&B and a pop chart entry), and "Sometimes It's Only Love" (Top Ten R&B). Vandross' national tour to support the album began in September 1991 and included four sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden in October as it ran through January 1992. "Power of Love/Love Power" was named Best R&B Song at the 1991 Grammys, and the Power of Love album won Vandross another trophy for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male.One might have supposed that all was well in the world of Luther Vandross, but on January 2, 1992, he filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Sony Music Entertainment (which had acquired CBS Records), citing California Labor Code Section 2855, which limits personal service contracts to seven years. By then, he had been with CBS/Sony for nearly 11 years, fulfilling a ten-album contract that still had three albums to go. Vandross was not the first or the last recording artist to file such a suit, and whether he really wanted to void his contract, believing that Epic still hadn't done enough to sell his records to the pop audience, or simply intended to use the suit to induce the record company to renegotiate his deal on more favorable terms, is unclear. Not for the first or last time, the record company in question settled quietly, not wishing to test the law. The terms of the settlement were not reported, but thereafter, Vandross had his own vanity label, his records going out under the Epic/LV imprint.As usual, following the release of Power of Love, Vandross found the time to work with other artists. He appeared on 1991 albums by BeBe & CeCe Winans (Different Lifestyles), Patti LaBelle (Burnin'), Richard Marx (Rush Street), and Kevin Owens (That Time Again), and he co-wrote and produced the song "Doctor's Orders" on Aretha Franklin's What You See Is What You Sweat. In 1992, without a new album out, he kept his name before the public with special appearances, starting with the soundtrack to the film Mo' Money, released in June, which featured a song called "The Best Things in Life Are Free" (not the 1927 standard by Buddy DeSylva, Lew Brown, and Ray Henderson, but a newly written composition) that he performed with Janet Jackson, Bell Biv DeVoe, and Ralph Tresvant (which is to say, four of the five members of New Edition). It hit number one on the R&B chart and went Top Ten pop. Next, Vandross wrote and performed the theme song "Heart of a Hero" for the soundtrack of the movie Hero, released in October 1992, and the same month he contributed a performance of "The Christmas Song" to the seasonal charity album A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 2. He made more modest contributions to two albums released in the first quarter of 1993, Dionne Warwick's Friends Can Be Lovers and Eddie Murphy's Love's Alright.Never Let Me Go, Vandross' eighth album, was released on June 1, 1993, prefaced by the single "Little Miracles (Happen Every Day)." Maybe the promotional staff at Epic Records was demoralized by the recent lawsuit, or perhaps changing musical styles, notably the rise of hip-hop, were affecting matters, but the commercial response to Vandross' new music was slightly disappointing. The single reached the R&B Top Ten but was only a minor pop chart entry, and Never Let Me Go, despite marking a new pop chart peak for Vandross at number six, stayed in that chart less than half the tenure enjoyed by Power of Love; on the R&B chart, it crested at number three, Vandross' first new album not to reach number one. Three further singles charted -- "Heaven Knows," a cover of the Bee Gees' "How Deep Is Your Love," and "Never Let Me Go" -- but none was a substantial hit. The falloff in sales was actually minor; the album took one month longer to go platinum than Vandross albums usually did. But for the first time, the singer's momentum was slowing. Despite this, he continued his usual round of activities, initially touring Europe to promote the album; appearing in the small part of a hitman in the film The Meteor Man in August; launching a U.S. arena tour that began in September and ran through November; and, in November, singing a duet with Frank Sinatra of Rodgers & Hart's "The Lady Is a Tramp" as the leadoff track on Sinatra's celebrated Duets album. Then it was back to Europe for another round of dates.Vandross also paid visits to his friends in recording studios, resulting in appearances on the 1994 albums Paid Vacation by Richard Marx, Restless by Bob James, and World Tour by Jason Miles. But he clearly knew something had to be done to revitalize his own recording career. An idea came from Sony president Tommy Mottola and his then-wife, superstar Mariah Carey. Vandross had put at least one oldie on every one of his albums: why not do an all-covers album? For most other artists, this would have seemed like a typically clichéd record company concept, commercial but artistically stifling. For Vandross, who was steeped in pop music history and who had done some of his best work reimagining the music of others, it was a natural. He even agreed to give up the production reins to a Sony stalwart, the commercially savvy Walter Afanasieff, whose recent clients included Carey, Michael Bolton, and Celine Dion. The result was the modestly titled Songs, released September 27, 1994. The album was prefaced by a cover of the 1981 Lionel Richie/Diana Ross hit "Endless Love," on which Vandross sang a duet with Carey. The single peaked at number two on the pop charts, a new high for Vandross, even outpacing its number seven showing on the R&B charts. The album went to number two R&B and number five pop, another crossover high for the singer. With follow-up singles in revivals of Heatwave's 1978 hit "Always and Forever" (Top 20 R&B and a pop chart entry) and the double-sided "Going in Circles"/"Love the One You're With" (the former previously a hit for both the Friends of Distinction and the Gap Band; the latter the Stephen Stills hit), which went Top 40 R&B and was another pop chart entry, the album was an immediate million-seller and went double platinum within 18 months.His commercial status restored, Vandross undertook his usual pursuits, singing background vocals on the occasional album (Cindy Mizelle's Cindy Mizelle [1994], Naomi Campbell's Babywoman, Yvonne Lewis' No Strangers in Paradise [both 1995]) and undertaking a tour that began on May 31, 1995, in San Diego, CA. For his next album, he tried another favorite record company concept, the holiday collection. This Is Christmas, which contained seven originals along with only three traditional Christmas songs and restored the production team of Vandross, Nat Adderley, Jr., and Marcus Miller, was released October 24, 1995. It went Top Five R&B (with the track "Every Year, Every Christmas" making the R&B Top 40) and peaked at number 28 in the pop charts. An immediately certified gold album, it became a perennial seller and went platinum in 2002. Also in the 1995 holiday season, Vandross contributed a track, "The Thrill I'm In," to the soundtrack of the film Money Train.Vandross did some touring during the summer of 1996, and he contributed a cover of the Peter, Paul & Mary hit "If I Had a Hammer" to the benefit album For Our Children Too, released in September, but he spent most of the year working on Your Secret Love, the album that would complete his Epic Records contract. It was released on October 1, following the title song, which came