''Carasmatic'' is
Irene Cara
Irene Cara Escalera (March 18, 1959 – November 25, 2022) was an American singer and actress who rose to prominence for her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical film '' Fame'', and for recording the film's title song " Fame", which reach ...
's third and final studio album (and fourth album overall when counting ''Esta es Irene'' in 1967) released in 1987. It was her only album for
Elektra Records
Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...
. The album was mostly produced by
George Duke
George Martin Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as ...
. Many popular musicians also contributed to this album such as
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American Soul music, soul and Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. Over his career, he achieved eleven consecutive RIAA certification, RIAA-certified ...
, Lynn Davis,
James Ingram
James Edward Ingram (February 16, 1952 – January 29, 2019) was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He was a two-time Grammy Award-winner and a two-time Academy Award nominee for Best Original Song. After beginning his career ...
,
Patrice Rushen
Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist, R&B singer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director.
At the 25th Annual Grammy Awards, her 1982 single, "Forget Me Nots", received a no ...
,
Kenny Loggins
Kenneth Clark "Kenny" Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His early songs were recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, which led to seven albums recorded with Jim Messina (musician), Jim Mess ...
,
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...
,
Carole King
Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter and musician renowned for her extensive contributions to popular music. She wrote or co-wrote 118 songs that charted on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billbo ...
,
John Farrar
John Clifford Farrar ( ; born 8 November 1946) is an Australian Record producer, music producer, songwriter, arranger, singer, and guitarist. As a musician, Farrar is a former member of several rock and roll groups including The Mustangs (1963 ...
and
Michael Bolton
Michael Bolotin (born February 26, 1953), known professionally as Michael Bolton, is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton performed in the hard rock and heavy metal music genres from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, both on his early solo a ...
.
The album was not successful as
What a Feelin', and did not chart on the
Billboard 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...
, as the lead single "Girlfriends" failed to chart in the Hot 100 and received mixed reviews.
Critical reviews
''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' called the album a "mixed bag of top 40 fare with mixed results, despite presence of all-star supporters, including Brothers Johnson, Luther Vandross, and Bonnie Raitt." However they singled out the track "Don't Wanna Let Go" as Cara's "best shot."
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
noted that "the material here lacks the vocal and musical conviction of her first two albums...with only halfway decent songs, limited production, and Cara vocally not up to par, this album will only be of interest to the true Cara conoisseur."
However, ''
Cash Box
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' was more complimentary in their review, noting that "Cara checks in with a sizzling collection of grooving tunes. She uses an all-star cast of producers and players to give the record its sparkling shine."
Track listing
# "Get a Grip" (Debbie Johnson, George Johnson, Cara) – 4:58
# "Give Me Love" (
Michael Bolton
Michael Bolotin (born February 26, 1953), known professionally as Michael Bolton, is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton performed in the hard rock and heavy metal music genres from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, both on his early solo a ...
,
Patrick Henderson) – 3:58
# "We're Gonna Get Up" (
Danny Sembello,
David Batteau) – 4:42
# "Now That It's Over" (Doug James, Bolton) – 4:20
# "Say Goodnight Irene" (Cara,
John Farrar
John Clifford Farrar ( ; born 8 November 1946) is an Australian Record producer, music producer, songwriter, arranger, singer, and guitarist. As a musician, Farrar is a former member of several rock and roll groups including The Mustangs (1963 ...
) – 4:38
# "Don't Wanna Let Go" (James, Bolton) – 3:32
# "Girlfriends" (Gordon Grody, Cara) – 4:14
# "Be Your Number One" (Gerald Tillman, Harold Allen Jr., Yolanda "Yo-Yo" Smith) – 5:31
# "Falling in Love" (Bill Seidman) – 4:03
Personnel
* Irene Cara – lead vocals, backing vocals (1, 5, 8), acoustic piano (1), additional backing vocals (2), additional backing vocal solo (3),
Synclavier
The Synclavier is an early digital synthesizer, polyphonic digital sampling system, and music workstation manufactured by New England Digital Corporation of Norwich, Vermont. It was produced in various forms from the late 1970s into the ea ...
(5, 7),
Yamaha DX7
The Yamaha DX7 is a synthesizer manufactured by Yamaha Corporation from 1983 to 1989. It was the first successful digital synthesizer and is one of the best-selling synthesizers in history, selling more than 200,000 units.
