1. Do You Love Me 2. Love Me to Death 3. Way I Feel 4. Every Home Should Have One 5. Baby, Come to Me - Patti Austin, James Ingram 6. Genie 7. Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart) 8. Symphony of Love 9. Oh No, Margarita 10. Island
Patti Austin's masterpiece and one of Quincy Jones' best production efforts Submitted on: 2008-07-26
One of the most prolific and talented singers in the world, Patti Austin has done everything from soul to jazz to disco to even being the anonymous voice behind many songs heard in television commercials. This album, which many people consider her best, tries several different things and does all of them great. There's some great uptempo booty-shakers such as "Do You Love Me," "The Way I Feel," and "The Genie" as well as a great cover of the Motown classic "Stop, Look, Listen." This album also spawned the smash duet with James Ingram "Baby Come To Me" (still one of the most frequently played songs on public speaker systems and smooth jazz radio stations). Quincy Jones also creates a beautifully lush and textured background on "Love Me To Death."
A very good album (that could've been a great one) Submitted on: 2008-05-17
I've been a fan of Patti Austin for goodness knows how long. I first heard her voice via the work she did back in the 70s with people like Bob James, Earl Klugh, Ron Carter, Hank Crawford, Eric Gale & Lee Ritenour. Aside from her extensive session work, she also had a very lucrative career singing jingles, apparently (as did Luther Vandross at the time). I then began to collect her albums, (of which she has many), on vinyl and they are all treasured. This is the only one I'll be transitioning to CD though as on the whole, I find Patti Austin is better enjoyed at home than on the road. Ironic really, considering this album's title.
I first heard Austin work with Quincy Jones on his 1978 album Sounds...And Stuff Like That!!, where she performed the stunning tunes "Love Me By Name", "Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)" and the beautiful duet with Luther Vandross, "I'm Gonna Miss You In The Morning". Then there was "It's The Falling In Love", her duet with Michael Jackson on his 1979 album Off the Wall, and the brilliant Grammy Award-winning "Moody's Mood", her duet with George Benson on his 1980 album Give Me the Night, both Quincy Jones productions, of course.
But it was on Q's 1981 album The Dude that I thought Austin shone the brightest, giving stunning performances on songs like "Razzamatazz", "Turn On The Action", "Betcha' Wouldn't Hurt Me" and my personal favourite, "Somethin' Special". So I guess it was inevitable that Q would go on to produce an album for Austin and this, also from 1981, is the product in question. In terms of musical quality, depth, smoothness and all that, it's top notch as one would expect but it's my belief that Austin drew the short straw where the songs was concerned. It's not that I don't like them, quite the opposite; with the exception of the out of place reggae-influenced "Symphony Of Love" (which, with all due respect to the memory of Bob Marley, I could have done without, thank you), I love them all. It's just that apart from the ballad "Baby, Come To Me", her duet with James Ingram (written by Rod Temperton, of course) and the magnificent "Oh No, Margarita" (written by Austin and Michael Broddicker), even I can admit that none of the songs here are really standout, remarkable or memorable - not even the other three Temperton tunes - which is a huge shame, really.
Austin gives her all though. My buddy Joe and I were listening to this a few weeks ago and we both agree that while her lead vocal on the verses might be a bit wanting, her multi-layered, multi-textured background vocals on the choruses are simply unbeatable. She does all the vocals herself, apart from on "Do You Love Me?" (an excitingly upbeat tune featuring cracking guitar work by Steve Lukather) and "Baby, Come To Me", where James Ingram helps out on BVs. A remarkable feat. Chaka Khan is the only other female artiste I know of who is able to pull it off this successfully. She's more jazz than anything else these days but Austin remains one of my unsung heroes of modern soul. I think she's awesome.
Apart from the aforementioned, other favourites include the Linda Creed & Thom Bell classic, "Stop, Look, Listen" and the closing ballad "The Island". On the whole, a very good album that had the potential to be a great one but didn't quite make it.
Some album trivia:
1) "Baby Come To Me" didn't make much of an impact on the charts when it was first released in 1982. It was then used on the ABC soap opera "General Hospital" and this generated so many enquiries about the song that the record company decided to release it again early in 1983. It went straight to #1.
2) Austin was interviewed for a magazine shortly after this album was released and the interviewer remarked on how much she sounded like Michael Jackson. I don't recall the exact words but Austin laughed (I've seen her on TV and she's a very funny lady) and said something along the lines of, oh no, honey; get it right. It's Michael Jackson who sounds like ME! I recall laughing out loud.
3) The album featured people like Louis Johnson on bass, Greg Phillinganes on keys, David Foster on synthesizers, Paulinho Da Costa on percussion and Eric Gale on guitar.
4) Austin ceased to be Quincy Jones's muse following this album. Q's next project, Michael Jackson's Thriller, did not feature her at all and neither did any subsequent projects, at least, not as a lead vocalist (except for a duet she did with James Ingram on his Quincy Jones-produced album It's Your Night). Eventually, on Jackson's Bad and Q's own Back on the Block, Q introduced Siedah Garrett as the main lead female vocalist.
A True Early 80's Pop Classic Submitted on: 2008-02-27
I remember being in a record store in NYC in early 1982 (i was 13) and hearing "Do You Love Me?" being played over the store's sound system. On the front counter there was a "Now Playing" display, and there i saw this album, this wonderful masterwork of pop beauty. I bought it and played it, over and over, and still do. It is a complete work, not one tune is filler. I'm still so impressed to this day how incredible this album is.
What initially grabbed me was the voice, that unique instrument that belongs only to Patti Austin. If I was female and could sing, i would want this voice! The control, the feeling, the range- the voice of magnificence, rivalling the great singers of all time. I love Patti Austin. But also on this album, you will find perfect songs- pop materpieces! I love all of these songs and have been singing along for years. This album is truly my number one Deserted-Island-Disc. Remarkably, this album did not receive the attention it deserved back in the early 80's. The music scene in 1982 was VERY confused- all sorts of strange pop music, disco was "dead" as was rock-n-roll and punk, while new-wave was pushing in hard from across the waters and across the country. I'm afraid "Every Home Should Have One" got lost. I also believe that as much as Quincy Jones LOVED making this album as well he should have, his attention was at the time re-focusing on a career pinacle project: Michael Jackson's "Thriller".
Be that as it may, this album is brilliant and every music lover should have it, and listen to it regularly. These are great songs that make sense, all performed perfectly by the musicians and by The Lady, Patti Austin. I have thanked God for her. Thank you for this gift Patti!
The album that brought Patti to everyone's attention. Submitted on: 2007-12-21
By the time Patti Austin became the first artist signed to Quincy Jones' Qwest label in 1981 she had recorded four albums for CTI Records--sadly, these made no impact whatsoever outside the Jazz charts. Thanks to Patti's gorgeous duet with James Ingram ("Baby Come To Me") this album became a million-seller and Patti became a household name (temporarily). This CD's crown jewels, however, are the breathtakingly-beautiful "The Island" and Patti's remake of The Stylistics' "Stop Look Listen". A classic in every way.
PLEASE RERELEASE!!!!!!!! Submitted on: 2007-10-12
I guess everyone agrees that this is a great album. I just wish they would rerelease it, WITH the extended 12" version of DO YOU LOVE ME. It was a #1 dance track when originally released, and today still stands with the best of them.
Patti Austin's masterpiece and one of Quincy Jones' best production efforts
A very good album (that could've been a great one)