out as an advance single that made the R&B Top Five and was a pop chart entry. (The track went on to win Vandross another Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male.) The album itself spent a week at number two in the R&B charts and made the pop Top Ten, as second single "I Can Make It Better" hit the R&B Top 20, also making the pop chart, and third single "Love Don't Love You Anymore" became a minor R&B hit. Simultaneous gold and platinum certifications arrived in December.Vandross spent much of 1997 touring, beginning with an appearance at Superbowl XXXI on January 26 to sing the national anthem. He did take time out to sing background vocals on Richard Marx's April release, Flesh & Bone, however. On September 30, Epic/LV released his valedictory collection, One Night with You: The Best of Love, Vol. 2, which began with four new recordings, none of them written or produced by him, but instead contributed by such usually reliable hitmakers as Diane Warren, R. Kelly, and the team of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Understandably, Epic didn't do much of a promotional job on this contractual obligation release, which nevertheless reached the R&B Top 40 and the pop Top 50, spawning a Top 40 R&B hit in R. Kelly's "When You Call on Me/Baby That's When I Come Runnin'" and an R&B chart entry in Jam & Lewis' "I Won't Let You Do That to Me," with a gold-disc certification in December.While weighing offers from different record companies, Vandross made some guest appearances, turning up on BeBe Winans' self-titled album in October 1997, on Jimmy Reid's Forever Loved in March 1998, and on his associate Marcus Miller's Suddenly in June. On April 8, he performed at a Burt Bacharach tribute concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, singing "Windows of the World" and "What the World Needs Now." The show was filmed for television and taped, resulting in a soundtrack album, One Amazing Night, released in November. Vandross also paid tribute to Patti LaBelle at the same venue on June 2 for a PBS special. Deciding on Virgin Records, a subsidiary of the major label EMI, he presented a new album, I Know, on August 11. He had already begun to introduce contemporary elements of rap and hip-hop on Your Secret Love, and I Know continued this trend, but it was a commercial disappointment, only going gold and generating just one Top 40 R&B hit in "Nights in Harlem." As a result, he left Virgin after only this one release.During 1999 and 2000, Vandross kept his hand in with soundtrack and session work. He co-wrote and co-produced "When You're a Woman" for Lisa Fischer and Masters at Work, featured on the soundtrack of the film 24 Hour Woman, released in March 1999; contributed background vocals to Natalie Cole's Snowfall on the Sahara in June 1999; sang and arranged for Dave Koz's The Dance in September 1999; and sang background vocals and did vocal arrangements on BeBe Winans' Love & Freedom in August 2000. That same month, he ended his search for a new record company affiliation, becoming the first act signed to veteran record executive Clive Davis' new startup label, J Records. He made his label debut with the track "If I Was the One," included on the soundtrack of Dr. Doolittle 2 on June 5, 2001. The song also appeared on Luther Vandross, which was released two weeks later. Vandross and Davis served as co-album producers, with individual tracks produced by others, and new songwriters were brought in to give Vandross a new, current sound. The makeover was largely successful. Leadoff single "Take You Out" became a Top Ten R&B and Top 40 pop hit, followed by the R&B chart entry "Can Heaven Wait" and the R&B Top 40 and pop chart entry "I'd Rather," as the album made the pop Top Ten and just missed topping the R&B chart, reaching platinum status by November.His career revitalized once again, Vandross toured in early 2002, then began work on a second album for J, taking time out to sing Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" on Doc Powell's album 97th and Columbus and to contribute background vocals to "Load Is Lifted" on Suzanne Couch's In the Rhythm (not released until 2005). He co-wrote the title song for his new album, "Dance with My Father," with Richard Marx, and they combined for a heartfelt tribute to Vandross' father. The album was finished by the spring of 2003, and Vandross was preparing for a round of publicity work when he collapsed in his New York apartment on April 16, 2003, the victim of a serious stroke, apparently brought on by his diabetes and the physical strain of his lifelong struggles with his weight. Despite his illness, J released "Dance with My Father," which became an R&B and pop Top 40 hit and a gold record, introducing the album, which hit number one on both charts, a first for him. Over the next year, "Smooth Love," "Think About You," "Buy Me a Rose," and "The Closer I Get to You" (a duet with Beyoncé Knowles re-creating the original version by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway) figured in the pop, R&B, and/or adult contemporary (AC) charts, as the album sold over two million copies. Vandross was a sentimental favorite at the 2003 Grammy Awards, and his career total of trophies doubled from four to eight as he won Song of the Year and Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male, for "Dance with My Father," Best R&B Album, and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "The Closer I Get to You." He made an appearance via videotape to accept his awards and promised to return to action soon.Meanwhile, J Records had kept his name before the public by releasing the concert collection Live Radio City Music Hall 2003, recorded in February 2003, on October 14, 2003; it reached number six in the R&B charts and number 22 in the pop charts. By all reports, Vandross continued his recovery during 2004 and into 2005; he even appeared on Oprah Winfrey's television show in May 2005. But on July 1, 2005, it was announced that he had died, having "never really recovered" from his stroke.During his lifetime, Luther Vandross' albums were certified for sales of 23-and-a-half-million copies in the U.S.; estimates of his total worldwide record sales were as high as 40 million. Sales, of course, tell only part of the story, but it is notable that, in the precarious world of popular music, and in particular of the notoriously fickle genre of R&B and the difficult category of crossover pop, Vandross sold records in the millions consistently for over two decades. It is even more notable that, although he certainly molded his music to a certain extent to meet the marketplace, he also imposed his own direction on R&B. Prior to him, the popular music of African-Americans tended to jump from one style to another with nary a look backward. But Vandross, coming along in the wake of disco and while rap/hip-hop was in its infancy, insisted on reverence for the soul music of the recent past and deliberately reformulated it in an "old-school" approach that came to be known as the black AC radio format "quiet storm." Even as rap dominated the charts in the early years of the 21st century, he maintained his passion for romantic, melodic music, and he drew listeners along with him. His early death at the age of 54 robbed American popular music of one of its more consistent and compelling voices, and it is only a partial comfort that he left behind a substantial body of work.