In the early 1980s, th ...
solo (5), arrangements (7), BGV arrangements (8)
*
George Johnson – keyboards (1), synth bass (1), guitars (1, 8), guitar solo (1), bass guitar (1), arrangements (1, 8), additional backing vocal solo (3)
* Steve Robbins – synthesizer solo (1), Synclavier piano (7), synthesizers (7),
Fender Rhodes
The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, t ...
(9),
Minimoog
The Minimoog is an analog synthesizer first manufactured by Moog Music between 1970 and 1981. Designed as a more affordable, portable version of the modular Moog synthesizer, it was the first synthesizer sold in retail stores. It was first popul ...
(9),
Oberheim OB-Xa (9)
*
George Duke
George Martin Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as ...
– acoustic piano (2),
Prophet-5
The Prophet-5 is an analog synthesizer manufactured by the American company Sequential (company), Sequential. It was designed by Dave Smith (engineer), Dave Smith and John S. Bowen (sound designer), John Bowen in 1977. It was the first Polyphony ...
(2, 4, 6), Synclavier (2, 6, 7),
Memorymoog (2, 4, 6),
Linn 9000
The Linn 9000 is an electronic musical instrument manufactured by Linn Electronics as the successor to the LinnDrum. It was introduced in 1984 at a list price of $5,000, ($7,000 fully expanded) and about 1,100 units were produced.
It combined M ...
(2), arrangements (2, 3, 4, 6),
Yamaha TX816 (4), Yamaha DX7 (6),
LinnDrum
The LinnDrum, often erroneously referred to as the LM-2, is a drum machine manufactured by Linn Electronics between 1982 and 1985. About 5,000 units were sold.
Development
The LinnDrum was designed by the American engineer Roger Linn. It was ...
(6)
*
Danny Sembello – Yamaha DX7 (3),
Roland JX-8P
Roland JX-8P is a 61-key, velocity- and aftertouch-sensitive, six-note polyphony (instrument), polyphonic, almost entirely analog synthesizer released by Roland Corporation, Roland in 1985. In a time of rising popularity of digital frequency modu ...
(3), Linn 9000 (3)
*
Randy Kerber – acoustic piano (4), Yamaha DX7 (4)
*
John Farrar
John Clifford Farrar ( ; born 8 November 1946) is an Australian Record producer, music producer, songwriter, arranger, singer, and guitarist. As a musician, Farrar is a former member of several rock and roll groups including The Mustangs (1963 ...
– Synclavier (5), Yamaha TX816 horns (5),
vocoder
A vocoder (, a portmanteau of ''vo''ice and en''coder'') is a category of speech coding that analyzes and synthesizes the human voice signal for audio data compression, multiplexing, voice encryption or voice transformation.
The vocoder wa ...
(5), guitar (5), backing vocal solo (5)
* Marcus Ryle –
Oberheim Matrix-12 (5),
Kurzweil K250 (5), Synclavier (5)
*
Patrice Rushen
Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist, R&B singer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director.
At the 25th Annual Grammy Awards, her 1982 single, "Forget Me Nots", received a no ...
– keyboards (8), synth bass (8)
* Frank Owens – acoustic piano (9)
*
Paul Jackson, Jr. – guitars (2, 4, 6, 7)
*
Freddie Washington – bass guitar (4)
*
Louis Johnson – bass guitar (8)
*
Harvey Mason
Harvey William Mason (born February 22, 1947) is an American jazz drummer, record producer, and member of the band Fourplay. He was the original drummer for Herbie Hancock's band The Headhunters.
Life and career
Mason was born and grew ...
– drums (1),
Simmons tom fills (1)
*
John Robinson – drums (2), Simmons tom fills (3, 6)
*
Jim Keltner
James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America". Howard Sounes. ''Do ...
– drums (5)
* Harold Allen –
drum sequencing (8)
*
Paulinho da Costa
Paulinho da Costa (, born Paulo Roberto da Costa on May 31, 1948) is a Brazilian percussionist. Beginning his career as a samba musician in Brazil, he moved to the United States in the early 1970s and worked with Brazilian bandleader Sérgio Me ...
– percussion (3)
* David Diggs – horn arrangements (1, 2)
* George Del Barrio – string arrangements (4)
* Gordon Grody – co-arrangements (7)
* Bill Seidman – arrangements (9)
*
Charlotte Crossley – backing vocals (1, 6, 7), additional backing vocals (8)
* Jo Ann Harris – backing vocals (1)
*
David Lasley – backing vocals (1, 6)
* Paulette McWilliams – backing vocals (1)
*
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American Soul music, soul and Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. Over his career, he achieved eleven consecutive RIAA certification, RIAA-certified ...