Album: Luther (1976)









01. Funky Music (Is A Part Of Me)
02. The 2Nd Time Around
03. I'll Get Along Fine
04. Everybody Rejoice
05. Emotion Eyes
06. This Strange Feeling
07. It's Good For The Soul (Part I And Ii)




http://www73.zippyshare.com/v/39802231/file.html




Album: This Close To You (1977)









01. This Is For Real
02. A Lovers Change
03. Don't Take The Time
04. The Jealousy In Me
05. I'm Not Satisfied
06. This Close To You
07. Don't Wanna Be A Fool
08. Come Back To Love
09. Follow My Love




http://www57.zippyshare.com/v/63535895/file.html




Album: Never Too Much (1981)









01. Never Too Much
02. Sugar And Spice
03. Don't You Know That
04. I've Been Working
05. She's A Super Lady
06. You Stopped Loving Me
07. A House Is Not A Home




http://www28.zippyshare.com/v/21699445/file.html




Album: Forever, For Always, For Love (1982)










01. Bad Boy Having A Party
02. You're The Sweetest One
03. Since I Lost My Baby
04. Forever For Always For Love
05. Better Love
06. Promise Me
07. She Loves Me Back
08. Once You Know How




http://www67.zippyshare.com/v/88297057/file.html




Album: Busy Body (1983)









01. I Wanted Your Love
02. Busy Body
03. I'll Let You Slide
04. Make Me A Believer
05. For The Sweetness Of Your Love
06. How Many Times Can We Say Good
07. Superstar-Until You Come To Me




http://www3.zippyshare.com/v/79249383/file.html




Album: The Night I Fell In Love (1985)









01 'Til My Baby Comes Home
02. The Night I Fell In In Love
03. If Only For One Night
04. Creepin'
05. It's Over Now
06. Wait For Love
07. My Sensitivy
08. Other Side Of The World




http://www51.zippyshare.com/v/39971895/file.html




Album: Give Me The Reason (1986)









01. Stop To Love
02. See Me
03. I Gave It Up
04. So Amazing
05. Give Me The Reason
06. There's Nothing Better Than Love
07. I Really Didn't Mean It
08. Because It's Really Love
09. Anyone Who Had A Heart




http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/18842638/file.html




Album: Any Love (1988)









01. I Wonder
02. She Won't Talk To Me
03. I Know You Won't To
04. Come Back
05. Any Love
06. Love Won't Let Me Wait
07. Are You Gonna Love Me
08. For You To Love
09. The Second Time Around




http://www15.zippyshare.com/v/43483976/file.html




Album: Best Of Luther Vandross (1989)









CD1

01. Searching
02. The Glow Of Love
03. Never Too Much
04. If This World Were Mine
05. A House Is Not A Home
06. Bad Boy Having A Party
07. Since I Lost My Baby
08. Promise Me
09. 'Til My Baby Comes Home
10. If Only For One Night (Creep Creep)




CD2

01. Superstar-Until You Come To Me
02. Stop To Love
03. So Amazing
04. There's Nothing Better Than Love
05. Give Me The Reason
06. Any Love
07. I Really Didn't Mean It
08. Love Won't Let Me Wait
09. Treat You Right
10. Here And Now




http://www63.zippyshare.com/v/18346842/file.html




Album: Power Of Love (1991)








01. She Doesn't Mind
02. Power Of Love Love Power
03. I'm Gonna Start Today
04. The Rush
05. I Want To Stay Tonight
06. Don't Want To Be A Fool
07. Can I Tell You That
08. Sometimes It's Only Love
09. Emotional Love
10. I Who Have Nothing




http://www57.zippyshare.com/v/61994391/file.html




Album: Never Let Me Go (1993)









01. Little Miracles Happen Everyday
02. Heaven Knows
03. Love Me Again
04. Can't Be Doin' That Know
05. Too Far Down
06. Love Is On The Way
07. Hustle
08. Emotion Eyes
09. Lady Lady
10. How Deep Is Your Love Love Don't Love Nobody
11. Never Let Me Go




http://www22.zippyshare.com/v/90068456/file.html




Album: Songs (1994)









01. Love The One You're With
02. Killing Me Softly
03. Endless Love (With Mariah Carey)
04. Evergreen
05. Reflections
06. Hello
07. Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now
08. Always And Forever
09. Going In Circles
10. Since You've Been Gone
11. All The Woman I Need
12. What The World Needs Now Is Love
13. The Impossible Dream




http://www77.zippyshare.com/v/1148887/file.html




Album: Your Secret Love (1996)










01. Your Secret Love
02. Love Don't Love You Anymore
03. It's Hard For Me To Say
04. Crazy Love
05. Can I Make It Better
06. Too Proud To Beg
07. I Can't Wait No Longer
08. Nobody To Love
09. Whether Or Not The World Gets Better
10. This Time I'm Right
11. Knocks Me Off My Feet
12. Goin' Out Of My Head




http://www62.zippyshare.com/v/53309451/file.html




Album: I Know (1998)










01. Keepin My Faith In You
02. Isn't There Someone
03. Religion
04. Get It Right
05. I Know
06. I'm Only Human
07. Nights In Harlem
08. Dream Lover
09. When I Need You
10. Are You Using Me
11. Are You Mad At Me
12. Now That I Have You
13. Nights In Harlem Remix




http://www29.zippyshare.com/v/5003540/file.html




Album: Luther Vandross (2001)









01. Take You Out
02. Grown Things
03. Bring Your Heart to Mine
04. Can Heaven Wait
05. Say It Now
06. Hearts Get Broken All the Time (But the Problem Is, This Time It's Mine)
07. I'd Rather
08. How Do I Tell Her
09. Any Day Now
10. If I Was the One
11. Let's Make Tonight the Night
12. Like I'm Invisible
13. Are You There (With Another Guy)
14. Love Forgot




http://www52.zippyshare.com/v/74784504/file.html




Album: Dance With My Father (2003)










01. If I Didn't Know Better
02. Think About You
03. If It Ain't One Thing (Featuring Foxy Brown)
04. Buy Me A Rose
05. The Closer I Get To You (Duet With Beyoncé Knowles)
06. Lovely Day (Featuring Busta Rhymes)
07. Dance With My Father
08. She Saw You
09. Apologize
10. Hit It Again (Featuring Queen Latifah)
11. Right In The Middle
12. Once Were Lovers
13. Lovely Day [Part Ii] (Featuring Busta Rhymes)
14. They Said You Needed Me




http://www66.zippyshare.com/v/75652508/file.html




Album: Live At Radio City Music Hall (2003)










01. Never Too Much
02. Here And Now
03. Take You Out
04. Love Won't Let Me Wait
05. Superstar
06. Stop To Love
07. If Only For One Night
08. Creepin'
09. I'd Rather
10. A House Is Not A Home
11. Glow Of Love




http://www12.zippyshare.com/v/41210781/file.html




Album: The Ultimate Luther Vandross (2006)










01. Never Too Much
02. Take You Out
03. Superstar/Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)
04. Here And Now
05. Dance With My Father
06. A House Is Not A Home
07. Give Me The Reason
08. I'd Rather
09. Any Love
10. Power Of Love/Love Power
11. Think About You
12. Wait For Love
13. Your Secret Love
14. The Closer I Get To You
15. Buy Me A Rose
16. Endless Love (Duet With Mariah Carey)
17. Shine
18. Got You Home




http://www39.zippyshare.com/v/98741069/file.html





Album: Love Luther (2007)









CD1

01. Ready For Love
02. If You Can't Dance
03. Meet Luther Vandross
04. The Glow Of Love
05. Never Too Much
06. Don't You Know That
07. A House Is Not A Home
08. Bad Boy Having A Party
09. Since I Lost My Baby
10. She Loves Me Back
11. Who's Gonna Make It Easier For Me
12. If This World Were Mine
13. How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye
14. SuperstarUntil You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)




CD2

01. If Only For One Night
02. Creepin'
03. Wait For Love
04. 'Til My Baby Comes Home
05. It's Over Now
06. The Night I Fell In Love
07. There's Only You
08. Anyone Who Had A Heart
09. So Amazing (Intimate Mix)
10. Give Me The Reason
11. Stop To Love
12. There's Nothing Better Than Love
13. So Amazing
14. For You To Love
15. Here And Now




CD3

01. Love The One You're With
02. Funky Music (Is A Part Of Me)
03. Georgy Porgy
04. Power Of Love Love Power
05. Don't Want To Be A Fool
06. I Want The Night To Stay
07. Endless Love (Duet with Mariah Carey)
08. Any Love
09. Knocks Me Off My Feet
10. Your Secret Love
11. Never Let Me Go
12. Can Heaven Wait
13. The Closer I Get To You (Duet With Beyonce Knowles)