– backing vocals (1), BGV arrangements (1)
* Terry Bradford – backing vocals (2, 3)
* Daryl Carpenter – additional backing vocals (2), backing vocal solo (8)
*
Patrick Henderson – backing vocals (2, 3)
* Jacquelyn Gouche – backing vocals (2, 3)
* Joel Osborne – additional backing vocals (2)
* Sybil Thomas – additional backing vocals (2)
* Fred White – backing vocals (2, 3)
* Elisecia Wright – backing vocals (2, 3)
* Lynn Davis – backing vocals (6)
*
Joyce Kennedy – backing vocals (7), group vocals (8)
*
Carole King
Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter and musician renowned for her extensive contributions to popular music. She wrote or co-wrote 118 songs that charted on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billbo ...
– backing vocals (7)
*
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...
– backing vocals (7)
* Wanda Vaughn – backing vocals (7)
*
Syreeta Wright
Syreeta Wright (born Rita Wright, February 28, 1946 – July 6, 2004), known mononymously as Syreeta, was an American singer-songwriter, best known for her music during the early 1970s through the early 1980s. Wright's career heights were songs ...
– backing vocals (7)
* Pat McKenna – additional backing vocals (8)
* Yolanda Smith – additional backing vocals (8)
*
Jim Gilstrap
James Gilstrap is an American singer and session musician. He is best known for his 1975 solo hit single " Swing Your Daddy", as well as singing co-lead to the theme from the TV series ''Good Times''.
Career
Gilstrap was born November 10, 1946 ...
– group vocals (8)
*
James Ingram
James Edward Ingram (February 16, 1952 – January 29, 2019) was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He was a two-time Grammy Award-winner and a two-time Academy Award nominee for Best Original Song. After beginning his career ...
– group vocals (8)
Production
* George Johnson – producer (1, 8), engineer (8)
* Irene Cara – co-producer (1, 9), executive producer
* George Duke – producer (2, 3, 4, 6, 7)
* John Farrar – producer (5)
* Bill Seidman – producer (9)
* John Pace – engineer (1)
* Erik Zobler – engineer (2, 3, 4, 6)
* Allen Sides – engineer (5), mixing (5)
* Tim Wilson – engineer (5)
* Paul McKenna – engineer (8)
* Michael Barbiero – mixing (1, 6, 7, 8), mix supervision (8)
*
Tommy Vicari – mixing (2), string recording (4), engineer (7)
* Michael Brauer – mixing (3, 4, 9)
* Steve Thompson – mixing (6, 7, 8), mix supervision (8)
* Dave Easton – assistant engineer (1)
* Mitch Gibson – assistant engineer (3, 4, 6)
*
Brian Gardner
Brian Knapp Gardner, also known as Brian "Big Bass" Gardner, is an American mastering engineer. He has worked on a number of recordings since the mid-1960s, including classic rock, funk, disco, alternative rock, R&B, hip hop, pop punk and dance-p ...
– LP mastering
* Stephen Innocenzi – CD mastering
* Bob Defrin – art direction, design
* Antonio Lopez – cover artwork
* Jeff Tomberg – management
;Studios
* Recorded at
Ocean Way Recording
Ocean Way Recording was a series of recording studios established by recording engineer and producer Allen Sides with locations in Los Angeles, Nashville, and Saint Barthélemy. Ocean Way Recording no longer operates recording facilities, but O ...
,
Sunset Sound
Sunset (or sundown) is the disappearance of the Sun at the end of the Sun path, below the horizon of the Earth (or any other astronomical object in the Solar System) due to its rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth, it is a phenomenon th ...
and
LeGonks West (Hollywood, CA);
Westlake Studios,
Cherokee Studios
Cherokee Studios is a recording studio facility in Hollywood founded in 1972 by members of 1960s pop band the Robbs. Cherokee has been the location of many notable recordings by such artists as Steely Dan, David Bowie, Journey, Toto, Michael J ...
,
Lion Share Recording Studios and
The Village Recorder (Los Angeles, CA); Gate Way (Santa Barbara, CA); Altadena Sound (Altadena, CA);
Moonee Ponds Studios (Malibu, CA); Metropolis (Studio City, CA); Nimbus 9 (New York City, NY).
* Mixed at
Mediasound (New York City, NY); Lion Share Recording Studios and
Record Plant
The Record Plant was a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and last operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it produced highly influential albums, including the New York ...
(Los Angeles, CA).
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1987 albums
Irene Cara albums
Albums produced by John Farrar
Elektra Records albums