CD4

01. Isn't There Someone
02. Dance With My Father (Album Version and Radio Version)
03. Take You Out (Radio Edit & Album Version)
04. I'd Rather
05. Buy Me A Rose
06. Shine (Main)
07. Got You Home (Main)
08. Jump To It (Original 12 Mix)
9. Hot Butterfly (Disco Remix)
10. Searching (Live)
11. Always And Forever (Live)
12. Windows Of The World What the World Needs Now (Live)
13. The Lady Is A Tramp
14. A House Is Not A Home




http://www20.zippyshare.com/v/47328149/file.html

http://www45.zippyshare.com/v/87977479/file.html




Album: Love Songs (2009)









01. Never Too Much
02. Give Me The Reason
03. Your Secret Love
04. Dance With My Father
05. Take You Out
06. Got You Home
07. Power Of Love/Love Power
08. So Amazing
09. Buy Me A Rose
10. Love The One You're With
11. Any Love
12. Always And Forever
13. Endless Love (Ft. Mariah Carey)
14. Love Is On The Way (Real Love)
15. Heaven Knows
16. Here And Now
17. House Is Not A Home




http://www21.zippyshare.com/v/27515161/file.html




Album: The Amazing Collection (2010)










01. Never Too Much
02. The Night I Fell In Love
03. Always & Forever
04. Give Me The Reason
05. Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now
06. Any Love
07. Heaven Knows
08. Your Secret Love
09. Killing Me Softly
10. Lady, Lady
11. What The World Needs Now
12. Love Is On The Way (Real Love)
13. Here & Now
14. So Amazing
15. Wait For Love
16. Emotional Love




http://www9.zippyshare.com/v/78289037/file.html





Album: Hidden Gems (2012)









01. When You Call On Me (Baby That's When I Come Runnin')
02. Once You Know How
03. I Know You Want To
04. Once Were Lovers
05. You Stopped Loving Me
06. The Impossible Dream
07. Are You Using Me
08. Goin' Out Of My Head
09. The Thrill I'm In (Radio Mix)
10. Heart Of A Hero
11. Buy Me A Rose
12. I (Who Have Nothing) Feat. Martha Wash
13. I'd Rather
14. Like I'm Invisible
15. You Really Started Something




http://www68.zippyshare.com/v/10640135/file.html

Collection of The System

Collection of The System

Pioneering synth duo the System rode the '80s wave of emerging synth/MIDI music technology to help lay the foundation for contemporary electronic popular music with their upfront, unapologetic use of synths and intelligent songwriting.

In the early '80s, singer Mic Murphy and keyboardist David Frank met in New York. Collecting on studio time that he had bartered for in exchange for playing on sessions, Frank asked Murphy to join him in the studio to work on some ideas. After their overnight session, Murphy took the master tape to an engineer friend that transferred the tape onto a 12" lacquer record. The duo took the record to Atlantic's Mirage Records and were signed right away.

Their 1982 single "You Are in My System" quickly became the rage on both the dancefloor and on urban-formatted radio, leading to the release of Sweat on Mirage/Atlantic. Other tracks from the album got dancefloor attention, such as "Sweat" and "I Can't Let Go." Their next album, X-periment, included the infectious "I Just Want to Make You Feel Good," the sweet ballad "Promises" b/w "X-periment," and the stunningly passionate "I Can't Take Losing You." In 1986, the duo performed the title album track/hit single "The Pleasure Seekers" on Miami Vice. The LP contained "Groove" precursor "This Is for You," which was the second single. 1987 was a great year for the System, giving them their biggest hit. The title track of their album Don't Disturb This Groove went to number one R&B and number three pop. The tune was also used as the basis of one of the last tracks released by Tupac Shakur. The next release, Midnight Lover, cracked the pop Top 20.

Their fresh approach put the System in high demand as producers, songwriters, and musicians. They can be heard on Chaka Khan's cover of Prince's "I Feel for You" and Mtume's "Juicy Fruit" (both million-sellers). The latter record was later used by the Notorious B.I.G. for his gold record "Juicy." The list continues with Phil Collins' "Sussudio," Angela Bofill's "Can't Slow Down," Pauli Carmen's "Dial My Number," Ashford & Simpson, and Jeff Lorber's "Step by Step." They contributed to the movie soundtracks for two Eddie Murphy blockbusters, Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America (the title track went Top Ten pop). Even though it seemed that everyone wanted to work with the System, the pair decided not to spread themselves too thin and turned down a lot of offers. They opened their own recording studio called Science Lab Music.

1989's Rhythm & Romance ("Midnight Special," "Have Mercy," "Soul to Soul") was the duo's last album. During early 1991, Mic Murphy released a solo album on East West called Touch ("Fit to Be Tied"), which had a lot of System overtones. Frank did concert dates backing Annie Lennox during the recording of her Live in Central Park CD and video (Arista). He's also active in production, working with Omar, Dionne Farris, female pop vocal trio Wild Orchid, and Rebbie Jackson. Allmusic by Ed Hogan

Album: Sweat (1983)

01. Sweat
02. You Are in My System
03. It's Passion
04. Stand Up and Cheer
05. I Won't Let Go
06. Go For What U Know
07. Now I Am Electric

http://www59.zippyshare.com/v/74279643/file.html

Album: X-Periment (1984)

01. I Wanna Make You Feel Good
02. Dangerous
03. Lollipops and Everything
04. Get Jumpin'
05. Escape
06. Promises Can Break
07. X-Periment
08. Bad Girl
09. I Can't Take Losing You

http://www28.zippyshare.com/v/67271975/file.html

Album: The Pleasure Seekers (1985)

01. The Pleasure Seekers
02. It Takes 2
03. Big City Beat
04. Love Won't Wait For Lovin'
05. This Is For You
06. My Radio Rocks
07. Did In By A Friend
08. I Don't Run From Danger

http://www65.zippyshare.com/v/53066471/file.html

Album: Don't Disturb This Groove (1987)

01. Don't Disturb This Groove
02. Come as You Are (Superstar)
03. Save Me
04. Heart Beat of the City
05. Groove (Instrumental)
06. Nighttime Lover
07. House of Rhythm
08. Didn't I Blow Your Mind
09. Soulboy
10. Modern Girl

http://www5.zippyshare.com/v/26084290/file.html

Album: Rhythm And Romance (1989)

01. I'm About You
02. Soul To Soul
03. Wicked
04. Midnight Special
05. I Don'T Know How To Say
06. I Wanna Be Your Lover
07. You Got Me (Where You Want Me)
08. Have Mercy
09. Face The Music
10. Think About It
11. Guardian Angel
12. Diggin' Your Rhythm

http://www8.zippyshare.com/v/75630607/file.html

Album: ESP (2000)

01. Heaven in Your Eyes
02. As God Is My Witness
03. Supernatural
04. Love's Deja Vu
05. Tell Me
06. Soul Food
07. Good as Gold
08. You Are in My System [Version]
09. Midnight Train
10. Hole in My Love
11. Can't Let You Go

http://www11.zippyshare.com/v/95299470/file.html

Collection Teena Marie

No white artist has sang R&B more convincingly than Teena Marie, whose big, robust vocals are so black-sounding that when she was starting out, some listeners wondered if she was a light-skinned African-American. Not to be confused with Brazilian jazz singer Tânia Maria, Marie grew up in west Los Angeles in a neighborhood that was nicknamed "Venice Harlem" because of its heavy black population. The singer/songwriter/producer was in her early twenties when, around 1977, she landed a job at Motown Records. It was at Motown that she met her mentor and paramour-to-be, Rick James, who ended up doing all of the writing and producing for her debut album of 1979, Wild and Peaceful. That LP, which boasted her hit duet with James, "I'm Just a Sucker for Your Love," didn't show Marie's picture -- so many programmers at black radio just assumed she was black. When her second album, Lady T, came out, much of the R&B world was shocked to see how fair-skinned she was. But to many of the black R&B fans who were eating her music up, it really didn't matter -- the bottom line was she was a first-rate soul singer whose love of black culture ran deep.

By her third album, 1980's gold Irons in the Fire, Marie was doing most of her own writing and producing. That album boasted the major hit "I Need Your Lovin'," and Marie went gold again with her next album, It Must Be Magic (which included the major hit "Square Biz"). It Must Be Magic turned out to be her last album for Motown, which she had a nasty legal battle with. Marie got out of her contract with Motown, and the case ended up with the courts passing what is known as "The Teena Marie Law" -- which states that a label cannot keep an artist under contract without putting out an album by him or her.

Switching to Epic in 1983, Marie recorded her fifth album, Robbery, and had a hit with "Fix It." In 1984, Marie recorded her sixth album, Starchild, and had her biggest pop hit ever with "Lovergirl." Though Marie had often soared to the top of the R&B charts, "Lovergirl" marked the first time she'd done so well in the pop market. Ironically, Marie was a white singer who had enjoyed little exposure outside the R&B market prior to "Lovegirl."

Three more Epic albums followed: 1986's Emerald City, 1988's Naked to the World (which contained her smash hit "Ooh La La La"), and 1990's Ivory. Unfortunately, Marie's popularity had faded considerably by the late '80s, and Epic dropped her. In 1994, the singer released Passion Play on her own Sarat label. Ten years later, she signed to Cash Money and released La Doña, featuring assistance from Gerald LeVert, Rick James, and MC Lyte. Sapphire followed two years later. Though both La Doña and Sapphire peaked at number three on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, she switched to Stax for her next album, 2009's Congo Square.


Album: Wild and Peaceful (1979)









01. I'm A Sucker For Your Love
02. Turning Me On
03. Don't Look Back
04. De Ja Vu (I've Been Here Before)
05. I'm Gonna Have My Cake (And Eat It Too)
06. I Can't Love Anymore




http://www31.zippyshare.com/v/8800375/file.html




Album: Lady T (1980)









01. Behind The Groove
02. Now That I Have You
03. Lonely Desire
04. Aladdin's Lamp
05. You're All The Boogie I Need
06. Can It Be Love
07. Young Girl In Love
08. Why Did I Have To Fall In Love With You
09. Too Many Colors
10. Why Can't I Get Next To You
11. Co Pilot To Pilot




http://www53.zippyshare.com/v/62317058/file.html




Album: Irons in the Fire (1980)










01. I Need Your Lovin'
02. Young Love
03. First Class Love
04. Irons In The Fire
05. Chains
06. You Make Love Like Springtime
07. Tune In Tomorrow
08. You Make Love Like Springtime (Reprise)




http://www11.zippyshare.com/v/8230996/file.html




Album: It Must Be Magic (1981)










01. It Must Be Magic
02. Revolution
03. Where's California
04. 365
05. Opus Iii (Does Anybody Care)
06. Square Biz
07. Ballad Of Cradle Rob & Me, The
08. Portuguese Love
09. Yes Indeed
10. Square Biz (Instrumental)
11. Someday We'll All Be Free ( Live)
12. Deja Vu (We've Been Here Before) (Live)




http://www5.zippyshare.com/v/89816158/file.html




Album: Robbery (1983)









01. Robbery
02. Playboy
03. Shadow Boxing
04. Midnight Magnet
05. Fix It
06. Ask Your Momma
07. Dear Lover
08. Stop The World
09. Casanova Brown
10. Playboy (12In Remix)
11. Midnight Magnet (Instrumental)




http://www75.zippyshare.com/v/16854525/file.html



Album: Starchild (1984)









01. Lovergirl
02. Help Youngblood Get to the Freaky Party
03. Out on a Limb
04. Alibi
05. Jammin'
06. Starchild
07. We've Got to Stop (Meeting Like This)
08. My Dear Mr. Gaye
09. Light




http://www15.zippyshare.com/v/44253821/file.html



Album: Emerald City (1986)









01. Emerald City
02. Once Is Not Enough
03. Lips to Find You
04. You So Heavy
05. Shangri-La
06. Batucada Suite
07. Love Me Down Easy
08. Sunny Skies




http://www35.zippyshare.com/v/69675619/file.html




Album: Naked To The World (1988)









01. Trick Bag
02. Call Me (I Got Yo Number)
03. Ooo La La La
04. Crocodile Tears
06. Surrealistic Pillow
08. Work It
09. The Ball
10. Naked To The World




http://www2.zippyshare.com/v/33575375/file.html



Album: Ivory (1990)









01. Here's Looking At You
02. The Sugar Shack Prelude
03. The Sugar Shack
04. If I Were A Bell
05. Just Us Two
06. Mr. Icecream
07. Ivory (Atone Poem)
08. Snap Your Fingers
09. Cupid Is A Real Straight Shooter
10. How Can You Resist It
11. Since Day One
12. Miracles Need Wings To Fly
13. The Red Zone




http://www20.zippyshare.com/v/88695422/file.html




Album: Greatest Hits (1991)









01. Lovergirl
02. Work It
03. Ooo la la La
04. If I Were a Bell
05. Dear Lover
06. Here's Looking at You
07. Call Me (I Got Yo Number)
08. Cassanova Brown
09. My Dear Mr. Gaye
10. Out on a Limb




http://www17.zippyshare.com/v/13351505/file.html




Album: Passion Play (1994)









01. Warm As Mommas Oven
02. Main Squeeze
03. Wild Horses
04. Smooth Tip
05. Hypnotized Prelude
06. Hypnotized
07. Parking Music
08. Sweet On You
09. Slow Grind
10. Climb The Walls
11. Breakfast In Bed
12. Passion Play
13. Pretty Man
14. The Air I Breathe




http://www51.zippyshare.com/v/84088604/file.html



Album: I Need Your Lovin'- The Best of Teena Marie (1994)











01. I Need Your Lovin'
02. Behind the Groove
03. Every Little Bit Hurts
04. Irons in the Fire
05. Portuguese Love
06. It Must Be Magic
07. Déjà Vu (I've Been Here Before)
08. Don't Turn Your Back on Me
09. Square Biz
10. Turnin' Me On
11. Now That I Have You
12. I'm a Sucker for Your Love




http://www12.zippyshare.com/v/68146091/file.html




Album: Lovergirl- The Teena Marie Story (1997)









01. Just Us Two
02. Ooo La La La [12-Inch Version]
03. Sugar Shack [Extended Club Mix]
04. If I Were a Bell
05. Stop the World
06. My Dear Mr. Gaye
07. Shadow Boxing
08. Light
09. Out on a Limb
10. Lovergirl
11. Dear Lover
12. Fix It [12-Inch Version]
13. Cassanova Brown




http://www76.zippyshare.com/v/7525829/file.html




Album: Love Songs (2000)









01. Cassanova Brown
02. Cupid Is A Real Straight Shooter
03. Miracles Need Wings To Fly
04. Ooo La La La
05. If I Were A Bell
06. Ivory (A Tone Poem)
07. Dear Lover
08. My Dear Mr. Gaye
09. Opus III (Part 2)
10. Fire And Desire
11. Shadow Boxing
12. We've Got To Stop Meeting Like This
13. Shangri-La
14. Sunny Skies




http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/85506899/file.html



Album: Ultimate Collection (2000)








01. Square Biz
02. Behind the Groove
03. If I Were a Bell
04. Portuguese Love
05. Lovergirl
06. Fire and Desire
07. My Dear Mr. Gaye
08. I'm a Sucker for Your Love
09. Irons in the Fire
10. Young Love
11. I Need Your Lovin'
12. Now That I Have You
13. Latin Lullaby
14. It Must Be Magic
15. Work It




http://www63.zippyshare.com/v/82480617/file.html



Album: La Dona (2004)










01. La Dona (Intro)
02. Still In Love
03. Honey Call
04. Baby I'm Your Fiend
05. My Body's Hungry
06. A Rose By Any Other Name
07. Off The Chain
08. Makavelli Never Lied
09. Revelations 38 Introduction
10. Recycle Hate To Love
11. The Mackin' Game




http://www53.zippyshare.com/v/52521420/file.html




Album: Sapphire (2006)









01. God Has Created
02. Cruise Control
03. Baby Who's Is It
04. Make It Hot
05. Ooh Wee
06. Sleeping With the Enemy
07. A.P.B
08. Love Is a Gangsta
09. Ladies Choice
10. Somebody Just Like You
11. You Blow Me Away
12. Simmer Down
13. Romantica
14. The Way You Love Me
15. Ecstasy
16. Resilient (Sapphire)




http://www75.zippyshare.com/v/18719017/file.html




Album: Congo Square (2009)









01. The Pressure
02. Can't Last a Day
03. Baby I Love You
04. Ear Candy 101
05. Lover's Lane
06. Marry Me
07. You Baby
08. Milk N' Honey
09. What U Got 4 Me
10. Rovleta's Jass
11. Congo Square
12. Harlem Blues
13. Black Cool
14. Ms. Coretta
15. Soldier Boy
16. The Rose N' Thorn




http://www59.zippyshare.com/v/68309846/file.html





Album: Beautiful (2013)









01. Luv Letter
02. Sweet Tooth
03. Rare Breed (Feat. Alia Rose & Ty James)
04. Love Starved
05. Definition Of Down
06. Maria Bonita (For My Mother)
07. Beautiful (For Alia)
08. The Long Play
09. Carte Blanche
10. Give Me Your Love (Feat. Alia Rose)
11. Wild Horses
12. The Perfect Feeling




http://www74.zippyshare.com/v/93653289/file.html

Collection of Mtume

A former jazz percussionist, Mtume moved into urban contemporary and funk in the late '70s and became one of the more successful producers and performers in both styles during the '80s. The son of the great jazz saxophonist Jimmy Heath, Mtume was a conga player and percussionist who recorded and toured with Miles Davis and was featured on albums by the Heath Brothers, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, and Freddie Hubbard. He even recorded as a bandleader for Strata-East before turning to funk in the late '70s. Mtume's band included the sassy, sultry vocalist Tawatha Agee, keyboardist Phil Fields, and bassist Ray Johnson. They had a number one R&B hit with "Juicy Fruit" for Epic in 1983 and a number two single in 1984 with "You, Me and He." They recorded for Epic until the late '80s. Agee went solo in 1987. Their final Top Ten hit was "Breathless" in 1986. Mtume also teamed with another ex-jazz musician, Reggie Lucas, who had also been in Davis' '70s band. They produced and/or wrote for such artists as Stephanie Mills, Roberta Flack/Donny Hathaway, Phyllis Hyman, Gary Bartz, Sadane, Lou Rawls, Rena Scott, and Eddie Henderson in the late '70s. The duo worked on the LP In Search of the Rainbow Seekers for Epic in 1980. Mtume worked on his own as a producer with several artists, among them Levert, Tyrone Brunson, Roy Ayers, Henderson, Tease, and Sue Ann. Allmusic by Ron Wynn




Album: Kawaida (1973)









01. Baraka
02. Kamili
03. Dunia
04. Maulana
05. Kawaida




http://www10.zippyshare.com/v/42815363/file.html




Album: Alkebu-Lan (1975)










01. Invocation
02. Baba Hengates
03. Utamu
04. Saud
05. Alkebu Lan
06. No Words
07. Seperate Not Equal
08. The Prayer (Sifa Zote)




http://www34.zippyshare.com/v/11787051/file.html




Album: Rebirth Cycle (1977)









01. Sais
02. Yebo
03. Cabral
04. Body Sounds
05. Umoja




http://www13.zippyshare.com/v/73779168/file.html




Album: Kiss This World Goodbye (1978)









01. Theme (For the People) (Opening)
02. Just Funnin'
03. Kiss This World Goodbye
04. Insert
05. The Closer I Get to You
06. Love Lock
07. Funky Constellation
08. Closer to the End
09. Metal Flake Mind
10. Phase 1
11. Day of the Reggin
12. This Is Your Mind
13. Theme (For The People) (Exit)




http://www22.zippyshare.com/v/62480797/file.html




Album: In Search Of The Rainbow Seekers (1980)











01. Give It On Up (If You Want To)
02. You Can't Wait For Love
03. She's a Rainbow Dancer
04. We're Gonna Make It This Time
05. Dance Around My Navel
06. So You Wanna Be a Star
07. Spirit Of The Dance
08. Anticipacin'
09. Everything Good To Me
10. Mrs Sippi




http://www66.zippyshare.com/v/4275965/file.html




Album: Juicy Fruit (1983)










01. Green Light
02. Juicy Fruit
03. Hips
04. Would You Like To (Fool Around)
05. Your Love's Too Good (To Spread Around)
06. Hip Dip Skippedabeat
07. Ready For Your Love
08. The After 6 Mix (Juicy Fruit Part II)




http://www2.zippyshare.com/v/68855375/file.html




Album: You, Me And He (1984)










01. C.O.D. (I'll Deliver)
02. You Are My Sunshine
03. You, Me and He
04. I Simply Like
05. Prime Time
06. Tie Me Up
07. Sweet For You and Me
08. To Be Or Not to Bop That Is the Question




http://www44.zippyshare.com/v/40079812/file.html




Album: Theater Of The Mind (1986)










01. Theme From Theater of the Mind
02. P.O.P. Generation
03. Breathless
04. I Don't Believe You Heard Me
05. Body and Soul (Take Me)
06. New Face Deli
07. I'd Rather Be With You
08. Deep Freeze (Rap-a-Song) Part I
09. Deep Freeze (Tree's Thing) Part II




http://www8.zippyshare.com/v/77264293/file.html